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'lo thar

I'm about to get a new BA HQ character but i can't decide on which one looks the best.

At the moment I use a reclusiarch with my jump pack DC and they're doing pretty swell.

I was really thinking Mephiston or dante, Dante because right now my tactics are basically SM with some deep striking BA units, a tactic that isn't exactly great. I want to start to actually get into the jump pack BA ethos. And I thought Mephy just because his stats and rules seems like sex on fire.

I have thought about a bit Asorath, as he could replace my reclusiarch and spread his red seed to all my guys.

But screw sanguinor

Anways, since I have no playing experience with any of them whatsoever I was wondering if I could get some advice on how they go from people who use them or have even had them used against them.

Thanks, The tallest giraffe.

I would say the only HQ for BA is the libby. The others are just too expensive. At least the libby has divination

Agreed, points wise, librarians and reclusiarchs are your best bet.

Although if you run DC, I often play DC tycho, lemartes and DC. Which makes for a pretty good CC unit.

Mephiston with book powers can still be a beast - he gets a magic jump pack, st10 and a force weapon.

He's only ap3, but if you choose your targets well he'll still destroy things. He does have a 2+ though, so unless your opponant is ap2, I'd still put money on him. Especially if you consider he ID's anyone T5 or less. In a 4k doubles game, I got to see him go and wreck every single piece of HS on the other teams side. Every. Single. Piece.
He's also hilarious against wraithknights and other MC's.

Costs a bit though....

Beard wrote:
Agreed, points wise, librarians and reclusiarchs are your best bet.

Although if you run DC, I often play DC tycho, lemartes and DC. Which makes for a pretty good CC unit.

Except that the useful BA HQ aren't independent characters.. which makes DC tycho fairly useless (along with sanguinor imo). Unfortunately the only real HQ BA have is the librarian.

Start running Mephiston. There's really no reason not to take this guy. Being AP3 is barely an issue when he's mobile enough to choose his targets, and when he gets there, it's total annihilation. After buffing himself with S10 and Preferred Enemy, he'll be hitting most targets on 3s, rerolling 1s, and wounding on 2s, rerolling 1s. His sword being a force weapon is added utility against multi-wound baddies that may otherwise be an issue.

You can't spend a better 250pts.

As for the librarian, the BA libby is old and expensive. Dip in the Dark Angels codex and ally in their libby. Put him on a bike and give him a power field generator. Now, everything within 3" of that model has a 4+ invul save, including a guy like Mephiston, if you choose to keep Mephy close to the librarian until the action starts. As an added bonus, the DA librarian on a bike with the power field generator costs less than the BA libby with a jump pack. It's just not fair...

Either way, learn to use Mephiston. He's one of the reasons Blood Angels are cool. You want to play with cool, fun units don't ya?

 lunarman wrote:
I would say the only HQ for BA is the libby. The others are just too expensive. At least the libby has divination

This.

The rest are far to expensive to be any real use. Oh yeah, Mephiston, he isn't an IC, so he runs across the board.........by himself. He is fun though, I have to admit that, just not practical in regualr games.

I feel like you almost have to take Mephiston or a lvl 2 Librarian with the str 10 power. They are really the only way to take out all of these new MCs flying around the table.

I think that, to play Blood Angels, you have to pile points into just a few units. They aren't like other space marines where you should just buy min-squads or focus on shooting. They are an army of super-heroes. Whenever I play BA I almost never take scoring models because that's not what they're about. It works alright if you just clear off the objectives before the game ends. Typically this isn't too difficult when you're fielding the likes of DC and Mephiston.

I usually run Mephiston behind or in a Landraider (depending on whether or not I have DC) or I put him in a Storm Raven with my DC dreadnought.

Thatguyoverthere11 wrote:
I feel like you almost have to take Mephiston or a lvl 2 Librarian with the str 10 power. They are really the only way to take out all of these new MCs flying around the table.

I took a look at Mephiston and I've made the following conclusion: This guy ain't got gak on a Bloodthirster.

Tyco non death company is great as well, and I still haven't figured out why people aren't using carbalo at all... he's slowed good for catching bullets.

