Thoughts on Blood angels, Just had my first 6th ed tournament Options

[nevaenuffbass]

Just now back from my first 6th ed tournament. I am sorting out my thouhgts, and figured i may as well post them.
I didn't do very well in terms of generalship, but had a great day. I took home the sportsmanship trophy, so I am guessing my opponents had fun too.

My list(1750)
Librarian, jump pack
Honour guard - 4 x plasma

2 x 10 assault marines, 2 x melta in each, melta bombs
1 x 10 assault marines, 2 x plasma, 2 plasma pistols on SGT

Vanguard vets - 6, 2 power weapons, fist, 2 x melta bombs

2 x 5 devs, 4 ML in each
Storm Raven, TL Las, TL Multi

The tourney allowed IA, but i didn't see any. Seemed likely to be flyer heavy (so stormy, my storm raven was mostly there for flyer defence)

Going through the list
Libby - I tried several of different powers, but in the next tourney will just take blood lance and fear the darkness. I struggled heaps with deathstars, and fear could probably have helped with this. The most useful powers were the shooting attacks. Another player found the biomancy ones helpful. I actually wondered if I wouldnt have been better off with a different HQ choice.

Honour Guard. These guys rock. That is a lot of plasma they put out, especially when teamed up with my plasma squad. The S7 was a little frustrating, as it doesn't instakill marines, nor nullify FNP, so 4 x melta would be better in some circumstances. Having said that, I am not sure that a vindicator, for 80 odd less points wouldn't have done the same and better.

Assault marines (2 x melta, melta bombs). These guys were good at providing the enemy with things to kill. Without the I boost with furious charge, they were pretty lack-lustre in combat. In future, I'd replace with tac marines, which is annoying as I just finished painting them. Not sure if a kitted SGT would make them more choppy - but they still wouldn't handle anything else in the game kitted for assault. I was worried about the meltas getting sniped, but it didn't happen. It was relatively easy to protect them with "cotton wool". 2 shots and the short range of the meltas made them harder to use than I expected. I was also surprised that in 4 games i didn't once use the melta bombs (on anything).

Assault marines - plasma variety. These guys were fun to use. Yep the SGT is expensive, but 6 plasma shots was pretty useful, as was the 24" range. I recommend combat squading them, with 5 boring marines hiding in the raven, or being a cheap(ish) speed bump for death star units.

Vanguard Vets. They were useful - as a unit this expensive should be. They had the staying power of a virgin in a strip club though. Rarely made their points back, but this was offset by the fact that they got their assault off and generally took out a priority target.

Dev squads. I felt underwhelmed by these guys during the day, but that is probably not being fair. More often than not, they fired krak missiles at power-armoured enemy, which with the new cover rules (like focus fire) was pretty effective. There was plenty of invuln saves, flyers and 2+ which limited their usefulness as I would have predicted.

Stormy. This guy took out 2 flyers and only died once. If I was to keep him, I'd give him the hurricane bolters and assault cannon, as for its cost it lacked punch against some things, and could be almost ignored. I was surprised how snap fire, when combined with hull points, was actually not that bad against flyers ground to air. I like the raven - he was fun to use and I have become attached, but it is expensive, and much of his use (assault vehicle) seems wasted (6" move to disembark and assault, as a skimmer).


I feel that my list was pretty weak. Maybe I could have played better, and had better luck, but for me the days of the jumpy blood angels have probably ended. I'm keen to use some armour in my next games - AV 13 - vindis and baal preds will feature in my next try. The quad gun seems to be a cheaper defence against flyers, and I was surprised just how much Aegis defence lines you got for their points.

I'm keen to hear anyone elses thoughts / suggestions.

[SneakyDan]

Ive been playing a lot of games with a full AV13 list - 4 TL Asscannon razors, 2 heavy flamers razors (Screening), 3 Baal preds, 3 vindicators.

If vehicles are ###### in 6th, im not seeing it.

[glynaynsley]

Its a bit of an all or nothing thing now. If you have a lot of hull points spread around it actually works better but only a few and they are easier to take out.

[deadmuppet]

with the changes to combat armys fnp and fur charge im wondering if vinnila marines are actualy stroner than blood angels now?

[nevaenuffbass]

Ive been playing a lot of games with a full AV13 list - 4 TL Asscannon razors, 2 heavy flamers razors (Screening), 3 Baal preds, 3 vindicators.

If vehicles are ###### in 6th, im not seeing it.

What is riding in the razors? Ass marines or tac?


@deadmuppet - perhaps you are right, their scouts are better (telion), vehicles are cheaper, have a flyer in FA rather than heavy. They don't have baal preds (so can't spam AV13), vehicles aren't fast (BA vindis rock - 36" threat range), and tehy can't give their termis FNP. So maybe not better, just different.

[deadmuppet]

they can spam av13 just not fast av 13. also get thunderfire cannons.

i do love my fast vindi fave moddel in my blood angels army hands down.

[nevaenuffbass]

they can spam av13 just not fast av 13. also get thunderfire cannons.

i do love my fast vindi fave moddel in my blood angels army hands down.

They don't have the baal pred in their FA slots. So where BA can conceivably have 6 AV13+ (more if you could fit in raiders as ded transports) in 1999, SM can only have 3.

[deadmuppet]

Yea man. av 13 tanks have got a decent buff this edd.

[Castigo]

Death company with 5 attacks on the charge now is awesome, shame they lose +1I with Furious charge but hey 10 DC charging in = shenanigans. Oh also DC dreads are still pretty good with Blood talons

Still have to try the SR in the new edition...well see

Some people are saying theyve been nerfed epically, im yet to decide this im sure with a few more games and the right knowhow theyll be a force to be reckoned with!

Cheers

[ru486baby]

I've had a couple games of 1k-1200, with B.A, running 2 squads of Assault marines
Srg 2x Plasma pistol, melta.bombs
Plasma gun
Razorback
Las/plas.
They work extremely well, the 12" move first turn help sets up some nice flanking tactics that actually work.

[nevaenuffbass]

Just bought 4 razors (and am thankful I went to all the effort of magnetising my jump packs). Was more looking at the assault cannon, but see how what you say would work - 2 plasma pistol, plasma gun, and Razor TL plasma isn't to be sneezed at!

Deciding what mix of tacs vs assault squads to put in.
Tac squad allows the combi weapon, and a objective sitting lascannon with ablative wounds up the back...