Getting some firepower for my BA's...

[MadMek83]

Alrighty, now after 6 games, 2 wins 2 draws and 4 losses in past 2 weeks. I am about to realize what my BA's lack (other than their commander ((yours truly)) is incompotent and lacks strategic abilties):

 

Firepower, lot'sa firepower. Now funny thing is, I started DoA because its simplier to carry and make as painting vehicles were and still kinda are rather bane for me though my painted dreadnoughts do show some hope, but is that my dice luck is almost unbeatable when it comes to shooting phase. I shoot and assault and then my dices usually start hating me... Also all other players seem to know: "He is BA, he is going to come at us no need to move) as for some weird reason for 6 games all have been annhilation or matches without capturing objectives (Gods of dices seem to dislike me). Still shooting and assaulting usually shreds regular troops enough fast but I get over run by more numerous troops, the firepower I face upto 24" is usually quite impressive with rapidfiring bolters, meltas... and my units usually get tarpitted some character or model with INV 4 or INV 3 saves...

 

so like a Bladricks immortal way: "I have a cunning plan"... that involves some serious tank shocks and lot of (big) guns with medium to long range.

 

Currently my arsenal is:

 

6x Devs: 2 mutlimelta and 2x las cannons and a bolter trooper

6x Devs: 2x Plasma cannons and 2 missiles and a bolter trooper

 

Rifleman dreadnought 2x twinolinked autocannons to keep my opponents at bay, threatning their rhinos and razorbacks.

ball Predator TLAC and Hb sponsons. More Dakka = Good

2 x Razorbacks with TLAC = Even more dakka is even better.

 

I am considering getting 2 more Razorbacks and give 'em las-plas' and get a Predator with Autocannon and Lascannon sponsons. Predator longrange fire suppress and lass' to threatten longer range units and anything with armor.

 

Is this viable solution? I am considering getting a landraider and landraider crusader. One for my nutter bro co (DC) and Other for my: hammernators and termy saguinary priest.

 

Basic idea: Fire as much I can, shoot them, give them shell shock, then: tankshock 'em and bring on the RAS capturing objectives (if any) and Termies or Nutterbro's digging enemy out of positions and/or sweeping remains... Of Course stormraven could be handy too, blod strike missiles, multimelta na lascannons... bit expensive but highly potential, especially brinning DC Dread, lemmy and 5 nutter bro's into enemys weakspot...

 

I didn't got Devs for gaming I just loved the big guns... but seems I need to use more variable tactics or atleast options. Using tanks can give other ideas and new perspective.

[Abraxes]

I feel your pain of having the dice gods against you in a shooting phase when you're in a real crunch. I've played a lot of games against Tau (before the new BA codex came out) and my opponent and I always seemed to draw annihilation matches for whatever reason. Bloody dice. This usually resulted in desperate attempts to cross the board as fast as possible while my opposite number hosed me down with all kinds of long range sorrow. To counter this situation (somewhat) I learned to love my dev squads really fast.

 

So on that note, I'd consider dropping the las-cannon devs as I find they're just way too expensive for 1x marine no matter how much pain he can dish out. I faithfully run a 6x man dev squad with 1x sergeant, 1x bolter guy (who has the same overall purpose as that red shirt security guy from the original Star Trek episodes, IE: he's the first to die) and 4x missile addicts. At 10 points a pop you get 4x shots of either frag template or solid krak all at 48'' range. I try to deploy this group somewhere centerline of the table so that I can potentially hit anything from left to right.

 

I always pair the same dev unit with a TLLC / HK missile razorback which adds the las effect you're looking for while also providing a bit of a bunker effect for the deployed dev squad once they're in position. The razor and the devs almost always fire at the same target for added effect and sheer killy-ness.

 

Plasma's an option but I never take anything plasma. Every time I have in the past, said unit got hot and left a smouldering crater in his wake...all to the malign laughter of my opponent. Right. Check. Missiles it is then. But that's just me.

 

Devs are always a juicy target for your enemy. If you're playing a solid DoA list however, I tend to find that his target priorities are focused on the kids dropping out of the skies onto his doorstep.

 

Food for thought for ya.

Cheers!

[Rybnick]

I love devestators in my DoA list, I usually field at least one full squad of 10 and a squad of 5. The 10 man squad is equipped with 4x missile launchers, and the 5 man squad is usually either 2x lascannon or 2x plasma canons sometimes I toss in a foot priest as well for FnP but not always.

The reason I like 10 man squads with missile launchers is being able to split fire between two targets. The plasma/lascannon marines have a nice buffer of 2 extra wounds in a 5 man squad, ocassionaly I bump them up to 10 man squads size w/ 2x plasma cannon and 2x lascannon once again to split fire (Srg w/ the Lascannon squad for BS5 shots on one).

