Blood Angels Coming

[peter.cosgrove]

2 hours ago, white_devil said:

Gabriel Seth - bunch of buffs including Chapter Master, extra AP, extra hit on 6 in the Fight Phase 

No more sang Priests with jump pack/bike in codex. Still in index. Ditto for tons of other index-only options. 

lib dread 20pts cheaper 

termie lib down 25pts 

Chaplain termie down 15pts 

Astorath's weapon +1s 

Tycho the Lost new "dead mans hand" (Melee S:user AP-2 Dd3) 

Cpt Tycho also gains dead man's hand 

termie captain down 15pts 

16 new units (lieutenants, primaris stuff, planes, anti air vehicles, etc) 

techmarine down 13pts 

Tactical squad - sergeant may now take a Melta Bomb 

Sanguinary Guard down 2 points 

Chapter Banner nerfed - was immune to morale, now +1LD. Bonus to wound rolls stays the same. 

Sanguinary Novitiate new unit (identical to basic apothecary with Bloody Blood blood name) 

DC Dread down 38pts 

Terminator Ancient new unit 

Company Champion down 16pts 

Terminator assault squad down 5ppm 

Furioso Dread down 52 points 

Blood Talons now S+4 -2AP 3Damage, reroll failed hit and wound rolls for this weapon 

Assault marines now get melta and plasma guns

 

 

[peter.cosgrove]

Ok so. The Sanguinary priest was always a problem. The best solution is to get Brother Corbulo and put a jump pack on him.

The most important bit in there was the techmarine dropping point cost. 78 points for a jump pack techmarine that you have to pay for the power axe. 45 points w/o. so 50 points/57 points for the plasma pistol/power axe. That's the cheapest HQ tax in the BA list. 50 points, I think is even cheaper than primaris psyker after chapter approved.

it all depends on whether The Red Thirst requires a pure BA detachment.

Second most important thing was the drop in price for the DC dread. If you want to build an on board rapid push, putting DC/Lemartes/DC dread into a Stormraven is NOT a bad way to go. And actually putting a techmarine in there. techmarine that can repair the dreadnaught/stormraven.

The assaults already got melta/plasma, that got FAQ PDQ on BRB/index release.

I wish they would make up their minds with these Black Templar remix champion ancients. Either put them into HQ or keep them in a squad. They are too expensive on their own. If you want to take something cheap, take a techmarine. The Ancient, The Ancient Guard and the Termie Ancient all their banners do something a little different. I wonder if the +1 LD from each stack. 

[pretre]

 

 

 

 

 

 

With Codex: Blood Angels available to pre-order, we caught up with Paul Murphy, host of the Forge the Narrative podcast and avowed son of Sanguinius, to get his take on the best way to build an army that will dominate the Assault phase using the new codex. Here are his thoughts.

Paul: Hi All. I’m Paul Murphy from Forge the Narrative. I am a huge Blood Angels fan and I’m excited to get the opportunity to speak about them. The Blood Angels are known for their close combat prowess and lightning fast movement – and in these areas, the new codex delivers.

There are many ways you can approach building a Blood Angels army. At their core, they are a Space Marines Chapter and field their fighting forces based largely on the Codex Astartes. The new codex opens plenty of new options to Blood Angels that were previously only available to other Chapters, like Land Speeder Storms and Stormhawk Interceptors, meaning that they now have more flexibility than ever before.

Infantry, Biker and Dreadnought Blood Angels have an ability known as the Red Thirst. In a round of combat in which the Blood Angels charged, were charged or made a Heroic Intervention, they add 1 to their wound rolls. This is big because any time you shift the result on a die, you are dramatically influencing the odds of your success. While this only affects certain units in close combat, it is formidable and really helps define the fighting style of the Chapter.

The Red Thirst is an ability that you can easily make the focus of your army. It is something you can always count on working. You know when it starts and you know when it stops. There is no way for the opponent to prevent you from gaining this bonus. If you, as a Blood Angels player, can find a way to make close combat inevitable, you’ll be able to maximise this ability.

Thankfully, the codex offers many ways to do this, even down to Troops selection. It is debatable which Troop option is the best, but the Red Thirst ability changes all of your potential choices into assault units. It is important to point out that, at worst, your Blood Angels units are wounding huge enemies like Knights and Primarchs on 5s in close combat. Every single one of your models has the potential to be a game-changing hero (very fitting for the noble sons of Sanguinius).

