Blood Angels Codex Review

1) Don't ask where I'm pulling data from. Let's just say I see fingers on the data. =)
2) Blood Angels are FAST. Faster than any other marine army, all told.
3) Blood Angels are somewhere between Space Wolves and Space Marines; more fighty but not as fighty as Space Wolves.
4) By using Blood Angels over Space Marines, you notably give up access to the following: Chapter Master, Honor Guard, Relic Blade (instead getting a MC Power Weapon), Null Zone, Master of the Forge, Land Speeder Storm, bikes as troops, Thunderfire cannon.
5) Yes, Mephiston does not have "Independent Character", and yes, he is a 25mm Bloodthirster. That's all i'll say about their special characters.
6) Rhino chassis = Fast vehicle. You pay for it, though (no option not to).

HQs: Of the three, the Librarian is the best choice. Good deep selection of powers all around.
Captain - As SM, plus melta pistol. No reason to take them without the "bikes as troops" option.
Librarian - As SM, plus a lot of options wargear wise. Also, some of their powers fire in different phases; for instance, their 5+ cover save power is used in your opponent's shooting phase, unlike the Space Wolves version.
Chaplain - Lord level chaplain (3 wounds)
Command squad - 1 per HQ, not just 1 per Captain. The priest gives FNP + Furious Charge in a 6" bubble.

Elites: still only Terminators as best choice, but at least 1 selection of Sanguinary Priests is good. Furiosos are good.
Chaplain - Hero level, otherwise as Codex:SM
Terminators - as normal. With the Sanguinary Priests, I would recommend a 2:3 Lightning Claw:Thunderhammer ratio. Thunderhammers aren't free upgrades anymore.
Sternguard Veteran squad - as normal, 10 point Heavy Flamer
Sanguinary Priest - 3 for 1 choice, all Independent Characters, same as the Command Squad version but 1 more wound. These are phenomenal force multipliers.
Techmarines - worse than before.
Sanguinary Guard - the overhyped angels. 2 attacks, MC power weapon base, stormbolter guns. Terminator point costs. Trading an invulnerable save for a jump pack doesn't seem worth it to me.
Furioso Dreadnought (including Librarian version) - everything you heard they would be. Seriously.

Troops: take assault squads
Tac squad - as C:SM
Scout squad - as C:SM
Assault squad - best choice in the army. If I could take 10 selections of them I would. Never take Jump Packs; instead, take vehicles. 10 with 2 meltaguns clocks in at 225; 5 with a meltagun and a TL-AC razorback clocks in at 165 and is a steal.
Death Company - about what you expected. Great way to burn points, since you can take 30 of them.
Death company dreadnought - you can take 1 per 5 death company; they don't score.

Fast Attack: Baal predators
Bike squad - as C:SM
Scout Bike squad - as C:SM
Attack Bike squad - as C:SM
Land speeder squadron - as C:SM
Vanguard veterans squad - as C:SM (ie still useless)
Baal predator - solid. Scouting tank with a great anti-tank turret weapon.

Heavy support: about what you'd expect
Vindicator - as C:SM (albeit more expensive)
Predator - as C:SM (albeit more expensive)
Land Raiders - as C:SM
Devastator squad - as C:SM
Whirlwind - as C:SM (albeit more expensive)
Dreadnought - as C:SM
Stormraven - solid. More expensive than I thought it would be. I doubt it's OP, but I don't see taking 2; either 0 or 3 is likely the way I'd go in 2kish games.

They also give up combat tactics, I believe?

Also don't vanguard now have descent of angels as well as heroic intervention?

Almost every Jump Pack model has Descent of Angels.

You have to roll to see if you lose Combat Tactics for Furious Charge.

I had heard you lost ATSKNF for furious charge and fearless. The last rumor I had heard said no Combat Tactics anywhere. Was this incorrect?

You roll a dice for almost every unit after deployment. On a 1, they lose ATSKNF for FC+Fearless. I didn't see Combat Tactics.

I don't have a link to the download anymore unfortunately. It's not in my cache that I see and it was pulled off the site I got it from.

Few things I feel are a bit important that were left out.

Land Raiders do have the Deep Strike rule.

Baal Pred also has Flamestorm Cannon Turret option (obviously, it's on the preorder page)

Furiosos are more than I expected, twin Blood Talons AND a Magna Grapple?

IIRC Vanguard Vets are a touch cheaper here than in C:SM and gain DoA from their Packs

The model-less, picture-less Storm Raven can carry 2 units (12 man unit and/or Dread) but still not the focus of all the doom-criers.


Honestly I'm unimpressed with the changes to the DC, maybe even a bit disappointed, with the way the new SPs work your standard RAS can do virtually the same job as the old DC for less points.

I'm hoping that the Storm Raven will be out in June when they release the miniatures for Spearhead.

I'm not expecting it until the next Space Marine release.

Why would they release it for only one army when they could sell it for more....

I am expecting it around Christmas next year, which would make sense on their alternating space marine dex, other dex, space marine dex, schedule.

I'm just going by the statement in the email from GW that said that new models would be released in conjunction with the release of Spearhead.

What I'm wondering is if they supply an image of the Blood Talons and the Magna Grapple. The list I'm considering has 4 Dreads, 2 Furioso Libbies (Wings and Lance) and 2 DC Twin BTs. From what I've heard over on Bolter and Chainsword, BA have the Drop Pod assault rule like C:SM so I'm going to have to probably run 3 in my list. Now, I know normal DCCWs have the attached weapons, namely Heavy Flamer, do the Blood Talons count as a special DCCW or do they lose the mounted weapons? I'd also like to hear your opinion on the Baal Pred now that the TLAC Raz is fast as well.

Still trying to decide on my HQ though, not enough in public places for me to get solid info yet. From what I've been seeing though, Sanguinor is a beast, but with a price tag to match. Most of what I've read shows a lot of interest in the Reclusiarch, but I'm inclined to agree with Bsimon on the strength of the regular Libbies. Although, Tycho seems reasonably costed and he could definitely dish it out. But in all honesty, I really think Dante is going to where it's at, unfortunately with my desire to run Angels Sanguine that may not work very well.

Quote :

Why would they release it for only one army when they could sell it for more....

Honestly I think it's more foolish NOT to release it now, think of it a lot like the Valkyrie. How many people bought them just for the model and how much GW must have made off the Bandwagon gamers that bought them only to use them until the next cool codex came out. Also, think if all the BA/Bandwagoneers bought them now, then those that move on sell them off, when they return in the new C:SM (assuming they do) those people would have to buy them all again.



Edit:
Also, do the Space Puppies have the closest image to the Storm Raven yet?