Don’t miss this full 40k rules breakdown for the Dark Angels as they are stepping out of the shadows in their new Ritual of the Damned update.
Coming from The Glacial Geek on YouTube, he’s done an incredible breakdown of all the rules and datasheet changes coming inside RItual of the Damned for the three factions. We’ll be breaking down all the tricks, Stratagems, and more for Dark Angels first so sit back, relax, and enjoy.
All The New Dark Angels 40k Rules From Ritual of The Damned
Lazarus’ Datasheet & More
Lazarus is the all-new character for the Dark Angels with a pretty basic Primaris statline you might expect. 6 wounds, 5 attacks base, 3+, nothing super crazy. But where he really stands out is in his wargear and rules. Before we jump into his weapons of choice, check out Intractable Will. He gets to freely fight as he dies if he’s within 1″ of something. That’s a rule all Smash Captains are jealous of.
Being a named character, he’s also coming with some dope wargear. His sword will be able to really hate on Psykers. Being -4 AP, any kind of named Psyker will be forced to take an invuln save. However, if he goes against other Marines and their Librarians, he’ll be able to melt through their armor outright.
Making him even more of a badass, he’s also giving off a 6″ 5+++ FNP to friendly Dark Angels UNITS that would lose a mortal wound. This is really similar to the 5++ invuln save that the Iron Father gave to all units but eventually got nerfed to just help Infantry models.
Will the same fate might lie in wait for Lazarus as well?
You might be thinking, How much does this dude cost?? and to answer that…we don’t know. GW didn’t print his points in the book so we’re sure we’ll see an FAQ soon.
UPDATE: Games Workshop published his points on their Facebook page: He will cost 105 to field.
As for Asmodai, the DA’s named Chaplain, he knows the Litany of Hate and two other litanies from the table in the book as well. That looks to be the only big change to him.
Dark Angels Devastator Doctrine Bonus: Relentless Hunt
Before jumping into the nitty-gritty parts of the book, it’s important to lay the groundwork for what the Chapter will be using at-large. For the Doctrine bonus, Dark Angels have no real reason to ever move outside of the Devastator Doctrine. They get bonuses to Heavy, Rapid Fire, Assault, and Pistol weapons so why ever change? This is definitely the most wide-spread Doctrine bonus that we’ve ever seen come to a Chapter so far.
Best Tabletop & Storage Tools
Dark Angels-Exclusive Litany
Stoic Prosecution is dope for oppressive armies that like to footslog. Maybe a Hellblaster Squad with Plasma Incinerators walking up the board.
Dark Angels Stratagems
Starting off with the first sheet of Stratagems, Dark Angels have a hefty port from the Space Marine book with just a few keyword changes. One of the bonuses to the Ravenwing is High-Speed Focus. Which essentially lets you give 4++ invuln to a unit for just 1CP. They just have to be targetted first.
Deathwing Terminators are bringing in some cheap tricks to the table that might make them a competitive blob to throw down on turn 2. For 1CP, you can give them +1 to hit or make them +1 Toughness for a phase. Honestly, Terminators should probably already be T5, but that’s another story…
Keeping the focus on Deathwing, you can spend another CP for Outnumbered But Never Outmatched to give an entire unit +1 attack if they’re going against a unit that has 10 or more models. This will really help them get over the hump of being bogged down by Orks and Tyranids.
Combined Assault is a great way to make some saucy charges when you deepstrike a Deathwing unit in. They can come in 6″ away from an enemy model, but the Deathwing has to come in within 6″ of a Ravenwing Biker.
Targeting Guidance might be a reason enough to bring a small Ravenwing force with at least one Land Speeder. For 1CP, you get a brutal reroll to hit roll against a unit within 12″ of the Land Speeder. This is a great reroll system to keep in your back pocket in case you don’t have a Chapter Master where he needs to be.
Deathwing & Ravenwing Warlord Traits
Looking toward some of the specialists of the Dark Angels, you’ll be able to choose a few nice Warlord Traits at your disposal. Outrider for the Ravenwing, for example, will let your Warlord and another Ravenwing unit move a free 12″ before any other models move when the game begins. That’s a great way to create some early game pressure. (This is very similar to the Death Company’s Forlorn Fury Strat).
For the Deathwing, Watched is one of the more unique ones we’ve seen any Chapter get. Basically, he gets an auto-pass deny the witch with unlimited range. That’s brutal against psychic-heavy armies where one power might be able to turn the tides of war. Just imagine shutting off Wings of Sanguinius on a Blood Angels Libby Dread about to go in for the kill.
Relics of Caliban
Deathwing love their Termies, and if you bring the Key of Archrabael on an HQ, you’ll make them slightly above the spectrum of Primaris HQs.
One of the more spicy options looks to be the Standard of the Unforgiving Hunt to add more speed to your army. This relic basically gives a 6″ aura of the new Blood Angel Chapter Tactic without the bonus to wound.
If you need a particularly annoying character dropped, the Reliquary of the Repentant is going to be hard to beat. Throw this on a Ravenwing Biker and he’ll be able to worsen the invuln save of a unit he’s in combat with by 1. That’ll be brutal against something like Morty.
As for the Special-issue wargear, you’ve got some decent options as well. Angels Ambit turns your basic auras into 9″ range. Bolts of Judgment is a dope way of squeezing out a near-guaranteed 3 damage against a unit that isn’t a vehicle or monster. Just put this on a Phobos Captain who can already target characters and let him finish off what your Eliminators didn’t.
And there you have it! Dark Angels are getting some pretty hot tricks in the new book. After looking at their Stratagems, you’ll probably want to run a few spatterings of Deathwing and Ravenwing to make use of all their incredibly cheap Stratagems.
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After looking at what the Dark Angels are bringing to the table, what will you be including in your list? What’s the first relic you’re going to try?
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About the Author: Wesley Floyd
Wesley Floyd
Job Title: Staff Writer
Joined: 2018
Socials: @RealmbrushPainting
About Wesley Floyd: Wes has been in the Warhammer hobby since 2015 and joined the Spikey Bits writing team in 2018. He is known for his satirist takes on trending topics and imaginative yet amazingly affordable hobby solutions to painting Warhammer miniatures.
Imperial fanboy, tabletop fanatic, and the self-proclaimed King of Sprues. He knows for a fact that Mephiston red is the best-tasting paint and is the commission painting equivalent of a Wendy’s 4 for $4. If you like what he writes and want to contact him or have your tabletop minatures painted (to a mostly okayish standard), message him on Instagram.
