Shield of Baal Formation Tactics

[Damon Nightman]

Specifically thinking of using Strike Force Mortalis, Defenders of the Cathedrum, and Archangels Sanguine Wing formation.

 

One for the multiple dc, two for the BA with counter attack! and three for the awesomeness of 20 Vanguard vets all with power weapons.

 

Anyone have any experience with these formations? I plan on using them in 1500pt games first and work up to 1850.

[SlangWhanger]

I've heard good things about the Sanguine Wing, Strike Force Mortalis can be DEADLY and Defenders of the Cathedrum is my formation of choice... Fluffy, good rules, and brings a nice mix of units to the table. You may struggle getting decent sized packages within 1500 points though... Have you written a list?

[Charlo]

Mortalis is great from what I hear. Death Company with extra attacks. What's not to love? Even better if you get a Librarian to cast unleash rage on them. 7 Attacks each! Crusader is a nice bonus too. It's just a shame you have to take a Raven with this IMO, it was already a pretty hefty formation.

 

The Sanguine Wing is very top heavy and it suffers from a lot of points being tied up into the Raven, but it's still awesome. Basically makes our Vets the best. We get a power weapon and a storm shield cheaper than what a single power weapon would be normally. Combis are always welcome too.

 

Defender's of Cathedrum, for me at least is one of the bum deals in Exterminatus. Counter-attack is cool but then you aren't getting furious charge.

 

If you want Counter-Attack this may be better:

 

 

lesh Tearers Blood Rain Strike Force (White Dwarf 47) - A Death Company Squad, Vanguard Veterans, Assault Squad, a Furioso Dreadnought, and a Stormraven to cart them all in if you don't give absolutely everyone here a Jump Pack. Everyone gets Crusader, which is okay for this assault squad. If they ride the Storm Raven, anyone that disembarks can re-roll failed charge rolls and has Rage for that turn. If you don't use the Storm Raven as a transport, then all the little guys must Deep-Strike on the board as a single unit and get Fearless and Counter-Attack the turn they arrive.

 

If you want stubborn I think the Flesh Tearer's Vanguard Strike Force is better, as that lets you ignore disordered charges, gives you red thirst and stubborn. The Investment is a little high but I think it could work wonders and is almost comparable in power to perhaps the Vanilla bonuses for bringing a Demi Company.

 

Other than this there is a WD Formation that is probably our best one, but also pretty hard to use despite how simple it is:

 

 

Angel's Fury Spearhead Strike Force (White Dwarf 47) - 3 Tactical Squads of 10 with Homers (for free) get 3 Stormraven Gunships to ride in. Not only do these guys get ObSec to shove it in the other Marines' faces, but they also let anyone (blood angel's faction) who Deep Strikes within 12" of them to not scatter and charge as soon as they arrive. And as a plus to this, the entire formation has to enter reserves and can drop in as soon as Turn 1 (with a re-roll to reserves). All in all, a shockingly good take. An extremely expensive formation, both in terms of points as well as actual money.

 

If you can get 3 Ravens, this will eat people alive with a decent added CAD/ BSF etc.

[Xenith]

I think the Sanguine wing is about to lose a lot of it's potential if we get an update to bring us in line with C:SM costs.

 

Before 20 free power weapons and 10 free combis for 400 free points.

 

Now power weapons are a melta bomb each, so that 400 free goes down to 200, but we still have to buy a stormraven on top.

 

If we get the update, I dont really see a need for the formation, unless you really want sternguard in a raven (pod is better?)

[Charlo]

I think the Sanguine wing is about to lose a lot of it's potential if we get an update to bring us in line with C:SM costs.

 

Before 20 free power weapons and 10 free combis for 400 free points.

 

Now power weapons are a melta bomb each, so that 400 free goes down to 200, but we still have to buy a stormraven on top.

 

If we get the update, I dont really see a need for the formation, unless you really want sternguard in a raven (pod is better?)

 

Great point Xen-bro.

 

That said, I wonder if we get an update how many of the formations from Exterminatus will we see get a makeover with a similar name?

 

Similar the the Librarius Conclave or Astartes Stormwing.

[Xenith]

A few of the formations have potential, in particular the death co, I think a few people have success with the FT ones, although I've never used them, also the 1x Vanvets 2x assault  squad looks fun - free impact hits on deepstrike - you still get to shoot, so combine this with a few hand flamers, meltas, you get a few free hits, especially if you were going to use the assault marines for suicide runs anyway.

 

This could be good combines with Dante's descent of angels, and in Maelstrom games where we get bonuses for kills inflicted by deepstriking units.

[Damon Nightman]

I'll post my list ideas later when I figure out how to copy paste from battles scribe on my phone.

 

I feel like I'm gonna build up the sanguine wing and then we will get an updated like xenith said. I plan on magnetizing the power weapons so I can use them outside the formation of it gets invalidated by updates.

