Returning player with a few questions

[Void_Stalker]

Greetings brothers! As the title says I'm returning to 40k and have a few questions... I've been lurking for a while, supping from the bounteous font of knowledge that is the bolter and chainsword community, and have formulated some ideas for how to turn my collection into a workable gaming force. Now I think I've reached the stage where I'm just putting off committing myself to painting my models, as I'm rather too much of a perfectionist and my vision is rarely matched by my painting skill. So I'm in need of a nudge!

I always loved Dark Angels for their background, iconography and overall aesthetic but one thing always stood in the way of me choosing them as my army of choice: their colour scheme. Try as I might I just can't bring myself to paint these splendid little buggers green and/or bone white. At first I decided I could create a successor chapter, but one of the things I really like is the chapter symbol! And them floating through space with no fixed abode... So my first question:
(1) Can I call my army Dark Angels, even though their colour scheme is mostly going to be black with ice blue detail?

From my research I see their pre-heresy livery was black, but I'm playing a M41 force here; am I likely to encounter problems when I get round to finding players and gaming? I'm a fan of DA fluff, and I'm a narrative/roleplaying gamer, but am I risking mild self-contradiction by embracing everything about the Dark Angels except their choice of paint?

As for list building I have a good idea of what to start out with. I'll begin with a couple of tactical squads and transports but first I have to decide how to gear them. I've long preferred the 10-man tactical squad in all but the smallest of games, but I've been considering the merits of 5-man troops choices, particularly in light of the stubborn nature of our PA troops. This brings me to my next question:
(2) Given our Grim Resolve special rule, are we perhaps better equipped than some for an MSU build?

The benefits of this I suppose would be multiple "super-scoring" units, target saturation and higher special/heavy weapon concentration (I'm inclined more towards a special, with matching combi on the sergeant). I wonder about their staying power though, but with rerolls on our Ld tests (or fearless with an HQ attached) is a unit of 5 marines on an objective a viable tactic?

Lastly (for now!) I come to the much-maligned assault squad... I love these guys, always have done. Models, fluff... Win. Ever since 2nd edition, when with their metal jump packs they'd keep falling over backwards! In my lists I plan to try a 5-man interference squad with 2 flamers & a combi-flamer, to provide rapid response and counter-charge. I see them as ideal support for my tacs or melta bikers. But I don't know... It just feels like they should be better than they are. At first, when I read about Hammer of Wrath special rule I rejoiced! Finally, a representation of the impact a rapidly descending power-armoured form would make on the enemy! But then... Oh, I can't use that rule if I've already used my jump pack to leap over the rhino I'm trying to protect from assault? Poo. Now, I've been looking at Codex: Space Marines, and see the use of allies with Raven Guard chapter tactics as a fix for this... But I'm Unforgiven. In the heat of battle one can ill afford the awkward silences and hastily averted gazes that such an alliance would bring. And being the player I am, if I were to ally with another chapter I would probably enforce the "allies of convenince" rules upon myself. Just because. So...... How about this:

(3) Can I use a detachment of C:SM with Raven Guard chapter tactics but have them represent Dark Angels?

I'm thinking vanguard vets to represent 8th company veterans and some scouts in landspeeder storms as Ravenwing hopefuls, but is this a bit cheeky? What do you think, brothers? In my mind it's totally valid but I'd like to know if I'm likely to meet any raised eyebrows.

I'll end this wall of text here! Thank you very much for taking the time to read this; I'm very interested to hear what my fellows think. Ah yes, and thank you also for all the knowledge imparted on these forums! Ok, back to my lurking

*Edit: added an "or" that was missing ^^

[aura_enchanted]

Greetings brothers! As the title says I'm returning to 40k and have a few questions... I've been lurking for a while, supping from the bounteous font of knowledge that is the bolter and chainsword community, and have formulated some ideas for how to turn my collection into a workable gaming force. Now I think I've reached the stage where I'm just putting off committing myself to painting my models, as I'm rather too much of a perfectionist and my vision is rarely matched by my painting skill. So I'm in need of a nudge!

