Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I am an avid blood angels player and I want to put a lot of thought into the best ally for me,
I normally use a mix of assault and tactical marines with a powerhouse hq and lots of mech and a devastator for good measure

Can I have some suggestions on the ideal ally?

Well, BA is a fast MEQ army that can hold its own in cc. Therefore, I'd IG as allies. As always maxing out synergy is key.

Good point, it's ironic because ba and ig can have the 2 strongest troops choices in the game
Ba = death comp (max over 2000p!)
Ig = platoon ( well over 1500p!)

blood guard26 wrote:Good point, it's ironic because ba and ig can have the 2 strongest troops choices in the game
Ba = death comp (max over 2000p!)
Ig = platoon ( well over 1500p!)

They complement each other very well. BA has less synergy with another SM chapter. The Stormtalon would be nice to include but then you need an HQ and a troop unit.

Depends on your list, you haven't made it clear what units you have.

Storm ravens probably need flyers as support, to take some of the inceptor fire power. As such IG probably is best, as they can lend you three flyers.

Assault marines with jump packs may as well have rune priests with jump packs with them.

Drop pod BA, then any of the marine armies will work well. Including Deathwing.

Razorback spam then may as well go for GK or space wolves, or even deathwing will work well.

So many possibilities of synergy with other marine codices, I am not sure it is instantly IG by any stretch.
What actual list do you normally play?

While BA have many options for good synergy with allies, I find myself drawn to the IG as well because it's less specific on how well their strength fill in my weaknesses.

Where your examples are connected to particular list types (there are others, but I'm just using you as an example), the IG's combination of massed infantry, massed heavy-hitting tanks, and many flyers complement several of the BA's strengths and shores up a few weaknesses, by adding significantly to their numbers, and lots of firepower in the big guns.

With the OP's list-type (similar to my own, I play a strong defensive game, with tacticals and devastators firing at the enemies, with the assault squads are kept on hold until needed to deal a big punch or tie up an enemy squad, and a stormraven doing strafing runs for good measure), you could have a stronger defensive line of IG heavy weapons and infantry blobs, anchored by tactical marines and devastators, while your core assault units from the BA codex stand ready to deal a heavy punch when needed.

A quick 2000 point army list for me is:
Mephiston 250
Sang guard 260
1 tac squad
1 assault squad
1 scout squad
Rhinos
A predator annihilator
And one of the following: ( depending on what I'm playing against
A) 2 dreads
B) 3 land speds
C) stormraven

Elector wrote:Where your examples are connected to particular list types (there are others, but I'm just using you as an example), the IG's combination of massed infantry, massed heavy-hitting tanks, and many flyers complement several of the BA's strengths and shores up a few weaknesses, by adding significantly to their numbers, and lots of firepower in the big guns.

You make it sound like you could make a IG army that would complement any BA force, which is untrue.
I think there many things BA could take from IG, but it still needs to be well planned, mainly as the allies FoC is quite small even with IG FoC weirdness.

Okay, that is true. I guess I just figured it would cover a wider range of list-types.

But yeah, as with most allies, it needs to be well-planned (though the massed squads infantry for one troop choice does mess around with that)

With Blood Angels there can be only one ally.

Necrons.

I have a plan, I'm in no way advocating it as some uber combo, but in the spirit of sharing.

I am planning on using Codex Marines, specifically a biker captain allowing me to take some bikes as troops. This opens up yet another very solid troop choice to a codex that already has access to some of the strongest available, I plan to use small units with attack bikes attached and plasma or melta as needed.

I may also use some Scouts as C:SM troops, giving access to Telion and hellfire rounds on a heavy bolter.

There may be other options I've not thought of yet, the actual book should arrive tomorrow, but perhaps others could chip in..

As you already have scouts it would seem rude not to run Telion. Maybe even give him a quadgun and an ADL.

Biker troops will work very with the infantry of BA, maybe actually run light on BA infantry and just take their attack bikes.
Vanilla:
Captain on bike
200pt biker squad
200pt biker squad
BA:
2 librarians on bikes
5 scouts+camo cloaks
5 scouts+camo cloaks
9 attack bikes
3 priests on bikes
ADL with quad gun

Anyway I still not clear on how you list really looks. You have a bunch of units, I am not sure how you will play it.
I would try to get jump ICs that boost your jump packers.
Then other mech to support the mech you have already.

I first glance at other speical characters that can lend a hang... lysander is a friken tank..... or take some of the assault heavy/CML heavy terminators from other codexes...

Or perhapse some sneaky eldar pathfinders to serve as objective sitters...

I was thinking that vanilla sm would be good because of vulkan he'stan, the twin linked meltas/ flamers and the master-crafted thunder hammers will be extremely usefull, as i have tons of all of them.

IIRC in the Faq the chapter bonuses only affect C:SM.

no it specifically says:

chapter tactics; if you include He'stan then all units in your army lose the combat tactics special rule.
instead, all thunder hammers in your army will count as master crafted and all flamers, heavy flamers, meltaguns and multi-meltas count as-twin linked.

