DeathCompany 6th Ed-How to Equip?

[The_Excubitors]

The question is as advertised--How do you equip your Death company now that AP is so important for melee? I am currently staring at 10 arm less legs/torsos and wondering how to send these madmen into the field for the their last great battle.

 

I have had a busy year and have played NO games in the new edition of 40k yet....However the snow fell today in Montreal and Warhammer season has officially begun. I need to catch up fast and must rely on you learned and worthy commanders as to how I shall claim victory over the coming season.

 

I understand the RAS tactics are done with and I must begin footslogging (or i should say jump packing) to victory--- fine by me! That is how it always should have been.

 

So... are jumppack DC popular again? Are bolters the standard armament for footslogging DC who aren't elected to carry the special weapons or has that changed back to close combat gear? Most importantly.... what configurations of power axes/swords/fists and LCS have people worked out to be working rations for tournament armies?

 

All help is greatly appreciated, and will be put to good use in the name of the Imperium and our Primarch.

[JamesI]

well, since my DC were painted for me by someone far more talented than I am I haven't touched their armament. Basically a few with fists, a few with power swords (they were put together in 5th so swords/axes was irrelevant) and a few with bolters. They do have jump packs, mostly since I am a huge jump pack guy.

 

If I had the ability, I'd swap those fists/swords into a few axes.

[CitadelArmyGuy]

For an 8-man DC, I run either 2 Axes or 1 Fist 1 Sword. For a 10 Man unit, two special melee weapons are still just fine but adding a third one isn't a bad choice either. I wouldn't take more than 3 specials in 10-man though.

 

The cheap excellent option is Axes. AP2 and Strength 6 on the Charge makes them great Medium Infantry killers, and can still mutually destroy Heavy Infantry in a pinch. The best all-around option is Power Fists but they're also the most expensive of course. 2 Axes are only 5pts more than 1 Fist, and will inflict more damage against most targets except when Instant Death or Armor Value comes into play.

 

For me, Jump-Pack and Drop-Pod Death Company are tied for the best way to actually employ them followed by an Assault Ramps transport. If you take Jump Pack DC, use their Descent of Angels rule for best effect-- they will reliably arrive on Turn 2, saving them an entire round of shooting where the opponent could try to nuke them. Also, since all their Feel No Pain, Furious Charge and Fearless are built in, the DoA DC are uniquely suited to operating outside range of Sanguinary Priests--- so using DoA to drop in safely on a Diversion location can be really powerful. Also arriving Turn2 instead of Turn1 (Pod-DC) means the battlefield situation has time to develop before you commit them. Just don't points them up too much-- DoA DC will achieve Turn 3 charge, which is fine if your Strategy for that game revolves around being able to wait that long.

[Zedrenael]

I run a 10 man squad with 5 power axes and 5 power swords with bolters.

[DominicJ]

Bolters, fists, pod.

 

As cag says, axes are better than fists, unless you need id or at.

 

I expect mine to eventualy face the enemy hq and his retinue, its worth putting a couple of axe hits on a stormshield captain to save his honour guards, its not worth it with fists.

 

Axes with fc can just about hurt defilers, but fists have a much easier time of it.

[The Milkman Of Baal]

I see noone seems to run with Lemartes, any reson for this or is he just not worth it?

[knife&fork]

I see noone seems to run with Lemartes, any reson for this or is he just not worth it?

General AP nerf to crozius and difficulty of safely trigger his rage.

[The Milkman Of Baal]

I see noone seems to run with Lemartes, any reson for this or is he just not worth it?

General AP nerf to crozius and difficulty of safely trigger his rage.

Ah ok makes sense.

[Morollan]

Sadly Lemartes is now simply a very nice Reclusiarch model.

[The_Excubitors]

So if I arrive via DoA with jump packs, the DC can all rapid fire as normal on that turn correct? This would lead me to believe that almost every model not specially equipped really benefits from bolters over cc/bp. I think I will settle on 1xpoweraxe, 1xpfist 1xpsword and MAGNETIZING their backpacks so they can fly or ride their Redeemer---the legendary black dice-void--- although when mounted I guess the bolters are useless.

