Playing Dark Angels

[RayJ]

[b; background-image:url(http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/hq2.gif); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-position: 8px 2px; padding: 12px 8px 12px 8px; border: 1px solid #DDD; margin-left: 0 auto; text-align: left; color: #fff; text-indent:50px; font-size:130%; width:50%;">Playing Dark Angels[/b]

Last update: August 29, 2011

Much has changed since the initial introduction of this thread. Enough so, that it needs to be built from the ground up with relevant material. All 3 Codices we had access to in the initial post have been updated: Dark Angels got an FAQ boost with wargear updates. Daemonhunters has become Grey Knights, and Witch Hunters has now become Sisters of Battle. Allies are no longer available, but the core units of our army have been given enough of a boost to make at least a few competitive lists.

I'm going to take a different approach this time, and try to make it extremely clear which approaches work best for competitive play and why they do so. I will list the full potential of each unit, but will also warn which units to generally stay away from. We still have a lot to work with, especially in the casual setting. I feel the brunt of the revision work should go quickly, and I can get into things such as using Imperial Armor to really make the army shine. It's not something you'll get to see in competitive play, but it opens up some mechanized Greenwing options that are really interesting.

Other Resources

scuddman's Dark Angel Tactical Guide

Updates - 08/29/2011

A year later, and I'm doing a complete revamp. Stay tuned, this should be interesting. All existing sections have been updated, but could use some feedback and enhancement.

[RayJ]

DA Battle Company (Greenwing)

Tactical Squads
Updated September 19, 2011

The humble Tactical Squad is the cornerstone for the Space Marine army, at least according to fluff. What most new players will find after just a few games is that these generalist units can be a little unwieldy and easily outmatched. In any SM codex, the basic marine will get destroyed in close combat against a dedicated melee unit and will be completely outgunned by a standard shooting unit. By the same token, however, the marine is usually better at the opposite task. Common sense would dictate then, that you shoot the melee units and assault the shooty units. In practice, this is extremely difficult for many players.

The typical marine in 5th edition finds himself vulnerable to weapons fire from the advent of "True Line of Sight". To compensate for taking more incoming fire than in the past, we give these marines a transport. This increases mobility, but also makes it more difficult to assault an equally (or vastly superior) mobile shooting opponent. Likewise, many melee units have tools for getting inside transports and can come in highly mobile varieties.

The answer really to dealing with this is actually rather counter-intuitive, and it's a very hard thing for many players to accept. Simply take more marines! Of course that is a rather simplified explanation, but looking beneath the hood will reveal why this works:

By having more marines in an area than the opponent has shooty or assaulty units, you increase your ability to deal with them. This is known as local superiority. The counter-argument to this is of course that specialists in each field would be able to provide the same support, but in a more effective manner (shooting specialists would help kill assaulting units faster than the standard marine, for instance). What you lose out on, however, is the ability to switch gears in the next turn and use the same squad to effectively deal with the opposite threat.

An army such as that does look ineffective when just examining its components. It takes a great deal of practice to know when and where to position your marines for the incoming opponent. You don't want to be too close to be vulnerable to blasts, templates, and multi-charges, yet you don't want to be so far away that support is ineffective.

Looking at the Dark Angels Tactical Squad, we have a unit of 5 or 10 men that can be outfitted with a variety of weapons. Our options are the same as Codex: Space Marines except when it comes to the sergeant (or the ability to buy individual marines to flesh out the squad), and we typically pay a wee bit more for our options. One benefit we do have, however, is that our 5-man squad can take a special weapon, while loyalists must have 10 men to purchase said upgrade.

The key here is, while it may be slightly more expensive, DA Tac Marines are still Tac Marines, so gear them for a purpose and set them to task in support of each other. The two main modes of thought are to use 5-man squads with a single special weapon and a razorback, or a full 10-man squad in a rhino with a heavy and special weapon. Any upgrades on the sergeant are going to be optional for Dark Angels. I'm personally a little partial to a powerfist on the sergeant in a 10-man squad and usually just keeping the pistol & chainsword for a 5-man squad. If your 5-man squad is using a plasma gun, a plasma pistol wouldn't be bad, but it's a lot of points, so only purchase it if you have points left over after you have the necessities in your list.

Under (almost) no circumstances should you build an army list that uses 10-man Tactical Squads with razorbacks. Making the decision to use the Combat Squad rules should be done at the beginning of the game, and not at list creation. You need to make sure the list can adapt to as many situations as possible, and going this route makes that very hard against some lists or even worse, certain terrain setups. Our friend GM Raziel points out that there are certain situations where it can be appropriate to use a Razorback with a 10-man squad. It has to be a situation where you know up front that Kill Points are not a concern and that holding multiple objectives are much more important. Even in this situation, the Rhino is typically better, due to being significantly cheaper and leaving deployment versatility in tact. In most tournament and casual play environments you cannot predict the exact nature of deployment and mission scenarios, so give your 10-man Tac Squads Rhinos and call it a day.

Scout Squads
Updated August 29, 2011

Dark Angels scouts are a strange breed, and find themselves not seeing much use in most armies. The lack of scoring status and having to compete with excellent Elites choices for army makeup make them a tough pick.

Most players will agree with me that taking said units for sniping is ill-advised. The points costs required to fit out an entire squad take them into the realm of unreasonably-priced. These units do, however, have a place in the army. With their improved statline vs scouts in the newer Space marine codices, these guys make great harrassment and counter-assault units. They are less expensive than assault marines, maneuver through terrain more effectively, and pack just as much punch in close combat. Their only weakness in comparison is the 4+ scout armor save.

I find that throwing the missile launcher in the squad is a good idea if you have the points left over, as it gives them the ability to strike at targets of opportunity as they make their way up the board. Without the hellfire shells of their ultramarine counterparts, I can't really recommend the heavy bolter. It simply doesn't pack the right punch to waste a turn of movement in most situations. Neither heavy weapon is worth scrounging points for if your list is already tight, however.

The shotgun is a great harassment weapon, as it pumps out like a bolter without armor pen and lets you assault. Mixing close combat scouts and shotgun scouts is a common tactic for making the unit equally capable at fire support and assault support. This is pretty much the only way I'd recommend running them. Give the sergeant a power weapon or power fist, and they become a decent blocker and support unit. Much better than assault marines for that task.

Scouts do not receive a transport option in our codex, but they have a couple of decent options for getting around the table. The most obvious is of course Infiltrate combined with Move Through Cover. These rules allow them to start out ahead and not be hindered by terrain, using it to protect them from weapons that would penetrate their armor. For certain scenarios, it will be worthwhile to use your Infiltrate ability to instead Outflank.

Similarly, they can hop in any available Land Raider variant in the list with no problem at all. Adding an HQ unit to the squad will increase their counter-assault role and could even turn these guys into a cleaner unit that picks of the remnants of enemy squads. Finally, you have the option to hijack a rhino or razorback from a friendly unit after the game starts.

The main idea here is that the unit is hard to find a place for, but when working on a themed battle company list or with some interesting scout/outflank list, they can fill an important role.

Assault Squads
Updated August 29, 2011

Assault Squads are the definitive Space Marine counter-assault unit. Weilding pistols and chainswords, they have 3 attacks on a charge. Using the mobility granted by jump packs, it is not hard to put themselves in such a situation. A full squad, then, will swing with 30 attacks, a respectable number for any squad.

Don't confuse respectable for perfect (or even good), however. With the advent of 5th Edition, all the new codices are beginning to gain units that are incredibly effective in close combat, armed with durability, power weapons, rending, and masses of attacks (not necessarily all in the same squad, but it's possible). What this means is that you don't use these guys to take on said melee monstrosities.

Instead, we use assault marines for 2 reasons. First, we harass weaker enemy squads with pistol shots and clean up in close combat. Second, we produce a wall of bodies to protect the more important elements of our list (namely troops in objective games). A wall of assault marines creates a barrier the opponent must assault before getting to your other units, and they can reposition themselves to block advances from many directions thanks to their jump packs. While the opponent is tied up for a turn or two, you can then deal with other sections of his army with your main force.

As for armament, it's pretty simple. If you want some ability to deal with light vehicles and heavy infantry, throw some plasma pistols into the squad. The sergeant is usually best fit with a powerfist, though if you face a lot of GEQ armies a power weapon will do just fine. The sergeant can also grab another plasma pistol, granting the squad 3 in total and making them very good at taking out transports on rear armor (and thus assaulting the poor squad inside afterwards).

Assault squads are one unit that almost never benefits from combat squads. A full 10-man unit will be much more effective than two 5-man units in most situations. Also, without the ability to take single-model increases to squad size, forgoing jump packs for transports is seen as typically ill-advised. It's not completely wrong to do so, but it is much more difficult to attach an independent character to the squad and maintain full fighting capacity.

We will get into this more in synergies below, but the assault squad benefits greatly from the addition of an IC with a Jump Pack. Think of it like the scouts above, only much more adaptable because of quicker movement. Sure they don't deal with going into terrain as well, but they can usually choose just to jump over it instead!

Most competitive armies will shy away from these guys for their lack of versatility and high cost, and for good reason. Scouts perform a much similar role for fewer points and don't have to compete against the codex's most points efficient weapons platform.

Devastator Squads
Updated August 29, 2011

Devastator Squads are the kings of heavy firepower in the DA Codex. No other unit can throw out as much punishment from as far away. On top of that, very few units with heavy firepower are as resilient. Sure, tanks are immune to small arms fire, but they are also vulnerable to heavy weapons themselves and find it much more difficult to gain cover saves.

When you consider that you want your devastator squad sitting outside small arms range, and that you can add extra people to the squad to protect the heavy weapons, that these guys can really take a beating and keep dealing the punishment.

