Tips for playing against Blood Angels

[XeonDragon]

So, it's been a while since I last played blood angels competitively. I'll be up against a strong BA player in the first round of a competition. Interested to hear how you deal with BA in general tactical terms (rather than list building advice, as my list is already done and dusted). I run RG succesors with bolter fusillades and whirlwind of rage (so re-roll 1s on bolter shots, 6s in melee give extra hit).

 

I'll be running a Indomitus Lt with relic armour for 5+++ and rites of war to sit with aggressors (6) and terminators (5, 1 with CML), a jump chaplain (MOS) also with 5+++ relic armour to lead VGVs with twin LCs, a chief apothecary who is my warlord (MOA) to shift the aggressors somewhere they can be aggressive.

 

I've also got a redemptor (plasma) and venerable (twin las) dreadnoughts, 5 eradicators, 2 x  5 man incursors, 1 lot of intercessors with grenade launcher, 3 eliminators and a vindicare assassin.  

 

My plan is to try and keep away from them and shoot lots. Maybe lull the BA into approaching the incursors with his sanguinary guard by sitting on an objective, then using guerrilla tactics to zip them somewhere else on the board a long way away, then shoot at them with something else.

 

I was also thinking of maybe using the aggressors, terminators and dreadnoughts as a tar-pit in the centre to lull him into trying to take it down. My thinking is that between the apothecary healing/resurrecting them, the Lt giving re-rolls of 1s to wound and the Venerable giving re-roll 1s to hit to one unit, they might do a good job of it and, if not, at least have good firing lanes with tons of bolter shots.

 

Otherwise, I am kind of at a loss other than trying to stay out of move + median advance + median charge range and shooting lots. Last time I played this guy, I got walloped good and proper, so keen to make a better account of myself this time around. 

 

So... tips to use what I have the most effectively?  

[War of the Eagle]

Any idea what he will be bringing? What did he play against you last time?

[XeonDragon]

Any idea what he will be bringing? What did he play against you last time?

 

He is known as a 'meta' players (no judgement, this particular FLGS has a reputation where I live for being "meta competitive"). I expect he'll have sanguinary guard and/or VGVs en-masse, one of the special blood angel apothecary units, he is fond of his flying librarian (GW nerfed venerable chaplain dreads and yet those are still a thing?) and that unit that can randomly appears (the The Sanguinor?), plus probably some eradictors or attack bikes. Troops will be minimum, and probably assault intercessors.  

Edited June 28, 2021 by XeonDragon

[Karhedron]

Speaking as a BA player, I find units like Sanguinary Guard are glass hammers. They hit very hard on the charge but can be fragile when facing retaliation. Any opportunities to deny them the benefits of fighting first will be crucial. Sanguinary Guard are pretty scary on the charge but if you are striking first, they are less durable than VanVets due to the lack of invulnerable save. Shoot them or charge yourself, try not to let them charge you.

 

SG also benefit from support characters so it is worth considering Snipers. A Sanguinary Priest really boosts SG but is fairly squishy being just 4W behind a 3+ save. Of course if you don't kill him in a single turn he will just heal himself so you may well need 2 squads of Eliminators if you want to go head-hunting.

[jpwyrm]

So, it's been a while since I last played blood angels competitively. I'll be up against a strong BA player in the first round of a competition. Interested to hear how you deal with BA in general tactical terms (rather than list building advice, as my list is already done and dusted). I run RG succesors with bolter fusillades and whirlwind of rage (so re-roll 1s on bolter shots, 6s in melee give extra hit).

 

I'll be running a Indomitus Lt with relic armour for 5+++ and rites of war to sit with aggressors (6) and terminators (5, 1 with CML), a jump chaplain (MOS) also with 5+++ relic armour to lead VGVs with twin LCs, a chief apothecary who is my warlord (MOA) to shift the aggressors somewhere they can be aggressive.

 

I've also got a redemptor (plasma) and venerable (twin las) dreadnoughts, 5 eradicators, 2 x  5 man incursors, 1 lot of intercessors with grenade launcher, 3 eliminators and a vindicare assassin.  

 

My plan is to try and keep away from them and shoot lots. Maybe lull the BA into approaching the incursors with his sanguinary guard by sitting on an objective, then using guerrilla tactics to zip them somewhere else on the board a long way away, then shoot at them with something else.

 

I was also thinking of maybe using the aggressors, terminators and dreadnoughts as a tar-pit in the centre to lull him into trying to take it down. My thinking is that between the apothecary healing/resurrecting them, the Lt giving re-rolls of 1s to wound and the Venerable giving re-roll 1s to hit to one unit, they might do a good job of it and, if not, at least have good firing lanes with tons of bolter shots.

 

Otherwise, I am kind of at a loss other than trying to stay out of move + median advance + median charge range and shooting lots. Last time I played this guy, I got walloped good and proper, so keen to make a better account of myself this time around. 

