IXth Legion Force Selection

As Steve is struggling to work out how to build his 30k Blood Angels army, I thought I’d have a bit of a look through the Blood Angels rules to see which options look promising.

For me the wonderful thing about 30k is that everyone has access to pretty much the same kit. Obviously you have to park Mechanicum and the militias to one side, but generally both armies in a battle will have access to the same units and wargear. What will mark the armies apart are the legion specific rules, rites and units. If you aren’t exploiting these to their fullest advantage and your opponent is, then you are going to face an uphill struggle.

So let’s look at the legion specific rule first.

LEGION SPECIFIC RULES

Encarmine Fury: basically plus one to wound in assault. As it’s a modifier to wound there is no impact on assaults against vehicles. So, ignoring Mechanicum, this is only useful for units equipped with weapons that either do not modify strength or only give +1 to strength. Anybody packing a weapon that grants a S6 attack is already wounding on 2+ and therefore does not benefit from this rule. So upgrading from power axes to power fists is slightly less attractive. Lightning claws will benefit from a marginal upgrade in effectiveness from 75% of hits converted to wounds moving to 89% converted. So if you were minded to sacrifice AP2 for an extra attack at a point premium, then lightning claws became a bit more viable.

Without Remorse, Without Relent: you always have to make sweeping advances, but that’s fine as you always were going to. You also can’t voluntarily go to ground, which is a disadvantage when trying to hold objectives in the late game.

Host of Angels: you can’t have more vehicle units (excluding dedicated transports) than you have infantry units. The key point here is the exclusion of dedicated transports. Apart from for a few rites of war this won’t be relevant. And if you wanted to play those rites, why have you chosen BA? Go be part of a legion with ‘Iron’ in the title.

LEGION SPECIFIC WARGEAR

-          Hand flamers can be added where a model has access to Volkite Serpenta – so just independent characters as far as I can see. At S3, independent characters have better options for the points premium

-          Inferno Pistols, basically a 6” range melta pistol. Might see some use in assault squads which have the maneuverability to get that close to a target, but otherwise loses out to combi-weapon alternatives

-          The Blade of Peridition is great as it has both has an awesome name and does awesome things. It grants independent characters AP2 at initiative and multiplies wounds inflicted by two. Combined with Encarmine Fury this should make Blood Angels characters very dangerous in challenges

-          Iliastus Pattern Assault Cannon, an assault cannon that is no longer usable if you roll three or more ones within its four to hit rolls. I calculate this probability at less than 1%, so it’s not worth worrying about. These can be put on Predators as their main gun (twin linked) and any model that can use a heavy flamer can take one (including vehicles). That is a list that includes:

o   Dreadnoughts can replace the heavy flamer in their CCW/chain fists. This means a dread can equip two CCWs and two assault cannons, giving it the most optimal options available to a dread for both assault and for shooting. This is incredibly powerful and there is some speculation that there might be an faq. Until then, however, it’s an awesome combination. Go nuts

o   Terminator squads (including legion command squads taking terminator armour) and veteran squads can take one for every five men in the squad. Makes sense for terminators as they are relentless and the assault cannon is a more versatile option than either the heavy flamer or assault cannon. It’s not so viable for veteran squads as it there is no suspensor web option for the assault cannon

o   Rhinos as pintle mounted weapons. Transforms rhinos into a credible threat rather than just a transport vehicle. Cheaper than Razorbacks and with a higher transport capacity – what is not too like. Rhinos aren’t assault vehicles but this still synergises well with Encarmine Fury. The assault cannon is effective at medium range; so roll up, release power-armoured infantry to fire this turn and assault the next, whilst supporting with an assault cannon. Lovely

o   Attack bikes, quite a cheap and fast platform for the cannon, though speeders probably perform this role better for not much more points

o   Tarantula sentry guns, combined with the forward deployment option this could be very handy for area denial. The 24” range of the assault cannon will combine well with the 18” range of the sentry mode

