Compulsory.

I like the idea of making them "free", that is somehow included in cost of other units as with Avatar. OTOH I guess that's a nightmare to balance properly (though oddly enough 40k managed it).

I'd say that Death Company defines Blood Angels more than Dante. Dante is going to kick the bucket sooner rather than later, there have been others before him and will be others after him (as long as there's Imperium). Death Company exemplifies the fate and the curse of the Blood Angels.

Of course if you make it a good formation like terminators it would be nigh compulsory - rather than something you don't like but have to take. But only nigh compulsory. You don't have to take them, just like you don't have to take terminators.

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Optional.

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Optional.

In addition to the points on flexibility (other chapters may have an assault marine bias) and the more recent BA flavor leaning to assault marines over DC, even the most die-hard, old-skool Death Company canon says that the DC is a rare event.  It's only supposed to happen on the eve of major battles, when the BAs have lots of time to brood on the upcoming conflict.  It's supposedly rare enough that the BAs are able to keep the geneseed flaw secret from the rest of the Imperium.  There's no way it should present every single time, even at Epic scale (let alone the insanity of having it in every squad skirmish in 40K).

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Neal

Separate question...

What is the focus of the list going to be?  I think that's the most pressing question in light of more recent 40K developments and it needs to drive development.

Right now the Epic list is an SM list with armor close support and, to a lesser extent, assault marine support.  However, it seems a large number of people consider the current BA background direction to be solidly towards assault marines, assault marines and more assault marines.

If it's going to be an assault marine list, then I stick with my suggestion that TRC quoted.  Make the Assault Marine formation large enough and flexible enough to carry the workload for the list, on par with Tactical detachments.

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Neal

I don't think it should be an all out assault marine list. Latest 40k developments for Blood Angels took a decidedly unfluffy direction with making it all about assault marines. Blood Angels don't even have that many more assault marines than other chapters - in addition to standard 18 assault squads in the chapter they have up to ten assault veteran squads (in practice probably rarely more than five given that some if not most vets also appreciate wearing Terminator Armor).

Barring creating jump pack vet formations which probably shouldn't and won't be done, making Tactical and Scout formations better in CC would actually be fluffier and more consistent with the background than blindly following 40k trends.

Compulsory.

Death Company makes a big part of what makes Blood Angels and their successor chapters so distinctive.

Cheers

James

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I'd go with compulsory too and a fixed size.

Blood Angels aren't all about Assault Marines. They even aren't all about CC.

They TEND to be much in CC and favour Assault Marines. Thats a bit different.

Yes they don't have more Assault Squads than other Codex Chapters but they have Veterans with Jumppacks (in essence they favour Vanguard Veterans over Sternguard Veterans). But tend to use Assault Squads when they are available.

Where other Chapters reinforce their Battle Companies with Tactical or Devastator Squads the Blood Angels wil first look to adding Asault Squads from the Reserve Companies or Vanguard Veterans.

To represent this i would suggest to allow Assault Marines as upgrade to every formation. Perhabs introducing Vanguard Veterans as a new unit in addition to Death Company, Furioso Dreadnought and Baal Predator.

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I do see there being potential for a bigger starring role for Assault Marines in this list.

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Can we name Land Speeder Shadow correctly already?

It is actually called Land Speeder Storm.

The last thing we need is to start messing about with sternguard and vanguard their just veteran marines by another name to sell more  models. Veteran marines aren't needed in epic and neither is every stupid 40k move - especially ones that are so obviously just to flog more models

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I don't think veterans are a way to go. However I do think that Honour Guard could be implemented - due to the facts that it both looks absolutely wicked and is easy to differentiate from other assault troops in their golden armor.

"Any formation that includes a character may take 1 (2?) stands of Honour Guard for X points. The character must be included in an Honour Guard unit."

They'd be Assault marines with an extra attack, MWCC, MWFF, Inspiring, Leader, Invulnerable save or whatever else. Maybe they could also take Rhinos instead of jump packs as with Death Company (well Death Company does that the other way around but you know what I mean).

Blood Angels have long been able to take Veteran Assault Marines. It is not a new introduction designed to sell more W40k minatures. So I would be happy if there were Veteran Assault Marines in Blood Angels list.

I quite like the idea of them being an upgrade. Just because Blood Angels have increased tendancy towards close combat does nt mean that they are completely close combat focused.

Cheers

James

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