Hillslam

editted for new batreps on Mountain gaming, hellstorm gaming and the FLG vs sisters. 2-8 ATM... scarily equal to the index scoreboard. Come on brothers, crack the code!

Hear ya on the move n shoot thing, so I always build magnetized to be hawk or talon. As for the fin - just can't make myself mount it as GW tells us. But then I'm the guy that painted this up in BA regalia a full edition before it was declared legit, so my tailfins following rule of cool is a minor thing. https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Hp_Er8f6fo5AZZQ6Ci7HWzrzROPcIpAbOMT_vNs8WMipuqNCHQzjpHIDxOB_ZZL9sTEjggmRXGENND74Y6cmVGwwjwJqPTBGHYBkKs5r6Q3QvIQOc1CD9LorFaP4SohYAYLTpfy6EDhJRj-xj68qQevg6ha1yJmxBjZKc-r7ycdj2h6qcGtSYnGocUvJhwoyxlgI6kjFf7tvcGwyY8ph5Gm0M5tOrb34UCKPTHA4kMNUWTEJbmDVGWFtma8WU64_AuvcdNNpTWMpIS1x1dvzXPimCpRdMqmj-I0PwS7g03ow2gaZSVxo8V-JA8SzV_uUo2dAUWpoydNU2IeQKXTXuG5OqNnHrlAKYXby-ZkfaHYo-f47Ne2TUBGBXLXg_A-4iTndTBzPKbjkxXpwhWk-mzOtIa46c2tiMUuTaYHaF7MthoIzrEv_IC9PRyX_H4HQlerktdDoetTW8oVNpnNJAcCx9Rd6wtEioVmC1NB8NDa0BFzp3k6oj6l-kjwc8aqmPPJJoVeogHrAA3UpuAnPOSSmDAjvo6dd-DlK88T6oGTjEXM7EOIubWlSl9y4Iz9ZjUFCw_eNIyMDE9vaCPvFbpQOdMkjXFBKBs8r8pkIseEc8Z6ttODheHZ0udW9mjUSw_6YcGLJTUnW7arZbcKECbVNacGpzTpU8Eqj=w924-h929-no

Thought since we had a thread like this prior to getting our codex when we were still rocking our index, and at the time I quit counting it ended up around the 16-60 win-loss ratio (or almost a 4 to 1 loss ratio) I thought it might be worthwhile as the major channels start getting their mitts on the new codex to keep a running tally of how we're doing in online video batreps. So far I've only seen some of the early adopters with batreps up, so it's early still. So what's the early scoreboard? ---------------------------------- EDITED to update tally ---------------------------------- W - L 2 - 8 ----------------------------------------------------------- EDIT - updated as more batreps come out ----------------------------------------------------------- so far it seems all have fallen into the character bubble trap, expecting the DC to tank more (instead of playing them as a glass cannon one-shot blunderbuss) and thus having too few chars on table. Here's hoping many crack the code soon.

I painted this number up before it was even "legal" to use. So I will be rocking it hard

Is Mephiston holding a demon inside of him? Is he a split personality, with Black Rage Insane Calistarius inside his head alongside the "rational" Lord Of Death? The book really makes it seem like it. I read Dante and DoB but not Mephiston yet. Maybe its now out of order since I think Mephiston is set before DoB, so I wasn't planning on reading and would appreciate any insight.

Trying not to read into the fact that Tabletop Tactics first batrep with the codex BA almost got them tabled...

Also, flying Dreads. Inspired me: Here. We. GOOOOOOOO!!!

Batman approves of the nipple armor http://media.comicbook.com/uploads1/2015/05/clooney-batman-137099-640x320.jpg ...and cape

Not buying that DA leak. As for our +1" on charge... what good is getting into combat for us when we cost so much its usually 5 angels vs 10-20 whatevs, and our weapons are so overpriced and underpowered we're slapping them with pillows. COMBAT!! whooopeee There's alot of across-the-board problems with BA that +1" charges won't fix: Can't pick from enough units, can't lay down enough boots, can't lay down enough attack dice, can't lay down enough wounds that get thru, and can't absorb or prevent wounds. (Frankly we were too strong in ~3rd and we've been paying for it for by being B grade for ~4 releases / years) Meanwhile... over thars them Eldar rompin' it up for half a decade wit narry a care. So yeah color me super salty too, and I ain't trusting the BA codex to fix it til I see it. 3+ releases have shown the pattern.

Updating tally with another Batrep, excellent as always, from SS82. Unfortunately another loss in the tally for BA in 8th. Codex cannot arrive soon enough. Not high hopes it will fix the core problem....

Thanks - will add. Another loss in the BA column. Long game notwithstanding, you could almost see what was going to happen when the IG and BA lists were presented. Which was exactly how it played out. IG = more wounds, more dice, more firepower. And BA not nearly powerful enough in the assault to make up for the deficit.

