GW is talking balance, and fixing old Nerfs to factions ...

[Djangomatic82]

Does anyone else wish we had a little bit of help for our shooting? We don't get much of anything from our Codex and the main book is just as anemic.

 

I don't think we should be a premier shooty chapter, but it definitely feels like the lack of any BA specific abilities is really hampering our ability to participate in one of the most important phases of the game.

[Karhedron]

I run a mix of Plasma Inceptors and MM Attack bikes and these cover most of my shooting needs while being fairly fluffy for Blood Angels. Most of my Characters are generally hurtling forward on Jump Packs so these units can keep up with them to remain in their buff aura. Suppressors would fit as well for longer ranged shooting but their AP is a bit anaemic, especially with Armour of Contempt in play.

 

At the end of the day, even if we don't get special shooty toys, we are still Marines and still get our Doctrine bonuses. I normally find that is enough to soften up tough enemies before I start hitting them.

 

If you really want big guns, we can now take a Freeblade Knight without losing our Doctrines and RT. A Castellan is about as shooty as you can get. An Errant with Reaper Chainsword and Missile Pod is a also pretty deadly, a fair bit cheaper and can get stuck alongside us in melee. The flat 6 damage on the Reaper should make a nice mess of even the biggest Tyrannid gribblies.

Edited May 6, 2022 by Karhedron

[Djangomatic82]

I run a mix of Plasma Inceptors and MM Attack bikes and these cover most of my shooting needs while being fairly fluffy for Blood Angels. Most of my Characters are generally hurtling forward on Jump Packs so these units can keep up with them to remain in their buff aura. Suppressors would fit as well for longer ranged shooting but their AP is a bit anaemic, especially with Armour of Contempt in play.

 

At the end of the day, even if we don't get special shooty toys, we are still Marines and still get our Doctrine bonuses. I normally find that is enough to soften up tough enemies before I start hitting them.

 

If you really want big guns, we can now take a Freeblade Knight without losing our Doctrines and RT. A Castellan is about as shooty as you can get. An Errant with Reaper Chainsword and Missile Pod is a also pretty deadly, a fair bit cheaper and can get stuck alongside us in melee. The flat 6 damage on the Reaper should make a nice mess of even the biggest Tyrannid gribblies.

Yeah, I hadn't been thinking of Knights, but they are a very sexy and tempting option for fun.

 

I'll admit, i would still like something specifically for BA and successors.

 

My particular train leads me to thinking a buff for Pistols would be a complementary and synergistic option to our Assault orientation and special pistol's, Eg: Inferno Pistols and Hand Flamers, without stepping on the toes of any already existing rules or fluff of other chapters.

 

Something like:

-Red Thirst -

-Add 1 to Wound roll

-Add 1 to Advance and Charge

- After a <BLOOD ANGELS> unit shoots with a Pistol, It may immediately shoot with that/those same Pistol/'s for a second and final time.

 

Question: Looking at the main rule book under the Pistol listing, I had thought there was a restriction that you had to shoot Pistols at the closest enemy unit. Was this removed in the move to 9th edition or am I looking in the wrong place?

[Dont-Be-Haten]

Since the inclusion of pistols in melee I have always just treated pistol shots as an extra melee attack.

 

With regards to shooting successor tactics have an edge while maintaining the flavor of BA. Master Artisan on MM ATVs is pure gold. Marine shooting however is pretty straight forward across the entirety of the codex.

 

Unfortunately we don't have HH BA shooty units, but redemptors, ATVs, gravis boys all do a good job of filling good shooting rolls. Assault plasma hellblasters work really well alongside BA. Unfortunately plasma inceptors are basically superior.