Hi folks!
I'm new to 40k, I played some Warhammer Fantasy Battle when I was a teenager but haven't played any tabletop for a long time (7 years or so). My friends and I started getting into 40k in early '99, Blood Angels were my chosen army, but I moved away a few months later and never got back into the game. Long story short; I've decided to look for a gaming club and paint my Blood Angels rather than let them sit there and go to waste. I am currently painting and expanding their ranks to play in a 600 point campaign.
First thing you gotta know: I love marines with Jump Packs. Even when I used to play Fantasy Battle I would look at pictures of them in White Dwarf and just think how cool they were, so my army is definitely Jump Pack-centric, with Death Company and Assault Squad primed to launch straight into the enemy in true Blood Angels style. I feel pretty confident with the close quarters ability of this army, with roughly 12 assault troops across the two squads (the unpredictable nature of the Death Company permitting).
Tanks and other heavily armoured enemies were my concern however; how to deal with nasty Leman Russ or Dreadnoughts that an opponent might have snuck into his army. Even though it's a small points battle, I myself looked seriously at including my Furioso Dreadnought in the army (but it would have cost me most of my Jump Pack men, so it was ultimately rejected). I finally decided on providing two of my Assault marines with Plasma Pistols, and placing a Lascannon and Plasmagun in one Tactical squad, and a Meltagun in another. I did want a missile launcher in each squad instead of Lascannon and Heavy bolter, but cant afford to buy the boxed sets to get them when I don't want more devestator or tactical marines. I already had a lascannon and heavy bolter, so they went in and I picked up a Plasma/Melta assault marine blister this week. I do wonder if I should get rid of the heavy Bolter or not.
Anyway, after all my writing of rubbish, here's my Blood Angels Army. It was created, I hope, in the spirit of the army with its assault focus. Also the squads are 6 or larger to lessen the impact of losing a man to the Death Company (a 4-man Tactical Squad is just no fun at all). Any advice, criticism and other feedback is really appreciated:
Reclusiarch Zulu'rah and his Assault Retinue
HQ
Zulu Squad - Reclusiarch Zulu'rah & Death Company: 195pts
Jump Pack: 20
Frag Grenades: 1
Bolt Pistol: 1
TROOPS
Alpha Squad - 6 Tactical Marines: 90 pts
Lascannon: 15pts
Plasma Gun: 10pts
4 Bolters
Beta Squad - 6 Tactical Marines: 90pts
Heavy Bolter: 5pts
Meltagun: 10pts
4 Bolters
FAST ATTACK
Echo Squad - 7 Assault Marines: 154pts
2 Plasma Pistols: 10pts
Krak Grenades: 7pts
TOTAL
598pts