My BA list usually copies the basic AV13 spam/Razorspam builds you find all over the internet. Razor Spam'd TL AsC, Baal Preds and Heavy Preds with Librarian Support. The thing you need to know about this type of list many people play is that it is very CC ineffective and plays very defensively. 5 man squads of RAS are wussy's. They die to anything in CC and are not even good as screens when you desperately need it. Basically you are using your fast movement to run around and kite your opponent while you gun him down in a hail of Las/ TL AsC and AC. I found with this llist losing a Razorback or a Predator of any kind was a huge stopping force to trying to win the game. Losing one effectively neuters a major portion of your shooting and the guys inside aren't even a big enough threat to draw fire away from my vehicles. If I lose 3-4 Razorbacks (which isn't uncommon in 1,500 or 1,750 pt games) I already know I am going to lose. My RAS are walking, Baals and Preds don't have enough fire power to win the games themselves. Your also effectively playing for a draw in objective games once your RB's are down since they lack mobility to get to an objective, lack numbers to be able to survive shooting when trying to hold the home objective and lack CC power to be able to take an objective guarded by enemy units.
Now yesterday I played my IG army (mostly proxied) vs a friend and found the play style very similar to what I was trying to achieve with my Blood Angels. Sit back and shoot. IG can lay the smack down with a possible 3x Strength 10, Ordnance Barrage, AP4, 120" shooting range Large Blasts. That is from one vehicle. This nullifies the need to deploy near the opponent like Blood Angels have to since their average range shooting is 24". IG can deploy tanks as far as they want and shoot across the board easily with a majority of their tanks. Not to mention their transports are AV12 and their Leman Russ are AV14.
This got me thinking.
What the heck am I doing with Blood Angels? I'm playing them as if they were an IG army. I decided to sit down and re-think my strategy and came up with these questions. What can I do to play to BA's strengths? What are the vehicle weapons best used for? BA's is great at CC with all the force multipliers they have in Chaplains and Sanguinary Priests. Then they have Terminators and a very nice Banner with their Honor Guard that can boost any CC capability by tremendous amounts with the bonus +1A. Their vehicle weapons are all mid-range shooting and thus should probably best serve the role as support to assaulting units, not my end game strategy.
Thus this list was born.
After much mulling around and tweaking I finally figured out a list that I was quite happy with. This list will make use of close combat as intended by the BA Codex and make use of the awesome weaponry provided by our vehicles to support the CC squads.
-The Librarian is there for his Shield since I still have quite a good amount of Mech to protect and his Blood Lance is just sexy AV poppers that support the CC units to get into the insides.
-Reclusiarch will run with the Assault Terminators to provide the reroll to hit and add to the killyness of the Terminators.
-Razorbacks for the TL Assault Cannon support to pop light vehicles and take objectives. One will use a Heavy Flamer to support infantry killing.
-There will be one 10 man Assault Squad flying behind the LR's and RB's. They can easily hide behind these vehicles. They will provide a counter punch to anything wanting to get close. With effectively 2 Sanguinary Priests they will have FNP and FC as well as the Banner effects. Very sexy squad to have and not to mention they are another fast scoring unit.
-Baal Predators, my favorite tank. One will be equipped with a Flamestorm Cannon and will scout up to an opponent and pop smoke. This will not only draw fire from my opponent but if it somehow survives it will be putting down the hurt on any MEQ or weaker. Devastator (Longfangs), Tactical Squad and Loota's assassin extrordinaire. The other will be a anti-infantry master and possibly position for side shots with its HL ML during it's scout move.
-MM Attack Bikes need no introduction. They stay behind LR's till they can get good positioning, move 12" and pop something valuable.
-Terminator Assault Squads will be wanting to get into CC asap and hence the LR:R. The LR will have a cover save via the close-by Libby and will get bonus' from Reclusiarch, Sanguinary Priest and Banner. Scary...
-Honor Guard are in an LR and the Libby will be with them to provide a wider Shield bonus. They will also be there to provide banner support, FNP/FC bubbles, assault fairly effectively but primarily pop whatever they feel like since they will be with 4 Meltas. These guys are a core piece to bringing this army together in CC.
-Finally I have a Furioso with Talons that drops in turn 1 and attempts to pop something with it's Melta or Flame some long range heavy support infantry. AV13? Check. Scary CC capabilities? Check. In opponents backfield turn 1? Check. The Furioso effectively adds another threat the opponent has to deal with that will be sitting near his backfield at the beginning of the game. Also you can play some tricky strategies with the Drop Pod like hindering a Land Raider or Battle Wagon's movement.
[2500] Mech Assault BA
Librarian 1
ShieldofS/ Blood Lance
Reclusiarch 1
Terminator Upg: C-Melta 1
Assault Squad 5
Meltagun 1
Transport: Razorback 1
TL Heavy Flamer 1
Assault Squad 5
Meltagun 1
Transport: Razorback 1
TL Assault Cannon 1
Assault Squad 5
Meltagun 1
Transport: Razorback 1
TL Assault Cannon 1
Assault Squad 10
Meltagun 2
Sgt: Power Fist 1
Baal Predator - Flamestorm 1
Baal Predator - TL AsC 1
Heavy Bolter/ HK ML 1
Attack Bike Squad 2
Multi-Melta 2
Terminator Assault-Squad 5
TH/SS Upgrade 3
Sanguinary Priest 1
Transport: LR:R 1
Multi-Melta 1
Extra Armor 1
Honour Guard 5
Meltagun 4
Chapter Banner 1
Transport: LR:R 1
Multi-Melta 1
Extra Armor 1
Furioso Dreadnought 1
Extra Armor 1
Heavy Flamer 1
Blood Talons 1
Transport: Drop Pod 1
Seems like you have a good plan. I would play both baals as flamestorm variants if your main target for them is lootas and fangs. One will just become the primary target for turn 1 shooting. Smoke is good, but just means it takes 2 melta hits instead of 1 to kill it.
ReplyDeleteA single furioso will be melta fodder also when it drops in.
The chapter banner probably won't see full value with honor guard. There's a good chance the land raiders and units inside will be split up before they both hit home. The honor guard are kitted out for suicide melta, not CC. It will be hard to keep them in range of the terminators after assault moves.
Looks like a good combination of armor, speed, shooting, combat, and scoring units.