Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team (HoR)/Tactics/Blood Angels(7E)
If there's one thing the Blood Angels got going for them, it's stuff falling from the sky.
Mind, it's nowhere near as grand as it normally would, but it's got stuff able to fall from the sky and smash into things with utter fury. Assault is more of a challenge with Overwatch potentially turning anyone into the Tau. but getting there makes people know why they should fear running into you. Your small army slots will force you to dedicate you to a particular strategy, be it tying up someone with berserk motherfuckers from outta nowhere with a Warden to make them more killy to using a Priest to spam FNP on a gunline to Termie Deep Strikes everywhere.
Rules
- Red Thirst: A bit different from how it runs on the big board: You have to roll for your leader first. If he falls, then everyone else gets to on a 1-3 instead of the usual 1. During campaigns (where this is temporary, at least by RAI), replace models with groups. If one takes it, all of them take it.
- Descent of Angels: Termies and models with Jump Packs can Deep Strike as normally. Don't forget that ALL models with Jump Packs can do this, as the Codex allows them to.
Wargear
- Master-Crafted Weapon: It's an MC weapon. Take on pistols and melee weapons.
- Overcharged Weapon: Gives a single gun +1S but also Gets Hot, which makes it a bit risky. It's especially worse on Plasma weapons, as they now explode on a 1 or 2.
- Suspensors: A rather nice upgrade, this allows a Heavy weapon to fire at full BS even if the model moved, but only at half-range.
- Smoke Grenade: A harmless grenade that gives you a Large Blast worth of temporary 5+ cover until the next turn. If you ever felt like playing Cyrus, roll it.
- Auxiliary Grenade Launcher: Allows a gun to fire a grenade as well as fire, this won't get much use unless you have a strict idea how you're using it.
- Auspex: See codex; spend a shooting turn to drop an enemy's cover save by 1.
- Bionics: A way to grab a 6+ FNP for cheap.
Leaders Only
- Sanguine Armour: FNP Power Armor. Nice.
- Refractor Field: Basic 5++ Invul. Grab if you can spare it.
- Blood Vial: Gives a model Rampage. If you know you can get to the thick of combat, then this can totally make sure he'll RIP AND TEAR into everything.
- Purity Seal: Expands Inspiring Presence to 12". Welcome boost for anyone.
Sergeant Only
- Vermillion Axe: An S+2 AP2 Two-Handed Power Axe with Unwieldy and Rage. Scary and pricy, but doing this will make sure you die sooner before you can swing.
- Wings of Saronath: Taken from FFG's stable, this Jump Pack gives Fleet, which is pretty indispensable.
- Rites of Battle: Models within 6" of the Sarge get to re-roll Morale. A welcome option if you want more reliable troops.
- Signum: Exchange shooting to give a model within 6" BS5. A good idea in the proper situations.
Warden-Chaplain Only
- Rosarius: Curiously out of the Chaplain's inventory list, this gives a Chaplain a 4++ Invul. IF you really need protection and can afford it instead of the Refractor Field, it's a good take.
Lexicanium Only
- Psychic Hood: Another curiously-missing item, this gives a Lexi a Psychic Hood for extra range when denying.
- Staff of Blood: This is a staff with a unique weapon: It gives one shot that the target must tough T on: If it fails, they must take an AP2 Wound. Real plus against weak things like Orks and Guardsmen.
Sanguinary Priest Only
- Black Grail: Taking this makes your Priest into something of a pricy time bomb: If he ever goes down, all models within 6" will instantly fall to the Red Thirst as if they rolled for it at the beginning. If that happens, then who's gonna stop the Rape Train?
Terminator Only
- Auto-Launcher: Gives a Termie infinite Assault Grenades, but they can't be thrown as weapons.
- Cataphractii-Pattern Terminator Armour: Gives a 4++, but exchanges Relentless with S&P. Beware using this, because you're giving up the option to Overwatch for a better Invul.
- Tartaros-Pattern Terminator Armour: Grants the wearer Sweeping Advances. Definitely a more advisable choice over the Cataphractii, as this is cheaper and offers more mobility.
- Teleporter: A Termie gives up assaulting for a turn and gets a 2d6" shunt wherever he wants. Good for setting up traps
Techmarine Only
- Photon Beam: If you want an alpha-strike from an unexpected source, this is it. A 36" Assault 1 blinding shot that causes no damage, but blinding opens them up to other assaults.
FOC
- 1 Leader
- 1-20 Core
- 0-3 Special
Leaders
- Sergeant: Your generic sarge with all the generic utility. Take bikes to make bikers Core (and they have to be taken), and 10 Points makes you a Veteran Sarge with +1 A/Ld. Compared to the plain one, he can also take the Glaive Encarmine as well as the Infernus Pistol and Hand Flamer, which aren't that much of a hoot.
