Why Play Blood Angels?

[Captain Semper]

Trying to find an awesome instance of fluff is fairly easy and every Chapter can boast quite a few of them. However it's often a single piece of background that really triggers one's imagination towards a certain faction. The BAs have their fair share - the most inspiring for me was the piece on p.22 of the Codex Angels of Death depicting the shock and awe and fear normal humans feel when they see a Space Marine of the red variety in action. I was so inspired I went out and bought the old metal Death Company set on the spot! No matter how many stories on BAs were published since, no matter the depth GW and BL has given to the BAs, it's that story that captures the essence of the Chapter perfectly for me.

 

Is that the one where some Guardsmen are trying to clear a bunker with little success and then the BA steam in and clear it in a matter of seconds?

 

 

Yes it is. And it was not just the brutality of the BA but the horror of the guardsman that loyal forces could do such things as well as the feeling that he might be next. But he wasn't. ^_^ it just shows that you do not need an army of professional writers and tons of books detailing every aspect of a faction to get your imagination going - sometimes less is indeed more.

 

I believe so, if it is, that was just regular BA to, no DC

 

Oh yes, that was the best part! A proper BA not a crazed one! (if you mean why I purchased DC, well, it was the signature BA unit of the time).

 

And was the main reason I went BA over DA, as I too was close to doing both, but that was the stroy that really struck a chord with me. Semper you make great and valid points over both Angels of Death and help explain why I have test mini's from both BA and DA knocking round. Obviously though, DA wear dresses and we can't be having that :P ;)

 

So it's a fashion thing? :) at the time though only SC had robes. And frankly Mephiston wears a skirt. But he's the Lord of Death so that's fine! Hahaha... But I get you, looks are very important. If the robes were putting you off, you made a wise choice brother. :)

[Reldn]

It seems I've come full circle. I'd posted once in this thread about my desire to start the Blood Angels or a Successor, but, then amended that when I discovered my calling with the Imperial Fists. As much as I love the Imperial Fists, after painting yellow and reading some seriously disheartening fluff, it's really killed my desire to continue on with them. Well, after some debating back and forth. I finally decided to come back to the Blood Angels and their successors.

 

Why? Well, I've always been a fan of their fluff, so that's a given, but, my greatest reason for coming back to the fold comes from the second mini I'd ever painted: A Blood Drinkers Marine, which also happens to be one of the few miniature I truly ENJOYED painting and am even rather fond of. (Usually painting is agonizing for me and I think it all turns out horrid). Kinda gave me the notion that if that's the scheme I truly liked painting, then maybe Blood Angels and their successors are who I should've been painting up and sticking with all along. *laughs*

 

EDIT: Typos.

Edited November 7, 2012 by Reldn

[p34ce]

after...reading some seriously disheartening fluff, it's really killed my desire to continue on with them. Well, after some debating back and forth. I finally decided to come back to the Blood Angels...

 

Similar story here. I decided to come back to the hobby after some years. Space Marines were the obvious choice, as I've always loved them, and Imperial Fists immediately appealed because they're somewhat less generic than the Ultramarines. The fluff in C:SM is painfully OTT, a mix of humorless prose and bizarre hyperbole.

 

I also considered Raven Guard (and may still, as allies, to bring in C:SM goodies), because their fluff is much, much better.

 

Eventually I gave up, got a second hand C:BA and made the decision. Even signed up to this site because I kept ending up here after a lot of searching.

 

Things I like about Blood Angels:

- Red, when done right (not all dark and murky) is gorgeous and eye-catching.

- Awesome fun units like Baal Predators and Furiosos.

- Good psychic powers (C:SM trade Divination for Pyromancy? Why?!).

- Great fluff, great fluffy units.

- Interesting FOC.

 

Things I don't like about Blood Angels:

- No Storm Talons.

- Stormravens (ugly, expensive model).

[teblin]

Blood Angels are the genuine Pretty Marines.

