BA's good for someone new to WH40K?

[Helias_Tancred]

Hi all.

 

Been a fan of WH40K now for a few years. I've read a bunch of the omnibuses, Horus Heresy books, and played some of the video games. I've decided to try out the tabletop miniature wargame. My question is would the Blood Angels be a good army for someone new to the game? Through reading some of the books by BL on the Blood Angels I've come to like them in addition to the Ultramarines and Imperial Fists.

 

I'm trying to decide which army to start the hobby off with. I was going to start small at first, a command/HQ unit, tactical squad, assault squad and maybe a captain or chapter hero figure.

 

So how would running the Blood Angels be for someone new to the hobby? Also painting them? Pretty easy given their scheme?

 

 

Thanks in advance,

 

 

[marine7312000]

Welcome to 40k. If you're really interested in starting a Blood Angels army, I'd recommend starting with a Death Company box, a box of Sanguinary Guard, and a box of Tactical Marines. With the Death Company and Sanguinary Guard, you'll have a plethora of Blood Angels bits. Combine pieces from all three boxes and you'll have a great deal of variation amongst your models. You'll have enough torsos and legs to build 20 models and a tons of extra pieces for later projects.

[Red-beard]

I think any space marine army is a fine army for beginners or experienced players, alike. IMO, space marine armies are easy to learn, but difficult to master.

 

Making sure you enjoy the fluff is important when selecting a chapter. In addition to the fluff, you might also consider your preferred playing style. If you think your style is going to be more weighted towards aggressive in-your-face assaults, then BA are the way to go. If you believe your style will be more heavily weighted towards large amounts of long range, high strength shooting, then IF or UM might be a better option. In terms of rules, IF and UM have a stronger codex right now, but the new BA codex should be coming out soon. 

 

As for painting, I own both BA and IF and can tell you that the BA are much easier to paint. Painting yellow can be difficult.

 

In the end it just comes down to which army you're more drawn to. You can't go wrong either way. 

[Chaplain Admetus]

BA will be a struggle to play with. We were always expensive, 2 new editions have hit since our codex dropped and just about everything we could do well got hit hard. Now that every other marine book has been updated, it's really obvious how overcosted and ineffective we are (compare librarians... Space Wolves can get a Mastery Level 2 librarian for 85 points, where ours sets us back 125, and the Space Wolf one has more access to wargear. Tactical Squads for Space Marines cost less than Blood Angels ones, and have freer access to heavy and special weapons, and their Chapter Tactics are actually worth something.) So from a gameplay perspective, Blood Angels are really not suitable for beginners right now. It's not that they're actively bad, more that they're so out of date that it's a struggle to play an enjoyable game with them.

[sockwithaticket]

It's probably worth holding off getting too involved until our codex finally gets updated (should be soonish). That said, there are a few things that shouldn't be going anywhere once said update occurs:

Assault Squads
Tactical Marines

The mainstay troop choices, basically. I can't speak too strongly to the gaming side of things as I collect rather than play.

As for painting red, it's as easy or as difficult as you want to make it. Do you want to do basecoat, wash and highlight or go for something more complex? There's a lot of scope for how to do your red, too. Some go for quite a dark hue where others like their Angels bright and vivid. Companies like Army Painter do coloured spray primers that match the paint colours they sell in bottles, so they're quite a popular choice for doing red. That makes it easy to go over any mistakes you make to the basecoat.

To be honest, the best thing you could do for now, is get yourself an assault or tactical box (not from GW, get them cheaper from a retailer like Darksphere; this goes for your tools like glue, too) and build and paint a couple of test models. If you are as new to the painting/modelling side of the hobby as you indicate then there are a million awesome resources here and around the web that you can (and probably should) check out before you even get started. That way you can avoid a lot of the mistakes that people sometimes make when they're starting out and you haven't ruined your expensive models.

The main thing to look out for:
- mouldlines, make sure you get rid of all those before you even think about painting. Nothing spoils a model like mouldlines.
 

