Blood Angel Units in 6th edition

[sculver]

I want to talk about Blood Angel units with specific upgrade loadouts that I find effective in 6th edition. While an armies sum is greater than its individual parts, I want to talk about individual units that really shine at least in my experience in 6th edition.

 

HQ:

 

Mephiston, Lord of Death +250

I find Mephiston still very powerful. He can't be ignored, still holds his own against heavy enemy fire, runs around on tank hunting and light infantry hunting duties. Just don't run him at 2+ armor unless you want him bogged down.

 

Librarian (Divination) +100

A great balanced choice that is versatile. Most divination powers are relavent. Librarian's are just really good in 6th edition in general.

EDIT: depending my army list I'll give him a jump pack a lot of the time.

 

Elite:

 

Furioso Dreadnought +160

Frag Cannon

Blood Fist with Melta Gun

Drop Pod

Great at drop poding down turn 1 near enemy infantry and laying waste with its frag cannon. I only like to take one drop pod, so if I take this I don't take any other drop pod units, like say death company in a drop pod or vice versa.

EDIT: the magma grapple is a reasonable addition if you have the spare points.

 

10 man Terminator Squad +460

2 Cyclone Missile Launchers

Sanguinary Priest +85

Terminator Armor

Chalice of Blood

Power Sword

Expensive, but usually worth it in larger games. 2+ armor got a lot better in 6th. The feel no pain really makes this unit over the top in conjunction with 2+ armor in my experience with 6th edition.

 

Techmarine +60

Combi-Melta

Jump Pack

I don't see people do this other than me but it's very cost efficient and surprisingly effective as an anti-armor tactic to deep strike techmarines in and pop a tank with its combi-melta. Plus since its only one model you can deep strike him into tighter spots. He's minimal risk with his low point cost, high reward with his ability to take down any one opposing vehicle. When I do take them I take 2-3, and usually for smaller games where other elite choices aren't an option because of their cost.

 

5 man Sternguard +155

2 Lascannons

Their a solid long ranged fire power choice in larger games, that don't take up heavy support slots.

 

Sanguinary Priest +75

Jump Pack

Great for your assault troops if your taking at least two 10 man assault squads.

 

Troop:

 

5 man Scout Squad +100

Sniper Rifles

Camo Cloaks

Missile Launcher

I'm fond of a scout squad in most my lists, their cost efficient and effective at harassing the enemy and holding objectives preferably behind cover.

 

10 man Assault Squad +210

Bolt Pistols

Chain Swords

2 Melta Guns

I use assault squads in 6th edition because of their mobility and to hold objectives, not to charge enemy units as fast as possible. I usually deep strike them in near objectives or vulnerable enemy tanks to pop them, then maneuver away threats if possible towards objectives.

 

10 man Death Company +265

Bolters

Chainswords

2 Power Axes

Drop Pod

Death company are extremely cost efficient powerful close combat monsters, at 20 points a model with feel no pain, rage, relentless, fearless, and furious charge is just amazing. But only effective if they can engage the enemy, the drop pod is the most cost efficient way to deploy them quickly to engage the enemy. The Bolters allow 20 rapid fire shots when they deploy from their drop pod and still have 4 attacks per model on the charge.

 

Fast Attack:

 

Attack Bike +50

Multimelta

Attack bikes are great tank hunters, very cost efficient.

 

Baal Predator +145

Assault Cannon

Heavy Bolter Side Sponsons

Has a lot of fire power if attack bikes arent what you need for your list for the fast attack option.

 

Heavy Support:

 

5 man Devastator Squad +130

4 Missile Launchers

20 points cheaper than the same weapon load out in codex: space marines, so really a steal for the points.

 

Stormraven Gunship +200

Twin-Linked Assault Cannon

Twin-Linked Multimelta

In larger games 2-3 Stormraven's can really turn the tides of a battle, their durable flyers with great weapon load outs. I like the assault cannon because you have plenty of anti-tank weaponry with blood strike missiles and the twin-linked Multimelta, so the assault cannon is still strong enough to provide additional fire to punch through most tanks, but also can fire effectively at infantry.

