Hey everyone, Reecius here to share some experiences with the new Dark Angels in practice!
I must say, they’ve exceeded my expectations! I felt that they would be good, but you need to play a new army to really get a feel for it. We broadcast the game live on our Twitch Channel, for anyone that is interested in watching. Every Tuesday and Thursday night, at 7:00pm PST.
The Black Knights, as expected, were extremely powerful. They have a combination of speed, firepower, melee ability and special rules that make them a cornerstone unit, and one I expect to see in most DA lists. I ran mine in a unit of 6 a s a command squad, for the added benefit of the Apothecary, and with an Interrogator Chappy on a bike to grant them Fearless and Zealot, in addition to providing a few tank wounds. I was very pleased with the combo.
I teamed them up with the Ravenwing Support Formation which really proved to be excellent. Again, they exceeded my expectations. I thought it would be solid on paper, but it was better even than I had hoped. The 3 Typhoons with the Darkshroud was such a great combo, with rerollable Jinks on the unit, plus stealth and the buff to nearby units, they proved to be ultra durable. Their firepower was excellent, too! I was happy to put my Typhoons on the table, again. I think the added benefits of Interceptor and being able to deny the enemy overwatch, will be incredibly useful in some match ups.
I had a base of Scouts as my troops, and the little buggers kicked some butt! I have always enjoyed playing Scout bases lists and in this edition, they really outshine most other troop choices by a mile. The improvement to WS/BS4 on Scouts in general (sorry, BA!) is such a big boost!
I also through in a unit of Deathwing just to use the iconic Terminators. They are certainly better, but still not what I would call great, unfortunately. They performed well for me, but I could see them really struggling in certain missions. However, with the benefits gained from Grim Resolve, Deathwing and their Ravenwing buddies, I think they can find a place in many lists.
I am curious to try out Dark Angels with Astra Militarum or Skitarii, which I think will make exceptional allies for them.
So far, I am really enjoying Dark Angels and I think they will be a big hit with both casual and competitive players. My only strong complaint is their lack of AA, but that is easily remedied with allies.