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Which BA HQ packs the best punch teamed with the DC?


Helias_Tancred

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Subject line says it all because I'm running a Blood Angel allied force with my Crimson Fists. The allied detachment consists of a tactical squad (geared with flamers) and a ten man death company squad with jump packs. I need an HQ. So far it seems that Astorath is a great HQ choice to team with the DC (and lead the allied detachment as the HQ), or ... Dante? But the latter is a ton of points.

Thanks for the feedback and ideas Sons of Sanguinius smile.png

Well, the important thing to remember about Dante is that he's not an HQ, he's a Lord of War. You'd still need an HQ for your Allied Detachment. That aside, he is perhaps the best value in the BA codex. He is simply monstrous, and would grant Hit and Run to that mob of DC, which allows for repeated devastating charges.

Given you WILL need an HQ, and you are definitely running Jump Pack DC, Astorath is definitely worth considering. Rerolling to-hits from Hatred is grand, and rerolling to-wounds is even better. The worry with Astorath is, of course, that he packs an Unwieldy Axe, making him somewhat vulnerable to challenges. And with no characters in the DC to cover for him, he's either gotta fight the challenge or not fight at all. 3 Wounds and a 2+/4++ save goes a way to resolve this, but with no EW, he's vulnerable to the same kind of insta-gibbing most characters are.

A third option is a simple jumppack Chaplain. You'll miss out of the to-wound rerolls and the 2+ save, but in exchange, you can outfit him however you wish, and he'll almost certainly come out cheaper than Astorath. I like to run mine with a Grav-pistol, Meltabombs and the Crown Angelic.

Astorath is a nice beatstick, but the DC usually dish out enough hurt as is. Keep it cheap with a chaplain and jump pack. If you want to deep strike the DC, consider giving the chaplain the Angel's Wings. For two melta bombs more than a regular JP you get the jump type, a reroll of the scatter dice, reroll on the DS Mishap table, and the opponent has to make snap shots if he uses interceptor weapons against the unit.

 

[Edit]Woops I forgot that the regular chaplains lost the reroll to wound.[/Edit]

 

[Edit2]Another way to get hit and run on the DC would be to take Librarius Conclave with WS chapter tactics.[/Edit]

I did exactly what Luther just suggested on Sunday. Rerolls were nice and Valour's edge meant that he killed a whole bunch of stuff. Even when the death company were eventually deleted by an assault centurion charge.......

An Allied Detachment has no LoW slot. If you want to take Dante, you will need to field either a BSF/CAD (so you'll need a HQ and a Troops choice) or a FTSF (HQ and FA choice).

 

In short, I wouldn't bother with Dante, but I'd take a Chaplain/Librarian > Priest as a HQ in a BSF (either splitting up the Tactical squad into two five man squads or running some Scouts).

It's been said, but I am a strong advocate of Astorath. I take him in every list now because he recks stuff. I played a Harlequins list and my DC all got nailed by fire, but he was happily walking around and tanking shots and ripping through units as if he was picking flowers in the park...

 

But team him with DC and whoop whoop say goodbye to that unit you just charged. Reroll EVERYTHING on the charge? And Zealot when you get charged? Yes please! Five man squads become deadly (mine with him have spent games slowly munching through units that have got too close, including thousand sons and possessed!) and ten man squads, with max 50 attacks are gonna cause damage with all those rerols and extra juicy weapons. Sanguinary priest and/or Baal strike force make this even tastier.

 

Yeah he's expensive, and he has downsides, but for me he is an auto include in my army if running DC.

I think Astorath and Raphens DC could be nifty. You get a character to take challenges if you wish and they're tooled up enough to cause serious hurt. Plus the dudes can tank small arms and Astorath the weaker low AP things.

 

Plus,Raphens DC is a troops choice. So you got your allied detachment there!

 

They also fit neatly in a raven or castus with more added people (if you allow jumps in that in your meta). Astorath or Raphen with quickening :D

Astorath is really good for the DC.  Either that, or Dante! Brilliant combo. 

I really wish the priest could be worked in, but its such a waste of his FNP, despite the +1WS.  So, my thinks would be:  1: Astorath, 2: Dante, 3: Chappy, 4: Libby, 5: Priest

I vote jump Chappie too, and consider giving him Valour's Edge for at-initiative AP2 goodness. You can sacrifice his shooting attack and keep his maul instead for concussive wounds.

I third this. You're not going to miss the bolt pistol shot and the choice of S7 ap4 or S5 ap2 on the charge is very nice. Even when I have Dante with the DC I take a Chappy for the extra buffs.

 

D

I vote jump Chappie too, and consider giving him Valour's Edge for at-initiative AP2 goodness. You can sacrifice his shooting attack and keep his maul instead for concussive wounds.

I third this. You're not going to miss the bolt pistol shot and the choice of S7 ap4 or S5 ap2 on the charge is very nice. Even when I have Dante with the DC I take a Chappy for the extra buffs.

D

I'd rather have a BS 5, 8" STR 6, AP 4 "shot" myself than a bolt pistol msn-wink.gif

I vote jump Chappie too, and consider giving him Valour's Edge for at-initiative AP2 goodness. You can sacrifice his shooting attack and keep his maul instead for concussive wounds.

I third this. You're not going to miss the bolt pistol shot and the choice of S7 ap4 or S5 ap2 on the charge is very nice. Even when I have Dante with the DC I take a Chappy for the extra buffs.

D

I'd rather have a BS 5, 8" STR 6, AP 4 "shot" myself than a bolt pistol msn-wink.gif

Ah of course you can still throw a grenade, so really you're losing nothing. Good catch Jolemai.

D

Who doesn't?!? I do want to slap whoever thought giving DA 3W super Chaplains but not use was a good idea...

 

We have 2 character chaplains. Astorath has 3 wounds, Lemartes has an elite slot... I mean 2 wounds. I think Chaplains are much more important for BA than they are for any other chapter... though perhaps Dark Angels chappies are important too? Not really sure on DA fluff. Either way, gimme reclusiarch!

For the record my HQ for my Blood Angels allied force will be a chaplain with a jump pack. He will fight alongside the death company (10, JP) that will be my elite. My troop choice will be a 10 man tactical squad toting a heavy flamer, flamer, and combi-flamer on the sergeant. They will most likely enter the battle via drop pod .. right next to enemy infantry ;)

 

And that will be my allied force .... for now.

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