- Terminator Sergeant: If you buy a Veteran Sergeant, you can also grab Terminator Armor for 16 Points. The issue with that is that he is purely assault-focused, as he can only either use the Weapon/SB, Claws, or Hammer/Shield combos and only combi-weapons to compensate for the lack of guns. Also makes Termies Core so you can buy someone who can take good guns.
- Blood Champion: A more combat-focused Leader, he comes with a Power Weapon and Shield stock and can replace the former with either a Glaive (for free) or a Power Fist (for only 10). He could also give up his shield and pistol for the Angelus Bolter (rather decent arm-mounted Storm Bolters), combi-weapons, power weapons, and pistols. The reason he seems so combat-based is because he can re-roll to-hit and to-wound in Challenges, and he has to make one when possible, which makes Death Masks a particularly helpful asset. Keep the shield on him, it goes a long way in keeping him alive from anything non-plasma.
- Sanguinary Priest: Same as in the big field, though he can grab a hammer if you're ballsy enough to run that. He can still take jump packs, bikes, or Termie Armor for that, but grabbing Termie Armor gives you no other options than Leader tools. Keep him out of combat, exploit his 6" FNP.
- Warden-Chaplain: A mini-Chaplain with -1WS. His Liturgies of Blood got reworked a bit, with all models within 6" gaining Zealot, while Death Company within 6" gaining re-rolls to-wound if they successfully charge. He has the access to the same guns as everyone else, and can grab Jump Pack, Bike, and Termie Armor for 10, 15, and 20 each. As long as he's guiding folks to fighting, he'll do his job.
- Lexicanium: A mini-Librarian with ML1, -1WS/Ld and sans a hood, he'd play the same to his bigger version if it weren't for his lack of Termie Armor, limiting his potential of getting in the fight. He can grab Smite (Nice), Prescience (Good one), Assail (...skip), Psychic Shriek (Okay), Wings of Sanguinius (Which is good for keeping him out of fights since his potential in it is no better than any other leaders), and the Sanguine Sword (For kills you absolutely HAVE to make, like against Termies). Pretty neat that they still have Codex Powers despite GW removing them.
- Scout Sergeant: About the same as the basic Sergeant, but as a Scout. He can grab the same guns as the others and can grab most melee weapons if he needs to make a stand, as well as a Locator Beacon for all assault goodness and a Camo Cloak for cover. If he grabs a bike, then he has to take Scout Bikes as Core. Spending 10 points also gives him +1 A/Ld.
Core
- Tactical Marine: A basic marine with access to a rather broad set of weapons of any sort foor 1 out of 5. Keep as fire support.
- Scout: They're Scouts. Keep them out of the line of fire. While they have the Red Thirst, they aren't exactly great in combat, so do watch out for that.
- Assault Marine: On the downside, they start without Jump Packs, and have to buy them for 3 points each. A Sanguinary Priest is a smart investment as they'll benefit the best from Furious Charge and FNP.
- Death Company: These guys do one thing well, and that's kill tons of shit. They're unable to contest objectives and can only take pistols or melee weapons. While able to mulch MEQ, they're only able to threaten TEQ if they grab a Thunder Hammer or Power Axe, and they're not likely to survive long enough to swing that.
Special
- Sanguinary Guard: The special golden nipple-armored boys are the only jump models that can Deep Strike by default. They're not any cheaper than Termies and at least with Termies you can make them Core if you grab a Termie Sarge, so this model isn't really that much bigger of a take.
- Space Marine Biker: Marines on Bikes, they're not much good in combat and without a Biker Sarge, you can only take a few. Even with one, you can only upgrade a maximum of two models with new weapons (one by default, and another if you have 3+ Bikers), which hammers in the point that they shouldn't be the basis of an entire army. Grab something to assault too.
- Terminator: Basic Vanilla Termies with all the options for weapons. Use them like normally, and remember that a Termie Sarge can make them Core Choices if you plan to meet heavy weapons on the field. Bring some Shields to help them survive the charge.
- Sternguard Veteran: While not as useful with all the models with access to meltas and plasma, they're still something if you need a combi-weapon to free up something for more potent arms.
- Vanguard Veteran: Their rule to Assault after DSing makes them a very obvious choice, but their slot limits makes taking more than 1 questionable. Giving him tons of gear makes him a big target, so make sure he can survive what may Overwatch him to death, even if it's just a Smoke Grenade. He can also counter-charge within 6", so keep him near more vulnerable units like the Leader if you need to keep them alive.
- Scout Biker: They're Scouts. On Bikes. Only thing of note is that one of them can grab a Grenade Launcher, but that's it. If you're taking a biking Scout Sarge, then they can get some use freeing up slots, and go infiltrating without risk.
- Techmarine: A Unique model, he's the same as any other, with the option for replacing his Servo-Arm with a Jump Pack. He's not very good an idea without a certain plan in mind (i.e. Cover Spam for shooty guys, keeping as Rhino Repair), and making him a suicide unit would be a waste.