I always loved Dark Angels for their background, iconography and overall aesthetic but one thing always stood in the way of me choosing them as my army of choice: their colour scheme. Try as I might I just can't bring myself to paint these splendid little buggers green and/or bone white. At first I decided I could create a successor chapter, but one of the things I really like is the chapter symbol! And them floating through space with no fixed abode... So my first question:

(1) Can I call my army Dark Angels, even though their colour scheme is mostly going to be black with ice blue detail?

From my research I see their pre-heresy livery was black, but I'm playing a M41 force here; am I likely to encounter problems when I get round to finding players and gaming? I'm a fan of DA fluff, and I'm a narrative/roleplaying gamer, but am I risking mild self-contradiction by embracing everything about the Dark Angels except their choice of paint?

As for list building I have a good idea of what to start out with. I'll begin with a couple of tactical squads and transports but first I have to decide how to gear them. I've long preferred the 10-man tactical squad in all but the smallest of games, but I've been considering the merits of 5-man troops choices, particularly in light of the stubborn nature of our PA troops. This brings me to my next question:

(2) Given our Grim Resolve special rule, are we perhaps better equipped than some for an MSU build?

The benefits of this I suppose would be multiple "super-scoring" units, target saturation and higher special/heavy weapon concentration (I'm inclined more towards a special, with matching combi on the sergeant). I wonder about their staying power though, but with rerolls on our Ld tests (or fearless with an HQ attached) is a unit of 5 marines on an objective a viable tactic?

Lastly (for now!) I come to the much-maligned assault squad... I love these guys, always have done. Models, fluff... Win. Ever since 2nd edition, when with their metal jump packs they'd keep falling over backwards! In my lists I plan to try a 5-man interference squad with 2 flamers & a combi-flamer, to provide rapid response and counter-charge. I see them as ideal support for my tacs melta bikers. But I don't know... It just feels like they should be better than they are. At first, when I read about Hammer of Wrath special rule I rejoiced! Finally, a representation of the impact a rapidly descending power-armoured form would make on the enemy! But then... Oh, I can't use that rule if I've already used my jump pack to leap over the rhino I'm trying to protect from assault? Poo. Now, I've been looking at Codex: Space Marines, and see the use of allies with Raven Guard chapter tactics as a fix for this... But I'm Unforgiven. In the heat of battle one can ill afford the awkward silences and hastily averted gazes that such an alliance would bring. And being the player I am, if I were to ally with another chapter I would probably enforce the "allies of convenince" rules upon myself. Just because. So...... How about this:

(3) Can I use a detachment of C:SM with Raven Guard chapter tactics but have them represent Dark Angels?

I'm thinking vanguard vets to represent 8th company veterans and some scouts in landspeeder storms as Ravenwing hopefuls, but is this a bit cheeky? What do you think, brothers? In my mind it's totally valid but I'd like to know if I'm likely to meet any raised eyebrows.

I'll end this wall of text here! Thank you very much for taking the time to read this; I'm very interested to hear what my fellows think. Ah yes, and thank you also for all the knowledge imparted on these forums! Ok, back to my lurking

I'll tackle questions 1, 2 and 3 as best I can:

Tactical squads are best paired with a special weapon that's of comparable range to the heavy weapon if their 10 man strong, and then I'd relegate the sgt's ranged option to ve the opposite as a desperation move.

For example here's some tactical squad loadouts I'd bring to the table:

1x10 tactical marines, combi plasma, melta gun, multi melta, rhino

1x10, combi flamer, heavy bolter, plasma gun, drop pod

As for what transport to give them it I feel is based on their place in the lineup. A late game distraction or objective grabber will want to pod, an early game troops choice will want a rhino

The 5 man teams I generally give a razorback or rhino too. The razor being the preferred weapon. I'll usually give them a heavy weapon. And now I have a twin linked hb, and say a lascannon in a squad making for an improv devestator squad.

2) yes you can field them and call them "counts as dark angels" as long as you stick to the codex you can make it happen. As for ravenguard as dark angels counts as. Sorry that wouldn't really fly. They would need to be wither ravenguard or "counts as" ravens. Mixing chapter labels like that would come across as a shady way to benefit from both codecies in some freakydeeky way.

3) assault marines are actually okay in small point games. I have them in my list sometimes and I even have a company master and chaplain to mix with them. As for their loadout I typically give them a vet sgt with a power fist, and then a plasma pistol or flamer if I can spare the points. In 750pts games I'd take max sized squads tbh. However I phase them out for other units that do cc better in higher point games, or units that have better all around statlines.

