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 |
Return of the Ironwing Veteran Dark Angels will remember the Ironwing, the all-armour tank assault force. This idea still permeates, but I have included a way to make it possible. The main feature of any Space Marine armoured spearhead is a Land Raider, backed up by some hardcore Predator tanks and finally followed up by a wave of Rhinos and Razorbacks with hard core infantry. This is very simple do make. First, lets take your centrepiece, the Land Raider. Dark Angels can only take one Land Raider Crusader, so you could take this option since you're only using the one. But I recommend the Land Raider, because then we can target enemy vehicles while it's passengers, a squad of Deathwing Terminators with Assault Cannons, go off hunting infantry. The Land Raider used here is used as a transport option, but because it's such a formidable vehicle, it can still claim objectives. Next, since we are sticking to the Ironwing theme, three Predators of your choice would suit this army nicely. Two Destructors with heavy bolters and lascannons and a Predator Annihilator with lascannons would fit the bill perfectly. With all vehicles, including smoke launchers and extra armour helps their survivability, by allowing them to continue moving, and reducing the effects of enemy fire. Also, consider the Machine spirit for some vehicles, it's ability to keep them moving and shooting can be valuable, though it's cost is quite hefty. Finally, include mounted infantry in Rhinos and Razorbacks. Arm them for most situations, keeping in mind that more often than not they will be on the move, embarking and disembarking. Include a healthy mix of special weapons on different squads, and consider the occasional heavy bolter to aid against infantry. Like the vehicles above, the vehicle upgrades will add to the survivability of the transports. If you take a Razorback, arm it with a twin-linked lascannon, simply because that way you can take out more vehicles, which your lone Land Raider would love some help with. Any Armoured Company commander will tell you that managing an army of tanks is difficult, because there are many weapons geared at taking them out, and Space Marine Tanks are especially vulnerable. Some tactics involve a lot of sitting back and shooting. This is viable, but what about all of your infantry? A slow advance will keep the gears moving and allow your vehicles to fire while at the same time deliver their cargo to its objectives. A rush forward will deliver your cargo quickly, allowing a lot of damage to be done in one turn, but foregoing at least two turns of solid shooting. The best option is to move forward with all the transports, Land Raider in front, and deliver your cargo while all your other vehicles hurt the enemy, only to have your infantry hop out and destroy them even more. This is quite a difficult army to use, but it's perfectly "Dark Angelesque", especially if you convert some tanks to have Ravenwing poles, or paint Dark Angels murals on those tanks. This idea represents the old Ironwing, and it represents the idea of an armoured spearhead. It is very difficult to use, and I can't feel I've stressed that enough. After all, with so much anti-tank weaponry out there, you have to be especially careful when using this army. Mechanised Glory Similar to the idea of the Ironwing army mentioned above, the Mechanised army contained mostly infantry mounted into transports, with perhaps some vehicle and/or Ravenwing support and may be some Assault Marines as well for back up. Dark Angels can use this army to dangerous effect if employed properly. Load up on Tactical Squads in Rhinos (with smoke launchers and extra armour, remember). Arm them only with special weapons, namely meltaguns and flamers. Have your HQ either accompany a Tactical squad, or give him a Jump Pack and accompany the Assault Squad, whose size is at a maximum. For this army, he's best as a Chaplain accompanying that Assault Squad, supporting the advance of your tactical squads by finishing off what they shot at. Finally, consider some Ravenwing support, in the form of bikes or Land Speeders armed with Heavy Bolters and Assault Cannons (or Multimeltas). These last two options are great mobile fire platforms that can support the rapid advance of the mounted infantry. Consider them. One more suitable option for this army is the Predator Annihilator equipped only with lascannons. In a mechanised army, you have little room for cracking open tanks. Having some mobile anti-tank weaponry is certainly handy. The best thing about using a Mechanised army in the 4th edition of 40k, is when the infantry disembark, they usually do near enemy infantry, and they can pepper them with as many shots as if they were standing this turn. They do that when they move to, provided the enemy is within 12". This is a great way of saying hello to a well-executed plan involving at least three tactical squads disembarking the same turn