Some takeaways from my first game using Blood of Baal

[Drunken Angel]

I have really enjoyed reading the summaries and thoughts from here with the new book.

I want to repay that a little I hope this helps others.

 

I played a Harlequins list yesterday at 1500 and here are some of my thoughts/experiences

I ran a double brigade 2x Scouts 1x Incursors With a HB Razorback in one and a Twin Lascannon Razorback in the other

I ran a pack of Sanguinary Guard plus a Sang Ancient (warlord) with chapter banner and SoS,  Astorath (Catechism, Focus, Canticle of Hate), Smash Captain, Mephiston (Quickening, Shield, Wings) and The Sanguinor.

 

My Opponent ran a pack of Reiver Jetbikes a  bunch of Harliquin vehicles for transports for troops, some deep striking troops, a Death Jester and the little blitzy Solitaire with A psyker warlord.

My opponent  had fusion pistols everywhere while they are short ranged beware these things are totally lethal against characters in combat.

Harlis have a lot of 4++ saves so the BA/Marine power buffs were somewhat muted.  Not moving and putting out volume of fire/attacks was what really forced lots of saves on his troops and won the game in shooting and combat.

 

Setup was Vanguard Strike and spoils of war on objectives

I held back the Sanguard, Sanguinor, Smashy for deep strike .  

Mephiston hide back behind a Razor and Astorath in some ruins. All were ringed with troops on objectives for protection.

With infiltrate I occupied 4 out of the 6 objectives. The other 2 troops and vehicles were in cover positions to shoot the heck out of anything threatening the objectives troops.  The Incursors boobytrapped 2 objectives.

I managed to seize and did a bit of shooting with the two Razorbacks combined with the Incursors, taking first blood on a vehicle.

Infiltrate meant all my stuff did not have to move and fired at full capacity all game.  This was a big advantage in itself.  Don't move your bolters.

In response to my first blood the Reiver bikes did some damage and the solitaire blitzed and killed  3 Incursors we forgot to activate the haywire mine they had set.  Another Harli  vehicle nudged a haywire boobytrap and then killed the Incursors on it.  It took almost all my opponents army shooting to move the Incursors.

 

T2 I brought down everything except the Sanguinor.  

Smashy  destroyed the Harli vehicle that had taken an objective and killed the Incursors. He had to hang around next turn to kill the occupants and hold it.

The Sanguard came down to shoot up 2 transports with angelus bolters and plasma then multi charge everything around them. 

Astorath chanted and got catechism of fire and canticle of hate off then wings of fire over to the Sanguard and made their bolters very nasty.

Mephiston launched into the bikes threatening my backfield and destroyed 5 of them.

The Incursors that weren't killed by the Solitaire fell back and let the overwatch team in the next building riddle him with bolter fire.

The Sanguard landing site became a massive scrum of slaughter for 2 turns. Visage of the damned and the SOS was huge in saving them from the nasty CC Harli weapons.  Astorath did a lot of heavy lifting just with his axe back to back with the Sanguinary Ancient.

By the end of T4 there were no Harlis left except a few dazed survivors  staggering away chased by the Razorbacks.  The Sanguard, Astorath, Mephiston, Smashy and The Sang Ancient were all gone.   With only the Sanguinor left It was an epic setting for "there can only be one" in his final sword stroke the Sanguinor took the head of the Harliquin warlord.

It was good to keep The Sanguinor back as a cleanup model who needs no buffs and can fall back and charge he is never locked up.

I had 4 troops on objectives and both Razors operational

The Sanguinor was left on 2 wounds 

 

BA Win 12 to 8

 

Some of the things that stood out

 

Astorath, I had some overlap with him and the Sanguinary ancient but being able to buff shooting while hiding behind a tank in T1 got me first blood.  With chants and wings of fire he can deploy to ANY UNIT in CC or shooting and help out with his litanies.  He is a huge deterrent to first turn scouting probes.  It as almost as if they made Astorath to buff Incursors.

 

Astorath is our multitool he is an auto pick in any of my lists now

 

Sanguinary Guard, Sanguinary Ancient (warlord) Chapter banner and Standard of Sacrifice.  A powerful ball of shooting and assault but use with finesse they will quickly die if left exposed.  I had the SG buried in combat to the last Angel and they didn't disappoint. Having Astoraths Canticle of Hate for 6" inch consolidate moves was pivotal.  Only a Chaplains chants can keep CC units buried in combat like that.  The visage of the damned  and litanies of hate can be mixed if Astorath is around the Sanguard but Astorath won't always be with SG he can buff anything and you know what chants he has got before the turn starts.  No surprise chants are excellent.  Explosive judgement is very good on Sanguinary Guard shooting. 