So why not always take them, you ask? Well, they are static, expensive, and extremely vulnerable to assault. With 1/3 of your games forcing these guys to start off the board (Dawn of War) giving them a transport would seem like a good idea. It can be, but isn't always recommended. Sometimes the points saved will make other units much stronger.

What has seen a lot of recent play is running small squads en masse to provide a lot of coverage, and just use the game's run mechanic to spend a turn or two getting into position in Dawn of War. In the other 2/3 of games, these small squads destroy most opponents in their sights before they get the opportunity to get close.

Another thing I have seen is running less than a full complement of weapons so that the squad seems like less of a threat. This tactic has migrated from the Space Wolves codex, where the unit can take a sergeant and 2 missiles with no extra bodies. It really does seem a waste sometimes to throw a lot of firepower at those 2 heavy weapons, though if ignored they will throw some serious hurt over the course of the game. I wouldn't recommend this tactic for most lists, but I can see running multiple squads with less than maximum heavy weapons to try to capitalize on target priority opportunities.

Regardless of which strategy you go with (all can be valid in the proper list), picking the right heavy weapons for your list is important. The consensus in 5th edition is that static heavy bolters just aren't worth it anymore, though against GEQ and swarm armies they still perform wonderfully. Missile launchers have become the defacto weapon with their ability to hurt large formations, vehicles, and monstrous creatures with equal efficiency.

Lascannons are still the kings at taking out armor from long range for Space Marines, though they are extremely costly. If you are running 10-man squads with the intent to combat squad, I feel 2 lascannons is a worthwhile investment if the points can be spared. With the current trends, full 10-man squads are ignored to open up points for more efficient options elsewhere. In that situation, lascannons are less advantageous.

Plasma Cannons are quite possibly the best deep-strike deterrent in our arsenal. While these units are expensive, a series of 4 blasts that penetrate every armor save in the game are ripe to cause some hurt. Even a squad of terminators with the new storm shields will lose a few models to a successful barrage. The goal of this weapon is to make a scary unit much less scary so that the rest of your army can now deal with it.

The Multi-Melta, on the other hand, is not a weapon we like to see static in bulk. Its much shorter range makes it more ideal for the tactical squad, which operates at the 12-24inch threat range much more efficiently.

I have seen the sergeant outfitted with a defensive melee weapon, and for some that works very well, especially if using the devastator squad for melee support is planned. Most generals, however, forgo the extra gear on the Devastator sergeant and rely on using the rest of the army to keep the devastators alive while they thing out the enemy ranks.

For competitive play, 5-man Devastator Squads with 4 Missile Launchers is the most optimal choice. Upgrading the points for plasma cannons can be worthwhile as well, but mostly you want the versatility for being able to pop transports or throw down cover fire vs standard infantry. Several competitive lists use these units to great success.

Company Veterans
Updated August 29, 2011

Company Veterans are the single most versatile unit in the entire DA Codex, properly taking their place amongst the great Elite options in our Force Organization. For about 5 points more per model, you get a Tactical Marine squad full of sergeants. This doubles their effectiveness when receiving a charge, making rapid-fire tactics from extremely close range not such a bad idea.

What makes these veterans really shine, however is that each and every one of them can purchase from a large assortment of special gear, and that you can upgrade the squad on a per-model basis, having 5,6,7,8,9, or 10 members in the squad! There is no need to purchase up a full squad to access your heavy weapon with veterans.

You can field a squad of 5 with a special and heavy weapon, making for a nice little fire support unit that is as capable when receiving a charge as the 10-man tactical squad. On top of that, any member can grab a storm bolter, combi-weapon or plasma pistol creating a fire support unit that can deal with just about any threat.

Where this units options really shine is for close combat. Each model can swap out his bolter with a chainsword for free, or take pretty much any close combat special weapon. This opens up special options like maximizing a squad for wound allocation by equipping every model differently and being prepared against multiple foes in close combat.

For some added support options, any member can purchase meltabombs, a combat shield (6+ invulnerable in melee) or a stormshield (3+ invulnerable in melee) increasing survivability and versatility when necessary.

I find that while a unit of company veterans can be geared out for any specific role and perform it admirably that making the squad a true veteran tactical squad opens up the most options. By mixing in special ranged and melee weaponry with a handful of chainswords you get a unit that is a threat to everything on the battlefield. Care must be taken when purchasing upgrades, however so that the unit doesn't become too expensive by overloading on upgrades. Taking what is essential to multi-task as support but leaving out un-needed extras will really make these guys shine.

These guys can take any transport option and are the ideal home for an independent character. At 10-strong they are still able to combat squad, meaning you can even produce two highly effective units with different roles while only using a single force organization slot. They are really almost the perfect squad of space marines, even without access to the wargear of their sterngaurd and vangaurd counterparts in Blood Angels and Ultramarines.

Their only weakness at all from an army construction standpoint is the fact that they are not a scoring unit and aren't extremely points efficient. Expect to see a lot of examples on how these guys will interact with the rest of your army when we look at synergies and bringing it together below. You will not see them in very many competitive armies due to points inefficiency, but they can do some interesting things in casual environments.

Command Squads
Updated August 29, 2011

Command Squads can be seen as a form of miniature company veteran squad taking up no space in forge organization. For 1 point more per model you gain the Fearless special rule, giving a support unit that won't back down in the face of overwhelming circumstances. Many players are unhappy about the prevalence of Fearless in our codex, but with the above average durability of the space marine, fearless is going to provide much more benefit than downside. More on that will be covered when we bring it all together below.

While the amount of options for the Command Squad is less than what is available to Company Veterans when it comes to wargear, they still have enough to be equipped for nearly any goal. Instead of a heavy weapon, they can acquire a second special ranged weapon. Two models may also take special close combat weapons and another model may be upgraded to a company champion, granting a power weapon and combat shield. Two models may also grab plasma pistols.

Even with all those goodies, the Command Squad gets even better. One member may be upgraded to an Apothecary, granting extra durability. With the FAQ Update, the Apothecary now grants his unit Feel No Pain, making them roughly as durable as a full 10-man squad vs small arms and standard close combat attacks.

That brings us to where the Command Squad really shines on the battlefield. Being a support unit by nature (usually playing fire support or cleanup/counter-assault) these guys are awesome when sitting next to other units in the primary force. They work great as a blocking/wrapping unit to protect your more important units from harms way.

In addition, if a member is upgraded to a standard bearer, all (friendly) Space Marine units in 12 inches get to reroll failed morale and pinning tests. If you haven't figured it out, Dark Angels are not supposed to give ground for any reason. They are one of the hardest armies in the game to dislodge when in force, and upgrades like this are part of the reason.

By operating from within a rhino transport, 2 models in the squad may fire their special weapons without fear of reprisal from small arms fire, and the range for the standard bearer extends 12 inches beyond the hull of the vehicle. This increases the squad's coverage by a large amount, especially when you are keeping your army close for support.

The same caveat for Company Veterans applies to Command Squads. Don't overspend on options. Figure out where your army absolutely needs the support and invest in those upgrades. Keeping the price low will ensure that you have enough points to properly flesh out the rest of your army.

[RayJ]

DA HQs (Greenwing)

The DA Codex has a large number of options for HQ when it comes to the battle company. Primarily this will come in two varieties: those with jump packs, and those without. HQ units in TDA or mounted on a bike will be covered in the Deathwing and Ravenwing sections. When building your battle company, figuring out a reliable HQ unit can be extremely difficult. Without the ability to buy individual models for a squad, it is extremely difficult to add one of these models to a transport. In order to do so, you will have one of three viable options: use any squad at the initial size of 5 models, stick the squad and IC in a Land Raider Crusader, or attach the independent character to a Company Veteran squad of less than 10 models.

With the mechanized shift of 5th edition, this becomes a problem. Foot slogging DA tend to be far to expensive to allow themselves to be shot at on foot without mobility and/or armored protection. For this reason, many of these HQs don't see the tabletop, but some effort can be made to make them worthwhile. The simplest method for some is to add a jump pack to a Company Master, Librarian, or Chaplain to have him tag along with an Assault Marine Squad. Doing so generally increases the capabilities of the squad a good bit, though it is still weak to close combat specialists. In the following sections I will discuss the methods for using each of these HQs as well as Azrael and Ezekiel.

Company Masters
Updated August 29, 2011

The Company Master is the typical general, at least when one looks to background materials. On the tabletop, the Company Master can be geared to support almost any squad, but heavily leans a little towards close combat effectiveness. This mimics his counterpart in Codex: Space Marines except that we do not gain relic blades, nor can we place our Company Master on a bike.

To make up for this, however, our standard general has the awesome Rites of Battle ability. This special rule allows any unit in the army to use his leadership value of 10 so long as he is alive and not in reserves. What this does is decreases the liklihood our forces will run away, become pinned, or fall prey to other leadership tests, as long as they are not psychic tests.

This ability at first glance doesn't seem special until you look at combat squads. This allows both halves of a combat squad to use a higher leadership value than most Space Marine squads have at full combined strength. What's more is this rule has become very rare in 5th Edition, being possessed by only a couple of other characters, all which cost much more than the typical Company Master.

When adding the Company Master to your army, you will want him to be versatile and inexpensive. Vulnerability to instant death and some costly upgrade options means keeping it simple is usually best. This character shouldn't be expected to roll over much of anything in the opponent's army, but is very good for beating up on some gunline soldiers. As mentioned, the real strength comes from his special rule, and keeping him out of harms way is typically better than assaulting whatever is in reach.

His options still make him quite flexible. a Combi-Weapon, special melee weapon, and possibly meltabombs will typically be all you need to take him into battle. Adding much more than this increases his cost without greatly increasing his effectiveness. In the rare case that your list will use a squad of Assault Marines, the Company Master is well served to assist them in their duties. His 4+ invulnerable save, Initiative of 5, and ability to wield a Combi-Weapon provide a nice boost to their abilities.