and turning the adjacent battlefield into a miasma of doom and death, only to be followed up by that Assault Squad tearing into the largest enemy squad in the area left over and butchering them to tiny pieces. Of course, because you had this well timed, you made vital strikes with your Ravenwing forces on the surrounding enemy targets, ones which could have swiftly counterattacked your main assault, but now can't because your bikes and Land Speeders cut them off or cut them down. All this is assuming you plan it like that. There is nothing more tragic than an assault that has been poorly timed, because the individual pieces can be so easily knocked off. Remember to always hug the cover when you can, while moving at full speed towards your targets. Your transports are vulnerable, so don't let them be picked off. Whatever forces you decide to use as support, time their assaults with the main one, to knock the enemy off balance. That should secure yourself a grand victory. The Sneaksman's Trade This is an unusual idea I have recently explored, that of a Dark Angels army predominantly made up of Scouts and Scout bikes. This idea is perfect for places with dense terrain or a battlefield with simply lots of it. The idea is to restrict yourself in unit choices. For every other unit, you must have at least one Scout Squad or Scout Bike Squad. Arm your scouts for differing roles, such as snipers with a heavy bolter/missile launcher for targeting infantry, bolter scouts with a heavy weapon to dish out a lot of fire in an one location, close combat weapon scouts to "ambush" enemies that are waddling into certain zones. Your HQ would of course be a Captain, after all, he's leading a bunch of novices and the more important leaders are off doing the sinister devices of the Inner Circle. The modus operandi of this army is stealth. Use cover wisely. Your power armoured marines, armed in which ways you deem appropriate (in this case both a special and heavy weapon will serve you well), are fewer in number, so you must only expose them to serious fire on your terms. Never let them get overwhelmed. Use your scouts to disrupt vital enemy targets. Snipe off enemy heavy weapons, disrupt infantry with a storm of bolter fire from scouts that have infiltrated (their main strength), take down vulnerable targets in close combat. The ideas are simple, but the conduct of them is hard. This kind of army requires a hell of a lot of practice to get used to, I myself am currently exploring its secrets, so I cannot divulge too much information. But with the knowledge I gave to you from the first section (the Dark Angels Armoury) in this tactica, you should be capable of forming an effective scouting army. The Lion's strength in balance The Balanced army is the most common form of army out there, but not so with the Dark Angels, who obviously prefer mostly infantry and shooty goodness. Regardless, balance with the Dark Angels is as simple as what I am going to say. To create a balanced army, you take each of the concepts above, put them all together, cut a few rough edges and then you have a balanced army. You have a solid block of troops (no more than a third of your points), and a balance of the Elites, Fast Attack, Heavy Support and HQ. Each part should support the other. Fast elements should attack up the flanks to unbalance the enemy forces, static and foot slogging forces should support the advance by arriving in time to mop up, or cut down enemies from afar. A rough list for a balanced army would be the following. Take three Tactical Squads, two at full strength and foot slogging, one at half strength and in a Razorback with a heavy bolter and the usual upgrades. One full strength Assault Squad with a Chaplain (armed appropriately with a bolt pistol, necessary Dark Angels equipment, and so forth) accompanying it. A Ravenwing Bike Squadron with an attack bike, the bike squadron having meltaguns and the attack bike with a multimelta. A Dreadnought with Lascannon and Missile Launcher, a Predator Destructor with heavy bolters. If there are enough points to spare, a Devastator Squad would come in handy here, or maybe even some Ravenwing Land Speeders. The main idea behind this army is to take the fast elements up the centre or the flanks, with the fire support and foot slogging elements behind them to smash foes from afar. This army would effectively destroy most enemies, except ones geared for either long range warfare with ordinance weapons (Imperial Guard are notorious for masses of ordinance, and Chaos too in recent times) or close combat armies (can anyone say Khornates and Blood Angels!) The main problem with balanced armies is that every has a different style of balance. So I can't figure which one will work here, though if you cut and paste from every section above, you should come out successful in creating a healthily balanced army list, and develop a simple mix of tactics to destroy the foes of the Lion's progeny. |
TACTICA BATTLE FORCE |
