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I am currently building towards this list. The idea to have a balanced army that fares well against both horde and tank/elite armies. They way I went around this was to give all my squads some anti-tank/elite and anti-horde abilities.

Librarian, Terminator Armour, combi-metla
Deathwing Terminator Command Squad, Apothecary, AC, Chainfist, Standard of Devastation

Deathwing Terminator Squad, x5 TH + SS, Cyclone ML

Tactical Squad (10) PG, PC, Power Sword (sergeant)
Rhino

Tactical Squad (10), PG, PC, Combi-melta/Melta bombs (sergeant)
Rhino

Tactical Squad (10), MG MM
Rhino

Dreadnought, MM, Heavy Flamer
Drop Pod, Deathwind Launcher, Locator Beacon

Dreadnought, MM, Heavy Flamer
Drop Pod, Deathwind Launcher, Locator Beacon

Chaplain, Power fist, Jump Pack
Assault Squad (7), Power sword, Melta bombs, x2 flamers
Drop Pod

Total points: 2000


The idea is to have the option to drop my dreadnoughts offensively flanking the enemy preferable nearby something valuable (like a tank) or defensively, blocking the enemies path with the drop pods, nearby objectives or just reinforcing my own line of defense.

If I drop offensively, my opponent have to choose to deal with either my dreadnoughts or the drop pods, which are a danger since the locator beacon will allow terminators to deep-strike in with precision at turn 2, also my drop pods deathwind launcher are good anti-horde. Unless I drop my pods in a very bad position, my opponent should not have the force to kill all 4 dropped units (at least not the first turn).

My deathwing command squad can either choose to deep-strike and punish armor with their melta for tank heavy armies or choose to come in close to my marines, setting up a defensive line around my 3 tactical with the banner giving 96 bolter shots per round (ouch). - Update I can't deep-strike my deathwing command squad, they have to footslog with the tacticals to provide the banner.

My weakness would be only 3 troop squads (I could combat squad 1 or perhaps 2 tacticals). I also lack anti-air, which I could fix by bringing in aegis + scout instead of my assault squad (or ally with imperial guard for vendettas).

Any suggestions?

Deathwing Terminator Command Squad, Apothecary, x4 Combi Melta, Standard of Devastation

Not legal, terminators can not take combi weapons.
Also keep in mind the 1/2 rule for reserves

Jpat1213 wrote:
Deathwing Terminator Command Squad, Apothecary, x4 Combi Melta, Standard of Devastation

Not legal, terminators can not take combi weapons.
Also keep in mind the 1/2 rule for reserves

Hmm, where you find that rule about terminators, when I look up the DA Angels Wargear List is says:

Terminator Weapons
A model wearing Terminator armour can replace his storm
bolter with one of the following:
- Combi-flamer, -melta or -plasma ........ ......... ............... ........... 6 pts

Since terminators only have storm bolters I assume the combi-weapon applies to the storm bolters.

*** EDIT ***

Ok, I see it now, the rule is there but only applies for characters, so the terminator squad does not have the option to take terminator weapons from the list *gasp*. Luckily I got spare terminators with chainfist and AC, will have to recalculate my points.


About the reserve rules, as far as I understand, a locator beacon can not be used the same turn as it enter the battlefield. This means that 2/3 of my drop pods enter the first turn, these are the drop pods with the locator beacon and dreadnoughts. Then on the second turn, my terminators can use it for deep-striking.

The last drop pod with the assault squad comes in on the turn willing by the dice gods to mess up any shooty enemy squad or perhaps a tank.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I updated my list to be legal now, it ended up at 2001 pt :( I hate uneven numbers.

Universal Reserve rule(BRB) says you can only have up to 1/2 of your units(transports count as the unit) in reserve at one time, this includes drop pods and deathwing assault(ics count as their own unit)

So out of your 9 units to my calculation you have 6 deep striking in turns 1-2 which is illegal.

Jpat1213 wrote:
Universal Reserve rule(BRB) says you can only have up to 1/2 of your units(transports count as the unit) in reserve at one time, this includes drop pods and deathwing assault(ics count as their own unit)

So out of your 9 units to my calculation you have 6 deep striking in turns 1-2 which is illegal.

