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I'm writing my own series of rulebooks for use with a few friends. It's a fun project that arose from playing with more and more house rules (for fun, not necessity), until eventually I decided just to make my own books. I've divided sub-factions into Supplements, using them how they should have been used (not a list of artefacts and warlord traits, but an actual Codex expansion). This includes the Space Marine armies; the Space Wolves, the Blood Angels, the Black Templars and the Dark Angels. However, I have no idea what to do for the Dark Angels. I want to focus more on the standard Marines, or "Greenwing". I want to make Dark Angels unique and fluff-appropriate without relying too heavily on Deathwing or Ravenwing (which both need looked at). I don't know how to match Dark Angel fluff to rules, though. "More bikes" or "More Terminators" doesn't really capture the feel of the Chapter.

I feel that tweaking existing units to be more flavourful (e.g. Dark Angel Tactical Squad should feel more Dark Angel than an Ultramarine Tactical Squad - not better, not worse, but different) is more interesting and exciting than adding special units like Deathwing Knights or whatever. The problem is that I don't know how to do that, or what even to do. Is Stubborn really enough to make them feel and play like they are Dark Angels? I don't know, because I am not all that interested in them. So, the help of anyone who loves the First Legion would be greatly appreciated. It's just unfortunate that I can't get inspiration from 30k Dark Angels yet.

EDIT: "More plasma" is boring as well, and really unsuitable as a "theme".

The 'green wing' of the battle companies are always portrayed as a classic 'stubborn firing line' - maybe letting them take additional heavy weapons (so two heavy weapons in a squad rather than a heavy and an assault weapon) would help give them the right feel.

The 'high BS overwatch' is a very tasty ability, but unfortunately it's less useful than it might be because overwatch is tied to how important assault is....and there are relatively few armies these days dependent on assaults that you're realistically going to stop with bolter fire.

Heavy weapons are an idea, certainly. I'm not too keen on Overwatch augments because of how Overwatch comes into play - it's not an "always-on" ability that makes them more Dark Angel-y, if you know what I mean. Thanks for the input!

How about 35 points for their Terminators too?

I would try to emphasize their stubborn nature like Locarno suggested. 2 heavy weapons sounds about right, maybe give them a force of pseudo relentless so they aren't forced to stand perfectly still to use any of their heavy weapons?

Drop pods with hurricane bolters


Dark angel flavoured Centurions

Heavy Bolt = Avenger mega bolter
Grav cann = Plasma Storm Battery
Las cann = 2x Cyclone launchers +Flakk for free
Hurr Bolt = Plasma talons

Access to volkite weapons for the vets and devs, in Codex contemptors and Mortis dreads, Spartan land Raider, basically give them limited access to the heresy tech.

Remember dark angels are not plasma fanboys, they are relic tech specialists, having more old tech than any other chapter, so actually give them the old tech.

Hell, they still operate at a Legion, so just give them the Legion units but with a 40k feel, so tac squads are max 10 man, but just bolters and fury of the Legion, support squads too, Dev squads all take heavies, basically show the fluff on the tabletop.

I don't see what putting forge world units in the actual books does to give them flavor. All marines can already take those options including dark angels.

HoundsofDemos wrote:
I don't see what putting forge world units in the actual books does to give them flavor. All marines can already take those options including dark angels.

It sets a tone, it also makes them different from the other books, yes any marine army can take forge world options, but what about "Relics of the armoury", that limits them, take this limit away from dark angels and presto! You have an army that has lots of "Relics" just as intended, also no marine army in 40k can take Legion weaponry, so paragon blades (sword of secrets and other heavenfall blades), charnabal sabres, volkites, conversion Beamers on dreads, havoc launchers etc.

Dark angels are supposed to be holders of old tech, show it, "derp plasma derp" is just lazy game design, I'd even go so far as to allow 0-1 javelin jetbikes as a command squad, would require a slight retcon but I'd be alright with that.

And last, but not least, forge world isn't allowed everywhere, so it would add even more flavour to actually have them in Book, no one can say no then.

Dark Angels are notorious for being grim/stubborn/tenacious about leaving combat.

In 3rd edition (?) there was a rule that said something along the lines that: Dark Angels had to make a die roll to move when they were within a specific distance of enemy (12"?).

It was actually funny being an orc player to watch my opponent's DA misbehaving.

I think this may have been 3rd edition's Grim Resolve rule.

 Phydox wrote:
Dark Angels are notorious for being grim/stubborn/tenacious about leaving combat.

In 3rd edition (?) there was a rule that said something along the lines that: Dark Angels had to make a die roll to move when they were within a specific distance of enemy (12"?).

It was actually funny being an orc player to watch my opponent's DA misbehaving.

I think this may have been 3rd edition's Grim Resolve rule.

Intractable, if they failed a ld test they became fearless and couldn't move next turn, it was both excellent and irritating at the same time, good rule.

DA doesn't need a thing. OP as it is.
Spam bikes/terminators? OP and actually is fluffy,

Want to go traditional space marine stuff?
Take lion's blade. It got all the rules.

I wouldn't call dark angels OP. run as a pure list they are weaker than what normal marines, Necron and Eldar can put on the table.

 cabal_therapy wrote:
DA doesn't need a thing. OP as it is.
Spam bikes/terminators? OP and actually is fluffy,

Want to go traditional space marine stuff?
Take lion's blade. It got all the rules.

Ravenwing "can" be op, termies are absolutely not, pure greenwing isn't either, so as a whole, dark angels are not op

I want first round deep strike, and 2 wounds on both Deathwing Knights and Ravenwing Black Knights.

This isn't about how powerful they are, it's about setting a theme. I want rules that feel fluff-appropriate to the people who love that fluff, because fluff is what drives my passion for this game. I also want balance, but that isn't what I'm asking about at all - I don't know the Dark Angels well enough to say what a Dark Angel lover would want ("an OP Codex" being out of the question, of course).

I very much like the idea of making their Tactical Squad more like a Legion Tactical Squad, and other little tweaks that might make them play somewhere between a real 30k Legion and Codex: Space Marines. I also like some kind of half-Relentless (perhaps they have some mechanic of giving themselves SnP).

That could actually work, bring back Intractable with a tweak.

Intractable: during the enemy shooting phase, if a dark angels unit fails a morale check for 25% casualties, it does not fall back, instead it gains the slow and purposeful usr until the end of its next shooting phase, in addition it may not run or assault in its next turn.

This does not confer to ravenwing or deathwing.