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Hi guys. I run a mech guard army and with 6th edition now here I was thinking of adding some allies for some extra spice. I love the Death Company (all black and deadly) so I plan toinclude a unit or two; but how do you run them. Jumps packs look great and offer mobility but for a unit of ten Death Company you can buy a Storm Raven for just a bit more. This offers extra punch but it is large target and a downed raven will kill alll on board. So what to do, whats best.

In addition, is Astorath worth it just a allied army, or is he best used to a large blood angel force.

My Guard units are Chimeras following two LR Demolishers that run straight down the opposition's throat. Vendettas may or may not be added.

Thanks in advance

Death company with a chaplain is good enough. 6 attacks on the charge with Bp/CCW and reroll all to hits and all to wounds with the chaplain. To top it off you might consider a death company dread who will have 7 attacks on the charge with blood talons or blood fists. The dread also gets fleet of foot which makes his charge range extra long.

I think DC is an awesome idea in an IG army because you will have a ton of scoring units already.

5 attacks on the charge, no?

Otherwise I'm with DD. They're a darn good unit. I don't know if I'd spent the extra 100pts for the chaplain, but 130 for a Reclusiarch might make sense as you need an HQ regardless.

I think they're still worth it with the jump packs, but it is a BIG points increase, going from 20 to 30pts per model. You might be better off just keeping them on foot and using them for counter-charge. If you want to get aggressive with them, you can get them 24" up the table in one turn using a BA Rhino, which only costs 50pts (55 with dozer).

One combo I've considered is a unit of DC with jump packs, led by a Reclusiarch, sitting in an Aegis defense line placed relatively far forward, threatening the center of the table and with the BS5 Reclusiarch manning a Quad Gun.

Mannahnin wrote:5 attacks on the charge, no?
....from 20 to 30pts per model...

Yes and 20pts to 35pts per model.

What are your thoughts about a 5-10man infantry DC squad, Reclusiarch and Primaris Psyker. Bit of a wild card with two biomancy powers. Shriek could work.

Or could leaving the Primaris psyker where he is (or having a normal gunline CCS), and having a BA librarian attached to a infantry squad of some description.

Another thought - I'm not sure why way this would work (IG core, BA allies or BA core, IG allies) but.. DC + a ministorum priest.

Yes you are right. 5 attacks on the charge. I would always go with IG base and BA allies. This gives you more flexible cheap troops. Though an allied platoon with 5 squads gives you 6 individual scoring units right. I guess only the heavy and special weapon squads would be the difference. Also what you want from the FA and Hv slots might dictate which one is the ally in this.

I think DC with Bolters > DC with bolt pistols. With relentless they can rapid fire then charge, while its 1 less wound opportunity over 2 rounds of combat it increases there threat range and utility.

9 DC + Rescularch in a droppod can be a find addtion to any force

Yeah I'm with Hazal on DC with bolters in a drop pod.

I saw a guy on 3++ talking about running them 15 strong with Bolters and a Lib and throwing 4+ invulns and the like on them. Sounded pretty nasty. Just plod up the field throwing out dakka and scrot punch anything that gets close.

I've been doing almost this exact thing with my Guard and it works wonders. The Reclusiarch as the required HQ is a must, as Death Company gain soooooo much from having him around.

I tend to run 9 Death Company and a Reclusiarch in either a Drop Pod or a Rhino, generally with a Power Axe tossed in just in case I need to fight terminators.

Also, I run the entire unit with Bolters over Bolt Pistols. Seems strange, but really it's a decent swap when you think about it. Firstly Death Company are Relentless, so they can still fire rapid fire weapons and charge. Secondly, whether they are DSing in a drop pod, or roaring up in a Rhino, they're going to have to spend a turn being unable to assault, so you might as well spend it double tapping, or tagging things at 24".

More Dakka wrote:Yeah I'm with Hazal on DC with bolters in a drop pod.