[Cronhour]

I think as long as your not intending to be uber competitive in the next 6 months then BA are fine. Go with what you like, I got back into the hobby last year and BA appealed to me through the fluff, I lost most of my early games playing at the local GW versus people bringing really competitive lists( 4 monstrous creatures and 60 troops at 1500pts, or heldrakes and obilts with a 2+ rerollable save belacor) and me just playing fun though i had some really fun moments and soon learnt to turn the tables on people, since then i'd say we've got a buff in 7th. There's nothing like hearing people with cheesy lists out of the top 3 codexs whine about your fnp rolls, I've beaten eldar, daemons and space marines recently with BA and we can really shine in situations others might struggle. It's nice to see a nid player smile as you decide to charge your reclusiarch and 6 Dc into two carnifexes, they're usually not smiling by the time you've had all your rerolls though.

As it is now I'm playing at a friendly club I need to tone my lists down as I was skewing to competitive and it's all about the social contract, if you've spent a lot of time with the wider universe I think BA is a great place to start. Our playstyle pushes you towards close combat and daring assaults which features a lot in the novels and games. I always liked the idea of the noble yet flawed defenders of mankind vibe I get off the blood angels, humanities martyrs. Whereas at times I've found other chapters a little arrogant and cold to be able to relate to them. Painting them to a basic standard is also pretty quick and easy (though i've failed to do that)

As stated above a tactical squad, death company box and sanguinary guard box gives you a lot of bits and a good place to start, you could pick up a Reclusiarch for a HQ for that Blood angels Death company vibe and go from there. For tabletop sucess I feel it's good to specilise, so either armour (land raiders, Baals, Predators, and Vidicators) or drop pods and dreadnoughts, Stormravens can fit into either style. A lot of people go the jump pack route which is fluffy but I've no experience there. I can tell you an invisible sternguard unit with Feel No Pain dropping in their midst turn one along with Death company and a Furioso tends to ruin most players plans. Oh and picking up an inquistor model and a copy of coteaz from the digital Inquistion codex is a great force multiplier.

Go with what feels right and you'll more than likely end up happy, find a good local group and you'll be laughing.

[Shaezus]

Go blood angels. Simply because you can always use your BA models as a 'counts as' for a different chapter until our new codex. Then again if you are starting off at, say, 500-750 points then you can still put together an army that has BA themes and tactics and is fun to play with. It'll also help you to familiarise yourself with the main rules. Getting to know the rules is an ongoing process, things always pop up that need a little clarification no matter how long you've been playing, especially with the rate new editions come out.

 

The Blood Angels have the blood of an emperor in their veins, as our primarch was created by the emperor of mankind specifically to replace him as emperor of a new and vastly expanded imperium. Fluff-wise there is no better chapter, as each battle you fight serves to remind other chapters of the true majesty and glory that they strive to create and protect, as opposed to the soulless bureuacracy it has become since Sanguinius's death and The Emperor's wounding and incarceration on the golden throne. No chapter has a more noble spirit, let's just hope our new dex gives us what we have long deserved.

 

Whoever you go with I recommend elementgames.co.uk as they sell at up to 25% discount on GW prices.

[Dolchiate Remembrancer]

Welcome Brother Tiberius!

 

All good advice given here. I propose that in the end you prioritize your requirements for this army:

 

-Look & Feel

-Fluff

-Ability to Dominate

-Versatility & Flexibility

 

Personally it was always:

1) Fluff

2) Look & Feel

3) Versatility

4) Domination

 

So when I read about the Blood Angels and there ongoing curse, and there great Primarch...I got hooked! If that's the case with you too, then sign up Brother! Because in the end there are plenty of experienced players to should you the way to enjoy and win some games!

[Morticon]

All the above reasons are why BA are great, and why this forum rocks ^_^ 

[InquisitorBlack]

If you want to play BA, go for it.

 

Just don't spend too much time working out 'optimum' lists based on the current codex, as everything will change when we get our new one.

 

As is normally the case, GW will buff the units that aren't selling enough models. Expect furioso dreads and sanguinary guard to get buffed.

[Xenith]

Ignore this:

BA will be a struggle to play with.

It's because his models covered in metal spikes, and are at 1:1 scale, making them painful and unwieldy to use in games.Spikes are optional.

 

Partly ignore this:

It's probably worth holding off getting too involved until our codex finally gets updated (should be soonish).

Really get involved, read the stories, Read Fear to Tread, Read the first few HH books and marvel at how Sanguinius is respected by the other Primarchs.