If you are going pure Blood angels for army then use Libby with book powers (fear, sword, shield, and lance are all good depending where he is in a unit), meph to be a Monsterous creature, and Tyco to be a leadership buff guy as well as a really good captain.


Seth isn't bad either as a fighty captian for his points.

Thatguyoverthere11 wrote:
I feel like you almost have to take Mephiston or a lvl 2 Librarian with the str 10 power. They are really the only way to take out all of these new MCs flying around the table.

I think that, to play Blood Angels, you have to pile points into just a few units. They aren't like other space marines where you should just buy min-squads or focus on shooting. They are an army of super-heroes. Whenever I play BA I almost never take scoring models because that's not what they're about. It works alright if you just clear off the objectives before the game ends. Typically this isn't too difficult when you're fielding the likes of DC and Mephiston.

I usually run Mephiston behind or in a Landraider (depending on whether or not I have DC) or I put him in a Storm Raven with my DC dreadnought.

Low model count is suicide in 6th edition. BA aren't super heroes. They're just overcosted.

Martel732 wrote:

Thatguyoverthere11 wrote:
I feel like you almost have to take Mephiston or a lvl 2 Librarian with the str 10 power. They are really the only way to take out all of these new MCs flying around the table.

I think that, to play Blood Angels, you have to pile points into just a few units. They aren't like other space marines where you should just buy min-squads or focus on shooting. They are an army of super-heroes. Whenever I play BA I almost never take scoring models because that's not what they're about. It works alright if you just clear off the objectives before the game ends. Typically this isn't too difficult when you're fielding the likes of DC and Mephiston.

I usually run Mephiston behind or in a Landraider (depending on whether or not I have DC) or I put him in a Storm Raven with my DC dreadnought.

Low model count is suicide in 6th edition. BA aren't super heroes. They're just overcosted.

Right?! You can't say it enough times. BA can't put up the numbers other armies can. Yeah BA has some good units, but the army as a whole is lacking in bodies. If your going to take an HQ, let be the Libby, give him Prescience and call it a day.

Dev squads with ML & prescience = most problems dealt with.

Mephiston or a regular Librarian. Don't take anything else.

Lucarikx

 Lucarikx wrote:
Regular Librarian. Don't take anything else.

Lucarikx

Fixed that for you.

Uh.... Mephiston is pretty decent. Better than most people think he is.

Lucarikx

How could bring yourself to play a 250 point model in an army that is playing an uphill battle versus other armies who have access to so many more cheaper picks than we do? Not that their picks are any better, they are the same, just cheaper, and because of this its better just to take the libby and play it safe.

Oh he is good, under the right circumstanes, eating troop picks. But he runs alone, and he falls to AP2.

Mephiston is a very good bully, but there's an awful lot of AP 2 running around now.

I guess so. Some careful positioning can mitigate that though.

Lucarikx

It's hard to position against bikers with gravy guns. Or 36" starcannons.

Thatguyoverthere11 wrote:
I feel like you almost have to take Mephiston or a lvl 2 Librarian with the str 10 power. They are really the only way to take out all of these new MCs flying around the table.

I think that, to play Blood Angels, you have to pile points into just a few units. They aren't like other space marines where you should just buy min-squads or focus on shooting. They are an army of super-heroes. Whenever I play BA I almost never take scoring models because that's not what they're about. It works alright if you just clear off the objectives before the game ends. Typically this isn't too difficult when you're fielding the likes of DC and Mephiston.

I usually run Mephiston behind or in a Landraider (depending on whether or not I have DC) or I put him in a Storm Raven with my DC dreadnought.

You and I are on the same page. If you're playing BA post the new Codex:Space Marine release, you're paying more than everyone else for similar space marines that don't have shiny new chapter tactics (and upset to no end about it), or you're playing the units in the BA codex that other marine chapters do not have access to, paying a decent amount to do so, but at least getting something out of it. You're running Death Company because they have FnP, Rage, and Furious Charge. You're playing Sang Guard because they're highly mobile 2+ armor save bodies with power weapons and potential plasma/melta. You're playing fast Vindicators and Baal Predators, you're giving FnP wherever you want it to be, and you' most certainly are taking advantage of the beatstick that is Mephiston.

