How 3rd Company fell to the Black Rage — or how I decided to stop worrying about hyper-efficiency and built a list for Fun.
Thanks to a generous benefactor I’ve officially stepped into 30k with my first Betrayal At Calth box and some super awesome Blood Angels upgrades. However, this isn’t a tale about my 30k list, nope, it’s a story about my 40k list.
You might be saying, “How the what!?”
“Yo dawg,” it’ll make sense in just a minute.. So, since I’ll have an influx of shiny new Tactical Marine’s and probably Assault Marines eventually, combined with the fact that there are no Death Company in 30k, I’ve decided that my entire Company of Blood Angels will Fall to the Black Rage. Tell me that’s not Fluffy as F*#&. (I mean, I can always use my 30k in 40k so no need to worry about a lack of Red models) So how do I represent that?
Restriction 1: Build a list with a metric ton of Death Co.
Obviously, Blood Angels haven’t been able to take Death Company as Troops since our new book dropped which made me Sad. I single drop of a blood dripping from my eye sad. However, enter Death Storm. Two troops Selections, both of them Death Company. KaChing.
Negative #1: Cassor is more expensive than both Scouts and Troops, plus he’s a dreadnought. He’s not super effective. Nonetheless he’s a badass model.
Negative #2: Raphen’s Death Co. is also super expensive but with a boat load of rules and being Troops in my mind makes it worthwhile.
So, with these two guys I have a couple options on how to start my Force Org to be Full Death Company.
Editor’s Note: The rest of this is old 7th Edition 40k tactics that don’t really apply to the current edition.
Option 1: Go CAD, get OBSEC Death Co., So then I could stick them in the backfield out of line of sight on objectives and just wait. But it’s a lot of points for a backfield objective holder plus Death Company holding an objective isn’t Fluffy at all. Fluff Factor 0.
Option 2: I could go with a Flesh Tearer’s Force because well, only 1 Troop Selection. Of course, I lose the Elite Slot and then I could kit out my Death Company with all Manner of Infernus Pistols and hand Flamers. Maybe bring the Culuxes in a drop pod for Anti-Psyker fun. Fluff Factor 9.
Option 3: Go Baal Strike Force, get access to ANOTHER elite slot and even more Raging Marines, full 15 man squads x 4 is 60 DC marines, sounds tough. I’d still have options to add the SM Land Raider formation and just go Baal’s out Assault. Fluff Factor 10.
Option 4: Grab a Baal Strike Force, Grab a Flesh Tearers Force, and have 7 slots for Death Company, and 8 slots of Fast Attack Drop Pods. Here, I could put all my DC in Drop Pods, kit up a bunch of with Bolters and go to town with up to 7 squads of Death Co. coming in turn one that’s to Drop Pod Assault rules shenanigans and Empty Drop Pods. While fairly neat, with interceptor being the way that it is, could go south rather quickly. Or I could do 7 MSU squads of Death Co. in jump packs, which, could actually be pretty good but then again, I’m forced to bring at least a unit of scouts and to fill up those extra slots of Death Co. I’d have to bring 3 squads of scouts. Fluff Factor 7.
I decided to go with Option 3, Baal Strike Force.
Then HQ’s, So many choices.
Corbulo, is solid, plus +1 imitative and weapon skill bubble would make the Death Co. even better and maintain the initiative and weapon skill advantage after the assault. Fluff Factor 7
A Regular Sanguinary Priest would also be solid, +1 WS is always good, also cheaper, but the FNP is rather wasted on a bunch of Death Company. Fluff Factor 7
The Sanguinor would work great too, the +1 attack bubble is nice but only 6” and Death Co. isn’t lacking in attacks. Fluff wise, would there ever be a more dire need for the Blood Angels than an entire company falling to the Black Rage on the even of battle? Probably not. Fluff Factor 9.5
Mephy/Librarian: The Psychic phase is go big or go home. I could bring Mephy and another ML2 Psyker; the Utility would be INSANE. However, 5 dice base versus Eldar, Grey Knights, Librarius Conclave, or Demons could make their utility go poof. Fluff Factor 7.
Tycho/Captain: A regular captain would be neat, A storm shield, artificer Armored, Angel Wing wearing Captain dressed up as a Death Co. Marine would be Amazing looking but other than that doesn’t give the unit much else. Tycho would be fluffy, other than the fact that he’s dead, would be fun. I built 3rd Company so that fits as well, but historically and fluff wise a bit difficult to justify; I’m trying to represent a future falling of an entire Company. Plus, utility wise, Tycho just doesn’t do much for the Army nor does he havea jump pack. Fluff Factor 8.
Astorath /Chaplain: Lets face it, if anyone is going to sense to there when an entire Company falls it’s Astorath. A regular Chappy would do as well if I needed the points, plus relics. However, Re-roll to hit and wound. Check Please. Fluff Factor 10.
Elites, obviously, Death Company x 4, but wait, what about Lemmy?
Lemartes, would be amazing. His model is top notch and similar to the Chaplain he’s a solid choice. However, he’s expensive in both points cost, 130 points, and FOC wise as his slot prevents me from taking up to 15 more Death Co. Marines.
The good news is that a full squad of 15 marines with Jump Packs costs 345 points, base. If I’m bringing Cassor and Raphen there’s just not enough points at 1850 so Lemartes is in.
My list, has 43 Death Company, Raphen and Co., Cassor, Lemartes, Astorath, and a Sanguinary Prist with the Angels wings because Astorath needs FNP and the wing is a solid buy.
But what about Dante?!? Yes, he’s a solid choice too, I just figured he’d delegate this situation to Astorath.
Alternatively, I also made a list with Land Raiders as Transports instead of Jump Packs; which, obviously means no Lemartes and no Astorath. (Dear GW, can you please let jump packs fit in a Land Raider, thanks!)
If I’m bringing Land Raiders I might as well bring the Land Raider Spear head. Add in Corobulo because well, 6” bubble from the hull of a Land Raider is good. I think Mr. Gabriel Seth would make a solid addition to this list. An Inquisitor with Rad grenades and a bunch of Axes would double tough Marines on the Charge thanks to furious charge; and chainswords would do work at Str 5 versus Tough 3 models who would then be Tough 2. Why would an inquisitor be there? Well, he’s a random inquisitor, maybe he had a psyker make the entire Company go nuts because his master plan is to rid the universe of the obviously “unpure” Blood Angels.
Moral of the story, have fun with your list, there’s a million ways to make one, you don’t’ have to go all out efficient but you don’t have to completely hamstring yourself either and even being as strict as I was I was able to think up at least half a dozen variants of the same list.
Unit next time my friends, Stay Fluffy!
About the Author: Felix Fimbres