Chaplains
Updated August 29, 2011

The Chaplain is quite possibly the best generic HQ unit in the DA Codex. For his base price you receive a power weapon, 4+ invulnerable save, and the amazing Litanies of Hate. On top of that, any squad you attach him to is Fearless, refusing to run away or cower from incoming firepower. Really, the Litanies of Hate ability is where it's at. Re-rolling failed to-hit dice on a charge increases melee ability of any unit he is attached to by about 50%.

Similar to the Company Master, adding upgrades should be kept fairly simple. A Jump Pack is common, as this character greatly increases the effectiveness of an Assault Squad. A Combi-Weapon will increase his squad's versatility, and a powerfist will make him more effective versus monstrous creatures and vehicles in close combat. That second option is an expensive upgrade, and reduces his number of attacks in close combat, but gives him versatility in melee capability. On the charge, he will deliver 4 attacks, and you can decide based on the unit he is charging whether to use the power weapon or power fist.

The two units best served by the addition of the Chaplain are the Company Veterans and the Assault Marines, as those units receive the most attacks on a charge compared to other units in our codex. They also have the benefit of easily accommodating the attached IC. Attaching this HQ to any other unit will typically neuter the chaplain's combat ability or the squad's mobility. It is possible to run him with a smaller unit (such as a command squad), but the smaller body count makes Litanies of Hate less effective versus being attached to a much larger squad.

Librarians
Updated August 29, 2011

Ask any player what they think of the DA Librarian and you'll usually hear something along the lines of this: Don't take it; It's the red-headed stepchild of 40k Psykers. Sadly, most of the time these players are right. There are a couple of situations where using a Librarian will still be useful.

Similarly to the Company Master and Chaplain, a Librarian can wield a combi-weapon and take a jump pack. By combining a combi-weapon with the psychic powers available to him, the Librarian adds the most versatility you can get from an HQ in our codex. Being able to save vs plasma, missiles, lascannons and the like once per turn with a psychic test is extremely valuable, even with the lower leadership. If I remember correctly, this equates to about a 2+ save with a 4+ reroll if it fails.

In addition to that, the damage capability of the Hellfire power can be immense. Averaging out at about a heavy flamer, it can be a very effective weapon. It's chaotic nature makes both the general using him and the enemy a little cautious. I have found that while it is possible for this power to fizzle, it is a great tool for dealing with xenos and clustered guardsmen. I find the more agressive with the power one is, the better it pays off.

The Librarian, unlike our other HQs, however is not an effective force multiplier, as his abilities typically only benefit himself. It is this reason he really sits on the shelf. He is a cheap power-weapon weilding HQ and plays more nicely with tactical marines than the Chaplain though, so he can definitely be worth considering if you have a plan for how to unleash him on the enemy.

Ezekiel
Updated August 29, 2011

Ezekiel is often regarded as the worst psyker special character in 40k, and some could be right to say so. He comes with an interesting array of gear that is overvalued (in points cost) and has a wholly unremarkable special psychic power that he cannot use if he has moved.

What he does give to the Dark Angels are 2 important things: a Leadership 10, full table Psychic Hood, and a 12-inch Fearless Bubble. The first is a highly-sought-after item that most armies can't access. With the new Grey Knights and Sisters of Battle codices, Imperial Guard and Space Marine armies everywhere are no longer able to get a hold of this. If you feel psychic defense is important to you, this is really the only way you are going to get it and have it work.

The second upgrade is a great little force multiplier for running a ton of combat squads. This little bubble can make dislodging a blob of interconnected units quite the hassle, and it is a decent substitute for Rites of Battle.

Overall, Ezekiel is underwhelming, but any situation a Librarian on foot will work, Ezekiel will typically work better. You just need to have the points available for the upgrade.

Azrael
Updated August 29, 2011

Azrael is a walking embodiment of the entire DA Codex: Expensive, versatile, and a little out of touch with 5th Edition. In game terms, he is basically a greatly upgraded Company Master. Really, this guy is capable of turning any squad into a competent fighting force. His own attacks characteristic is enough to take out 3 or 4 enemies on a charge, and his awesome sword is likely to make it happen.

Azrael holds the Lion Helm which inspires and protects those around him, giving his whole squad a 4+ invulnerable save. This allows any unit he is attached to to walk in the open as if they were deeply entrenched in cover and shake off plasma, missiles, and the like. In combat, power weapons and their like are made 50% less effective against his squad.

Add to that the typical Rites of Battle more wounds than any other HQ in the codex, artificer armor, ability to take a Command Squad and a super-accurate combi-plasma and you have a great leader. Why would one think of taking something else then? Well, for one he's expensive. Like almost a Land Raider expensive. He then also suffers from not being able to reliably transport with any other unit unless riding in a Land Raider Crusader. You remember that Land Raider I mentioned? Yeah, you just bought two.

Most armies in 5th Edition are now capable of dealing with a single rock in an opponents army, and this guy definitely pushes a rock-style list. On top of that, the change in cover rules for 5th edition make almost any unit able to get a 4+ save from shooting whenever they want.

I find Azrael is best used when attached to a walking tactical squad or riding with a squad of Company Veterans. He can also ride with the command squad fairly well, and if you do that, the whole unit is capable of being extremely versatile and effective. You just need to remember to not spend too much. With the update to the command squad, this becomes more enticing, as Azrael gaining Feel no Pain makes taking on standard infantry and small arms even more of a breeze, and the Chapter Standard that Azrael allows access to makes better use of his own awesome sword to boot.

In my opinion, Azrael could see more play than he currently does, but not by much. When we discuss bringing it all together later, you will find out how mixing a couple of the other forces combining with the Greenwing make for a much more efficient leader than Azrael (though maybe not as individually effective)

[RayJ]

DA Second Company (Ravenwing)

Ravenwing Attack Squadrons
Updated August 29, 2011

Ravenwing Attack Squadrons are one of the most versatile and heavy-hitting units in the DA Codex. No other unit we have can pack as many special and heavy weapons into such a small space. On top of that, they can be taken as troops if Sammael is in your army (see below).

Each and every bike and attack bike in the squadron comes with the Scouts special rule and a Teleport Homer. We will get into the teleport homers a little bit later, but the Scouts special rule makes these units excel at a critical task in 5th Edition: taking out enemy armor quickly and effectively. With a 12 inch scout move and a 12 inch normal move on turn 1, you can hit almost any place on the board with a meltagun or multi-melta and typically do so at half range, making these weapons much more effective.

The key to running these guys en masse is to keep them as small as possible, and geared up for the firefight. Meltaguns and plasma guns are great tools for dealing with a wide range of enemies, and every model can wield its bike-mounted twin-linked bolter instead if facing a lot of weaker infantry.

This lets each squad shift roles in an instant, adjusting between bolter fire and special weapons fire. Couple that in with high mobility and the Relentless USR, and you can whittle your opponent down piece by piece while typically staying away from his close combat units.

That is important, because Ravenwing are notably bad in assault. Their small squad size makes them not have enough attacks to effectively fight back, even at full capacity. The Fearless special rule is great for them when they are being shot at, but can be brutal in assault. To be fair, with 3-6 models in the squad, any assault they are in will probably wipe them, but in those instances where they manage to stay alive (or more oddly, win and stay locked), Fearless will make sure they are stuck in until they or the enemy is dead. As many Ravenwing players can tell you, an immobile biker is often a dead biker.

Upgrading the squad to 6 bikers is useful if you want a close support unit, especially with flamers, as the extra bodies (and a power weapon or fist) will give them a decent chance at making it out of a combat, especially if your entire army just unloaded on the squad to be assaulted. Having a Ravenwing Standard Bearer in a squad can even make them about as respectable as Assault Squads in close combat.

One trick that Ravenwing has available is wound allocation manipulation. Any model in a Ravenwing Attack Squadron can replace its bolt pistol with a chainsword. This means that your 3-man units can have each model equipped differently (sergeant, special with pistol, special with chainsword). Your 6-man units can likewise have 5 differently-equipped models (adding in bikers with no special weapons but able to choose pistol or sword). This lets the Ravenwing player stack low-ap wounds an a smaller section of the group, making them a little more durable to incoming firepower (or even power weapons and rends in close combat)

In addition to the normal bikes, you can (and should) purchase attack bikes. These can be equipped with heavy bolters or multi-meltas. Both options are viable in the current environment, but I'm partial to multi-meltas as they are able to hunt vehicles more effectively than standard meltaguns and keep themselves safer at the same time. The Heavy Bolter, however, is good for sitting at 24 inches to harass the enemy. When you get into advanced list building, you will find easy access to anti-tank weapons are typically harder for DAs, so most often these guys will be equipped with the Multi-Melta.

Another option, if you choose to purchase 6 bikers, is the land speeder. This model is quite pricey, but comes with an assault cannon and heavy bolter. This unit is great for tearing through infantry at 24 inches. It is fragile, just like the rest of the army, but it provides a great support unit to complement the special weapons in the bikes. Unfortunately, DA land speeders cannot deep strike, so you are forced to fly them across the table towards the enemy.

The really great thing about the Ravenwing Attack Squadron is that the Attack Bikes and Land Speeders purchased in this squadron are always scoring units. This includes when those squadrons are bought in the Fast Attack location. Combined with the ability to combat squad, this gives Ravenwing more scoring units than almost any other army.

Ravenwing Support Squadrons
Updated August 29, 2011

The Ravenwing Support Squadron can look impressive at first. The ability to take 5 land speeders in a single squadron means you can field more speeders than any other chapter. At second glance one realizes that being able to split fire generally makes these units much more effective.

