BA Today

[FormelyKnownAsSmashyPants]

Sooooo it looks like DG are going to be the bane of all things melee with their -1T bubble, so I’m thinking that to counter them we’d need to use some of our snootier options. Things that come to mind are Baals especially twin AC and double heay flamer so as not to be affected so badly by Disgustingly Resilient, Plasmaceptors, heavy flamer devastators and other things with a higher rate of fire, even if only D1given D2 becomes irrelevant. Also things with a higher toughness would be effected less by the negative toughness bubble so melee would be less punishing than it would for standard infantry, thinking Furiosos and Outrider bikes. I think as BA players we’re going to have think outside the box to counter DG. Thoughts?

[Karhedron]

A lot of our favourite 2D weapons are wasted vs DG. On the other hand, Red Thirst is still a good counter to their enhanced toughness. Death Company with power swords/axes could be good.

 

Basically I think you are right that we need to drown them in a hail of mid-Strength 1D attacks.

 

Or go for 3D+ weapons. Various Dreadnoughts look promising. A Redemptor with MPC is 3D when overcharging and punches hard in melee.

[Paikis]

Chainswords and Lightning Claws. Rip and tear!

[SnorriSnorrison]

As said in the “how to counter DG” thread, the best way to get around -1 Damage is probably loading up on thunder hammers. 2D will still go a long way when they’re mounted on fast, pre-game moving DC with 5/6 attacks (depending on if they’re in chalice range) each. 4-5 in a 8 man squad come in around 250 points and should annihilate a big squad of Plage Marines if they get the charge off and the right buffs.

[smileyjim]

Some of the comments about the titans vid remind me of the "death guard have been nerfed into the ground" comments.

 

BA are in a very good place and the army needs a slight tactics change because this is a new edition. Its still possible to go balls to the wall if you want its just harder to do. Which frankly isn't hard because it used to be teliport anywhere you want and auto charge, which was a bit silly really. Much like an apothecary changing bike tyres...

[Karhedron]

Chainswords and Lightning Claws. Rip and tear!

Vanguard Veterans with Lightning Claw and Storm Shield should be able to dish out some decent damage while still retaining durability in melee.

[Vermintide]

I get the feeling Blood Angels in particular get a lot of people talking out their backsides about the faction, when they really don't have much of a clue what it's like to play as. I mean that's true for pretty much every faction, but I think in our case in particular, the whole 3 BA Smash Captains in every list thing became so ubiquitous that everyone thinks they know the army; and overestimates its power level as a whole, just because it had that one really strong combo all the tournament players abused. What they don't realise is how easy it is to just get blown off the table as a melee-focussed elite army which pays a premium for its toys.

 

Even towards the end of 8th post Psychic Awakening, BA as a mono-faction army was hilariously underpowered. Win percentage statistics had us tied with Necrons and Dark Angels for worst army in the game if I remember correctly. You watched battle reports and the BA lost every single one- The fundamental mechanics of the game, as well as two years of codex creep, left us in the dust. We had that one sterile, spammy list Stephen Box used and that was pretty much it. We could manoeuvre well and we could get charges reliably, but it meant nothing when most armies could just shoot you off the table the next turn.

 

I still haven't had a chance to road test 9th (and as far as I'm concerned it's still in beta anyhow), but as far as I can see a couple of things changed that really benefited us going into this edition. The smaller board and changes to match play to focus more on mid-field objectives really plays to our strengths, for a start. Secondly, the universal buff to Classic Marines, and then getting access to the base Marine 'dex itself, helps shore up our roster in places it was perhaps a little fragile before. However, we've paid for that with a supplement that is pretty much objectively a downgrade from what we had before. Which is fair, because again, we have benefited a lot from other changes and we're in a good spot right now- But it's difficult to say we get anything that makes us overpowered at all. Nearly everything we have comes with some caveat, some balancing factor that prevents abuse. There's no 48 auto-hit Aggressors in our book.

 

We can only wait and see how the codex creep turns out this edition, because with our decidedly conservative rules update, ultimately that'll decide where we stand.