 

Edit: Just odd that by these ways of deploying (Jumppacks via DoA, backpacks via Land Raider) the "classic" armaments for the squads is swapped.

[ASSASSINAWOKEN]

If you are willing to take some time you can magnetize your DC to take CCWs or Bolters and Backpacks or Jump Packs.

 

I have pictures of my five man DC in my blog.

 

How I equip my DC

 

I first think about mobility and then armament.

 

Jump packs for 5 or a few more and a Rhino, LR, or Drop pod for 10 or more.

 

I usually only include a PW and now with more controlled rage I can steer them to something they won't have issue killing with or without the PW.

[MadMek83]

I am adding some power axes and power mauls for my Jumppac DC... getting close to 30 JP DC as we speak... ouch...

[Ohrtanc]

I run this formation:

 

Librarian

- Epistolarius

- Psy Sword

- Divination: Prescience

- Divination: Random Power

- - - > 150 Points

 

Deathcompany

15 Death Company

-15x Bolt Pistol

- 8 x Chainsword

- 5 x Powerlance

- 2 x Powerhammer

+ - Land Raider Crusader

- Multimelter

- Extra Armor

- - - > 710 Points

 

I run them in a 3000 Points List and they never failed me. The powerlances gives you per model 5 Attacks Strength 6 AP 3 that can wound even big bugs or deamons.

If 25 Strength 6 AP 3 and 40 Attacks Strength 5 AP - are not enough, I have my two hammers in reserve with 6 Attacks Strength 10 AP 2.

The Librarian buffs this formation with Prescience getting them to reroll hits. (Dont forget the 16 Bolt Pistol shots in the shooting phase)

 

A long time I played this formation with an Reclusiarch equiped with a Plasma Pistol but they nerved him. Liturgies of Blood only allows you to reroll to hit and not

to reroll to wound too. So Im playing the Librarian who does the same but can give it to the Land Raider too, sure he has no invurnable save but he can get AP 3 or AP 2 and if you dont wont him to lose a challenge.. you can refuse it. And than he has his second Psychic Power. You can get for the whole unit a 4+ invurnable save, Counterattack and Overwatch with full BS, Ignore Cover (good for the Land Raider).

Than there his Misfortune, getting the enemy to reroll his saves. Only 2 of the 6 random powers he gets are not useful for his unit but can play a role in the match. (Precognition, Sciers Gaze)

 

Ah and I forgot, some of the Powers have a 12" range so you can take him out of the DC and buff them without getting him to combat.

 

About Lemartes, sure he was nerved but he is the only model now that allows you to reroll to wound rolls with your DC.

 

Edit: Just ignore the last sentence.

[JamesI]

About Lemartes, sure he was nerved but he is the only model now that allows you to reroll to wound rolls with your DC.

Any chaplain has that ability, or Astorath too.

[Ohrtanc]

About Lemartes, sure he was nerved but he is the only model now that allows you to reroll to wound rolls with your DC.

Any chaplain has that ability, or Astorath too.

 

Check Page 2 and 3: Blood Angel Errata 1.1

 

P.S: One thing i forgot to say.The Chaplian only allows you to reroll hits on charge, the Prescience Psypower allows you to reroll them every time.

[Morollan]

About Lemartes, sure he was nerved but he is the only model now that allows you to reroll to wound rolls with your DC.

Any chaplain has that ability, or Astorath too.

 

Check Page 2 and 3: Blood Angel Errata 1.1

 

Don't see anything that changes the ability to reroll hits and wounds for DC. I suspect you are referring to this:

 

Page 42 – Chaplain, Liturgies of Blood

Change the first sentence to read “On a turn in which he charges, a Chaplain and all members of any unit chosen from Codex: Blood Angels that he has joined re-roll failed rolls To Hit.”

