Blood Angels Tactical Marine Obsession!

[Inquisitor Eisenhorn]

So, I've been a Blood Angels devotee since I was 12, and I'm 31 now.

 

Now, a couple caveats: I haven't played a game of 40k in over 15 years. But I've been painting Blood Angels again for the last 3.

 

At a certain point in the near future I'm going to have far more than enough dudes well painted to play a game if I was so inclined. But here's the thing: I am obsessed with Tactical Marines. But only Blood Angel tacticals.

 

I feel like this is some sort of perverse and stupid compulsion of mine. After all, we're the army that takes assault marines as troops! But I don't care. I just keep building and painting hordes and hordes of tactical marines, because I just love the look of this brutally relentless wave of red marines with glowing green eyes rapid firing you into oblivion.

 

Now, even if I'm not really playing to the most specific strength of the Blood Angels, they're still basically 'codex' right? So I'm not too far off in thinking they still field a lot of tacticals?

 

Basically, I kind of wanted to hear if people think that running a ton of tactical marines as Blood Angels seems like kind of a cool thing to do, and if it might be OK (i.e. I won't get completely stomped if I played a game). From my very unscientific survey of 6th edition chatter, it seems like shooty marines are somewhat better than they used to be.

 

What sort of other stuff should I build into my list? Some Baal Predators? Or should I skip tanks and get some Stormravens?

 

I basically want my Blood Angels to be just a red meat grinder that slowly pushes you into the sea, and if you get close enough to them, well they're Blood Angels and they'll rip you to shreds.

 

Thoughts?

[alejandrinus]

I think for the painting/playable side tactical terminator squad are good now, and a 10 terminator squad with two cyclones or two assault cannons with green glowing eyes are always a challange for painting, also in the same line of painting/playable unit that looks awesome are either Honour guards and Sternguards. Can you post some of those BA tactical squads ...pleeease :) ?

[DominicJ]

Two words

Drop

Pods

 

five tactical squads

plasma rifles

drop pods

 

add an 8 man assault squad led by a captain, a couple of dreddies a five man tactical squad so uyou can reserve your cap with the assaults.

 

Or just start with sixty tacitals on the board, scary as hell to see it

[thade]

I use two to four tactical squads with each list, never fielding more than one assault team (at times it's a Vanguard) and seldom any jump teams. One to two tactical squads will be full ten and have upgrades (typically a meltagun and a lascannon) while the others will be 8-9 strong so I can fit one to two ICs in there with them (an apothecary/Sanguine Priest counts-as and possibly a melee-kitted Captain or Librarian). I support them with a melee team (a Vanguard, typically) and mid to long range fire-support (ML Devs, Vindicator, a Rifleman Dread, and the like).

 

I mount the tacticals up in Rhinos, but I'm playing with the idea of using Drop Pods again (haven't tried since the edition change). Still, Tacs can now effectively walk and shoot places, so a gun-line is something I'm also considering a shot at.

 

Basically, I operate on the exact premise you're asking about, except I deny myself most of the BA-specific goodies (for fluff reasons). So, yes, it's doable. :)

 

(I run a DIY Chapter that is, fluff-wise, a Salamanders successor chapter; I use the BA codex so I can field apothecaries as if they're champs (and at least one per 600 points I field) and otherwise disallow myself from using the BA-centric stuff: no Baals, no DC, no Storm Ravens, no Saguinary Guard, etc.)

 

EDIT: Addendums.

[Inquisitor Eisenhorn]

Here are some of said tactical marines.

 

http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/4061/bloodangelsgroup1.jpg

http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/8693/bloodangel2final.jpg

http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/2190/sergeantfinal.jpg

http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/3493/bloodangel1final.jpg

http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/5810/bloodangelbattledamage.jpg

[Inquisitor Eisenhorn]

Thanks for all the quick replies! Yeah, I will be doing some terminator (tacticals, of course) for sure in the near future. Drop pods! I hadn't considered that, but what a wicked thought...

 

So glad to hear that Tacticals are viable.

 

Sorry I don't have more pics of my marines; I got into learning how to take pics last fall, but my setup is currently in the closet, so all I have are these few over-saturated pics. Also, since the carroburg crimson wash was released, I have been able to make them a little more 'battle-worn' looking. Although getting my marines to this level of overall precision and highlighting/shading was a breakthrough for me at the time.

[thade]

Your models look great, by the way. B)

[Cain Tiberius Kondrad]

Nicely painted figures Inquisitor_Eisenhorn :)

 

I'm in a very similar boat to yourself. I've collected since 14, now 31. I can count the number of games I've had in last 10 years on 1 hand. So I understand your perspective.

 

You're probably going to get stomped in your first few games purely because you haven't played for so long. But I think Tacticals are probably going to become a staple in many BA force with the onset of 6th Ed. Now our assaults have a variable assault range (could be 6", could be 1"...) We also have to deal with Overwatch, which means our assault units get shot to bits on the charge. Aaand... Descent of Angels is less effective. (If you arrive by DoA, you can't use jump packs to perform the Hammer of Wrath that turn)

I'm not saying Assault Squads will disappear, but I think Tacticals will take up the mantle somewhat. Besides if you keep Wargear and options to a minimum, you could field enough figures on the table to make anyone nervus, lol.

 

Good luck bud! And hope to see more soon.

 

CTK

[Xenith]

I have used tacticals in every game I have played with the BA. In 6th I haven't played a game without 2 squads.

 

They do well. Damage output isn't massive (until you invest in plasma), but they are a tough scoring unit.

 

The fact that they heavy weapon can snap fire, and you can move and shoot at 24" takes away the crutch of having to keep them still to be effective. I've used 2 full squads with a priest (usually Corbulo) to just go and stand on objectives and hold the midfield while my assaulty elements go and hassle the opponent. 10 furious charging tac marines with corbulo will also surprise many opponents at the amount of hurt that they can dish out in combat.

 

Numbers are your friend. If you can put 40+ FNP marines on the table at 1500, any opponent will have a hard time shifting that. Just make sure to back them up against what they are weak against, like battle cannons. Librarians with things like invisibility, shield of Sanguinius and telekine dome are good assets.