Screen Cleaning

[Master_Trajan]

Which is, in your opinion, the best strategy for Blood Angels to clean the enemy screens in the first turn? 

I think it's a key point for the strategy of BA lists, cause of the damage you can make with deep-striking units in turn 2.

 

What do you use?

[Panzer]

Lots of options to be honest.

Rapid firering Bolt rifle Intercessors, Auto Bolt rifle Intercessors, dakka Repulsors and dakka Redemptors have been doing a good job at that for me.

[Karhedron]

I like my Bolter Inceptors as they provide a lot of bang for their buck and fit well with my jump BA all-infantry army. With S5 and AP-1 they can pose a decent threat to MEQs too.

 

To be fair, anything with a bolter can contribute to screen clearance, especially with "Bolter Discipline".

 

I have re-equipped my DC with Bolters and they have actually done quite well in early tests of providing their own screen clearance. A lot of it depends on opponent and deployment.

[Master_Trajan]

Lots of options to be honest.

Rapid firering Bolt rifle Intercessors, Auto Bolt rifle Intercessors, dakka Repulsors and dakka Redemptors have been doing a good job at that for me.

 

Are you able to use bolt rifles and repulsors/redemptors for screen cleaning in turn one? It seems a bit strange to me.

I was thinking about infiltrated Invictors to do the job.

[Panzer]

 

Lots of options to be honest.

Rapid firering Bolt rifle Intercessors, Auto Bolt rifle Intercessors, dakka Repulsors and dakka Redemptors have been doing a good job at that for me.

 

Are you able to use bolt rifles and repulsors/redemptors for screen cleaning in turn one? It seems a bit strange to me.

I was thinking about infiltrated Invictors to do the job.

 

 

Yeah sure why should't you?

Regular Bolt rifles can rapid fire at 30" if you don't move and Assault Bolt rifles have a 30" threatrange when moving too.

Onslaught Gatling Cannons have a 24"-30" range too and for everything that has less range on a Repulsor ... well it can move 10" and shoot just fine so that's not an issue.

[FormelyKnownAsSmashyPants]

Bikes, scout bikes, bolter Inceptors. Definitely the latter two. I've written a list with two units of in cursors and a unit of Inceptors, though I'm weighing up changing out the Inceptors for scout bikes as they're cheaper so more of them. Toss up between more shots or higher strength, ap shots plus the ability to deep strike if wanted.

[SnorriSnorrison]

I’d add close combat scouts to the extensive lists above. They’re in a similar role as Invictor suits, but cheaper and troops. Obviously, overwatch can be a bit of an issue, but they’re quite effective for weakening chaff turn 1, perhaps even taking out small units and tagging others. Perhaps you have to gang up with 2 units.

 

Another option are TLAssCan Razorbacks. Effective range would be 36”, they can transport tactical squads and with BGNT and a chaplain with Rescitation of Focus they provide fairly reliable AP-2 Dakka.

 

Anything fast with bolt guns will do, basically.

[Hintzy]

Aggressors?

[H311fi5h]

I bought two Land Raider Prometheus for the job. Call me crazy, but I think they are the perfect tool. Very long threat range, 24 S5 AP -2 cover ignoring shots each, good durability, CP-saving mechanic.

[Indefragable]

When I first read the subject line I thought “Windex?”

 

Bolter+Chainsword DC are the probably the most effective screen cleaners; double tapping Bolters + 4x chainsword attacks each will clear just about anything. And with Forlorn Fury, you can position them to possibly jump over a screen unit, shoot in in the back, and then charge another one.

 

...the question is what you are using DC for: if they are your big DS threat then that’s not going to work.

[Karhedron]

...the question is what you are using DC for: if they are your big DS threat then that’s not going to work.

Absolutely. I tend to favour a layered approach with multiple threats. Even when I run a biggish DC unit, that does not automatically make them my "Big Bad". In a recent game, I ended up using my DC exclusively for butchering IG while Captain Smash and Mephiston went tank hunting. It worked in this battle because it was an objective game and my opponent was reluctant to shoot at the DC who were not actually scoring rather than the Troops units who were. Of course it was a bit of a no-win situation for him as he lost his Troops in return. The DC failed to make their points back but effectively won me the game by clearing the centre of anything that could score.

[Majkhel]

Bolter+Chainsword DC are the probably the most effective screen cleaners; double tapping Bolters + 4x chainsword attacks each...

That's even 5x CS attacks each - 2x base, +1 from Shock Assault, +1 from Black Rage, +1 from the CS.

[The Unseen]

Replace the bolters with hand flamers for extra crispy heretics.

D6 lasgun shots that auto hit are better than 2 bolter shots basically all the time, for 1 point.

Of course only useful for squads your going to forlorn fury up into the opponent early to get them into flamer range, but they toast screens really well, and then charge whatever they were trying to hide.

 

I'll also say scout bikes are fantastic screen clearers, each model gets 6 shots within 12" still 4 at 24" though, and they have a 14" move.

And they have a decent ish number of attacks (10 for a squad of 3) if you need to kill a few more guardsmen.

[tychobi]

What about venoms, rinos, custodes, wave serpents, impulsors, sentinels and other macro screens? Not every chaff unit is a guardsman or cultist. Edited January 10, 2020 by tychobi

[Panzer]

What about venoms, rinos, custodes, wave serpents, impulsors, sentinels and other macro screens? Not every chaff unit is a guardsman or cultist.

 

Well Custodes are everything but not a screen. They are so expensive and tough that they ARE the target.

About the rest ... use the anti-tank you are supposed to have in your list anyway? :huh: