Blood Angels Newb: Help me brothers!

[Lignifier]

I just got back in the game after a long hiatus just in time for 6th ed, having wanted to play Blood Angels since starting (especially after reading Deus Encarmine, am I right? ). My current forces ( mostly unassembled) stand thusly.

• Astorath
• A Terminator Chaplain
• Assault Terminators, all hammered.
• A furioso dreadnought (I love how these models are so gloriously modular)
• Another unopened furioso box, so potential for all 3 options.
• Ten Death company models
• A ten man Assault company
• Ten sniper scouts
• A storm raven
• A JP libby (custom)
• A Chaplain model (also custom, very proud of this guy).

Personally I'm of the mindset that one should never have an army set in stone, and thus be able to adapt game by game. However, there are three ideas I want to discuss/potentially pursue.

1. Drop Pod Feint

• Ideally this would involve 3 pods, either two Fragiosos and a DC with bolters and two power fists or vice versa depending on army build. My working premise of this is twofold: either that at your end of the table you have compementary forces (Vindicators and preds, JP'd Assault Marines) and the opponent is forced to dither between the threat in his face or the one down the board, or you have homing beacons attached to the DPs (more on that one).

2. Flying Turtle (JP's all)

• Two assault squads kitted as fits the game, with sanguinary priests and a libby (shield of sanguinius and unleash rage) between them. Alternatively, replacing the sanguinary priests with an honor guard packing meltaguns, the trick then being to keep the squads all close enough to the honor guard to maintain the bonuses (Unless I misread the rules, "unit within six inches" means squad, not models). With JP's, they can either make like kangaroos across the board or DoA in, wherein the Homing beacons come in handy.

3. Thunderborne

• Whereas the first two ideas are complementary and easily molded into an army, this one is an outright strategy, albeit with modular capabilities. This is where the homing beacons on the pods come into play.
  • An Aegis Defense Line equipt with a comm relay (Reroll reserves, does not complement Flying Turtle due to DoA doing this anyway) manned by snipers split into combat squads, five in the front with a homing beacon, five sitting in the ADL with a missle launcher (maybe).

AND/OR

• Two squads of Bikers/attack bikes (not sure which, advice?) with Homing Beacons, Meltaguns, and priests.

AND/OR

• StormRavens packing shagnasties (DC dreads, Hammertermie deathstar, Astorath at the head of a DC). With these, I don't need beacons.

AND/OR (the fun part)

• Two Land Raider Redeemers

Call me crazy, but I adore these tanks. I love their wicked, evil flamethrowersofDOOM. I love their 14 armor and their 4 hull points, their assault vehicle lunacy. I am new to playing any kind of marine: all I ever played in high school were Tyranids. I played seven games total, and lost all but two. Tyranids were not my thing. The thought of littering the field with homing beacons and dropping two monstrous man eating deathboxes in the foe's face gives me shivers of preemptive delight.

BUT

This is using them like drop pods.

They are not drop pods. They are tanks and assault vehicles to boot. I am torn between the insanity of raining deathboxes from on high ( all the HB hopefully insure assinine position: why yes, I've landed smack next to your tank. Yes, I will melta it, and yes, my goons are going to gack them on the assault next turn), the elegant simplicity of Drop pods (I love these little beasts too: to quote Carl the Llama, they are God's tears) and the glorious versitility of stormravens (aerial support, transport, anti-tank OR anti-infantry).

I could simply roll the LRRs up the field, gaining chunks of points by not bothering with all the beacon hullabaloo and making the foe sweat bloody indecision as to weather to let the podded Furiosos run about or freem the hell out of the incoming tanks. This loses the wonderful positioning, but at least is stable.

I could ignore the tanks and field two storm ravens, hopefully dominating the airspace (and pray I don't play imperial guard with vendetta fetishes), risk crashing and offing my men but arriving in SO. MUCH. STYLE.

I could do this, I could do that. I intend to pursue both Flying Turtle and the Drop Pod Feint, but I'm dithering like a hick in cabela's about Thunderborne. I crave advice.

• Which is more survivable in your experience, a stormraven or a Land Raider? Which is more worth playing?
• A landraider could maybe, MAYBE lend a squad a 2nd turn charge. DS the deathboxes or field stormravens, and you almost garuntee a turn 3 assault. Assuming they survive.
• Would it be saner (and eviler) to bin Thunderborne and go crazy with Drop Pods, supported by vindicators and Baals? I am leery of these tanks, as apart from razorspam (which I do not have any intention of trying) everyone seems to do this.

This is a scattered, dithery post, and I appreciate any and all thoughts and critiques on any of it. Thanks in advance, guys!

[Taranis]

Welcome Brother.

 

You sure want all the fun in one basket, more or less. :)

 

I'd recommend the dual raven as the first to try. You only need one raven unless you can proxy. Getting started is most important. By playing games you find your style. You learn what units works best for you.

I can see that you have a good idea about how the units work.

 

 

Here's a link to our resource tread:

 

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/116103-the-blood-angels-bc-forum-and-resources-links/

 

 

Here's a tread about multiple landraiders:

 

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/273972-can-land-raider-spam-be-competitive/

 

 

10 more assault marines, 10th tacticals, a devestator squad. That's units you always can expand with. We are quite a few who use the DC box for most normal marines. :)

 

Generally vehicles are frowned upon in 6th due to hull points, but as you can read in the landraider link bringing the unexpected can be decisive. Playing in a small group they will soon learn that army's strengths and especially weaknesses.

[Lignifier]

Hmmm... I do have a model of the SR-2 Normandy I could use...

[Captain Death Crunch]

I think you have some great ideas. My own strategy is to put as much pressure on my opponent's side with as many threats as possible as quickly as possible, which seems like what you're looking for. I think that's where Blood Angels really do well: getting up in someone's face FAST.  Drop podding can be very effective combined with a blitzkrieg from fast vehicles in your end. And I also like Land Raiders, because they still are pretty durable and can be a major threat to your opponent.

Here's a good strategy:
Turn One -> 2 drop pods coming down with any combination of these:
- Furioso Dread w/ Frag cannon
- Melta/plasma honor guard
- 5-10 Sternguard with combi-weapons.

Combine these with some mix of the following:
- 2 Vindicators moving 24"
- Some MM Attack bikes (again, moving 24")
- Land speeders loaded with 2 MM/HB/HF each
- Land raider(s) with something nasty inside moving 18"...

All of a sudden, your opponent has some seriously difficult decisions to make as far target priority. Even if he/she rolls lucky and kills/blows up half that stuff, you still have enough to do some serious damage and he/she is forced to react to YOUR strategy, giving you the upper hand.

Even though BA in the new edition are a little more finesse, being really aggressive is still very effective. Regardless of which "theme" you go for (lots of drop podding vs. mostly jumpy vs. hybrid vs. whatever), I think you'll be successful. :)

[Lignifier]

I do like the potential of attack bikes. How do you find they compare to land speeders in terms of toughness on the field?

[Xenith]

Bikes got a massive toughness boost this edition. They essentially gained a point in toughness, got an extra attack in CC, and got a free 5+ cover save.

 

10 bolters rapid firing will likely kill a speeder. It will barely scratch an attack bike.

A lascannon will cripple a speeder, the bike will take a wound and operate at full efficiency.

 

Speeders are faster?

 

Speeders are good sources of anti infantry fire. load them with 2x hvb and keep them at 36". Or have one with 2xmm and suicide it.

 

Bikes are good sources of MM, but poor with hvb, imo.

[Captain Death Crunch]

Totally agree with Xenith. Bikes are really tough and work well with MM. Use the speeders for long range shooting (so HBs or TMLs) or for suicide/distraction with MM or even HF. If your opponent ignores them they can do some damage. If he shoots them down (which will probably happen), that's less fire against your other more important stuff.

[Lignifier]

Neat. When riches come (as they often do to substitute teachers ) I do believe I will pick up some bikes in the future. And, as the good Captain has recommended, some vinnies. I'm a big fan of flexibility/kills all comers, and that demolisher cannon... heheheheheh.