 

 

Harli fusion pistols in combat ruined Mephistons day our inferno pistols will do the same thing always take at least one in any squad they are so worth it.

 

Canticles and Chaplain chants are great, yes they need a 3+ but you role at the start of the turn.  You always know what you've got before you move and can plan accordingly.

 

With ample CPs,  Descent of Angels, Canticle of Hate, our native BA Red Thirst plus 1 to charge on any unit and command re-rolls we can reliably get charges off now.

 

Mephiston is the other auto include for me.  He can solo smash units or buff anything.  He is right up there with Astrorath.  He was really useful but in future I would swop out Quikening for Unleash Rage.  You want to delete something in assault put Unleash Rage on the Sang guard and it is an Instant Sanguinor buff.  It'll work Incursors too.

 

I see Astorath and Mephiston starting on the board as a quick reaction buff able to get to the lines and support Incursors/Scouts/Tanks or sit back and wait for the deep strikes.

 

The Sanguinor is unique he can't get locked up in combat, being able to fallback and charge is his key strength.  He is natively badass in combat and buffs everything around him.

 

I needed some shooting and more importantly being able to infiltrate Incursors/Scouts around the board and then not moving them protects our characters and optimises their shooting.

 

I made a lot of mistakes but overall there is massive synergy in our Codex I haven't seen before since 5th.

 

All the Harli shooting was short range up to 24 inch.   I may have had less success facing a longer range gun line but bolters own the 24 inch range now.

 

Edit for clarification 

[Morticon]

Thanks for sharing brother!!! 

Two very important things to consider and remember though about Astorath and the Chaplain litanies:

 

1.  The litanies are invoked at the start of the *GAME* turn (not even player turn) and as a result happen before WoF. 

 

This means the only litanies able to be used post WoF are: Mantra of Strength (S+D buff), Litany of Faith (5+++ MW), Litany of Hate (RR misses), and Canticle of Hate (+2 charge) 

2. Recitation of Focus (+1 to Wound) is for the *closest visible* enemy unit. 

[Drunken Angel]

Thanks for sharing brother!!! 

 

Two very important things to consider and remember though about Astorath and the Chaplain litanies:

 

1.  The litanies are invoked at the start of the *GAME* turn (not even player turn) and as a result happen before WoF. 

 

This means the only litanies able to be used post WoF are: Mantra of Strength (S+D buff), Litany of Faith (5+++ MW), Litany of Hate (RR misses), and Canticle of Hate (+2 charge) 

2. Recitation of Focus (+1 to Wound) is for the *closest visible* enemy unit. 

I have found nothing in the book that invalidates a litany chanted successfully on a 3+ at the start of the battle round.   If models/units are within the required bubble at the time the litany would be used.  

"Roll one D6: on a 3+ the recited litany is inspiring and takes effect until the end of that battle round" 

 

My take is that any litany chanted successfully and active, affects models in the bubble at the time the litany specific action takes place, eg shooting or assault phase.

Mort are you saying some litanies invoked at the start of the game turn are invalid after WoF is used to reposition a model?  If so why please?

 

 

A good point on Focus which relies on positioning if you drop focus in on 2-3 units in and are 9 inches from them all what happens?  Is the distance measured from the Chaplain or the units inside the bubble?

 

This is a good time to discuss these things and if anyone would have a better perspective on something I missed it would be you.  I know we are in a rules question now, hope it is okay to leave it here.  Thanks in advance.

[Majkhel]

Hey, congratulations on a fun game!

Just keep in mind that you are not allowed to place more than 1 mine per turn per army regardless of the number of Incursors units you've got.

[Panzer]

 

Thanks for sharing brother!!! 

 

Two very important things to consider and remember though about Astorath and the Chaplain litanies:

 

1.  The litanies are invoked at the start of the *GAME* turn (not even player turn) and as a result happen before WoF. 

 

This means the only litanies able to be used post WoF are: Mantra of Strength (S+D buff), Litany of Faith (5+++ MW), Litany of Hate (RR misses), and Canticle of Hate (+2 charge) 

2. Recitation of Focus (+1 to Wound) is for the *closest visible* enemy unit. 

I have found nothing in the book that invalidates a litany chanted successfully on a 3+ at the start of the battle round.   If models/units are within the required bubble at the time the litany would be used.  

"Roll one D6: on a 3+ the recited litany is inspiring and takes effect until the end of that battle round" 

 

My take is that any litany chanted successfully and active, affects models in the bubble at the time the litany specific action takes place, eg shooting or assault phase.

Mort are you saying some litanies invoked at the start of the game turn are invalid after WoF is used to reposition a model?  If so why please?

 

 

 

It would help if you'd read the whole rule then. ;)

 

 

 

At the start of the battle round, this model can recite one litany it knows that has not already been recited by a friendly model that

battle round. Roll one D6; on a 3+ the recited litany is inspiring and takes effect until the end of that battle round.

[Indefragable]

I believe the debate is not about when Litanies are active, but when units are effected by them. It’s either:

 

A. The Chaplain recites a Litany and the eligible unit(s) that are within range of his ability at the time of the recitation at the beginning of the game are effected.

B. The Chaplain recites a Litany and depending on what phase of the game the Litany effects a model in, then whatever eligible unit(s) are in range during that Litany’s applicable phase are effected . Aka the Shooting modifiers pick which unit(s) are effected in the Shooting phase, the charge/fight ones in those phases, etc...

 

 

I’m not weight back in until I’ve dug in a bit more, just clarifying the debate.

[Panzer]

Yes but most litanies aren't auras. They are a targeted ability. So you select a target when you activate them at the beginning of the battle round. If the unit is not in range by then then it obviously can't be targeted.

[Morticon]

Yup. 

My clarification was in relation to "WoF" - on wings of fire - ie: after the turn has begun, after litanies, when the chaplain then flies off, and lands again. 

So, basically the only litanies that are useful with WoF (and units coming in from reserve) are the auras. 

[Drunken Angel]

 

 

Thanks for sharing brother!!! 

 

Two very important things to consider and remember though about Astorath and the Chaplain litanies:

 

1.  The litanies are invoked at the start of the *GAME* turn (not even player turn) and as a result happen before WoF. 

 

This means the only litanies able to be used post WoF are: Mantra of Strength (S+D buff), Litany of Faith (5+++ MW), Litany of Hate (RR misses), and Canticle of Hate (+2 charge) 

2. Recitation of Focus (+1 to Wound) is for the *closest visible* enemy unit. 

I have found nothing in the book that invalidates a litany chanted successfully on a 3+ at the start of the battle round.   If models/units are within the required bubble at the time the litany would be used.  

"Roll one D6: on a 3+ the recited litany is inspiring and takes effect until the end of that battle round" 

 

My take is that any litany chanted successfully and active, affects models in the bubble at the time the litany specific action takes place, eg shooting or assault phase.

Mort are you saying some litanies invoked at the start of the game turn are invalid after WoF is used to reposition a model?  If so why please?

 

 

 

It would help if you'd read the whole rule then.

 

 

 

At the start of the battle round, this model can recite one litany it knows that has not already been recited by a friendly model that

battle round. Roll one D6; on a 3+ the recited litany is inspiring and takes effect until the end of that battle round.

 

 

sfPanzer, Astorath knows 4 litanies, or up to 6 counting Mass of Doom and Invocation of Destruction.   At the start of the battle round he can chant any 2 of them.

 

Yup Mort I see that now thanks for that clarification.  The aura litanies you have described as active after WOF, canticle of hate is the one you want.

 

Thanks Majkhel good catch on the mines.

[Panzer]

 

 

 

Thanks for sharing brother!!! 

 

Two very important things to consider and remember though about Astorath and the Chaplain litanies:

 

1.  The litanies are invoked at the start of the *GAME* turn (not even player turn) and as a result happen before WoF. 

 

This means the only litanies able to be used post WoF are: Mantra of Strength (S+D buff), Litany of Faith (5+++ MW), Litany of Hate (RR misses), and Canticle of Hate (+2 charge) 

2. Recitation of Focus (+1 to Wound) is for the *closest visible* enemy unit. 

I have found nothing in the book that invalidates a litany chanted successfully on a 3+ at the start of the battle round.   If models/units are within the required bubble at the time the litany would be used.  

"Roll one D6: on a 3+ the recited litany is inspiring and takes effect until the end of that battle round" 

 

My take is that any litany chanted successfully and active, affects models in the bubble at the time the litany specific action takes place, eg shooting or assault phase.

Mort are you saying some litanies invoked at the start of the game turn are invalid after WoF is used to reposition a model?  If so why please?

 

 

 

It would help if you'd read the whole rule then.

 

 

 

At the start of the battle round, this model can recite one litany it knows that has not already been recited by a friendly model that

battle round. Roll one D6; on a 3+ the recited litany is inspiring and takes effect until the end of that battle round.

 

 

sfPanzer, Astorath knows 4 litanies, or up to 6 counting Mass of Doom and Invocation of Destruction.   At the start of the battle round he can chant any 2 of them.

 

Yup Mort I see that now thanks for that clarification.  The aura litanies you have described as active after WOF, canticle of hate is the one you want.

 

Thanks Majkhel good catch on the mines.

 

 

I know that Astorath knows 4 litanies. I just highlighted when you activate your litanies as that is the same for any kind of chaplain, named or not.