Death Company is awesome!

[Enzephalon]

Hi guys.

Finished the modelling on this squad. One guy and Lemartes are still missing.

I used some bits of the Dark Angel sprue because I think they fit the "grim reaper style" quite well.

 

One may complain about them being a little bit over the top, but that's my understanding of 40k.

Further they may look a little bit random right now, but hey... it's the death company, a bunch of gone mad berserkers thrown into battle in form of a loosely ordered squad.

Paint will tie them together too.

 

Have fun!

 

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2011/5/24/225978_md-.JPG

 

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http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2011/5/24/225977_md-.JPG

[cptphoenixck]

There's no such thing as over the top with the charnel guard ;-), and these are brilliant.

[And_One]

Where did you get those sweet power swords?

The DA sprue?

 

I get tired of my bog-standard ones...

[Enzephalon]

Where did you get those sweet power swords?

The DA sprue?

 

I get tired of my bog-standard ones...

Indeed.

They are on the sprue that came with my attack bikes. But it's a sprue that also comes with a few other kits. They won't be difficult to get a hand on I guess.

[Cpt. Blood Donator]

Where did you get those sweet power swords?

The DA sprue?

 

I get tired of my bog-standard ones...

Indeed.

They are on the sprue that came with my attack bikes. But it's a sprue that also comes with a few other kits. They won't be difficult to get a hand on I guess.

 

They're indeed on the D.A upgrade sprue. So I guess there should be like three of those in a ravenwing battleforce.

 

Also, ebay. Most different power weapons run 1.5 pound each from the various bit stores. Put an order on 10 different, and you're golden. Even easier now that NFW from the new GK boxes are up.

 

And BRILLIANT models!

[Enzephalon]

I have to tell you... I absolutely love my DC squad. Fielded them today in my 900 point mech army as a 5 man squad with reclusiarch in a razorback against Black Templar. They crashed into a 9 man squad of Initiates with the Emperors champion attached to them (Accept any challenge). Wiped them out in one turn even though I had no power weapons due to the low point limit. It was amazing!

 

Any great stories of your DC?

You have the permission to hijack this thread. ^^

[JamesI]

I love the DC models. I use them to make Vanguard, Sternguard, Honor Guard, Sergeants, cooler Assault Marines.

 

But on the table, not a fan.

[Enzephalon]

I love the DC models. I use them to make Vanguard, Sternguard, Honor Guard, Sergeants, cooler Assault Marines.

 

But on the table, not a fan.

Why not?

What are the major drawbacks in your opinion. Do you play mech, hybrid, descent of angels?

 

I'd appreciate your expertise if you don't mind.

[toaae]

What are the major drawbacks in your opinion.

 

Rage.

 

The biggest reason all Blood Angels aren't featuring a Death Company unit in every list is because of rage.

[Enzephalon]

What are the major drawbacks in your opinion.

 

Rage.

 

The biggest reason all Blood Angels aren't featuring a Death Company unit in every list is because of rage.

That's why I put them into a transport. Smack them into the face of your opponent. Target one of his more expensive units.

The major aim for me concerning a unit is that they make back their points. Everything further is just a bonus.

[shatter]

My biggest problem with them is the inconsistent interpretation of the Rage USR.

In some places, they move as a unit to satisfy Rage, in others literally all models must move towards nearest enemy. Annoying as all hell when players believe their impression of RAI > RAW.

[JamesI]

I love the DC models. I use them to make Vanguard, Sternguard, Honor Guard, Sergeants, cooler Assault Marines.

 

But on the table, not a fan.

Why not?

What are the major drawbacks in your opinion. Do you play mech, hybrid, descent of angels?

 

I'd appreciate your expertise if you don't mind.

I generally play DoA, sometimes with some shooters.

 

But even when I play hybrid, my experience with DC says in a rhino they will be screwed as rhinos die easy. In a Land Raider they can work, but at that point I'd rather take assault terminators.

 

And I hate dealing with rage. locally, people tend to use the idea that each model must move towards the nearest visible enemy, so no rage manipulations.

[SnorriSnorrison]

I generally play DoA, sometimes with some shooters.

 

But even when I play hybrid, my experience with DC says in a rhino they will be screwed as rhinos die easy. In a Land Raider they can work, but at that point I'd rather take assault terminators.

 

And I hate dealing with rage. locally, people tend to use the idea that each model must move towards the nearest visible enemy, so no rage manipulations.

 

I see your point on Rage, but I've never had a problem with that. After the German rules, a unit with that special rule is forced to charge if possible, so there is another drawback. And I use Jumppacks. Expensive, yes. Uncontrollable, even more! Devastating? Certainly. :P

 

Being forced to charge anything is quite nice, actually. I think it fits the Blood Angels style of fighting. After the DC is unleashed, it is the best for them to move forward and kill something. Has worked for me almost every time since then.

Then, I don't play on tournaments. But I guess that even if one is against 'competitive' mech lists, the DC can bring the pain no matter the odds. Especially with Lemartes. :P

 

 

 

Snorri

[JamesI]

I generally play DoA, sometimes with some shooters.