It will be easy to get distracted while making your Blood Angels army due to all the special units offered in the codex, but don’t forget that in a battle-forged Blood Angels detachment, Troops units can control an objective even if your opponent has more models in range. This benefit will win games.

In the lightning-fast department, the Blood Angels have two signature assault units. These are the golden-armoured Sanguinary Guard and the black-clad Death Company.

The Death Company are wracked by psychic visions of their Primarch that send them into an unrecoverable state known as the Black Rage. This translates into giving them one extra attack on the turn they charge and the ability to shrug off wounds on the roll of a 6+. You have the option of equipping these guys with jump packs, and it is my heavy recommendation that you do. This gives them the ability to deploy via Jump Pack Assault, and it also makes them a better candidate for one of the new Blood Angels Stratagems, Forlorn Fury.

For two Command Points, Forlorn Fury allows you to nominate a Death Company unit at the start of the first battle round, but before the first turn begins, and immediately move them AND advance as if it were the Movement phase. A potential 12″ move makes for a staggering threat range on turn 1, which your opponent will need to react to. The fact that this Stratagem exists forces your opponent to account for it in their Deployment phase, and we may see the Death Company in a lot of builds. This unit is incredibly flexible with many wargear options. With these guys, I think it’s best to keep the majority of them armed with bolt pistols and chainswords. Chainswords are going to give them an extra attack, allowing each model to make four attack rolls on the charge. Four attacks with a basic weapon might not sound like a lot, but remember that with the Red Thirst you’re wounding most things on 3s and more numerous foes on 2s. If you sprinkle in a few power fists, you’ve got an amazingly killy unit for not a lot of points.

For one Command Point, you can also nominate one of your non-Primaris Chaplains, Captains or Lieutenants to fall to the Black Rage. They gain the Death Company keyword and the Black Rage ability for the duration of the battle. This is right in line with the Blood Angels theme, and the idea of a Captain with a thunder hammer, jump pack, five attacks on the charge, and wounding almost everything on 2s (with the Red Thirst) is very exciting.

The Sanguinary Guard come with a power sword that does D3 damage, a 2+ armour save, and an Assault 2 bolt weapon with -1 AP, and have seen a points reduction in the codex compared to the index. Sanguinary Guard are almost twice the points cost of the Death Company, but they have two Wounds and a better armour save. Without changing their stock points cost, you can opt to equip this entire unit with power fists, and I’ll be very interested to see how many people go with this option.

The Sanguinary Guard have a special rule that allows them to re-roll failed hit rolls if they are within 6″ of their warlord. This helps minimize the negative modifier that comes with the power fist. As with the Captain referenced above, the extra strength from the power fist and the Red Thirst ability will really help you pile wounds onto your opponent. These guys have a Move characteristic of 12″ and should be able to keep up with your warlord quite nicely.

The Sanguinary Guard have the Jump Pack Assault rule, allowing you to deploy them high in the skies and drop them down to the battlefield right where you need them. These heirs of Azkaellon are flashy and can act as a significant distraction for your opponent. A base unit costs around 140 points for four models. You can deploy these guys all over the battlefield, forcing your opponent to deal with them.

For two Command Points, you can opt to use the Descent of Angels Stratagem before making a charge roll for a Blood Angels Jump Pack unit that was set up on the table this turn, rolling 3D6 to determine the unit’s charge range. This ability is difficult for your opponent to practically plan for and counter. This is important because, as a Blood Angels player relying mostly on assault, you have to establish and control the tempo of the game. With Stratagems like this one, you can seemingly be everywhere with high threat units.

The goal of an assault-based army is to get into close combat. The Blood Angels have the right tools to establish credible threats and actually make it into close combat in a shooting-heavy environment.

I could keep going – I haven’t even talked about the Death Company, Librarian Dreadnoughts or the unique characters, yet! Hopefully they’ll have me back to talk some more soon.

Maybe we’ll hear more from Paul on the Blood Angels in future – but for now, you can pre-order your own copy of the codex and start planning your own assault-based domination of tabletops near you.

[peter.cosgrove]

I just played my "technically" first game with BA in 8th Edition. I had done some playing with them before now, but this time I built the list with the new codex in mind.

My first challenge was balancing the number of units on the board at the beginning of the first turn against the units in deep strike. This is not anything new, 6th Edition brought this into play. I found myself making the same choices I made in 6th, which was to take really cheap infiltrating units (Scouts/Ratlings). Since I was planning on bringing DC in threat density and at least 16 melta guns on Assaults it meant bringing a LOT of scouts/ratlings. I accidently brought 13 units on the board vs the 12 units I had in jump pack deep strike.