 

So... tips to use what I have the most effectively?  

 

I'm curious about your choice to include a Vindicare Assassin. With our Chapter Doctrines, would a Phobos Captain not be more usefull if less killy than the Assassin? You would get rerolls of 1s (the bane of Vindicare!) to hit, the 12" no-deepstrike bubble and access to other Warlord Traits when needed if your event's allow Traits to be chosen before each game. Not to mention access to Korvidari bolts or Ex Tenebris which can be pretty good too if you're after support characters like Apothecaries or Librarians or lightly protected targets like Succubus.

 

Can't help much on the Blood Angels front I'm afraid, I have not faced them since 5th edition...

[Lord Raven 19]

I'd agree with the character killing

 

Might be risky with a tarpit in the middle, that much of your army in one place leaves the rest quite exposed, and his jump packs leave the option to deep strike anywhere you leave relatively undefended.

[Karhedron]

Infiltrators with Omniscramblers will cut down your opponent's options for bringing units on from Reserves.

 

A generous sprinkling of plasma and or Grav Cannons will make their points back. Spreading your killing power around your army is probably good as you opponent will try to sue mobility to deny you LOS if you rely on 1 or 2 units loaded out with Marine killing guns.

[XeonDragon]

Thanks for all the tips everyone. I lost 36-24. I posted about it here. That is an improvement from the 83-12 score the last time I played the guy.

Question for jpwyrm, I thought captains didn't get to re-roll their own rolls? 

 

Edit to add: ah, I see it now. As I run bolter fusillades, it would let me re-roll the hits natively. Nice. I suppose then that a phobos Lt could sit with the eliminators, they would all be re-rolling 1s to hit and 1s to wound :)

 

 

So, it's been a while since I last played blood angels competitively. I'll be up against a strong BA player in the first round of a competition. Interested to hear how you deal with BA in general tactical terms (rather than list building advice, as my list is already done and dusted). I run RG succesors with bolter fusillades and whirlwind of rage (so re-roll 1s on bolter shots, 6s in melee give extra hit).

 

I'll be running a Indomitus Lt with relic armour for 5+++ and rites of war to sit with aggressors (6) and terminators (5, 1 with CML), a jump chaplain (MOS) also with 5+++ relic armour to lead VGVs with twin LCs, a chief apothecary who is my warlord (MOA) to shift the aggressors somewhere they can be aggressive.

 

I've also got a redemptor (plasma) and venerable (twin las) dreadnoughts, 5 eradicators, 2 x  5 man incursors, 1 lot of intercessors with grenade launcher, 3 eliminators and a vindicare assassin.  

 

My plan is to try and keep away from them and shoot lots. Maybe lull the BA into approaching the incursors with his sanguinary guard by sitting on an objective, then using guerrilla tactics to zip them somewhere else on the board a long way away, then shoot at them with something else.

 

I was also thinking of maybe using the aggressors, terminators and dreadnoughts as a tar-pit in the centre to lull him into trying to take it down. My thinking is that between the apothecary healing/resurrecting them, the Lt giving re-rolls of 1s to wound and the Venerable giving re-roll 1s to hit to one unit, they might do a good job of it and, if not, at least have good firing lanes with tons of bolter shots.

 

Otherwise, I am kind of at a loss other than trying to stay out of move + median advance + median charge range and shooting lots. Last time I played this guy, I got walloped good and proper, so keen to make a better account of myself this time around. 

 

So... tips to use what I have the most effectively?  

 

I'm curious about your choice to include a Vindicare Assassin. With our Chapter Doctrines, would a Phobos Captain not be more usefull if less killy than the Assassin? You would get rerolls of 1s (the bane of Vindicare!) to hit, the 12" no-deepstrike bubble and access to other Warlord Traits when needed if your event's allow Traits to be chosen before each game. Not to mention access to Korvidari bolts or Ex Tenebris which can be pretty good too if you're after support characters like Apothecaries or Librarians or lightly protected targets like Succubus.

 

Can't help much on the Blood Angels front I'm afraid, I have not faced them since 5th edition...

 

Edited June 29, 2021 by XeonDragon

[Lord Raven 19]

Give that phobos lieutenant ex tenebris, and he can help the eliminators as well.

[jpwyrm]

A Lt would be nice indeed, but it lacks Concealed Positions, so either you keep the Eliminators in/near your DZ or the Lt will have to leg it to them or drop from reserves in turn two+... or he's the one getting Master of Ambush.

 

But yeah, as I said, he might not have the killing potential of the Vindicare (when he hits that is!) but both the captain and Lt bring nice tools to your list. On a side note, I don't think the Lt can benefit from it's own rerolling 1s to wound aura anymore.

[Lord Raven 19]

Correct, Lt can't get his own rerolls anymore.