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Good Evening Battle-Brothers, I know that we have a thread about competitive post-Codex Blood Angels, but I wanted to make a thread dedicated to loadout and cool pairing options. I am hearing some general comments from those who have more post-codex game experience than I. In general, the observations that I have made are as follows: 1. Red Thirst really juices up the melee viability of all units, not only elite units like SG/VV/DC, but also simple scouts, tacticals, and even devastators 2. The temptation to character spam is real, but can spread your resources thin 3. The temptation to alpha strike ALL THE THINGS is real, but can get you in trouble 4. There are many stratagems, relics, and loadouts that will change how each individual plays – it is by using your best combination of strategy alongside these resources that will ultimately help you as a general To combat the spam and alpha strike issues, I'm thinking about running many of my squads of elites paired with less costly HQ's (Captains, Lieutenants, Chaplains, and Sanguinary Priests) to try and be able to squeeze in more of these squads. Now that I have my hands on a copy of the book, I have been thinking about how to manage some of the issues with character bubble proximity, and points efficiency. With that in mind, I have a few questions with respect to the loadouts I (and, to a broader extend, 'we') should consider for some HQ units, troops options, and some of our elites choices. I am looking to solicit advice (either math-hammer or examples from experience) on how to craft a few lists with respect to weapon/wargear loadouts. In terms of flavor for my army, my thread has some details (as do my updates in the Pile o' Shame thread), but I can provide details as needed; many of the HQs I'm looking at I want to make very mobile, but some loadout advice could be applied to other versions (i.e., if a power axe is better than a power sword for a JP captain, likely the same is true for a JP captain, etc). Note: I really hope someone else hasn't already made this thread post-codex, so apologies if it's been covered and I've missed it (also, if this is the wrong place, happy to have a mod move this)! First Off: For Captains, Lieutenants, and Sanguinary Priests, what tend to be optimal melee weapons (including point values) between Power Fists/Axes/Swords/Mauls/Lightning Claws? Logically, a Lightning Claw (or two) wouldn't matter much for a Lieutenant (who re-rolls wounds anyway), but I'm curious about the efficiency of these weapons – specifically without the presence of other characters. For example, while a priest will boost your strength, if there isn't one around, is the extra point for an axe worth it? Second Off: I am predominantly using three types of elites – DC, VV, and Sanguinary Guard. DC (flock of 10–15 JP, with mostly BP/CS but 2 PF and 1–2 Other Power Weapons) I have 2 DC with PF/Bolter already modeled from last edition, but what Power Weapons (if any) should I bring along here? Likely planning to run them alongside a Chaplain, Lemartes, or possibly a Priest (for the extra Strength boost) – are any of these HQs particularly effective?VV (5 with TH/SS or Power Weapon/SS) I feel like the durability (based on how affordable SS are) may make these pretty viable, but I'm not sure which Power Weapons and/or HQ or buffer might pair well?VV (5 with Dual LC) Classic meat-grinder of armored opponents. Thinking about taking these guys with a Captain for hit re-rolls, or perhaps a Priest for Strength – thoughts?SG (4; 2 with Axe, 2 with Sword) Pair really well with a warlord, and considering picking up another box of them. When considering how to build them: If I don't pair them with a Sanguinary Priest, is the extra cost of an axe worth it to be wounding T4 on 2+ (I feel like yes, but wanted to get some additional feedback)? Third Off: In order to balance out taking 1–3 pairings of JP Elites with JP HQ's, I want to evaluate some of my footslogger/troop/backfield choices for some 'all takers' style of lists. I have the following available, which brings up several points: Tactical Squads What heavy weapons are good for take-all lists? Are ML worth the points (being able to fire either frag or krak), or should you alternate (i.e., 1 squad gets a LC, 1 squad gets a HB)?Devastators Same points as tactical squads, just trying to think about which heavy weapons would be good/passable in an all-takers list. Thank you all for your time, and if there are any other loadouts you want to ask about, feel free to ask them in the space below. I encourage discussion in the spaces below!