Our bikers are a prime example od the later. They literally have everything assault marines have and so much more. If I was to take them they would be like you are and fielding them as ravenguard (blood angels are also a good pick thanks to sang priest, furious charge, and then being troops). And in those cases I'd use them as a way to back up the faster bikers offering a way to fill the gaps and reinforce the initial shock assault the bikers generate.

Another example is veteran's. They might not be as mobile but they have a command squad and can take more power weapons and can take combat and storm shields granting them comparable saves to terminators while remaining noticeably cheaper.

[Void_Stalker]

Thank you for your feedback aura_enchanted!

As for ravenguard as dark angels counts as. Sorry that wouldn't really fly. They would need to be wither ravenguard or "counts as" ravens. Mixing chapter labels like that would come across as a shady way to benefit from both codecies in some freakydeeky way.

Hmm yes that's what I am afraid of. Shamefully I fear that is exactly what I'm trying to do... I wonder if you might have slightly misunderstood though; I would take them an allied detachment from C:SM, with Raven Guard CT, only I plan on modelling and painting them to match with the rest of my ersatz Unforgiven (and inside my beardy little brain, they will be Dark Angels!). I personally don't see this as an exploit; rather I'm trying to justify (to myself as much as anyone) the rules-legal choice to add units from another codex. I also want my force to look cohesive on the battlefield, which is a big reason for wanting to paint them all the same...

So 5-man tactical squads are a viable choice? I'm currently looking at fielding one 10-man squad (with combi-plasma, plasma gun & plasma cannon) in a rhino, and two or three 5-man squads in razorbacks. Hmm, although maybe just a rhino for some drive-by flaming potential... Regardless of this, do you see Stubborn as making our MSU builds a little better than, say, those from C:SM (perhaps excluding crusader squads)?

[aura_enchanted]

Thank you for your feedback aura_enchanted!

As for ravenguard as dark angels counts as. Sorry that wouldn't really fly. They would need to be wither ravenguard or "counts as" ravens. Mixing chapter labels like that would come across as a shady way to benefit from both codecies in some freakydeeky way.

Hmm yes that's what I am afraid of. Shamefully I fear that is exactly what I'm trying to do... I wonder if you might have slightly misunderstood though; I would take them an allied detachment from C:SM, with Raven Guard CT, only I plan on modelling and painting them to match with the rest of my ersatz Unforgiven (and inside my beardy little brain, they will be Dark Angels!). I personally don't see this as an exploit; rather I'm trying to justify (to myself as much as anyone) the rules-legal choice to add units from another codex. I also want my force to look cohesive on the battlefield, which is a big reason for wanting to paint them all the same...

So 5-man tactical squads are a viable choice? I'm currently looking at fielding one 10-man squad (with combi-plasma, plasma gun & plasma cannon) in a rhino, and two or three 5-man squads in razorbacks. Hmm, although maybe just a rhino for some drive-by flaming potential... Regardless of this, do you see Stubborn as making our MSU builds a little better than, say, those from C:SM (perhaps excluding crusader squads)?

Crusaders are exclusive to black Templars

And I personally view stubborn as a bad thing tbh. I like to mulch through cc as fast as I can and move on. Just steamroll ya know. And getting put into a tarpit and failing morale means we can't run away. Nor can we flee from a superior cc foe like ork boyz

I think that if yoir going to use msu's it only works with ravenwing. Deathwing and greenwing (omitting scouts) don't really benefit from it imo.

I loves scouts, always bring a few for the ride when I can because their cheap and good at taking out leadership supports via sniper rifles

I use a greenwing with dw and rw in supporting roles and stack fear checks all over my force (relics, asmodai, librarians). The idea here is that I cc you, drop fear on you and mulch you while your stats are down. And in that environment msu's mean little. This works vert well against orks, tau and guard. Where failing a fear check basically is a death sentence to whole piles of units And in the orks case can cause a massive army implosion.

And plenty of 5 man units are viable. Command squads, black knights, scouts, devestators and dwk's

I'm indifferent on doing it with tacticals tho unless there's a good reason for it, and I don't see the point of it with normal terminators or assault marines because they just get mulched.