Arming the Death Comapny

[Zacharius]

What's the general consensus on how to equip the Death Company? Bolters to make use of Relentless or pistols to get the extra attack in CC? Thinking of making a squad shortly and can't decide how to do it.

[Morollan]

Personally I always go bolt pistols other than on Hammer/Fist users. Most of the time I don't want to shoot anything before asaulting in case it leaves me more than 6" away so the bolters would be a waste unless I found myself more than 12" from any enemy, which doesn't happen often.

[liberate_tutame]

Depends on whether you attach a Chaplain or a Librarian/nothing.

 

With a Chappy or Reclusiarch you'll want to make the most of the reroll hits and wounds and so bolt pistols and chainswords are the way to go (supplemented by a powerfist/thunderhammer or two).

 

If you get a Libby or have nothing leading them, then without the rerolling wounds you'll want more of the enemy dead before combat, so bolters are the way to go. These are also a great distraction unit to deepstrike in a pod.

 

I used to run a ten man with a Reclusiarch and one fist, but find that a two fists provide better support (though I had to drop the squad to a 9 man). The I2 powerfists are excellent for finishing off tough enemies and termies. I put them all in a Crusader for that all important first assault.

[liberate_tutame]

Oh, and never never give them power weapons. They are completely a waste and will only lead to wound allocation shenanigans. Trust me, you want to drown the enemy in wounds if you are charging with DC.

[Eorek]

I'd never do anything else than keep them loaded up in a transport...

 

Pack it with as many deathcompany guys as you can, give them a powerfist for killing veichles(especially if they get into combat with a walker) use a librarian with shield/rage or if you skip the powerfist shield/the sanguine sword.

 

if you load them in a storm raven, give them a DC talon dread and lemartes instead of a librarian(can allocate plasma and power weapons on him ... if you save the wound you've saved a deathcompany marine, if you fail he'll become the meanest anti infantry guy in the book...also his uber high initiative ain't a minus).

 

^how I'd run them

 

if you're foot slogging ---> bolters

if you're drop poding them--->Don't... put something with meltas/flamer/scoring or dreadnoughts in pods (in my opinion ofc)

 

As someone said before... giving them a power weapon is a waste most of the time... The librarian/chaplain/lemartes will be sufficient for armour ignore... and the sheer amount of attacks they slam into your enemy is good enough for making stuff with good armour save fail a few saves(when backed up with unleash rage/a chaplain)

[angel of justice]

give bolters to whoever carries a power fist then try and have a 50% bolter balance mixed in with cc depending on meta rapid firing into a group of wyches, banshees or anything else crazy high initiative with low armour and a power weapon before your in cc can thin them down and let you crush them without taking to many return wounds.

[Zacharius]

I was planning on loading them into a Stormraven, somewhere around 10 men plus Lemartes. Probably use a Thunder Hammer or two, so I'll give these bolters and the rest pistols then.

 

Thanks for the replies everyone, muchly appreciated.

[9K Painting]

Well the main reason for arming them differently and taking a few "boltgun" dude in there is for wound allocation, and they do indeed fill that spot well as they also pack a nice punch :blink:

[Gv0zD]

Always in transport, always with chappy/reclusiarch/lemmy. One TH, and maybe one or two PWs. TH is useful against monstros creatures or vehicles. Even though many people say PWs are useess, they're not. A few of rerollable hits ignoring armor is good. PWs are useful if you're facing lots of power armor, especially termies.

 

Give bolters to TH or PF guys, as they don't get additional attacks with pistols. Also be careful with shooting, as you may end up with no models within 6".

[9K Painting]

yea, I run them with 1-2 TH + Bolters, 1-2 PW with bolters then a few with pistols and chainsword, usually around 6-7 of them and Lemartes, he is good for his value, just allocate him a wound and voilá, but that is another discussion B)

 

I want to try out filling a SR with a full DC group and Lemmy and a DC dread.... ouch :blink:

[Gv0zD]

PWs get additional attacks from pistols. Why take bolters + PWs?

[9K Painting]

Just cause they hit last really, seeing and hoping the stuff they are hitting already is dead by that time, but you have a point...

[spec.ops]

Small numbers = bolt pistol

Large numbers = bolters

[Tabgoi]

I magnetized my guys so I can play around with it, but my initial thoughts go towards the bolters on them all. It just gives you a lot better chance against nasty high initiative CC specialists that have basically no armor, like has been said before, wych elves, howling baneshees, and even genestealers. Against stronger armored opponents it gives you the advantage of you cause less damage in close combat as the bolters will do less damage than a DC lead by a chappy. Which means you will be less likely to break them in you turn of CC so your DC do not get shot at. I mean outside of the low armor CC specialists there really is not much I would think twice about sending in my DC against, but since you are not guaranteed to get your DC in CC with the unit of your choice I like to hedge my bets. Luckily, magnets are my friend, especiallly since my brother's Grey Knights get a new codex here in a week and a half, which may be painful and involve a lot of changes to my force.

