Dark Angels Codex Review!
Press play to listen to the podcast.
Dark Angels Codex Review!
Good review guys, and you mirror my thoughts very closely. I also agree the Chaos Space Marine codex is a lackluster disappointment. Phil Kelly phoned it in and should be ashamed of himself.
-Jim
Yeah, this book makes me excited while the Chaos book makes me not want to play it. At all.
CSM sux. Its like the book is being rushed. http://apocalypse40k.blogspot.de/2013/01/dark-angels-codex-pictures.html
The cheapness of Dark Vengence bikes on ebay, combined with the awesome sounding rules is really tempting me to start a Ravenwing army!
On the whole sounds awesome, from the sounds of it, no massive lame ducks in there. No Mutilators or Warp Talons.
Yeah, we were really juiced on the first reading. The Black Knights sound pretty boss, maybe too good? We will have to play it out and see, but on the whole, no stinkers really (maybe Belial) and a lot of great units.
I heard Belial has an iron halo in the fluff section but its missing in the army list. Makes his cost a bit more palatable if true. Seems like there’s a number of gaffs like that in the codex (like Nephilim having missile lock on non blast missiles).
I think compairson between CSM and DA has a lot to do with main rules. New changes for CSM is focused on stuff that is weak in 6ed (ar12 walkers, assault, non-ATSKNF elite units, single model buffers) while new DA is focused on stuff that is strong in 6ed (terminators, bikes, shooting, cheap ATSKNF units). Couple that with more flexibility in the new DA dex vs more restrictions in CSM (have to challenge, have to lose gear to become a prince, limited options for dealing with morale issues, they lost flex in cult troops). I also am shocked that DA have a better wargear page. If any army should have a crazy good list of special stuff it seems like it should be Chaos.
I am honestly regretting trading my DV DA for the chaos lol.
Also I kinda like the dark knight grenade launchers. The option to fire rad grenades and stasis grenades before an assault seems pretty cool.
Yeah, those could be really good. I think you are right, maybe having one of those in there is a sound choice, I was just thinking about damage output, but the debuffs may be a bigger net increase in damage. Have to try it out!
Yeah, right? Haha, I am taking a fond look at my old DA models! The book is just so much more flexible and looks like a lot more fun to play.
Belial has an Iron Halo in the iPad version of the codex.
It must have been a typo. I still feel he’s over-costed, but that definitely helps.
Yeah, there was an errata out for the iPad codex on Dec 4th. Glad they are working to fix obvious issues.
Nephilim has Strafing Run but no Missile Lock.
The special edition has it with missile lock. Apparently special edition means sent to the printer before editing 🙂
That’s why it’s special!
Cool, thanks for pointing that out! That clarifies things a lot!
Everyone keeps welcoming Jeremy V to 40k… yet he helped write the RULEBOOK…
Well, forgive me for not acknowledging that. He’s been around for ages, and I like this book so far, so, perhaps not welcome to 40K but welcome to the lime light and to his first Codex.
“HEY EVERYONE HAVE YOU HEARD OF IMPERIAL SPACE MARINES?! They’re not really as popular as we’d like so HERE’S SOME COOL NEW RULES FOR THEM AGAIN!!” – Games Workshop
Quick thing. Belial has flesh bane – not shred. So its not a lightning claw, its a power weapon that wounds on 2’s all the time!! much better.
Ah yes, very good! I misread that, thanks for pointing that out, that is pretty good, actually. Particularly against monstrous creatures and such. Nice, old Belial is looking better!
3rd edition space wolves codex had a rule called blood fued against Tons and DA
Which made the SW to hit and to be hit on a 3+ in combat regardless of weapon skill
* Tson’s, stupid auto correct on phones lol
haha, I hate auto correct, too! But cool, I have a pretty good memory for this stuff, but I didn’t know that, thanks for pointing that out.
Hi Reecius,
Haven’t listened to the podcast yet, so sorry if anything I bring up was already mentioned by you guys.
I just got the codex today and not surprisingly it wrecked that Space Wolves + Dark Angels army that worked so well for me last year…who would have thought that they would take a TH/SS terminator HQ above 130 points and that 5x TH/SS fearless scoring terminators with a cyclone who go above 235 points 😉 I’m bummed even if I expected it.
Belial is now overpriced and you need him to be the primary detachment, and normal terminators with TH/SS got much more expensive and can’t take an apothecary anymore…which got me thinking: Is there any way I can make Belial and TH/SS deathwing squads still viable?
