Master in jump pack supporting Deathwing

[Angel of Solitude]

Hi

 

One of the things that I have experienced recently is that while the DWA stratagem is great fun and highly effective, it's even better when you can re-roll. While Belial is great for this, I don't really have the points for him in my list. However, what I could do is instead take a Master with Jump Pack, so that he could still deepstrike in with the DWA. By my reckoning this works out at 50 points or so cheaper than the Belial option.

 

Does this sound like a sensible thing? Has anybody tried it?

[Kasper_Hawser]

Hope you don't mind this coming from a Space Wolves player, but I have been putting my Wolf Lord/Captain on a Jump Pack and deepstriking him as needed to support my other outflankers/deepstrikers to make sure their melta/plasma/heavy weapons actually hit/wound.

 

Question is whether your Company Masters can put on a jump pack though.

[sneakybamsen]

I haven't tried it, but I'd get belial any day of the week, if I could. That said, the jump pack or master in terminator armor are quite viable for helping with the efficiency of DWA and definitely better than not having anything. Why is Belial better? He hits pretty hard against anything that is not a vehicle and provides a better aura.

[Angel of Solitude]

@Kasper yup - we can take a Master with a jump pack, so that's not an issue. Good to hear that my idea at least has been tried elsewhere - albeit with the Space Wolves!

 

@sneakybamsen - If I had the points, I too would probably take Belial. However, for the way I'm trying to play my army, I'm looking for a similar buff effect but for not as many points.

[SnakeChisler]

I take one quite frequently though he's used to support Inceptors rather than terminators

 

If I was running terminators I'd use jump pack guys instead of terminator versions as Fly and 12" move enable him to swan off and club a whole variety of min objective holding units.

 

Mine is magneted so weapon swaps are easy and I'm going to do an LT version, one can have the Mace of Redemption the other the Heavenfall blade.

 

The 2 combined are cheap and very flexible for what they can do and budied up dish out a fair punch and you can add a plasma pistol.

[JJD]

Would you be taking a jump pack Lt too to re-roll wound rolls of 1

[Kasper_Hawser]

@Kasper yup - we can take a Master with a jump pack, so that's not an issue. Good to hear that my idea at least has been tried elsewhere - albeit with the Space Wolves!

 

@sneakybamsen - If I had the points, I too would probably take Belial. However, for the way I'm trying to play my army, I'm looking for a similar buff effect but for not as many points.

 

Yeah don't ask me if it offends my fluff sensiblities because it does since Wolves have a well known fear of heights and vertigo issues. Still, I've always held on to the viking-pragmatic side of the Wolves so using jump pack and bikes which ARE certifiable marine gear is still palateable

 

I rather put my Wolves on Jump Packs and Bikes, than to take the damn overgrown Thunderwolves, which i'm allergic to fluffwise.

 

Back to your topic, don't hesitate to put your characters on jump packs on bikes, if it gives them the additional speed/mobility to support your army. For the first time in years, our captains/lords/masters actually do something for the army other than being beatsticks so even a naked Master with simple chainsword is good enough if it means getting in the right spot before unleashing vengeance. No need to waste so much points on them to be a beat stick. I'm eventually going to fit one of my jump pack characters with either combi plasma or combi melta as an emergency range weapon. Well not emergency, but to supplement whatever unit the lord is supporting.

Edited March 8, 2018 by Kasper_Hawser

[Angel of Solitude]

Would you be taking a jump pack Lt too to re-roll wound rolls of 1

 

It's definitely worth considering. Given their mobility, they would be able to fly across the battlefield as a pair to where they need to be most effective.This is where I see them as being a better option than Belial. For example, I could deepstrike them in with my terminator squad, and have them buffing a DWA. 64 storm bolter shots in one turn with hit/wound re-rolls would deal a lot of damage. Then I could fly them off to wherever else they may be more effective - e.g. some Ravenwing squads.

[Brother Sergeant Luther]

I know you have said you don't have the points to fit Belial into your list, but personally I would try to find the extra points needed over taking a master with a jump pack or rocking TDA. Especially if your primary reason is to get rerolls for your DWA, his allowing rerolls of failed hits rather than just ones increases the amount of hits you will be dealing, especially for those heavy weapons which are at -1 to hit the turn they arrive, you may not be rerolling those threes but at least you can reroll your ones and twos. Add to that, that he is no slouch in combat with his sword of silence, or if you want him monster or tank hunting with a bit more survivability you have the TH/SS option.

 

However out of the other options in the codex for a buff aura I would probably go with a Jump pack master and give him the shroud of heroes to increase his survivability if you plan to run him from point to point giving out his buff

[SnakeChisler]

I know you have said you don't have the points to fit Belial into your list, but personally I would try to find the extra points needed over taking a master with a jump pack or rocking TDA. Especially if your primary reason is to get rerolls for your DWA, his allowing rerolls of failed hits rather than just ones increases the amount of hits you will be dealing, especially for those heavy weapons which are at -1 to hit the turn they arrive, you may not be rerolling those threes but at least you can reroll your ones and twos. Add to that, that he is no slouch in combat with his sword of silence, or if you want him monster or tank hunting with a bit more survivability you have the TH/SS option. However out of the other options in the codex for a buff aura I would probably go with a Jump pack master and give him the shroud of heroes to increase his survivability if you plan to run him from point to point giving out his buff

There's a whole batch of reasons why a Jump pack Master + Jump Pack LT are better than 1 Belial

Probably the biggest 12" movement ignoring terrain.

Loadout - Heavanfall blade on 1 Mace of Redemption on the other.

We're back to movement again they can spin off and quickly club other targets, terminators are 5" movement they really do just grind forward at a slow pace. Jump packs allow you to hop over screens once you've dropped there's nothing stopping you picking on some buffing characters as its extremely difficult to block.

Full re-rolls on heavy weapons is moot terminators need to be moving so putting a -1 gun on a chassis that's in the opponents face is pretty pointless.

 

Once down be aggressive with them neutering threats to the terminators there not there to stand around picking their noses going Oi Bro re-roll that 1 for me, go club a Psyker take out a heavy weapons team tie up a tank etc..

 

And lastly as well as flexibility jump pack characters in this edition are dirt cheap for what they can do

[Knight Angels]

have to agree with snakechisler.

i always field a master and lieutnant with jumppack to support whatever is needed.

the master is usually equipped shield and heavenfallblade for 5 accurate attacks. i once tried to give him the relic combi plasma, the warlordtrait to shoot characters and then overcharged it with the plasma stratagem... guess what... i rolled double 1s

[Phoebus]

Silly question, but is there not a limit of Relics you can issue? Meaning, one Relic to one Dark Angels Character?

[robofish7591]

You are correct, there is a limit on relics.  You get one for free and then you can pay command points to take more.

[Helycon]

And like you said, a character can have only one relic. Your entire army can have up to a total of three relics over three characters.