Note- I was the DARK Angels player, as opposed to the BLOOD Angels player. There isn't a whole lot of interesting tactics involved (save possibly the DA Librarian trick) but it is an interesting read (a bit of work went into the fluff) and there might be some things to learn.

It started with a simple accident, two groups of the Emperor’s finest warriors, Angels whose sole missions were the destruction of the enemy and the preservation of the Imperium of Man, responded to the same cry for help. An Imperial world was under attack by a foul army of Orks, its local Guardsman overrun, and by the time the bureaucrats at IG Central Command could have filed the forms in triplicate, the world would have fallen. So forces swept across the stellar void from The Rock at the same time that a legion of fierce Blood Angel troops were sent from Baal. Needless to say the marauding Ork warband had no chance and was easily destroyed with only civilian and IG casualties, and though rumors among the Guard said that the forces of Chaos were present, none of their bodies were recovered or seen by any true marines (Saturdays BFG was 1000pts each of Dark Angels, Blood Angels, and IG, versus 2 1250each Orks and a 500 Chaos [new player, it was fun though]).

So the defenders of the Emperor had a dinner and shared drinks, and discussed battle strategies and tactics. Until someone, most likely the lightweight acting as the sergeant of the Blood Angels first assault squad made a comment about genetic purity. Then someone took a potshot at the watcher that was accompanying the DA Master dealing with the situation. Tempers flared, and these two stoic, titanic forces looked like they were on the brink of conflict. Then it happened, the Blood Angels Chaplain himself made a comment about the Fallen, and battle almost immediately ensued. Out of respect for the Emporer (and not wanting to harm any of the IG commanders who were passed out at their feet, both Marine forces agreed that tomorrow would be the day, and all hell was to break loose).

Scenario- My BA buddy and I finally decided to have at it, after being good teammates for over a month, it was time to see which was finally superior, his BA or my DA. On the surface it was just going to be a cleanse game, but we both knew table quadrants weren’t going to matter- it was going to be a “beat the other guy into the ground until he gives up” game, and neither of us was planning on giving up.

The table- 8x4 with some terrain (wich I’d taken pictures), mainly overturned buggies and trucks from earlier (the Ork players kindly left their thing on the table).

The lists- 1500 pts

JD - Dark Angels- my standard-

-Librarian w/ bike, force weapon, frag grenades, choice was smite - 155pts

-Interrogator Chaplain w/ jump pack, frag grenade, plasma pistol -126pts

-Two Dreadnoughts, both with twin lascannon and missile launcher, extra armor - 140pts each

-Two Tactical Squads (6 strong) with plasma gun and plasma cannon, veteran sergeant (stubborn, of course) with CC/BP mounted in a Razorback w. Twin Lasscannon, Extra Armor, and smokes -229 ppts each

-Assault Squad (6 strong), Veteran Sergeant, plasma pistol, power weapon, stubborn - 185 pts

-Predator: Annihilator w/ Lasconnon sponsons -145 pts

-Two Whirlwinds -75 pts each

AK- Blood Angels- his standard, except that he used shooting dreds instead of his normal assault dreds (I wonder why…)

-Chaplain, Terminator Honors, jump pack, plasma pistol, frag grenades –231 pt

-Sanguinary High Priest- Jump pack, terminator honors, thunder hammer, plasma pistol, iron halo, frag grenades – 181 pts

-2 tactical Squads, 6 strong, Flamer and Missile Launcher, veteran sergeant with BP +CC, mounted in a razorback with plasma and las, extra armor – 226 each

-Scout Squad, 6 strong, 4 sniper rifles, heavy bolter, veteran sergeant with bp +cc – 126 pts

-Land Speeder Typhoon with multi-melta –90pts

-Assault Squad, 2 with plasma pistol and CC, 2 w/ BP +CC, vet sergeant with BP +CC – 150 pts

-2 Dreadnaughts – twin lascannon and missile launcher, 135 each

The pre-game:

JD: To start things off, I rolled for the fallen, and damned if that @#%$ Chaos sucking Chaplain didn’t have some bit of information. It’s a cleanse game, so it doesn’t matter for points, but he’s going to be mine!

AK: Hmm.. My death company is very, very scary. Tact squad 1 lost a bolter trouper and its veteran sergeant, squad 2 lost no one, the scout squad lost 2 scouts (the HB and a sniper) and my sergeant (@#%$ 6! :) , and the assault squad lost 1 and its sergeant (that's why they’re there). Naturally, I rolled a 3 for the d3 +3, so the death company was 13 strong, plus the Chaplain and the Sanguinary high priest, 3 with Power fists + BP, 10 with CC + BP (that’s one #$$ing scary squad).

Deployment-

JD: I deployed my whirlwinds together in what little cover I could find (the ruins of the ork battlewagon), while clumping together the razorbacks and predator near the middle of my deployment zone. The Dreds and the assault squad were on the short edge of my deployment zone, with a hope of sweeping wide and forcing that insane death company to pick its target from those two groups. My biker-librarian was placed in the middle of the long edge of my deployment zone, hoping to go unseen and use the trees on that part of his deployment zone as a buffer to sneak around back.