 

But even when I play hybrid, my experience with DC says in a rhino they will be screwed as rhinos die easy. In a Land Raider they can work, but at that point I'd rather take assault terminators.

 

And I hate dealing with rage. locally, people tend to use the idea that each model must move towards the nearest visible enemy, so no rage manipulations.

 

I see your point on Rage, but I've never had a problem with that. After the German rules, a unit with that special rule is forced to charge if possible, so there is another drawback. And I use Jumppacks. Expensive, yes. Uncontrollable, even more! Devastating? Certainly. ;)

 

Being forced to charge anything is quite nice, actually. I think it fits the Blood Angels style of fighting. After the DC is unleashed, it is the best for them to move forward and kill something. Has worked for me almost every time since then.

Then, I don't play on tournaments. But I guess that even if one is against 'competitive' mech lists, the DC can bring the pain no matter the odds. Especially with Lemartes. :)

 

 

 

Snorri

The problem is, especially in an enviornment where rage is per model not per unit, kiting the DC around is really easy.

[SnorriSnorrison]

The problem is, especially in an enviornment where rage is per model not per unit, kiting the DC around is really easy.

 

Yes, it really is. I have found that jp-equipped DC tend to get kited very easily, but one can work against that by either deepstriking them in the middle of the table when some of the other cc orientated units are already engaged or run them on the flanks, block their LoS with tanks(such as Baal Predators) and make the way free until something squishy is in range. With Lemartes, their charge is utterly devastating.

And, thanks due to the 12" movement, it is hard to keep them from reaching the enemy's lines. Of course, it is your decision. Personally, I would never run them in a Rhino/Razorback but always with Jumppacks.

 

 

Snorri

[Brother_Byhlli]

In DoA, can DC be useful dropping onto a flank, close to enemies?

 

It was mentioned in another thread that a common response to DoA is flank refusal. Seems to me that bunching up your units in one area when there's hungry DC around is a recipe for *something* getting hella-mooshed....

 

Edit: what I was thinking with my original question was dropping the majority of my DoA on one side of the battlefield and then dropping a smallish unit of DC with Lemartes right on the other side of the board. There's only one way you can kite those guys and that's right into the rest of your army....

[Leonaides]

Problem being that they'd simply be too far out of range to be a threat, so there's not even any need to kite them anywhere...

[Demoulius]

What's not to love...

 

Rage USR :tu:

[SamaNagol]

15pt Jump Packs.

[JamesI]

I used DC for the first time in a long time today.

 

They didn't do much, but that was because I managed to shoot down the demonettes they could have charged (though I wasn't unhappy they took out the demonettes in shooting). Then they got charged by a demon prince and held him for a few turns, but rolled badly and didn't kill it.

[JMac]

I think the real problem with death company is what they are up against in force organisation options.

 

First, their jump packs are way overpriced versus a RAS that gets them on sale.

Second, they don't count as scoring.

Third, the rage really puts the nail in the coffin because you need a transport to get them where they need to go seeing as they're jump packs are overpriced.

 

I LOVE the fluff behind them and I love the Death Company Dreadnought even more, which is the only real reason I run death company. However, I keep them cheap.

 

1 bolter/power fist

2 bolter/ccw

2 bolt pistol/ccw

 

I run this squad, weighing in at 125 pts, with a Death Company Dread in a storm raven. I wouldn't dare run the actual death company into anything overpowering. Use them to take out positional shooters such as long fangs, dev squads, generally any heavy weapon teams.

 

What is wrong with the Death Company? NOTHING!

Why do people not take them? There are simply better options for the blood angels. Our RAS are so dominant with their DoA and they count as scoring.

[BA.Rauk]

The Death Company price in general is awful- having to pay regular prices for weapon upgrades and such a crazy price each for Jump packs is just atrocious and prevents many from taking them in their army.

Rage is the other one, as JMac said. The lack of scoring isn't as awful as most would think, using them as a supporting assault unit has worked well for me in the past. The big things that could be done to make them better, IMO :

 

1) Give them back rending (as in the PDF) and allow you to take a PF in the unit on a 1 per 5 basis.

2) Cheapen up the Jump Pack price to 5 each. At least then it would cost the same to give 10 of them jump packs or a rhino so there is at least some kind of choice in the matter.

3) Change the Black Rage to only force you to charge if you are within charge range of an enemy, rather then just blanketing it as the current Rage USR (which is crap). This would at least allow us to control their movement, but force them into combat whenever possible. It would also allow people to still bait them with things and feed them piece meal units, allowing it to still be considered a drawback. Hell, even increase their price to 24 or 25 each to incorporate the cost for rending.

 

Keeping them the same as they are currently with dropping PW from possible upgrades and giving the 3 added changes to them I suggested would go a long way towards making them a staple once again in our army IMO. I love to use them and love to have them on the field, but when having DC in your army automatically gives your list a "Fun" composition marking you know there's something wrong. I'd automatically put them back into all of my lists if something similar to these changes were to happen.