 

Well, aside from the slight fetish with having nice decorations and over-dressing (and that weird flaw that tends to make some of you go a little crazy), you guys did a good job on Terra. :3

 

If I didn't go for Templars, Blood Angels would have been my choice. Better than all that other rabble.

Edited February 10, 2013 by teblin

[IMMORTALIS]

They are not perfect, they are brutal, they don't follow the codex to the letter and in a way they are tragic, each man knowing he may be taken by the flaw and inducted into the death company. (The best looking units ever in my opinion) They are not perfect prettyboy tacticians like the ultramarines, they are a berserk and brutal chapter that prefers to get up close and rend their enemies with sword and fist, but somehow they manage to remain noble despite their flaws, I mean come on even Lemartes, (my favourite character) is to be pitied in a way, read the second omnibus you'll know what I mean. That and red for marines and fast vehicles and OMG death company dreadnoughts...

[IMMORTALIS]

They are not perfect, they are brutal, they don't follow the codex to the letter and in a way they are tragic, each man knowing he may be taken by the flaw and inducted into the death company. (The best looking units ever in my opinion) They are not perfect prettyboy tacticians like the ultramarines, they are a berserk and brutal chapter that prefers to get up close and rend their enemies with sword and fist, but somehow they manage to remain noble despite their flaws, I mean come on even Lemartes, (my favourite character) is to be pitied in a way, read the second omnibus you'll know what I mean. That and red for marines and fast vehicles and OMG death company dreadnoughts...

Edited April 22, 2013 by IMMORTALIS

[Noxifer262]

Because of the...you know...

BLOODTHIRST!

Edited April 28, 2013 by Noxifer262

[Inquisitor Eisenhorn]

I finally want to throw my 2 cents in here.  Although over the years I have amassed models for more armies and games than I'd care to admit or count, for me it all started with the Blood Angels, and I have found that I always end up returning to them.  

 

I've been a 40k acolyte for nearly 2 decades as well, and I also got my start with the Angels of Death Codex, although I remember that the first time I saw a Blood Angel was actually in a computer game magazine--does anyone want to take a stab at what that game might have been?  My best guess was that it was an advertisement for Space Hulk the board game in a cross-medium ad.

 

I was instantly hooked by what was to my pre-adolescent sensibility something that suggested a level of violence that was somehow taboo even for a Sci-Fi war setting.  It also helped that my best friend at the time had independently discovered 40k and his army of choice was the Dark Angels, so we felt like kindred forces but also sufficiently distinct.

 

Oh how he howled about the absurd power level of Mephiston!  And let's be honest, 2nd edition Dark Angels were nowhere near as awesome as 2nd edition Blood Angels--sorry traitors.

 

Although I am mostly a hobbyist these days (though GW would call us all that!) I find that my interest in 40k at this point is creating forces that I feel capture the essence of the vast varied artwork to be found out there.  To me--and perhaps because I hold them so close to my heart--capturing the essence of what a Blood Angel is in my imagination is simply an order of magnitude greater than any other 40k faction for me.  The gold standard of how I want my Blood Angels to look like is this:

 

 

http://imageshack.us/a/img694/521/bloodangelsomni2.jpg

 

To me, this image holds all of the essential elements of what makes this chapter so great:

 

Noble countenance

Ornate armor 

Wear and tear that suggests a blemish of the soul

The guarantee of violent death

 

And I agree with everyone about the best Blood Angels fluff.  The assault on an "unassailable" forward bunker is easily one of the most effective memorable stories in all of 40k.

 

"Praise be to the emperor indeed..."

 

Thorn out.

 

=][=

[Deamons Redeemer]

love the fluff, the ancient relic armor and the furioso and fragioso dreads :) and nothing is more beefy then a libbyoso dread :D

a lot of cool partz and bitz for convertions , the DC and sanguinary guard models, so whats not to like :)

and the red thirst and bloodlance added just for giggles

[Theredknight]

Because they have nipple armour.

And the fact they are space vampires.

And red..lots and lots of red!

[Baba Lem]

Because I'm beautiful and have issues.

