Are DA Bladeguard likely to be part of the 1st Company?

[Angel of Solitude]

I'm with Brother Tyler here - I think Bladeguards will be to the Primaris Dark Angels what Company Veterans are to the Firstborn Dark Angels. They'll be highly decorated / experienced Primaris, who fight either in the Command Squad, or as part of a single squad in one of the 4 Battle Companies. I don't think they'll be Deathwing, because I don't believe they fit the modus operandi of the Deathwing - a heavily armoured, surgical strike force that deep strikes in a unleashes an extremely focused fury. Deathwing Assault allows you to teleport in and fire twice in one shooting phase with storm bolters, assault cannons, cyclone missile launchers, plasma cannons...if you're going to incorporate the Primaris into the Deathwing, then I'd be amazed if you just gave them a shield, sword, no teleport ability and let them get on their merry way.

 

Aggressors have always seemed a more likely Deathwing option, given their firepower output, melee capabilities and even toughness - albeit through T5 rather than an invulnerable. However, the issue here is lack of teleport ability. But here's an option: we know that the Dark Angels have historically kept their distance from Mars, favouring their own Terran technology. There is also mention in the recent lore that they're trying to learn as much as they can from Cawl to stop them being reliant upon them. Is it possible that Dark Angels techmarines might be able to develop their own variant of Gravis armour to award those Primaris members of the Deathwing? It would certainly allow the Deathwing to retain its uniqueness relative to the other Space Marine 1st companies.

[UtariOnzo]

I think we’re absolutely in a long wait and see period. I was one of those that suggested that infiltrator style phobos units could work in an updated ravenwing (guilty as charged) and clearly that’s not needed since the bikers got leaked. We might be in for a fairly long wait for a proper update though so bunker down brothers and sisters Edited May 29, 2020 by UtariOnzo

[bigtrouble]

The 9th edition DA codex is going to be explosive.

[Brother Tyler]

Today's Warhammer Community Post
 

  
"The sharp-eyed among you may have noticed some Deathwing transfers in Saturday’s reveal and this is why – the Bladeguard Veterans are part of the Dark Angels’ legendary 1st Company, having earned hard-won trust of the Inner Circle.*** Woe betide any member of the Fallen when these guys come knocking.

...

*** And the robes fit right in."

So I guess I was wrong. 

[WrathOfTheLion]

Yep, same. Maybe it goes hand in hand with how the new HH book has them organized.

[Angel of Solitude]

So do we think the new Primaris Lt might also be a member of the Deathwing then?

[WrathOfTheLion]

I would think so for the Lieutenant. There is no minor HQ for DW currently, so it fits a hole there.

[UtariOnzo]

Interesting, but also confusing. I’d have thought some kind of Gravis variant would be more appropriate, but I suppose this lines up with the new HH Deathwing power armoured unit (sword and board protectors) while reviving the old 2nd edition power armoured deathwing members (classic white captains anyone?)

[Angel of Solitude]

I can understand the design consideration. Stick them in a Gravis variant, and all of a sudden you’re limited to a maximum of 5 in a Repulsor, excluding any character support. Keeping them in regular MkX allows a squad of 5 with a character in an Impulsor, or a squad of 8 with 2 character support in a Repulsor.

 

Don’t forget that these guys are rocking storm shields of some description, so will have access to an invulnerable save.

[WrathOfTheLion]

To add on whether the Lt would be Deathwing, there are 5 deathwing transfers. We have seen the ancient as one, the three bladeguard as well, leaving one unaccounted for. I would think that the last would be for the Lieutenant, excluding the captain for obvious reasons.

[m_r_parker]

Nope, not a fan of this. 

It looks great, no doubt on that, but it'll be interesting to see how they justify this going forward.

[Berzul]

Nope, not a fan of this.

It looks great, no doubt on that, but it'll be interesting to see how they justify this going forward.

Pretty sure the "justification" is, has been, and will be: They are part of the Deathwing.

 

Thats it.

[Brother_Darius]

Does remind me of old 2nd/3rd edition.  Where you could make your sgts and such members of the deathwing "little d", but they were always distinctly separate from the 1st Company Deathwing "Big D".  One of the distinctions of the Dark angels being they were the only Chapter to have soooo much ancient tech that they had the equipment available to field an entire company in TDA.

 

So I'm mixed on this.  I do like the ability to distinguish mates as being in the "little d" but I more the loss of an entire company of only TDA.

[bevulf]

I like Primaris but I absolutely do not accept such change. For me the 1st company has always been only terminator company. They could have just introduce new primaris terminators instead but not this. Bladeguards in Deathwing without terminator armour totally screw up the awesomness of this formation. 