DA land speeders come from the factory with a heavy bolter equipped. Any of them can swap that out for a multi-melta making the unit capable of filling a couple of different roles in the army. One land speeder in the squadron may take a typhoon missile launcher, which is now the most common configuration seen in competitive lists. The FAQ update turned this into a two-shot missile launcher, giving the unit greatly increased offense without any point cost changes.

One other land speeder in the squadron may take an assault cannon or heavy flamer. That means we cannot duplicate our typhoons or heavy flamer tornados in a single choice and we cannot have more than 3 of each outside apocalypse. I guess the idea is to make up for being able to just throw out a lot of speeders to begin with.

The assault cannon pairs up well with both the multi-melta and the heavy bolter. If purchasing it in a support squadron I'd probably go with the multi-melta. The other variety can be purchased as a scoring unit in the attack squadrons. The heavy flamer, I feel, is best paired with the multi-melta. This unit rocked in 4th edition when it could approach through area terrain undetected and has gained immense popularity in 5th with the massive amount of cover saves and armor being seen. The close-range role means it is likely only to get a single shot off. Both of these weapons are great at their jobs, however, and with support from the rest of the army generally only need that single shot to work.

As for loading up on the full 5 speeders, you can do this in Spearhead. there's a formation in there that will allow a whole unit to deep strike in with guns blazing. Other than that, I say stick to 1 or 2 in a unit. Ravenwing should capitalize on using smaller units in larger volume to outlast the enemy.

Sammael
Updated August 29, 2011

Sammael is widely regarded as the best HQ in the DA Codex, and for good reason. With two options to choose from for statline and rules, he is capable of leading almost any army into battle.

The jetbike is considered vastly superior when it comes to how the model looks, but seems to get less praise on the battlefield. Wielding a plasma cannon, twin linked storm bolter, and master-crafted power weapon, the jetbike has tools for dealing with nearly any situation. It is a true support unit, however and is not generally capable of taking any threat on its own.

A toughness of 5 combined with an Adamantine Mantle and ability to Turbo Boost makes this guy able to take punishment from weapons most others would fall to right away. It takes on average 5-6 low-ap or power weapon wounds to bring him down, so he's great for supporting your models in close combat or providing cover to vehicles from lascannons and meltaguns.

In shooting, we almost always choose to fire the plasma cannon. It can get hot, but the high ballistic skill and fast (and relentless) platform make it capable of hitting almost any location on the board each turn. His initiative 5 power weapon and grenades allows him to swing before most threats to the squads he is protecting, allowing him to turn the tide in an engagement.

It is typically best to have Sammael sit out at 24-26 inches until an opening shows up where he is needed to support in close combat. He can then move or turbo boost to respond to a situation all the way across the board in just 2 turns. Doing so, however, requires that you can read your opponents' actions ahead of time. Showing up after the skirmish is lost isn't very useful.

The Land Speeder variant is considered by many to be the optimal choice when wielding this HQ. A pair of twin-linked weapons with a high ballistic skill means he will be throwing out a lot of hurt over the coarse of the game. Add in armor values of 14 on the front and sides and you have quite the durable HQ choice. He's basically a small flying land raider crusader with no transport capacity.

While this form loses the ability to make any attacks in close combat, he gains the ability to deeps trike onto the table. This can be useful for getting rear-armor shots with the twin-linked assault cannon on the drop. It is also worth noting that Sammael is the only land speeder in the DA codex with the ability to deep strike.

The land speeder is great for protecting other vehicles by getting in the way and providing cover. A high armor value combined with flat-out movement will allow him to keep even the most fragile of vehicles safe behind him while shrugging off wounds himself. Being so durable with weapons designed for only a single role makes the land speeder version very easy to use. Being great at that role on top of this is why he is considered to be such a great HQ. I can almost safely say there is no other HQ unit in the game that has as much firepower as Sammael in his land speeder.

To top all of these goodies off, Sammael has Rites of Battle and allows you to take Ravenwing Attack Squadrons as Troops. Even better, he can allow a single RAS unit to buy the apothecary and/or company banner upgrades. The apothecary has all the benefits listed above under Command Squads, but comes on a Toughness 5 platform that can turbo boost.

The company banner adds 1 to the attack characterstic of all the members in his unit (including attached ICs). This allows a 6-man RAS unit to become passable at close combat, a role that pure Ravenwing armies are sorely lacking otherwise. While you don't normally want these guys in the thick of things, this unit would be better for it than any other bike unit that Ravenwing can throw out.

When we get into Synergies and Bringing it All Together below, I'll show why Sammael makes a perfect battlefield commander for mechanized Greenwing lists on top of his already impressive Ravenwing abilities.

Librarians
Updated August 29, 2011

Ravenwing Librarians are not seen very often in 5th Edition. With the change in how ICs are targeted, it is mandatory to add him to another unit to survive. Lacking the Scout special rule, however, the Ravenwing Librarian denies the RAS their biggest advantage: Scouting and Outflanking.

That doesn't mean this guy doesn't have a place. It just means the bodyguard unit needs to be carefully chosen, since they won't get to scout. I find a flamer unit to be a good bodyguard, as they typically don't want to rush in on turn 1 and can turbo-boost to catch up and gain some added protection.

While on a bike, I feel the hellfire power really begins to shine. Your opponent will be very weary of clustering his units up with a flamer capable of wiping out nearly any unit in the game on the board. In 4th edition, this guy was a key actor in my double-wing list. He typically ran solo and blasted through something to support the Deathwing charging in. In today's environment, he can still do the same, but he'll either bring his bodyguard along or separate from them in the turn the maneuver takes place.

Adding a combi-weapon to the Ravenwing Librarian is a great idea. Melta and Plasma are both valid options. The flamer is wasted since the Hellfire power will almost always be better, even with its random nature. With his 5 ballistic skill and fast relentless platform, I think the plasma gun is the best choice. I tend to shy away from the plasma pistol. It is simply too expensive to be worth replacing hellfire, combi-weapon, or twin-lnked bolter for shooting options.

This guy is a great support unit for a RAS that has been upgraded to include an apothecary and banner. His Force barrier power increases the squad's survivability, and the banner grants him a whopping 6 attacks on the charge! Add in a 5 weaponskill and old-school force weapon, and you can see how valuable he can be.

Sure his low leadership is a downside, and he is definitely not a model for every list. The Ravenwing Librarian packs a huge amount of versatility into an HQ choice, however, and the support he provides plays an invaluable part when he is included. In casual and league play, I wouldn't mind running with him. In the competitive environment, however, his impact doesn't outweigh the points costs when taken into consideration with other units.

Chaplains
Updated August 29, 2011

Like all DA HQ units, the Ravenwing Chaplain is a support unit. He holds the same force multipliers listed in the chaplains above. Unlike the standard chaplain, however, this guy is not the goto choice for leading an army. Like the Ravenwing Librarian, he will make a decent second HQ, but he falls a little short by being able to support fewer units with his full skillset.

In order to get full benefit of his Litanies of hate, you will want to attach him to an RAS unit with the company banner. This means you have no room for the awesome Librarian versatility mentioned above. The chaplain has the same ability for close combat and combi-weapon use, so he's not a bad choice; he simply only functions really in the close combat role and loses his potency if he separates to go solo or join another unit.

The reasons this can be a problem is that only the RAS can properly keep up with him. Also, of all the RAS squads, only one unit in the whole army can have more than 1 attack per biker. Capping off with RAS already being fearless, and the chaplain just doesn't add ass much here as he would on foot or with a jump pack.

Don't get me wrong though; Wielding a power weapon with litanies of Hate and the Ravenwing banner, the chaplain makes the unit move up from passable in close combat to adequate (or even good). They can tear through any unit that is not a close-combat specialist, and will typically even take 2 combat rounds to do it, making these guys very friendly to certain strategies. The chaplain's 4+ invulnerable save makes him more durable than the librarian as well when he meets up with an opposing power weapon or a couple rends. He also does this for several points less, so you should definitely see the merit when the list is built around him.

Like normal chaplains, you can grab the same options on an Interrogator Chaplain. The extra wound is extremely helpful when being stuck in close combat. The added leadership doesn't really help, except when facing off against tyranids and other psychic powers.

Scouting and Outflanking
Updated September 19, 2011

The Ravenwing Attack Squadron grants the Scout special rule to Bikes and Attack Bikes, but not to Land Speeders. This gives us several options for deployment that really increase the capabilities of the army on both a tactical and strategic level. The first half of the Scout special rule is the free movement available before the game starts. Our codex prohibits our bikes from using the Turbo-Boost special rule while Scouting, but this still leaves us a very handy 12-inch movement pre-game.

When going first, using a Scout move to set up first turn melta shots sounds very enticing. Certain armies can be severely crippled if you are able to take out some of their mobile tank elements in the first turn, either by making key squads move more slowly, or by creating a traffic jam with wreckage. In either case though, special care must be taken as the Melta Gun has quite the short range. Any units that move forward leave themselves exposed if the opponent is able to Seize the Initiative. This makes the Attack Bike with Multi-Melta better at this tactic, as it can operate at double range more effectively. If you can use terrain to hide your advancing bikes and/or hit a weak flank, this becomes a much better tactic, and is then worthwhile even when going second. Hitting a weak flank after deploying first can be difficult, as your opponent has to purposefully (or unknowingly) set up such a position.

The second useful benefit for Scouting is to set up Deathwing Assault safety nets. The 6-inch Teleport Homer range from each bike gives some great coverage for quickly advancing forward with your terminators and negating some of the risks of Deep Striking. This is another tactic that works best when going first, as usually the best locations for your bikes' homers leave them exposed to incoming firepower. As with Scouting for melta shots, try to use the terrain to block incoming firepower.

