Death Company Analysis - Are you scared?

[knife&fork]

Neither of them have fleet....

 

I think someone has been looking at the old 'dex.

[SnorriSnorrison]

Neither of them have fleet....

 

I think someone has been looking at the old 'dex.

 

Lemartes has fleet in his profile, doesn't he?

[JamesI]

Neither of them have fleet....

 

I think someone has been looking at the old 'dex.

Dc didn't have fleet then either.

 

DC dreads are fleet, DC Tycho is fleet, Mephsiton is fleet. It is reasonable to speculate that at one point in development DC had fleet and it was removed.

[Spuck]

Argh, that's right. Neither DC nor Lem. My bad @:)

[Zealadin]

Question: According to the rules of Rage in the FAQ, units with Rage always make a consolidation move in the combat phase of D6", wouldn't this make the unit rather hard to kite if they are moving 6" (or 12" with JP), running D6", consolidating D6". With good rolls no one should be able to back pedal effectively, without either losing all shooting to maintain range by also running, or by being caught if the DC start close enough.

You can't charge the first turn you do this but it should put you in range.

 

Also boltguns have the additional bonus of being able to glance rear armour 10 when you are being kited by a vehicle if your opponent isn't too smart, or to provide a bit of range in these situations thanks to relentless.

[JamesI]

Zealadin, you don't consolidate in the assault phase unless you have won a combat.

[Abraxes]

Great article Snorri!

 

I love the DC and always field them every game...although not in overly large numbers to date. Your post comes at a good time as I've been thinking about fielding a much larger JP DC themed army at the 1800+ pt mark or beyond.

 

Even in a smaller capacity and working with what I have now, I personally find that JP DC work amazingly well with properly kitted out VV and Furiosos / Death Dreds and Baals in a mutual support role. My scouting Baals and DS'ing VV make the initial hole (PW + SS equipped) causing some disarray and removing the biggest threat to where I'm going to land my follow-on DC units. Advancing dreads and RB transported Devastator missile addicts close the noose all under the guidance of chaplains / reclusiarchs.

 

The synergy works very well between these units and play very well to the heightened mobility offered by the BA codex.

 

Rage doesn't really bother me so long as I land multiple units of DC via JP in the enemy's backyard. Once you're there, the DC do what they do best. The order in which they do it is of little consequence IMHO. Watching my enemy squirm and try to react is the best part of the game. This can also buy you time to move your elites into hammering range if they're foot sloggin' it out (or whatever your 2nd line is comprised of).

 

Of course, like anything DS oriented, if rolls for DoA and initial counter attack saves go entirely south, this style of army gets bloodied very quickly and can leave you mired and/or hopelessly outnumbered right on the enemy's doorstep. Not a good thing to say the least.

 

The gamble and astronomical pts cost is so worth the gamble however cuz' in the end...that's how the BA roll baby!

 

Just kickin' in my 2 cents.

 

Cheers!

[Zealadin]

Zealadin, you don't consolidate in the assault phase unless you have won a combat.

 

"In the Assault Phase they must always consolidate towards the closest visible enemy".

 

Surely it would say "When consolidating they must always move towards the closest visible enemy" if that was the case.

This wording suggests they must always make a consolidation move in the assault phase.

[JamesI]

Zealadin, you don't consolidate in the assault phase unless you have won a combat.

 

"In the Assault Phase they must always consolidate towards the closest visible enemy".

 

Surely it would say "When consolidating they must always move towards the closest visible enemy" if that was the case.

This wording suggests they must always make a consolidation move in the assault phase.

And there is no consolidation move unless they have won a combat.

[Zealadin]

If rage necessitates a forced consolidation move in the assault phase that would replace the need to have won a combat.

[SnorriSnorrison]

If rage necessitates a forced consolidation move in the assault phase that would replace the need to have won a combat.

 

Rage forces a consolidation move, that is true. However, there is no consolidation unless you have won a combat, just as JamesI said. Without combat, the assault phase for the DC is just a turn in which they don't move(after the English rules).

