Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Simple tip for the red guys

I was sitting around the other day, and thought of the following simple tip for Blood Angels.  Some of you may already know this.

Don't be sentimental for your named characters. Dante should not be the warlord. 

OK, it is really like 2 tips, and it can be applied to the blue guys, green guys, slimy guys. 

But it is the sort of critical feedback my gaming buddies won't give me. 

Imagine, you have a list with Dante and a Chaplain. And maybe some Sanguinary guard.  Stuff like that.

In my comfortable little world, Dante leads.  He is the Chapter Master and warlord.

In the alternative competitive world, he is a bubble maker among other bubble makers. But you should never put all your bubbles in one basket. Bubbles can be popped! Spread the bubbles around!

Imagine of the Chaplain was the warlord instead.

Imagine, as in my last game, The Chaplain and the Sanguinary Guard went off on their own mission.  The Chaplain, as warlord, chooses a trait.  There is a table full of them. He goes off to go lead an assault on the enemy line. Sanguinary guard tags along. Um...

Dante gives all units within 6 inches rerolls to hit as an ability for being a chapter master.  His warlord trait is different from that...his trait is to create a fearless bubble.

The Sanguinary guard love the warlord.  Sanguinary guard get rerolls to hit automatically if within range of the warlord, who does not need to be Dante.  It could be the Chaplain.  The chaplain could take something like soul warden.  Or maybe +1 damage.  Stuff like that. 

So, by spreading the warlord responsibility around you can make a better list? Yes.  Look for the synergies that you can create by spreading it around. 

Imagine a list with Lemartes and a thunderhammer SS Captain with Jump pack.  If lemartes is the warlord, he adds soul warden as the auto choose.  Imagine making the Captain warlord instead and that Thunderhammer now gets +1 damage as a trait for being artisinal?  Sneaky and cool!  

Are these improvements?

Duh. 

Next time...

As always, feel free to leave me a tip.  What is the biggest learning moment you have had building lists in 8th?



            

3 comments:

  1. Blood angels are really the only army so far where that bit of warlord shenanigans really applies. Most armies don’t have unit akin to sanguinary guard that get the same buff from being around the warlord as the fluffy warlord natively gives to all units.

    Honestly it seems like an oversight.

    I would actually think the Captain would fluff wise be the warlord over lemarties. Him being a chaplain fallen to the black rage.

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    1. Yep, give the Captain black rage (stratagem), a hammer, and, what the heck, either the relic hammer (no -1 to hit), or the artisan of war (+1 damage) or angels wings (3D6 charge and no overwatch). Group him up with DC and Lemartes, and you got interesting things to do.

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  2. One thing to consider is need for stratagems over need to just build to maximum damage. An example is that I often try to get the 3 troops plus 2 HQs as a starter for the 3 CP (plus 3 more for having everything in a valid detachment). The question is whether the 3 troop choice tax is worth it (much more so adding the razorbacks to the mix). Razorbacks are more point efficient than Baal predators or other vehicles in the codex. If you look at tmy last lists and their performance, the troops and razorbacks are surviving (mostly), but the jump pack assault elements are being wrecked by mid game. It is possible to build lists with no troops at all - going all-in on elites, FA, or heavy, more HQs. But can that throw more steel down range? Something to ponder in maths and spreadsheets...

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