 

For defenders of the cathedrum, I just think it's cool. No idea if it will actually be good, but gives me a reason to make assault termies out of the B@C bits.

 

Really I just want to use these formations to justify buying the book lol

[Xenith]

I feel like I'm gonna build up the sanguine wing and then we will get an updated like xenith said. I plan on magnetizing the power weapons so I can use them outside the formation of it gets invalidated by updates.

 

 

The formation will still have a place, I think it allows either T1 reserve roll, reserve reroll, or both. It's good if you want the raven also, and want it on the board faster, but it we get modified point costs, it opens up more options to us.

[Damon Nightman]

I'm at work right now and can't check, but I didn't think it gave any reserve bonuses for the sanguine wing. That was something I was a little disappointed about since I'd want them on the board asap. I think it just allows them all to come in on 1 roll.

[Tyriks]

I'm at work right now and can't check, but I didn't think it gave any reserve bonuses for the sanguine wing. That was something I was a little disappointed about since I'd want them on the board asap. I think it just allows them all to come in on 1 roll.

You do get a reroll, but no turn one roll:

 

 When making Reserve Rolls, make a single roll for the entire Formation, which you can choose to re-roll. On a successful Reserves Roll, all of the units in this Formation arrive from Reserve.

I was looking at this formation as a starting point for building my BA army, but it was pointed out that they can't charge until turn 3 at the earliest, so I will wait on that and focus on SF Mortalis, I think.

[Damon Nightman]

Thank you! Yeah this is definitely a starting point for me as well. I'm gonna start with Mortalis and defenders of the cathedrum and work my way up to using the sanguine wing since it only seems to be viable in like 1850pt games or higher. Maybe 1500

[Damon Nightman]

   (1468pts)

Blood Angels: Codex (2014) (Formation Detachment

•    The Defenders of the Cathedrum
  • Terminator Assault Squad

    2x Thunder Hammer and Storm Shield, 2x Twin Lightning Claws, Twin Lightning Claws

  • Tactical Squad

    Heavy flamer, 4x Tactical Marine

    • Drop Pod

      Storm Bolter

    • Tactical Sergeant

      2x Hand Flamer, Teleport Homer

  • Tactical Squad

    Heavy flamer, Rhino, 4x Tactical Marine

    • Tactical Sergeant

      Bolt Pistol, Combi-Melta, Teleport Homer

  • Furioso Dreadnought

    Magna-grapple

    • Power Fists

      Frag cannon, Meltagun

  • Death Company Squad

    8x Bolt Pistol, 2x Bolter, 7x Chainsword, 10x Death Company Marine, Jump Pack, 2x Power Fist, Power Weapon

  • Assault Squad

    4x Assault Marines, 2x Meltagun

    • Assault Sergeant

      Chainsword, Inferno Pistol

    • Drop Pod

      Storm Bolter

        Flesh Tearers Strike Force

• HQ
  • Captain Karlaen
  • Sanguinary Priest

    Chainsword

• Troops
  • Scout Squad

    2x Combat Blade, 4x Scouts, 2x Shotgun

    • Scout Sergeant

      Teleport homer

• Fast Attack
  • Bike Squad

    2x Grav-gun, 2x Space Marine Biker

    • Biker Sergeant

      Combi-Grav

  • Drop Pod

    Storm Bolter  

 

 

Here is my rough idea for a Defenders 1500pt list. Not sure if it's very competitive, but hope it's fun. Cpt. Karl deep strikes in with the termies, hopefully with the aid of the teleport homers. Not sure if those are necessary. Not sure if Karl is necessary either, thought his re roll to reserves would make them more reliable. Would the priest be able to deep strike in with them? If not he might get a bike and go with the bikers, or be removed entirely. Have some points left over to mess around with.  Thoughts? 

 

Posted this list in the Army list section too, if that's more appropriate. 

 

[Ceril]

If you give him a jump pack he should be able to. Stock he does not have the deep strike rule.

[sebs_evo7]

I don't think he could because they are teleporting in and he would be dropping in on a jet pack but that could be wrong.

Is your idea to deep strike all the jumpers in? Could be ok with karls re rolls but you would have to saturate an area with targets so your guys don't get blasted off the board on the turn they drop in

I like some of the FT formations that all come on at once. I don't think they are good but they look fun

[Charlo]

Only a few pieces of gear care about what you use to deep strike e.g. teleport homer.

 

It is perfectly legal, if a tad gamey, to deep strike a priest with angels wings with terminators for example.

[Damon Nightman]

I was just thinking that terminators with +1ws and fnp would be fun. Only the pods and termies start in reserve, was the idea

[Damon Nightman]

I've been looking at the razor wing strike force which combines defenders of cathedrum and the relief force. If I took razor wind formation could I put the terminators in the storm Raven with Seth? I don't see why not, I just didn't think of it since they are typically two separate formations