The least-used and final benefit of basic Scouting is the ability to simply redeploy your units to close up on a weakness you've feigned or to capitalize on a weak flank the enemy has shown. Your movement with Scouting is still a little limited, but it can easily add or remove a turn or two of movement for some enemy units to be effective, and often that is the difference between victory and defeat. Creating unusual conditions and capitalizing on the movement phase strategies is the best way for most generals to improve their game. Deployment and Movement are the most important aspects of the game, and little tools like this help give you an edge against opponents who lack similar tools.

Outside of Scouting, these units gain the ability to Outflank. In order for your Attack Squadrons to pull off this maneuver, they must not have a Land Speeder attached, as the entire squadron must choose how to enter from reserves. Our FAQ explicitly prohibits Outflanking with the Land Speeder. Our bikes and attack bikes, however, absolutely love this ability. Having strong anti-tank weapons (and decent anti-infantry weapons), Outflanking has a tendency to push opponents towards deploying centrally. This is of best use to you when you are going second, as your opponent must plan for Outflanking without you having to commit to that tactic upfront, giving you the most options for reacting to his deployment. What you should see with the typical melta and/or plasma bike units is that your opponents' vehicles deploy centrally with bubble wrap units extending out 6-12 inches towards the table sides to keep your short-range Melta Guns from reaching optimal range.

When rolling for reserves and Outflanking, you roll a single time for the entire Attack Squadron to enter the table. Once the Attack Squadron is available, each unit within the squadron rolls separately for Outflanking. This means you can have your units come in on different sides (either intentionally, or because of the dice rolls given), so plan accordingly. It is important to note that the entire unit must Outflank if you choose to do so. You cannot have one unit within the Squadron Outflank and the others use standard reserve deployment.

Standard reserves are still a very usable option for Ravenwing due to their great movement abilities, so don't rule it out. Your deployment options with Ravenwing are at the greatest during Spearhead deployment. Scouting through the short portions of the center gives awesome coverage for standard Melta Guns, and Multi-Meltas should have little trouble getting into key positions. Outflanking gives you coverage in all four table quarters, and standard reserves still allows you access to the other table quarter on your long edge but outside your deployment zone.

[RayJ]

DA First Company (Deathwing)

With the FAQ Update, Deathwing have become the single most effective troops unit in the game. Options that were lackluster before jumped to the forefront in points efficiency and effectiveness, and our bargain-bin HQ became actually good at close combat. We'll get into the details below.

Deathwing Terminator Squads
Updated August 29, 2011

Like their Ravenwing brethren, the Deathwing are a versatile and effective fighting force. Out of the box, these guys look like a typical terminator squad with a points hike, but those points buy you one of the best special rules available.

Regardless of what others may tell you, Fearless is NOT a hindrance for Deathwing. If a situation comes up where Fearless causes you to take wounds, you were just about to be running your expensive terminator squad off the board. Sticking around and taking some wounds lets them at least have a chance at doing something for the rest of the game. Anyone who says otherwise is just plain wrong (please, feel free to quote me on that)

Like any terminator squad, we can field a heavy flamer, cyclone, or assault cannon in our squads. Each of these weapons has a use in the current environment, and none of them is the automatic choice, though the recent FAQ pushes the Cyclone Missile Launcher out front just a little bit. When working with an assault plan in mind (and riding in a land raider) the Heavy Flamer is great for its low points cost and close-range support, but it is going to be the least-used of the 3 upgrades. It relies on deep strike or Land Raider transport to really be useful, but it is nice and cheap for when you simply can't scrape the points together for a Cyclone.

Against most obstacles, the Cyclone Missile Launcher is your best friend. For it's point cost, two missile shots is more than a steal. Other Space Marines are paying 10 more points for this item and loving it. And they don't get to combine that with a Storm Shield! Against AV12, the missile has a 1 in 3 chance of inflicting a glancing or penetrating hit, and against tyranid MCs, it has a 55.5% chance to wound (and will bypass the armor on all but the tyrannofex). The downside with firing the krak missile, however, is that the targets you want to shoot this at are all but invulnerable to the rest of your squad. You will be losing out on a lot of their shooting potential this way. Sometimes, however, that is just what you need to set the table up. The Cyclone's versatility lets you deal with standard infantry really well too, as a pair of small blasts augments the rest of the squad's bolter fire perfectly.

Finally, we have the assault cannon. This guy will get a wound through a monstrous creature's armor about 75% of the time (including rending). It shares a range characteristic with the squad's bolters, and the high rate of fire makes it great for dealing with infantry as well. In these respects, it's uses match the Cyclone. Against armor values of 13 and 14, you will see the Assault Cannon become more affective as well, since the Cyclone cannot penetrate AV14 at all. This extra versatility makes it a strong contender for use in your Deathwing squads.

Since the FAQ, the Cyclone has become the standard heavy weapon for most Deathwing squads, and for good reason. The long range allows the squad to be useful at twice that of the assault cannon, helping to make up for the squad's innate lack of mobility. The high strength also manages to ignore Feel No Pain on most units who have that USR. Some lists with 4 or more Deathwing squads could get some great results from mixing the Cyclone and Assault Cannon together in the list. I'd probably use a base ration of 2 Cyclones for every one Assault Cannon, but the two weapons work very well together.

At the end of the day, these options aren't what make the squad shine. Deathwing's ability to take Lightning Claws and Thunder Hammers in their squads gives this unit a tremendous amount of flexibility. Not having to pay for these weapon swaps makes them even better. With the update to our Storm Shields, we now have the same standard-setting melee powerhouse available to Space Marines, Blood Angels, and Space Wolves. What we get over them, however makes this unit incredibly effective. Space Wolves pay many more points for the storm shield upgrade, and Blood Angels and Space Marines are unable to take ranged weapons with their assault terminators. This single upgrade doubled the Deathwing's survivability in close combat, and made them the one of most versatile and durable troop choice available in 40k.

To round of this unit, you can still purchase a chain-fist for any model (and purchasing one per squad is highly recommended), easily allowing all 5 members of your squad to be equipped differently. When it comes to enemy shooting and opposing sergeants with powerfists and power weapons, this lets you get through with fewer casualties on those attacks that penetrate your 2+ armor save.

The lightning claw model gives you the ability to get more strikes at initiative 4. This works best against armies without assault grenades, as you will have an opportunity to thin their numbers before you clean up with your powerfists. Many players run a single such model as a defensive measure to allow more of their powerfists/thunder hammers to wreak havoc on the opponent.

Regardless of whether it is fitted completely for assault or mixing it up, almost every squad should equip at least one chainfist. This little gem allows you to have little fear in combat against walkers and gives you a much greater ability at taking out armor in assault.

The following squad is widely used as a typical Deathwing unit in current armies:

- Sergeant with Power Weapon & Storm Bolter
- Cyclone Missile Launcher with Powerfist & Storm Bolter
- Chainfist & Storm Bolter
- Thunder Hammer & Storm Shield x2

As you can see, this squad is able to support any unit, and will be effective both in the shooting phase and assault. These guys will be amazing in close combat against most units, and can be made even better with the inclusion of another Storm Shield or two. My personal configuration is similar to the above, except that I put a Thunder Hammer & Storm Shield on the Cyclone model.

Belial
Updated September 19, 2011

The Grand Master of the Deathwing is the most customizable special character in any codex as far as I am aware. His three weapon configurations give him the means to combat almost any foe. His standard wargear is actually the least-used of the three options. Today's tournament environment is very marine heavy, and even with a full 7 turns of shooting, the storm bolter should only expect to kill just under 2 space marines over the coarse of the game. It is much more likely that some turns Belial will not be shooting.

Likewise, a master-crafted power weapon isn't extremely strong against space marines. With 3 attacks on the profile, Belial will typically kill 1 space marine per round in close combat, and the extra hit-chance adds less than a 50% chance to kill a second one. Against xenos and guardsmen, however, the storm bolter and power weapon are much more effective, since they usually have lower toughness (for the power weapon) and weaker armor (for the storm bolter).

Instead of the default configuration, a lot of players opt for a pair of lightning claws. This increases the number of attacks open to Belial while still using his higher than average initiative. Assuming two phases of close combat (with no charge bonuses) against space marines, the pair of lightning claws will kill 4 space marines. This is slightly better than the same combat with the power weapon and the storm bolter firing all game, and odds increase in favor of the lightning claws when a charge bonus is applied to the attacks. Math in this case supports the use of lightning claws over the default option for pure killing potential, so it's easy to see why people run this setup.

The third setup is the use of a thunder hammer and storm shield. While this strips Belial of his high initiative attacks, his killing potential remains very high versus other marines. Versus armor and monstrous creatures, his performance skyrockets, as he loses no effectiveness while the lower-strength counterparts quickly start lagging behind. The invulnerable save from the storm shield increases his durability against power weapons to compensate for his lower initiative. When fighting against tyranids and other multi-wound models you will find this configuration to be of great value. Post FAQ, this configuration is quickly gaining wide use. Its durability makes it extremely points efficient for an HQ and greatly boosts the survivability of any squad he is attached to.

Killing potential aside, there are even better reasons to run with Belial. He allows all Deathwing squads to be taken as troops, greatly opening up army building options. You can run all terminators, but you will typically have better luck by combining other elements of the army, as we will discuss below.

One Deathwing squad is also capable of getting two different upgrade characters added to the squad. The first is the Apothecary. This model will be the single most valuable member of the average DA army. Granting his unit Feel No Pain, you can make what is arguably the best troop unit in the game that much better. Attaching Belial or another IC to his squad just makes it that much more gravy, and the updated wargear doesn't disable when he is in close combat like the older version did.