o   Land speeders form a cheap and fast platform for the weapon. Could be kept cheap with just the cannon, but I like the synergy with a graviton gun. The 18” range of the graviton gun isn’t far off of that of the assault cannon and the combo of a rending weapon and a haywire weapon make this a threat to any high AV, armoured ceramite target

o   Javelin speeders probably aren’t as good a fit as the normal speeder. With a cyclone missile launcher or a lascannon on a relatively fragile platform, you are going to want to hang back outside of the assault cannons 24” range. Won’t suck though

o   Heavy support squads, not having relentless does not combine well with short to medium range heavy weapons. It’s also quite an expensive option compared to auto-cannon or missile launchers

o   Predators can take the assault cannon as main gun (twin linked), sponsons and pintle weapons. I know we’re meant to think of the Baal Predator here, but I’m not sure that the twin linked assault cannon offers a better weapon option than a Magna-melta or a plasma destroyer. For the sponsons though, the assault cannon are a great alternative to combine with everything other than the conversion beamer, where the disparity in ranges does not make the option worthwhile

o   Vindicators as a pintle mounted weapon. Not a great option as you’ll always be snap firing due to the fact that the main gun is ordinance

o   Spartans instead of heavy bolter and as a pintle weapon. The main concern here is that even with Machine Spirit the assault cannon is going to be snap firing most of the time. Spartans are usually rushing forward to deliver assault troops and will tend to prioritise their quad lascannons over the assault cannon for the full BS shots. Would be tempted therefore to stick with the free heavy bolter over an upgrade. Also not entirely clear what happens if you replace an option that is twin linked. I assume you get a non-twin-linked assault cannon, and that again mitigates against the loss of the twin linked heavy bolter (which can be changed to a heavy flamer and which can therefor become an assault cannon)

o   Land raiders as a pintle mounted weapon and the Proteus can take a hull mounted option. For me, this case is more compelling than the Spartan. Firing the assault cannon at full BS and snap firing the one or both of the twin inked lascannons seems a good way to go (depending on the target)

o   Most super heavies can take the assault cannon as a pintle mounted weapon with the Stormblade, Mastadon and  Malcador being able to mount them as sponson mounted weapons and the Fellblade and Glaive taking them as hull mounted weapons. Why wouldn’t you? These guys can move 12” and fire every weapon they have without penalty. Go nuts and slap on as many assault cannons as these will take

o   Leviathans as torso mounted weapons. Again, this fella can fire all of his weapons and move and assault normally. He’ll look a bit like Madonna during her pointy bra period, but he’ll pack even more a punch than he does now (which is quite a lot)

LEGION SPECIFIC RITES OF WAR

Of which we have two:

The Day of Revelation.

• Jump infantry must arrive by deep strike on turn one. They still scatter as much as normal and with 30mm bases the chances of a mishap are higher than they used to be.  Not having the option of starting on the board is quite restrictive
• Deep striking units get 5+ cover save the turn they arrive. What’s not to like? It’s great that this is not just for the jump infantry but  also applies to deep striking speeders, aircraft, drop pods and their contents
• On top of this, shooting attacks by deep striking infantry and jump infantry are pinning in the player turn they arrive (player turn, so no pinning overwatch). Again this is a straight forward benefit, though jump infantry are likely to spend their first shooting phase scattering to avoid being Vindicated or Typhoned
• Units with Legionnes Astartes Blood Angels get +1 initiative on the turn they charge. Awesome, synergises well with encarmine fury to make assaulting an even stronger option. Though this does not help terminators and sergeants who are likely to be packing unwieldy weapons and going at initiative step 1
• Must always accept challenges. Fine for your independent characters who will be packing encarmine fury, +1 initiative and a blade of perdition. Let’s face it, you’re going to be issuing the challenge against anything short of a primarch. 
• Your compulsory HQ and troops have to have jump packs. Let’s face it: 30k assault marines are overcosted. For the same cost as twenty tactical marines, ten assault marines gain an extra 6” of movement, the ability to deep strike and hammer of wrath. I’d rather have ten more bodies and Fury of The Legion. And at least one of your HQs will be Deepstriking in with these fragile, deep strike misshaping dudes instead of sitting all warm and comfortable inside of a Spartan
• Must take a flyer or deep striking fast attack option. So Sky Hunters, Lightning, Anvillus, speeder, Xiphon or Storm Eagle. None of these options suck so this isn’t a hardship. You’ll be able to find one that is good (hint, it’s a Lightning with Kraken missiles)
• Can’t take fortifications, sentry guns or non-flying Lords of War. Given how well sentry guns and super-heavy tanks synergise with assault cannons, this is a bit of a shame
• To sum up, the Day of Revelation party is spoiled by the turd in the punch bowl that is the compulsory assault squads. They are overcosted by, in my opinion, about a third. So you’re wasting about a hundred points provided you go with min size squads.

