TACTICA DARK ANGELS By Marcos Fernandez ( Smoking Frog ) |
This article has been reproduced with kind permission from the author. It's use here is not intended as a challenge to the original authors copyright and is reproduced here for the sole purpose of enhancing the Dark Angel spirit and the warhammer 40,000 experience |
INTRODUCTION "Ah, there you are, neophyte. You shouldn't be here, but now that you are let me sate your curiosity, before I send you off to be appropriately dealt with." Welcome to the Dark Angels Space Marine Chapter, the first of the Emperor's mighty legions and of course, the best. You are here because you want to learn more about the Dark Angels and their Battle Company forces, unit composition, tactics and may be even some hints and tips on improving your game play. First of all, lets get familiar with the Dark Angels. The Dark Angels were the first Space Marine Legion reunited with their Primarch, Lion El'Jonson, during the Great Crusade. Hence they are known as the first Legion. During the crusade, the Dark Angels tactical brilliance shone through, they brought many worlds under the rule of the emperor, coming second only to the Warmaster Horus. When the Heresy came to Terra, the Dark Angels were off in a distant corner of the galaxy with the Space Wolves, and when they learned of the Betrayal, they made haste to Terra, only to find it in ruins and their Emperor dead. The hordes of the Warmaster had been defeated, but at a terrible cost. Subsequent events are for members of the Deathwing, but suffice to say, our home now is this massive asteroid, which was once part of our home planet. We Dark Angels are the most stubborn of the Adeptus Astartes chapters, and also the most reclusive. Of course, we don't like outsiders peeping into our own business, what do they know! We have our own agenda and our own methods to defend our Imperium. In the game of Warhammer 40000, known as 40k to veteran players, the Dark Angels benefits from the Stubborn and Intractable rules, which effectively prevents them from ever falling back. This captures the stubborn qualities of the Unforgiven, as the Dark Angels and their successors are collectively known, very well. We Dark Angels also benefit from two specialised companies, the Deathwing, which is the all-terminator 1st Company capable of fielding Terminators, Land Raiders and Dreadnoughts to any one battle, and the Ravenwing, which is the 2nd company, capable of fielding Bikes, Attack Bikes and Land Speeders. These companies will not be discussed in detail here, but what will be discussed are Battle Company forces. Lastly, there is one more rule which affects Dark Angels, however you are not a member of the Deathwing, and unless you possess a copy of the codex, neophyte, then we shall not discuss it here. First, we will discuss the units available for the Emperor's first and finest, then we shall move on to how to collect a balanced army for you neophytes, and discuss the various other methods we can employ. Finally, we shall discuss tactics. Everything in this Tactica is for the 4th Edition of Warhammer 40000, at the time when the Space Marine codex has been released and a Dark Angels FAQ is available for use with conjunction with the Dark Angels mini-codex from Games Workshop's web site. This tactica assumes you've read both the Space Marines and Dark Angels Codices, as well as the FAQ available from Games Workshop's web site. If you have none of them, go out and buy them. Now. Take note that I have not included any prices, and points costs are kept to a minimum. THE DARK ANGELS ARMOURY Headquarters Commander: The Commander is now a choice between a "Master" and a "Captain", in the golden olden days known as a "Grand Master" and then "Master" to us Dark Angels. The benefits of using a commander are mostly for morale, because of the "Rites of Battle" and secondary for close combat, because of the wide selection of wargear available to them. Many people argue that Dark Angels would benefit from another HQ unit, simply because Dark Angels are Stubborn and Intractable. Personally, I see the Leadership bonus as a great boon, seeing as how you can test for pinning and most other leadership tests using his high morale. Librarian: This character has always been my personal favourite. In this edition, you have a choice between an "Epistolary" and a "Codicier", an Epistolary being more powerful, with the ability to have two psychic powers. The Librarians' advantages lie in the use of psychic powers to disrupt enemy troops or aid your own indirectly. They also already come with a Psychic Hood and a Force Weapon, so you do not have to purchase any more equipment, save perhaps a pistol. While expensive, the Librarian is a formidable close combat