How do you equip your death company?

[salazaarreborn]

Hi. I'm about to resurrect my old blood angels army with new models.

An important part of any ba-army has to be the death company, but what gear should I give them?

I was thinking 8 DC with bolters, 2 with power fists and magnetizing the backpacks to either go with jump packs or in a drop postat..

[ElectricPaladin]

Depends on what you're going for.

 

Personally, I like to rock the bolt pistol/chainsword option for most of the squad. Because I use my death company as a beatstick, not a bully¹, I want them to have more attacks ongoing throughout an extended combat with a durable opponent, rather than the option to shoot before charging, which will cost me one attack per marine once they get stuck in. I have one power fist in the unit as well, just in case they encounter something nasty, and because having the option to put a power fist on a non-character model inspires delicious tears. For the same reason, I'm likely to eventually get some alternate models with power axes, but I don't have any at the moment. I also have a pair with hand flamers, basically because on the off chance that I botch a charge, I like the idea of maximizing my Overwatch hits. All this is for my jump pack death company, which I sometimes Deep Strike and sometimes just run across the board.

 

The thing about power axes that put them lower on the priority list - in the realm of "alternate models I want eventually but not high priority" - is that a big beefy squad of death company, especially one with jump packs, is already delivering so many hits that the hits don't really need to be quality. I mean,  5 attacks per model on the charge, plus Hammer of Wrath hits, plus rerolling to-hit and to-wound if they hang with a chaplain or reclusiarch... damn. Who needs power axes? If you've got a squad of ten death company marines, that's 10 auto-hits at Strength 4 before the fight even begins, 50 attacks at Strength 5 and Initiative 4 (and, in my case, 5 of those traded for Strength 9 attacks at Initiative 1). The power fist is still worth it for tearing up super-tough tanks and the occasional MC. I could see going thunder hammer instead, but the points never seemed worth it and I don't like the way the thunder hammerer in the death company box is modeled.

 

When I do a death company squad on foot, I'm likely to have them charge out of stormraven or land raider, and I'm more likely to do power axes instead of hand flamers (because with a transport I'm less likely to end up in a position to fail my charge). I'll still probably put a power fist in there, because why not?

 

Now, I totally get the appeal of bolters, especially on a drop pod squad, because there's always going to be a turn, for them, of standing around in the open and shooting, rather than charging right into combat (that happens with my jump squad when I Deep Strike them, but since they're fast and tough enough to cross the board if need be, I don't have to Deep Strike them the way I would have to with a drop pod squad). That said, it doesn't really do it for me. Entirely because of fluff and style reasons - I like my death company crazed and assaulty - but if you don't care about that, more power to you.

 

1) The distinction I refer to is this: a beatstick is what you use to beat up something equally nasty, whereas a bully is an assault unit that is moderately competent, useful as a throwaway to assault and tie up something really nasty or beat up something much less powerful that you just need  out of your hear for a while. Almost everything in the Blood Angels arsenal can be a bully against all but the best dedicated assault units, but only assault terminators and death company are truly bullies.

[Shaezus]

Might be worth waiting for the new codex before you start building, it's due anytime soon, perhaps next week or even this saturday. Death company will hopefully see a drop in points costs for jump packs and maybe some tweaks.

 

As it is, if you're using DC for shock assault, most people run 7+ DC with 2 power axes and a hammer or fist. Hammer is well worth taking if you expect to fight monstrous creatures.

[Unbreakable]

I would defiantly wait a little longer for the new codex to come out to see what happens to the jump pack price. I generally run 8-10 in a drop pod with bolters, 1 axe and 1 hammer just because it looks cool and you never know when you might need it for a dreadnought or wraith knight.

[Ushtarador]

Magnetizing the backpacks is definitely a good idea, that way your models will always be useful during the editions

However, I would also wait for the new codex because we might also get new weapon options, or lose important special rules (like relentless, which would then be silly with bolters).

Currently, I would run them the same way you suggested, with bolters and 2 powerfists. Going from 4 to 5 attacks on the charge does not really change that much, and bolters give you at least some firing power.

[Xenith]

I dont care about the JP price. Yes, it's higher than it should be, but 150pts to get my murderers into combat post haste is worth it for the carnage they cause.

 

1 powerfist for every 5 guys, bolters on the powerfist guys. Add a chaplain. Rerolling all the dice is too tasty.

[ElectricPaladin]

I tried to magnetize the backpacks of all my Blood Angels, but I could never get them to look good enough for me. It was hard to get the recessed magnets to work properly, given the plastic bits involved. I eventually just gave up and resigned myself to having a metric butt-ton of marines.