 

BA are an amazing army. Their background, history, role in the heresy, mentality, inner demons, it all makes them so much more than any other chapter.

 

Welcome to the Fortress monastery!

 

 

This is good advice

I'd recommend starting with a Death Company box, a box of Sanguinary Guard, and a box of Tactical Marines. With the Death Company and Sanguinary Guard, you'll have a plethora of Blood Angels bits. Combine pieces from all three boxes and you'll have a great deal of variation amongst your models. You'll have enough torsos and legs to build 20 models and a tons of extra pieces for later projects.

Get some BA bits.

 

It's true that our codex, that is, the rules for using BA in games are one of the older ones at the moment, and should be updated within the next 6 months.

 

If you can find a cheap copy of the codex, then that is great, getting a brand new one may see your book being outdated (rules wise) within several months. The background in the book remains relevant, though.

 

It's just something to be aware of.

 

That said, the battleforce and codex from a place that does 25% off, such as Darksphere or element games (both UK) are a good deal, and you can get a great source of inspiration too!

[Father Mapple]

Make sure you like the look of them, and you like the color you want to paint. If you're going to even paint 10 of them, you got to like the color and models. I literally enjoy the physical act of painting the Burgundy type color of my Flesh Tearers more than I do enjoy painting Green. I can not tell you why. I might as well try and describe music to a deaf person or the color wheel to a blind person - I have no idea why I like the process of painting that color. But I do! And so all models get that Burgundy color. 

 

So, if you like the color and paint scheme, you'll keep painting and playing with them. Fluff helps with that a lot as an inspiration.

[sockwithaticket]

xenith - I feel I need to clarify, when I said hold off getting too involved what I meant was don't go buying a full  two to three thousand point army in one fell swoop as some people do. Particularly with an update due in the near future, fiddling around with a couple of core units, getting a feel for how to model and paint at a leisurely pace would be the best course of action imo. By all means Tiberius Karn, go nuts on the fluff, but exercise caution and restraint with the building and painting until you find your feet/are certain you want to continue with BA. Perhaps I should have been clearer in my original post.

[walpurgisnacht]

I like Blood Angels. I like them so much that I own approx 4-5 k points worth.

I find the Blood Angels to be a fun army as apposed to the 1+2+3=I win armies of the tournament scene. I know some of our compatriots find winning the only fun, but I do not. I've enjoyed playing (and losing) for many years and have noticed that what keeps bringing me back to the table is not dice rolling mechanic, nor the clunky rules, it's the nerding out with fellow geeks.

There is a real community in wargaming. We are participants even now as we sneak a look at what's new in "our" forum. We seek a sense of belonging and we find it in basements and garages, in flgs and gw shops, in living room floors and dining room tables pushing plastic pieces around and laughing. That is what is good in life.

 

tl/dr: Do what you enjoy.

 

Happy gaming!

[Xenith]

xenith - I feel I need to clarify, when I said hold off getting too involved what I meant was don't go buying a full two to three thousand point army in one fell swoop as some people do.

No worries. I just feel like sometimes, people just don't read the OP, commenting on the thread title alone.

I'm trying to decide which army to start the hobby off with. I was going to start small at first, a command/HQ unit, tactical squad, assault squad and maybe a captain or chapter hero figure.

[Chaplain Admetus]

Going to add a bit to my earlier post. BA have great fluff, fantastic colours, and a really rich chapter from all of those perspectives. However, on a personal level, I'm struggling to play games I enjoy with the codex. I don't mind losing, that's part of the game. What I don't like is turning up and feeling like I've wasted my evening, which has happened the last 3 times I've brought the Blood Angels out. There's only so many times you can line your army up opposite an army composed of models with the same stat-line as yours, only you're outnumbered 3 to 2, and they have more flexibility and options; and I've passed that number. Great army, if I didn't think that I wouldn't be here, but don't expect to win many games.

