Blood Angels Assault Squad Loadout

[The Iron Chancellor]

Greetings fellow sons of Sanguinius,

I'm pretty new to the hobby and my blood angels have just received some still sprued reinforcements in the form of a box of death company and a box of assault marines. I'm trying to decide how to build them and right now I'm thinking a plasma pistol and power fist for the sergeant and a melta gun for 2 of the other guys however I only have 1 meltagun from my tactical squad set and don't know how to proceed. So now I'm looking for ideas- even if they include not going the route of 2 meltas and a power fist.

[Jakbal]

I run my assault squads with 2 meltaguns, and a power fist + bolt pistol on the Srg.  If I have extra points left over in my army list (it happens) then I'll drop a melta bomb on the srg as well.

 

Sometimes I'll combat squad so that 5 marines get deployed along my table edge, and the other 5 deep strike near an enemy tank to make it go pop.  In this case I'll deep strike the 2 meltaguns and the Srg.

[Emperors Immortals]

Greetings!

IMO BA are the most versatile Asartes in terms of roles for its units. Assault in particular has a few options depending on what list you want.

 

To start, look at your transport options. I run my assault squads in 3 ways, MSU (multiple small units) of 4-5 LasPlas rszorbacks with 5 marines and a plasma gun. It's enough to secure objectives and threaten light armour across the board with our Lucifer engines.

 

Second is the Pod. This ed especially seems good, as an empty pod can be good to secure objectives. Pod them MSU style for first drop shooting or full strength to mess up enemy DZ. I tend to drop 3 or 5 pods in a game, with either 2 or 3 first turn MSU plasma unts for cheaper suicide drops or melts to hit rear armour.

 

Then there is JumpPack, most ppl start them on board and use cover to move where needed. I've found combat squaded units good, 2 melts in one squad and the other with a sarge for CC.

 

Sarge, I either just give melta bombs OR vet upgrade, LC and bolt pistol. Some give combi and PF, but I find it waaaay to expensive.

 

DC are too costly with a JP, though some love how fun it is. I usually take 7 men, 4 w/ bolter cause relentless, 1 with hammer for armour/MC and 2 with bolterandchainsword. Pretty cheap and let's you threaten lots of stuff.

 

Transport is basically the RaS advice, though I suggest podding to take advantage if the bolters.

 

That's all I can think if, but many ppl will give you great advice, just remember BA have RaS (Regular assault Troops/units) as troops AND faster rhinos then anyone else, combined with unique wargear options and the DC I think we are the most exciting faction out there.

 

Good luck

[knife&fork]

With the new challenge rules I consider building some sergeants with stormshields. The only thing that makes me hesitate is the prospect of a new codex removing them as an option. The memory of how the last codex completely invalidated my veteran assault marines still haunts me :P

[The Iron Chancellor]

Thanks for all the input, its tough being so green, but I appreciate all the help

 

@Jakbal 

 

 yeah I'm thinking about the two meltas and power fist. I just wonder about using infernus pistols instead.

 

@emperors immortals

 

I think I'm going to stick with the jump packs and leave the vehicles and drop pods alone at least for the moment as my army only has 20 marines (only 10 of which are assembled)

 

@knife&fork

 

hmmmm that's a little scary how much do you think the new codex will change things? Also when do you think it'll get here?

[knife&fork]

@knife&fork

hmmmm that's a little scary how much do you think the new codex will change things? Also when do you think it'll get here?

The rumor is that we'll get a new one this fall.

Any option already in our boxed sets is unlikely to disappear. I also doubt that we'll lose the option to take meltas. What I could see going away is the odd stuff like stormshields on sergeants and perhaps plasma guns on assault marines.

While it wasn't directed at me I strongly advice against the infernus pistols. Getting them in melta-range is often difficult, save these for units that you can't give melta in any other way, like death company or sanguinary guard.

New wound allocation rules and loss of precision shots on characters makes all of the pistols (except maybe the handflamers) too expensive to put on sergeants.

Dual hand flamers coupled with melta guns isn't a terrible pick. A few points less than the power fist and they can be useful for clearing away models surrounding a character. AP6 means you won't waste any good firepower (like meltas) against a solid invul save on a character in front.

The idea is to force a lot of saves with poor weapons and then maybe hit what's still standing with the melta shots.

Dual pistols is one of those things that could disappear next codex, so use superglue instead of poly cement

[The Iron Chancellor]

@knife&fork

 

Now I have a lot to think about. hmmm thanks for the advice I can't wait to get them all built and painted :)

[Boom Stick]

You could always magnets. Then you can switch them as needed. When I had just started I did that with a couple squads for their special weapons to save money and give options. I don't do it anymore since I have built up a nice little army.

