Blood Angles

As mentioned in a previous post, my second SM army will be based on the BA codex. I have always liked The BA's since an old friend of mine played them way back in 2nd ed. Their Image and fluff always attracted me, and marked them out as something different, although, back in 2nd I was a Wolves player alongside my IG. I don't remember how allies worked back then, if they even existed at all, and my rule book has long since disappeared, but I alwys found it fun playing the two together, classically using the guard as human shields.

This time around, with the aquisition of a number of Khorn Beserkers and not being a chaos player, there really was only one choice, a proper BA attack force. With a good mix of loyal and chaos parts, I plan to build up a very mishmashed force, one on the edge of sanity, using whatever it can find to replenish supplies. In many ways this is similar to my other force, the Disciples, although, for different fluff reasons. The force will consist of a lot of assault marines and a vanguard squad, with a tac squad and possibly stern guard for support. There will also be the standard Baal pred for some extra dakka. I will however be staying away from some of the more unique choices, such as death company and sanguinary guard, as I don't want a BA army in different colours, I want a different successor chapter with its own identity. I know that many of the BA's successor chapters keep a Sanguinary guard to honour there founding chapter, but the Eagle Knights are not confirmed as successors.

So am I looking forward to the codex release, yes I am. It will be interesting to see how many of the rumours play out, and how many are just false doom mungering. Only time will tell on that one, but so far I really like the look of the new kits. The tactical marines look good, and I think that I will be using them in support of assault troops, and so the heavy flamer will be very useful. A tac squad with heavy flamer, flamer and either combi-flamer or hand flamer. I would prob go for hand flamer just cos then I can use it every turn, a strength 3, 4 and 5 templates every turn will wreck havoc with hordes or any squad really, provided I can get a hand flamer on the sgt in the new dex. I prob won't buy the new kits, just convert, as I have several IG flamers and heavy flamers spare. I also like the death company box set, it has lots of options and parts, good for conversion. The only things that may prove problematic are the hand flamers and infurnus pistols. I would like the hand flamers for the tac squads and the infurnus pistols for at least one, if not two assault squads, depending upon upgrades, as I intend to use a squad or two for assaulting vehicles. Although, if all else fails, there is always the vanguard squad chocked full of infurnus pistols and power fists, guarteed to ruin any vehicles day.

One consern is what is happening to the red thirst and descent of angles. Descent of angles is now a warlord trait, which could prove a bit problematic for an allied detachment, but the rule may have been replaced with something else. Hopefully, the red thirst will become an army wide trait in the same way as the chapter tactics for the main SM chapters.

Well catching up with the latest rumours has lead to so disappointment, Assault troops are no longer a troop choice. This is going to mess with my plans a bit, but the formation rumours may well make up for this disappointment. Two heavy flamers in sternguard maybe useful, but it doesn't go with my idea of sternguard as elite hunters.

We'll have to see what rumours come true, and what's just wish listing.