 

Secondly: You guys are probably already aware but the new chap WintersSEO/Deployment Zone have brought on the channel really does the Blood Angels proud. Well worth giving his hobby videos and battle reports a watch.

[SnorriSnorrison]

I get the feeling Blood Angels in particular get a lot of people talking out their backsides about the faction, when they really don't have much of a clue what it's like to play as. I mean that's true for pretty much every faction, but I think in our case in particular, the whole 3 BA Smash Captains in every list thing became so ubiquitous that everyone thinks they know the army; and overestimates its power level as a whole, just because it had that one really strong combo all the tournament players abused. What they don't realise is how easy it is to just get blown off the table as a melee-focussed elite army which pays a premium for its toys.

 

Even towards the end of 8th post Psychic Awakening, BA as a mono-faction army was hilariously underpowered. Win percentage statistics had us tied with Necrons and Dark Angels for worst army in the game if I remember correctly. You watched battle reports and the BA lost every single one- The fundamental mechanics of the game, as well as two years of codex creep, left us in the dust. We had that one sterile, spammy list Stephen Box used and that was pretty much it. We could manoeuvre well and we could get charges reliably, but it meant nothing when most armies could just shoot you off the table the next turn.

 

I still haven't had a chance to road test 9th (and as far as I'm concerned it's still in beta anyhow), but as far as I can see a couple of things changed that really benefited us going into this edition. The smaller board and changes to match play to focus more on mid-field objectives really plays to our strengths, for a start. Secondly, the universal buff to Classic Marines, and then getting access to the base Marine 'dex itself, helps shore up our roster in places it was perhaps a little fragile before. However, we've paid for that with a supplement that is pretty much objectively a downgrade from what we had before. Which is fair, because again, we have benefited a lot from other changes and we're in a good spot right now- But it's difficult to say we get anything that makes us overpowered at all. Nearly everything we have comes with some caveat, some balancing factor that prevents abuse. There's no 48 auto-hit Aggressors in our book.

 

We can only wait and see how the codex creep turns out this edition, because with our decidedly conservative rules update, ultimately that'll decide where we stand.

 

Secondly: You guys are probably already aware but the new chap WintersSEO/Deployment Zone have brought on the channel really does the Blood Angels proud. Well worth giving his hobby videos and battle reports a watch.

I believe Tabletop Titans might have blown the power of BA out of proportion a bit - even though a lot of their points might have merit. If you don't take JP units in this army, you're already facing an uphill battle from the get go. Sanguinary Guard are very good right now when used in a counter-charging way, hiding behind terrain until needed. Death Company and VanVets have received a boost most people thought unthinkable with their second wound alone. Lightning Claws are the hotness right now.

I'm not saying that not taking JP units is un-blood angely, for I remember the days of Rhino/Razorback assaults. At this point in time though, all other SM armies shoot better than us in one form or the other (except maybe Wolves), which will leave us outclassed quickly if we try to "play their game".

 

The alpha strikes from 8th are dead, and perhaps that is a good thing since objectives are scored from the second turn. However, BA can still be on the home and middle objectives with some ease due to the inherent speed of their best troops and score secondaries right away.

 

How the relics and WLTs interact and if they are as strong as Tabletop Titans believe remains to be seen. I think there's a bit of hidden potential in the supplement. The army is harder to play now as you need more patience than ever, waiting out your engagements until they become more favorable. That said, there still are ways to get into close combat turn 1. Wrath of Baal and Forlorn Fury favor JP-heavy armies, or at least using JP troops as their heavy hitters. If set up correctly, the opponent can't allow himself to move up too far up the board with the risk of being annihilated in return. I'm quite curious to find out how to play the army in this new edition and looking forward to the more competitive folks figuring out the potentially broken combinations that the Titans seem to have made out in the book.