 

Vindicator +145

In smaller games I like to take 2-3 Vindicator's because they have maximum impact and your opponent has less ways to deal with them. Also fast vindicator's are just good.

[Jolemai]

I would suggest finding the points for a Magna Grapple on your Furioso as that extra STR8 AP2 shot is invaluable.

 

Other than that I agree with the rest, but there are two options that I have not considered:

~ Your Sternguard setup

~ Your Techmarine setup

 

I'll certainly give some thought to them on my lists, especially that cheap Techmarine.

[Chaplain Admetus]

I agree with some of these, not so much with others.

 

Your Baal, Devastator and Storm Raven loadouts are my go-to loadouts when I use those units; occasionally I'll toss a pair of plasma cannons in instead of 2 missiles for variety. Can't complain about these. Ditto attack bikes which I've only started using recently, except I run them as a pair - one is too fragile.

 

Mephy is good, but there are some armies which will make him a sad panda. He can't join units, has no invulnerable save, and can't break 2+ armour, all things which can be exploited by a competent opponent. Librarian is good, his cost is not. When you consider you're paying 100 points for what is essentially a glorified twin-link (11/12 chance) on one of your firebase squads, he suddenly doesn't look quite so hot. At least give him a jump pack so he can be useful buffing assault squads.

 

With your techmarine, I imagine he's awesome until he misses that crucial combi-melta shot. Also a very easy VP in kill point games. Not a fan, but if he works for you then use him.

 

Termy-star: Yes, it's expensive, solid and survivable. But maybe too expensive? I'd probably cut the size down to 5. And since you've invested so many points already, why not just go the whole hog and include Corbulo instead to tank wounds with that 2+ FnP, and get a LoS of 2+ to duck out the way of nasty S8 weapons.

[LordCommanderSamirus]

I've run the techmarine w/jp and combimelta several times and always find him fun to use.  I've had that 60pt techmarine kill land raiders on the turn he comes in.  How many other unit configurations can have a strong possibility of  making almost 5 times its own point cost back.

 

-Samirus

[TheSauce]

The only this I have to disagree with is the stormraven loadout. I run SR a lot (almost always 1, sometimes 2), and I always try to find the points for the hurricane bolter sponsons. Especially when you're using the assault cannon for anti-infantry, but even with lascannons it is worth it. The SR is fast enough to get into rapid-fire range, and then it just destroys light infantry, and can put out a decent number of wounds on anything that isn't high toughness. Think of it like strapping a full tactical squad to the outside of your stormraven, as that's how much firepower you add.

[Jolemai]

A little off topic, but what firing arc to those Hurricane Bolters have given the extra dimension of the Stormraven?

[Chaplain Admetus]

I -believe- its a 90 degree forward arc, but it might just be 45 (I think the Raven is different from the Land Raider). Either way, you want it pointed towards whatever you want to hurricane bolter. I just prefer to keep my SR as cheap as possible as its already a lot of points tied up in a flier. I also have more than enough anti-infantry generally speaking, the assault cannon is just gravy. I mostly use mine as a balance to help take on opposing fliers.

[Brother Maikel]

Chaplain Admetus, on 28 Aug 2013 - 08:55, said:

I -believe- its a 90 degree forward arc, but it might just be 45 (I think the Raven is different from the Land Raider). Either way, you want it pointed towards whatever you want to hurricane bolter. I just prefer to keep my SR as cheap as possible as its already a lot of points tied up in a flier. I also have more than enough anti-infantry generally speaking, the assault cannon is just gravy. I mostly use mine as a balance to help take on opposing fliers.

Each sponson has about a 45 degree forward arc, with one edge aligned with the hull. Personally, I find the 30pts well worth it, even on anti-flier duty: a decent number of flyers tend to be AV10 in the rear, meaning the hurricanes can usually get an extra glance or two. Plus, I have a really hard time fielding a 200pt unit that gets no more than 5-6 shots per turn, even if they're twin-linked.

