Sisters v. Blood Angels -- any advice?

[melvinmcsnatch]

I played a newer Blood Angels player this weekend and had a rough damn time killing Dante and Death Company. Next week, I'm playing a more experienced Flesh Tearers player. Besides running double meltas on my squads, does anyone have any suggestions?

[Judanas]

Exorcists, lots of Exorcists...

 

Blood Angels are expencive and death company even more so.

 

Also, LOVE divine guidence. AP1 makes a joke of 3+ Feel no Pain.

[WarriorFish]

The new Blood Angels are a tough opponent for SoB, as they're durable and dangerous in assault. Worst of all is their speed as they attack fast and hit hard! Storm Ravens are nasty, but fortunately there's no model (for now) but on the off chance you see one you'll find it hard to bring down with the Exorcist as the only real option. Melta still works of course even without the 2D6 but if you're close enough for melta range it's probably already too late!

 

Your best plan of action is to remove their mobility, as they need that to ensure they get the charge which is where their strength lies (Furious Charge in particular). Exos will be great for this but high priority targets so protect them as much as you can and they should do a good job. Use your mechanised squads to get the jump on them and hose them down - Divine Guidance will be a life saver against a unit with Feel No Pain.

 

Dante is good but will drop to enough fire power and the DC have the rage rule so you can lead them on a merry chase if you can. Chances are they'll be hiding in a transport to try and mitigate this so pop it as a priority. You should consider taking more flamers rather than melta. A heavy flamer and flamer combo will score plenty of wounds and with Divine Guidance Feel no Pain counts for nothing - along with normal bolter shocking that's how you're going to deal with them. Other than that I'd say plenty of models and mechanisation is the key as in assault you're likely to lose squads (BoSL will help them hold if you want, but you'll take plenty of casualties) so you need to be able to weather such loses and without mobility of your own you won't be able to press your shooting enough.

 

BA can do plenty of nasty things (Baals...) but are fewer in number. When in doubt, just think about taking away his mobility and avoiding charges. If at all possible kill the Sanguinary Priests to remove the Grail bonus (remember the FC bonus is taken into account when the attacks are made). Last but not least, look to the Emperor for victory!

[Obliterator]

I had the honor of playing against Blood Angels a couple of times. I play a mech list (3-4 Rhino's with meltagun/heavy flamer squads inside), a flying Eviscarator nun, and 2 Exorcists. I recently added a CC Inquisitor Lord and a Callidus too. One of the more regular Blood Angels in our shop is playing a mech army, lots of Rhino's and Razorbacks, Vindicator, Baals, Mephiston, you name it. He tends to pick small squads though (lots of 5-man assault squads, or combat squaded tacticals), and those seem to have a hard time staying alive against 10 rapid firing Divinely Guided Sisters. Then again, if he survives your Sisters are toast, so focus fire is key...

 

Exorcists are your only option to stay at a distance and still be able to disable his transports. Take at least two, preferably three.

 

Depending of deployment and type of battle, I sometimes use the Canoness as a lone ranger. Deploy her as forward as you can (in cover), and most of the time the jump pack will allow you to pop some key vehicles up to 18" away. Of course he will then assault your Canoness, but with a 2++ she'll take quite some effort to get rid of. And that's at least 1-2 turns he's not advancing towards your objectives.

 

Death Company is a real pain, especially with a Chaplain and a priest nearby. I usually stay inside my Rhino and try to flame them, and when they assault (and destroy) the Rhino I basically try to kill as many of them as possible during the shooting phase, but chances are some will get through. As of then, the Sisters squad he charges becomes a tarpit. If he's not killing them all 10 in one go, 3++ saves can be a huge thorn in his eye. And who knows... if your dice love you and you make a lot of hits in CC: Divine Guidance FTW :D !

 

I also considered taking a unit of Flagellants to counter the Death Company (D6 power weapons attacks? Yes please!), but the problem here would be keeping them alive long enough for them to actually charge something.

[Gentlemanloser]

Some other things to look out for are First Turn Flamestorms, Outflanking TL Assault Cannons, and Vindicators that can move 6" and Shoot.

 

The Baal Preds can Scout Move 24" before the game begins and pop Smoke on the off chance you steal the initiative.

 

Honour Guard squads are cheap, durable (3+/4+FNP) and ver versatile. Jump Packs + Power Wepaons for a slightly cheaper Assault Squad. Drop Pod and 4 x Meltaguns to pop an Exorcist or two First turn. Plasma Guns to DP and Rapid Fire your sisters.

