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Fluff Help for Blood Angels' Helmet Colours


Luca Pacioli

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Hi all,

 

I was just wondering; in our current codex the BA are alowed to take Assault Squads as a Troops choice. I'm in the middle of trying to create the entire 2nd company and as I think it is in keeping with the fluff, and because I can't see our troops choice option changing with the upcoming new codex, I was wondering if I could designate squads 1-6 as Assault and 7&8 as Tactical?

 

If so should I reverse the helmet colours? Even if people don't think I should swap the squads round, the fact that assault squads can be chosen as troops surely means that I should also paint the helmets yellow even if they're from squads 1-6...

 

What do people think?

The Troops designation in the rules really has nothing to do with how they're organised in the background.

 

I'm not really sure what you're trying to achieve but:

 

If you want to be in keeping with the fluff, the Blood Angels are organised according to the Codex Astartes, so the 2nd Company has 6 Tactical Squads and 2 Assault Squads, not vice versa. They don't have more Assault Squads than any other Codex Chapter, theirs are just more likely to be at full strength.

 

The helmet colour designates the squad's role, not its number. Tactical Squads wear red, Assault Squads wear yellow. Squad number is designated by the symbol on the right knee.

 

Obviously it's your army and you're free to ignore any of that, but it's not going to be "fluffy" if you do.

Thanks; it's not the case that the tactical squads occasionally fight as assault squads? I'm just wondering how I could have a lot of assault troop squads if I've only got 2 to choose from in the company (the idea is that the company have been sent off in a campaign together).

Thanks; it's not the case that the tactical squads occasionally fight as assault squads? I'm just wondering how I could have a lot of assault troop squads if I've only got 2 to choose from in the company (the idea is that the company have been sent off in a campaign together).

It's a rule fluff disconnect. The tacticals can only have bolt pistols and bolt guns as such they only get one attack in CC. Further more they can only be upgraded with one special and/or one heavy weapon (if at full strength). Our assault squads on the other hand can remove their jump packs and ride in transports.

 

As per the codex organization a company has 6 tactical squads and 2 assault squads, AFAIK the Codex does not say how tactical squads have to be equipped. So if you want more than 2 squads equipped for CC and still follow Guilliman's organization you would best paint the additional close combat squads (without jump packs) with red helmets but list them in your army roster as assault squads.

A strike force will usually incorporate units from multiple companies as well as supporting elements from other companies.

 

Veterans in terminator or power armour (coy no 1).

Additional assault marines, bikes or speeders from the assault companies (coy no 8).

Devastator squads from the devastator companies (coy no 9).

Scouts from the scout company (coy no 10).

 

You also have units that are outside of the company command structure altogether like librarians and death company.

 

This means that a BA tactical company should always have 6 tactical, 2 assault and 2 devastator squads. Any more than that and they will come from a different source.

 

EDIT: Got my companies mixed up

Cheers all!

 

Lots for me to ponder; I like the idea of a company, with some reserves for bikes/speeders etc. away on campaign but have never been attracted to the idea of tactical squads in general (not blood thirsty enough for me!) so may have to change some things round in my planning. Cheers guys!

have never been attracted to the idea of tactical squads in general (not blood thirsty enough for me!)

Beating Xenos scum to death with the butt end of your bolter is't blood thirsty enough?

 

You can always have the 2 asm squads from the second company, and add in 4 more from the 8th.

Blood Angels also don't actually have sternguard despite the current book saying so. First company vets fight in either TDA or as veteran assault marines.

Where does it say that the Blood Angels do not have "tactical veterans"? BTW the Smurfs don't have sternguard either. They also only have 97 veterans in the 1st company.

Yeah as much as I would kill to run 6 Assault squads in my company versus company battle. I agreed to follow the fluff and I was there with 6 Tactical Squads but in terms of deployment of the Assault Squads you can see them in Land Speeders but they are rare and snatched up quick for bigger campaigns. Bikes are not seen as much since Blood Angels prefer the sky to a ground vehicle. So taking 5 Land Speeders instead of a Assault Squad is plausible but would be rare per the fluff.

 

Also if you really want to run more than two most people are right. Instead of making a company, you should make a strike force. So it would be a collection of assets for a certain campaign. Just have an assortment of squads from each company for a certain role. For fluff purposes say that the strike force was created in response to a threat like Tyranid, a Waaagh, or Chaos Warband in a sector. Hope this helps

Blood Angels also don't actually have sternguard despite the current book saying so. First company vets fight in either TDA or as veteran assault marines.

Old fluff that was never really represented in game. BA have been able to take bolter armed veteran squads since at least 1999.

Hi all,

 

I was just wondering; in our current codex the BA are alowed to take Assault Squads as a Troops choice. I'm in the middle of trying to create the entire 2nd company and as I think it is in keeping with the fluff, and because I can't see our troops choice option changing with the upcoming new codex, I was wondering if I could designate squads 1-6 as Assault and 7&8 as Tactical?

 

If so should I reverse the helmet colours? Even if people don't think I should swap the squads round, the fact that assault squads can be chosen as troops surely means that I should also paint the helmets yellow even if they're from squads 1-6...

 

What do people think?

 

Don't let the fluff in the book hold up what you want to do, make your own fluff up.

 

It could be that the Blood Angels lied to Guilliman and have far, far more assault squads in a company than they're supposed to. It could be that the chapter organisation chart in the codex is part of the lie.... Make your own one up !

Haha, nothing wrong with lying to Guillliman! I'll see what I can come up with.

 

I'm also waiting for any changes to the fluff in the new codex; BA have been my army since 2nd edition and the fluff has changed somewhat in that time.

 

I could always go with a Warhammer 36,000 force...

Does Guiliman micromanage the equipment tactical squads are allowed to have? If not just give some of the Tac painted minis bolt pistols and chainswords and put them in the army list as assault squads (in rhinos, Razorbacks or Land Raiders)

 

If he does, The BA tacticals aren't "proper" tacticals anyways. They cannot have a special or heavy weapon on a squad less than 10 man strong.

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