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Hey all, I was on these forums a few months ago asking for assistance with my Blood Angels 1000pt entry-level list. What you helped me come up with looked like this:

2x Assault Squad (10 man)
- Thunder Hammer
- Combat Shield
- 2x Melta Guns

Sanguinary Guard (5 man)
- Death Masks
- Infernus Pistol

Sanguinary Priest (2 man)
- Jump pack

Librarian
- Jump pack

So far, I've had a lot of fun with this list. I'm still learning the ropes, but some of my less-fortunate opponents have stopped bringing their footsloggin' armies and vehicle-dependent layouts when they hear I'm showing up that day. So thank y'all for that.

Now, I'd like you assistance a second time, to raise my list up to the much manlier level of 1500 points. I've looked over the Stormraven rules, and while there are a few concerns in my head, it looks like a great addition to the theme of constant mobility that's made my foes so irritated with my jump pack army. I want to turn the volume up even higher - a squad of five mean bastards with jump packs, a Dread tagging along, the brutal guns of the Stormraven, and the fearsome time-on-target capability that comes with the "Skies of Blood" rules.

My options look like this:

OPTION #1:

(HS) Stormraven Gunship - 200
(TR) Death Company Squad (5) - 175
- Jump Packs
(TR) Death Company Dreadnought - 125
- Blood Talons

OPTION #2:

(HS) Stormraven Gunship - 200
(FA) Vanguard Veteran Squad (5) - 165
- Jump packs
(EL) Furioso Dreadnought - 125
- Blood Talons

The only real differences between the two are that the Death Company Dread would be able to keep up with the jump pack army, with the Fleet rule and None Shall Stay My Wrath. The Vanguard option has 10 spare points, not much, but it could at least give them two models with melta bombs (sergeant and one other). Death Company would also get a bit more shooting action, with Relentless + Boltguns. The real issue, as is plain to see, is that neither option gives me any special equipment - PF, PW, TH, the hand flamer for the Death Company... etc.
For that reason, I'm leaning towards the DC option, because although they're not equipped for much more than getting dropped in enemy territory and providing a hideous distraction, that's also really all I need them to do. It also gives me the option to add a Reclusiarch to the eventual 2000pt list, making these boys even more of a pain.

Your thoughts, Dakka? And thanks again.

The Stormravens aren't going to work dude. You have two armoured targets, though you have those eggs into one baskets. This will give the opponent one armoured target to shoot at, not a lot. I wouldn't even consider Stormravens unless doing a mech list. I would stick with your jump list and add units onto that, Vanguard is a alright unit to add.

As for the other parts of the list, combat shield is pointless, only 6+ invulnerable for a single wound mode. Death masks on the S-Guard forces a leadership test, most things have a good leadership so chances of a enemy unit failing are slim. You could replace those items of wargear with a chapter banner on the Sanguinary Guard, this would make them more killy.

Not a bad point. The Death Masks, I'm definitely taking over the banner, they've caused too much havoc on the field to give up. The combat shields, on the other hand, were only added to take up a remaining 10 points. They aren't plan A, they're plan H, so to speak.

Vanguard, I would be a bigger fan of if Heroic Intervention and Descent of Angels worked in tandem. Leaving 10 units in reserve in an already small army kind of limits my abilities anyway. DC, in a 10-man squad, could be a more damaging inclusion, although if I take 5 of them that Dread becomes a troop choice, a Fleet walker with heavy armor and the Blood Talons. Trouble is, again, no points for special gear.

10 DCs wouldn't be so bad on their own, though, if I used the spare 125pts for some equipment. 10 points shy of a jump pack Chaplain unfortunately. :/

As far as the old Stormpelican goes, I've never had any real problem taking one in a vehicle-light list. I generally pack it with Death Company, a Reclusiarch and a Furioso (no NSSMW, but I LOVE the AV13, and ) with a heavy flamer. The Pelican acts as the delivery system, normally coming in from reserve, zooming 24" for the cover save, then next turn it shuffles into prime position, unloads everyone, who proceed to charge and nobble a unit each (sometimes 3 units, if I split the chaplain off at disembarkation and send him off after his own, and on one delightful occasion 4 units, when I managed to pull off a multiple assault with the DC), while the pelican takes potshots at whatever seems most likely to shoot it down. In the meantime, this move has likely drawn most of your opponent's attention, subsequently allowing the rest of your army a turn where they aren't getting as severely molested as they should.

In terms of the army list: find a way to get a Chapter Banner in there! The extra attack is fantastic, and any ICs who join the unit benefit as well (Apothecary + Sanguinary Guard = awesome saves and massive killy power!)

As for the unit riding in the pelican, I'm not sure you've really got the points for anything big, not unless you drop something expensive like the Sanguinary Guard. Have you considered sticking them in the pelican long with a Priest armed with a power weapon? It's a lot of points to concentrate in such a small area, but depending on what your local gaming scene is like the sheer killiness of this group may prove game-winning almost on its own (it's certainly worked for me). So if we have:

Stormraven Gunship

2x Assault Squad (10 man)
- Thunder Hammer
- 2x Melta Guns

Sanguinary Guard (5 man)
- Death Masks
- Chapter Banner
- Infernus Pistol

Furioso Dreadnought
- Heavy Flamer
- Blood Talons

Sanguinary Priest (2 man)
- Jump pack
- 1 Power Weapon

Librarian
- Jump pack

This sits at 1365pts, giving you another 135 to spend. I'd be inclined to spend some of it on a Power Fist for the SG (the extra attack from the Banner more than makes up for not having master-crafted). I'm a big fan of power weapons for Sanguinary Priests, as I hate to waste the opportunity to use that WS5 on anything. That leaves 110 points. At this point I'd either be looking at another small Assault Squad, or a suicidal Land Speeder with 2 meltas on it to zoom across for the cover save on turn 1, melt something which would otherwise threaten the pelican on turn 2 and probably end up as a pile of scrap on turn 3 (though you may get lucky and have it survive to hit something else later in the game). If you take the speeder then you still have some points for upgrading your dreadnought and/or pelican.

mercer wrote:The Stormravens aren't going to work dude. You have two armoured targets, though you have those eggs into one baskets. This will give the opponent one armoured target to shoot at, not a lot. I wouldn't even consider Stormravens unless doing a mech list. I would stick with your jump list and add units onto that, Vanguard is a alright unit to add.

As for the other parts of the list, combat shield is pointless, only 6+ invulnerable for a single wound mode. Death masks on the S-Guard forces a leadership test, most things have a good leadership so chances of a enemy unit failing are slim. You could replace those items of wargear with a chapter banner on the Sanguinary Guard, this would make them more killy.

^This^
Seriously lascannons, other antitank guns are available, have nothing better to do with their time but to ground the stormraven. Then in the first case you have a bunch of death company foot slogging across the board, giving the enemy plenty of time to deal with them.

Maybe go for the librarian dread. This gives you a 5+ save and then worst comes to the worst to just use wings to fly instead.