Thanks a lot of pointing this out. I will think what I can do about it (perhaps combat squading my tacticals so my unit numbers goes up to 12). Not so very keen on that idea thou.

flodihn wrote:

Jpat1213 wrote:
Universal Reserve rule(BRB) says you can only have up to 1/2 of your units(transports count as the unit) in reserve at one time, this includes drop pods and deathwing assault(ics count as their own unit)

So out of your 9 units to my calculation you have 6 deep striking in turns 1-2 which is illegal.

Thanks a lot of pointing this out. I will think what I can do about it (perhaps combat squading my tacticals so my unit numbers goes up to 12). Not so very keen on that idea thou.

My suggestion would be to drop the extra non scoring terminator squad(over priced for what they do), possibly drop the assault squad(DA are shooty not assaulty) but if you wish to keep these then upgrade the chaplain to a interrogator and give him Mace of Redemption(best assault weapon DA have)

maybe add in some speeders(fast/shooty) or predators(cheap)

Jpat1213 wrote:
Universal Reserve rule(BRB) says you can only have up to 1/2 of your units(transports count as the unit) in reserve at one time, this includes drop pods and deathwing assault(ics count as their own unit)

So out of your 9 units to my calculation you have 6 deep striking in turns 1-2 which is illegal.

Ok I read up on the rules and did some maths:

'W'hen
deploying their armies, players can choose not to deploy
up to half of their units (rounding up) keeping them as Reserves
to arrive later. Units that must start the game in reserve are
ignored for the pulposes of working out how many other units
may do so. A unit and its Dedicated Transport are counted as a
single unit for these purposes. Independent Characters are also
counted as a single unit regardless of whether they have joined
another unit or not."

So counting all my units, transports and characters as single units I have a total of 16 units.

So if I put 3 drop pods + 2 dreads + 1 assault + 1 TH/SS in reserves + 1 chaplain, that is 8 units.

This means I can not deep-strike my deathwing terminator command squad, which is not a problem for me since I most likely want them stationary and use their banner of devastation.

flodihn wrote:

Jpat1213 wrote:
Universal Reserve rule(BRB) says you can only have up to 1/2 of your units(transports count as the unit) in reserve at one time, this includes drop pods and deathwing assault(ics count as their own unit)

So out of your 9 units to my calculation you have 6 deep striking in turns 1-2 which is illegal.

Ok I read up on the rules and did some maths:

'W'hen
deploying their armies, players can choose not to deploy
up to half of their units (rounding up) keeping them as Reserves
to arrive later. Units that must start the game in reserve are
ignored for the pulposes of working out how many other units
may do so. A unit and its Dedicated Transport are counted as a
single unit for these purposes. Independent Characters are also
counted as a single unit regardless of whether they have joined
another unit or not."

So counting all my units, transports and characters as single units I have a total of 16 units.

So if I put 3 drop pods + 2 dreads + 1 assault + 1 TH/SS in reserves + 1 chaplain, that is 8 units.

This means I can not deep-strike my deathwing terminator command squad, which is not a problem for me since I most likely want them stationary and use their banner of devastation.

Also check the FAQ of both dark angels and BRB, Deathwing has to deepstrike and they count towards that 50%
also I am counting 9

Jpat1213 wrote:

flodihn wrote:

Jpat1213 wrote:
Universal Reserve rule(BRB) says you can only have up to 1/2 of your units(transports count as the unit) in reserve at one time, this includes drop pods and deathwing assault(ics count as their own unit)

So out of your 9 units to my calculation you have 6 deep striking in turns 1-2 which is illegal.

Ok I read up on the rules and did some maths:

'W'hen
deploying their armies, players can choose not to deploy
up to half of their units (rounding up) keeping them as Reserves
to arrive later. Units that must start the game in reserve are
ignored for the pulposes of working out how many other units
may do so. A unit and its Dedicated Transport are counted as a
single unit for these purposes. Independent Characters are also
counted as a single unit regardless of whether they have joined
another unit or not."

So counting all my units, transports and characters as single units I have a total of 16 units.

So if I put 3 drop pods + 2 dreads + 1 assault + 1 TH/SS in reserves + 1 chaplain, that is 8 units.

This means I can not deep-strike my deathwing terminator command squad, which is not a problem for me since I most likely want them stationary and use their banner of devastation.