In fact, this is a way to go for an allied force. A Pod guarantees that the unit will be placed where it will be needed, on a flank, even at the rear, or in front of your main detachment.

I guess the thing I have to wonder is if this is the best thing for your guard army. DC may be good in general, but that doesn't mean that they're the right fit for your particular army.

I mean, if all you're doing is spending a ton of points to finally give your opponent something worth shooting their plasma guns at, perhaps it would be better if you chose something that fit the rest of your army better.

Well, if the enemy shoots plasma guns at the DC, this will be eventually less devastating than in the 5th ed. Cover has been reduced but FNP will not be negated.

Right, but still. Before you were having to shoot all those expensive plasma guns at worthless guardsmen, or hoping for glances on AV12. Now you have the perfect target literally dropped right in your lap.

You've got to be careful with allies is all.

First of all, you can't go wrong with astorath, Successful invulnerable saves taken against wounds caused by him must be re-rolled, He, and all members of a squad he has joined, are
fearless and he makes dc re-roll to hit and wound.

Second, thirty death company with jump packs are one of the most TERRIFYING units in all of 40k, a lot more than 6 in a stormraven and you can have multiple units with astorath!

There are lots of ways to field Death Company well but I only see one decent fit with Guard - as a counter-attack/threat unit.

For this you need a smallish unit (5 or 6) that you can keep protected, so keep them out of line of sight if at all possible, or failing that in deep cover. Taking a Reclusiarch as the HQ will offset the squad's small size. You already have a high Strength weapon in his maul, so the unit itself will only need a power fist or axe for harder targets... but most important, they need those jump packs. This both allows them to completely ignore the cover they're in when they jump out, and get to wherever they're needed in your lines fast.

This comes out at somewhere between 300-350 points... so it's not always going to be worth it... but it should allow you to keep your gunlines safe for at least another turn at worst. At best, they'll put out some serious damage of their own and your gunlines will never even be touched.

blood guard26 wrote:First of all, you can't go wrong with astorath, Successful invulnerable saves taken against wounds caused by him must be re-rolled, He, and all members of a squad he has joined, are
fearless and he makes dc re-roll to hit and wound.

Second, thirty death company with jump packs are one of the most TERRIFYING units in all of 40k, a lot more than 6 in a stormraven and you can have multiple units with astorath!

30 Death Company is the 2000pts gone on one squad.

What about DC with Jump Packs and Bolters teamed with Astorath. That's a 36" Bolter Range . If you don't have the points a Reclusiarch will do. I liked the suggestion of a DC Dread as well. He could go in a Drop Pod.

phantommaster wrote:What about DC with Jump Packs and Bolters teamed with Astorath. That's a 36" Bolter Range

A bit of a waste, if you ask me. Normally it would be questionable, since the jump packs are expensive enough for getting your assault troops into combat. If you're using it for firing and you're actually going for targets 24"-36" away? You've just paid 35 points per bolter shot, which Astorath adds nothing to.

In a Guard army, this is absolute madness - you should have 36" range firepower and farther coming out of your ears. Use them as the assault troops they were meant to be.

Super Ready wrote:

phantommaster wrote:What about DC with Jump Packs and Bolters teamed with Astorath. That's a 36" Bolter Range

A bit of a waste, if you ask me. Normally it would be questionable, since the jump packs are expensive enough for getting your assault troops into combat. If you're using it for firing and you're actually going for targets 24"-36" away? You've just paid 35 points per bolter shot, which Astorath adds nothing to.

In a Guard army, this is absolute madness - you should have 36" range firepower and farther coming out of your ears. Use them as the assault troops they were meant to be.

You would still advance and charge. But you would get more shots in before you do.

Thanks for all the replies. Personaly I favour CC over bolters. The extra shoots do add flexibility but they could move units out of your charge range; though in a drop pod they do make sense since you can not charge. Still not sure about using JP or a storm raven though.