How to win with Dark Angels

[Lord Kasalladalla]

I scour the Internet for good ideas on how to win with DA, and often times you get a list from a player who plays a few armies in his group and it is a bias list, e.g., Eldar bias, Chaos bias, etc. These concepts I bring up is to stir the thinking of DA. I by no means have all the answers. Instead of lists, I will express general guidelines/philosophies to utilize the power of the DA which lead us to what I think is the best combination.

 

1) No matter what army you play, play to its unique strengths. Playing outside the written strength will place you closer to the losing side, which a challenge isn't wrong, but if winning is the objective, go with strength. With Space Marines, this rule takes most precedents as there are so many sub codexes, vanilla, and sub-vanilla chapters along with the Grey Knights being the biggest dicks! If you play DA for assault jump marines, then you're playing DA wrong. You must go to Raven Guard or Blood Angels, switch chapters.

 

2) You must play an objective-based game to win with DA. An all-out-kill game will get you to lose more often than not. It's statistics, Space Marines, especially DA using elite units, just don't have the dice on the table. For example, 5 Termies are roughly 250 points and shoot 10 dice with storm bolters. Those are some expensive bolters! While they often spend turns in deep strike hiatus or in a Landraider, that is points and time lost to cause damage. Also, I hate rolling 10 dice for a 2+ armor save, here comes 2 ones! Damn it! I suggest ITC objective games. The objective card decks are ridiculous! But that maybe what you want to play.

 

3) Deathwing & Ravenwing are what make DA special, but let's be critical: Terminators ain't what they used to be, and White Scars are comparable to the Ravenwing. Why have the DA been nerf-ed? My opinion is GW has made them weaker to get beginning players to jump to a 2nd army from Chaos and DA starter box sets. Notice Chaos Space Marines still haven't been updated. They want us to expand outside the traditional core armies. Rules guide purchasing, but I digress. All Deathwing is a fool's bet, but it is fun to play, regardless. We are all Deathwing purists in the end, but maybe in 8th edition? All Ravenwing is better than all Deathwing, but the real traditional wheel house of DA is the mix of the two wings with their complimentary formations, that's the truest DA game! Ravenwing rolls up and gets Deathwing in w/o scatter, make it so!

 

Although, a new addition to this wheel house is the Greenwing for the normal BS on over watch. That's a lot more dice on table! 2 Demi-Co's get us free vehicles! Drop Pods anyone? Depending on points (most play 2k at the most) the combinations should be one of the following: Deathwing & Ravenwing, Deathwing & Greenwing, Ravenwing & Greenwing, or all Greenwing with two Demi-Co's. These seem to be the combinations that will bring success. Personally, Ravenwing with a Demi-Co Greenwing is the best. Numbers to support objectives with speed, power, and armor. Best unit in DA codex are the Black Knights: Rapid plasma(absolutely DA), speed, jink, skilled riders, and solid h2h. Sattle up as many knights as you can. Finally, HQ Raven squad to make matters worse with a psyker on a bike with them. Don't let the psyker phase out of your grasp, it can be very useful and fun. Consider the Dark Shroud to add to that jinking cover save to a 2+!

 

4) Drop pods are the core strategy of all Space Marines! That Greenwing can plop down, take objectives, and surround the enemy. Remember drop pods can hold objectives, be that dick! Drop pods and Knights! And maybe a termie unit just cause you're a purest

[Indefragable]

Great write-up!

 

I hate to be the first post here, considering DA is not my main army, but I have dabbled and some friends of mine play.

 

A few thoughts from an outsider's perspective:

 

-I think Drop Pods are definitely the way to go for Greenwing. The BS4 Overwatch is really a deterrent more than anything, but it's an excellent psychological tool. Plop down 10x Rapid Fire bolters on an Objective and dare the enemy to try to knock you off of it. You can have a poor man's Ravenwing by putting Locator Beacons on the Pods as well. This not only gives your DW some accuracy coming in, but also forces the enemy to consider wasting fire on a Pod they might otherwise ignore until later in the game.

-Deathwing Knights are some of the best-in-class units in the game. This might be outside-looking-in syndrome, but you need to appreciate just how badass these guys are. Of course getting them where you want them in a mobility-first game is tough, but if there is any unit worth the drag, it's these guys

-you mention special characters. I have not been exposed to all of them, but for my money, Ezekiel is perhaps the best IC in the DA book. Not only does he get ML3 Interomancy, but passing out +1A to the unit he is attached to is money

-Interomancy. If you're not using this...you don't like breaking your opponents' minds and therefore are not worthy of hunting the Fallen (and EVERYONE could be a Fallen in hiding!). Seriously, the sheer nastiness of these powers should not be underestimated. There are few things in the game that can give Death Stars pause, but having those Death Stars debuffed into oblivion, with no way of stopping it other than Deny the Witch rolls....is something to make even the hardiest opponent reconsider their priorities

 

 

Just my two cents to back up what you've said above. 

[SickSix]

Well, I probably won't win a lot of games. I chose a DA successor mainly ofr the aesthetic and fluff. My army will be Green wing with a bit of DW. And Tanks (Siege Breaker Squadron and LR Ares).

 

But nice write up.

[Syphid]

I'm going to second Indefragable, Deathwing Knights are awesome and attaching your warlord to a unit of Knights yields amazing synergies. The hardest part is getting them to their target, but I have seen a large unit of Knights tie up half of my opponent's army in close combat.