 

The necessity of the consolidation means that you have no choice to not consolidate after a won combat. Rage does not turn over the whole concept of a game turn. :ermm:

 

 

@ Abraxes:

 

Thanks man, glad you like it!

 

I've found that JP DC are the only ones I really want to field. Rage has never been an issue for me, even when my opponent tried to bait them around the battlefield with fast vehicles. Your concept seems like it could work really well, but as you said, luck plays a vital role in your strategy, especially reserve rolls.

As I always say: Fortuna favours the brave. :P

 

 

Snorri

[Morollan]

Rage dictates the direction of a consolidate move. It does not allow you to make such a move if not otherwise entitled.

[spartan II]

ive a question if the dc is as shown below can it still embark if in movement range)

 

stormraven dc enemy

 

thanks in advance

[SnorriSnorrison]

ive a question if the dc is as shown below can it still embark if in movement range)

 

stormraven dc enemy

 

thanks in advance

 

I believe they can if they end their movement within 2" of the base of the Stormraven.

 

 

 

Snorri

[spartan II]

thanks rather imprtant question since you can solve rage by just having a transport nearby than which lets face it in BA is not that hard with fast over al our vehicles xp

[Khorneeq]

Really nice article, and written in such a clear way to read :D

I'm fielding them nearly always, but lately without a chaplain (after reading some of Morticon's battreps).

Chaplain (or Reculsiarch) is quite pricy and if You can't guarantee charge his Liturgies are wasted- so DC go with Chappy only in Land Raider. Without Chaplain they can zoom fast in rhino, pop smoke and charge in 2nd turn... and it's much cheaper option, which means that they get little less opponets love ^_^

[SnorriSnorrison]

Really nice article, and written in such a clear way to read :)

 

Thanks mate, I'm glad you like it! :)

 

I'm fielding them nearly always, but lately without a chaplain (after reading some of Morticon's battreps).

Chaplain (or Reculsiarch) is quite pricy and if You can't guarantee charge his Liturgies are wasted- so DC go with Chappy only in Land Raider. Without Chaplain they can zoom fast in rhino, pop smoke and charge in 2nd turn... and it's much cheaper option, which means that they get little less opponets love ;)

 

They can work without a Chaplain/Reclusiarch, certainly. However, the pain they bring on the charge is superior to anything I know from any other Marine codex(even Thunderwolves!). Yes, they are expensive, but a Chaplain is only what, 100 points? So much hurt for so little points :o

 

And I may say that your example why the Chaplain is not worth it might be a bit...unfortunate. You are saying that you can't guarantee the charge, then say in the following sentence that you wait a turn, pop smoke and charge out of the rhino. :)

 

It's just that you don't need a lot of bodies in the squad when you have the Chaplain/Reclusiarch/Lemartes in there. The squad is cheaper, which allows you to buy the Chaplain in the first place, but puts out more damage. Let's say instead of 10 DC in a Rhino w/ various wargear, you buy 6 and add a Chaplain/Reclusiarch, throw a few PW in there and a Fist/Hammer, you're good to go.

 

In the end, it's down to your local meta and they way you like to play them. ^_^

 

 

 

For me, JP DC work best. Expensive as hell, but Lemartes compensates these costs when opening a big can of juicy whoopass!

 

 

 

Snorri

[shortysl]

My best mate and regular gaming partner fields around 6 Death Company with Jump Packs and sticks Lemartes in with them. He doesn't spend an awful lot on special weapons but then he doesn't need to.

 

I am not ashamed to say that the Death Company scare the CRAP out of me. They are nigh on impossible to kill, when taken in context with the rest of his army, they move like lightning and they kill whatever they hit, often in the first round of combat. These, to me, are not just likely, they are facts.

[Xenith]

The DC have had a place in every BA army I have played with since I started collecting BA in 1999.

 

The fear that they cause with the threat of what they will do is only surpassed by what they actually do.

 

Snorri, I have been running:

 

8xDC, JP, 2 powerfists, Lemartes, and they generally kick ass, but I feel can be tweaked to perfection (10man with 2 fists, 6 man 1 fist?) to get more bang for my buck. What squad loadout do you usually run?