The scouts are going to be REALLY powerful units. Their deployment rule is very nice since they can be deployed almost anywhere on the board. With the scouts and the ratlings it is very much possible to attain TBC on deployment locking out all deep strike outside of the enemy deployment zone on turn 1 if your opponent wins first turn. I outfitted the scouts with BP's and CC's for the 2A, which meant very cheap Troop units. Should they get the Red Thirst (which I can't see them NOT getting) they are  a potent first turn assault unit to lock down enemy shooting. The ratlings are the cheapest snipers in the game with infil rules hitting with sniper weapons on a BS3, and the shoot and scoot rules are extremely handy to gain double movement when necessary. I think that with a bit of care it's possible to bring cheaper sniper units than ratilings with the expectation that you will be camping them in your deployment zone, maybe 2 units, possibly 3. Something to look at. Especially if you can get non Auxilla sniper units with the cadian re-rolls.

In the BA attachments I brought 8 Assaults with 2 meltas and 3 DC squads with 5 Plasma Pistols and Lemartes. I ended up using a Primaris Psyker as the 3rd HQ choice for the BA detachment, which meant no chapter trait however I wasn't playing with any chapter traits so it was a moot point.

My opponent was playing Tau and had first turn. His first turn of shooting took out most of my scout squads. ATSKNF is hugely important to maintain a unit on the board

My first turn, dropped in all the meltas and plasma pistols, camping Lemartes in with the 3 DC squads for the charge re-rolls. The melta's did their job killing everything I had set them up against to kill. Made the mistake of killing the one thing that was within 9" of the DC/Lemartes blob with overcharged Plasma pistols so they couldn't get a charge in AND I lost 4 DC from plasma pistol overcharge (I didn't bring a captain or lieutenant for the re-rolls to hit, which I could have done if I had taken a closer look at the list). I was able to get 2 squads Assaults in the charge however.

My opponents second turn. He fell back the units my assaults had charged and he killed more ratlings/snipers who had objective control as well as killing more of the DC units. The 6+ FNP on the DC, I didn't get 1 roll off for so the DC guys died in droves, however Lemartes 9 LD meant the remainder of the DC was unfazed.

My 2nd turn, got all the melta's into double tap range and continued to compress the remaining Tau units into his deployment zone. I missed a LOT of melta shots but got all the assaults in. Without the Red Thirst the combats were typically even.

Game ended 2nd turn due to time, final score 11 to 7.

Some thoughts/concerns. Rolling a full on BA jump pack list takes a LONG time. Granted it's always taken a long time but knowing your list/units really helps to make the game smoother. Plan on your opponent gaining first turn. I had 25 units which is typical for a BA assault list.

[InfestedKerrigan]

Landraiders should let units declare an assault from inside. If they fail, they disembark, still. Overwatch can target the LR or the unit. 

[peter.cosgrove]

Ok, built a list with current points. Going to expect a price diff which I can hopefully adjust to.

7 Squads Assaults with 2 meltas.

3 Squads Death Company with 5 Plasma Pistols

Lemartes / Captain w/ Jump Pack and Combi Melta

Primaris Psyker

4 Squads Ratlings

6 Squads Scouts w/ BP/Combat Blade (SGT's W/ Combat Blade/Chainsword.

This list means either Lemartes or the CPT will need to start on the board, but trying to squnch in a 3rd HQ for the points is difficult.

[peter.cosgrove]

uh, well, no. unless BA are going to require the entire battleforged army be BA for the redthirst. 3 detachments in ITC. That's why 3 HQ.

[VonVilkee]

5 minutes ago, peter.cosgrove said:

uh, well, no. unless BA are going to require the entire battleforged army be BA for the redthirst. 3 detachments in ITC. That's why 3 HQ.

 organizing your posted list by detachment helps avoid those replies... even with out points there are many people out there struggling to think about lists in the new 8th splits

[peter.cosgrove]

you never know, they might just require that blood angels have to be the entire list for red thirst to work. Which brings up an interesting point. I wonder if they will make Black Rage be also a detachment pure trait to work.

[pretre]

With the new Codex: Blood Angels on the way, the Warhammer 40,000 loremasters over at Lexicanum have delved into the background of the Chapter to take a look at some of their artefacts and shared their findings with us…

Today we investigate a handful of the potent relics of the Primarch Sanguinius – artefacts whose powers still endure ten millennia after his death.