[Res Ipsa Loquitur]

Use Infernus Pistols to represent Melta Guns. It annoys me to have two models in the unit without a CCW modelled, so I just use the IP arms as Meltaguns. No-one's had a problem with it so far.

[AngryCanadian]

i would dis-agree with that last statement, you should use infernus pistol for infernus pistols and meltaguns as meltaguns, so that both you and your opponent know what is on the table by looking at it

 

also by no-one complaining about doesn't mean they that they don't have a problem with it

most people don't like to be complain to others they aren't close too, this is seen as customers often don't complain to the restaurant or company they bought from they remember the product/service and avoid it in the future

 

to be honest i would play against you and not complain either if i didn't know you, but i would have some hate for you inside

if you and i were regulars at my LGS i would mention it too you that i don't like it 

 

I also think that it starts another problem, first its just one model then two, then a unit and another and so on until we are looking at a table of coloured seashells (ok maybe a bit extreme)

 

it would matter too me anyways if it is a one off game you want to try something different, but if you consistently showed up to play like that I wouldn't like it

 

Another thing i have against it is what I'll call the "what makes you so special?"

what i mean is i bought meltaguns and equipped them as metlaguns what makes you think that you dont have too, if your not going to bother having your models WYSIWYG then why should i or anyone else

 

and when do you draw the WYSIWYG line

[Quixus]

Use Infernus Pistols to represent Melta Guns. It annoys me to have two models in the unit without a CCW modelled, so I just use the IP arms as Meltaguns. No-one's had a problem with it so far.

You could also glue the meltagun to a pistol arm. and put a chainsword arm on the model as well.

[sockwithaticket]

 

Another thing i have against it is what I'll call the "what makes you so special?"

what i mean is i bought meltaguns and equipped them as metlaguns what makes you think that you dont have too, if your not going to bother having your models WYSIWYG then why should i or anyone else

 

and when do you draw the WYSIWYG line

 

If he says 'this guy with two infernus pistols counts as having a meltagun' at the start of the game and has costed it correctly in his list, I fail to see any kind of problem with that.  All marines come equipped with frag and krak grenades, if someone had run out of krak grenades to stick on their model and hadn't purchased some more (perhaps because they can't afford to buy any at the moment) would you not let them use these items agauinst vehicles during a game? If someone didn't like the aesthetic of a particular weapon, say a flamer, and found a different way to represent it (3rd party bit or a conversion) would you disallow that? So long as there's some measure of internal consistency with changes, they are represented ad the points have been paid then there shouldn't be a problem with the majority of people. It's not like he's using a CD as a drop pod.

[Quixus]

The problem is that two infernus pistols is a legal loadout for the assault squad sergeant, but not for the regular marine. So you might be accused of concealing your sergeants location

[Silverson]

I just re did my load outs on my assault marines to

 

1x 10man squad with 2 melta guns and a Sargent with a power fist (previously had a storm shield but found I didn't get the benefit of it enough to warent the points)

 

1x 10 man squad with 2 flamers and Sargent with power weapon and hand flamer (power weapon is a sword but should probably be a lightning claw)

 

I also attach a sanguinary priest with a power fist and jump pack to 1 squad and I'm going to be trying a lvl 2 Libby with jump pack and force sword and see how it goes :)

 

As for death company I usually run them in a squad of 7 with bolt pistols and ccw with a power fist and a thunder hammer (if I have spare points u usually add a power sword) then I attach a reclusiarch and put them in a storm raven with a dread of some kind :)

[GAZ_AV_NZ]

All i can say is what you see is what you get.

Personally i have gone to great cost to make sure all my guys have the correct weapon etc.

When people proxy i get confused or forget. Gotta have the right stuff - common courtesy.

Frag grenades is not really needed.

All my models have grenades, bolt pistols,hth weapons or secondary shotguns etc plus massive ammo loadouts.

Buts thats me making sure they look real with lotza ammo :)

[Venemox]

 

Use Infernus Pistols to represent Melta Guns. It annoys me to have two models in the unit without a CCW modelled, so I just use the IP arms as Meltaguns. No-one's had a problem with it so far.

 

 

Having CCW's doesn't mean you need to model them 'in hand'. Other options include: Mag-Locked to the hip, underslung on the backpack, down the side of the back pack, or (my favortire) bashing a chainsword and meltagun into a meltagun with underslung chainsword blade. All are handsome, and maintain that classic two handed meltagun look.

[AngryCanadian]

 

If he says 'this guy with two infernus pistols counts as having a meltagun' at the start of the game and has costed it correctly in his list, I fail to see any kind of problem with that. 

