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Blood Angels Codex: Points Changes & Psychics

Blood Angels cover

With the Blood Angels Codex now available for pre-order, we have even more information as what rules and points changes are inside!

It has been a week rich with information concerning the upcoming Blood Angels Codex.

First off we had Games Workshop’s Twitch previews Friday:

chaplain blood angels hor

Thanks to winters SEO’s review, we now have more information regarding changes to points costs and datasheets; some new Stratagems that are unique to the Blood Angels, new psychic powers and changes to the existing ones, new Warlord Traits, and Relics.

The section below includes all the new information we have gathered from Winters’ review. To see our complete coverage, continue to scroll down.

Stratagems

  • Forlorn Fury Stratagem: For 2 CP, use this strat at the start of the battle but before the first turn has begun. You can move one of your Death Company units and even Advance as if it were the Movement phase. This strat can only be used once.
  • Descent of Angels Stratagem: For 2 CP, when a Blood Angels Jump Pack unit deepstrikes in, you can roll 3D6 to determine that unit’s Charge distance instead of 2D6

Warlord Traits (these apply to all unnamed characters as named characters have their own)

  • Soul Warden: You can attempt to resist one psychic power with your Warlord or one one more if your Warlord already has the capability of resisting.
  • Heroic Bearing: Friendly Blood Angels units auto-pass Morale checks if they are within 6″ of your Warlord.
  • Selfless Valor: Your Warlord can perform a Heroic Intervention if he is within 6″ on an enemy unit instead of 3″. If he does so, he can move 6″ instead of 3″.

Relics of Baal

  • Hammer of Baal: essentially a Thunder hammer that is not unwieldy.
  • The Angels Wing: Jump Pack Model only: you can re-roll failed Charge rolls for the bearer and your opponent cannot perform Overwatch against them.
  • Gallian’s Staff: Add +1 to bearer’s psychic test if when they attempt to manifest Smite. It has the same stats as a Force Staff.

Psychic Powers

  • Blood Boil has been changed to having a 6″ range and being able to roll 2D6 if manifested.. If the roll exceeds the target’s Toughness characteristic, it suffers D3 mortal wounds. If the result of the 2D6 roll is more than double the target’s Toughness characteristic, it suffers an automatic 3 mortal wounds.
  • Shield of Sanguinius has been changed to have a +5 invulnerable save instead of a 4+ invulnerable save.
  • The Quickening: Warp Charge value of 7. If manifested add +3 to the Advance and Charge rolls made for the psyker and make D3 additional attacks with the psyker in the Fight phase until the next Psychic phase.

Points Costs & Datasheets Changes

  • Death Company and all named characters have had no points costs changes.
  • Librarian is now 88 points, down from 93.
  • Tech Marine is now 45 points, down from 58.
  • Baal Predator is now 100 points, down from 107
  • Storm Raven Gunship is now 192 points, up from 172.
  • Whirlwind is now 70 points, down from 75.
  • Vindicator is now to 125 points, down from 135.
  • Sanguinary Guard’s power level rose to 12 from 10. They did drop to 20 points from 22.
  • Frag Cannon is now 34 points, up from 19.
  • Tycho has the Dead Man’s Hand close combat attack that is -2AP, 1 Damage.
  • Sanguinary Priests can take Jump Packs again. But there is no datasheet for Sanguinary Priest on bike.
  • Blood Talons for Furioso Dreadnoughts are now Strength 4 instead of x2, -2AP, and do a flat 3 Damage. You can re-roll failed hit and wound rolls with this weapon.

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Below are our previous articles that cover both segments of the Blood Angels Codex live stream with developer Wade Pryce, Rhu, and Ceri and what Games Workshop revealed leading up to the Twitch livestream preview.

  • Cataphractii and Tartaros Terminator armor are now included in the codex. They have a +4 invulnerable save. They can take double lightning claws. No Tartaros Captain option.
  • Blood Angel Terminator-specific Strat: Strike of the Archangels. *The image for this strat is below in our previous article.*
  • Sanguinary Guard Stratagem: Behold the Golden Host – it extends the Death Mask aura to 12″.
  • Assault Marine Troops are still listed as Fast Attack.
  • Lots of options for Blood Angel army lists with 77 datasheets to choose from.
  • You can have a Death Company Leader with the Death Visions of Sanguinius Stratagem. *The image for this strat is below in our previous article.*
  • Terminator Captain in Cataphractii Armor datasheet is now included in this codex.
  • Blood Angels Psychic Powers: Wings of Sanguinius is back. Unit can make a 12″ flying move in its Psychic phase. Blood Lance: pick a visible enemy model within 12″ and draw a line. Any models in the path can take damage with a warp charge of 6 and 5+ inflicts a mortal wound.

