Editing Warhammer 40,000/7th Edition Tactics/Dark Angels (section)

==Armory of The Lion==
<s>Let's face it, the heretics have a nice layout on their tactica; no reason we can't use it and say they got it from us.</s> Other than the fact that [[Fallen Angels|they don't exist]]. So we came up with this layout. With no inspiration from anywhere else.

===Ranged Weapons===
Due to weird wording you can take two ranged weapons if you want, which you really shouldn't, unless it's two combi-weapons for a non-veteran dakkasarge or maybe twin pistols if you like the [[Cypher|cowboy look]].

*'''Bolter''' - Business as usual, you know what it does. The loss of the Standard of Devastation is sad and shall be mourned.
*'''Storm Bolter''' - It's only 5-pts, so why not? Better on an Assault-based character.
*'''Combi-weapon''' - Tried and true. One-shot melta, plasma, Grav-gun, or flamer is always handy, if you use them wisely.
*'''Plasma pistol''' - The most expensive and the least popular choice. The main reason why is pistol range, which make it useful only to lay some dakka before charge - and on a terminator-armored model Combi-plasmas do this job better for less points. Still fluffy, especially for Dark Angels, a very decent pick for fluffy games. 
*'''Grav-pistol''' - As expensive as the Plasma pistol, and as unpopular as it is. Still it can help drop [[Carnifex|MC]] or [[Wraithknight|GC]] to I1 before combat, in which case it could make all the difference in the world: most weapons that can reliably hurt these models in melee are Unwieldy (i.e. Powerfist) and even if you plan on Rending that MC to death with Black Knights, [[Wraithlord|some of them]] can have I5. That's until you realize that as a Dark Angel it's easier for you to use a Combi-grav for this purpose with either your improved Overwatch or simply having a bike-mounted character.

===Melee Weapons===
Remember that your named HQs can't take these, and usually have some sort of special melee weapon anyway. Also, the new Codex removed the "one weapon with the following", so now you can Claw/Fist combo for days.

*'''Chainsword''' -  It's a free extra attack. It has nothing else going for it unless you don't have the points to spare for the options below.
*'''Power Weapon''' -  Come in 4 different flavors: Axe, Maul, Sword, Lance...but only the former 3 actually have official models from GW. The Power Sword is the most reliable, striking at AP3, base S and base I. The Axe drops you to I1 but you are now S5 and AP2 - good, but only if you can't get or justify the cost of a Power Fist. The Maul is great against Imperial Guard and Xenos scum, since the +2S gets you to S6, which is Instant Death for T3 enemy characters. It even has Concussive, which, along with the +2S, helps against big, tough gribblies. The Lance is only S+1 AP3 on the charge, then in subsequent rounds is only AP4, AND you'd have to convert your own from Fantasy or other armies. Stick with Corvus Hammers, baby!
*'''Lightning Claws''' - Not so useful on sergeants due to only one attack base, and not useful on HQ units, because they need something to pierce through 2+ armor to have a chance of winning in challenges. Carefully consider power swords instead, or an axe if you're expecting Terminator Equivalents. Use only if you need to cut up thousands of cultists.
*'''Power Fist''' - Not recommended on non-veteran sergeants. Otherwise either this or power axe are obligatory choices for your warlord, as long as you face marines or orks. They continue to make great surprises for overconfident vehicle commanders...
*'''Eviscerator''' - A fuck huge Chainsword that Assault Marines can take. S:x2 AP2, Two-handed. Armourbane. This makes the Eviscerator a great can-opener. Does require that you give up both CCW to have, so you are committing to the model having one chainfist style attack. Buy a flamer or two to offset this if you go for some Eviscerators. 
*'''Thunder Hammer''' - Paying extra 5 points for a power fist with concussive. Generally not worth it as with S8 AP2, few things can survive to suffer from concussion. However concussion can mean the difference between life and death if a combat drags on such as with MC, T5 or up models, and models with Eternal Warrior.
*'''Force Weapon''' - Available to your Librarians for free. Power Weapons with Force essentially. The Axe makes you S5, AP2 but I1 and the Staff at S6 but AP4. The Sword is the most reliable as with Force and striking first means even one wound can lead to Instant Death. Axe does provide a benefit of ignoring all armor saves and wounding most MC on 4s to 5s and with Force it's nothing to sniff at. 
*'''Relic Blade''' - S+2, AP3, Two-Handed, but only accessible by Company Masters both in and out of Terminator Armour. Provides your commander with an additional tactical option against MEQs or Monstrous Creatures that doesn't require you to strike last. More useful/reliable than the Monster Slayer sword.  
**'''Note:''' Don't purchase a Relic Blade without Terminator armor as in this case you can instead get the superior Mace of Redemption for just 5 more points, unless another HQ is already wielding it. 
*'''Blade of Caliban''' - A Dark Angels-flavored Relic Blade. S+1 AP3 and no longer Unwieldy. Canny [[Space Wolves|Wolf]] players may notice that these are now the same as Frost Blades' sword variation.
*'''Halberd of Caliban''' - Exclusive to the Deathwing Champion, it is two-handed S+2 AP2 melee weapon to give him a shot in melee, especially now he is required to issue and accept challenges. Great because it's one of the few AP2 weapons that strike in initiative order, and will make mincemeat out of most enemy non-special character champions.