Edited June 18, 2020 by bevulf

[G8Keeper]

Does this mean we can trust Primaris now?

[Brother_Darius]

As much as any other member of the 1st Company

[Angel of Solitude]

Does this mean we can trust Primaris now?

Those that are deemed worthy enough for the trials and have survived a psychic probing by Ezekiel...

 

On lore though, my understanding is that Azrael has been a pragmatic progressive towards the Primaris, and has had to convince other members of the Inner Inner (Inner?) Circle to be accepting. The White Dwarf article introduced the first Deathwing Primaris candidate, the success of which has obviously helped convince the others of the trustworthyness of Primaris.

[FormelyKnownAsSmashyPants]

If these guys get the DW keyword rather than just being a colour scheme then they’ll be able to use Fortress of Shields. Not too shabby.

[UtariOnzo]

 

Does this mean we can trust Primaris now?

Those that are deemed worthy enough for the trials and have survived a psychic probing by Ezekiel...

 

On lore though, my understanding is that Azrael has been a pragmatic progressive towards the Primaris, and has had to convince other members of the Inner Inner (Inner?) Circle to be accepting. The White Dwarf article introduced the first Deathwing Primaris candidate, the success of which has obviously helped convince the others of the trustworthyness of Primaris.

 

This. There was a bit of a schism both within the Dark Angels and between their Successors. Those Chapters that had been mauled by the ill fated attack on Darkmor have been very pro-Primaris, while I presume other more conservative Sons of the Lion have been solidly anti-Primaris. Azrael's behaved very much as the Grand Compromiser between the two by staking his reputation (and possibly his position) on the outcome of a trial.

 

Folks have every right to not like it, and I'm very surprised they're going with a non-gravis unit off the bat, but it seems Deathwing is being made to evolve by GW. I guess they're very similar to the old legion DW Companions, which makes sense given how alike to Legion units a lot of the Primaris line has been (Intercessors and Hellblasters being obvious Tactical and Support squad copies)

[Brother_Darius]

And moving forward lore wise, considering how that first IC Primaris Lazaris, equated himself well in Psychic Awakening (lore wise), I'm sure that helped move everything forward with the primaris detractors.

[Corswain]

Disappointing. The all terminator first company was one of the reasons I fell in love with the Dark Angels to begin with. That and the robes, but everyone has robes now too.

Seems like GW are going to have to do a major shakeup of the Dark Angels or they will lose too much of what makes them unique.

[Zebukkuk]

The 3rd edition codex had Deathwing sergeants as a 5 point upgrade for Tactical, Assault, and Devastator veteran sergeants. I never saw any sergeants painted bone white though.

 

Interesting, but also confusing. I’d have thought some kind of Gravis variant would be more appropriate, but I suppose this lines up with the new HH Deathwing power armoured unit (sword and board protectors) while reviving the old 2nd edition power armoured deathwing members (classic white captains anyone?)

[Brother_Darius]

That is actually how I painted mine up.  Squad was DA green.  Sgts were bone armor and green robes.  as was Command Squad.

[Zebukkuk]

To be fair every member of the Inner Circle should be wearing bone white armour with the broken sword icon. I never understood why GW painted members of the Inner Circle of the Deathwing (Librarian, Interogator-Chaplain, Master, Grand Master) in Codex colours.

 

Disappointing. The all terminator first company was one of the reasons I fell in love with the Dark Angels to begin with. That and the robes, but everyone has robes now too.

Seems like GW are going to have to do a major shakeup of the Dark Angels or they will lose too much of what makes them unique.

 

 

 

GW beat me to it. I had an idea for a Deathwing Initiate squad. Basically brethren who are first degree Deathwing (a bit like a Masonic Blue Lodge 'Entered Apprentice') but without the training for Terminator armour.

 

Whenever GW gets around to bona fide Primaris Deathwing, the Bladeguard might be the first step before election to higher 'degrees' (Deathwing 'Fellow Craft', Deathwing Knight, Deathwing Master, etc.).

 

Nope, not a fan of this.
It looks great, no doubt on that, but it'll be interesting to see how they justify this going forward.

Pretty sure the "justification" is, has been, and will be: They are part of the Deathwing.

Thats it.

 

Edited June 18, 2020 by Zebukkuk

[Cpt_Reaper]

I will wait for new lore and maybe our Codex update before I commit. With a Successor I have a bit more freedom. I'd rather the Blade Guard were Company Veterans, but if we get other Primaris Deathwing I can see adding them to my First Company