Blood Angels in 30k, Can it be done?

[Frostmourne]

Good Evening ladies and Gents, i hope you all had a wonderous Christmas.

Mine was spent mostly unwrapping gifts from the other half and family of Blood Angels.
 

Apparently my Forgeworld Wish list "Wouldnt Load"... F M L.

Anyway, making the best of a tricky situation, i am torn now between using the Blood Angels in 40k, and trying some nifty Formations and shiz, or, try and make them into a workable 30k force, given now that the Rite of War does what the codex does not, and Assault Squads can be troops.

Now, how do i do this, and not make it boring? Until Blood Angels are released in 30k what can i do to make them flavoursome?

Any thoughts, hints, suggestions or exaples?

 

Thanks lads, take care

[Daddywarcrimes]

Grab a Praetor with Artificer armor, paragon blade, and jump pack and select the Angel's Wrath Rite of War.  Then build the army with a mix of Assault Squads and BP/CCW Tactical Squads in DT Stormeagles.  Tack on a Command Squad with jump packs to keep your Praetor company and round it out with a Primus Medicae with a jump pack and you're golden.

[Frostmourne]

That does sound pretty increds to be fair. 

Shame about no tanks though, that sucks plums, but Hit and Run is worth that right? 

[OwlandMoonGuy]

For legions that have yet to get specific rules you can take either Stubborn or Furious Charge as a special rule for your infantry. I think the one for BA would be fairly obvious. You can then use the Master of the Legion rule to open up a generally available Rite of War, like Angels Wrath as you've pointed out, and you're getting a lot closer to BA as we know them today.

Also, you could consider using Raven Gard rules for a "counts as" army. Really, depending on how you wanted to run them, you could use Alpha rules and then something like the Word Bearer's Ashen Circle as an add-on unit. Given those options there's really very few limits. Personally I can't wait for BA legion rules but in the meantime you could build a force that will pivot easily when BA get their own treatment. That's one of the many beauties of playing 30K.

Cheers, -OMG

[Marshal Rohr]

I have a Blood Angels list on my to-do as allies for my Siege of Terra army. I use Angel's Wrath as the RoW, because the BA specific RoW will probably be an up gunned version like the NL and RG RoW are beefier Orbital Assault. The army revolves around assault squads and tactical blobs in storm eagles, with jetbikes and fire raptors to do the anti-armor work.

 

I say this with no experience of course, so ymmv.

[Slips]

Yup, Angels Wrath and Furious Charge USR are the easiest way to go about getting Blood Angels without going "Counts as".

 

It'd be full of generic units but that doesn't mean you cant get some variation from the perceived 30k Norm for the BA.

 

Preator with Artificer Armor, Jump Pack, Paragon Blade, Refractor Field (or other form of invulnerable save) At minimum.

Primus Medicae. Artificer Armor, Jump Pack, Power Weapon, Refractor Field

 

Here depending on how Noble/dark you want the your BA force to be you can either chose : 

 

Command Squad. Jump Packs + gear as you desire

or

Destroyer Squad. 10 Marines, Jump Packs (since they pay a flat 75 for 5 or 10 men), 2 Missile Launchers with Suspensor Webs, Artificer Armor, Power Weapon and Phosphex bombs on the Sarge. If you were to add a Jump Pack Moritat, you'd have to take another squad for the Preator and PM since I don't think they can join the Moritat with Destroyers.

 

Troops:

 

Tactical Squad(depending on points) 10 or 19 marines. Vexilla, Nuncio-Vox, Extra CCW (for True Grit, if you want to save points just go Despoiler), Artificer Armor + Power Weapon on Sarge.

Storm Eagle Dedicated Transport.

 

Crtl+C and Ctrl+V for your second Compulsory Troops UNLESS:

 

Assault Marines Squad. (hilariously/sadly uber expensive) 10-20 Marines depending on points allowance. Gear to taste though don't go overboard on power weapons since they're already a mad points sink. This squad could be a  good way of using Jump Pack Death Company in 30k.

 

Elites:

 

Apothecarion Detachment. 0-2 Apothecaries depending on if you take Tacs in a Storm Eagle as Dedicated Transport. Hence why I didn't go full 20 for the Tac Squads.

 

<Insert previous Destroyer Squad mention here>

 

You could take 10 Terminators in a Storm Eagle if you wanted....

 

Fast Attack:

 

Legion Jetbike Squadron. Some people may not like Blood Angels on Jetbikes but I do! 1 in 3 can swap HB for Culverin, MM or Plasma Cannon. Take in Squads of 9 for MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY (not really). You can tailor the Special Weapons to what you want the Squadron to be Hunting. With 3 Specials at 9 you could take one of each but you'd preferably take 2 of the same and one of the other as a backup.

 

You can, conversely, make your HQ Choices + Command Squad(if taken) ride Jetbikes instead of using Jump Packs. Makes them way more pricier but they get T5 and a 2+ Save without having to pay for Artificer Armor and have a Heavy Bolter on a Relentless Platform to shoot with instead of measly Pistols.

 

Lightning Strike Fighters. Great and relatively cheap options for however you specialize them. Quite fragile though so be wary of Skyfire/Interceptor.

 

Javelin / Normal Land Speeders. Fragile but mobile units with surprising amounts of firepower (especially in the case of the Javelin).

 

Heavy Support:

 

Fire Raptor

Fire Raptor

Fire Raptor

'nuff said. DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA

 

Lords of war

 

Thunderhawk. 'Cuz why not?....if your rich enough / have a spare organ you dont need / soul to sacrifice only.

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

I wanna see a Hammer of Baal army full of tanks, dreads, and the volkite weapons that start with a C. All this jump pack assault squad stuff? Did I wander into the 40k forum on accident?

