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As with a lot of Dark Angels players out there I've been interested in the possibilities of the Standard of Devastation (or The SoD, as your opponent might come to refer to it...). Key issues include keeping the standard alive, getting boltgun equipped units into the 24" threat-range without losing too many models or turns of stationary shooting, and then getting the banner and boltguns reliably within 6" of each other. As discussed previously, there are straightforward applications such as potentiating a static Aegis based gun-line, holing up in a LRC to provide heavily armoured rolling support, or for the most mobile option with a ravenwing list fielding a ravenwing command squad. I was particularly interested by somebodies suggestion of fielding a number of cheap boltgun equipped scout squads, +/- camo-cloaks which could bring the 24" threat range of the banner forwards whilst maximising the number of turns of stationary shooting those squads could undertake. Whilst this would have it's benefits, I personally didn't relish the idea of painting up 20 new scout models whilst leaving my power armoured marines on the shelf. I'd also like to make use of the standard marines BS4 and 3+ armor save. Having had a good head scratch I've come up with a 1500pt list (as detailed below), on which I would value your opinions, reckonings and thoughts. It relies on my interpretation of the reserves / drop pod assault / deathwing assault rules being accurate, so if you think I've made a mistake then do please let me know.



-1500pts-

HQ

- Librarian in terminator armour - 95 pts

Deathwing command squad - 355 pts
2 x TH + SS,
Deathwing champion
Deathwing apothecary
Standard of devastation + Cyclone missile launcher


- Troops

Tactical squad + drop pod - 205 pts
Meltagun
Multi-melta
Locator beacon

Tactical squad + drop pod - 205 pts
Meltagun
Multi-melta
Locator beacon


- Fast attack

Ravenwing attack squadron - 256 pts
2 x Meltagun
Landspeeder + typhoon missile launcher


- Heavy support

Predator - 115 pts
Lascannon sponsons

Predator - 115 pts
Lascannon sponsons


Third drop pod = 154 pts spare
Options include a third 8-man tactical squad or a dreadnought of some description

(reserves tally = 3 drop pods (not counting towards reserves total, 2 able to drop pod assault turn 1, 1 arriving as determined by reserves roll) + 2 deep striking units (librarian and DW command squad able to DW assault on turn 2) + 4 on-the-table units (RAS + LS typhoon and 2x predators))



Tactics:

The core of the army is the drop-pod based tactical squads. The idea here is that by fielding three pods, I can reliably drop two 10-man squads roughly where I want on my first turn.
1) This would keep them safe from an opponents alpha-strike, and only require them to weather 1 turn of enemy shooting once in position before they could retaliate with the SoD
2) With inertial guidance and then a 6" disembarkation move I can fairly reliably deploy them 18-24" from enemy troops, within salvo range but outside of returning rapid-fire or foot-slogging assault range.
3) The melta-heavy loadout and option to choose combat squads at the moment of disembarkation gives me flexibility. If I'm seeing just troops, keep them together as a ten-man, less likely to run-away unit. If there are heavy tanks or transports available then combat squad the melta weapons together to give anti-tank / anti-high toughness punch that will threaten AV14 along with a boltgun squad that can target disembarkers or other troops etc.
4) They have the potential to challenge objectives across the board.
5) By equipping the pods with locator beacons I give myself a number of options as to where I accurately bring the Deathwing + SoD down, and as such might panic the enemy into turning some fire onto the pods away from my combat units.
6) Drop pods are the same price as a rhino and can do roughly the same job without offering up an AV11 first-turn first blood to your opponent.

The RAS is fielded as:
1) Boltgun-equipped and relentless, able to make good use of the SoD
2) Mobile, able to get into (and out of) 24" threat range
3) Moar melta!
4) Teleport homers, guiding down the DW + SoD
5) Starts on the table, contributing to reserves tally
6) Land speeder typhoon - Utility at 36" and able to manoeuvre to tickle side armour if needed

2x Predators with lascannon sponsons
Deploy (at opposite flanks to open up side armour targets) at long range to tackle transports, medium-heavy armor, and if they survive + are needed can send some S7 + S9 shots skywards later on in the game.


If the plan were to go well, by the end of my first turn I would have 3 units (two tactical squads and the bikes) in threat range and largely intact, all able to guide down and then benefit from the SoD. At this stage I wouldn't have committed as to where I would deliver the SoD, giving me flexibility and my opponent a (hopefully) difficult choice as to his target priorities). LS typhoon and predators may or may not be alive and in medium-long range support.

This is the point where I would have to grit my teeth and hope that not too many models go splat in my opoonents turn 2...

