Warhammer 40,000 Blood Angels Codex Review Part 1

Big Orbit games has asked a guest writer (Tim Weston) to review the Blood Angels Codex for us. He’s really gone to town and has written a colossal review that we will be releasing section by section, over four days, in the run up to the breitling replica release of the new Codex. Anyway, lets allow Tim to introduce himself…

Tim: I would like to tell the readers up front that I am not a professional writer nor am I an exceptional Warhammer 40,000 player by any stretch of the imagination. I can write a legible sentence, and try to convey my thoughts to you as I go through the new Codex, just as an average person commenting to their friend at the kitchen table over a good book.

Warhammer 40,000 Blood Angels Codex Review Part 1: Overview, Background & Headquarters

Overview

The book is printed in a 96 page soft cover format with 16 full colour pages in its body. There are four major sections: The Blood Angels (the background), The Angelic Host (explanation of units), Warriors of Baal (current models and preview of models), and The Blood Angel Army List (point cost and statistics of units.)

This has been the standard layout of the codex since the printing of ‘Codex: Dark Angels’ and is very helpful in the aspect that ‘army list’ entries have page numbers to reference detailed explanations. I have been very pleased that Games Workshop has continued along this line.

Background

The genetically engineered Blood Angels hail from a planet called Baal where their primarch Sanguinius was discovered and raised by humans of the Imperium.

Hidden from most outsiders, this chapter of space marines suffer from a flaw, handed down from their past, coinciding with the death of their primarch during the Imperium’s civil war known as the ‘Horus Heresy’. The flaw causes an almost uncontrollable black rage to take control over the mind and body of a warrior that typically is associated with battle. While protecting the Imperium from its enemies the Blood Angels also search for a cure to the ‘flaw’ which is slowly consuming them as time passes.

Headquarters

Commander Dante:
The leader of the Blood Angels is rumoured to be more than eleven hundred years old. It is not surprising that he grants jump pack units, that he joins, the ability to not scatter when he is present.

Combined with a Sanguinary Guard, that is changed to a ‘troop’ choice by the selection of Dante, the guard become an expensive option and is a gamble in lower point games.

Chapter Master Gabriel Seth:
I have read about Seth in the Blood Angel books produced by the Black Library and he is interesting. I like him as a character with his background and a strength 8 chainsword isn’t bad either.

From a game standpoint, he will not be seen much due to his lack of ability to augment what the army does or needs, and his lack of options that could help a unit he joins. He may just become a character to use instead of a captain where a player chooses not to customize their choice to their liking.

Astorath the Grim:
This entry is a new character to the codex with an interesting background. He seems to wander and ‘hunt’ down those with the ‘black rage’ within the Blood Angels and their successor chapters, hitting at strength 6 with his axe. Astrorath costs over 200 pts which will restrict smaller ‘Death Company’ armies in low point games regardless of him removing the restrictions on their selection.

I can see him as a player’s singular headquarters character if they plan on running an entire Death Company. I suspect a second character will be added only in larger games and it will likely be a librarian for point management and psychic ability.

Sanguinor, Exemplar of the Host:
Did I mention that he was at a weapon skill of 8? It allows him to strike opponents up to weapon skill 7 with a roll of 3 or better. I have to wonder ‘why?’, but that is a topic for blogs and forums. He is also the most expensive character in this book.

He is going to be seen on the table about as much as the Ultramarines Lord Calgar. I would have preferred a character that upgraded the typical assault squads or vanguard veterans in some way over a new ‘guy’ and a new ‘unit’. It could have been similar to how Pedro Kantor ‘upgrades’ Sternguard to scoring units. He does create an area of 6” that gives units within range +1 attacks which isn’t bad.

I have already read, in certain circles, that he seems to be a tad ridiculous. I like that Games Workshop is attempting to further the storyline of the Blood Angels but this entry takes me aback. I suspect this character is loosely based off a character in the first three books in the Blood Angels Omnibus.

I feel that this model and the ‘Sanguinary Guard’ seem to be an attempt at generating business rather than ‘upgrading’ an out of date codex.

Mephiston, Lord of Death:
He has to be able to survive on the table as a unit of one model that can’t join a unit and this is the reason he is a toughness of 6. He goes with his ‘fluff’ about his ability to have survived the ‘Black Rage’ and coincides with the last version of this entry allowing him to cast three psychic powers a turn.

He was a monster in the last iteration of this entry and he seems to be toned down but I am sceptical if this was done correctly. As with a few other subjects on the Blood Angels, time and testing will be the ultimate judge.

Captain Tycho:
I like this character, and you could do worse kitting out a non-specific captain. It will be up to the style of a player if they use him in their force on the table to get preferred enemy from either ‘version’ of the dear captain.

Once again, I have read on the internet that other choices are better or preferred. He isn’t bad, but he isn’t great either since he lacks any augmentation (in the captain version) to your force. I think he is too fragile to run around on his own if taken in the Death Company version where he becomes a unit of one model instead of being an independent character.

I would take him as a ‘captain’ since he can attack at initiative and ignore armour saves while against vehicles he rolls an additional die 6 for armour penetration, but this is just my choice.

Reclusiarch (Chaplain):
They’re chaplains plain and simple with their options. They do augment the Death Company if you take them conferring re-rolls to wound for this particular unit in addition to their other special rules. I find them a solid choice for players.

Honour Guard:
I think this is a solid choice if you kit them out correctly but could be a point sink if you are trying to create an ‘ultra-killy’ unit for the battle. The Honour Guard is customizable in some respects but their role must be clearly defined. Without knowing what to do with them, another unit might do what they are trying to accomplish and, do it better. Points management is the trick with this unit and their options.

End of part 1, tomorrow Troops & Elites…