[Indefragable]

How does the Artisan of War WLT work? I'm still waiting on my book, but 4chan (for better and worse) says the following:

 

Hidden Content

"

1. Artisan of War: Your warlord can be given one of the following: Adamantine Mantle; Artificer Armor; Master-crafted Weapon; Digital Weapons. This is in addition to any other relics they may have, and each relic must be unique. Very strong take with "angel exemplar WL" to mastercraft your weapon and still take imperiums sword and a relic."

 

....what I am confused about is "Artisan of War" is your WLT, then you can take a Relic in your Relic "slot" and then also take Special Issue Wargear as specified above....why are they saying you can also run Imperium's Sword (another WLT)? 

[Metzombie]

You can give your Warlord an extra BA Warlordtrait with a stratagem.

[Vermintide]

How does the Artisan of War WLT work? I'm still waiting on my book, but 4chan (for better and worse) says the following:

 

Hidden Content

"

1. Artisan of War: Your warlord can be given one of the following: Adamantine Mantle; Artificer Armor; Master-crafted Weapon; Digital Weapons. This is in addition to any other relics they may have, and each relic must be unique. Very strong take with "angel exemplar WL" to mastercraft your weapon and still take imperiums sword and a relic."

 

....what I am confused about is "Artisan of War" is your WLT, then you can take a Relic in your Relic "slot" and then also take Special Issue Wargear as specified above....why are they saying you can also run Imperium's Sword (another WLT)? 

The relevant codex pages were leaked somewhere, think there's a thread for it here in the news & announcements forum.

 

As I understand it, it essentially functions to allow you to give a single character two relics, by virtue of the fact his warlord trait is a relic. Then, as pointed out above, you can spend the CP for an additional trait.

 

So for instance, you want to give your Priest Artificer Armour, but also want to give him the Teeth of Terra, you'd give him Artisan of War which allows you to select Artificer Armour as part of it's function, then you can still give him the Teeth of Terra as his normal relic.

[WrathOfTheLion]

Finally got the book and cards!

 

Starting to work on some basic infantry, got the base yellow about down on two lieutenants. What company do folks normally pick? A standard battle line, or a veteran company? I'm thinking 3rd company to have some red to tie them back in a bit.

 

Or are 1st or 2nd companies more prevalent?

Edited December 21, 2020 by WrathOfTheLion

[Indefragable]

You can give your Warlord an extra BA Warlordtrait with a stratagem.

 

 

 

How does the Artisan of War WLT work? I'm still waiting on my book, but 4chan (for better and worse) says the following:

 

Hidden Content

"

1. Artisan of War: Your warlord can be given one of the following: Adamantine Mantle; Artificer Armor; Master-crafted Weapon; Digital Weapons. This is in addition to any other relics they may have, and each relic must be unique. Very strong take with "angel exemplar WL" to mastercraft your weapon and still take imperiums sword and a relic."

 

....what I am confused about is "Artisan of War" is your WLT, then you can take a Relic in your Relic "slot" and then also take Special Issue Wargear as specified above....why are they saying you can also run Imperium's Sword (another WLT)? 

The relevant codex pages were leaked somewhere, think there's a thread for it here in the news & announcements forum.

 

As I understand it, it essentially functions to allow you to give a single character two relics, by virtue of the fact his warlord trait is a relic. Then, as pointed out above, you can spend the CP for an additional trait.

 

So for instance, you want to give your Priest Artificer Armour, but also want to give him the Teeth of Terra, you'd give him Artisan of War which allows you to select Artificer Armour as part of it's function, then you can still give him the Teeth of Terra as his normal relic.

 

 

...but how do you give someone an additional/extra/second Warlord Trait? 

 

...if I understand it correctly, Artisan of War fills the character's WLT slot, and thus allows you to take a second piece of Special Issue Wargear, including in addition to any Relic you already gave them. It essentially gives you a second Relic "slot" that you can fill with SIW and SIW only. What I do not understand is how a single character can get a second WLT "slot". 

 

 

Nvm I found this from Goonhammer; anyone know what that Strat is called in the Supplement?

Hidden Content

 

from: https://www.goonhammer.com/codex-supplement-blood-angels-the-goonhammer-review/

Stratagems

17 total stratagems here, 15 for main-line Blood Angels and then 2 more that are Flesh Tearers exclusive.