The second upgrade option is the standard bearer. This guy functions just like the Ravenwing standard bearer, and thus is great for a unit heading for the front lines. Adding an extra attack to each member of the squad increases their kill potential by 3 or 4 marines a turn when attached to an IC.

Always remember that both upgrades must go in the same squad. I frequently run with both upgrades, but if points are short, the banner is almost always the first option I cut. Killing potential is nice, but surviving the enemy's return fire is gonna be the biggest problem, so the apothecary is much more important. You will frequently see this "Command Squad" running with 4 or 5 models with Thunder Hammer & Storm Shield to maximize their durability. This squad is not afraid to deep strike into enemy territory, as they can deal with a good amount of incoming small arms fire and have the assault capability to match or beat pretty much any unit in the game. Dropping in and using a Cyclone to de-mech a juicy target is pretty standard for this squad.

As if running Belial couldn't get any better he has one more benefit. He is super cheap on the points. All three options cost the same price, and your marine opponents can't field even a regular captain with his gear for the same price, much less get special rules and FOC manipulation! His downside, however, is that he is not extremely durable without his Storm Shield. Lack of Eternal Warrior and a moderate stat line means he doesn't keep up with some of the super-killy HQ choices of the new codices. Powerfists and Thunder Hammers can make extremely short work of him with an unlucky invulnerable save. For the price though, he is quite the bargain, even when running a force primarily consisting of battle company units.

Librarians
Updated August 29, 2011

The Deathwing Librarian is a decent second choice for an HQ, but rarely fits the bill as a primary leader. Equipped with a storm bolter and force weapon, he is quite the bland choice at first. He does have some tactical options that make him useful for fielding against your opponents, however.

As covered previously, the Force Barrier psychic power is great for saving against deadly shots. When added to a Deathwing unit, he should typically be the target for lascannons, plasma, and melta shots unless you are extremely worried about instant death. Chances are high, however, that he will shrug off a single high-powered shot as if it were a gentle breeze.

Hellfire also gives the unit a second "heavy" weapon, which is something not possible with terminators any more at such small squad sizes (unless perhaps you are playing Black Templars). While the weapon itself is just as effective when it gets used as it is anywhere else in the army, terminators are notoriously slow once they hit the table. When not riding in a land raider, it is quite easy for the enemy to outmaneuver and make hellfire less of a threat. It is still great for use when coming out of a land raider or on a deep strike, however.

Topping the librarian off with a combi-weapon is a great choice for a terminator squad. I much prefer the meltagun for getting into transports, but the plasma gun is great at rapid-fire range. A nice combo is detaching the librarian during the movement phase so that he can kill a transport and then the squad he was attached to can deal with the contents. Only do that if you need more firepower before the charge though, as the librarian is quite vulnerable when left on his own.

Perhaps the best use for him is to increase the durability of a troop Deathwing unit. Extra wounds and Force Barrier can make that troop unit last through just enough firepower to hold the objective at game's end. Combined with an apothecary you have an extremely durable scoring unit, though you are spending a lot of points to do so. More often than not, he will be left at home in favor of our next unit...

Chaplains
Updated August 29, 2011

Deathwing doesn't allow just any Chaplain into their service. Only Interrogator Chaplains have proven themselves worthy enough to assist in the hunt for the fallen. However, their skills make them a great force multiplier to a Deathwing squad.

Equipped with a power weapon and rosarius, the interrogator chaplain is just a little more durable than basic Belial without as many options. Like the Librarian, he comes with a Storm Bolter standard which can be upgraded to a combi-weapon. Again the meltagun is preferred, but I would almost never separate him from his unit as I would with the librarian. He lacks the psychic invulnerable save of Force Barrier and is much more effective at making the attached squad kill things faster.

Just like all Chaplains, Litanies of Hate multiplies the killy factor of the attached unit. Honor of the Chapter doesn't see any use when attached to Dathwing (as they are already fearless), but that's not a big deal. This guy is great as both a second HQ or Primary. When running with Belial, it is recommended that the chaplain runs with a unit different than the one with the Deathwing Standard Bearer. Combining these two models gives you a truly scary melee unit, but splitting your melee capability to two squads will make it much harder for your opponent to deal with your powerhouse units.

When run as the only HQ or with someone else, it is still best to attach him to a Deathwing squad. These guys work well at assault and harassment, and make a great fire magnet. The Chaplain's 3 wounds give you enough buffer to ensure that he will cause trouble when the unit his melee. Under these circumstances you will want a mixed Deathwing squad so that you can deep strike in and still shoot. Since this unit is not scoring, you will not need to protect them with a land raider and can generally use those points for increasing your core's strength.

Russel's teapot suggests (and I agree for the most part) that putting both the standard bearer and a chaplain in the same squad is overkill. Under most circumstances, whatever you charge with an attached chaplain will be dead when the dust settles. The banner's greatest benefit is when assaulting multiple units, however, as then you are splitting your attacks around. This can lead to much better combat resolution results.

Deep Striking
Updated August 29, 2011

Working solely from the perspective of Deathwing (with no battle company or Ravenwing support) Deep Strike is going to be an extreme hassle. I recommend putting a single squad into reserves AT MOST when working a pitched battle or spearhead. This gives you the option of coming in turn 1 without losing out an too much if you need to keep it in reserves. Also only needing to worry about 1 squad lets you more reliably find a safe location for deep striking.

What I find is usually the case with deep striking is that the most agressive and beneficial locations to deep strike are also the most dangerous. When playing it safe, you want to sit your squad 16-20 inches from the enemy (and your own models) to avoid mishaps. This should allow you to still be in shooting range with at least a couple of your models.

If playing more aggressively, play with 8-12 inches of room. You want to get flank shots on vehicles or provide a massive distraction for a rear gunline. This is also possible with going for larger spaces to deep strike in, but won't produce the same threat level against your opponent.

Working with Ravenwing gets more complicated, but the basics are pretty simple. Plan ahead and put your bikes where they can support your battle plan best. Deep striking on top of them means you won't scatter, but the best places are typically going to leave them vulnerable. I'll cover the Double-Wing synergies a little later in the appropriate section. My honest advice is don't be afraid to ignore your teleport homers! Double-Wing has to be aggressive or it will die a very quick (and painful) death.

I think the Deathwing "Command Squad" with Belial, Apothecary, and Standard Bearer is the best unit for deep striking, as they have extra durability for dealing with the isolated condition you are likely to be putting them in. This is especially true when all of them are equipped with Storm Shields. Under most cases, you will not want to deep strike more units, as you will need to keep less of a presence on the board until your units come in. Doing so gives your opponent some clear target priority help, and your job should be to make things as difficult on your opponent as possible.

[RayJ]

DA Armory (Ironwing)

Land Raiders
Updated August 29, 2011

The Land Raider is the most durable Imperial vehicle outside of Forge World. The armor 14 shell makes anything less than strength 8 useless against it, with missile launchers mostly bouncing off left and right as the vehicle can take a lot of pounding.

Here's the quick math for a standard Land Raider with 2 Lascannons and a Heavy Bolter with no other upgrades. A Krak Missile will glance on a 6, and then will need a 5 or a 6 to start seriously hindering the vehicle. With the new charts for vehicle damage, your opponent needs 5 immobilized/weapon destroyed results for the tank to die. This means your opponent needs about 90 missile hits to glance your Land Raider to death. Add in the need to hit, and IG are shooting 180 missiles and marines are shooting 120 to take down your behemoth.

Of course opponents have better tools than krak missiles to take out your massive tank. A lascannon will need about 18 hits to get a destroyed result, and can strip the Land Raider to death with about 9 or 10 hits. Melta weapons change this dynamic too. At maximum range, 36 hits are needed to destroy a Land Raider, but at half range it is close to needing only 2 hits to destroy one.

Taking all that into consideration, the Land Raider is extremely durable. Combine that with its long-ranged firepower (taking the tank out of range of some of the guns most dangerous to it) and you have something that will be able to survive most games under the proper conditions.

We no longer have the added durability from our outdated Smoke Launcher rules, but this is made up in our increased offensive capabilities. The Land Raider doesn't have enough shots to make it shine against infantry. Against heavy infantry, however, it can be potent as it harasses the unit from range. The Land Raider's best targets are light and medium armor, however. Two twin-linked lascannons can rip up transports and dreadnoughts and typically rip open side armor shots as well. Hitting front armor on a vehicle is ok, but you really want to be hitting AV 11 and 12 with the lascannon. When faced with AV13 or 14, the lascannon will be significantly better than the missile launchers that are likely to be prevalent in the rest of your list, so prioritize your shooting appropriately.

To upgrade your killing potential you can buy Hunter-Killer missiles and/or a Storm Bolter. Each one adds to the durability of the tank when it is getting glanced, though you ignore the Hunter-Killer for that purpose if it has already fired. I like the HK upgrade if there is points to spare, as it allows the tank to operate at longer range and still be effective. This tank is then a more serious threat to monstrous creatures and transports. The Storm Bolter requires you to get close which can be an issue for survivability.

Finally we have special rules. Assault Ramps is the one Land Raiders are best known for. being able to assault out of a vehicle (especially one so durable) makes for a great delivery system, but the downside is this is an expensive tactic. Still, granting your units a boost to charge distance and durability by using a Land Raider can be a very useful tactic.

Power of the machine Spirit is our other special rule. This puppy lets you fire a second main weapon as long as you have not used your Smoke Launchers. Usually this means you are moving 6 inches and firing 2 lascannon shots, but you can also move 12 inches forward to set up an assault and still fire a single weapon. There's nothing to complain about there!

We'll get into payload later in Bringing it all together. The primary purpose of this tank is to sit back and harass the enemy without dying. Transport capacity is typically best used for protecting troops that will sit close to your own side.