[teblin]

The Blood Angels share a level of empathy with the common man of the Imperium that no other Chapter can boast. Their flaws, their innate failings, remind them of the sanctity of life and serve as a reminder that their place in the galaxy is not permanent. It is humbling knowing that you and your brothers will slowly succumb to an innate flaw. Their imperfections make them the most admirable of the Space Marines.

 

Just like the humble man has to fight just for survival in the cold, dark Universe of the 40th Millenium, that Blood Angels have to constantly battle their innermost desires in order to stay sane, lest they cast themselves into the depths of madness and condemn themselves to a life of insanity.

 

Their Primarch, the Great Angel, was unique amongst the Primarchs in that he didn't care solely about his strategies, tactics and concern himself only with the fighting in the present. He fought for a time of peace and prosperity after the Great Crusade had ended, it is both ironic and deeply saddening that he was struck down shortly before the Imperium quelled the Horus Heresy and the nearest thing to peace settled over the galaxy since before the Age of Strife.

 

 

 

 

Tabletop-wise, they are a fantastic assault army that are great in CC. I thought the Templars were good, but after picking up the BA Codex I was very pleased to find the amount of choices and viable options to kick serious butt in close combat. Death Company, scoring and cheap Assault Marines, a range of interesting and effective Dreadnoughts, excellent unique characters making them fun to play in a variety of ways. The armour colour also makes them a joy to paint and they really stand out on the table. 

[InquisitorLordPaul]

I started out with normal marines tbh then I went to chaos then I got my hands on the Blood Angels codex had a flick through and loved it :D I however play a Blood Angels successor Chapter named the Blood Dragons

[Deamons Redeemer]

Its just a bad arse chapter :)

[Andurin Marvak]

Why do I love the Blood Angels? Why should I choose them as the parent chapter for my DIY?

If I wanted to be succint, I would say simply this: I am Roman Catholic.

But I am inclined to be lengthy in word, so I shall elaborate.

 

It is not too often, at least in my experience, that you find players like myself who choose the hobby for Christian themes and imagery (alongside the "cranked up to 11 feel and hodgepodge nature). My compatriots are largely of opposite ideological background, and chose the universe for love of old literature, negative caricatured portrayals of non-fictional evils, and the like. I am sure many on this board did the very same. I am also fond of such things.

 

To me, the Blood Angels are an echo, and a strong one at that, of my much beloved Faith, which by nature encompasses those values and cultural edifices that I hold most dear in This World.

How can I look at the Noble Sanguinius, a nigh-seemless artistic combination of Saint Michael the Archangel and Jesus Christ, and not be shot through to the core with the Glory of it? Here we have a character which takes the fight to the "devils" and casts them down alone before the golden gates, in a display of iron resolve and nigh-unmatched martial skill. A character who shines almost as bright as his father (Michael means "he who is like God", and many a priest has remarked to me that it was Saint Michael's purity and rejection of taint that drove Satan from Heaven, that the force of his Fiat alone was enough for the battle to be won.) and who is bourne aloft by samite wings and shines in golden armor above the dirty bloodbath below.

 

And most glorious of all, a character, who like the one being I love more than all else, knew at the outset that he was to die at the hands of those he loved, and without Pride or Vainglory sallied forth on his appointed day to meet the Enemy and be struck down so that Humanity might not just survive, but truly live.

 

And if that wasn't enough, his legion, his followers, like my Brothers and Sisters in Christ, stand like heroes against not only a Universe of horrors and machinations by dark forces and their own mortality and weakness, but against the dark and deadly desires in themselves. Through prayer, meditation, and the creation of beauty through their art, they resist these forces with all the strength of their being. Many have fallen, and many more will fall, but they still fight on against all odds.

 

And while they fight, they seek to better their Universe. The Blood Angels, along with the Space Wolves, Salamanders, and Ultramarines, are among the most humane forces of the Imperium. They know of the precious worth that humanity is heir to, and they fight not for power alone, or mere survival, but for the future and the very soul of mankind.

