This week everyone’s favorite Space Vampires got a update with the release of the second installment of the Black Crusade series, Angel’s Blade. The book comes with a boatload of fluff, two new detachments, and several formations which let you use those Blood Angel models in new ways. As with most of these codex updates you have to cut through the chaff to find the gems and today I will be reviewing one of the better formations from the book, the Lucifer Armored Task Force.
Man o’ man am I glad I kept my Predators and Baal Predators. Like most Blood Angel players I shelved my army after the release of the latest codex. The Blood Angels codex was released during the ‘tone it down’ period at the beginning of 7th edition where several codices were released in rapid order with loads of toned down selections that didn’t really make a lot of sense. These include the Grey Knights, the Dark Eldar, the Orks, and the Blood Angels. The Blood Angels in particular seeming to get an unnecessary amount of nerf bat hits which saw their vehicles lose the Fast special rule without having to purchase it and Baal Predators moved to the already crowded heavy support section. If you remember one of the best things the Blood Angels had going for them in 5th edition was fast moving armored fists due to Baal Predators being Fast Attack choices. After reading through the new book, Angel’s Blade, one new formation really stood out to me as being fairly good and seeing as how I still own several Predator variants I am excited to test it out.
The formation is called the Lucifer Armored Task Force.
Here is what it consists of,
1 Techmarine
3-5 units of Predators or Baal Predators
1-3 Units of Land Raider variants
Units in this formation all have the Scout special rule as well as having the overcharged engines, which makes them Fast Vehicles.
PROS
For someone who actually still owns 3 Baal Predators, this is pretty huge. Having scouting Baal Predators that can essentially move 18″ their first turn (12″ scout and 6″ movement) and fire their Heavy Bolters and Assault Cannons for full effect at the enemy is pretty brutal. The old Assault Cannon and Lascannon sponsoned Predators also gain a boost, able to scout into position for the best possible anti-tank shots and move 6″ and still fire all weapons normally. The ability to put a hard hitting assault unit into a Land Raider Crusader or Redeemer and scout 12″, then move 12″ in the movement phase, then flat out 12″ in the shooting phase. Not a bad way to get across the table quickly. You definitely want to put the Techmarine into the Land Raider to take advantage of his ability to repair hull points.
CONS
The minimum amount of points you can spend on this formation is still quite hefty, coming in at 515 points before any updates (Techmarine, 3x Predators with Autocannons, and a Land Raider Redeemer). Throw in some basic upgrades or use Baal Predators and you will be over 600 points in no time. The Scout and over charged engines on Land Raiders is a pretty cool bonus but we are still in 7th edition with Grav Cannon’s on every street corner and first turn Deep Strikes being the new hotness.
Overall I think this formation was a welcome addition for Blood Angel’s players. It allows players to run the old fast armored assault that used to be the mainstay of Blood Angel forces without having to conform to the CAD or unbound play. Let us know what you think of this formation in the comments below.
Nice write up Jason. I think there is going to be some good synergy with the Death Company detachment and there 6″ move. I’m hoping for a threat overload list with scouting tanks, drop pods and Dante himself landing turn 2. The hammer and anvil. Only problem is blood angels certainly aren’t cost efficient, so need to beats lab out those points.
What is everyone else thinking about running?
Quick question, if the vehicle has scout, does the unit inside count as having scouted? So if you scout forward twelve, then move six, can you assualt out of the land raider?
No, per the ITC and GW FAQ’s.
” but we are still in 7th edition with Grav Cannon’s on every street corner and first turn Deep Strikes being the new hotness. ”
Uh, 1st turn anti-tank deepstrike has been a thing ever since meltagun marines in droppods has been around. I still don’t see it as a reason not to run vehicles.
Grav is especially demoralizing though thanks to that immobilized result. Sure it sucks when a deepstriking melta blows up your expensive tank but it’s even sadder to see it sit there stuck all game.
Maulerfiends are the saddest.
Ain’t nothin sadder than an immobilized MaulerFiend
Oh yeah for sure, but I would rather have someone shoot 2 melta guns at my vehicle than get hit by 10 power fist attacks.
Don’t forget you can move 12″ and still fire two weapons at full ballistic skill with the fast rule. Land Raiders could fire three between fast and power of the machine spirit.
I want to run 3 Baal predators with flamestorm and flamers. 3 death company units with Jet packs. and inferno pistols
Run everything up the board. Infernos hopefully pop a transport or two. Flames take out a large swarth then the death company clean up
A flamey landraider would add to it with another assault unit inside.
Fun if the enemy actually deploys anything against it ???
I want to run 3 Baal predators with flamestorm cannons and flamers. 3 death company units with inferno pistols. Run em all up the board, pop a transport or two with the inferno pistols, flame the survivors and assault the rest
Flamey landraider with an assault unit inside would also be fun to add???
If anything deploys against it…
The idea of this formation is pretty cool at least.
The techmarine has scout, grab 5 devs 2 grav cannons and a rhino, put him with dev’s for a poor mans white scar alpha.
Can’t start embarked on a battle bro transport
It’s not battle bros if it’s the same faction.
Good point that.
It’s different detachments yes? Then the rulebook says they would be battlebros the only exception is if you take them as part of a decurion style detachment so they would then become “one detachment”
Where does the rulebook say anything about units from different detachments being battle bros? I can’t seem to find that reference.
All I find is this on page 126 –
“You can include models from any number of different Factions (pg 118) in the same army if you wish. Irrespective of the method you use to choose your army, this section tells you how models from different Factions fight alongside each other.”
“The Allies Matrix below shows the levels of alliance between units that have different Factions in the same army.”
I see the word faction used a lot. I do not see the word detachment used. Even if one is from one formation and one is from another formation or detachment, they’re still the same faction.
I see the word detachment used an awful lot on page 126, we obviously differ on how we interpret this rule, best thing to do is ask GW
Want to provide some rule quotes as evidence? I’m looking at the digital edition right now (my physical copy is at home) and never once do I see the word detachment mentioned under the “Levels of Alliance.” However, I do see Faction mentioned a lot.
It’s not battlebros if its the same faction…? Everything is BA.
Page 126 says armies treat same faction units as battle bros if from a different detachment
That does not make any sense, if i would to take a flyer wing detachment with 3 valkyre (flying transports) I can’t put IG units in them? Or if i take a triple stormraven formation i’m not allowed to put 10 tacticals in them?
Not in my copy it doesn’t. The chart indicates that each Faction interacts with itself as Bros, but the actual text only ever refers to the Level of Alliance Rules applying to Units of differing Factions.
There’s actually no reference to how things are organized into Detachments at all. Following that reasoning strictly, it would thus be impossible to Deploy, say, a SternGuard Squad into a HS Land Raider chosen from the same CAD.
It actually never says that (if I’m wrong feel free to reply with the quote with page number and section).
Detachments aren’t mentioned even though you say they are. If that was actually true, then any sort of formation that includes transports would be useless. You could never deploy troops in them since the troops came from a different formation.
Hmmm…I couldn’t find that. Pretty sure the allies chart only appies to different factions.