Angel's Wrath Intervention Force @ 350

[tjr]

A local, recurring tournament (somewhat related link) allows me to field 1 BA formation @ 350 point (or a Skyhammer @ 400p for some reason).

 

Looking at Blood of Kittens, the only thing that somewhat fits the bill is the Angel's Wrath Intevention Force.

 

Base cost is 280 points, leaving me 70 points for goodies.

 

 

Requirements: 1 Vanguard Veteran Squad, 2 Assault Squads

Restrictions: All models in this Formation must be equipped with jump packs.

Special Rules:

Guided Drop: This Formation must be placed in Deep Strike Reserve. Make a single Reserve roll for the entire Formation. If successful, all units arrive from the Formation. The Formation’s unit of Vanguard Veterans must be placed first, and units of Assault Marines do not scatter so long as the first model is placed within 6” of the Vanguard Veteran unit.

Meteoric Impact: Immediately after deploying, any enemy units within 6” of any units from this Formation suffer a Strength 4 AP- hit for each of their models which is within 6” of a model from this Formation. In addition, these enemy units must move as if they are in difficult terrain until the end of their next turn.

 

If I were to field this, what should I do for equipment?

 

Given the "meteoric impact" rule, this formation could be able to put a dent in troops/hordes (as I wrote in the link, I struggled against blob IG), so quad flamers on the ASM could be good (20 point). 

 

That's all well and good and makes good sense.

 

But then there's the VVs. What should I do with them? 

 

Tactics-wise I might run Dante (re-roll reserves + DoA) and/or pods with beacons to get those units exactly where I want them.

 

http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n582/joakimbalsgaard/20150913_150233_zpswfbuh6uv.jpg

[tjr]

Perhaps the Skyhammer would make more sense.

 

400p

 

2x5 ASM with 2 flamers

2x5 Devastators in pods

 

The ability to arrive T1, pin some stuff with the bolter devs, pop the flamers and charge from DS seems a lot better than what the AWIF has to offer.

[Charlo]

Skyhammer is, sadly, infinitely more powerful. Especially with Ultramarine Chapter Tactics as you can get your Devs rerolls to hit the turn they arrive :( if you can get some heavy weapons in there (Grav Cannons Highly recomended) you will wreck face.

 

BUT WHERE IS THE FUN IN THAT?!?! YOU'RE A BLOOD ANGEL!

...even if this would be an incredible formation with us and fit our fluff but I digress.

 

My tactic would be go all out on those hits, 6" is tiny so maybe try and negate it with Dante and some allied Inquisitor Servo Skulls (adds to zero scatter) for some precision hits. Then do the unimaginable and give every vanguard veteran a hand flamer, or two. Really! I'm planning on making his unit and the beauty is because of how the weapon rules work, you place all TEN templates before any to wound rolls are made, so you get maximum model coverage! I'm not 100% on how the rules work when the template covers multiple squads, but say you clipped one model from a second squad and therefore caused another 10 hits I think they might be able to be distributed on the whole squad too.

 

Against MEQ 10 templates hitting just 5 MEQ will result in about 6 dead and against anything weaker considerably more! Against shooty armies you can hopefully cripple them and against assault armies they have to charge through 10D3 (each D3 rolled seperately, so 10 to 30) S3 hits, which is bound to so some damage.

 

The Assault marines also mean MORE impact/ flamer/ melta hits :D

 

I'm an optimist, yes, but I think it makes the game more fun!

[tjr]

That would definitely be hilarious with that many hand flamers. 

 

Regarding templates, you can only kill what you can reach (~8 inches or so), so excess wounds are lost.

 

If I'm reading the restrictions correctly, then the TO is a good guy who'll allow BAs to field a BA Skyhammer (yes!), but 400p really limits the options.

[tjr]

Just got an answer from the TO. I have to chose a Vanilla chapter tactic for the Skyhammer.

 

Salamanders re-roll wounds with flamers (this could be very good)

 

UM have the Doctrines

 

IF have bolter drill

 

White Scars have hit n run (this could be huge)

 

Black Templars: Meh

 

Ravens: Meh

[Fahlnor]

Incidentally, regarding the photo of the horde of Imperial Guard, I used to play a friend who had a similar army. He spreads out because he has to. His army is so huge it can't fit into a little area. But you? You don't have to. Nothing like. You can easily fit your army onto half the deployment zone - maybe even a third of the deployment zone. Space Marines aren't designed to just roll up and punch stuff in the face. You have to support each of your units with each of your other units. Hit one part of his line and massacre it, then move onto the next part.

 

Of course, it's never going to be as easy as just that, but spreading your forces out against a horde army ignores your strengths and plays directly to your opponent's.

[tjr]

I completely agree and that was pretty much the lesson I took away from that game. FYI it was my first game against Guard. I've faced The Green Tide before (successfully) but nothing like this.

 

FYI I concentrated much of my force (Tac Squad 1, Fragioso, Dante-star and Bikers) to the left, because I had to capture an objective in the grey ruin in the corner.

 

If I had to play the game again, I would probably go for the HQ unit. Those orders (ignore cover, pinning, tank hunter) as well as re-rolls on Leadership etc. we're a huge PITA.

[Brother Raul]

For me skyhammer shouldn't try to kill anything; just disrupt every thing so IF or Sentinels of Terra imho are gold. SoT will get those devs rerolls to hit so the potential to pin is huge.

 

Wolves devs with split fire would be insane. Pin your opponents whole army.