Update: SS82 posted a BA vs Necron batrep, with the BA taking... a WIN! It did seem like a scenario set up to give the BA a chance, but a win is a win. Some observations from this one batrep, because clearly SS82 is listening to his subscribers and vid comments: - the BA force was smaller yet not more "elite" showing how they are over-costed - the BA force generated fewer to hit dice, and had to roll higher to hit targets and to wound targets - the necrons had more wounds to chew thru (but also had more points to give away in this kill point game) - the necrons demonstrated more melee hitting power and staying power - in order to win, the BA had to castle up expensive armor firepower and keep it retreating - the necron list had no flyer for some odd reason and never bothered to fire on the stormraven

Some completely subjective observations from the batreps: BA seem in general to have smaller armies. Or when we have more units its all infantry. But they are not elite. BA seem unable to field as many vehicles or other big-model heavy hitters. BA seem unable to assemble "Deathstar" type units, or have a hard time accumulating alot of dice in a unit. Other armies just seem to roll more dice when shooting/hitting. BA seem to have a hard time negating damage. PA yes, absorbing or soaking, yes. But negating, nope. Other armies seem to have more ways to make damage not get thru, disappear or evaporate. BA are low on the trickery scale. BA characters are really weak - with few exceptions when it came time for toe-on-toe named-char matchups, the BA char usually ended up on their backs. BA's vaunted melee fluff never seems to bear out on the table. Either they never make it into combat, or when they do they get marshmellowed out or pillowed or tarpitted. Or just plan given a beatdown in the punching subgame. Again, these observations are what seemed to bubble up from just the batreps. I've done exactly zero mathhammer on any of the above.

So as I watched batreps start to accumulate for 8th edition, while I was learning the new ruleset myself, I made sure to find and watch intently any batrep featuring BA. Over time I thought I started to notice a trend. To me, it seemed, well, Blood Angels LOSE a ton of battles online. Not wanting to set it aside to confirmation bias, I took it upon myself to start tallying things up. So over the past month I've been hunting down, watching (or skipping to the end) and tallying BA wins and losses - as represented by online battle reports. Straight up 8th edition battles. I watched the usual big ticket channels: SS82, Winters SEO, MiniWargaming, Tabletop Tactics, etc etc etc - and as many other channels both big and small that I could find. I began finding and cataloging BA batreps done as one-off custom vids. (I did not include any batrep write-ups or tournament writeups or league standing result tables - just pure video battlereports. And while I did include custom scenarios, I did not include mixed armies. Just so long as they were video taped pure blood angels lists up against whatever) Here's what I ended up with. I admit this is by no means exhaustive, even remotely complete, or really scientific in any fashion whatsoever. I even didnt really get thru all I found, I sort of more ran out of gas for the whole endeavor after a trend appeared pretty solid. BA Wins: 16 BA Losses: 59 Draws of some sort: 4 These are at all different points levels, and a whole smorgasbord of army compositions, and from what I watched, a whole spectrum of player skill - from potato to master crafted uber mathhammer gods. I draw no conclusions from this - though some patterns emerged in the videos which shaped my own thoughts as to why this is happening. Wondered what the community here thinks. Thoughts? --------------- EDIT: 10-20-2017 Adding another excellent BA batrep from SS82. Unfortunately, but not unexpectedly, another loss in the tally.

Can I be Debbie Downer and say I've never seen GW right-size the BA costs with releases or faqs since 6th. So I have low expectations for the codex. BA just seems to be getting costlier and costlier since before 6th Ed. I worry the index will be as good as it gets.

The rear stubber is actually an icarus cannon. So seems like anti air. But you can also swap it out for a missile pod. Same for the side "sponsons". All three come with spare fronts (I magnetized mine) allowing you to pick from two missile flavors (and a 3rd flavor on back) or twin bolters on all 3 sides. You can also put a stubber on the main turret alongside the main gun (like I have in the pic, also magnetized) or a computer / targeting thingie. Then you can also put a stubber on the pintle or a minigun. And of course you can swap the main turret gun from an assault cannon to a special lascannon on 'roids. Lastly the front gun can be magnetized too w twin heavy bolsters or as I have twin lascannons.

Thanks. I do use microsol/set and then a hard coat. But I also end up painting over also because that allows me to color match nicer. For example the gold in alot of decals is too brassy for me, my BA gold tends to skew toward warmer tone.

We allowing Primaris vehicles in here too? Here's my BA Repulsor about 90% complete. Still need to edge and weather. Rest of the gallery here: http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/gallery/album/13435-hillslams-blood-angels/

Nearing completion on my Primaris Repulsor tank done up in Blood Angel regalia. Not quite done. Still need to paint over the decals, and finish highlighting and finish up some greeblies here and there. But ready to show and put on the table for games. I have complex feelings about this model. Right off the bat I don't like the rule how it only can carry Primaris marines. Seems a blatant money grab by WG and luckily for me all the clubs in the region feel the same and every one has implemented house rules and tourney rules allowing it as a transport equivalent of a Landraider. But back to the model, not the easiest WG vehicle model to assemble. This thing was gubbins central. I am no stranger to gubbins, as you can see below I love to festoon my BA vehicles with lots of nibnobs and doodads... but this thing was a doodad commuter train. Everywhere you looked there was some thing or other to glue onto the side, or the front, or the rear, or the top, or on the side of the top, or on the side of the top of the thing you glued onto the top of the side....... It didn't help that the pieces were all over the sprue in what seemed like a chaotic order. I honestly felt like I was at times being trolled by the sprue layout designer as I looked for this missile front door, or that bolter facade, or whatever. Maybe it was me, but meh. Lastly... the thing overall just looks.... Desert Storm. I can't help but think circa 1990s Iraq invasion Bradley M2. I dunno. However, all that being said I *do* like the model. Mostly. Sort of. Sometimes. No, mostly. I don't know. Its complicated... And lastly, for scale, here's how it sets up next to a Landraider