[knife&fork]

I tried to magnetize the backpacks of all my Blood Angels, but I could never get them to look good enough for me. It was hard to get the recessed magnets to work properly, given the plastic bits involved. I eventually just gave up and resigned myself to having a metric butt-ton of marines.

That's the spirit! Beat the system by owning everything! ehh...

I can't bring myself to magnetize packs, then I'd have to use JP troops without the JP harness body or JP harness on regular backpacks. No thanks.

[Xenith]

I bring myself to magnetize packs, then I'd have to use JP troops without the JP harness body or JP harness on regular backpacks. No thanks.

Jump packs without harnesses have been in season since the new DC box. And Dante.

[marine7312000]

 

I bring myself to magnetize packs, then I'd have to use JP troops without the JP harness body or JP harness on regular backpacks. No thanks.

Jump packs without harnesses have been in season since the new DC box. And Dante.

 

I just don't like the harness torsos.

[Helias_Tancred]

I have a 10 man squad and I went with bolters. I also included a powerfist, infernus pistol x2, and a powersword. They will ride in a Stormraven or a Redeemer (not sure yet).

 

If I add more DC to my army I will have them go as assault (and include Astorath).

[Red-beard]

Like my DC cheap. I typically run them with pistols/chainsword only. Sometimes I throw in one guy with a power fist or thunder hammer. I always have a reclusiarch with them, so there is a power maul in the group already. Sometimes I just pay to upgrade the Reclusiarch's weapon and leave the DC with no upgrades.

I have my DC modeled w/ jump packs, but I often run them on foot. I just tell my opponent, "yeah....those jump packs on the DC....they're not really there". I've never had anyone complain or even give it a second thought.

[Unbreakable]

I had 2 assault squads with magnetized packs but got so fed up of them falling off when I picked them up to move that I just ended up glueing them? All others Iv built since I haven't bothered. Magnets are great on vehicles but I don't bother using them on infantry anymore as its just not worth the hassle for me. Iv a some DC with and without packs but waiting to see the new codex before I add anymore no my army.

[Morticon]

1 Axe, 1 Fist. 

 

If I'm forced to skimp, 1 fist. 

[j-smuv]

I almost always run a ten man squad equipped with jump packs and one axe. 

 

With jump packs they are already so expensive, I kinda cringe at putting any more points into a one wound model.   So sometimes I drop the axe.  I don't really miss it that much, but maybe that's cause I use them to "bully" troops and other squishy stuff.  People are so scared of them, that they tend to get a lot of fire poured into them as soon as they stick their heads out.  That means that many times, I'm charging in with 4 guys that I need to go at initiative.  So, depending on the situation, I position the axe guy take a hit or two.   

 

With the new book dropping, hopefully I can justify a few toys for these guys.  That thunder hammer in the DC box is sooo pretty.

[Arcanguel27]

I use my DC as decoy, must of my opponents ignore the Dropod w locator beacome, gest what landraiders.... with more DC.........

[Jolemai]

This is what I currently do*

 

If they come in from a Drop Pod, I go for half Bolters, half Bolt Pistols, one Fist/Axe and one Sword.

 

If they arrive via a non-assault vehicle, I tend to go for the same configuration above.

 

If they arrive via an assault vehicle or with Jump Packs, they have Pistols, one Sword and one Axe/Fist. If I go with an Axe, then one guy has a Bolter. If I go with a Fist, then he has the Bolter.

 

I haven't used a Infernus Pistol since the 5th with my Death Company (no need to fear kiting), nor do I use a Hand Flamer or Plasma Pistol. Whilst I have yet to use a Thunder Hammer, the model I have for it has a Bolter.

 

I've tried Corbulo with the Death Company but I feel it only works if he is with a Drop Pod so he can tank for them. I don't like putting them in a Stormraven because it will die very quickly. If I go with a Land Raider, I tend to stick at eight marines or so.

 

If I have a Chaplain/Corbulo, then I will drop the Power Sword. If I have Astorath then I will have the Sword and Axe/Fist in the squad.

 

Basically, I know my Death Company will annihilate almost anything. The trick is to keep them fighting into your opponent's turn so they can't be shot at. The reason I have a single Bolter is for that reason and I subscribe to the "one shooting upgrade per 5-9 marines" theory.

 

Lemartes has fallen by the wayside for me of late, but I think he's fantastic. People still cry over the Power Mauls becoming AP4 but you only need one attack to go through their armour to get Concussive to work. Lemartes is amazing at doing this, especially when wounded.

 

* All subject to change when the new Codex arrives