Blood Angel Assault Marines are "better in every way" than standard Tacticals because Tacticals are nothing more than heavy/special weapons teams with ablative wounds. Nobody misses losing bolters in favor of bolt pistols in going from Tacs to ASMs because bolters suck.
They aren't better in EVERY way...but in 99 of the 100 ways that matter, that's pretty much dead on.
The
tac squad has a theoretical edge in shooting over a BAASM squad, in that they can sit there, the heavy weapon and bolters can throw out bullets to 24", and plink the enemy down. Except, funny thing, while the
Tac squad has 8 bolt rounds, a special weapon shot (only with plasmagun.) and a heavy weapon shot outbound at a target 12+ inches away, the BAASM squad is moving up 12, disembarking, and hitting it with 2 meltagun or 4 plasmagun shots and...oh...8 bolt rounds. The
GH squad can do the same with a rhino, move up 12, disembark, two specials and -16- bolt rounds on a target that was 2 feet away at the start of the turn.
The additional mobility afforded by a transport or jumppack for BAASM and
GH almost completely offset their lack of a heavy weapon or downgrade from bolter to bolt pistol in most of the situations you are likely to run into with your non-terminator infantry. The remainder? Well, I suppose that 170 point tactical squad makes a real nice boat anchor for the heavy weapon.
I know, I know, I can hear it now. "Combat squads, you noob! What, don't you know anything?!" Yes. I do know something. I know that
CS was a pathetic gimme for the gutting of the 4e tactical squad, and in no way makes up for a true
MSU-capable unit if one wants to run their army this way. To make matters worse, while you are mucking about with combat squadding and buying a razorback brand X and Y have very nearly paid for the transport on their second
MSU.
"But you can sit and shoot out the top hatch of a rhino and never expose yourself to enemy fire, like the BAASM/
GH units do to perform the 24 inch WTFBBQ manuever!" Yes, this is true. Until the transport moves. Or is moved. Or is shaken. Or stunned. Or really just looked at funny. If everything goes -perfectly- you can fire the heavy weapon. If anything, anywhere goes pear shaped, you are
SOL for that weapon contributing anything to the battle this turn. The competition? Whether anything happens to that rhino or not, they always have the option of getting out and firing their heavy hitters. Which don't really hit any less hard than a heavy weapon.
"Well, tactical marines can pull this rhino + disembark
BS too, so clearly you just don't know how to use them! Put a combi weapon in the squad!" Yes, they can, as decently in the shooting phase as grey hunters..sort of. However, then comes the point at which you take incoming fire and charges. Incoming fire is a wash, you are no less durable...but ASSAULT...Well...I think it's pretty clear that both BAASM and
GH fare just a little bit better when things go hand to hand. I won't get into that here and now, maybe in a few hours.
Give tacs SOMETHING
GW. I don't care if it's the ability to take "Bolter drill" from lysander, or some sort of special ammo, or "Once per game, you can elect to subject a unit charging your tacticals to a free round of shooting, counting as the unit being stationary." or two heavy weapons per ten men. But do SOMETHING to make them more than a Meh unit that you take more as a tax than a choice.
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