Tuesday 24 July 2018

Blood Angels codex review - Fast Attack



Assault Squad

Assault marines have always suffered from one issue, the very fact that they are marines. They are supposed to be dedicated assault troops but they don't have the stats or equipment to really back that up. They are standard marines and carry standard kit, the only real difference being that they can all carry chain swords. What they really could do with is extra attacks as base or the option to take more power weapons, but I guess that would encroach on vanguard vets. One thing I would love to see is the option to take bolters, making them a very versatile unit being able to jump around the board hitting targets before jumping back out of danger. Now, having basically moaned about how useless they boys are, I have a full unit of 10bwith packs and have another 10 without sitting waiting to get painted along with there dedicated rhino. In both maelstrom and eternal war missions these guys are useful for claiming objectives and worth taking a few just for that.

Bike Squad

Bikes got a good boost this edition with an extra wound adding to there survivability. Combined with the extra toughness, this makes them far more resilient than before. They also have good mobility and fire power, with the twin bolters able to kick out a good weight of fire. Unfortunately they still fall easily when targeted with massed fire and there in ability to move past the ground floor of ruins and buildings limits there ability to grab objectives. The bikes have a number of advantages of assault squads, being tougher with more wounds and having greater fire power, with better and more reliable movement, there inability to manoeuvre through ruins and buildings means that you really need to think about what you want out of the units before you choose one over the other. Personally, I'd go with assault marines.

Attack Bike Squad

As with the other bike units, this one has received a boost in surivivability and is now far less likely to give up first blood as it was in 7th. The ability to take a heavy weapon on a bike frame is a good option, being able to keep up with the rest of the bikes in your army. Taken as part of a squadron of attack bikes they can prove quite deadly, however there are some issues. The negative modifiers to moving with the heavy weapons is an issue, especially with the single shot meltas. The fact that they also do a similar job to the land Speeder but in some respects not as well, as land speeders can mount 2 weapons and has greater manoeuvrability, being able to jump up on ruins and the like. As part of a bike squad they work well, giving good support but on there own I would be more inclined to take land speeders.

Land Speeder

Land speeders also got a good boost to there survivability this edition. While there are not invincible flying machines they won't give up first blood quite so easily as they did. They also provide a good mobile fire base, being able to take a variety of weapons from anti-infantary through to anti-armour and with the option to take multiply vehicles together, they get even better. However, they suffer one major drawback still, the fact that they suffer from a -1 to hit due to moving. You would have thought with an anti-gravity platform they would be able to move and shoot without penalty. Even so, if I had some speeders then I would be looking to take them, as they enable you to keep some heavy weapon support up with the faster moving elements of your forces, namely jump packs equipped marines. 

Scout Bike Squad

I have always been a bit unsure on scout bikes. They are basically just the same as normal bikes but a little bit cheaper and a little less resilient. I suppose it depends on how you want to run your bikes as to whether you would take scout bikes or marine bikes, although there as some differences in wargear, namely shotguns and grenade launchers and for some reason that I have yet to understand, they get a pistol, shotgun and knife but a full blooded astartes only get a pistol. it seems strange to me that a scout would get all that but not a marine, I would have though that they would have had a knife at least. To me, if your looking for a cheap and mobile objective grabbing unit, then scout bikes are the way to go, maybe with a few grenade launchers thrown in but if your looking for a proper tactical type unit then the marines are better. Personally, I don't see the point in scout bikes and would take marine bikes if I was going to take any.

Inceptor squad

The primaris fast attack unit and as usual it's actually a good unit. Both the weapon option are good choices and do not suffer at all from there short range. Again, as i'm not running primaris marines at the moment, you wont see any of there flying around the table, although I can see why they are a popular choice. A good unit, with good weapon options, if your running primaris, then I would definitely suggest taking theses guys.

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