hero, while also good at taking enemies from afar with his psychic powers. Chaplain: A Chaplain, known to us Dark Angels as an Interrogator Chaplain, in this edition is also divided between two, the "Master of Sanctity" and the "Reclusiarch". Like the other HQ characters mentioned, one is more powerful than the other, and like the Librarian, the Chaplain also has his own Equipment, a Rosarius and a Crozius Arcanum (more affectionately known amongst my gaming group as a "Crazy-arse Arcanum"), effectively giving him an Invulnerable Save and a Power Weapon. His best asset is the "Litanies of Hate", which in effect make him and the unit he's with much better at close combat, by allowing any rolls made in the first round of close combat he's in to be re-rolled. Command Squad: Unlike the previous edition, this edition of 40k has seen the Dark Angels gain access to their own Command Squad. My opinion and that of many players is that a Command Squad, while useful, is a heavy points sink. To have a proper command squad, you must spend a lot of points to have it fully effective, otherwise you may as well attach your HQ characters to a Tactical Squad, it'd be cheaper. However, it is a great squad to have if you are playing in large battles, because it'll protect your characters, and it makes a strong lynchpin in combat. Overall it's a strong backbone, however too costly to have in games of 2000 pts or less. Terminator Command Squad: This is for use with characters with Terminator Armour. Unlike the Command Squad above however, you do not have the options of the different characters that can be upgraded. Effectively what this squad is great for is to accompany a Terminator Armoured Hero in a Land Raider, because the minimum size is four Terminators and the Hero attached to them. This unit is best left for Deathwing-only armies. NB: Notice that in this edition of the Space Marine codex, you can have multiple characters attached to the one HQ unit. Effectively, this means you can have up to six characters and two Command Squads for two HQ Slots. Also, Dark Angels Characters MUST purchase Stubborn and Terminator Honours at 20 pts. Note that the Chaplain is fearless, so he isn't required to purchase Stubborn. Elites Deathwing Terminators: In a Battle Company Force, it is useful to have a squad of Deathwing Terminators to form the anchor to a battle line, or to lead it into battle. However, they tend to be expensive and also they must purchase Stubborn, which raises their points costs further. If treated well, these Terminators can form a solid anchor anywhere on the battlefield so your other Battle Company units can form an effective assault or stalwart defence. Deathwing Assault Terminators: Many hard-core Deathwing players have lamented the loss of the ability we Dark Angels had to mix and match Assault Terminators with normal ones. But while they are like this, we should take full advantage of our units. These guys are assault specialists, so unless you plan to buy a Land Raider for them, stay away from them. Their nature is such that you have to move them forward all the time. If you have a clear battle plan, you may use these guys in conjunction with your main assault, since all Terminators in this squad have power weapons of one form or another. However, they are best used as support units. Dreadnought: The Dreadnought now comes with a dreadnought close combat weapon built in with a storm bolter and an assault cannon, so it is ready to go without any upgrades. The Dreadnought still stands as a great support platform for any squad. It can be configured as it is above and it is most useful for assault. Give it a lascannon and it is made to be an all-rounder Dreadnought, able to target vehicles or smash anything in close combat. Great for supporting Tactical squads or Assault Squads by popping open a transport ready for the other squad to take out in assault. Give it a missile launcher, and you have a steady platform that can support your Devastator Squads. Effectively, it is a great support platform, never let it be targeted, otherwise it'll be scrap. Techmarine: Having been removed from the Command Squad from the last edition, the techmarine is an effective vehicle repairer, most useful for repairing a battery of vehicles, which Space Marines rarely use however. He does have an interesting arsenal of weapons however, and can be a great supporting character in an assault. Give him some servitors and you effectively have a specialised repair unit, a support battery, a close combat support unit, or an all-rounder unit capable of performing all functions. Only use him if you are going to have vehicles to repair, otherwise if you put him in the line of fire it doesn't take much to put him down. |
TACTICA BATTLE FORCE |
