I don't know, when for 350 points you can have a Landing Craft, letting you put formations on the ground with their free Rhinos (Just as fast barring Skimmer) and also having an extra activation and roughly comparable firepower to several Stormravens (Twin Lascannons, Twin Heavy Bolters with AA, excellent Firefight, not to mention reinforced armour)...

I can't see a unique niche for them as true aircraft... surely they just end up in the same awkward slot as Thunderhawk Transporters as compared to Landing Craft in that situation.

And don't forget, to get them to drop, you need to buy a Spacecraft (more points) and then not use the awesome Drop Pods but instead use skimmers that aren't as tough or as shooty as a Thunderhawk Gunship.

Definitely going to make their missile shots 5+ though.


But 100pts, for weaponless drop pods with no Deathwind attack that only carry 2 units per pod?
No, that wouldn't be all that awesome at all.

_________________
Currently doing a plastic scenery kickstarter

Aye, but those guys aren't getting to engage an enemy already BM'd up and possibly denuded by Deathwind attacks (unless you're also slamming Podding formations into the area too... in which case you've just sent 1000pts+ against a single enemy formation... in which case, you deserve to win this one!!!).

_________________
Currently doing a plastic scenery kickstarter

This one's for Neal, Marine Assault craft prototype (not master model) as seen at FW open day:

_________________
Currently doing a plastic scenery kickstarter

Artillery hits area and the average-armoured Stormravens (With embarked infantry, apparently!) come under fire, or the targetted formation moves out of Engagement range... that looks even worse to me than just Engaging straight away without BM'ing the target formation first.

=====

Okay so to get back on track, this is what I'm mulling for 2.09:


- Allowing Stormravens as transport choices for Death Company, Tactical, Devastator, Assault, and maybe also Scout Marines.
- Creating a Predator Formation of 4 Baal Predators (300 points) as the new Codex makes it clear that the Blood Angels use their Baal Predators in seperate armoured formations. Permitted Upgrades would be Commander, Fast Attack and Heavy Support.
- Reduce Stormraven's Missile attack from 4+ to 5+. Also drop range down to 60cm.
- Possibly bring back Bike formation, but with a 0-1 restriction (per 3k points).
- Possibly raise points cost on Devastators by 25pts (Am marginal on this one but it's worth raising as a possibility).
- Return Death Company to being a "1" choice rather than "0-1". As Rug has pointed out to me via email, those who don't want to consider them as Death Company can count them as Vanguard Veterans or Sanguinary Guard.

- Remove the current Death Company rule as it's not really doing much currently, and replace it with an army wide Special Rule something like this:




Thoughts on each point if you please, gents.

_________________
Currently doing a plastic scenery kickstarter

That red thrist rule seems way too complicated. Why not make it like the suggestion for the world eaters; failed activation = engage rather than hold.

Also, only aircraft can Stand Down.

Worth considering, but it's not my favoured solution as it doesn't really represent the trouble the Blood Angels have in their command and control and carrying out orders.

Plus Blood Angels suffering from the Red Thirst will often not recognize their squadmates and attack them (That'd be their 4+ initiative causing repeated Hold orders to be undertaken until they manage to pass an order, then).

Having a bonus to Marshalling represents them taking the time to cool down, the loss in firepower or movement speed as compared to other orders being representational of only half the squad being operational, whilst the other half is holding Brother Nutcase in an armlock until he stops frothing at the mouth.


It's to cover Thunderhawk or Landing Craft pilots who get frustrated not fighting (Fail an activation). When suffering from the Red Thirst they'd get the choice between spending a turn flying in circles cooling their head, risking a failed order when trying to strafe the enemy conventionally with their guns, or giving in to the Thirst and Engaging.

_________________
Currently doing a plastic scenery kickstarter

I shall.

_________________
Currently doing a plastic scenery kickstarter

This may be seen as utterly heretical, and I'm sure I can hear blood-raged howls already, but if you're trying to represent "trouble... in thier command and control", why not give them initiative 2+, with a +1 to Engages, and the "Engage on Hold" thing?

I'm not convinced it's too complicated.

The rule as I have proposed it out has several different clauses, each laid out seperately and clearly.

And, as noted, it tries to represent the way in which the Red Thirst waxes and wanes in the psyche of a Blood Angel, rather than just "they enjoy Engagements"...

...under normal circumstances a Blood Angel is just as reliable as any Marine. Only when the Thirst takes hold do they start disobeying orders.

I could see Engage orders having a +x bonus to be undertaken, rather than being automatic, actually, in order to again show the possibility that the Blood Angels will disobey their orders (Hold) as one of the squadmembers goes insane and disrupts the battleplan.

_________________
Currently doing a plastic scenery kickstarter

A broken formation suffering from the Red Thirst cannot rally when within 30cm of the enemy, while a non-broken one will only rally on a 5+.

Is that your intention? If not, then complications have already arisen.

I still think, if you're trying to show "command and control difficulties", having a 2+ base initiative is something to look at, regardless of some modifier for Engages.

Sure, and isn't that a "1 in 6 chance" of happening in 40k? That seems to map directly from the 100% reliable Marine with 1+ init, to the *mostly* reliable Blood Angel at 2+ init! *laugh*

Put in +1 to Engages and you're "strongly encouraging" a Blood Angel style of play.