Re-starting my Dark Angels

[Always check the Shadows]

I will be honest, despite playing Dark Angels almost exclusively in 7th Edition, I found the Codex very underwhelming and have not played my DA in 8th until now.

 

Yesterday i took an old fashioned, fluffy and definitely not optimised force to Warhammer World to take on my mates force of White Scars marines and it rocked.

 

My force was a Master, Primaris Lieutenant, 2  5 Man Tactical squads, A Scout Sniper Squad, Dreadnought, 10 man Dev squad in a Battalion and a Talonmaster, Bike Squad, Attack bike, 3 man Black Knights and Nephilim in an Outrider detachment.

 

He also took a Battalion and Outrider with 2 Captains(1 on bike), Librarian, Scouts in Storm, Tacticals in a rhino, Intercessors, Sternguard in Razorback, Bike squad, Apothecary on Bike, Speeder, Inceptors and a 5 man Dev squad.

 

In the first game he went first and conceded end of turn 4 with only 1 biker and a rhino left.

 

The second game was a bloodbath for the White Scars after i stole the initiative and he conceded turn 3.

 

The star units in both games were the Talonmaster and Nephilim as i kept them out of trouble and the sheer volume of shots meant he was failing saves left, right and centre. The Dread was effective in both games taking out his Captain on the bike in game 2 and he also discovered that getting in range of the Black Knights with 2 wound models is not a good move when his bike squad disappeared in the 2nd turn of game 2. Also putting extra models in Dev squads is definitely the way to go. He didn't and watched his heavy weapons disappear in my first round of shooting twice but my las-cannons remained functional through both games.

 

Things that didn't work very well were the Las Cannon Devs. The number of 1s rolled to hit, damage and for wounds was unreal and the re-rolls were generally rubbish too. The Primaris Lieutenant was really wasted baby-sitting the Dev squad and i am not sure the Stalker Bolt Rifle is and optimal weapons for him.

 

Overall glad to be back and really have to get the Hellblasters built now. Also will have to get the rest of my black knights built.

[MaxB]

Nice one.

 

Yep the speed and firepower from the Ravenwing is really fun. For ultimate mobile dakka - Sammael in speeder, Talonmaster and a Dark Talon or two.

 

And sounds like you got the taste of DA plasma - against the right targets it is just deadly.

 

Max

[BlackTriton]

I know a few DA player and they all seem to fall in the same pit trap.

 

Plasma : while WotDA is awesome, loading up on it is a mistake. Take one large squad and a back-up, Otherwise you're kinda one trick ponney

 

Ravenwing: being fast is good and all, but charging headlong into the enemy turn one is often the worst thing you can do.

 

You made a good point with the 10 man dev, keeping the big gun shooting is worth the 65 point, even more so if azrael is around. DA works really well with long range large infantry squad.

 

 

Sounds like you had some fun games! All my best game of 8ed have been with DA, they can be really fun.

[Always check the Shadows]

Took the same army today against Orks and then Nids and, shall we just say the Lion would not have been pleased.

 

All was going well against the Orks until he managed to get close and my force melted under the sheer weight of attacks. 

 

Got first turn against the Nids and got rid of one of his 3 Genestealer units, the second one died turn 2 but the third chewed through my backline and his Flyrants ripped my Ravenwing to pieces.

 

The stars were the Nephilim and Talonmaster again and i am never going with a Las Cannon Dev squad again, just useless. 

 

I do think the key is remembering all the rules as i forgot Grim Resolve! needs to find all my Scouts as can't keep using Tactical Marines when Scouts do the same job only cheaper. Would have bought a Dark Talon to go with the Nephilim but Warhammer World sold out so strengthened by Ravenwing instead. Looking forward to the Ravenwing detachment that is imminent.