 

But this does not alter the rerolls to wound as that rule occurs in the following sentence in the codex and remains unchanged.

[JamesI]

Chaplains/Astorath still cause rerolls to wounds. Only the first sentence was changed in the FAQ. The second sentence in the rules covers the rerolls to wound.

[Ohrtanc]

Oh... your right.. somehow I was reading that it would be replacing the whole entry.

 

Thank you very much :)

 

Now I need to think about my HQ choice... on the first thought I would still stay with my Librarian because of his abillity to buff not only his unit.

[DominicJ]

Taking a level two librarian can be great, but, its not still based on leadership rolls, which can be failed, and at the very least space puppies have plenty of ways to shut down your psyker.

 

A Reclusiarch is less flexible, but more reliable.

 

Lances sound like a very good idea.

 

Whats the thinking on putting jump pack DC in a raider?

Staff seemed quite sure that now, they were just bulky(2) and any vehicle that could carry bulky could carry them?

[SnorriSnorrison]

I'd rather not put my Librarian in a DC unit. I may have said that before, but I'll explain again:

 

He's fragile. The best reason, game-wise, not to put him there, because the DC will be fired on, and you don't want your force mutliplier to hang around when the shells drop.

 

The Reclusiarch/Chaplain at least offers better stats as well as an invulnerable save. Then, the Liturgies of Blood rule is superior to Prescience if you get the charge, which should be the case when deploying your DC with JP.

 

 

While many gamers prefer to stay in combat for a whole turn (read: your player turn and your opponent's pt) and charge in your next turn, there are many ways to pull off a good DC charge.

With a Reclusiarch, you charge and probably wipe a unit off the table. Shooting is quite irrelevant if you have 5 attacks with special weapons and re-rolling both to-hit and to-wound rolls. That's the way of the Reclusiarch/Chaplain. No compromise, no mercy, no prisoners. In most cases, you'll wipe your target off the table.

 

The Librarian can be used as well, but as I said, I'd rather have him in a nearby assault squad in case the DC need support. Which is probably in an ongoing assault, so you still have the benefit of re-rolling to-hit rolls, finish the target unit off in their assault phase and charge something else in your phase.

 

 

Not looking at tactics, here are two examples of units I like to field from time to time in 6th:

 

Death Company

---> 8 men

4 powerswords

1 poweraxe

1 powerfist

---> 260 points

 

Reclusiarch

Infernus pistol

---> 145 -----> total: 405 points.

One of the very seldom times I go without JP and put more bodies in there. They need a ride, the Stormraven is my preferred transportation vehicle.

 

 

Death Company

---> 6 men

2 powerswords

1 poweraxe

1 powerfist

---> 280 points

 

+ Lemartes or Reclusiarch w/JP ---> total: 430/435 points.

More often than the above I run this configuration. They're completely independent from the rest of the force because of their mobility and the re-rolls of the character. A stormraven can't take them if a character is with them, so if there's one in your force, it can be used to deliver other troops.

 

Lemartes has the benefit of FnP as well, which a normal chaplain doesn't. I still like to field him, because his rule allows him to re-roll his to-wound rolls as well.

 

 

Both are quite expensive, but durable and easy to hide, should their transport go down(1. example) of if they need to cover their advance (2. example).

 

 

my two cents.

 

 

 

Snorri

 

 

PS:

 

Staff seemed quite sure that now, they were just bulky(2) and any vehicle that could carry bulky could carry them?

 

I'm still quite sure JPs can't embark on vehicles other than a 'raven.

[ASSASSINAWOKEN]

I'd rather not put my Librarian in a DC unit. I may have said that before, but I'll explain again:

 

He's fragile. The best reason, game-wise, not to put him there, because the DC will be fired on, and you don't want your force mutliplier to hang around when the shells drop.

 

The Reclusiarch/Chaplain at least offers better stats as well as an invulnerable save. Then, the Liturgies of Blood rule is superior to Prescience if you get the charge, which should be the case when deploying your DC with JP.