[Sothalor]

Honestly, you can roll with whatever strikes your fancy. One of the nice little things about 30K is that you're still dealing with Legions of Space Marines tramping about, looking to bring the galaxy under compliance. Nobody has to be shoehorned into any particular role or theme. There's space and scale for anything amongst any Legion, really.

[Atia]

Also, both the Baal Predator and Sanguinary Guard were used during the GC/HH :P

[Slips]

Also, both the Baal Predator and Sanguinary Guard were used during the GC/HH

Just no Deathmasks on the SG since y'know...Sanguinius Wasn't dead... Even though it would actually be useful since we don't have army wide And They Shall Know No Fear or mass Fearless.

...though that Recent Audio Drama for the BA mentions a Deathmask on the SG at some point, from what I've seen others spoil about it.

[Fire Golem]

Maybe they have Deahtmasks in a more general sense, as opposed to ones depicting Sanguinius. Not sure how masks of faces like that would cause fear anyway, and that's from someone who doesn't like masks...

[Slips]

From the 40k Wiki:

 

Death Mask - The Death Masks worn by members of the Sanguinary Guard are highly ornate masks modelled on the fear-inspiring features of Sanguinius himself. These mask crackle with terrifying haloes of golden light, terrifying their enemies who have to face the fearsome aspect of the Great Angel. The machine spirit of each mask bonds closely with its wearer, its loyalty to him absolute. When a Sanguinary Guard falls in battle, his death mask is removed with much ceremony and placed within the Sarcophagus of Sorrows on Baal. The mask is left in its dark tomb for seven days and seven nights, by the end of which it will have taken on the stylised features of its former wearer. These transformations are claimed by the Blood Angels to be miracles, and none has ever proven otherwise.

 

So maybe they were around during the Great Crusades and the Heresy?

[Marshal Rohr]

They are just masks crafted in Sanguinius image in 30K. Sanguinius makes them by hand.

[Slips]

http://rainiernew.wpengine.com/yurts/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/01/The_more_you_know_banner.jpg

[Atia]

yeah, if i remember it right, they were also descriped in "fear to tread"

[Slips]

Well, now I get the Feeling that 30k Sanguinary Guard (its impossible for FW to not put them in the BA Book) will be VERY Strong unit if they have the Fear Ability of their Masks, which they most likely will.

 

...that said, yes Blood Angels in 30k Can be done. Just no Death Company; unless someone would like to prove me wrong on this point as well :p

 

I also only suggested a Jump Pack / Angels Wrath list since the only other JP lists I see come from EC (and even then not really) or RG (mostly through Dark Furies) and AirCav not so much since it usually means STORM EAGLES AND FIRE RAPTORS! LOTS OF THEM! $$$

[LongGone]

While they wouldn't be Death Company per se, FW could include rules for a group of Marines lost to the thirst/rage. I mean, BL was able to show how Amit and his boys 'see red' for a period of time during a huge battle, so there's definitely potential to see some kind of fluffy CC monstrosity in the rules.

 

Edit: Not saying that it will happen, Slip, or even that you are wrong. Just suggesting there was a possibility or an avenue they could take to make it happen.

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

I'd rather not see a hokey explanation of something that's supposed to be a direct result of the Primarch's death instituted while he's still alive.

[Slips]

I thought that the Red Thirst was always there and something that Sanguinius was concerned about and not the Black Rage which is what resulted from the Psychic Backlash of his death?

 

My only fear is that 30k Blood Angels will be pretty darn close to 40k Blood Angels from a Rules Perspective...

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

I'm no fluff expert, but I thought the rage and the thirst were both tied the death of Sanguinius.

[Slips]

Well, this is what the wiki(s) have to say:

 

http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Red_Thirst

http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Black_Rage

 

So, yeah. One is a Genetic Flaw that Sanguinius was aware of and trying to repair, the other the result of the Psychic Blacklash of his death.

I dunno, both are quite similar and rather easily interchangeable, which adds to the confusion about them.

[LongGone]

Whatever it's called, there's definitely Blood Angels going off their rocker long before Sanguinius is killed at the Battle of Terra. Amit and his men tear those Space Wolves apart and don't even realize it. Plus, there's the unknown number of his son's that Sanguinius has had to put down himself (like the one Horus watches him kill).

 

They may not think that they're Sanguinius at the Battle of Terra (The Black Rage), but they are definitely suffering from an early version of the Red Thirst.

 

Edit: I'm assuming Amit is going to be one if the Blood Angels' characters. If so, that could be the venue they use to introduce the thirst via the rules. Again, I'm not saying it's going to happen, just that it *could* happen.

[Slips]

Character wise, I expect Azkellon, Raldoron and Amit + Sanguinius (duh )

Azkellon Blood Angels equivalent to Sigismund; makes Sanguinary Guard troops maybe?

Raldoron First Captain of the BA; Maybe the guy who makes Terminators / BA Special unit that isnt Sanguinary Guard troops?

Amit goes 100% Assault with 0 subtlety Just like the Flesh Tearers he will lead.

Sanguinius ; Its : Sanguinius 'nuff said.

[Hesh Kadesh]

Latest HH audio offering the Herald of Sang introduces the Sanguinor. Literally, only a name, but it is 30k canon now too.

 

Ruleswise, a Black Reaving Sons of Horus counts as with Reaver squads, or Emperors Children with JP Palatine Blades, or Night Lord with Raptors would work a bit better than simply Furious Charge Angels Fury (which sucks major).

[Marshal Rohr]

Hit and Run on jetbikes and jump packs doesn't suck. It's really useful to keep scimitars flying.