New Blood Angel player with some questions

[jade lantern]

Well, I have finally decided to stop letting something’s echo around in side my head and finally just ask some questions…..

 

I had decided to play marines a few years ago and had originally chosen Dark Angels, but I was very disgusted when the Space Marine’s codex’s came out, and I was jaded and felt like they had slapped Dark Angel players in the face. I won’t go into all that, and didn’t come here to air dirty laundry and old feelings… Long story short I have been dying to play marines again and I decided…. Ok Ill pickup the new BA and Space Wolves codex, give’em a read and see what I like best.

 

At first I was leaning towards SW’s because I had heard people talking about them and how devastating they were in combat and how they could also be super shooty. Well after reading the rules I was impressed, then I moved on to the fluff and after I read it I really started not to like the SW’s, so I read it again, and again and I swear each time I read it I liked them less and less. Then I read the Blood Angels Codex and was quite happy with the fluff and the background.

 

Now I haven’t played marines in years, ive played Daemon’s and Eldar for so long that my problem going in was I now how to play “against” marines, but didn’t remember how to play “as” a marine. So I was having issues making lists and knowing exactly what I wanted to do; Well this past Saturday I played my first game against an I.G player at my LGS, and it ended in a Tie. But I have to say if it wasn’t for several mistakes I made on my side and with my list, deploying, and not realizing he was going to outflank his entire army, I would have crushed him (I made some pretty big mistakes due to not being used to playing with marines).

 

Well now instead of just batting around some ideas in my head I figured I would ask my fellow marines a few questions that i'm hoping will help speed me on my way:

 

 

- First is Sanguinary Priests, ive noticed in quite a few lists that they aren’t included. I had them in my game Saturday and they were amazing but lots of other people don’t seem to take them.

 

- Shooting vs close combat, in my game over the weekend, I had taken LOTS of razor backs, 2 baal pred’s, and a vindicator, we’ll because everything outflanked, the way I deployed ALL my razorbacks, and Baal pred’s, got either shaken or weapon destroyed right away so I feel into CC and foot slogging. My question is what is the balance point? Do I want to bulk up more on vehicles and forgo CC as much as possible, or do I forget the razorbacks, go Rhino’s and really bulk up my CC because CC was awesome Saturday but I know I have to remember that was I.G. and not space marines or daemons.

 

- How come no one takes Terminators? I have a TON of terminators from past armies and I dedicated 6 – 10 of them for use in my BA army and I was looking at how others ran them and ive seen maybe one or two lists with them, why does no one take terminators?

 

- Bikers, Devastator Squads, and land speeders were a big part of my DA army but ive seen anyone one take bikers, and u might usually see one land speeder, and ive yet to see a BA devastator squad in anyone lists…..Is there any reason these aren’t very popular choices?

 

- I took a Furiso Dread and a Death Company Dread and didn’t take the blood talons, someone was talking to me during my game and I was SOOOO upset for not taking them! I was thinking of running 3 – 4 dreads but in competitive lists ive seen here, this isn’t common so once again i'm thinking that must be a bad idea?

 

- I usually don’t use characters as I like to make up my own and claim my own glories, but our characters are just 2 amazing not to take, so I want to ask about them in general. Mephiston is just all around amazing so no question about him, but which other of our characters (In your opinions) do you guys think gives us the most bang for our buck? Mephiston is almost a no brainer choice but where do they fall after that?

 

- My Baal Preds’s went down fast, but are Baal Pred’s really worth the points or should I just stick with normal old pred’s, because moving 6 and firing 3 las cannons, or moving 12 and firing 1 TL lascannon is just AWESOME!

 

- I was thinking of buying a Valkyrie to use for a Stormraven, is this what everyone else uses?

 

- The Space Wolves are devastating in CC and have some very nice shooting, how do BA’s stack up against them head to head in the close combat and shooting departments?

 

That’s all I have for now, and I look forward to getting into some bloody wars with my new army!!

[JamesI]

Welcome to the B+C and the Blood Angels.

 

- First is Sanguinary Priests, ive noticed in quite a few lists that they aren’t included. I had them in my game Saturday and they were amazing but lots of other people don’t seem to take them.

 

I can't ever see taking lists with no priests. My current list only has one, and that worries me.

 

Shooting vs close combat, in my game over the weekend, I had taken LOTS of razor backs, 2 baal pred’s, and a vindicator, we’ll because everything outflanked, the way I deployed ALL my razorbacks, and Baal pred’s, got either shaken or weapon destroyed right away so I feel into CC and foot slogging. My question is what is the balance point? Do I want to bulk up more on vehicles and forgo CC as much as possible, or do I forget the razorbacks, go Rhino’s and really bulk up my CC because CC was awesome Saturday but I know I have to remember that was I.G. and not space marines or daemons.

 

That is really a personal choice. Some like tank heavy, more shooty armies and some like armies with lots of assault units. where the proper balance for each player lies has to be found through playtesting.

 

Personally, in an 1850-2000 point game, I like 4-5 tanks (including razorbacks). Enough to shoot well, and provide mobile cover to the assaulty guys.

 

How come no one takes Terminators? I have a TON of terminators from past armies and I dedicated 6 – 10 of them for use in my BA army and I was looking at how others ran them and ive seen maybe one or two lists with them, why does no one take terminators?

 

I don't use them for the simple reason that I like jump packs and terminators don't fit that theme.

 

Bikers, Devastator Squads, and land speeders were a big part of my DA army but ive seen anyone one take bikers, and you might usually see one land speeder, and ive yet to see a BA devastator squad in anyone lists…..Is there any reason these aren’t very popular choices?

 

I'm currently testng a dev squad. Land Speeders compete with attack bikes and the fast predators, again its personal opinion. I find I have better luck with Land speeder typhoons than the other options.

 

 

 

- I took a Furiso Dread and a Death Company Dread and didn’t take the blood talons, someone was talking to me during my game and I was SOOOO upset for not taking them! I was thinking of running 3 – 4 dreads but in competitive lists ive seen here, this isn’t common so once again i'm thinking that must be a bad idea?

Blood Talons are awesome. I probably wouldn't go more than 3 Dreads in a list unless it was a themed dread heavy list. If I were to use 2-3 dreads, I would want lots of scary tanks to distract shooting from the dreads.

 

 

- I usually don’t use characters as I like to make up my own and claim my own glories, but our characters are just 2 amazing not to take, so I want to ask about them in general. Mephiston is just all around amazing so no question about him, but which other of our characters (In your opinions) do you guys think gives us the most bang for our buck? Mephiston is almost a no brainer choice but where do they fall after that?

 

Corbulo is great. I like Astorath, others really like Dante or The Sanguinor (or in at least one poster's opion both Dante and the Sanguinor!)

 

- My Baal Preds’s went down fast, but are Baal Pred’s really worth the points or should I just stick with normal old pred’s, because moving 6 and firing 3 las cannons, or moving 12 and firing 1 TL lascannon is just AWESOME!

Both are good. Baal Preds and regular preds aren't competing for the same job, Baals are best at horde control while regular preds at transport killing. Each has their place, and in the right list I would take one or 2 of each.

 

- The Space Wolves are devastating in CC and have some very nice shooting, how do BA’s stack up against them head to head in the close combat and shooting departments?

 

Both work well. Against Wolves, we really need to charge and take advantage of Furious Charge or we'll lose.