Land Raider Crusaders
Updated September 7, 2011

When it comes to durability, the Land Raider Crusader is slightly more durable than the default Land Raider. This comes from the automatic addition of a 4th gun which makes Weapon Destroyed results a little less dangerous and increases the tank's ability to withstand glancing hits. That being said, this variant of the Land Raider prefers to get much closer to the action and puts itself in range of some of the weapons that are most deadly to this particular vehicle: melta weapons.

To make up for pushing itself into the front lines, however, you get several very strong benefits. Increased firepower, better transport capacity, and Frag Assault Launchers all come standard over the traditional Godhammer pattern reviewed above. All the weapons operate at a range of 24 inches, with the Multi-Melta and Hurricane Bolters becoming increasingly effective at 12 inches or fewer. With the Dark Angels cheaper access to Storm Bolter upgrades, one should almost always be purchased with this vehicle, and a Hunter-Killer missile allows this vehicle to be useful on the first turn for more than just a straight dash towards the enemy. That expensive missile shot isn't usually worth the points cost, but in certain builds it compliments the capabilities of this vehicle very well.

This tank is very hard for most people to use well. Having a tool for pretty much every job, you have to know when it is best to focus on armored targets (with the Multi-Melta and Assault Cannon) or to go up against infantry (which all its weapons work really well against). Power of the Machine Spirit allows the splitting of fire a bit to maximize this dual role capability, so usually the Multi-Melta will be pointed at an armored target while the rest of the guns shred up some infantry. The great thing about this combination is that the vehicle can move combat speed and fire every weapon (assuming you didn't purchase the HKM), acting much like a fast vehicle. This is due to the combination of defensive weapons plus machine spirit, and makes the vehicle almost worth the massive points cost you pay for it.

Frag Assault Launchers work well with our Terminators, granting offensive grenades the turn a unit charges out of the vehicle. If you are planning your strategy around such a charge, this is your only way for Terminators to get this bonus with this codex. I find in practice that the sooner you can get your Terminators into position, the more deadly the Crusader becomes. By overloading the immediate vicinity with awesome armor and invulnerable saves, you can bring the perceived threat level of the crusader down, and it can more easily perform its job of tearing through infantry. When building a list with this vehicle in mind, remind yourself constantly that this vehicle is a gunboat and transporting is only a bonus perk. More often than not, with a competitive list, being outside the transport will be better, but having the option to scoot along a lot further over two turns is awesome when you need that mobility.

For competitive builds, both variants of Land Raider are typically too expensive to use, but the Crusader's firepower is efficient enough to make it a very serious consideration for mechanized lists. I'll give some examples in the army list section to show how proper armor saturation with efficient units can be very effective for competitive play.

Predators
Updated September 8, 2011

The Predator is the mainline battle tank for the Space Marines. Capable of equipping 5 weapons, this little guy can have a tool for every job and lay down some impressive firepower. Even at the extra cost Dark Angels pay for it it is a points-efficient vehicle with a quite durable front armor facing. The predator's Autocannon turret is a very versatile weapon, allowing the tank to harass infantry and light armor with equal skill. This can be upgraded to a twin-linked lascannon, but it is usually not worth the points.

Two sponson weapon systems are available: Heavy Bolters and Lascannons. You should add one of these, guaranteed. HBs make the tank excellent at hitting infantry, and LCs give really good results vs armor and monstrous creatures. You'll be paying more for the LCs, but it is still fairly efficient and is the best way to capitalize on long-range anti-tank in our codex.

The extra option of Storm Bolter & Hunter-Killer Missile are still available to the Predator and help beef up its ability to cover multiple roles. Usually, when taking a Dakka Predator (Autocannon w/ Heavy Bolter Sponsons) you will want to add in the storm bolter if you have the points. It's super cheap and improves the vehicle's capabilities at its primary role. The HKM is harder to justify since it is an expensive upgrade, but it also works best on the Dakka Predator, enhancing its ability to hit light armor in the early game.

This relatively cheap vehicle is one of the best ways for DAs to increase armor saturation while keeping offense high. It is one of the cornerstones of an effective mech list, as you will see when we bring it all together below.

Vindicators
Updated September 8, 2011

The Vindicator has a reputation for being quite the scary vehicle. It's true that not many weapons can match the devastating potential of the Demolisher Cannon mounted on the front of this guy, but don't let those shiny numbers fool you. This vehicle is extremely hard to use and very inefficient. For competitive play you are likely to be ignoring this vehicle.

The real problem here is what I like to call Single Weapon Syndrome. 5 out of 6 damage results on the vehicle damage chart will nullify the main weapon for a turn or more, and the other damage result still has the potential to make the main gun useless (Immobilized). The vehicle's secondary weapon (Storm Bolter) does not make it any good at doing things other than tank shocking once the main weapon is gone.

I have used the Vindicator to good effect in several lists, but it is important to note its weaknesses and not base your plan around the Vindi. It has relatively short range, and is super easy to suppress. It's great fun for casual gaming though, and when the main cannon actually works, you and your opponent won't soon forget it.

Whirlwinds
Updated September 8, 2011

Similar to the Vindicator, the Whirlwind suffers from Single Weapon Syndrome and has lower armor facing to boot. It does have a few things going for it though that can make it work in the right list. First, it has an indirect firing mode, allowing it to hide out of sight and still pelt the enemy up to 48 inches away. Second, it has two weapon profiles, allowing it to demolish weak infantry hiding in cover or put some serious hurt on heavy infantry. Third, it is relatively cheap. Not super-efficient, but enough that you can work the points for one in your list fairly easily.

The biggest problem with the Whirlwind is that it has to compete with efficient options (both in the Heavy Support slots and other areas of the list). It's weapon works pretty well for handling infantry, but most of the efficient options in the DA codex can already deal with infantry very well. Still, battle company lists should be able to find a use for this vehicle and have some success.

Razorbacks
Updated September 8, 2011

This 6-person APC is limited on options (and a smidgen overpriced), but is one of the strongest building blocks for a mechanized battle company list. By default it comes with a Twin-Linked Heavy Bolter. This is great for harassing infantry of all types and even some very light vehicles. Twin-Linked makes it super accurate. If you need some anti-armor punch, you can upgrade to a Twin-Linked Lascannon for a large points investment. This option is very inefficient, but can still work out quite well since it can sit further back to stay alive a little longer. Much needed with the vehicle's front armor value of 11.

DA Battle Companies capitalizing on our 5-man squads with special weapons can actually make very good use of the razorback, and it's a good transport for Devastators as we will usually only be buying 5-man squads of those. We will have a hard time flooding the field with them like Space Wolves, but they work well enough.

It's worth noting that the Storm Bolter upgrade can make this a nice little infantry hunter when paired with the heavy bolter. If we go that route, we end up at the same points efficiency as Space Wolves and Space Marines due to our cheaper Storm Bolter upgrades. It also makes the vehicle quite more effective on the move, being able to shoot both weapons at combat speed. It's kind of hard to find the points for the Storm Bolter upgrade across the whole army, but it really is one of the most efficient ways for DA to increase their anti-infantry firepower.

Rhinos
Updated September 8, 2011

Rejoice at the awesomeness of the rhino. If you have no interest in the HKM upgrade, you might just have the best Rhino in 5th Edition. the cheap Storm Bolter upgrade doubles the default firepower of this vehicle for half the price everyone else pays. Top it off with 2 models firing out the open hatch, and you have quite the little bunker.

When running 10-man squads, the Rhino should be your vehicle of choice. This vehicle will keep your units protected from guns and still allow them to use their special weapons with the firing point. It doesn't get much better as a transport option. Tactical Squads, Command Squads, and Company Veterans love this ride. We'll go over specific tactics with it below, and there's TON you can do with this little guy.

Dreadnoughts
Updated September 8, 2011

Our default Dreadnought is a tad expensive, but he still provides an awful lot for this army. As a vehicle that can always move and fire two weapons, it is a great support platform. Most of its weapon options are free upgrades, bringing it back in line with some of the other Space Marines as you equip it differently. Combined with the cheaper Heavy Flamer upgrade, we can create several fairly efficient options that can support a wide variety of army lists. When you consider that Deathwing are most often taken as troops, the Dreadnought is really the most-used Elite choice in the DA Codex.

If your list has the points, we still have the old-school Venerable upgrade option for increased durability. We don't get the fancy statline boosts that some of the other chapters get for Venerable, but then we don't have to pay for them either. Efficiency is key, and we can get away with things very well here.

Most of the time you will want to be running the Dreadnought with the Heavy Flamer upgrade and one of the several primary gun options. The most common options will be Multi-Melta, Assault Cannon, or Plasma Cannon. Each of these gives the dreadnought a great support role. Outside of Ravenwing, DA doesn't see a lot of Melta weaponry, so this is a good platform. Good plasma weaponry is even harder to come by, and I'd say this is probably the best generic weapon for the Dreadnought. While the Assault Cannon will be more versatile and easier to use, the Plasma Cannon adds another tool to your toolbox.

With the above configuration, you still get a Dreadnought Close Combat Weapon, making the Dread decent at counter assault or for assaulting vehicles. You will want to avoid tarpit units with your Dreadnoughts of almost any configuration as they have a low number of attacks, but they do a good job at holding off power weapons since assaulting units must hit front armor.

If you are looking for a fire support role, the DCCW can be swapped out for a missile launcher, and the primary gun can be replaced with a Twin-Linked Autocannon or Twin-Linked Lascannon. Both options work fairly well. Autocannon will be better against heavy infantry, and Lascannon will be better against armor. Pick your poison.

When we get into bringing it all together and army lists, you should see a large variety of uses for the Dreadnought.

[RayJ]

Synergies

Updated September 28, 2011

Dark Angels are rather light on the inherent synergies in army list building. What we do have mostly focuses on Leadership buffing and increased durability, both of which can have significant impact on the tabletop.