All marines come equipped with frag and krak grenades, if someone had run out of krak grenades to stick on their model

 

 

Frag and Krak are standard equipment, im talking about weapons that are purchased as upgrades to the unit, for example Meltabombs should be moldeled on the units i could care less about frag grenades 

 

and hadn't purchased some more (perhaps because they can't afford to buy any at the moment) would you not let them use these items agauinst vehicles during a game?

 

I also mentioned that if this was a one time thing or he was trying to test it out before buying it, i wouldn't have a problem but to just model it that way and expect everyone else to be happy with it for years

 

If someone didn't like the aesthetic of a particular weapon, say a flamer, and found a different way to represent it (3rd party bit or a conversion) would you disallow that?

 

if it was supposed to be a flamer and looks like a flamer from 3rd party / conversion then thats fine to me, i used to play Orks have 12, 000pts painted though that may become 10, 000pts soon but i love konvertin stuff

 

So long as there's some measure of internal consistency with changes, they are represented ad the points have been paid then there shouldn't be a problem with the majority of people. It's not like he's using a CD as a drop pod.

 

 

Back to the actual topic here, i would equip the squad with 2 meltaguns and have the arms of sarge magnetized to allow for maximum flexibility

 

allowing you to pick what weapon loadout you want before each game, also magnetize the backpacks/jumppacks so you can switch between the 2

 

Edit-changed colours

[Emperors Immortals]

Im interested to hear how your fielding the flamers, are they stacked in one combat squad? and do you find the range limiting?

 

I like flamers on my tacs, because im very aggressive with them and they always recieve a charge, but I cant quite make my RaS work better then having meltas.

 

And even though I prefer the look of the power sword, I always take the Claw for teh added rules.

 

Its interesting to see armies evolve, just adding a few basic characters can make a whole army perform different.

 

And lastly, here is my DiY droppod. Its a little rough, but I think it does the trick.

 

http://img451.imageshack.us/img451/425/droppod6ah.jpg

 

 

 

 

j/k ;p

[Quixus]

I was just wondering, if you are willing to spend an additional 25 pts on the Sarge (for a Power Fist), wouldn't a Power Sword and a Meltabomb be better and cheaper? How about a Power Axe and a Meltabomb?

[Dhx711]

As Boom Stick mentioned magnets are the way to go. That way no matter how the codex or future releases change you always have what you need without spending a whole lot more money.

 

Protip: companies and sellers seem to overcharge on magnets that are specifically marketed "for models". A little bit of digging on Amazon and the same magnets can be bought for less money that arent specifically marketed "for models"

[A D-B]

I've not played with my Blood Angel Successors yet (still building them, after all) but I've been tempted by three 5-man Assault Squads in Razorbacks, each with a Sanguinary Priest for kicks.

[thepowerofwar]

For me I like to take a 5 man squad in a pod with a melta gun and my sarg with dual infurnus pistols. It hits hard and with a pod I have rarely ever had them not be in melta range. But its 3 str 8 ap 1 shots, 1 str 6 ap 4 shot, and 2 str 4 ap 5. Its a good amount of high str shooting for anti tank and MC.  For a more anti infantry(so lots of template and blast) dual hand flamer sarg and a flamer in a pod.  That puts you at 2 str 3 ap 6 templates, 1 str 4 ap 5 template, 1 str 3 ap 6 blast and the 2 str 4  ap 5 shots.  Never forget we have grenades that we can have one guy in a squad throw!

[Silverson]

Emperors immortals

 

I play a lot against blob orks and imperial guard with a mix of platoons and tanks so my usual trick is to deep strike using my ic (sanguinary priest) as the target model and then try to arrange the surrounding models so they can cover the most enemy models as possible.

[Venemox]

Honestly, I have so many spare marine bits that magnetized weapons is more of a pain the :cuss than it's worth. Especially when switching between full sized squads with upgrades and minimum MSU squads bare bones maximizing my number of Assbacks. All I magnetize is jump packs and backpack to make that swap easier.

 

As for melta bombs with power weapon vs powerfist: It's all how I prioritze the number of high strength AP2 attacks I desire. Some applications, the one allowed by the meltabomb is enough, other times you want to swing twice (thrice on the charge) with the powerfist.

 

I've certainly fielded seargent with storm shield and chainsword just to frustrate my more CC focused opponents.

[Demoulius]

I run my assaults squads in 2 ways.

One is a small squad with (sometimes) a bare bones priest. Give the sarg a powersword and the special weapon is a single meltagun.

The other way (and the one I use the most...) is a 10 man squad with jump packs, PF sarg and 2 meltaguns.

Very versatile, letal to vehicles as well as troops and specialy dangerous to transports. Melta the vehicle and charge the disembarked cargo

Fact that our assault marines are troops is just icing on the cake! Use this fact though as if your just using them to assault stuff and forget that theyre troops you can give up some last turn objective taking because of it...