Need help with troops choices.

[micahwc]

I'm starting a new Knights of Blood army. I started with Blood Angels in 2nd edition but have been away for a while. I would like advice as to what to make with the models I currently have. Thanks in advance.

 

Original death company box with 9 marines and 1 chaplain, includes 2 power swords, 2 power fists, 2 chain swords, 2 hand flamers, 2 plasma pistols, 2 laser pistols (lol), and 2 bolt pistols.   Also comes with enough bolters for all 9 to have one. Chaplain has a bolter.     (I was thinking of making the three beaky death company into sanguinary priests)

 

2 new boxes of sniper scouts, still unassembled.

 

3 tactical squads from the dark vengeance set. 21 marines with bolters. 3 plasma, 3 heavy plasma, 3 sargeants.

 

A seperate chaplain which has a thunder hammer, and both a jetpack and a backpack.

 

 

 

I am okay with conversions, I have the experience to do them.

I like fluff, but I also like competativeness. I love the death company despite how they may or not succeed. The original death company box set was the first 40k models I ever purchased. This being so, I would love to have a large death company to represent the fierce nature of the chapter.

 

My thoughts where to make the heavy plasma into a devestator squad with a sanguinary priest. Put a sanguinary priest with the snipers for fun. make a large death company with a chaplain included, and a couple of tactical or combat squads with bolters and plasma.

 

What list would you make with these core models? Thanks a lot.

[Xenith]

Dont break up your original DC models, youll only regret it!

 

What do you want the army to do on the table?

 

From your models, I'd go with a hybrid.

 

get a drop pod, 9DC+Chaplain, count a hand flamer as an infernus pistol, give the chappy an infernus pistol (in his holster).

 

I'd keep one tac squad with 10 man, plasma gun, plas cannon. do you ahve any other heavy weapons?

[infyrana]

Welcome

Check your Chaplain model rules... I had to shelve mine and my further ideas of other chaplains when I realised BA 5th ed (still current for BA) rules didn't allow for a Chap or Recl to be fielded with a thunder hammer. Power Fist counts-as is what you'll need to say!

Convert your tactical sergeants main ranged weapon from plasma pistol (from the DV tacticals) into a combi-plasma if you like (basically meld a bolter onto the plasma pistol, google for converion ideas). You could then make up full size squads if you need to with full plasma instead of the Dev squad option.

Of the older metal DC beakie models, I was lucky enough to have over 10 of them, so I made them all into an assault squad (originally VV squad until the edition changed, now they are just an assault squad), sadly now a bit small to mix alongside new plastic marines unless a unique unit. So making your beakie versions into a Sang Priest is a good way of using them.

I would read around heavily on the BA section regarding your DC and equipment, your current loadout sounds more pre-3rd ed. Many will give advice to use with bolters instead of bolt pistol to give you nice ranged shooting as they reach their targets. Give the PFist models a bolter regardless.

Edit: As per Xenith's post, Yep - you could keep your DC together which is equally a great use of them rather than splitting. I would use the Laser Pistol as 'counts-as' for an infernus (melta) pistol rather than the flamer (which you can use as a flamer, or change to something else).

[Bartali]

Generally you'll want a couple of fast troops choices that are solely there for objectives. They'll do little most game is until turn 4 or 5.

ASM with jump packs, Razors or Land Raiders. Scouts in Stormravens. They're all fast and can hide, either in reserves or behind LOS blocking terrain.

 

Go nuts with the rest of your points.

[MordentHex]

3-4 tactical squads with 3 priests, and at least 1 assault squad to back up your DC. Death company are great but from my exprience they can get bogged down in cheap cannon fodder and not earn back their points. Give them Boltguns all! they are relentless, its free attacks before the charge. The assault squad will help in conjunction especially if lead by the second chaplain.

[micahwc]

I dont have any other heavy weapons at this time. I am willing to buy stuff for my list. None of the models are assembled with the weapons yet, so I can change the weapon loadouts however I want to.

[Sanguine Eternal]

10 Sniper scouts are a solid troop choice in the back of your deployment zone are always solid.  Accompanied by an Inquisitor or Libby for prescience is a wonderful thing.

You might find our tac squads are kind of meh compared to the C:SM tac squads with their access to grav weapons, but they aren't useless.

There a lots of people split on the DC loadout.  I have 20 w/ jump packs and close combat weapons, and 10 with bolters no jump packs.  All have options for powerfists and power weapons.  My problem with bolters is that if I am say 8" away, I don't want to risk using my bolters to kill a bunch of the enemy and further increase my charge range (potentially).  I usually go with jump packs and close combat weapons.  Maneuverable, very killy.  I also include a chaplain/reclusiarch with a powerfist as well, gives me choices in a challenge which weapon I want to use depending who I am facing.  With jp's I can also re-roll my charge range if I fail, and don't use my jp's to move in the movement phase.

[micahwc]

I was thinking 10 sniper scouts with a sanguinary priest for FNP saves on the back objective. Also, I forgot to include the dark vengeance librarian in my list of models.

[ASSASSINAWOKEN]

I use the librarian from the DV set and he is a cheap HQ compared to the lackluster chaplain guild. The chaplain guild I think has a better initiative and a better save versus power weapon hits, but the librarion offers psychic offense/defense.

 

One or two tactical squad is fine now to get you started as they are a goos static defense unit.

One assault squad with dual meltaguns is a good mobile anti-tank unit.

One devastator squad with five extra marines is also a good choice to put all the mass plasma cannon firepwoer to good use and this frees up tactical squads to move at thier own pace and redploy bolter fire lines.

One or two priests are fine and more they get pricey fast espacially with JPs.