8th Ed BA Tactica.

[LutherMax]

 

 

So have you guys been charging your HQs into combat with whatever squads they are buffing?

 

I ended up losing my chaplain last game because I charged a group of ork boyz with my D.C. And Chap. The D.C. Charged first and I decided to attack first with them. My opponent then used 2 command points to interrupt the chap and attack him with all the ork boyz in the combat... my chap died... is there a way to avoid this besides not charging with the HQ? It feels really lame to leave a chap hanging back out of combat especially for BA....

 

Also, the stratagem to interrupt the charges is so lame... can we also get a startagem to interrupt an enemy's shooting attack so I can shoot at them first?

Where does that Strategem come from..?

 

The main rule book

 

Oh right the Counter Offensive one... I thought that could only be used after ALL charging units had fought but have just re-read and it's after ANY unit that charged... good to know!

[DemonGSides]

Could he actually target your chaplain?  Wouldn't he have to target the DC around the chaplain first or does the character targeting only take effect for shooting?  At work so I can't check the BRB myself.

[Damon Nightman]

That's only for shooting right? I'm not really sure to be honest...

[Karhedron]

Character immunity is from shooting. Up close in melee, he can be picked out and attacked, at least by models close to him.

[TheSauce]

In the fight phase, only models within 1" or within 1" of models within 1" of the chaplain could fight him. With all base to base orks, that's two rows of boys throwing attacks at your chaplain.

 

Maybe that would have made the difference? At least it's something to be aware of when deciding exactly where to charge your chaplain - for large units of boys try to aim for the edges to reduce retaliation.

[Are Verlo]

So have you guys been charging your HQs into combat with whatever squads they are buffing?

 

I ended up losing my chaplain last game because I charged a group of ork boyz with my D.C. And Chap. The D.C. Charged first and I decided to attack first with them. My opponent then used 2 command points to interrupt the chap and attack him with all the ork boyz in the combat... my chap died... is there a way to avoid this besides not charging with the HQ? It feels really lame to leave a chap hanging back out of combat especially for BA....

 

Also, the stratagem to interrupt the charges is so lame... can we also get a startagem to interrupt an enemy's shooting attack so I can shoot at them first? :P

I don't have my rulebook with me so I might be mixing in some 7th ed rules.

But only the boyz within 1" of the chaplain and those within 1" of those boyz may attack the chaplain. So unless you slammed the chaplain into the center of the boyzmob, only a few boyz will attack the chaplain. A few boyz are dangerous but a whole mob means martyrdom for the chaplain

[DemonGSides]

Yeah I'm trying hard to figure out how he got the chaplain killed by the entire mob of boys unless he let chappy go right into the middle, which seems... strange at best.

[LutherMax]

Depending on the size of the mob, the pile in move could have been used to get quite a few in range to fight, couldn't it?

[Damon Nightman]

Sorry it was our first time playing and we had to borrow the new rulebook from someone as my FLG is out of them. We most likely did plenty of stuff wrong.

 

My chap wasn't in the middle but still took about 15 attacks from some boyz. I think they have 3 attacks each so I guess he was close enough to 5 of them? I honestly wasn't paying enough attention, my opponent may have attacked with some guys out of range (definitely not intentionally cheating, we are both still just learning the rules). I roll terribly too, so it only took about 7-8 successful wounds for me to fail 4 of them... it almost lost me the game because I fed him my warlord. It sounds like I just need to position my chap better... noway is he going to sit out of most combats though! Lol

[The4thHorseman]

I've been using Tarantulas quite effectavly. Twin Assault Cannon ones click in at 45 ea. And they are a FA slot now instead of Hvy and can be taken in a unit up to 3.

 

Very Points effecient.

[LutherMax]

I've been using Tarantulas quite effectavly. Twin Assault Cannon ones click in at 45 ea. And they are a FA slot now instead of Hvy and can be taken in a unit up to 3.

Very Points effecient.

A Heavy weapon that can't move is... Fast Attack..?

[Are Verlo]

Sorry it was our first time playing and we had to borrow the new rulebook from someone as my FLG is out of them. We most likely did plenty of stuff wrong.

 

My chap wasn't in the middle but still took about 15 attacks from some boyz. I think they have 3 attacks each so I guess he was close enough to 5 of them? I honestly wasn't paying enough attention, my opponent may have attacked with some guys out of range (definitely not intentionally cheating, we are both still just learning the rules). I roll terribly too, so it only took about 7-8 successful wounds for me to fail 4 of them... it almost lost me the game because I fed him my warlord. It sounds like I just need to position my chap better... noway is he going to sit out of most combats though! Lol

Unless I am mistaken, we dont have to move towards the nearest unengaged enemy model when charging. If you roll well for a character, use the move to get to the edge of the fight so fewer enemy models can target the character. But this might put some of your own units of range to be affected by an aura (most characters have some sort of aura)

[The4thHorseman]

 

I've been using Tarantulas quite effectavly. Twin Assault Cannon ones click in at 45 ea. And they are a FA slot now instead of Hvy and can be taken in a unit up to 3.

Very Points effecient.

A Heavy weapon that can't move is... Fast Attack..?

Yup.

[Aothaine]

So have you guys been charging your HQs into combat with whatever squads they are buffing?

 

I ended up losing my chaplain last game because I charged a group of ork boyz with my D.C. And Chap. The D.C. Charged first and I decided to attack first with them. My opponent then used 2 command points to interrupt the chap and attack him with all the ork boyz in the combat... my chap died... is there a way to avoid this besides not charging with the HQ? It feels really lame to leave a chap hanging back out of combat especially for BA....

 

Also, the stratagem to interrupt the charges is so lame... can we also get a startagem to interrupt an enemy's shooting attack so I can shoot at them first?