The Day of Sorrows

• You can’t be pinned and are stubborn within 3” of an objective. Yay!
• Enemy units take their leadership test after losing an assault with you at a -1 modifier. Yay again.
• If a unit loses 50% of its models the remaining models get Feel No Pain from the beginning of the next turn but are no longer scoring and count as destroyed for Victory Point purposes. Boo, that is a huge disadvantage which could lose you games
• Must make sweeping advances (fine, you were always going to) and characters have to accept challenges (see above)

CONCLUSIONS

My first conclusion is that it’s too early to draw any conclusions about Blood Angels. We haven’t got rules for Keith Sanguinius, for legion specific characters or legion specific units. These will, hopefully, have significant synergistic effects and improve the Legion overall.

My second conclusion is that the real treasure in the Blood Angels rules is the Iliastus assault cannon. My first thought would be to build my army around this beauty. Unless they get faq’d, dreadnoughts are the first stop on this journey. A contemptor packing a chain fist and a dreadnought close combat weapon, each with a built in assault cannon, is hands down the best contemptor build available. Contemptors can also be taken in talons which halps you get around the limitation on the numbers of vehicles.

The next stop on the assault cannon journey would probably be rhinos packed with tactical marines (each with an extra CCW) and equipped with a pintle mounted assault cannon. They can accelerate forward turn one popping smoke. Turn two they release their marines who move forward firing, whilst the rhino lay down assault cannon shots. On turn three the marines assault and the surviving rhinos continue to lay down righteous assault cannon fury. Repeat until the enemy is dead then go home for tea and medals.

The final pieces would be Leviathans in drop pods to prepare the way, and a super heavy as a moving assault cannon platform. For about the same cost as a Glaive you could have a Stormblade with a plasma blastgun, four lascannons, five autocannons, armoured ceramite and legion crew. This thing would move 12” a turn and every one of those weapons can fire at a different target. Lovely.

My final conclusion is that the rites of war are underwhelming. The Day or Sorrows is aptly named and confers just too many disadvantages. The Day Of Revelation requires one of two approaches:

1. Option one is to go all in – drop your assault squads in the enemy’s face on turn one and support them with drop-podding Leviathans, contemptors and infantry. Units with serious range (e.g. artillery, missile launchers, etc) can sit in your own deployment zone and pour supporting fire across. Units that can move fast and still fire effectively can move into the middle ground to support: e.g. speeders with assault cannons or Skyhunters.
2. Option two is to pay lip service to the assault squad requirement and treat it as a tax – say thank-you very much for +1 initiative on the charge and cover saves for deep striking infantry, but keep your investment in jump packs to two ten man squads with one centurion who is not your warlord. These guys deep strike into somewhere safe and await the right time to support the rest of your army when it does what it’s been built to do (rhino rush, overwhelming assault cannon firepower from midfield or whatever). Seems sub-optimal to me and it would be better to just choose another rite of war such as orbital assault.

Not taking either of these rites of war frees you up to consider other choices. Orbital assault would be a fluffy option. Alternatively, Pride of the Legion lets you pack your army with veteran goodness with little in the way of downsides. Armoured spearhead would give you a delivery mechanism in the form of land raiders for your Encarmine Fury packing marines and the land raiders can be liberally sprinked with pintle mounted assault cannons. Angel's Wrath is inferior to Day of Revelation and I can't see any obvious choices in the new book six generic rites.