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My first 1000-point BA list. Any feedback is welcome.

CAD
HQ
Captain in Terminator Armor, thunder hammer -135

Troops
5x Tactical Squad - plasma/combi-plasma/meltabomb - 100
5x Tactical Squad - plasma/combi-plasma/Meltabomb - 100

Elites
Furioso Dreadnought - blood talons/storm bolter/meltagun - 135
Furioso Dreadnought - frag cannon/heavy flamer - 130

Fast
5x Assault Marine - 2x meltagun, meltabomb - 110

Heavy
5x devastator squad - 2xlas/1xmissile/1xmissile+flakk -150
Baal Predator - TL assault cannon/heavy bolters/storm bolter - 140

I realize this also fits in Baal Strike Force, but objective secured seems more useful. Thoughts?

You have this painted up already?

There's many things one might point out, but maybe it's easier to give feedback if you can tell a bit of your reserves (things you own, that aren't in this list), got any? all things glued up and painted?

I'll give more feedback on the list when you share something about your true reserves/are some of those models still in the buy list.

These are most of my models (assembled, mostly painted). I also have an unassembled Chapter Ancients dread and an unopened tac squad. Also willing to purchase additional models, these were just my first buys. Very new to the game/hobby

First off, don't mix weapons in a dev squad with one exception. If you are going long range, i'd go 4x lascannon. Otherwise i'd go 2x grav 2x heavy bolter in a rhino.

The tac squads need transports.

That makes sense, thanks! Obviously I'd need to sacrifice something for the transport points. What's more useful in your opinion, the assault squad or the second dread?

These all aren't that critical but just my taste of the cake:

- Termie captain goes with what?
- furioso's need a drop pod, with frag cannon it's a must
- plasma gun's are more of a SM weaponry, more fluffy is the heavy flamer, because it's an unique for BA, also I don't like foot slogging tacticals,but 1000 points it's ok.. cheap compulsary troop choice is scouts with ccw&bp, they are good for they points when charging with baal strike force or angel's blade detachment, I5, S5, 3 attacks on the charge. Some might flavour shotguns too..
- Like Martel said, quite much variety in the devastator load out, allthought both have quite decent range and if you have only one devastator box, then it's understandable. If you haven't build them yet, new devastator box contains two grav cannons, build them along with the lascannons.
- Are your assault marines equiped with jump packs?

There's some starting points...

Thanks, Xirax! I'd probably throw the termie captain with one of the tac squads. He came with the Start Collecting box, which is why I even have him. Honestly, probably not a great HQ choice since he's slow and limited range for 135 pts, but it's what I've got at the moment.

Assault marines have jump packs. I would have gone with grav-cannons on the dev squad, but the BA codex doesn't list that as a heavy option so I didnt think it was legal, therefore I took the two 48" range weapons.

The reason I went with plasma was for anti-armor. Had some trouble with anything armored in my first few 500-point games, but I may have over-compensated in this list. I'll look into scouts, that makes sense points-wise.

Devastator grav-cannons come in the Angels Blade book. That also has some nice formations.
Scouts with snipers and cloaks I think can be good for BA, they're one of our few back staying units in a very mobile army. At 1000pts I think 2 dreadnoughts could say a lot for anti-tank.

I also think that fragiosos are better than the dual talons, you only lose 1 attack in melee and can do a lot more damage at range.

It's hard without knowing how much you have and/or are willing to buy.
What it seems you really need is transports.

Had the idea that you have the old BA codex when saw the ASM load out. They are after the new codex (red thirst edition or some such) and angel's blade supplement same as SM have. In the these new codexes devastators also have access to grav cannons.

In the new codex and supplement there's new formations and detachments and new dataslates for death company chaplain, terminator captain, assault marines and devastator squad. Your terminator captain model can be played as captain Karlaen from shield of baal:exterminatus supplement, his five melta bombs more expensive than the regular one, but gives you reserve manipulation (fixed WT from the BA codex).

Thanks, Kira. Yeah, more transports seems to be the consensus. Rhinos and pods will definitely be added in the near future. As for spending limit on the army, I don't really have one. Im really only limited by the time it takes me to assemble and paint (I'm new and kinda slow), so I'll eventually expand it in whatever way makes sense.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I didn't realize the codex wasn't comprehensive. Thanks all for the tips. I'll be sure to pick up the supplementals soon.

Unless you want the Captain Karlaen dataslate (which one might find in the dark corners of the internet) you really need the angel's blade, that with the old codex is sufficient.

And Karlaen is quite expensive HQ to any list, haven't really seen any competetive or even semi-competetive lists with Karlaen for some reason. I like that 1st company captain as a model as warlord traits go. Maybe his best with orbital intervention force from the Angel's blade.