[Red-beard]

Going to add a bit to my earlier post. BA have great fluff, fantastic colours, and a really rich chapter from all of those perspectives. However, on a personal level, I'm struggling to play games I enjoy with the codex. I don't mind losing, that's part of the game. What I don't like is turning up and feeling like I've wasted my evening, which has happened the last 3 times I've brought the Blood Angels out. There's only so many times you can line your army up opposite an army composed of models with the same stat-line as yours, only you're outnumbered 3 to 2, and they have more flexibility and options; and I've passed that number. Great army, if I didn't think that I wouldn't be here, but don't expect to win many games.

 

The new codex will be here soon!

[Paulochromis]

Going to add a bit to my earlier post. BA have great fluff, fantastic colours, and a really rich chapter from all of those perspectives. However, on a personal level, I'm struggling to play games I enjoy with the codex. I don't mind losing, that's part of the game. What I don't like is turning up and feeling like I've wasted my evening, which has happened the last 3 times I've brought the Blood Angels out. There's only so many times you can line your army up opposite an army composed of models with the same stat-line as yours, only you're outnumbered 3 to 2, and they have more flexibility and options; and I've passed that number. Great army, if I didn't think that I wouldn't be here, but don't expect to win many games.

How uniquely C:BA is your army?

Can't you field it as C:SM with C:BA allies to offset some of the costs?

[GrunTeufel]

 

Going to add a bit to my earlier post. BA have great fluff, fantastic colours, and a really rich chapter from all of those perspectives. However, on a personal level, I'm struggling to play games I enjoy with the codex. I don't mind losing, that's part of the game. What I don't like is turning up and feeling like I've wasted my evening, which has happened the last 3 times I've brought the Blood Angels out. There's only so many times you can line your army up opposite an army composed of models with the same stat-line as yours, only you're outnumbered 3 to 2, and they have more flexibility and options; and I've passed that number. Great army, if I didn't think that I wouldn't be here, but don't expect to win many games.

How uniquely C:BA is your army?

Can't you field it as C:SM with C:BA allies to offset some of the costs?

 

 

This is what I've been doing for some time now. I generally take a cheap ML2 jump pack librarian from ravenguard along with some tacticals and maybe a heavy support/elite choice depending on the game. Our 10 men assault marines are just 10 points more expensive which is fine with me. I get a HQ, furioso or two, two assault squads, two priests and maybe a baal pred or veterans depending on the situation. 7th edition has been kind to me so far and I've been winning quite a lot recently.

[Xenith]

To clarify the 'difficult to play with' quotes. This is in a competitive environment, where the BA codex is beginning to show it's age.

 

In a friendly setting, they do fine. Learn your army.

[Chaplain Admetus]

To clarify the 'difficult to play with' quotes. This is in a competitive environment, where the BA codex is beginning to show it's age.

 

In a friendly setting, they do fine. Learn your army.

Even in a friendly environment, I'm finding it difficult to enjoy my games. It's not that I struggle to win every game, but I struggle to have fun in most of my games, a very important distinction. But I suppose you're right, I really should go and 'learn my army', after all, I've only been playing it for the entire 15+ years I've been playing 40k...

[Xenith]

 

To clarify the 'difficult to play with' quotes. This is in a competitive environment, where the BA codex is beginning to show it's age.

 

In a friendly setting, they do fine. Learn your army.

Even in a friendly environment, I'm finding it difficult to enjoy my games. It's not that I struggle to win every game, but I struggle to have fun in most of my games, a very important distinction. But I suppose you're right, I really should go and 'learn my army', after all, I've only been playing it for the entire 15+ years I've been playing 40k...

 

 

I didn't mean to get your back up or anything, Chaplain, that was directed at the newer, soon to be BA player.

 

I just think that it should be up to the individual as to whether theyre having fun with the army.

 

I've been playing BA for 15 years also, and, while I haven't used them in 7th yet, I have been using my pure Thousand Sons army, which themighty internet tells me is more gimped than the BA codex. That I have been having success with them, and enjoying myself goes against the internet's advice of 'this not be happening, and that I should be having a terrible time'. 

 

Maybe I'm just a masochist and relish the challenge? I don't look at an opposing army and think 'oh no, their codex is way better than mine'. I think of the best way to kill his killy stuff first.

 

 

 

It's not that I struggle to win every game, but I struggle to have fun in most of my games, a very important distinction.

Thats good to know, and would have been helpful to make that distinction initially:

 

BA will be a struggle to play with.