It's expensive for sure but in an all doa list they give a nice target that always has cover and sometimes FnP or fearless from redthirst (I love to see those 1's for my Dev's!) to distract my enemies from my 30 assault marines jumping across the board.

[Emperors Immortals]

Not sure what the rest of the army looks like, but id suggest 1-2 "heavyGunner" Dreads - TL Autocannon and Assault cannon to give good anti-transport and anti-infantry capabilities, seriously at least try these guys out i love them (thanks to Capt Idaho for the idea, there to compliment the Rifleman pattern). At about 120 pts i think its well worth it. 2 podding in with any heavy weapon you choose and a missile launcher will kill a healthy amount of enemy in a very impressive display of firepower, but usually last only 1-2 turns.This is a very fun tactic.

 

Next, you can move up to 12" and still fire all weapons on ALL BA Rhino chassis variants thanks to Lucifer engines - (this includes the Baal predator, the Rhino, the Razorback, the vindicator, the regular predator and the whirlwind) or up to 18 without firing in order to set up or tank shock. LEARN IT - ive found that a massive amount of firepower can be pumped out by 2 Predators that just moved 12 inches into a prime firing position, and the Baal variant also scouts - which is crazy good.

This also means we can potentially move 6-7 TL AC equipped vehicles Backs and Preds) 12 inches and then open fire - take that Eldar scum!!!!!

 

In the end take what you like teh look of - i run a lot of plasma and heavy bolters against a lot of advice and manage to win a great deal of my matches, but make sure its fast and satisfying.

[AustonT]

Not surprisingly not a popular option, but I run to Vindi's and they ALWAYS pay for themselves in KPs and FOC points. It's worth proxying to try.

[Inquisitor_Lensoven]

if you're worried about big tanks like a pred or whirlwind, but your dreads are looking good, i'd say go with a speeder squadron. a heavy bolter and assault cannon or two can provide some bang. not going to be hugely effective against heavy armor, but should work on most things, and give you some stand off range. not amazingly survivable either but again will give you quite a few extra heavy shots.

[MadMek83]

thanks guys. All suggestions are great. Land speeder or two might be good my DoA. However I have decided to do following my mechanized:

 

get:

 

1 Vindicator. Fast BIG GUN vehicle. Combine that with fast baal predators its good.

1 more baal, getting 2 Baals and a Assault-cannon-Las-sponson Predator gives 3 AV13 vehicles that can move 12" and fire. 4 With Vindicator.

1 Stormraven. Delivering my Lemmy and 5 DC jump packers with my DC Dreadnought. Having nice threat with 4x blood strike missiles, str 8 and AP1 with 72" range. Of course I will not take this always. With Vidicator and predators on table with storm raven it gives opponents hard time to priortize their targets. Stormraven alone is potent threat to almost any armor in game even if it lurks beyond 48" range.

 

I love idea Heavy Gunner dread. I might actually try put: 10x ASM without jump packs (but since storm raven is not dedicated transport they don't get -35p I think) in storm raven with non-JP librarian (blood lance and shield of sanguinius) with non-JP priest and drop them and heavy gunner dread on my enemys face. Alot dakka when predators and others speed up. That would give alot firepower on medium range after storm raven has bit soften things up. ASM's would then shoot and assault while Gunner dread provides stunning amount shots and tanks close elsewhere... I have FnP and invul shield around my ASM's when they depart (in theory) and might cover even dread.

 

I do like Whirlwind and I might get it just so I can paint it. Of course there's always something I've wanted to try: bloody rodeo taking one fast attack slot. 3 or 4 bikes (srgt PF and 2 mel taguns) with attack bike w/mm

 

But I try to get AV13 tank shock up and running which I can help with Stormraven comming later delivering 12 nasty model (10 ASMS, Libby and priest) and a dreadnought. (Furioso or Gunner)

 

I would then put 4 Razorbacks with 5 ASM's each as troop choices armed with TLAC's and Las-Plas (just 2 if I bring 10 ASMS with stormraven, depending on points of course). I should give enough AV13 tanks to shock and enough firepower to make my opponents ultramarines' glog their power armours waiste disposal units... "They shall not know fear" is not "and they doesn't not need to change undies"... ;)

 

The main idea is great: I don't need to paint any jump packs for while!!!

[Freman Bloodglaive]

All my Devastators run five men with four missile launchers. That said, at the moment I haven't played Blood Angels with them. At five points more than a rifleman, with a Priest (Fabius Bile will be my foot priest) to give FnP (I'd say take two squads before taking the Priest), they should be pretty resilient in cover.