2000 Pt Blood Angel Brigade I've Had Success With

[The Unseen]

Just thought I'd post this list, minor variations I've been playing since our Codex dropped, that I've had both success and fun with, in everything from ITC missions, core rulebook, and the newer chapter approved missions.

 

It's a pure Blood Angel list that focuses on immediately seizing control of the entire board outside of the opponents deployment zone, and then using that control to keep the opponent hemmed in before a turn 2 knockout punch. It suffers from a terrible glass jaw, the only games this list has lost is where I went second and the hammerblow turn 2 failed entirely, but even under such dire circumstances it has clawed out a Pyrrhic victory on VP despite being nearly tabled.

 

It is a Brigade, and as such will start with 15 CP, though usually 2 are spent immediately on a 2nd relic and Death Visions for the Captain

 

"Insert Name Here" Captain, TH, SS, Warlord, Angel's Wing

I usually rock the FNP warlord trait and Death Visions for the 5+++, letting the captain hopefully survive to smash twice, unless the opponent has a centerpiece model they can't screen properly. Otherwise, start the game hanging out with the fire support elements, and move in turn 2 and 3.

 

Mephiston, Wings, Quickening, Unleash Rage

Its Mephiston, cast unleash rage on a unit of DC, otherwise Rip and Tear, preferably on something isolated so Mephy isn't caught out afterwards.

 

Lemartes

Hangs out in reserve to enable a turn 2 strike from a DC squad most of the time, an absolute unit with the points drop, Lemartes has solo'ed games for me before.

 

2 squads of 6 Intercessors, Power Sword Sarge, Aux Grenade Launcher, Bolt Rifles 

dedicated objective holders, tough enough to dislodge that they usually live the whole game. Beta Bolters rule has significantly improved their performance for this role in my opinion

 

4 squads of 5 scouts, pistols and blades, storm bolter on the sarge

aggressive chaff clearance, and early objective grabbers. These guys punch way harder than people expect, and when deployed in the midfield behind line of sight blocking terrain, are a nightmare for an enemy trying to advance.

trading 2 of the squads blades for bolters is also acceptable, though I prefer the CC threat.

 

2 Squads of 3 scout bikers, storm bolter on the sarge

pure anti-infantry dakka, and a lot of it, for cheap. Suprisingly good in assault as well, more than capable of tying up basic troop units for an extended period if they aren't packing multi-damage power weapons.

 

2 MM Attack Bikes (separate units)

Perfect MSU skirmishers, usually too unimportant to have the weapons that really hurt them thrown their way, which lets them drive around taking melta potshots that can instantly knock a big target down a peg, capable of grabbing far away objectives without losing much, and again, tying up shooty units easily.

 

8 Man DC squad, 2 Hammers, 6 Hand Flamer+Chainsword

My area is letting me have the sisters hand flamers that do D6 hits, rather than D3, but if that isn't kosher where you are, bolters work just fine. This unit's sole purpose is linebreaking, it uses furlorn fury to get in the opponents face and make a mess of their plans. Opponents unprepared for this usually have their warlords squashed by the 2 hammers. If you don't think you can manage that, drop them to save points. This unit dies about as often as it kills something, but either way its a huge threat that gets targeted first, and that has value either way.

 

8 Man DC squad, 5 or 6 Bolter/Chainsword, 2 or 3 Hammers

The hammerblow unit that uses Descent of Angels with the Lemartes Re-Roll to crush an exposed lynchpin unit turn 2. Preferably with Mephiston casting unleash rage on them for extra butchery. Knowing when to wait till turn 3 is important, if there isn't a target worthy of their attention, don't bring them down, because even if they kill that isolated infantry squad, they'll probably be gunned down afterwards without much to show for it.

 

Player's choice of Sanguinary Ancient or Chapter Ancient w/Jump Pack with Relic Banner

I haven't decided which I like more, but either the idea is the same. Spend the first turn hanging out with the Dev's and Bikes to help weather the storm, which the Company Ancient is really good at letting you get some cheeky shots in as things die, and then later jump forward to support the turn 2 and 3 assaults, which the Sanguinary Ancient is better at thanks to his improved save, weapon, and aura

 

2 squads of 6 Devastator Marines, with 2 lascannons, 1 Heavy Bolter, Cherub

This set-up gives you 2 Cherub+Signum buffed hellfire shells, which is incredibly useful for softening up targets, and also grants accurate long ranged AT fire. The extra bodies makes shooting at them, especially in cover next to the relic banner, a tough nut to crack

 

1 Quad Mortar Rapier

Usually hangs out of sight, I use it to both fill out the Heavy Support of my brigade for cheap, and also use it to pick off weakened troop units trying to hid behind walls or standing on far away objectives. The anti-tank round is cute vs some things, but the gun is weak to anti-tank rounds and usually dies after it shoots once, be aware.

 

 

Focus on early board control, use the multiple fast moving units to hem the opponent in while clearing away the route to the opponents juicy stuff turn 1, and charge and tie up as many units as functionally possible. Turn 2, the deep striking DC unit and characters can usually tear the throat out of the enemies army. This list packs enough anti-infantry bullets and turn 1 chargers to kill an absurd number of infantry models, which are very common in my area. Against entire mechanized lists, those anti-infantry units run interference to let the devs. hammer DC, and characters do the heavy lifting. Against an all knight list, this list struggles, but can win if it plays purely to the objectives and plays coy with the characters, especially the Captain, as just the threat of him is enough to potentially make the knight avoid getting close, letting you hang out in cover trying to weather their firepower and try and score some points.

It is however, terribly fragile if you don't put the opponent on the off foot early on with focused attention and keeping units from shooting with the smaller units.

 

A common turn 1 if you get to go first with this army is the opponent facing down assaults from all directions from the 4 scout squads, the scout bikers, the attack bikes, and the first unit of DC.

Most of these units won't necessarily kill what they assaulted, but they will keep your enemy busy, do a few wounds here and there, and keep their guns quiet.

Basically, it either wins big early, or loses big late, but it isn't a proper "Alpha" strike, as its killing power is spread between turns 1-3.

 

Anyway, hope you guys enjoy

[Valistan]

Is this list still viable in the 9th edition?