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.

Hi,
With Blood Angels being out for a couple of months now, my question is:
What are the most effective units we have, what has been working for you and how would you go about building a competitive list?
Thanks

Pretty much everything outside of the troops section, lol.

Dante is an auto include in almost every list. You will want to play him in any tournament that allows lords of war. He is just that good. Other than that, here's a list of the best choices in each slot.

HQ
Sanguinary Priests
Astorath
Mephiston
(Note: captains and libbys can be competitive, but not at the same level as the choices listed above. So can Corbulo)

Elites
Death Company (best in the slot)
Sanguinary Guard (second best in the slot)
Furioso Dreads with Frag Cannons
Melta command squads

Troops
Only take the minimum requirement. 2 tac squads in pods or 2x5 scouts.

Fast attack
Assault squads
Bike squads

Heavy support
Fast tri las predators
Stormraven

You cant really build a bad list if you stick to these units.

Thanks for the feedback.
How would you go about building a competitive list with those units? It may sound lazy of me lol but I havnt played since a few start up games back in fifth, so it will be interesting to hear from those with game experience

Attack bikes are still good, imo. ST 8 AP 1 shots that move 12" are pretty nice.

Mephiston is much better with other libbies in the force. Or AM psykers.

Thanks for the feedback martel.
So you wouldnt recommend taking mephy?
Also, how woul you guys go about making a competitive core?

No, I would take Mephy, but I'd take a level 2 libby with him. You'll need unbound or double force org to get priests in that list, or go without like I have been. BA are casting mostly buffs in my list, so I don't need a ton of dice.

Mephy is pretty nice in that he has the rare and coveted ST 10 attacks in melee combat, even though he's not as fearsome as he once was. But now he gets LoS. Pretty decent trade and overall better because of the points drop.

The old fashioned blood rodeo seems to be making a comeback as well, spamming grav bikes with fnp all day.

Personally im enjoying spamming death company. I feel its a perfectly viable option.

Good ideas.
I see pod spam alot recently, what are your opinions on the competitiveness of that?

Its very, VERY strong. Frag dreads with heavy flamers in pod rock in at 165 points, which is fantastically cheap. Our sternguard are 10 points cheaper than the vanilla equivalents as well. But the real kicker is in fast attack.

A 5 man assault marine squad with 2 melta guns and a combi melta is 115 points, which is criminally inexpensive.

how many pods would you recommend?

 th3maninblak wrote:
Its very, VERY strong. Frag dreads with heavy flamers in pod rock in at 165 points, which is fantastically cheap. Our sternguard are 10 points cheaper than the vanilla equivalents as well. But the real kicker is in fast attack.

A 5 man assault marine squad with 2 melta guns and a combi melta is 115 points, which is criminally inexpensive.

Pretty sure you can gunsling 2 inferno pistols for 4 melta shots per assault squad as well, if you're feeling froggy.

Just looking at Death Company, Drop podded melta assault squads, and tank hunting Stormravens, there's a lot to like about the BA codex.

I think that the multi-melta is actually the wrong choice for the Stormraven now. I'm going to start running mine with typhoon/assault cannon. It's more expensive, but melta is considerably less reliable than in 6th and with no multi-melta, I won't be tempted to get as close as quickly. I feel that maximizing hang time over the battle is more important and krak missiles are actually defacto better in 7th and hp stripping has become the go-to method against vehicles.

I also find infernus pistols stupidly easy to bubblewrap against.

Thanks for the comment.
Talk about dakka haha.
Im working on a more competitive variant of my current list which I will post in a minute.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Thats useful feedback martel, thanks
I havnt played since a few start up games in fifth, so tips like that are really useful for me atm



Automatically Appended Next Post:
My newest list:
2006pts

LoW
Commander Dante
220

HQ
Sanguinary Priest
Angels wings, valours edge, bolt pistol
106

Troops
2x Tactical Squad
5man
Plasma gun, sergeant with combi-plasma
190

In razorbacks
Las/plas
170

Elites

Sanguinary Guard
5man
Chapter Banner, infernus pistol, power fist
210

Death Company
10 man
Jump packs, 2power weapons and power fist
285

Furioso Dreadnought
Frag cannon, magna grapple, heavy flamer
130
(In a drop pod-35)

Fast Attack

2x Assault Squad
5 man
2 meltaguns
210

(In drop pods- free)

Heavy Support

Stormraven Gunship
Multi Melta, Assault cannon
200

2x Predator
Overcharged engines, lascannon sponsons
250

I am also wanting to add a squad of th/ss assault termies and mephy to go in the stormraven.