Sanguinius was perhaps the noblest and most selfless of the Primarchs. The Lord of the Blood Angels willingly went to his death at the hands of his brother Horus, with full foreknowledge of the results. He is honoured as an Imperial saint and held in higher esteem than most of his brothers by the Ecclesiarchy to this day. Today we will cover a handful of the most potent artefacts of the sons of Baal.

The Red Grail is said to hold the blood of Sanguinius. It is key to a Blood Angels ritual in which one of their number drinks from this holy vessel, believing they become closer to their dead Primarch in the process. To become a Sanguinary Priest, one must drink from the Red Grail. It is from these priests, the most senior of which is Brother Corbulo, that the blood is taken to be used in the rituals of transforming Blood Angels aspirants into fully fledged Space Marines. The Red Grail is often taken to the battlefield, where it provides a source of great inspiration for the Blood Angels.

The Blade Encarmine is known to have been wielded by an early Blood Angels Chapter Master, Belarius. The sword is said to only respond to and activate for those who carry the gene-seed of Sanguinius.

The relic was lost to the Ork warlord Garshul the Destroyer during a battle with the Blood Angels led by Captain Leonatos. Leonatos was exiled from the Chapter by Commander Dante himself until he recovered the lost blade.

In his quest to recover the Blade Encarmine, Leonatos and his group of fellow exiles tracked down the Ork warlord’s fleet, only to discover the warlord himself was host for a Daemon of Tzeentch. Following the Daemon’s Traitor Marine allies into the Eye of Terror, Leonatos once again searched for the sword across a Daemon world. He eventually recovered the blade, but at the cost of his own soul. The sword was returned to Baal by the two remaining exiles, who refused to rejoin their brothers. Instead, they themselves undertook a quest to rescue their commander from servitude to Tzeentch.

Alternative accounts say that the Blade Encarmine was broken during Sanguinius’ duel with Warmaster Horus on the Vengeful Spirit, and that its shards remain in Chaos hands to this day.

The Death Mask of Sanguinius is an incredibly lifelike golden mask that is said to have been modelled upon the features of the Blood Angels Primarch after his death. The Mask has been incorporated into the armour of the Blood Angels’ current Chapter Master, Dante. When Dante is in battle, it appears to come to life. A nimbus of golden energy plays about his head that strikes terror into the hearts of the Chapter’s enemies.

The Spear of Telesto was wielded by Sanguinius during the Great Crusade. He was shown using it against the Slaughter-Lord Morroga on the Tapestries of Riga, which hang in the fortress monastery on Baal.

Its blade is shaped like an elongated tear with a hollow in the centre to represent the single drop of blood Sanguinius shed when he swore fealty to the Emperor. The shaft is sculpted to show the Primarch as a hooded angel of blood, and beneath that is a purity seal with an oath allegedly hand-written by the Emperor Himself.

The spear can emit a blast of energy which vaporises anyone who doesn’t have the blood of Sanguinius coursing through their veins.

The spear was originally thought to have been lost during the Horus Heresy, but the Blood Angels’ Battle Barge Bellus was sent to recover it following the discovery of documents relating to its whereabouts on Evangelion, a mission whose outcome had profound consequences for the entire Chapter. The weapon was found among the Ork-held systems on the borders of the Segmentum Obscurus by a team led by Inquisitor Ramius Stele.

A fascinating look at some of the Blood Angels’ many sacred relics. Join the Lexicanum loremasters again next week for a peek at the many orders of the Dark Angels, and in the meantime, you can find out more about the Blood Angels in their new codex, available to pre-order now.

The post Artefacts of the Blood Angels appeared first on Warhammer Community.

[Kremmet]

I wonder if they could say blood a few more times to really sell me on the excellent background? 

[peter.cosgrove]

 

[white_devil]

Ummm Y does Sanguinius have dreads? He’s also very scowly. So much for angelic features...

[Psilence]

On 12/8/2017 at 1:38 PM, peter.cosgrove said:

 

When I see/hear that dude all I can think of are the hawkmen from Flash Gordon.

"Dive!"

[WestRider]

4 hours ago, white_devil said:

Ummm Y does Sanguinius have dreads? He’s also very scowly. So much for angelic features...

I think the hair is supposed to be more like Shirley Temple-style golden curls.

[white_devil]

1 hour ago, WestRider said:

I think the hair is supposed to be more like Shirley Temple-style golden curls.

I am unsure what is worse...

[WestRider]

I took a while trying to find the most unsettling way to word that ;)