Thursday, December 3, 2009

Wednessday Top 10 - First Edition - 10 things I want out of the Blood Angels Release

1. Cheaper Units
When I first started 40K just over a year ago I was intrigued by the Sons of Sanguinius and proceeded to paint all my freshly bought marines blood red, quickly ordering death company and Chaplain Lemartes. Then the 5th ed Space Marine dex was released. I fell in love, forgot all about my BA's and embraced the new dex in full force.

250 points for 10 assault marines is just to much make them better or drop the cost. Same goes for tactical squads. compared to the Marine dex they are just too expensive and this is my major problem with the BA dex, you spend so many points on troops its hard to cram in support. This would be fine if the troops were superior but the advantage of taking assault marines as troops does not make up for this.

2. Plastic, Plastic, Plastic
Although people will disagree with me I always prefer plastic models. They are easier to customize, reuse parts, repair, I could make an entire article out of this.
Specifically I want to see the Furioso and Baal Predator. Make them plastic, drop the cost.

3. Beefed up Assault Squads
Blood Angels are the masters of assault. their Assault Marines are troops, but they cost more that 20% more than marine ones, ok fair enough they're troops, But how are they better? What reason apart from fluff do you have to take them over Tactical Marines? in Codex Space Marines Tactical Marines are never a useless unit, Bolters, Krak Grenades, free heavy and special weapons they have an answer for everything. Assault Marines however lack the same versatility.

Give them special weapons, give them more options. Even the option to take bolt guns or something. Show the players what makes the blood Angels assault marines so much better.

4. More Fluff
The 4th ed codex that you can download is almost a fluff black hole. Who are these characters, why should I care about them? Do I have take the book over to the computer and look them up on lexicanum? Who are the Blood Angels? How are they organised? How do they fight? What makes them stand out more than other codexless chapters like the Salamanders, Imperial Fists, Raven Guard and Iron Hands?

5. Heroic Intervention
There is not a single rule in any dex that screams BA's more. Give this to veterans and while your at it have a long hard think about giving it to the death company and their jump pack chaplains.

6. Better Psychic Powers.
BA's have 3 psychic powers which range from situational to damn near pointless.
I have been hearing whispers of good things in this department

7. Upgrade Sprues
The DA's have them, the BT's have them, and they are fricken awesome. I even see people who don't play those chapters buying them.

8. Bonuses For Playing Like a BA Commander
When I think assault the first thing that comes to mind is Orks, the next Nids, then Daemons, then Korne Berzerkers and so on. BA's don't really have the same weight in assault as other assault armies do. When I play BA's I want to be able to play aggressively, take the fight to the enemy with out getting wiped out.

9. Make the Units Match the Fluff
BA's are a Codex Chapter that are good in assault. Great. But the units are the same as ultra marines, just you get assault marines instead of scouts as troops. Scouts infiltrate, out flank, they cause disruption amongst the enemy, assault marines charge straight in and get slaughtered.

I really think that BA tactical marines need Boltgun, Bolt Pistol AND close combat weapon. I also think that assault marines need a bolt gun option. Or even better, Range 12", assault 2, bolt guns for tactical marines. Or another idea, Give jump pack troops an assault move let them jump in harass the enemy and jump out.

10. A Compelling Reason to Take BA's over Other Space Marines
Give me a reason to play aggressively. Take the ideas of the space wolves and build on them. At the moment either Space Wolves or Black Templars can play aggresive games better than Blood Angels. Even basic marines can take Bike squads as troops.

It may sound simple but Blood Angels need to be able to do something better than the rest.

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