Blood Angles Apocalypse Formations

Well, the new White Dwarf has a ton about Blood Angels, including 4 battle formations for Apocalypse and a whole battle report.  As a Blood Angel player myself, I am already working on building up enough forces to field these formations.  

These White Dwarf articles are a great way for GW to keep Apocalypse in the forefront of 40K gaming.  I was actually quite disappointed that GW didn't publish formations for the Dark Eldar.  If you are going to release a new codex, you need to release new formations for that codex. 

 

So let's take a look at the two nastiest Blood Angels Apocalypse formations. 

The Death Company  200 points + models

Formation:

Astorath

1+ Chaplains

0-1 Death Company Tycho

3+ Death Copany squads (1 squad must include Lemartes)

2-4 Death Company Dreadnoughts

Now the most important of this (as with most formations) is the special rules.  The first, Strike Force, says that after you Deep Strike Astorath, all other units are placed within 6" of him, but do not scatter.  Very useful for crowded tables.  

The second rule is absolutely GRIM.  Bloodrage states that "For each unsaved wound caused by a unit in this formation in close combat, it can immediately make another attack.  If this attack causes an unsaved wound, you may make another attack, and so on."

This is basically the Blood Talon rule for Death Company Dreadnoughts being applied to your basic Death Company dudes.

HOLY WIPEOUT BATMAN!    This rule is absolutely insane.  I cannot possibly imagine how any unit survives being charged by the Death Company here.  And considering that there is basically no limit to the number of Death Company in this formation, this formation could wipe out a Green Tide with ease.

It would be interesting to take some of your Death Company in Drop Pods and some with Jump Packs.  After they have arrived, they can act independantly, so could charge multiple targets.  The Dreadnoughts of course need to be in Drop Pods.....Lucius pattern Drop Pods if I have anything to say about it!

Which brings me to the basic tactics for this formation.  Your put your Dreads in Lucius pattern Drop Pods.  They land with everything else, but since they can assault the turn they land, the Dreads tie up the opponent until the next turn when the Death Company can charge.

The second of the Battle Formations from White Dwarf 373 is Dante's Sanguine Host.  This is a formation that boggles the mind how nasty it is.  Every bit as intimidating as The Death Company, this unit is capable of assaulting the turn it arrives and basically won't scatter!  Who needs Vanguard Veterans with "Heroic Intervention"?

Dante's Sanguine Host  75 points + models

Formation:

Dante

1 Honor Guard

2-4 Squads of Sanguinary Guard

As with The Death Company formation, the special rules make this expensive force worth every point.

Deep Striking Force, says that after you Deep Strike Dante (using his Tactical Precision which allows him not to scatter), all other units are placed within 6" of him, and also do not scatter. 

Angels of Death is a special rule that states that units cannot shoot or run the turn they arrive, but they CAN assault.


So, this formation is very nasty and can take out multiple annoying units the turn it arrives.  It will not scatter so you basically decide where it shows up.  You can't shoot, which is one of the best things about Sanguinary Guard....Infernus pistols!  But as soon as you wipe out that annoying unit, you can jump around blasting the big stuff.

Now of course in order to be able to actually field this unit, you need to buy 4 boxes of Sanguinary Guard and then make a Blood Angels Honor Guard.  This is actually a fun project and I already am working on it.  I actually built my Blood Angel Honor Guard with jump packs and it is being painted by Toby Wearing, a phenomenal painter who has done most of my Crimson Templar / Templars Sanguine armies.

This Friday I get 4 boxes of Sanguinary Guard and it is off to the races!

Alec