This is the list that has been swimming in my head since I saw the codex:
2k, double DA detachments
1x belial
1x librarian in terminator armor, divination
5x deathwing command squad, 4 TH/SS, 1 chainfist, 1 cyclone launcher, FNP standard
5x deathwing terminator troops, 4 TH/SS, 1 chainfist, 1 cyclone launcher
5x deathwing terminator troops, 4 TH/SS, 1 chainfist, 1 cyclone launcher
5x tactical marine, rocket launcher with flakk missiles
5x tactical marine, rocket launcher with flakk missiles
5x tactical marine, rocket launcher with flakk missiles
5x tactical marine, rocket launcher with flakk missiles
2x whirlwinds
2x predators with all lascannons
Comes up to about 1970 or so
You can start on the board with 17 FNP fearless terminators, 10 rockets, 4 lascannons, 2 twin-linked lascannons, and 2 whirlwind templates.
If you need mobility, you bring in belial turn 1, bring in the other 2 squads with teleport homer turn 2, no scattering on anyone, lots of twin-linked cyclone goodness. Now the opponent has to deal with a FNP army of terminators in the back. Librarian provides some Deny the Witch coverage and tosses re-roll hits on the HQ unit. If you want, you can merge the two Deathwing units and bring the librarian down with them instead, re-rolling hits on 11 guys in that squad instead of 7 in the command squad with belial. In any event, I feel like I would hate this list either as a gunline army or as a CC army (what CC army wants to wade through that many FNP terminators?)
Just my initial thoughts
-Nick W.
Belial is over costed, for sure, IMO. I think he isn’t bad, but definitely pricey. I see more folks going the Ravenwing path this go around and Sammael is awesome and the bikers are just great.
I am not sold on the Flakk missiles, but in the configuration you are running them, that actually does look pretty solid as you have target saturation to keep them alive and 4 warm bodies protecting each one.
I really like DA though, and despite the changes (which sucks for your specific list) I think they are going to be a very powerful book. I think a grab bag list with some synergy units is going to be a really strong contender.
To protect a standard, I think I’m tempted to put a unit in a Rhino, Razorback, or Landraider.
I’m tempted to take the plain veteran marines and take the devistation banner, then have 10-man tacticals in Rhino’s, should be able to get to where you want to be by turn 2 (turn one, drive up and get out, turn two, begin the hail of bolter fire). Depends on your target.
Having the banner in a vehicle increases the range of the banner by the footprint difference of the vehicle and gives some anti-snipe protection as long as the vehicle hasn’t blown up.
You could put a techmarine in the vehicle too to repair it???
5 Veteran Marines with Bolters and a Banner is 165pts, 55 for a HB Razor back, 75 for a lasback.
wait wait wait….
A hurricane bolter counts as 3 twin-linked bolters, thus if the flyer was within 6″ of the banner, would it get 24 S4 AP5 twin-linked shots? (2x3x4)
—
Also, Bikes, twin-linked relentless bolters?
I would read it that yes, they do. Don’t forget to measure vertically too, with the Flyers, though.
That is a really good idea, and a good use for a Godhammer Land Raider. However, now you’re talking about a HUGE points investment. A Techmarine even more so. The thing i worry about with a LR though, is it getting one shotted by a Las Cannon or such, that always seems to be the death of it.
I think hiding the banner in a ruin is a good choice as it hopefully keeps you out of LoS, and if you are not on the top level, it also keep you safe from barrage weapons.
I just realized, for 30 points you can have a dude inside with that 3″ all models get a 4++ save. Works with a Razorback too. Razorback with a 4++ save, probably some guys on foot huddled in that 6″ diameter, getting a 4++ save and salvo 2/4. Now if only I can weasel in some slow-and-purposeful dude into a tactical squad.
Belial’s Sword isn’t a master crafted lightning claw, it has fleshbane, always wounding on a 2+ with ap 3 is nothing to be laughed at to be honest, not to mention it’s not a specialist weapon so no drawback to his pistol granting an attack. He does have an Iron Halo, and makes your termies port in without scatter, not to mention has a teleport homer himself, in case you leave a squad or 2 out of the DW assault in reserves to back him up (not something I’ll expect to see often, but an option nonetheless).
Totally correct, I got belials weapon wrong, it is a lot better than we had thought initially.