What do you guys think of this list, is it competitive?
Thanks

Hmm... the list looks good, but ive never been fond of auto+las predators. Tri las all the way, if youre running them.

Im finding that priests dont need both angels wings and VE. One or the other will do. You also have to figure out what point value your FLGS plays at most commonly. I know the majority of places run at 1850.

Also your assault squads DEFINITELY need a combi melta. Im with martel here on the inferno pistols (though i still love the multi melta on stormravens). 3 inch melta range is just too close.

Autolas still has a place. It can move 12" and three full BS shots. It is strictly better against units like TH/SS terminators and wraiths.

Thanks for the feedback.
I will try and re-arrange points to get combi-s.
Can you guys see a way of adding the assault termies and mephy to go in the raven? and is this competitive enough?
Thanks

I like combi-weapons on sarges to add to alpha strikes, but the combi-Sternguard are super expensive now. I'm loving naked Sternguard in a Rhino with Mephy right now. The squad is ineffective vs vehicles, but I have lascannons and meltas for those.

I've gone with the Autolas Predator too, partly for variation and partly for the points cost. I don't plan on moving the Pred excessively throughout game play as I'm 50% deep strike and infiltrate.

Thanks for the feedback. Do you guys think this list is competitive? I will probably take out the angels wimgs on the priest amd go woth just the normal jump pack and find points to add in combi meltas.

Competitive enough.

What do you think could be improved

It needs a few tweaks, but in general i think its got potential to take down a tournament or two.

As for the th/ss termies with mephy, i just dont like putting that many points inside a storm raven. Yes, you get the rerolls on reserves, but 1 game in 6 (more often if your opponent messes with your reserves) youll have 400 points of stuff that will do nothing until turn 4

thanks for the feedback man, it feels good to get close to getting a decent list.
Cam I ask what tweaks you would recommend, besides from the combi-meltas?

I thing one thing that neds tweaking is that you're over 2k and being just a few points over won't fly at a tournament unless the rule pack specifically gives you the leeway.

I think saving can be found in dropping a few bodies in the DC. A ten man squad is nice but you probably won't need that many.
I tend to run 7 with two power fists, which is still a decent amount of S5 ap-, and a nice little hammer from the two fists. Note that takng casualties will 'hurt' more in terms of of your damage output, so use your razorbacks to screen them.

You should also get a few games in and see how you fare in your local meta and tweak accordingly.

D

Thank for the useful comment.
I might consider droppimg a few dc as it gives me easier modelling opportunity to make a priest and a few asm.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
What do you guys think is the optimal number of pods too? should I add another squad of melta asm?



Automatically Appended Next Post:
Tweaks:
Remove 2DC- Saves 46pts
Adding 2 combi-meltas to assault squad sergeants (+20)
This leaves me with 20 points spare to play with (2006-46+20)

What do you think? Amd what should I use the extra points for?

At some point you just need to go whichever way feels best to YOU. I could tell you what I'd do, but my thoughts are most likely contrary to the advice you've already received / followed, so...we all have are thoughts and preferences.

I'd suggest reading OTHER Blood Angel centric threads with the idea of just absorbing overall themes to what you may be reading. Take those themes and apply them generally to your list building, but if you find yourself with questions or leftover pts, play with what you think is cool or makes sense to you.

On top of all of it...just play games. The codex is too new for people to have a handle on what the "best list" is, if there is such an animal.

I've got to be honest, there is no single super standout thing in this codex. My single over arching theme in my lists is that I'm a point Scrooge. I don't like expensive models unless they do something really, really good, because stuff dies in this game REALLY fast.

That is why I currently prefer naked Sternguard over combi-weapon Sternguard. I'd rather take those 100 pts and buy part of another unit that actually has the special weapons instead of one-shot versions. That's just an example.

Here is mine:
Captain 160
Terminator Armour
Thunder hammer

Terminators 275
2 chainfists
Cyclone missile launcher
heavy flamer
Assault cannon

Death Company 285
+2 marines
power sword
power fist
thunder hammer
jump packs
infernus pistol
plasma pistol
hand flamer

Furioso dreadnaught 190
Furioso librarian upgrade
extra armour

Land speeder typhoon 100
Typhoon missile launchers
multi melta

Sanguinary Guard 275
Plasma pistol
Chapter banner
Death Masks
power fist
I play 5th.
TOTAL 1285
The terminators are not legal, but legalness does not matter in my games.

Im not really sure how to shave those points, Instinct. My knee jerk reaction is to drop the storm raven and fit in all the upgrades you need, but idk.

And Kaptin, i love casual gaming as much as the next guy, but this is a thread to figure out the competitive aspects of the 7th edition BA codex =p