 

The Sanguinary Guard are beastly when delivered by Strom Raven, as are Furioso/Death Company Dreadnoughts with 2 x Blood Talons. Expect those to decimate any Squad of yours they hit. Every attack the land, and casue a wound with (at S6) give them another attack. Which can cause another attack and so on. I've charged a Marine Assault squad, and killed all 11 (including chappy) on the charge, before his Power Fist even had a hope of denting my Dread.

 

Furiosos with Frag Cannons can lay templates of doom, and Magna Grapple your Exo's for Tank Shocking/CC fun.

 

Lesser used are Libby Dreads, but expect them to have 12" Moves and a 5+Cover Save from thier powers. Or Blood Lance.

 

Then there's the uber units in Meph and the Sanguinator.

[Sister Rosette Soulknyt]

Firstly dont stretcch your army all over your side, compact them, create fire zones and make sure your Excorsists stay in cover too.

Secondly consider if possible a DH Inquisitor with 2 Mystics for stopping those DS units, make sure to add plasma weapons to that squad and place it withing 12" of a Heavy Boler Retributor squad.

Third, avoid CC for aslong as possible, shoot everything, check for ranges and rapid strike as much as possible, always use Divine Guidence where possible to kill off elite units or even danger SC's.

Fourth, use a squad of Seraphin, but not against his DC, or honour gaurd or Sanguinory gaurd either, they wont do much but die to these, target his tanks, with twin Inferno pistols and go after heavy weapons.

Lastly, take Dominion squads with melta, more expensive yes, but keep them in cover until you need to roar forward, deply and nail his tanks, dreds and any troops that hitch a ride in transprots. Hit him hard and then pull back.

[melvinmcsnatch]

Until I can afford a second Exorcist (our baby is due in a month! Expensive little brat...), I'm running:

 

~1500 Pts

4 Sister squads in rhinos with melta/HFlame or Flame, VSS with Plasma Pistol.

5 Seraphim and Flying Nun, Eviscerator, 2 TL HandFlames (Deep Strike).

Footslog Retributors 2 MMelta, 2 HB, VSS with Plasma Pistol (Exorcist protection. Deep Strike this!).

1 Exorcist.

 

My other option:

Flying Nun, Eviscerator and Inferno Pistol,

2 Sister squads in rhinos with melta/HFlame, VSS with Plasma Pistol.

2 Celestian squads in Immolator, TL HFlames, 2 meltas, VSS with Plasma Pistol.

6 Seraphim, 2 TL HandFlame, VSS with Plasma Pistol.

Footslog Retributors 2 MMelta, 2 HB, VSS with Plasma Pistol.

1 Exorsist.

 

I've done pretty well with plasma pistols the past couple of games, only 1 Gets Hot! but it was saved.

 

In my game against BA last time, I compacted everything in the corner and used my rhinos to screen Death Company out for 2 Turns, while the Sisters squad could still fire between the 1" gap, but only got 1 kill in 2 turns because of Feel No Pain. Dante has a 0 scatter on Deepstrike though and found a spot in my corner to place him and Sanguinaries. Sanguinaries got shot the hell up by Retributors and a Divine Guidance Sisters squad. Dante charged Retributors, killing them all, then charged a Sisters squad, killing all of them. He took 0 wounds in CC. Took 1 wound from a Divine Guidance Sister squad. 2 Sisters rhinos made it to the second objective and shot up a Tac Squad to hold the objective.

 

The kid was really inexperienced, but his army practically played itself! I'm a bit jealous to tell the truth.

[ValourousHeart]

@ Gentlemanloser,

 

You listed some items inaccurately.

 

Vindicators that can move 6" and Shoot.

All Vindi can do this... BA Vindi can move 12" and shoot, as they are fast vehicles.

 

The Baal Preds can Scout Move 24" before the game begins and pop Smoke on the off chance you steal the initiative.

Check that again... fast vehicles can move up to 18" going flat out.... only if they are a fast skimmer can they go 24" when moving flat out.

 

No offense intended, I just don't want some new player cheated because they read bad information online, and didn't read the rule book.

[Gentlemanloser]

Heh, I've no problem with being corrected! :jaw:

 

Too used to the Stormraven and fast skimmers on my mind!

 

I was sure the new Tank rules were you can't fire non defensive weapons if you move at all (But to be honest, I tend to stay away from Tanks!).