 

 

While many gamers prefer to stay in combat for a whole turn (read: your player turn and your opponent's pt) and charge in your next turn, there are many ways to pull off a good DC charge.

With a Reclusiarch, you charge and probably wipe a unit off the table. Shooting is quite irrelevant if you have 5 attacks with special weapons and re-rolling both to-hit and to-wound rolls. That's the way of the Reclusiarch/Chaplain. No compromise, no mercy, no prisoners. In most cases, you'll wipe your target off the table.

 

The Librarian can be used as well, but as I said, I'd rather have him in a nearby assault squad in case the DC need support. Which is probably in an ongoing assault, so you still have the benefit of re-rolling to-hit rolls, finish the target unit off in their assault phase and charge something else in your phase.

 

 

 

Well said.

[Ohrtanc]

Whats the thinking on putting jump pack DC in a raider?

Staff seemed quite sure that now, they were just bulky(2) and any vehicle that could carry bulky could carry them?

 

Rulebook page 35.

Bulky models count as two models for the purposes of Transport Capacity

 

Page 78

Only Infantry models can embark upon Transports (this does not include Jump or Jet Pack Infantry), unless specifically stated otherwise.

 

Only in the entry of the raven it is stated that he can transport Jump Infantry.

 

 

Taking a level two librarian can be great, but, its not still based on leadership rolls, which can be failed, and at the very least space puppies have plenty of ways to shut down your psyker.

 

A Reclusiarch is less flexible, but more reliable.

 

Most of the Psy Powers of the Divination Tree are buffing your Units, the enemy cant roll for denie the wich, about the Wolves I dont have the codex so I cant say how there forceweapon reacts with

the new rules.

 

Sure the Liturgies of Blood rule works everytime and allows you to reroll to wound (thx for pointing that out :P ), but he cant get a 4+ invunerable save for the whole unit or allows them to reroll to hit in an ongoing closecombat.

 

 

I'd rather not put my Librarian in a DC unit. I may have said that before, but I'll explain again:

 

He's fragile. The best reason, game-wise, not to put him there, because the DC will be fired on, and you don't want your force mutliplier to hang around when the shells drop.

 

The Reclusiarch/Chaplain at least offers better stats as well as an invulnerable save. Then, the Liturgies of Blood rule is superior to Prescience if you get the charge, which should be the case when deploying your DC with JP.

 

 

While many gamers prefer to stay in combat for a whole turn (read: your player turn and your opponent's pt) and charge in your next turn, there are many ways to pull off a good DC charge.

With a Reclusiarch, you charge and probably wipe a unit off the table. Shooting is quite irrelevant if you have 5 attacks with special weapons and re-rolling both to-hit and to-wound rolls. That's the way of the Reclusiarch/Chaplain. No compromise, no mercy, no prisoners. In most cases, you'll wipe your target off the table.

 

The Librarian can be used as well, but as I said, I'd rather have him in a nearby assault squad in case the DC need support. Which is probably in an ongoing assault, so you still have the benefit of re-rolling to-hit rolls, finish the target unit off in their assault phase and charge something else in your phase.

 

 

The differnce between the Librarian and the Reclusiarch is his 4+ invunerable save wich can be acquired through some luck on the Divination Table, and his extra wound that cant be acquiered^^.

(Yeah I know he has better WS and BS but thats not the topic) Personally I never had the problem to shield my Librarian with the DC or to denie a challenge. I have 8 DCM with Chainswords who are

shielding the units special weapons and the Libby.

 

Througout my use of a relativ big Unit (16 models) I only had one enemy which I couldnt wipe out in one cc phase.. new Chaos Codex, 20 Plague Marines (FnP, T 5, Defensive Granates).

But most of the time Im used to get some shooting at my DC Unit and have no problem with it. At the moment I think the question about taking a Reclusiarch or a Libby is based on the manpower of the Unit.

 

Your thoughts about taking the Librarian as a second HQ and following the DC is quite interesting, to expensive for my established list but I think Im going to test it in another one.