===Relics of Caliban===
*'''Shroud of Heroes''' - Got a huge price drop down to 10 points! Gives the wearer FnP and, if they're not in a squad, Shrouded. At 10 points for FNP, it's now a bargain. Hilariously troll worthy on a level 1 Interromancy Libby on a bike going solo. Use mind worm on your opponent's special snowflake character or monstrous creature, then drive around the board laughing as they throw retarded amounts of firepower towards your 2+ jinking  psyker and he just refuses to die. Unless you're fighting Tau, of course, in which case [[Derp|you just gave up first blood]].
*'''Foe-smiter''' - S4 AP4 Assault 4 Shred, Master-crafted Storm Bolter. Three times the cost of a Storm Bolter, but rightfully so. Best used on a Deathwing or Ravenwing HQ as an alternative to Plasma Talons, RW Grenade launchers or a Heavy Terminator Weapon. Greenwing doesn't benefit from the extra firepower unless you attach them to a Devastator or Command Squad.
*'''Lion's Roar''' - Master-crafted Combi-bolter with combi-part being assault plasma '''cannon'''. Yeah that's right,a mother-fucking master-crafted assault 1 one-use plasma cannon of rape. 
*'''Mace of Redemption''' - One of the greatest weapons forged by the Dark Angels. +3 STR and AP3 (AP1 against the CSM faction). It also inflicts blind and concussion. The same cost as a Thunder Hammer, and against most things other than Termie wearing Loyalists and the odd HQ choice here and there it is a superior choice. Excellent on an Interrogator-Chaplain and his buff against Chaos Space Marines.
**This causes Necron players nightmares as almost everything in their codex is Sv3+ or worse and causing blind means two-thirds of the time they are drop to WS/BS1. A Interrogator Chaplain will wreck pretty much everything without a Sv2+ (Only characters that get it are Vargard, Nemesor, and Imotekh) in close combat hitting on hitting on 3/4s (re-rolls), wounding on 2s, and hitting first before everything in the Necron codex.  
*'''Monster Slayer of Caliban''' - A power sword that grows stronger in the hands of a pure-hearted wielder, or randomly in game terms. Each fight sub-phase you roll a D6. On a 1 it's still just a power sword. On a 2-4 it adds 1 to the wielder's strength. On a 5-6 it adds 2 to the wielder's strength and causes instant death. The weapon's biggest weakness is that none of its random rolls will let it overcome anything it couldn't already deal with (like terminator armor) and only has a 33% chance of being remotely decent. Take a Relic Blade or the Mace of Redemption over this overcosted garbage.
*'''The Eye of the Unseen''' - Grants Fear and Preferred Enemy to the bearer. The most expensive Relic, but since Preferred Enemy is conferred onto squads if one model has it, put him in a plasma-equipped command/veteran squad and see the difference it makes. Fear is ''meh'' as always, but you can really force it to happen if you bring along an Interromancy librarian in your force. Don't forget that PE also applies to your already boosted overwatch attacks.
*'''Perfidious Relic of the Unforgiven''' - All Deathwing terminator/Knight units can now take one of these, so expect them to become more common, it's a pretty cheap upgrade that gives you Fear (meaning the codex got a fear overload) AND Adamantium Will. If you play people who go psyker-heavy *cough*Grey Knights*cough* you get an extra +1 to your deny the witch rolls. Combine with a Librarius Conclave, and watch the Psychic Hood stack with this for a 4+ Deny on your opponent.

