Blood Angels 2k

So, here's my 2k of Blood Angels. These guys routinely pull wins at my local GW, and I'm always very pleased with them.

HQ
Dante
Corbulo

Elites
Five free Death Company, Rhino with a dozer blade and extra armor
Venerable Death Company Furioso Dreadnought with extra armor and a heavy flamer


Troops
Ten-man Assault Squad with a power weapon and melta bombs
Ten-man Assault Squad with a power weapon and melta bombs
Ten-man Assault Squad with a power weapon and melta bombs
Ten-man Tactical Squad with a chainsword, melta gun, and melta bombs
Ten-man Tactical Squad with a chainsword, melta gun, and melta bombs

Fast Attack
2 Multi-Melta Attack Bikes

Heavy Support
Vindicator with extra armor and a dozer blade

So, Corbulo usually goes with the Death Company in the Rhino with the DC and Dante joins one of the assault squads. Now, each part of this army has a very specific role. Dante and the assault squads are here to provide mean bashings with the combination of Dante's and Corbulo's two 'auras of win', as JWolf once put it. The two tactical squads and Vindicator provide support fire. The Multi-melta attack bikes tend to be the 'shoot once to get back your points and die' unit. They always tend to rack up a nice kill or two that's usually worth double their points(Land Raiders and Leman Russ squads being two of their favorites). The dreadnought does what it does very well, usually; kill anything that I don't want to touch with a ten-foot bright lance. The meltagun, heavy flamer, and it's +D3 s10 attacks can all really Hulk-smash things. As for the Death Company, they sit in the Rhino, letting Corbulo's bubble extend to all the assault squads so they can get Furious Charge as well as providing a 5th-turn rush to either kill anything that is getting threatening or to contest an objective.

I'm very proud of this list. It works wonders at the local gaming club, and I like to think that, despite it having mostly vanilla-ish choices for a codex with a lot of unique units, it's still pretty common of what you would see in a BA strike force.

Why are the Tac Squads just slogging?

A single Dread is going to draw fire and get popped fairly easily.

Instead I'd field VAS with meltas and choppy bits. Currently you only have 2 tank busting units, the Vindicator and Attack Bikes, so once they go you have no answer to AV14.

Powerfists would work better on your Assault Squads, you need something to hurt big gribblies and Dreads.

I'd rather see the DC with jump packs since you can't assault out of a Rhino. A Command Squad would work well with Corbulo so he stays mobile.

The tac squads are foot slogging because I play them one of two ways. EIther they're holding an objective, or they're being used as a secondary assault unit. A ten-man tactical squad draws very little attention. As for the dreadnought, yes, it's a possibility it gets popped early, but I decrease those chances with venerable and smoke launchers, keeping the dread running until he's in happy-killy-time range. My Furioso's a lucky *******(he either gets popped on turn on or much later in the game. Usually the latter.

No answer to av14? Heh. That's what melta bombs and meltaguns are for. Rolling 2d6+8 on a Leman Russ's 10 in addition to a bunch of krak grenades is just lovely. I take melta bombs and power weapons instead of power fists because I'm in a heavy-MEQ community. 4 attacks at s5i5 are much more handy to me when I'm re-rolling to hits.

A command squad? Feh. I've got a free one with the Death Company. I usually park the DCs Rhino in a nice comfy central location until they're absolutely needed.

This entire army's based off of an idea of controlled charges, keeping the movement phase thoroughly under my control. In my turn, I'm moving and charging, and on the other bloke's, he's got 2-3 units he can't move because they're in close combat.

Meltas on walking units and melta bombs (hitting on 6's if said Land Raider moves) is not going to stop AV14. They sit outside 12" and punk you from afar, which is much easier when you're walking.

S5 I5 power weapons are well and good until a Dreadnought ruins your day. Too bad melta bombs hit on a 6+.

DC need to be out there smashing faces, camping in a Rhino is not smashing faces. Command Squad gives you an Apothecary and more melta, which your list critically lacks.

Walking units into combat = bad. It doesn't happen against competent players. You don't control the movement phase with no long range weapons and no anti-tank beyond praying for 6s in close combat.

@Craz: I love Dante and Corbulo and include them in just about every Blood Angels army I play.

Here are my comments:

1. I don't like Death Company in Rhinos. They are just too fragile. If you can't find the points for a Landraider, then these guys are better off with Jump Packs.

2. I also dig the Furioso, but without a Drop Pod he's not going to get into the thick of it.

3. I still like Power Fists in my Assault Squads, but if you can keep them near Corbulo then the Power Weapons are okay. I hate losing the extra PF attack, but they still win combats for me.

4. I've started using two 10-man tactical squads with PF, MG and a heavy weapon with a Rhino. I combat squad the unit (putting the heavy weapon on a back objective) put the PF and the Meltagun in the Rhino (often with Corbulo). The Rhinos help me manage line of sight to my jump pack units and make the combat squads more resilient.

5. I'm not a huge fan of MM attack bikes in Blood Angels army. I understand their role, but they've always felt out of place. If they don't bother you, they are almost always worth the points.

6. No Baal Predator? Blasphemy! I like the idea of using a Vindicator as a target though -- it might keep your Death Company alive longer.

7. I ALWAYS include an Honor Guard (Apothecary, BA Chapter Banner and 2 Power Weapons) in my 2000pt army. If I keep them near Corbulo, I get 2 apothecary saves each turn and people tend to focus on the Death Company instead of the Honor Guard -- at least until they hit you. 17 I5 S5 Power Weapon attacks on the charge with preferred enemy is NASTY! They really put the Death Company to shame and almost always arrive intact.

Glad to see another BA player and I'm very happy to hear the list has been working for you!

-- mkerr

Not to kiss up to the Fly Lord, but I like Mkerrs suggestions...

essentially, I like the Furioso Dread, but after adding Ven and Death Co he can be way too expensive, However I will add him sometimes just cause I love the Forgeworld Chapliain Dread model and he does HULK-SMASH great!

I like the idiea of DC in a LR, but that is a lot of points to dedicate to them, I only do this if I have a bigger DC (5+)

Tac Squads should be in Razrobacks, I combat squad them into PF MM and Multi-Melta combat squads and have a right good time.

no VAS? tis a sin in BA lists... RAS are fun and all, but VAS eat things, I also like Honour Guard for the same reasons Mkerr stated and also for fluff reasons (For the love of god the chapter master is there and he didn't bring his honour guard?lol)

After 5th ed I took off most of my jump packs and run in Mech. But I love the idea of all the J.Packs.

Hope this all works for you.

Duke