On my second turn, I would reliably Deathwing Assault the DW command squad with the librarian to one of the surviving locator beacons / teleport homers. Salvo fire would then ensue! Thoughts behind their choice as standard bearers:
1) Sturdy, although they are likely to be a massive fire magnet, with a 2+ base save, 5+ FNP and the TH+SS models deployed so as to attempt to counter plasma toting adversaries with a 3++, they have a good-fair chance of carrying the banner through into turn 3
2) My opponent wouldn't be able to neutralise the SoD before I get at least one turn of stationary salvo fire.
3) Close-combat potency - Although not indefatigable, with a mix of CC weapons, initiative levels, the librarian and the DW champion they should be able to challenge a range of opponents. This is likely to prove necessary as the boltgun equipped squads are going to be at medium range to the enemy and therefore in harms-way
4) Twin-linked, split fire heavy weapon on arrival is not to be sniffed at, and the trading away of most of the storm bolters should be mitigated by local salvo firing boltguns.
5) If they survive into my turn 3 then the librarian can start casting prescience, either on surviving meltagun/multi-melta or boltgun marines for whichever ranged targets are available, or on the command squad itself for added CC reliability.

Choice of which boltgun unit with / where to deploy them would be dictated by:
1) Numbers of surviving models in friendly unit, and therefore potential for quantity of fire output / duration of fire output until demise
2) Locations of enemy deathstars / close combat nasties / monstrous creatures etc

From this point on the battle would rage with little chance of further planning being accurate.


At some stage a third drop-pod would arrive (costing up to an available 154pts), and I must confess to being conflicted as to what to put in it. Options include:
1) Dreadnought! Awesome model, wide choice of weapons and able to tackle a variety of opponents. With anticipation of late-game arrival I'd consider twin-linked heavy flamers and DCCW with added heavy flamer for winkling out enemy troops hiding in cover and denying an objective, or 1-2x twin linked autocannons for targetting side armour, flyers or weakened / wounded characters, squads and monstrous creatures.
2) Third tactical squad. Could go full strength with boltguns (with a little juggling of points) if I find the banner survives well, or 8-man + flamer for challenging enemy objectives held by troops hiding in cover.
3) Company vets? Not as appealing an option but, could be useful (+ one of the few other units you could put in a pod)
4) Empty pod (to make up the numbers)? Fluffwise I don't like this idea. Also, is it game-legal? For example I could afford a 5-man devastator squad with 2x flakk missile launchers + pod, would it be legal to deploy the devastators as normal but hold their empty pod in reserve to allow the other two a first turn drop pod assault?


And so, hopfully, to victory! I've got quite a full-on shift pattern at work at the moment leaving little time for play-testing, but once it's been blooded I'll let you know how the list has fared.

Potential drawbacks include a lack of dedicated anti-flyer firepower, and a vulnerability at opponents turn 2.
Finally, there is a lot of flexibility in the list after the core units (drop-podded tac squads and DW command squad with SoD) have been added, and so I'd be interested to hear if anyone had any suggestions for alternate squad load-outs, terminator armoured HQ choices or heavy support options.

Thanks for reading!

sounds like it has potential, little worried about lack of flyer defense... maybe buy a 5 man squad + aegis or a few flak missles for the tac squads?

It's fun but I think overall you're getting too cute. It's different; an probably fun to play but there's too much variance to predict reliable success.

Best delivery system for an SoD is a RWCS, followed by LRC. After that, fun should be more important to you than effectiveness because the latter will be occasional.

Thanks for your replies, much appreciated.

sounds like it has potential, little worried about lack of flyer defense... maybe buy a 5 man squad + aegis or a few flak missles for the tac squads?

As you say the list does lack flyer defence, however I'm loathe to include an aegis setup as it doesn't fit the feel of the army but that only leaves the flakk missile or nephilim fighter with actual skyfire capability. I might consider swapping a predator for a small flakk armed devastator squad, but they feel expensive, more vulnerable and less able to help out with high AV hunting. Additionally, if no enemy flyers materialise then I'd feel I'd spent too many points on a situational weapon. Will have to give it a few playtests and get a feel for the local meta

It's fun but I think overall you're getting too cute. It's different; an probably fun to play but there's too much variance to predict reliable success.

I'm glad you feel it's a fun list, it feels to me like a space marine list should in that it's relatively offensive and gives me scope to take the initiative and dictate where the battles are fought. I'll concede that there are areas of unreliability as with any list, but as discussed initially it does protect the tactical squads and SoD from enemy first turn action, and out of four deep striking units there is only one for which I will be rolling the reserves dice and therefore not know for sure when they will arrive.