If your doing blood angels as your primary army, I think that IG is a super good ally. My current BA/IG list I'm building for 1850 pts (just bought everything for it) is -

HQ - Astorath the Grim - 220 points
HQ - Imperial Guard Company Command Squad (banner) - 65 pts

Elite - 5x Assault Terminators (4x hammer/ss, 1x claw) - 220 pts

Troops - 10 man Death Company (1x power fist, 2x power ax, 7x bolters) - 255 pts
Troops - 10 man Death Company (1x thunder hammer, 2x power ax, 7x bolters) - 260pts
Troops - Imperial Guard Platoon Command Squad (Autocannon) - 40 pts
Troops - Imperial Guard Infantry Squad (Autocannon) - 60 pts
Troops - Imperial Guard Infantry Squad (Autocannon) - 60 pts

Heavy - Stormraven (TL MM, TL AC) - 200 pts
Heavy - Stormraven (TL MM, TL AC) - 200 pts
Heavy - Stormraven (TL MM, TL PC) - 200 pts

Fortification - Aegis line w/ comms relay - 70 pts



Its an awesome idea IMO... 30 guardsmen on the ground to hold objectives, then 3 stormravens full of badass assault troops attack the enemy.

I love everything about the army list except 1 thing.

I cant afford 2 stormravens!!!!!

I thank god that I bought 2 of em back when they were 60 each, and managed to pick up the other one at 25% off from my LGS.

In australia they're $130

blood guard26 wrote:In australia they're $130

I... I'm sorry.

:(

thanks *sob*


Automatically Appended Next Post:
oh yeah, by the way SICK aurora army, I never thought that green could be brought out so much on a model

blood guard26 wrote:In australia they're $130

...off to ebay we go!

In fact, BA has some synergy with IG, where IG has the role to hold objectives and shoot big guns.

On the other hand, BA can counter-charge or approach the enemy quickly.

blood guard26 wrote:I was thinking that vanilla sm would be good because of vulkan he'stan, the twin linked meltas/ flamers and the master-crafted thunder hammers will be extremely usefull, as i have tons of all of them.

Neroman's right, I'm afraid. Double-check the Codex: Space Marines FAQ - not just the Codex alone. It now specifies friendly models from Codex: Space Marines only.

Personally I think there's not much point allying with the units you already mentioned, as you have all the bases covered. What you COULD do is drop some of your units for cheaper/better alternatives elsewhere.
For instance - you could leave the Devastators and mech for some IG options, as they can bring a lot more guns to the table per slot, even if they do miss more often.
Or you could leave the Tactical Marines behind in favour of SW Grey Hunters, who cost the same but are a lot more potent up close - though you would lose the heavy weapon.

blood guard26 wrote:no it specifically says:

chapter tactics; if you include He'stan then all units in your army lose the combat tactics special rule.
instead, all thunder hammers in your army will count as master crafted and all flamers, heavy flamers, meltaguns and multi-meltas count as-twin linked.

He did say the FAQ. It is good reading I do recommend it, there is a lot of small changes really.

Freman Bloodglaive wrote:With Blood Angels there can be only one ally.

Necrons.

lawl, you're reading my mind

someone please do this and tell us how it works

I run a Devestator/RAS/Attack bike list, I am thinking that Tau will only add to my mid range firepower.

Crises Suit + Friends and Firewarriors to sit on a objective.

One mostly unmentioned possibility is Eldar. While going for full-on synergy is a reasonable strategy, in my opinion trying to cheaply cover major weaknesses is also a viable option. At the moment, there are several possible strategies that a lot of armies (particularly leftover 5th edition ones) will struggle to counter. To me, that includes flyers, 2+ armor, and psyker spam.

Mech BA will handle 2+ armor very well (lots of Las and Plas), and Stormravens obviously can counter flyers if taken in multiples (although a full-on Necron airforce is still pretty scary). In all cases, our army lacks psyker defense. The Eldar army possesses the best psyker defense, without question, via Runes of Warding. In addition, said psyker defense comes very cheaply, and you can also take a cheap late-game objective grabber (Guardian Jetbikes), an objective holder that's impossible to kill via shooting (Pathfinders), and a somewhat cheap source of bodies (Guardians). Taking Fire Dragons for anti-AV14 (as you will probably want to switch Meltaguns for Plasmaguns in your Assault Squads) is another possibility. I could even be convinced that Shining Spears are good now, as taking an Exarch with Skilled Rider means they get an automatic 4++ cover save so long as they move, plus they completely ignore Terrain for all practical purposes.

In a DoA army, you probably have a greater need for AP1-2 and anti-flyer weapons. Here I think Guard really makes a lot of sense, although I'm wondering what the new DA codex will bring.

Well thanks guys (and girls), I'll write out army lists for all your great ideas and try out a few games and respond back on the final verdict
Cheers

I'm surprised no one said 'nids lol