[Chaplain Gunzhard]

Yep true... against pretty much everything in the DE codex the bolters would certainly make a difference.

[manheim]

i totally think its better just to go with what theyre good at, the only reason that the bolters is in there is for wound allocation but giving them to your TH PF guys cant hurt. theres never any other need really because only in rare cases will they have jumped out of their transport without being in charge range and the one extra shot from a boltgun over a pistol is only strength 4, wherease the extra attack in charge from the pistol is strength 5!

[knife&fork]

Yep true... against pretty much everything in the DE codex the bolters would certainly make a difference.

 

Those bolter shots always hit at 3+, something to keep in mind against those nasty high WS and I opponents. That together with CC attacks not having an AP value and the CC only dodge saves means that the extra shot can be better than a regular attack, even with rerolls to hit and wound.

[Tabgoi]

Manheim, I think you see my point and miss it at the same time. Yes, by using the bolters I am weakening the DC in assault against many opponents, deliberately. A large DC with a chappy is going to kill pretty much anything it runs into, with or without the extra attack in close combat. My goal is for them not to do it on my turn, but on my opponents. So I am weakening them against the high armor value targets that this is likely to work against. At the same time I am increasing its efficiency against low AV CC specialists that can actually wipe out the DC. This avoids the DC from taking shots from plasma weapons and the like that can really put a hurt on them by bypassing FnP.

 

Or you could see that and just be in the kill them all as soon as possible and take your lumps in the shooting phase camp. I understand that completely as well. I used to use that all the time in third edition, but with this one there is just far too much anti-FnP for my tastes. As is any power weapon DC I field will definately get a chainsword to maximize the CC on that model, but for my standard guys, bolters all the way. But it all boils down to personal preference and tactics. I say go with what feels good and have fun smiting the enemies of the Emperor.

[Brother Evar]

I proxied some DC as my list can run as BA or SM and a good build I found was-

 

x8 DC, x1 PW, x1PF w/bolter, rhino- 250 pts

 

Keep it simple, DC deathstars eat up waay to many pts. I see them as more of a hard counter and support unit. If you want bolters get a tac squad that can actually be a scoring unit that will not rage off an objective, not even contesting it.

[knife&fork]

As is any power weapon DC I field will definately get a chainsword to maximize the CC on that model,

 

Why would you do that? Doesn't give you any more attacks than a bolt pistol, the only thing that happens is that you miss out on the option to shoot the pistol.

 

 

If you want bolters get a tac squad that can actually be a scoring unit that will not rage off an objective, not even contesting it.

 

You don't take the bolter because you want them to act as tacticals. Bolters on DC are more like super charged bolt pistols that gives them more punch before the assault and a larger threat envelope.

[9K Painting]

So to sum up:

 

You want to LESSEN their attacks in CC, so you are locked in HIS turn and then kill the unit you assaulted in HIS turn.

You want to include the bolters both for wound allocation AND softning up the enemy you are charging so you won't loose too many to get ineffective.

With relentless you CAN fire bolters and assault.

 

So we have an awesome unit here, that we need to almost tone down so they won't get shot up in your opponents fire phase, but locked up in combat.

 

Can't wait to play my DC again tonight :P

[Cpt. Blood Donator]

Stealers are prime example. Do I want to charge them, or do I want to but 20 bolters shots in them and then carge?

No-brainer there. And as has been previously said, against any eldar c.c units, this applies by ten fold. Hit on 3+, wound on 3+,

squishy eldars go poof. Only exception would be striking scorpions, but those are screwed no matter how you look at it.

It also makes for a neat drop pod arrival.

[knife&fork]

It also makes for a neat drop pod arrival.

 

And death company with bolters was on the 2nd ed Angels of Death codex front page. Almost enough reason by itself! B)

[1Drop]

Ok so I've had a rather large break from 40k (almost a decade) and I've came back and started another blood angel army starting first with the death company... My first unit includes 7 DC 1 Chaplin 1 DC Dreadnought and Astorath all mounted in a storm raven.. Haha, time to die.

 

So I've armed my 7 DC like this

 

1 dc with powerfist and hand flamer

1 dc with powersword and infernos pistol

1 dc with thunderhammer and bolter

1 dc with chainsword and hand flamer

1 dc with chaninsword and infernos pistol

2 dc with chainsword and bolt pistol (maybe I will upgrade these too)

1 Chaplin with crozius and plasma pistol

1 DC Dreadnought with lightning claws

Astorath (with his usual gear)

Stormraven gunship (haven't thought about weapons for this yet)

 

Yes this unit is overkill to the max but that's what I wanted :lol:

 

Ps.. The stormraven will be painted up DC colours too.

[Tabgoi]

As is any power weapon DC I field will definately get a chainsword to maximize the CC on that model,

 

Why would you do that? Doesn't give you any more attacks than a bolt pistol, the only thing that happens is that you miss out on the option to shoot the pistol.

 

 

I meant bolt pistol, it was a mistype. I had altered that post a few times before I hit the add reply button and got myself turned around.