AK: It was pretty straightforward. I frowned a bit setting up my weakened units (especially that 2 figure scout squad, which I put in the trees). My dreds were put directly in line of fire with his, mainly because there really wasn’t any cover in my zone for them to hide behind. The Death Company (and the chaplain, and the priest) was put as close to the center of the table as I could, with the 2 razorbacks on either side as shields (though they certainly couldn’t shield that entire squad) and with the Land Speeder close behind, hoping that if he concentrated fire on the Death Company, I’d be able to get in close with the multimelta.

Dicing off, and the Dark angels get to go first!

DA Turn 1-

Movement-

The Librarian in his bike headed straight for the scouts in the woods, hoping to smite them for their wicked ways, while the chaplain lead the charge almost directly at the Death company (but sufficiently out of range), while moving at an angle to use the enemies own razorback as a shield from the death company. The predator remained stationary (of course) as did the whirlwinds, but the razorbacks split from the predator 6’, presenting multiple targets to assault as opposed to the one big one they’d been before.

Shooting-

The first whirlwind opened fire with amazingly unsuccessful results, coming nowhere near the enemy, and the crew of the second barely compensated, but luckily the wind scattered the fir so that it hit a single member of the death company… who shook off the blast. Laughing at the sticks being waved around by the death company and knowing they couldn’t hurt them, the Predator crew opened fire with all its lascannons at what it saw as the greatest threat on the board- the land speeder- and blew it out of the sky. Realizing that they aren’t anywhere near as armored as the Predator, both Razorbacks opened fire on the death company- one shot went wide (maybe he was really aiming at the land speeder) and in a gusty move, the chaplain jumped in front of the other blast, trusting in his rosaries to protect him- and it did! The dreadnaughts fired on the razorbacks, destroying one and both weapons on the other. The crew of the destroyed razorback emerged unscathed (the 4 man squad- with its missile launcher!).

Assault-

Yeah, right.

BA Turn 1-

Movement-

With a roar to Sanguinius, the death company gave in to the black rage and advanced a full 6”, then another 12! Directly at the Razorbacks, ignoring the Dark Angels assault squad nearby in favor of destroying the more heavily armed and armored tanks. Their dreadnaughts advanced, blazing with weapon fire as they came.

Shooting-

Blood Angels, shooting? Do they even do that? Apparently so. The Dreds concentrated their fire on one enemy dreadnaught- stunning it, immobilizing it, destroying its lascannon, and finally blowing it to smithereens with a well aimed krak missile. The snipers in the cover of the trees (yeah, both of them) opened fire on the Dark Angels Assault squad and fell one marine- unfortunately the stubborn nature of the Dark Angels doesn’t save them from being pinned, and the assault squad dove for cover but recovered and could act . The death company’s leaders with their plasma pistols managed to rattle the Predator (shooting at its side armor) enough that it too could not act. Then came the big surprise- the BA Tactiacl squad that escaped the demise of its transport opened fire with a krak missile on one of the DA Razorbacks, somehow destroying the vehicle. The squad inside survived the blast and pointed its weapons at the charging death company, hoping to avenge their fallen transport.

Assault-

With a resounding roar, the death company charged the remaining razorback (thanks to that 6’ black rage) and between a ridiculous number of strength 5 hits and power fist, managed to tear it apart. But, in their bloodlust, they failed to not the tactical squad exiting the rear of the vehicle and taking up firing positions. Realizing that the sides of the Predator are no tougher than the front of a Razorback, the Death Company sweeps into it.

Turn 2!

DA- Things are looking grim- 1 dreadnaught down, 2 razorbacks destroyed, an assault marine lost, and a temporally unusable Predator. On the plus side, he apparently forgot about his assault squad (only 4 guys strong) and left them with the foot soldier tactical squad for company.

Movement-

Knowing the risks, I skirt my lone librarian biker through the forest, within inches of his snipers, headed directly for his dreadnaughts (smite!). The two tactical squads plant themselves and prepare to open fire, while my dreadnaught advances on his two dreadnaughts (self-confidence!) I also advance my assault squad on his tactical squad that survived the wreck of their razorback.

Shooting-

This time, the whirlwinds are both accurate to a T, dropping 2 very impressive payloads on the death company, which actually loose 4 members (down to 9 DC) and the High priest suffers a wound! Both tactical squads open into the death company with bolts and plasma. The plasma cannons lovingly cared for by both marines do their work, and when the Death company takes its next breath, its down another 2 members (7 DC) and most importantly, the Sanguinary high priest is down, the victim of a double tapped plasma gun! The Librarian barely pauses to smite the snipers on his reckless charge through the forest. The assault squad opens fire with its pistols, to very little effect, one blood angel assault marine falls. With a Lascannon and Krak missile shot, the dreadnaught manages to destroy one of his, but its partner takes aim.

