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I haven't played a game of 40K in a few years. I have a decent size Dark Angels army. I am wondering what the best way would be to play them. Let me know if you want a list of my army. Thanks for any input you may have.

Go Big Green! wrote:I am wondering what the best way would be to play them. Let me know if you want a list of my army.

As Space Wolves.

Thats not going to happen. I haven't even seen the new stuff for the Space Wolfs. Must be pretty good.

@Darkness Eternal: Not terribly helpful.

@GBG!: Right now Deathwing is very popular and successful as is double-wing (Death and Ravenwing together). A 'traditional' DA force can often be done better with the C:SM book.

I can't find the link, but here's a competitive 2K list from Stelek's yesthetruthhurts.com blog:

2000 Pts – Dark Angels Roster

1 Company Master, 110 pts (Combi-Meltagun)

5 Company Veterans Squad, 175 pts (Melta Bombs x2; Combi-Meltagun x2; Meltagun)
1 Rhino

5 Company Veterans Squad, 175 pts (Melta Bombs x2; Combi-Meltagun x2; Meltagun)
1 Rhino

5 Company Veterans Squad, 175 pts (Melta Bombs x2; Combi-Meltagun x2; Meltagun)
1 Rhino

4 Tactical Squad, 135 pts (Meltagun)
1 Sergeant
1 Rhino

4 Tactical Squad, 180 pts (Meltagun)
1 Sergeant
1 Razorback (Twin-Linked Lascannon)

9 Tactical Squad, 270 pts (Meltagun; Plasma Cannon)
1 Sergeant
1 Razorback (Twin-Linked Lascannon)

9 Tactical Squad, 270 pts (Meltagun; Plasma Cannon)
1 Sergeant
1 Razorback (Twin-Linked Lascannon)

1 Ravenwing Support Squadron, 75 pts (Typhoon Missile Launcher, Multi-melta)

1 Ravenwing Support Squadron, 75 pts (Typhoon Missile Launcher, Multi-melta)

1 Ravenwing Support Squadron, 75 pts (Typhoon Missile Launcher, Multi-melta)

1 Predator, 95 pts (Autocannon, Heavy Bolter (each side))

1 Predator, 95 pts (Autocannon, Heavy Bolter (each side))

1 Predator, 95 pts (Autocannon, Heavy Bolter (each side))

Total Roster Cost: 2000

Stelek's comments: "Yes, it gives up two of the hallmarks of the DA–the DW and the RW. Well, it’s built to do certain things and if that means not using every tool, so be it. Nothing wrong with DW or RW, I fear both for different reasons, but this list is built for a certain way of playing.

Of course you should use the Predators for cover for your Speeders.
It has a goodly amount of range, mobility, anti-tank, and anti-infantry firepower, which is what good Marine lists do."




Automatically Appended Next Post:
The 75-point typhoons, the ability to put a special weapon in a 5-man tac squad, and access to cheap multi-special vets make DA better than vanilla marines at making a rhino/melta/missile mech army.

Thats sounds like a very solid list. I would like to include the Deathwing in my army.

Go Big Green! wrote:Thats sounds like a very solid list. I would like to include the Deathwing in my army.

Keep in mind that Stelek's lists can be effective but are often bland in presentation.

For your army, it is important to do a couple things: Have everything mechanized. Have melta available. Have good long range fire. Have durable mobile scoring units. Build around that and do what makes you happy. Don't feel that you have to copy a net list to be successful.

I think I have the long range fire power down. I have two Devastaor Squads. Both with 2x Plasma Cannons and 2x Lascannons.

Stelek's list if that is correct is pretty average. I guess this is from when he tried to recreate his space wolves list as DA. As such I am not sure it was meant to be truly competitive.

So DA codex is roughly 5% too expensive for nearly every unit. Dev. squads in particular are pricey, you can play them but it puts you at a slight disadvantage. Cheap long range firepower include typhoons and deathwing units, reasonable other choices would be dreads, preds and lasbacks.

I think Stelek's list has a good start but I would go for the following, just to maximise units. Also note that Belial would even be a better HQ for this list.

Int. Chaplain
Deathwing CML and cc weapons
Deathwing CML and cc weapons
Deathwing CML and cc weapons
5 man tac. squad with lasback and melta
5 man tac. squad with lasback and melta
5 man tac. squad with lasback and melta
5 man tac. squad with lasback and melta
Typhoon
Typhoon
Typhoon
Pred with auto/las
Pred with auto/las
Pred with auto/las

Just as a small note: if you want to run the Company Veterans Squad, you're better off arming them with power weapons and storm shields. Dark Angels are the only army that gets them and they go great with a chaplain.

And I'd rethink the devastator squad being setup like that. You'd be safer (and a little thriftier) to use four missile launchers, as they don;t blow up when you need them to work, they can crack most any tank you get on the field, and they handle hordes well. That being said, I use 4 lascannons so they can handle my anti-tank specialists, I handle my hordes with lightning claws and power weapons.

MFletch: It's a troop spam army, and there are BA and vanilla versions using analogous units.

Go Big: If you want to use deathwing, use MFletch's list. Cyclone missiles on terminators are vastly superior to your mixed devastator squads because they can move and shoot, and they're much more durable, and they defend themselves in hand-to-hand.

5th edition is a mechanized game. The old-fashioned devs standing in the woods are just bolter bait now.

double wing (deathwing + ravenwing).

Any other build can be done better with codex space marines or blood angels. Some would even argue that grey knights do deathwing better.

Oh, for mfletch's list, take belial instead of the interrogator chaplain. That way, some of the deathwing can be troops and you can take the deathwing banner and apothecary.

Thanks for the help everyone.

scuddman wrote:Oh, for mfletch's list, take belial instead of the interrogator chaplain. That way, some of the deathwing can be troops and you can take the deathwing banner and apothecary.

That is the irony of trying not to make a deathwing list: lasback spam is the only thing that is effective then the obvious elite choice to go with it has to be deathwing which leads to the obvious inclusion of Belial to make it into deathwing.

Go Big Green! wrote:Don't feel that you have to copy a net list to be successful.

Holy crap! Someone said it!!

Sorry... I just think all this non-sense about, "Don't take X! For 7.3 points less, you can take two of unit Y and increase your MEQ casualties by 18.67% on Tuesdays while using blue dice!"

If you make a solid (read: balanced) list with just about any codex, you have the opportunity to win against anyone. It's not about tabling your opponents. I've won a lot of games where I was getting the @#$% kicked out of me, but I remembered the objectives.

Anyway... You don't have to spam unit X to have fun. If you run a normal DA list, (HQ, Elite, 3+ Troops, Fast, Heavy) you'll be competitive and have fun.

-Reece

Hmm, my experience with that is that doing whatever is okay as long as you aren't facing a top tier balls to the wall kind of list.

So, it really comes down to what you face all the time. Play in tournaments a lot? Don't do standard DA. Play against competitive people all the time? Don't do standard DA. Even after the FAQ, the army struggles to match the firepower and hth capabilities of other armies.

Just playing for fun? Playing casual games? Losing not a big deal? Go for it.