Three of these are the standard Requisition stratagems we’re used to from the other supplements – double traits on one character, give a sergeant a relic, let a successor take a proper relic. The first one is interesting here because unlike the version in the Imperial Fists codex – which allows Crimson Fists to access Imperial Fists warlord traits – it explicitly requires you to take a Flesh Tearers one if that’s your Chapter. Apparently we finally have an answer to “was this interaction intended” and it is “no, but we’re not going to change it now.”

Edited December 21, 2020 by Indefragable

[Vermintide]

Angel Exemplar. 1CP.

 

https://i.imgur.com/qKNWuvo.jpg

 

It does require you to choose a specifically BA one, but it'd still allow you to take, for example, Rites of War as the primary trait, and then Artisan of War for the double relic (or rather, SIW, you know what I mean.)

 

Still waiting for my book too, and Battlescribe hasn't been updated yet... Very frustrating.

Edited December 21, 2020 by Vermintide

[Spagunk]

Hey all, have some Relic Terminators with power mauls and...IDK, something else

[Indefragable]

Hey all, have some Relic Terminators with power mauls and...IDK, something else

oooooh......Nullifactors?

[Spagunk]

yeah

[SnorriSnorrison]

Won a great victory yesterday, blood angels taking on the imperial fists and a fire raptor!

The extra 2” of movement from WoB don’t sound like much, but it’s pretty good if you run lots of jump packs.

Death company took out both characters in turn 1 and 2, VanVets took down the fire raptor which had blasted the 10-man squad of Sanguinary Guard off the table in its previous turn. Pretty cool game, BA victory 80+ to 26 for the Fists. :)

[Xenith]

Hey all, have some Relic Terminators with power mauls and...IDK, something else

oooooh......Nullifactors?

They come in units? They look awesome also, Spagunk.

[Majkhel]

Hey all, have some Relic Terminators with power mauls and...IDK, something else

Nice! I plan to have some of those relic Terminators in my 40k army too at one point :)

And Nullificators are sure a fluffy unit.

But wait - what is THIS HERESY?

A risky move to place a mark of that particular power on a Blood Angel :P

[Spagunk]

It's the heresy. They know not what powers they're attempting to call.

 

I've not had time to picture all the runes but there's some very familiar ones there.

Edited December 22, 2020 by Spagunk

[Vermintide]

I have retracted my like due to heresy.

 

(They still cool though)

 

BRB, flogging myself for not being vigilant enough of heresy.

Edited December 22, 2020 by Vermintide

[Spagunk]

"With the increase of uncontrollable occurrences of Daemonic incursion across the galaxy, many officers within the Legiones Astartes on both sides of the conflict resorted to arcane and superstitious means to counter the little-understood threat. These pioneers sanctioned research into esoteric artefacts and weapons, and openly sought prohibited lore in the hope that it would provide wisdom capable of combatting the galaxy's intangible horrors. These commanders, who were first among the Nullificators, forged an example and encouraged those serving under them to also seek out by any means necessary the answers to the arcane threat."

"Varying widely in form and efficacy based on both the origin and experience of the unit, wards either etched into or worn upon the armour  of Nullificators quickly became a standard feature of their panoply of war as the terrors of the Horus Heresy veered further into the realms of madness. By the end of the Scouring, such measures were codified as a

sub-surface pattern of etched warding runes, formed of rare alloys and mineral compounds, but during the earliest years of the Horus Heresy often amounted to little more than half-understood scrawlings and pagan charms."

   

[The Unseen]

I had an idea for a home brew chapter of renegade but not quite corrupted marines, whos captain had been marked by Khorne as a *target* rather than with allegiance, basically a big :cuss off beacon telling khornates this ones skull is worthy, come and claim it, but granted psychic resistance, as Khorne refused to let such a bloody warrior fall to such tricks before his warriors had a chance to claim his soul and skull.

[Majkhel]

Happy Sanguinala, brothers and sisters! May your shades of red never run dry :)