When getting rhino's, just get a predator/baal predator and magnetize. They all come with a Rhino sprue and the corresponding predator sprue, so you can easily make a rhino and the tank.

Don't worry, I have trouble bending my head around the formations as well. :/

So if you drop the devastators, and maybe the combi-plasmas that could get you 2 Rhino's with dozer blades for the Tacticals, and 2 Drop Pods for the Dreadnoughts.
Then exchange the assault marines jumppacks for another Drop Pod, so you can slam two down first turn.
Or possibly you could put the Tacticals in Drop Pods as well.

Well if you're wanting competitively minded feedback:

-tacticals do not walk. They either pod or ride, and are always loaded out for a specific task specials-wise. (you have this part.) If any of the above isn't true, take scouts instead. For BA, scouts' build awesomeness goes, in descending order: knife/pistol->shotgun->bolter->sniper. The last two can take cloaks if desired, and only the last two should consider a heavy weapon. Scouts are generally better than tacticals because infiltrate (and by extension outflank) eliminates their need to pay for a ride, making them exceptionally cheaper troop slot fillers while still able to get to a relevant part of the field.

-You definitely want an HQ that fits in the army. Sanguinary priest is pretty much our best. Cheap and helpful.

-as others have said, dev squads need to focus. Two of the same weapon if they ride a rhino (only two fire points) 4 most of the time otherwise.

-pods pods pods. Between fragiosos, heavy flamer tacticals, and melta-asm, pods are the way mono BA actually compete. For friendly games against less optimized armies I'd stick with just podding the things that absolutely must have one like a fragioso, though. (or any dread really. They're made of paper and cost a lot, so any more than one turn of response for the opponent before they get there means they're most likely dead or can't walk.)

That makes a lot of sense. Is there a reason nobody mentioned razorbacks? From the data sheet it looks like those could more or less replace the dev squad if taking las cannons while transporting the tac squads.

I'm not as high on pods, but you definitely need some kind of mobilization for your marines.

tfsegfault wrote:
That makes a lot of sense. Is there a reason nobody mentioned razorbacks? From the data sheet it looks like those could more or less replace the dev squad if taking las cannons while transporting the tac squads.

They're expensive for a single heavy weapon, and you lose 4 capacity and a firing port.

Hey!

The OP and I are in a group of friends. He is my primary opponent. So, bad advice is welcome. Just kidding.

I looked into razorbacks. Ultimately, my stance on them was, their guns simply don't offer enough utility for the cost. The Razorback only carries 6 units, and the point cost of putting a gun on a razorback that isn't useless would be better served as upgrades elsewhere, at least for me. Maybe when we move beyond 1,000 points.

And, just because the rhino can't fire, it can still be used to provide cover for a squad.

I think i've already mentioned this but i'm going with drop pods. I like them because: 1) they drop where you want, without getting shot on the way there and 2) they don't start on the board, which means i can react to your strategy as the game evolves.

All that said, I built a Chaos Rhino last night (lol, the name) and it's a really cool model and I would like to have one of my own.

EDIT: i have a storm talon he has to take the flakk missile.

Another benefit of Rhinos vs Razorbacks is that Rhinos are fast, you get that sweet, sweet 12'' turbo boost, so that means you can't fire the heavy weapons at all.

Drop Pods vs Rhinos is a bit of a taste thing imo. Rhino's can get your whole army there and kicking turn 2, with a 12'' move and 12'' flat out you're in their face turn 1.
Drop Pods on the other hand get half your army where ever you want it turn 1, and the rest on turn 2+, would be a lot better if you can get any reserve manipulations. They're also cheaper than Rhinos, which is always nice.
And never underestimate how much good a Drop Pod itself can do, blocking LoS and/or claiming objectives and force the enemy to fire at a decently tough otherwise pointless vehicle.

Although of course Rhinos can act a bit like guided missiles once they're finished, although can't block LoS quite so well.

tfsegfault wrote:
My first 1000-point BA list. Any feedback is welcome.

CAD
HQ
Captain in Terminator Armor, thunder hammer -135

Troops
5x Tactical Squad - plasma/combi-plasma/meltabomb - 100
5x Tactical Squad - plasma/combi-plasma/Meltabomb - 100

Elites
Furioso Dreadnought - blood talons/storm bolter/meltagun - 135
Furioso Dreadnought - frag cannon/heavy flamer - 130

Fast
5x Assault Marine - 2x meltagun, meltabomb - 110

Heavy
5x devastator squad - 2xlas/1xmissile/1xmissile+flakk -150
Baal Predator - TL assault cannon/heavy bolters/storm bolter - 140

I realize this also fits in Baal Strike Force, but objective secured seems more useful. Thoughts?

Looks pretty good! Have you play tested it yet?

 krazynadechukr wrote:


Looks pretty good! Have you play tested it yet?

Not yet. Hoping to get a game in this weekend or next.