 

Yet there is still more to be said: their recruits? Those who join them in their war for Mankind's Salvation? Wretches, twisted, broken humans who through the consumption of the Blood of the Primarch become heroes, and who are sustained by the continual reception of this blood. For someone who draws his own strength from the Eucharist and has to be repeatedly washed clean and made perfect by his Savior's Blood in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, very little, if anything, could be more poignant.

That is why I love the Blood Angels.

[The Milkman Of Baal]

 

it was Saint Michael's purity and rejection of taint that drove Satan from Heaven, that the force of his Fiat alone was enough for the battle to be won.) .

I Love Fiats, bet he had a proper pimped out fiat 500 abarth. Or have i got the wrong end of the stick here...............

Edited September 24, 2013 by The Milkman Of Baal

[Andurin Marvak]

Milkman, it is totally okay to imagine Saint Michael ramming the Devil with his fully souped up car. As for the technical nature of the word, fiat, most of the times a practicing Catholic uses the word, means an assent or "yes" of some sort. Specifically, a yes to God.

[teblin]

Marvak, I'm a staunch atheist, but that post was beautiful.

[Res Ipsa Loquitur]

Why do I love the Blood Angels? Why should I choose them as the parent chapter for my DIY?

 

If I wanted to be succint, I would say simply this: I am Roman Catholic.

 

But I am inclined to be lengthy in word, so I shall elaborate.

 

It is not too often, at least in my experience, that you find players like myself who choose the hobby for Christian themes and imagery (alongside the "cranked up to 11 feel and hodgepodge nature). My compatriots are largely of opposite ideological background, and chose the universe for love of old literature, negative caricatured portrayals of non-fictional evils, and the like. I am sure many on this board did the very same. I am also fond of such things.

 

To me, the Blood Angels are an echo, and a strong one at that, of my much beloved Faith, which by nature encompasses those values and cultural edifices that I hold most dear in This World.

 

How can I look at the Noble Sanguinius, a nigh-seemless artistic combination of Saint Michael the Archangel and Jesus Christ, and not be shot through to the core with the Glory of it? Here we have a character which takes the fight to the "devils" and casts them down alone before the golden gates, in a display of iron resolve and nigh-unmatched martial skill. A character who shines almost as bright as his father (Michael means "he who is like God", and many a priest has remarked to me that it was Saint Michael's purity and rejection of taint that drove Satan from Heaven, that the force of his Fiat alone was enough for the battle to be won.) and who is bourne aloft by samite wings and shines in golden armor above the dirty bloodbath below.

 

And most glorious of all, a character, who like the one being I love more than all else, knew at the outset that he was to die at the hands of those he loved, and without Pride or Vainglory sallied forth on his appointed day to meet the Enemy and be struck down so that Humanity might not just survive, but truly live.

 

And if that wasn't enough, his legion, his followers, like my Brothers and Sisters in Christ, stand like heroes against not only a Universe of horrors and machinations by dark forces and their own mortality and weakness, but against the dark and deadly desires in themselves. Through prayer, meditation, and the creation of beauty through their art, they resist these forces with all the strength of their being. Many have fallen, and many more will fall, but they still fight on against all odds.

 

And while they fight, they seek to better their Universe. The Blood Angels, along with the Space Wolves, Salamanders, and Ultramarines, are among the most humane forces of the Imperium. They know of the precious worth that humanity is heir to, and they fight not for power alone, or mere survival, but for the future and the very soul of mankind.

 

Yet there is still more to be said: their recruits? Those who join them in their war for Mankind's Salvation? Wretches, twisted, broken humans who through the consumption of the Blood of the Primarch become heroes, and who are sustained by the continual reception of this blood. For someone who draws his own strength from the Eucharist and has to be repeatedly washed clean and made perfect by his Savior's Blood in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, very little, if anything, could be more poignant.

 

That is why I love the Blood Angels.

 

Careful with that. I got banned for pointing out that the Blood Angels are Catholics, not vampires.