Belial + Mechanized Greenwing
Belial has one of the widest range of list-building synergies we have available. Foremost for our purposes is the ability to make Deathwing into troops. While Greenwing lists might choose not to run very many terminator squads, using your troop slots for something you're already be taking in elites opens up a lot of design space, such as filling the list out with Dreadnoughts.

His Rites of Battle ability combines greatly with the Greenwing, who like to frequently use Combat Squads to maximize shooting potential. Other Captains get this ability as well, but it's the combination of synergies that make an otherwise poor unit combination and makes them capable. Belial is the only HQ in the codex that can unlock two Apothecaries, giving some increased durability to the list.

While this combination isn't truly top-tier, it is a solid foundation for casual play and will let you use a wide range of models to at least decent effect.

Sammael + Mechanized Greenwing
Similar to Belial, Sammael opens up Rites of Battle and a single Apothecary. What really makes this combination synergistic, however, is the ability to increase armor saturation and be very efficient at mid-field anti-infantry.

Sammael also opens up the ability to take 3 typhoons and still have bikers for interference and support. Combining Sammael, Dreads, Predators, Razorbacks, and Typhoons will give you a solid foundation for a mechanized army that can hold its own against even tier 1 armies. You don't even need to include the Attack Squadrons to make Sammael worthwhile in this capacity, though a single squad as troops for Melta-Hunting and Outflank threatening can greatly increase the capabilities of this list.

Sammael is also the only way to get more than 3 AV14 vehicles into the same list using Dark Angels. While such a list is not balanced and will lose to lists with a large amount of anti-tank weaponry, it acts as a hard counter to many other lists that are light on anti-tank weaponry or use masses of medium-strength shots to deal with armor.

Ravenwing Attack Squadrons + Deathwing Assault
This is the defining synergy of the codex; the one that first brings young players to use the DA Codex. The ability to set up half your terminators without error in a forward position on turn 1 is a very powerful tool. It is one that many opponents quickly adapt to, however, so the DA player must quickly learn to manage fire lanes and keep bikes protected while not spreading the army too thin. This synergy is best used when you have the first turn, as it rewards an aggressive playstyle.

Azrael + Company Veterans
Azrael is at his strongest when he is bolstering a large squad with his 4+ invulnerable save. While this works great with the Command Squad, the Company Veteran gain maximum advantage. They are capable of being outfit to be good at close combat, and can purchase individual models to help fill out the squad, making this the only squad capable of joining an Independent Character in a Rhino or Drop Pod with more than 5 models at deployment (as those squads already fill up said transports). He also carries the Rites of Battle rule, granting Greenwing a solid leadership boost. If you decide to use the Command Squad instead of the Company Veterans, investment in the Chapter Standard is highly recommended, as it greatly bolsters the squad's offensive output.

[RayJ]

Imperial Armor & Houserules

Imperial Armor
Coming Soon...

Wargear Updates
Coming Soon...

Special Rule Updates
Coming Soon...

Other House Rules
Coming Soon...

[RayJ]

Bringing It Together

Coming Soon...

So, how does one go about bringing these elements together into a fun and effective force? We'll provide the answer here.

[RayJ]

Strategies and Sample Lists

Coming Soon...

We'll go over some of the most popular archetypes, list building strategies, and other sorts of information with links to relevant army lists. I figure putting the army lists up in that forum so they get some good discussion on their own would be great.

Broad Strategies
Coming Soon...

Specific Strategies
Coming Soon...

Army Lists
Coming Soon...

[EDIT]

Feel free to start up some discussion. I'm going to work on some good formatting and then start on the sections on my own. The goal here is to incorporate information from the discussions below this point. Feel free to post up something that would go under one of these topics. I'll format it, put it under the appropriate header, and give proper credit. This is intended to be a community effort!

[Maxamato]

Hi RayJ!

 

It looks fine so far! Please keep on and can wait for it. :)

 

A question from my side:

It is probably useful / possible / make it sense to include here also a topic for, let say, army creation philosophy?

What do you think?

 

Regards

Maxamato

[RayJ]

A question from my side:

It is probably useful / possible / make it sense to include here also a topic for, let say, army creation philosophy?

What do you think?

 

That would go under the final section: Strategies and Sample Lists

[Tanhausen]

If there is some way I can help in this HUGE undertake, please let me know ^_^

[HsojVvad]

I would love to help as well, but I don't know nothing about what is good or tactics. I usually ask all the questions LOL. Do we have a section for fluffy lists?

[ShadowSeraph]

Great work, i love the fact that your taking a lot of time and effort to help progress the view of the Dark Angels and other ways to use them. I can't wait to read the final work on this thread, and would like to lend any assistance if i can.

[Maxamato]

Regarding Tactical squad:

 

When you build your tactical squad you have to know which rule should the fulfill in your army. That’s important to know for the squad load out. Tacticals in point of view are superior to support other elements. They haven’t most of the time the power to kill anything without support.

 

Here are some builds which I find very useful.

I use them mostly for Rule: Home objective guard

1. 10 men with Plasmagun, Plasma cannon, Power weapon mounted in Rhino

2. 10 men with Plasmagun, Plasma cannon, Power fist mounted in Rhino

This two build gives you a good ability against mostly everthing excluding heavy armor but is strong against any type of infantry and MC`s. The Rhino means they are mobile and can bunker. The special CC weapon increase the staying power in the cc phase.

Another builds will be:

1. 10 men with Plasmagun, Lascannon, Power weapon or Power fist mounted in Razorback with Twin linked Lascannon

This build is expensive but you get 2 Lascannon for one FOC Slot. This is one of my favorite build.

Alternatively you can do this also

2. 10 men with Meltagun, Lascannon, Power weapon mounted in Razorback with Twin linked Lascannon

This build is designed for combat squad. The Heavy stays on the objective and the Power weapon and Meltagun sqaud is mounted in the Razorback and will support other elements in my army. You can also replace the Meltgun with a Plasmagun to increase the shooting output.

You can also use only the vehicle with a five men squad inclusive the special weapons.

 

 

Well, that’s my kind of Tactical squad which I use very often and with successes.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Regards

Maxamato

[RayJ]

I think it's good to have an idea what they will be slightly better at. For 10-man squads, I always include a powerfist on the sergeant. It just greatly increases what they are capable of dealing with (and I face a lot of MEQ, monstrous creatures, and armor). The rest of the squad can be geared for taking on MCs/tanks (missile launchers, lascannons, melta) or anti-infantry (flamers, missile launchers, plasma cannons, plasma guns).

 

I don't combat squad very often, but it can be an effective tool for getting better weapons coverage and multiple scoring units.

[Wayward]

you can get a lot of meat from scuddman's tactica thread

 

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/index.p...howtopic=182822

 

I think this thread should be stickied directly, once its been fleshed out it will become an interesting resource.

[Maxamato]

To equip the sergeant with a power fist is a common way and there isn't anything wrong with that.

I prefer to give him a power weapon because:

- I want to strike at initiative to weak the opponent assault power. I think that will be important against i.e. TH/SS termies or something like that.

- It is cheaper (saves me 10 pts)

 

The problem with one power fist in a squad is, that the most opponents units wipe the tactics out in one phase (most of the time). And if you face a MC, then you could inflict a couple of wound but in the mean time he has killed all the staff or you are haven't passed the Ld – test.

 

I do often combat squad in non KP-Mission because I like the flexibility very much and to have 2 small single scoring unit instead of 1 big single scoring unit. But it depends on the opponent, if I see that he is shooty based, I to combat squad. Is the opponent assault oriented, I to combat squad. The only squad were I don't to this (most of the time) is my home objective guard squad because there task is to survive.

 

Overall I have to say, that I don't use more than two Tacticals in sum. Means two 10 men or four 5 men squads.

 

RayJ, hope that my input fits in your idea.

 

Regards

Maxamato

 

Edit: spelling

[Tomevans]

This is a really brilliant idea mate and one many people, including me suggested in the "Improving Participation" thread and I too would only be too willing to impart my limited gaming info if you need it :)

 

Perhaps a section on race specific tactica would be useful too, such as the best weapons to field against certain races, best ways to counteract the major units of certain races etc. It would be quite an undertaking but incredibly useful when complete. Good stuff and keep it coming.

[FerociousBeast]

"A" for effort, but I think this is just too much stuff to put in one thread. I'd rather see several different threads focusing on more specific aspects of the army, then another stickied thread with organized links to all the other threads in one convenient location.

[RayJ]

That might be the way to go in the future, FB. It wouldn't be hard to reproduce this in such a format after the information is gathered. I want to worry about getting the information in place and make sure its accurate. I've just about got the Greenwing section done, so serious feedback on what is there and how to refine it or expand on it is greatly appreciated.

[Maxamato]

Regarding Company vets, you may also consider this post in the librarium.

 

The company vets are very difficult for me to handle because they have so many options that I can't decide which one will be enough respectively which build will be good.

However I like the vets in general because they are DA only no other chapter anything comparable.

 

Hopefully anyone can provide some sample builds.

[RayJ]

The link you provided is very useful. I think the key is find out what your army needs most and gear them appropriately. If you're weapon on melee ability, they are a good option. If you need some fire support, load 'em up. With 2 attacks base on the profile, they're decent at counter-assault even without special weapons. I like mixing them up a little bit by including at least one powerfist, one combi-weapon, and the special weapon. This lets them be able to take on multiple squads with relatively equal efficiency, and then i can put them where they are needed to fill in the gap.

 

Also, Greenwing is finished. Ravenwing is on the way!

[Arioch]

This is truely an awsome thread. It gives me a lot of ideas and new ways to approach my army. Nice work indeed! :)