[sculver]

The magma grapple is reasonable, though the fragioso is very effective at 160 pts without it, but if I did build a list with a fragioso and had a spare 15 pts to play with I think it's a reasonable point sink.

 

I should have listed Librarian with jump pack also, since I do find that a useful loadout too.

 

This is just my opinion but I'll never take side sponson hurricane bolters on a stormraven, I don't ever think it's worth the 30 pts, particularly on a model already so expensive. If the option was heavy bolters it would a different story though.

 

The techmarine loudout is effective because dropping melta with pin point accuracy is strong to pop tanks at 60 pts, the time your shots miss is mitigated by their extreme low point cost for what their trying to accomplish, so it's fine if they miss sometimes, you only lost 60 pts, not 100 pts or more by using some other unit to pop tanks.

[Ushtarador]

I almost always take hurricane bolters on my ravens, and I feel they underperform in most games I don't. Since the recent surge of xenos codices they are especially useful - tau, daemon troops and most things eldar are perfect targets for the bolters. You basically pay 30pts for 6 twin-linked tactical marines that almost always are in rapid-fire range, I find that to be damn cheap actually.

 

I also strongly disagree with the scouts. For almost the same points I get 5 assault marines with drop pod or JP, they are a lot more durable and flexible thanks to their deepstrike ability. The only reason for me to take scouts really would be to man a comms relay.

[sculver]

I think scouts and assault marines are both have their uses just depending on your needs for your army. I like using assault squads and one scout squad as my my scoring units a lot, I find both effective

[Boom Stick]

What about speeders? I took them in my last game (2 of them). I took dual heavy bolter on them. With their 36 inch range and volume of fire they won me the game because the opponent was hiding in cover because they were tearing up his squads at range.

 

Any thoughts or suggestions in running these?

[sculver]

I don't own speeders, never tried them so I don't have an opinion on them in blood angel lists.

[Mordynak]

Sorry, but is the Blood Angels 6th Edition Codex out yet?

 

I thought they had only released the 5th.

[sculver]

Sorry, but is the Blood Angels 6th Edition Codex out yet?

 

I thought they had only released the 5th.

No it's not, probably won't be for long time

[gory_v]

Trying to count the attacks for your DC with bolters and not sure where you find 4. Isn't it just 3 since you're ditching the bolt pistol for the boltgun? 2 base plus 1 on the charge? It'd be 4 if they kept their bolt pistols but you're right to lose em, IMO. Until they cheapen up the JPs, I find it hard to make "true" assault DC since their upgrades are when they start to get pricey. I do agree with you that they are still damn good stock due to the fact they are relentless and don't require a priest for FnP. All in all incomparable to a drop prodded tac with 9 men or drop podded ASM w/ 9 men due to needing the priest plus no relentless. They lose out on versatility since it then becomes expensive to include infernus pistols and power weps but all in all are very good at getting the opponents attention.

[Chaplain Admetus]

Rage gives them +2 attacks on the charge rather than +1. If you keep them with BP and chainsword they have 5(!) attacks on the charge. Its comparing a S4 pistol shot followed by 5 S5 attacks against 2 S4 bolter shots followed by 4 S5 attacks; you lose one point of strength on one attack, but gain a much better threat range by being able to move and still lay down a decent amount of supporting fire.

[sculver]

Thanks Chaplain Admetus for the explanation and clarification of what gory_v said about the number of attacks, you explained the pro's and cons of bolters vs bolt pistols perfectly and beat me to it.

[sculver]

On a fun side note, this isn't competative but is kinda cool:

 

One gimicky set up I've done that when it works I've never lost was to take 1-2 divination librarians with 15-22 death company with jump packs.. The goal being to get Forewarning to give the entire unit a 4++ invulnable save which on 15-22 jump packing death company means their kind of unstoppable. Has to be done in larger games like 1750, 1850, or 1,999+1 point games so that you can still balance your list because this is quite a point sink.

 

Again not a serious unit setup. Your opponents will cry though when you do get Forewarning bestowed on death company though :D