Tuesday, December 9, 2008

2000 Pts Blood Angels List and Tactics

HQ: Company Captain, Lighting Claws, Jump Pack, Melta Bomb OR Chaplain, Jump Pack, Plasma Pistol

Elites: Death Company (5), Jump Pack (5); Veteran Assault Squad (10), Power Weapon (3), Combat Shield (10), Flamer (2), Melta Bomb (2); Veteran Assault Squad (10), Power Weapon(3), Combat Shield (10), Meltagun (2)

Troops: 2 x Assault Squad (10), Plasma Pistol(3), Power Weapon, Melta Bomb, Combat Shield; Tactical Squad (10), Plasma Pistol, Power Weapon, Plasma Gun, Missile Launcher

Heavy Support: Baal Predator, Sponson Bolters, Pintle Storm Bolter, Extra-Armour

Pts: 2000 Scoring Units: 3 to 6 Kill Points: 14 (Tourney). 8 (Rulebook)

The idea here is to have a fast striking force that can smash into the enemy hard and pick him apart.

The Veteran Assault Squads when broken up into combat squads manage to deliver nearly as many attacks as a standard Assault Squad of 10 men (20 on the charge for 5 Veterans, 31 for 10 Standard). On top of that the combat shields and power weapons allow them to hunt dangerous opponents with power weapons and the like. Breaking the combat squads up into a support squad and a assaulting unit is ideal, as the power weapons are intended to get bogged in combat, but the special weapons should stay mobile hunting hordes in the case of the flamers and tanks/monstrous creatures in the case of the melta weaponry. Death Company should be employed much the same way. Bring the hurt to your opponent. They are best for hunting down and butchering high toughness units with their rending ability.

Assault squads are an obvious troop choice for Blood Angels. Who wouldn't take scoring units that are jump troops. That last push to make the objective is so much easier. Plus, they are brutal and can easily bring the hurt with 3 plasma pistols and a power weapon bearing sarge to boot. A melta-bomb per squad just in case something annoying like a Leman Russ starts interfering with your plans.

The Tactical Squad is your safety blanket. Never leave home with out it. Most of the battle, your opponent is going to be on his back foot facing 46 jump infantry marines. That gives you plenty of time to bring your footsloggers up into position and starting laying down some fire, preferably from an objective. If you can afford to, combat squads are ideal, capturing two objectives. Make sure though to use their heavy weapon to rid yourself of nuisances, like the chimera blitzing with an Armoured Fist squad for an objective. This is your fire support and killing the enemy is paramount. Deny him his scoring units rather than just protecting yours.

The Baal Predator is another obvious choice. The amount of firepower it can put out once parked is astounding. Just find a place with some good fields of fire, preferably within LOS of at least 2 objectives in a multi-objective game, and begin reducing his troops to piles of gore.

The HQ choice is a matter of preference. Both have obvious advantages. The captain has Rites of Battle and those lightning claws will tear apart enemy characters with ease, capturing you those 3 KP. The chaplain though can control your hard hitting Death Company and applies Litanies of Hate to them, and with Jump Packs, they would always get the charge to use it. Personal preference really. Remember to use those last 15 pts if you take the Chaplain though. Extra melta-bombs or a Hunter-Killer missile? Maybe some Storm Shields rather than combat shields for some of your veterans?

Drink deep of victory and remember the fallen.