[SnorriSnorrison]

The DC have had a place in every BA army I have played with since I started collecting BA in 1999.

 

The fear that they cause with the threat of what they will do is only surpassed by what they actually do.

 

Snorri, I have been running:

 

8xDC, JP, 2 powerfists, Lemartes, and they generally kick ass, but I feel can be tweaked to perfection (10man with 2 fists, 6 man 1 fist?) to get more bang for my buck. What squad loadout do you usually run?

 

Everything you say is true, mate. They are a lot like Chaos Knights from WHFB - their reputation wins them more battles than their actual damage output. :P

 

Here's what I field in my usual 1750 games:

 

5 DC, JP, 2 Powerweapons, Lemartes 355 pts

 

I keep them hidden behind buildings a turn, make sure they don't run out in the open with nothing to charge. Works better if your opponent is not advancing from several directions(in other words: block LoS ;) ).

 

They usually kill Thunderwolves and a Thunderwolf Lord, normal Terminators, Ork Nobz and Warboss, normal mobz of boyz and before the Nids got those Lash Whips, they killed Warriors èn masse, and a Carnifex from now and then. I support them with a unit of either Sanguinary Guard(to get down 3++ Terminators) or an assault squad if necessary, and may it only be to have some ablative wounds in CC. Most of the time however, the Assault Marines keep Dreads away from my DC(Meltaguns!).

 

Lemartes has been worth every point I ever invested in him, period.

 

 

Your squad is very expensive at first glance. Of course on the other hand, it is very durable against enemy fire and can bring the pain to almost anything it touches.

While I usually tend to field expensive squads, adding two more marines to the DC might not be worth it in the end. You could try to add powerweapons instead of fists to gain more high-strenght high-initiative attacks. It will probably make enough damage to kill anything off before you need any powerfists. ;)

 

 

Have you tried a Stormraven by any chance? It allows you to take a 4 men squad w/ all Powerweapons, no JP and Lemartes to rock a dang heavy party! I have tried this configuration with great success! And they are a lot cheaper thanks to the missing JP.

Furthermore, the Stormraven is a great tank opener as well to get your DC ready for the slaughter!

 

 

I hope that was helpful for you!

 

 

Snorri

[Morollan]

I've found that even a small squad is capable of inflicting horrendous damage when a Chaplain or Reclusiarch is included. I often field 5 + chaplain in a razorback. It's about 300 points all in but is absolutely terrifying on the charge.

[Drunken Angel]

Thanks Snorri I have taken this onboard over the last 3 months and now run 5 DC with Lemartes all have jump packs and ride in Lemartes own Storm Raven with a heavy flamer DC dread and blood talons in the hold. I keep a thunder hammer and powerfist in the DC with one power weapon relying on Lemartes charge and the Dread to lay down the high initiative power weapon hurt.

The 2 standard DC are ablative wounds for Lemartes.

Lemartes plus 2 DC with JPs = 220 points for that I get a 4 wound model with eternal warrior on the first 2 wounds (feed in the 2 ablative DC) who cant be instajibbed either on the first 2 wounds. It gets better though. This unit hands out 4 power weapon and 8 standard attacks at mixed initiative and strength rerolling hits and wounds on the charge. What other 220 point model can do that ?

[knife&fork]

I don't understand why people neglect the infernus pistol. That melta shot is more important to have than a power weapon, imho.

[Drunken Angel]

I don't understand why people neglect the infernus pistol. That melta shot is more important to have than a power weapon, imho.

 

You are right that was my next step I put this guy together because I think the DC would benefit from at least one melta I intend to drop the power weapon for the next few games

 

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y223/Weathered/th_P3130003.jpg

Its a clickable thumbnail

[Morollan]

I don't understand why people neglect the infernus pistol. That melta shot is more important to have than a power weapon, imho.

 

The main problem is that you need to be within 3" of a vehicle to get the full effect. I tend to rely on other elements of the army to pop transports and let the DC do what they do best.