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So I posted this list on the Blood Angels matchup thread and got a few responses on it, but I figured that I would post it here for the world to see. I think this is the most competitive BA list I've made in a long time, and have been having some very good luck with it. Even against nurgle flying circus daemons (a notoriously bad matchup for assault armies) the list has enough tricks and objective game to pull out wins. It also has a minor leadership shenanigan theme, combining the 1st Company Task Force Formation from the space marine codex with the Fear of the Dark psychic power to deal with high efficiency but low leadership units like the Ghostkeel and Scat bikes.

1850
Baal Strike Force Primary Detachment
HQ
-Librarian
Ml2
Jump pack
Gallien's Staff
-Librarian
Ml2
Veritas Vitae
Force Sword
Jump Pack

Elites
-5x Death Company
Jump packs
Power fist
-5x Death Company
Jump packs
Power fist
-5x Death Company
Jump packs
Power fist
-5x Death Company
Jump packs
Power fist

Troops
-5x Tactical Marines
Heavy flamer
Sgt with 2 hand flamers
Las/plas razorback
-5x Tactical Marines
Heavy flamer
Sgt with 2 hand flamers
Las/plas razorback

Fast Attack
-5x Bikers
2x grav guns
Combi grav

1st Company Task Force Formation
Imperial Fists Chapter Tactics
-5x Sternguard
3x combi melta
Drop pod
-5x Sternguard
3x combi melta
Drop pod
-5x Sternguard
3x combi plasma
Drop pod

Both librarians roll on Sanguinary, and the warlord rolls twice on strategic. The list is weak vs multiple imperial or wraith knights, but luckily my LGS plays ITC rules so the latter isn't likely to occur. Other than that, it has a pretty strong game vs eldar and battle companies, and puts enough fast moving units on the table to play the speed and objective game against things like superfriends or wolf star.

So does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?

Edit: please note that this list is 15 points shy. I currently have those points in melta bombs on the sternguard sgts, but am open to suggestions on where to put the last few digits.

I do not think the Baal strike force can take 3 HQs.

wpago wrote:
I do not think the Baal strike force can take 3 HQs.

It doesn't have 3 HQs. Unless I included a 3rd libby without realizing it. Which I don't think I did.

I like it. What do you think about a combi-flamer instead of the hand flamers? I don't any experience with those

RickS1169 wrote:
I like it. What do you think about a combi-flamer instead of the hand flamers? I don't any experience with those

Eh, I was unimpressed. For 10 points more you lose a little strength and AP but double your hits and get more than 1 shot with it. The tac squads also make great screening units against things like orks, gants, and other swarm style units. The ability to pop out, drop 3 templates on something and then get 3d3 auto hits on overwatch is pretty gnarly.

I suppose it would not really be a Blood Angels list anymore, but replacing the Death Company with a LOTD detachment would get you some ignore cover melta and combi grav.

+ They have a piece of wargear I believe that works well with LD shenanigans.

Saying that, at that point, your list would be more SM then BA.

Yeah at that point it becomes an entirely different list. Right niw it's an MSU list with some alpha strike potential, and has these moments where it takes out 2-4 units turn 1 off of leadership alone. This is even effective against white scar armies (which we'll be seeing a ton of) as they usually don't upgrade to vet sgts, and even though they auto regroup they're still vulnerable to falling back 3d6 off the table.

The task force formation also has some interesting applications that you might not expect. Against battle companies, shaking or stunning a vehicle will force its occupants to take a ld test at -2 or be forced to snap fire. Blowing up the vehicle will force the same thing, but in he form of a pinning test. Against Daemons, winning combat by even 1 or 2 means that their daemonic instability tests become a lot more dangerous.

I'm pretty sold on 5 man squads of death co as well. That's usually enough to beat up scoring units, knock out wounded monsters and kill 10 man tac marine squads. And if you need to kill anything bigger, just double up.

This list has been lingering in my mind for quite some time.

My take, on a completely theoretical basis

Flesh Tearers Strike Force

HQ: ML2 Libby, JP, Veritas Vitae [Warlord]
HQ: ML2 Libby, JP, Gallian's Staff

Elites: 3x5 Death Company, JPs, 1 PFist

Troops: Raphens Death Company

Fast: 4x3 Bikes (2x grav, combi-grav)

1st Company Strike Force:
3x5 Sternguard, 3x combi-melta, drop pods

That's 1802 pts.

The extra points could be usefull for more combi-meltas, power swords in the DCs, perhaps some wargear on the libbies).

Another idea could be giving one of the Sternguards flamers instead of melta.

Anyway - just thinking out loud.