===Banners and Standards===
*'''Company Standard''' - Friendly Dark Angels within 12" of the bearer can re-roll failed morale checks and pinning tests.
*'''Dark Angels Chapter Banner''' -  Got a big points decrease in the new codex; provides all Dark Angels models in the unit with +1A. Also provides the normal standard Ld re-rolls. You could stack it with Ezekiel's Book of Salvation and/or Righteous Repugnance for extra hilarity but only a Command Squad can take it.
*'''Ravenwing Company Banner''' - Provides the the standard Ld rerolls to Dark Angels within 12". Additionally, the Ravenwing Command Squad itself automatically passes its Hit & Run checks and can move an extra D6 with Hit & Run. 
*'''Deathwing Company Banner''' - Almost exactly like the Chapter Banner: Friendly models with the Deathwing special rule in the unit gain +1A, the difference in wording means that Sammael and regular Chaplains are the only guys who don't benefit. It also got a huge points decrease, only 20 points to give a squad of 5 terminators more attacks. 
*'''Sacred Standard''' - Now all Sacred Standards have been condensed into 1 form, no more 4-shot Boltguns (boo). In addition to re-rolling all failed Morale, Pinning, and Fear checks, you now get Counter-Attack and Relentless on your Command Squad. The older individual Sacred Standards were ''way'' better, but at least it is a cheaper option and can be spammed now, rather than being a one-only deal. Brilliant on a Command Squad equipped with gravguns: Relentless means ALWAYS 3 shots on 18 inch (salvo), and Counter-Attack pairs perfectly with the improved 3-shots-overwatch.

===Special Issue Wargear===
*'''Auspex:''' It's a scanner array thingamajig that allows the user to lower one enemy unit's cover save by one (also, it can be a different enemy unit than that rest of the unit shoots at). For 5 points, this sounds nice, recommended to give to a Techmarine (who won't be shooting much anyway), a Chaplain (1 Bolt Pistol shot. Whoop-dee-doo), or a Librarian (because with Witchfires and such, his damage output won't exactly be hindered). Should be considered if you're putting a character on a bike as well since you would want to put them with Black Knights/Ravenwing Command Squad where a Twin-linked boltgun looks silly in comparison to the Plasma Talon. Don't forget that it could also be taken and used when your character doesn't have a ranged weapon at all.

*'''Combat Shield''' - As of this edition and last, 6+ invuln. It's cheap and better than nothing, but many HQs have much better invuln saves anyway (Rosarius and Iron Halos) and those who don't have base invulns can take Terminator Armor and/or the Conversion Field below. Rather hilariously, Assault Squad Sergeants can take them as well.

*'''Meltabombs:''' They're melta bombs. You know them, you love them. Dark Angels don't have many dedicated assault units that would benefit from taking them, so only take them if you have points to spare and think you might get close enough to an enemy vehicle.

*'''Digital Weapons:''' - Re-roll 1 failed to-wound roll, as before. Useful with getting that lucky Force/Power Fist Strike on a target.

*'''Conversion Field:''' A neat little piece of gear that gives a 4+ invulnerable save... for 20 points. In addition to that awesomeness, whenever the bearer passes an Invulnerable save, all units within D6" (friend or foe) basically get Blind (and friendly units can reroll the Initiative test for it). This won't activate all that often (you have Power or Terminator Armour, after all), but when it will, it's a bit of a crapshoot whether you'll take the brunt or your opponent. Still, even if you get messed up... it's a fairly cheap 4+ Invulnerable save!
**If you want to vent your frustrations at Necrons/Tau without Blacksun Filters/Orks, take this thing out. Enjoy watching yourself tank the hits while they have a 2/3 chance of becoming WS/BS1.

*'''Jump pack''' - Changes model to Jump Infantry (Move 12" instead of 6", gains Deep Strike, and can opt to not use the 12" movement to gain Hammer of Wrath when charging, as before.)

The following aren't technically listed as Special Issue Wargear, but can be taken by certain units.

*'''Artificer Armour''' - 2+ Armor Save. Only available to the Company Master. Not a bad buy, since it allows you to take most transports, and you either have an Iron Halo or a Storm Shield anyway so your Invuln save is covered.
*'''Terminator Armour''' - 2+/5++, and grants the Deep Strike and Relentless rules. However, you cannot attempt Sweeping Advances and are made bulky. Buying this also grants the ''Vengeful Strike'' special rule, allowing the character to twin-link his shooting the turn he arrives from Deep Strike. If your deep striking a character with terminator armor get a homer beacon on the ground to get twin linked on that combi-weapon to guarantee a hit on whatever needs removal.
*'''Space Marine Bike''' - Grants +1 Toughness, 12" of movement with option to turbo-boost 12" more, the ability to Jink, the Relentless rule, and brings a Twin-Linked Boltgun. Nice if you're pairing up with Ravenwing Bikes or Black Knights. Not available to Company Masters, also note that it still doesn't make the rider ''Ravenwing'' so he doesn't reroll his jink saves, but the good news is the FAQ allows a character on a bike to lead a Ravenwing Strike Force instead of Sammael.
*'''Storm Shield''' - 3+ Invulnerable Save, but replaces one of your weapons. May be taken by Company Masters both in or out of Terminator Armour. Sadly, Librarians and Chaplains cannot take these. You'll also find them dispersed amongst Company Veteran and Deathwing squads.