Blood Angels rumors

Just a quick note to spread the word that there’s a current and condensed thread with Blood Angels rumors over at Bolter & Chainsword.

Your Absolute Worst Reloaded

So, the FTW collaborative post came out – many thanks to Ron for running cool ideas like this one!

This collaborative post was about our absolute worst miniature in terms of modeling and painting – my Blood Angels Scout Captain was part of it as well, of course. However, reading through the answers from other people I have to say a lot of stuff they did actually isn’t that bad. I mean, if I go to tournaments at the FLGS I see armies that are far worse but are still being tagged as “painted” by their owners.

Either way, I give my vote for “best of the worst” definitely to Gotthammer and his Chaos Predator tank that should really be an Orkzez Loota Waggon. I am sure you agree with me that it’s so bad a.k.a. crazy that it’s definitely cool. And if that’s not enough, check out his Apothecarius down at the bottom of the post.

(oh, BTW, I still have one of those HeroQuest Chaos Sorcerers, too )

Flashes everywhere

Over at the FTW network we have a new collaborative post on the topic what is the worst miniature we ever did.

Well, basically I don’t think I have anything to show that I need to be ashamed of. Shame is something for those guys who don’t paint their models because they are too lazy. (I have a couple fellow players who admit that they can’t paint and they have repeatedly tried it.)

My worst miniature surely is my first miniature in 2008 after my 12 year hiatus:

My Blood Angels Captain is:

• My first miniature after not painting for 12 years.
• My first miniature that went beyond just coloring, but involved (for me) new techniques like inking and drybrushing.
• My first glued together plastic (and resin) model. (yes, in the old days all GW miniatures were made out of metal.)
• My first freehand (on the Lightning Claw).

While all these factors may sort of excuse the poor quality of the miniature, there is one thing I repeatedly get criticism for: the leftover flashes from the casting process. I am simply too lazy to file them off. In the picture above, you can still see a fine line e.g. on the upper side of the Plasma Pistol, but most remarkably on the Captain’s boot on the right foot where the light changes. According to some critics, leaving the flashes ruins the entire model. I don’t care because those flashes still remind me that these models are toys, after all, and not living organisms.

So, if you give me credit for honing my painting skills, then my Blood Angels Captain is my worst miniature. If you blame me for being lazy, then pretty much each of my miniatures is.

Don’t bring guns to a knife fight

Over at the FTW network there is currently a series of what must have unit we always have in our army list. Not the type of unit we put onto the table because the Codex says we have to, but the type of unit we simply like too much to leave it at home.

Well, from the intro picture my choice is obvious: it’s the Baal Predator, of course. On the one hand, the Baal Predator is very fluffy as it’s a unique Blood Angels’ build that isn’t mimicked by the Ultramarines yet (see e.g. Vanguard Veterans or Ironclad Dreadnoughts).
On the other hand, the Baal Predator is a fairly devastating weapon: it’s twinlinked Assault Canons fire with a high and reliable accuracy and the Rending rule even allows them to crack a Land Raider with a little bit of luck. If you add Heavy Bolter side sponsons, you pump out quite a few shots in every turn, especially if the Overcharged Engines throw is successful and the Baal moves and fires all weapons.

I for my part don’t use Heavy Bolters, however, as nothing screams “Assault!” more than Heavy Flamer side sponsons. Yes, Heavy Bolters are indefinitely better because you can fire them all game and not just in the last round when you closed in on the enemy (or not at all if the Baal explodes while getting there). However, Blood Angels are a close combat army and I think nothing’s cooler than tanks scorching everything before the Rhinos with the infantry arrive. Plus my fellow Tyranid player has a huuuge respect from my Heavy Flamers, so even the better.

Of course, the Heavy Flamer loadout has one huge drawback: distance. My default setup is filling the three Heavy Support slots with two Baal Predators (both with Heavy Flamers) and one Vindicator meaning that my thread bubble is limited to 24″ of firing range. Especially when I play against Imperial Guard or other tank heavy lists this is a real problem as my tanks tend to die before they do any real damage. Furthermore, using Heavy Flamers in a turn automatically means that the tank will get charged in the next turn, so you better make sure you always drive minimally 6″ far.

In conclusion, one can say that my must have pick is mostly based on fluff and style reasons rather than pure power. However, rumors go through the WWW that in the new Blood Angels Codex Games Workshop makes taking Heavy Flamers worth their points again…

Bug hunting!

Last night we had another Apocalypse game over at the League of Gentlemen. It’s part of Goldark’s campaign about his hive fleet landing on Imperial planets. Once again, the Tyranids won by a sight margin having Goldark win every single game of the entire campaign!

So, here’s what happened during the Apocalpyse to Parcival’s Blood Angels (click for larger pictures):

The 3rd and 4th Tactical Squad dig in in an old industrial ruin to score on the mission objective hidden there. A deepstriking spore mine can be successfully shot before it does any harm and everything is tight for flanking Genestealers.

In the meantime, Parcival and his Honor Guard are fighting a desperate fight in the trenches along with his tanks and Dreadnoughts plus the support of the Inquisition.

The Death Company is doing what they’re best at – dying! (against a swarm of winged Tyranid Warriors. Me: “Gee, the Death Company is easily going to wipe those Gargoyles! What’s that you say? Those AREN’T Gargoyles???”)

In the meantime, the Deathwing is holding the western flank.

On the northern flank, the Tyranids are closing in!

The Landspeeder is teaching a lesson to the Biovore with the remaining Heavy Bolter: it’s being shot into pieces and decides to flee.

With their retinues dead, Parcival and the Inquisitor still hold the trenches against the masses of bugs.

So does Belial at the western front.

The Tyranids finally charge into the factory and the Blood Angels greet them with waves of Bolter fire. Since this was the last turn of the game, both Tyranids and Blood Angels contested the mission objective.

The Imperium lost against the Tyranids 10:12.