Assault-

Pause, yes, yes I can, and will assault the blood angels! My assault squad attacks his tactical squad. Between the chaplains Crosius Arcanum and the Veteran Sergeants power sword, there is only a single Dark Angels casualty, and no survivors- so they press the charge into the two remaining Blood Angels Assault marines.

BA: There really isn’t that much resistance left that I can see, my dred will kill his, my Death Company should destroy one tactical squad and sweep into the other, and then it just becomes a game of who assaults who with his assault squad and my death company.

Moving- Dred advances, moveable (though practically useless) Razorback advances on the ruins of an Ork battlewagon where the whirlwinds are hiding.

Shooting- As expected, my dred killed his, leaving only one dred out of 4 still on the table (and its mine!). The Chaplain’s plasma pistol got lucly and scared the Predator’s crew again so they don’t have to be worried about next turn.

Assault- Let’s keep this simple- the Death company assaulted and destroyed one tactical squad, then swept backwards towards the other. The remains of my assault squad were beaten badly by his.

Turn 3:

DA- Hmm.. available resources, 1 tactical squad, about to be assaulted, 1 assault squad, about to come under the guns of a dreadnaught, 1 predator that can’t do jack, and two whirlwinds, oh, and my secret weapon, almost forgot about him… (the librarian)

Movement-

Blazing across the field, my librarian comes within smiting range of the side of the enemy dreadnaught. The tactical squad holds its ground. The assault squad moves towards the death company, knowing it won’t get their in time to save the beleaguered tactical marines.

Shooting-

Again, the whirlwinds open fire, this time to less effect, managing to drop 1 death company member with one shot. Unfortunately, the gap between the tactical squad and the death company isn’t big enough, and the wind carries a shell back to land in the midst of the dark angels, slaying a tactical marine. Luckily that small gap also means the tactical squad can use its weapons to their most devastating effect- slaying 2 members of the death company with plasma weapons and bolter shots (down to 5 death company and the uninjured chaplain). The Librarian opens up with a smite on the dreadnaught and manages to immobilize it, not exactly the stunning explosion desired, but not to shabby either. The assault squad tries to shoot the death company and hits only the dirt.

Assault-

I know my tactical squad is dead, so rather than make it to easy for them, I attempt to assault. And fail. If they were in assault range they would have assaulted me last turn. Sometimes I’m dense.

BA:

Movement-

The razorback arrives on target and delivers its payload of 6 marines on the whirlwinds. The dred gives in to the black rage, but cannot move. The death company moves forward 3 inches.

Shooting-

The immobilized dreadnaught destroys the librarian with a single lascannon shot. The death company opens fire at the Predator hoping to keep the crew occupied, but they will have none of that nonsense, as the plasma pistol shot bounces off the hull.

Assault-

The death company makes short work of the remaining tactical squad, and sweeps towards the assault squad. In an unseen move (at least until this turn) the remaining Blood Angels Tactical squad charges the whirlwinds, and with that little bit of extra strength manage to score a glancing it that destroys the multirocket launcher.

Turn 4

DA- At least I can finally use my Predator.

Movement-

Time for some clash of the titans- my assault squad moves to engage his remaining death company (5 death company and a chaplain to my 4 assault marines and a chaplain). The Predator and whirlwind remain stationary.

Shooting-

The still active whirlwind blasts a rocket almost directly into the sky, designed to have it plummet down right next to it, whish is exactly what it did! The shot took out every single member of the blood angel’s tactical squad (about time I had some good luck), as well as their razorback. Unfortunately, it also destroyed the other whirlwind, sorry mate, friendly fire and all. The Predator opened fire on the Death company, falling 2, throwing the odds in my favor in the upcoming assault (someone inside the turret was heard to exclaim quite loudly, Ignore Injury this @#%$!). The DA assault squad opened fire with its weapons, and another death company marine fell (3 to 5).

Assault-

If he assaulted me, he’d win, so I assaulted him- needless to say, things were very, very messy (the two remaining death company were armed with power fists)- to make things simple, I’ll summarize- his chaplain died, as did both members of the death company, my chaplain took 1 wound, and all the assault marines but the sergeant died.

BA- $*$&*$*^%* that was a bad assault. All I have left is my dreadnaught

Moving- yeah, right

Shooting- I open up with my lascannon and a krak missile. His chaplain tries to repeat the stunt mine pulled in turn one, and a big fat 2 is rolled for his invul save, now nobody has a chaplain. The Assault Sergeant sucked a krak missile too, killing him.

Assault- unfortunately, no.

GAME!!

Winner- Dark Angels, barely. In the end I had a predator and a whirlwind, he had an immobile dreadnaught. I lost almost my entire force, but more than that, I lost the information being carried by his chaplain, information necessary to pursue the Fallen.

~  New England JP

** Thank you New England JP for sharing this report with us! ~ Brother Edward