[Dosjetka]

Well, we visibly have a very different recollection of what actually happened. Edited October 5, 2013 by Battle-Brother Ludovic

[hart3856]

Wow Marvak that was really well written and invoked some deep meaning for myself, as I am Catholic as well. I have always enjoyed playing blood angels as my introduction to them has always been a positive memory. I was drawn to them and their tragedy. Their suffering does not end and yet they endure!

 

I feel to say more would only take away.

[Res Ipsa Loquitur]

Well, we visibly have a very different recollection of what actually happened.

 

But you don't have access to the PMs I got from staff, wherein they tell me I got banned for bringing religion into it.

 

I won't pretend that I behaved well in the thread in question, however my behaviour was not the reason I was banned. 

[hart3856]

I don't want to bring up anything that will get anyone in trouble or dredge up the past. I was just saying he wrote a really nice piece. Religion aside.

[ElectricPaladin]

There's a lot of negativity and fear floating around in the community, and I don't blame us. A new codex - and the Emperor knows we're overdue for one, and there's evidence that we're up next, or at least soon - is always a time of doubt and fear, especially with GW's current spotty record. Just to balance that out - not to try to shut anyone up - I thought it would be nice to have a thread about the opposite.

 

Let's leave aside the things we cannot change. Instead, chime in with what brought you to the Sons of Baal in the first place. Why did you first start playing with the Blood Angels codex? What brought you hear, what have you come to love, and why will you continue to play the furious red marines until your dice crack and GW falls into the sea?

[Zynk Kaladin]

While my boys are a furious dark blue instead of red and I have, am, and always will chuck dice in their honor and here's why:

 

One big theme that attracts me to the Blood Angels is their generally positive attitude.  Now this doesn't mean they go handing out flowers to loyal Imperial citizens with a big smile on their face saying how wonderful everything is going.  Far from it.  Rather, the Blood Angels FORCE themselves into a state of nobility and dignity, despite almost everything that has gone wrong with their chapter, Imperium, and even within themselves.  Although their glorious beginnings as sons of the LITERAL angel of mankind mark them as saints in the glittering eyes of men, deep down inside lurks a force of evil that could very well have had their chapter vilified and erased from history.  I mean, heck in the current state of affairs in 40k the chapters of Sanguinius, the rich history that follows them, and their legacy are dying.  And we even KNOW for a fact that Sanguinius is not returning so we have nothing to look forward to except the end. 

 

The Blood Angels have their inner daemon completely at war with everything the chapter holds dear: nobility, optimism, and hope for mankind, and he's not a weak one.  Not only is this flaw a thirst for blood, but of violence, destruction and dare I say... chaos.  It is a fact of astartes nature that everything they do is grounded in violence and warfare.  Every second of every minute of every day is a struggle for an angel to maintain not only his sanity, but his basic combat discipline and organization knowing fully well that one day you will either die in nobility, or fall into your own inner hell.  I mean jeez, their chapter tactic specialty thrusts them into the blood-hurricane of violent close combat.  Not only do they murder that which is literally in front of them, they do it WELL.  Everything is stacked against them as far as their flaw is concerned and I dare say, it's a fear that their own weakness of heart and mind puts loyal, Emperor-loving lives at risk.  And oooh man when they fall they fall HARD.  It's almost painfully ironic that Blood Angels live longer lives only to suffer that much longer.

 

Despite these damning flaws and state of affairs that mock what it means to be a loyalist Astartes, the Blood Angels still carry on as the true and literal angels of mankind.  They fly on ivory wings, combating the blackness which seeks to consume them.  They adorn themselves in shining gold and rich crimson, mocking the sour state of affairs their chapter suffered through in history.  They blast themselves into self-damning close combat, defeating the most powerful and dangerous enemies mankind has ever known  with blade and fury.  They chain the daemons inside them: the Red Thirst, the Black Rage into a force of close combat beat-train known as the Death Company and unleash it upon those who would piss on the Throne of our Imperium.

 

It is my belief that the descendants of Sanguinius, like their father, will sacrifice everything (their legacy, their lives, their future) just for a chink in the armor of the enemies of man.  And we all know it is through that chink that the Emperor slew Horus.  THIS is what the Blood Angels are.