You're playing bloody. You'll win bloody, and you'll lose bloody, but oh yes, there will be blood.

But, like I said earlier, if you're running BA with over-costed Librarians and other units that no longer stack up points or options-wise to the new codecies, then yeah...you're going to be all butthurt about the current state of BA. If you can't look at a guy like Mephiston and see how he's useful, shred your BA codex, play your red maries as counts-as Codex: Space Marines, and wait for the new codex.

Well. If you want BA jump packers, then take two Librarians with blood lance and shield each of which leading a Honor Guard with 2 meltas and 2 flamers or 4 plasma guns. Each such unit comes with a builtin chalice.

Dante is still a good choice, especially if you like sang guard. and he can hold his own in a fight. mehphiston is cheese. plain simple. plop him behind a raider/ rhino T1 for los blocking then charge turn 2 for things to die. if you do take a BA lib for god sakes take unleashed rage for the preferred enemy on whoever you attack, its to good not to, (reroll ones to hit and wound? yesh please) Tycho is -ok- but is, like all BA stuff, expensive, a sanguinor w/ a glaive axe will wreck almost any (abbadon included) other SP in a duel as well as gives buffs to your army.

Mephy laughs at ANYONE that is not eternal warrior, 2+ or not you will fail one save... and when you do you die. eternal warrior/ EW 2+ keep him away from. are BA the most competitive atm? no, due to certain costs, are they viable and still able to open that can of whoop ass? hell yeah, what other army can give almost all their infantry 5+FnP

 Voidwraith wrote:
Start running Mephiston. There's really no reason not to take this guy. Being AP3 is barely an issue when he's mobile enough to choose his targets, and when he gets there, it's total annihilation. After buffing himself with S10 and Preferred Enemy, he'll be hitting most targets on 3s, rerolling 1s, and wounding on 2s, rerolling 1s. His sword being a force weapon is added utility against multi-wound baddies that may otherwise be an issue.

You can't spend a better 250pts.

As for the librarian, the BA libby is old and expensive. Dip in the Dark Angels codex and ally in their libby. Put him on a bike and give him a power field generator. Now, everything within 3" of that model has a 4+ invul save, including a guy like Mephiston, if you choose to keep Mephy close to the librarian until the action starts. As an added bonus, the DA librarian on a bike with the power field generator costs less than the BA libby with a jump pack. It's just not fair...

Either way, learn to use Mephiston. He's one of the reasons Blood Angels are cool. You want to play with cool, fun units don't ya?

I'd disagree. The BA Librarian has some pretty good codex powers, Fear in particular can be quite lolsome against Tau and Eldar, especially if you build around it with Furioso Librarians

Pretty good, but not worth the price tag.

remember mephiston can swap ANY of his powers out. the only one I would be willing to swap is unleash rage, but it is still one of the better ones in the codex. Fear is to situational for me.

Remember also that if you take even one rulebook power, you lose ALL codex powers and must generate all your powers from the main rulebook.

Martel732 wrote:
It's hard to position against bikers with gravy guns. Or 36" starcannons.

I know this is an autocorrect failure, but LOL!

 thetallestgiraffe wrote:
spread his red seed to all my guys.

Just lol.

 azreal13 wrote:

Martel732 wrote:
It's hard to position against bikers with gravy guns. Or 36" starcannons.

I know this is an autocorrect failure, but LOL!

No, I called it that on purpose.

My limited experience with mephiston has seen him fail a charge in one game and get counter charged by chaos terminators, lose 4 wounds, fall back and then run away all game. Next game he killed a ton of a stuff and ended up on 1 wound again at the end. Bringing something to increase his endurance against ap2, primarily plasma and melta, would be a worthwhile investment, else even being careful you're generally looking at 2-3 turns of overwatch during the game plus whatever normal shooting your enemy tries to angle on him.
He certainly isn't a demon prince or bloodthirster though. Anything that can roll 5 or more attacks and out-initiatives him should be avoided like the plague. I think a lot of people look at his stats and think they can and should fly him off on a Death Mission simply because he can't join squads.