Is it time for new Blood Angels rules? Looking at the army, which is the best way to play? Shooty or melee? Check out these ideas.
While all the new Space Marines are running around with their codex supplements, we’ll be going through some of the codex Chapters and looking at the best potential list ideas there can be. With that said, Blood Angels are leading the charge. However, they could use some new rules just like thier Codex Marnie brothers…
Blood Angels are Melee Bruisers
Thanks to the Red Thirst Chapter Tactic, they get +1 to wound in melee against whatever they’re hitting. This is a huge deal as S5 things are wonding T3 screens on a 2+, for example. However, is it best to capitalize on the melee front? Or gear towards shooting and anything that finds itself in combat should be able to fight on its own.
The Scope on Melee Focused Lists
If you make a list solely dedicated to capitalizing on your melee bonus, your shooting phase might be a little lackluster. However, whenever it’s time for comabt to start, there is hands-down no better Chapter. Death Company can be given thunder hammers to topple a Knight or chainswords to obliterate screens. And that is just one unit that fits many roles. However, there are some drawbacks.
- There is no guarantee you’ll be able to make your charges from the get-go
- Deepstriking melee units still need a 9+ on 2D6 for the charge (barring any Stratagems).
- Your opponent can spend 2Cp to interrupt and kill a freshly-charged unit.
Looking at the 8th edition meta, right now, it favors a shooting army. You’ll be forced to run across a field at Caladius/Guard/Knight/Marine gun lines with no cover to help you. Plus, you may be slowed down even more with layers of Guard screens or Drone swarms. All in all, getting to combat is tricky and it seems like there are too many “what-ifs” that could happen to make things not worth it.
The Scope of Shooting Lists
Let’s say you go for a shooting list. By doing this, you’ll be able to have a solid shooting phase but still have a decent combat phase just on the Red Thirst rule alone. Just because you have the Red Thirst doesn’t mean you need three squads of Death Company going 110% rip and teary. Rather, if you bring a bunch of Blood Angels Primairis Intercessors/Infiltrators, for example, they are both units that get 2 attacks a pop and +1 for Shock Assault. That’s 3 attacks per model wounding T4 things on a 3+. Those aren’t bad odds at all. Against most things in a Primaris weight-class, they’ll be leaving with a bloody nose only to be shot at the unit they fell back from next turn.
Long story short, it looks like Blood Angels lists could be raking in more value if they brought ranged firepower and let whatever is in combat deal with it using good old-fashioned fisticuffs. Now, that’s not to say that Blood Angels shouldn’t keep a few Slam Captains around. They are a 32mm “get out of jail free” card that is too valuable to pass up.
What do you think about the Blood Angels Chapter Tactic? Do you prefer to go all-melee? Or have you found better outcomes and ranged-focus lists using units that can hold their own in melee as well?
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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.