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  • Contemptor Dreadnoughts have been added to the Blood Angel unit selection.
  • Some Stratagems in the Blood Angels Codex come from the Space Marine Codex and there are 13 unique Stratagems.
  • Lucifer Pattern Engines Stratagem: Use before Advancing with a Blood Angels vehicle other than a Blood Angel Dreadnought or a flying vehicle, you can increase the movement of chosen vehicle by 6″ or D6 + 6 if you are a Baal Predator.
  • Vengeance for Sanguinius Stratagem: on a hit roll of 6+ against Heretic Astartes will generate an extra attack. When targeting Black Legion units, you generate an extra attack on a 4+.
  • Relics: The Archangel’s Shard – Strength is equal to the user. -3AP and 1 Damage. If attacking a Monster, you do D3 Damage, If the Monster is also a Demon, you D6 Damage.
  • Warlord Traits: Speed of the Primarch – Your Warlord can fight first in the Fight phase, even if her did not charge.  Artisan of War: add +1 damage to any weapon that you choose to use for your Warlord.
  • Mephiston has access to Red Thirst.
  • Inferno pistols are now 9 points, down from 20. Hand Flamer is now 1 point, down from 8. Angelus Boltgun
  • Librarian Dreadnought is 130 points, down from 150. 80 points for a Furioso Dreadnought, down from 122.

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  • New Codex discusses new Successor chapters and will allow to create one. They cannot use relics save for one that is made from the shard of Sanguinius’ sword.
  • More lore concerning the various Blood Angel Successor chapters is contained inside the codex.
  • The theme of this codex will be the introduction of Primaris Marines to the chapter and what this means for the revival of the Blood Angels chapter.
  • Death Company has new strat that will apply to a character model that has succumbed to to the black rage be fore the battle and will allow to apply Death Company rules and traits to said character. Can be used on a character, chaplain, and lieutenants and not any Primaris.
  • Red Rampage Stratagem: allows you to add D3 to the Attack characteristic for a Blood Angel Character to charge that turn.
  • There is a new Blood Angels Primaris Lieutenant model, Lt. Tolmeron. No new Blood Angels models.
  • Unless there is a datasheet for it, special and unique characters cannot use a bike.
  • The codex is quite comprehensive and will have all applicable models, vehicles, and weapon options when it comes to datasheets. There are also many little changes to said datasheets.
  • Blood Angels Dreadnoughts will have access to meltaguns.
  • Sanguinary Ancient has his own datasheet.
  • Terminator Ancient is now a character.
  • Death Company rules:  re-roll failed to hit roills for all units within 6″ of Sanguinary Guard units. Enemy units suffer -1 to Leadership when within 3″ of anyone wearing a Death Mask.
  • Lamenters have been brought up to date as have all Blood Angel successor chapters.
  • Centurions are not part of the Blood Angles forces. Some units that have been added are the Storm Talon Gunship and the Storm Hawk Interceptor.

 

Blood Angels artwork

There is also a solid amount of art work that demonstrate the current state of the Blood Angels in the 41st Millennium.  Games Workshop  previewed the Blood Angels throughout the week, and from the looks of it there’s some big, big changes incoming. Let’s take a look at what the latest preview for the Blood Angels.

The Blood Angels are among the most distinct of the Space Marine Chapters, and their new codex reflects this with a vast suite of new rules, units, Stratagems and more designed to reflect the fast-paced, aggressive style of war favoured by the sons of Sanguinius.

Firstly, Blood Angels are fittingly blessed with a melee-focused army wide special rule, the Red Thirst:

Blood Angels Red Thirst

The Red Thirst gives all Blood Angels units +1 to wound when they charge, are charged or make a Heroic Intervention. With the new wound roll chart, this makes getting 2+ to wound that much easier, as well as helping your smaller units damage even your enemies’ toughest monsters and vehicles with ease.

The Blood Angels codex is also absolutely packed with new units. As you’d expect, Blood Angels now have access to the entire Primaris Space Marines arsenal, but what you might not know is that this codex also broadens the Blood Angels range of traditional Space Marines weapons and units.

There are loads of Stratagems to use with your Blood Angels army. These have been designed to open up new and thematic ways to structure and use your army. Death Visions of Sanguinius, for instance, lets you give one Captain, Lieutenant or Chaplain the dubious blessings of the Black Rage:

Blood Angels Death Visions

Strike of the Archangels is great for gunning down squads of massed infantry, and is especially deadly if you make the charge on the turn you arrive.

Blood Angels Strike Of Archangels

Upon Wings of Fire is a great way to grab an objective at the last minute, pull an at-risk squad out of combat or get a particularly deadly unit into position for a devastating charge.

Blood Angels Upon Wings Fire

There are new psychic powers, too. You may remember Wings of Sanguinius from the previous edition. This power is back and just as dangerous as it was before when used with the Librarian Dreadnought.

Blood Angels Wings Of Sanguinius

Indeed, Librarian Dreadnoughts, and the rest of your characters, are now eligible for many powerful Warlord Traits and Relics. Artisan of War is a superb way to build deadly characters, and combined with a Primaris Captain can give you an auto bolt rifle that does 3 damage a shot! Gift of Foresight, on the other hand, provides some extra durability:

Blood Angels Artisan of War Blood Angels Gift of Foresight

For Relics, you’ll be able to choose between lethal, master-crafted weapons of the Chapter and more tactical options. We love the Veritas Vitae, providing you with a great way to maximise your Command Points, while the Standard of Sacrifice combined with the Sanguinary Ancient to create a fantastic lynchpin for the rest of your forces.

Blood Angels Veritas Vitae Blood Angels Standard of Sacrifice

This completes what we know about the new Blood Angels Codex to date. We are sure that more information will be released before it launches next Saturday. Blood Angels are looking a little intimidating at this time. They are shaping up to be a strong and deadly force to see on the tabletop.

What do you think about the Blood Angels Codex? Were you hoping for more unique units, points changes, stats changes, etc.? Let us know in the comments below!

 

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About the Author: Juan Lopez