Also check the FAQ of both dark angels and BRB, Deathwing has to deepstrike and they count towards that 50%
also I am counting 9

I read the FAQ and Errdata for dark angels.

The deathwing assault rules states:
Units entirely composed of models that
have both this special rule and Terminator armour can
choose to make a Deathwing Assault.

So to me it is clear that I don't need to deep-strike them. Where did you find the rule stating that I have to deep-strike?

Also, if I was forced to arrive by deep-strike, that the errdata would have gone against the rules in BRB of deep-strike saying units that have to deep-strike does not count towards the reserve rolls.

The rules clearly says that individual characters and transports counts as separate units when counting reserves. So this means 1 librarian + 1 chaplain + 2 terminators + 3 rhinos + 3 tacticals + 3 drop pods + 2 dreads + 1 assault squad = 16.
And then I deep-strike 1 chaplain, 1 assault squad, 3 drop pods, 2 dreads and 1 assault terminator = 8
How do you mange to count this to 9?

Drop pods (and any other unit which MUST deep strike) and any units embarked upon them do not count towards reserves calculations btw.

Rorschach9 wrote:
Drop pods (and any other unit which MUST deep strike) and any units embarked upon them do not count towards reserves calculations btw.

That is true, so I got at most 7 deep-striking units (1 librarian, 2 terminator squads, 2 dreads, 1 assault squad and 1 chaplain.

From what I read about the rules, units embarking on a unit that must deep-strike still counts towards reserve, can you point out on what page you find the rules that they should not count?

Read the BRB FAQ, page 10, 2nd from the bottom on the left:

http://www.games-workshop.com/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m3170233a_40K_RULEBOOK_v1.4_APRIL13.pdf

Rorschach9 wrote:
Read the BRB FAQ, page 10, 2nd from the bottom on the left:

http://www.games-workshop.com/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m3170233a_40K_RULEBOOK_v1.4_APRIL13.pdf

Wow, that almost feels a bit OP Thanks for showing me that rule.

How is it that this and your 500 point list both gp a point over and you haven't fixed that first?

 SoloFalcon1138 wrote:
How is it that this and your 500 point list both gp a point over and you haven't fixed that first?

I just fixed my 500pts list a few minutes ago, that list is now 496 points.

1 point over is probably not much of an issue (I had a perfect 2000 pts list before it was pointed out that my terminators could not take combi-melta). I will change some stuff around and see if I can get it to 2000 pts exactly, because I have uneven numbers.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I updated my list (check the first post in this thread).

I removed one marine from the assault squad and added two flamers and a combi-melta on my librarian. The sum of all points is now 2000.

I'm going to have to agree that dark Angels are meant to be Shooty - not assaulty. If you want the option of deep striking, take knights, the tend to feth gak up real quick, or at least buy you around to getyour shooty marines into position.

If you are taking standard of devastation, you need to keep it with your gun line, or have it foot slog up close and personal to get into that kill zone of 24 inches. No reason not to.

I do like the idea of drop podding your dreads. If you drop pod dreads, then deep strike your knights (Because they come in on whatever turn you want - because they are badass) AND have a gun line... Most openents will sheet-a-brick.

The suggestion I have is to wait until the new codex drop in Sept. Lots of cool stuff coming out for Marines.

I second Gundor about waiting for vanilla marines.

Failing that:

Keep the drop pod dreds cheap which means lose the Deathwind launchers and homing beacons. Secondly, While drop podding a dakka banner can be done; this isn't the way man. If you're dead against a LRC borne banner, pod it in with a normal PACS and loads of marines in their own pods.

Slogging marines with the banner just doesn't work. Read the salvo rules closely. If you move you get 2 shots at HALF range. which means you're limited to 12", you're not even getting 1 at full range anymore. THIS means that you'll need to keep your marines away from the banner somehow until you have closed with the enemy. hard to do with so many marines running around.

Look. If you want to optimize the banner, put a PACS in a LRC. Then take your marines in rhinos and flat out everything T1. A lot of your rhinos will then get popped, which is actually good because your marines will count as stationary on your T2, giving you salvo 4 on at least some of them.

This is still not the best way to run the banner. Ravenwing with LRC(s) are still the way to go, but to each his own.