Blood Angels Maybe?

With rumors of new Blood Angels, and doing a little reading about the Baal Pred, I've decided once I get my Chaos Army up to snuff I'm going to move on to the Sons of Sanguinius. I know I'm going to get 3 Baal Preds, but outside of that I'm a bit lost. I'm looking at the codex and the Assault Squads leave something to be desired, so I'm thinking standard Tac squads. Though, that seems a waste of the BA Rhinos, would it make more sense to put Assault squads into Rhinos instead of Tac Squads in Razorbacks? How are BA Terminators? I have heard anything about them in particular. I know I'm going to want to grab a Furioso or two and the Death Squad, but then I hit the HQ section and flatline. Dante seems expensive, but the Blood Angel's Banner, Rites of Battle, and all his other abilities sound amazing. Does the Wings of Sanguinius effect only the Librarian or the unit he's in as well? What I'm thinking now is trying to get Dante and HG, couple Tac Squads and Rhinos, the Baal Preds, and an assault squad. That should be a pretty solid start right?

With the current codex, the Blood Angels are based around Jump Marine Squads. 12" PF delivery systems! The Baal Predator is OK, but not with flamer option. Land Raider makes a bit more sense. Veteran Assault Squads are the bomb! They can carry melta stuff. Special characters are a bit weak, but rumor has it the Dante will make the Bloods equal to any marine chapter boss.

Death Company in Jump Pax - rending - make this army as nasty as any in the imperium.

Furioso in Drop Pod is essential. Maybe 2! Machine Spirit is still old school, but will get a fix.

Right now, this is a nasty SM variant, and will only get batter.

knew I was going to go with the HB variant of the Baals. I've read in multiple places now that the assault cannon will more reliably drop Raider armor than even Lascannons. Mix that with the OCEs and I can imagine the ensuing destruction. I knew I left something off, how could I forget the DC.

The baal predator is an excellent tank and with its four twin linked AC shots it is statistically more likely to produce a rend against vehicles than the single str 9 shot is likely to produce a penetrating shot. The tank is great against infantry and vehicles alike. You definitely want to field them w/ heavy bolters. The pair that I currently run in my BA are armed this way. However, with a new dex a few months away just buy cautiously. I doubt that the predator will retain all its abilities exactly as they are now. Over Charged engines could well see a change, as could the predator itself.

Right now with Over Charged Engines, the tank can move 6" and fire everything. A simple rewording could effectively change this rule in the new dex or you can probably expect its point costs could go up quite a bit (25-40) points. Right now the tank is cheap compared against other similar preds not taking OCE into account.

As for what warhammer world said, I agree completely with deathcompany venerable dreds. They are oh so nasty, but drop pods for them are super expensive. I tend to move them (I have been running 2), then run them in the shooting phase and pop smoke. Venerable, Smoke and Extra armor makes them hard to kill and I have so much armor (rhinos and predators) in the list I usually just keep them behind those out of site until the enemy is at hand.

However, as far as jump packs go - I still prefer my entire army mechanized. I run assault squads without jump packs in rhinos and I do the same with my DC. Yes they cant charge the turn the rhino moved, but with a turbo boost you put their rhinos in the enemies face and just wait with smoke. Next turn the contents get out, move, and assault before the rhino moves. If the worst case happens and the rhino explodes you probably don't lose any marines in the process. If your marines are jumping across the table they are an easier target, I have found. If your DC is in jump packs and exposed if your enemy is knowledgable they will shoot them with every plasma cannon, assault cannon and plasma gun they have at hand. If they are in a rhino they are more survivable!

There is my 2 coppers!

This all has me pretty excited. Besides the Salamanders the Blood Angels have been the only SM chapter that have really appealed to me. That might be because of the very Khorne feel to the BA but I'm a Nurgle fanboy so I don't think that's it. Any way, on to something that actually matters. I've seen it in multiple places now(BoLS, Dakka, etc) that the dex is actually done and will be released after the 'Nids. Granted I've seen both March and April at this point, but both of those seem pretty reasonable, and it fits the SM/Non-SM rotation. This is what I've seen posted most commonly.

Quote :

"-The BA 'dex is DONE and complete already.

-New conversion kits similar to the ones made for the space wolves. These kits are said to be EXTRAORDINARY (I mean.. beautiful!), with a level of detail similar to that of the models in space hulk (or even better). (PS this seems quite certain, it has been confirmed by my local GW seller, who also stated some big news about BA may be revealed at the italian games day).

SOME informations about the rules

-The codex will allow the player to field a top notch assault army: assault squads will be a troop choice, with options similar to those of the new gray hunters in the SW dex: 2Xspecial weapons and no heavy weapons at all (of course). Sergeants will be similar to those of the SM dex (more options: thunder hummer, LC and such).

- a psionic power called "vortex of blood", or something like that, will give the caster a CC attacks bonus equal to the number of models in base contact (or even in combat radius?! but it would be too powerful..)

-New independent characters.

I can't assure these rumors are true, of course. I just TRIED to translate them in english and posted them here.

Ah, date of release: march, after the tyrs."

Now I just need to find a way to get some money for all this

EDIT - I feel pretty stupid, was looking through random stuff and just saw you guys had that already posted back in October... *facepalm*

With everything that's come out over the last few days I'm even more excited than before. New Land Raider has me all fired up. 3 TL Assault Cannons on any 1 Vehicle sounds almost too good to be true. FA Dreads and Moriar sound fun as well. I know these are all still rumors, and to take it all with a grain of salt, but I can't help but hope. I think I've finally found the Loyalists that will draw me from the ways of Chaos.

http://www.warseer.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4456837&postcount=378 Found these on Warseer. Wow... Sanguinor and Sanguinary Guard, Astorath and Assault Marines, Lemartes and Death Co. Once again, to reiterate, WOW...

awesome! I was also struck by the fact that the baal predator now has scout and fast!

Outflanking Baal predators or baal predators with scout moves is very fun.

I, personally, think it GW is a bit daft though by not releasing the storm lander in the first wave. I am honestly very disappointed. At least with Thunderwolves there was an option that you could convert from, and there were plenty of alternatives. I haven't the foggiest how you are supposed to make this lander, and from my understanding there is not a picture of one in the new codex.

I was thinking of a Vendetta, minus the tail section. Just put a 'jet thruster' bit on the back and maybe something under the wings to bulk up the shape of them.

Then you just have to slap on 2 heavy bolters, 2 assault cannons, and now 4 missles.

I hate this game.

Oh, you do not. lol

I personally think that the hellfire whatever flamer thing is pretty interesting as a weapon. melting space marines sounds like fun to me.

If you look on page 56... I'm pretty sure it's 56 at least, of the BRB there's a picture of a flyer. This flyer is much too small to be a THawk and it's shooting missiles and appears to have wing mounted guns. Honestly, this lander might be something GW has had in the works since 5th ed... or someone just messed up and drew a really small disproportionate THawk once and now it looks like the SRaven.