 

This pretty much comes down to strategy really. You learned a good lesson early. Don't put your important characters in against swarms. Their attacks may seem weak but when they have 24+ of them going on one model it is painful. Also remember that only models that are within 1" of the chap and within 1" of the main orks can attack him. That is still a lot of attacks if pile-in was used correctly though. I'm finding more and more that if you are worried about losing your bubble abilities you don't want to charge in with the characters. Character's protection comes from not being able to be shot at. 

 

An instance where I would charge in is if my opponent had snipers. 

[Damon Nightman]

Thanks everyone! Sounds like I just need to position my chap better or stay out of combat in some situations

[sebs_evo7]

I don't have my rule book in front of me but potentially using heroic intervention could be an option. From memory units can't attack the character but i can't remember if you can use it in your assault phase

[Aothaine]

I don't have my rule book in front of me but potentially using heroic intervention could be an option. From memory units can't attack the character but i can't remember if you can use it in your assault phase

 

That is mainly to get your character into assault I think. I will have to check that again later too.

[LutherMax]

Yeah Heroic Intervention is just a 3" move you can make towards the enemy if your Character is within 3" after they charge. It's basically a way to bring them into the fight in the enemy's turn.

[Crimson Ghost IX]

Yeah charging in the buff characters can be a problem for sure. You have to think it thru or they are gonna eat your lunch since they are their own unit/target. Placement is important when considering buff char(s) and counter offensive for sure.

 

Self created table top formations like a flying V using pile in become interesting etc.

Self imposed rules like trying to use your entire allowed inch as a buffer for later shenanigans becomes important.

 

I sat and just moved models around on the table. ie practice. I highly recommend it =)

A neat exercise is trying to surround a rhino using pile in etc, then thinking about where the dudes inside go if it goes bang. (they can actually be behind you depending on what you did). THEN thinking what you might do with that also during a Rhino Rush.

 

Sometimes the character (or the buffee) are left behind is another issue. It's why I quit running Lemartes as the longer the charge the more likely the issue.

 

Another neat thing to note is characters can mostly safely stand and sneak around in the open if they are not likely to be the closest model.

I kept messing with my chaos buddy last game with a Rhino. He didn't wanna waste guns to hunt it but I was causing his gunline major closest target grief.

Also of note is our jump packs ability to get at enemy chars doing that thru maneuver or arrival.

 

Screening models (cheap and shooty like our newly fixed assault marines perhaps) planned and placed around your chars during movement can be vital for those failed charges in my experience. But it is hard to find the points for em sometimes. Arrange them like the points of a W around the characters during movement is a possible plan.

 

Alot to think about going on in the move, charge, and fight phases *nod. Then there is casualty removal...

8th is deceptively easy and actually includes a lot of room for finesse and skill.

IMO.

 

It's just too early yet for me to say this or that is the best way for sure tho

Get your dudes out and make a proxy enemy force and do some solo planning *nod.

 

Math hammer and points effenciencies are not everything, but are important to remember also. What looks best on paper can be hard to use on the table I have found tho.

Edited July 7, 2017 by Crimson Ghost IX

[Aothaine]

 

Get your dudes out and make a proxy enemy force and do some solo planning *nod.

 

Math hammer and points effenciencies are not everything, but are important to remember also. What looks best on paper can be hard to use on the table I have found tho.

 

Could not agree with this statement more. Practice. Run tests. Test things. You will amaze the people you play with your precision afterward.

[OrbOfAntioch]

I've been using Tarantulas quite effectavly. Twin Assault Cannon ones click in at 45 ea. And they are a FA slot now instead of Hvy and can be taken in a unit up to 3.

 

Very Points effecient.

 

Yea.. 405 points for 9 guns unloading 108 S5 Ap1 shots... pretty broken if you abuse it..

[Riot Earp]

Tried out heavy flamer 4 devs in a razorback. They vaped 5er csm marines in shooting and overcharge phases. Nommed two 5 man squads in total and damaged one rhino.

My stormraven on the other side got oneblasted from an typhoon siege tank. The terminators and hqs survived and dumped one multilator and one 5man squad. Should have shocked them at the first turn. Oh well. My knight atrapos was beast. He oneshotted nearly the typhoon bringing him on 4 wounds but he survived. After he went down things start to look grim.

Edited July 7, 2017 by Riot Earp

[Aothaine]

What are our best tools to deal with flyers? Looking for units that can be "Blood Angels" chapter. 

 

Right now I'm thinking about running three of the following unit:

 

Devastator Squad

- Missile Launcher x4

- Cherub

- Razorback + Lascannon

 

It is pretty pricey but it puts out quite a bit of firepower. Any other ideas?

 

I'm also thinking about compiling advice into a sort of Blood Angels Tactics Primer using Google Docs. This thread is getting massive and it is difficult to find information about a specific topic. I'll start working on this doc this weekend and post the link up in a new thread that I will ask to be locked. I'll have the google doc link let everyone comment on the doc itself so I can make updates/changes to it.

 

On another note. Bike Squads might actually work good with Blood Angels Priests giving +1S. What are your thoughts on running Biker lists mixed with the dev squads above to deal with flyers and maybe a unit of Assault Terminators with SS+TH?

[NTaW]

I've only played three games using my [redacted by Inquisition] and just about anything plinks wounds off them. -1 to hit airborne targets isn't the 6's to hit of yester-edition. One game my opponent had a pair of autocannon and heavy bolter Predators that kept their autocannons on my flyer and heavy bolters on my infantry almost the whole game. It was rough.

 

The Devastator squad alone would likely be enough depending on how many flyers you're facing.

Edited July 7, 2017 by NTaW

[Brother Clavero]

Aothaine: The Tactics primer is a great idea! For those of us that are new to the Blood Angels, it would be a helpful resource.