So........Could Use An Update

[Joasht]

I managed to get my BA codex when it first came out, but during that time, all the way up to now (and a little before that; kinda hate the TLOS rules), I've been "cold" towards 40k but today when I was packing my stuff to move my house, I figured why not drop by here and ask what you guys have learnt in the few months that the new codex has been out.

 

To be honest I only glanced through the codex once or twice, and never really gave much thought into making a good list. However, from my initial impressions, jump packs seem horrendously expensive, particularly on the more elite units.

 

I'd very much appreciate advice and experience you guys have obtained throughout the past few months, particularly on whats "awesome" and whats "not too good". Would probably have to update my army collection too :/

 

It would have been ideal if I just sat down and flipped through the forums, but frankly I'm short on time, especially given that I have to rush my moving :)

 

Thanks!

[Leonaides]

Meph is a killer. Of just about anything.

FNP can be a godsend to your entire army.

Blood Angels still rock. (though the pdf ehresy probably did help refine tactical abilities in those who persevered)

[JamesI]

I recommend this thread for lots of peoples opinions:

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/index.p...howtopic=204749

[Joasht]

I took some time to read the BA codex today, and, well, I personally honestly feel a little mixed about the whole codex:

 

1) We have MANY toys. Toys that cost a lot of points, and many of which I'm not too convinced about. For example, the Storm Raven. Yes, its nice, but seriously, its an armor 12 vehicle. Maybe its just my bad experiences with vehicles in the past, but placing that many points into one rather-soft-ish vehicle (when you count whats inside) doesn't sit well with me. And the Sanguinary Guard........man, I looked at that entry again and again, but I find it hard to justify taking them (other than for the awesome looking models) given the colossal points for each figure. Yes, they are a bargain when you consider what equipment they are getting, but its a five-man squad with no "cannon-fodder"; something you can get with your usual Veteran Squads.

 

2) Maybe its just being spoiled by the Space Wolf codex (which I've stopped using for the time being because everyone here seems to be playing the Wolves), but given that FC only happens once in a while given the new rules for Red Thirst, I find it hard to....well, match up with the sheer awesome of Counter-Attack. And seriously, we lost Combat Tactics for that tiny chance of getting FC?

 

3) Sanguinary Priests seem to be the walking "buff" of the codex, as getting FnP on-demand is probably the answer to balancing the whole "1/6 chance of FC" situation. They *don't* seem too bad, but they do cost a million points for an IC that isn't really better than a naked space marine.

 

4) I personally have never liked Deep Striking for many reasons, with the exception being Drop Pods because of their higher dependability. However, it seems to be a very big theme for the Blood Angels to Deep Strike with their packs. How have you guys found Deep Striking?

 

5) And speaking of packs..........not counting the regular Assault Squad guys, its pretty expensive. Especially on the poor Death Company.

 

I'm thinking a "more solid" list might involve having a load of Assault Squads (and maybe a squad of DC, they seem pretty cost-efficient when in a Rhino), maybe in vehicles (yeay for discounted Rhinos) backed up by a few hard-hitting elite units. I'm not too certain if I'm entirely sold on the "we can have many tanks" aspect, as the way I see it; if you are getting into grips with the opponent by turn 2, you really only need anti-tank weapons. Anti-personnel weapons might be a little redundant in this situation.

 

Of course these are just my preliminary thoughts, from a guy that spent half a day reading the codex. I can (and probably) am wrong on a few things, but overall I like some aspects of the codex, but I also feel we were a little......I don't know, we could have been serviced better I guess.

 

Thanks!

[SnorriSnorrison]

To your issues:

 

1) I think its a shame that everyone dislikes the Sanguinary Guard. I´ve used them a couple of times and they´ve always been worth their points. When they, a Captain and one Sanguinary Priest have been assaulted by 3 squads(one of them being Terminators + Libby) they killed the Libby, one terminator and enough marines to change the combat to a draw, and the Captain made it a win. Use them to assault MEQ, attach a priest and another choppy character to them and they will eat almost everything.

 

2) Red Thirst is a fluffy rule really. It is not there to gain lots of units an advantage, but to represent the flaw that taints our geneseed. Take a step back and think about the fluffy side in life, or at least in 40k. :D

 

3) Well, they are a quite nice choice. The key is not to equip them with loads of wargear - a simple JP or a PW is enough. It´s their job to buff the squads around them, not to stand base to base with someone like ghazkull. ;) Some Cowards will advise you to stick them into Rhinos and let them stay there, but you should wonder if this is the art of war, the art of the Blood Angels!(not meant to offend anyone, especially not all those competitive players who like to leave their SPs in their Rhinos...) ;)

 

4) I love the new rules. My assault squad, Sanguinary Guard and Vanguard(proxied them, though) always enter through deepstrike: their precision is amazing. Remember, EVERY unit with JP has the rule "Descent of Angels".

 

5) Yes, they are expensive. But in opposite to C:SM, we have a solid reason for the price: Descent of Angels. This rule can really save the game.

 

 

I hope this was a help( at least a bit) and not too biased. :)

 

 

 

Snorri

[Isryion]

Just to add my thoughts and hope it helps as well...

 

1) I agree with you on the toys. One or two in an army and you'll be ok, but start to add to that and you're not going to have an effective army. I agree with regard to the Storm Raven and SG, but I haven't used them, so it's just the same impression you have.

 

2) They had to give Codex Marines something over us. Red thirst is available at a 50% chance if you really want it available to you. I have had it three times in over 15 games. I don't ever pretend I have it!

 

3) SPs are what keep BA alive, period. A 50 pt non-upgradable is solid for a tac or dev squad that provides covering fire, or a power sword wielding SP to go with your jump packs gives even more than just the buff. Corbs is expensive, but if you can fit him in your army (points and role) he's well worth his cost multiple times over. Units with a priest destroy a SW unit that counterattacked. For my money, though, and I've said it other places, I don't think BA are actually the best assault codex out there. Probably top 3, but I think SW do it better and the right tyranids will destroy BA in combat.

 

4) Deepstriking works great with BA and their pinpoint accuracy. It's most useful with tank hunter squads.

 

5) Yes, they are and I tend to stick with packs on my RAS, though I will put them on HG for modeling purposes.

 

6) Your army build: You can't always plan on coming to grips in Turn 2. Assault squads are good, but they aren't going to just cut through anything, especially other MEQ. I originally took only meltaguns on my squads but found I was getting outranged and having a tough time with other marines. I've since added a tac squad (pg/pc) and a 5 pack of devestators (2 pc). I also swapped out one of my AssC Baals (I take 2 and usually outflank with them) for a flamestorm Baal, all of which has made a huge difference. The dev squad attracts a lot of fire, which means my assault squads and DC get where they want intact even if the dev squad only lasts two turns. The flamestorm Baal has wiped out at least one squad of Marines each game (comes on and burns something) I control more areas of the board and am actually better able to force my opponent's hand. I dropped some terminators and a DC dread in a drop pod. Both of which are fun but not effective (the DC dread is but is very much hit or miss)

 

I think the new Codex is great (and there are plenty of threads on it. I'm not sure what you mean by better "serviced." The BA codex has amazing flexibility. It is far a more elite army (expensive troops but fights better) than the other marine codexes but doesn't have the power of the C: SW (imo).