Help me build 1000 points Dark Angels

So I'm putting together a Dark Angels force. I'm gonna try to build up to 1000 points first.

I already have:

Enough regular bolter marines to fill out at least 3 10 man squads, some heavy weapons, some flamers, plasmas, meltas, etc, so could field 3 tactical or 2 tactical and a devastator pretty easily.

parts and packs for 5 assault marines.

2 rhinos

1 land raider (seems like a big, expensive target in a little army, plus, don't all the DA termies get free teleports all the time?)

2 land speeders (I think the basic ones with just the twin linked heavy bolters, no ACs)

1 dreadnought - standard AC and CCW. I glued a wolve's head to it, primed it black, but never painted it. Probably gonna pry the head off and make it a DA dread.


So, the questions:

Would you use any of that stuff in a 1000 point army?

What ought I to get for an HQ unit? I'm thinking either a chaplain or company master with a jump pack so they can jump around where needed.

Next, I wanna get the regular and close combat terminator packs so I can mix and match 5 man squads (ouch $100).

I wanna get some motocycles because they look bad ass. Probably just buy that $90 ravenwing set .

Firstly, make sure you check our links section out and buy from ChaosOrc from now on, that $90 ravenwing box is only $67 on there. So big price cuts.

Seems to me you rbest bet would be to go with a fire base and an assault contingent.

your base squads looking something like this

sergeant with bolt pistol power fist
9 men 1 heavy weapon 1 assault weapon
rhino

you then combat squad this unit, leaving 4 and a heavy weapon in the backfield and 3 more men, the serg and the assault weapon riding up in the rhino.

Using two or three squads like this can give you a pretty decent base for a DA army.

The dread isn't fitting for me with the units you have thus far, perhaps podding him would allow him to back up your combat squads in the rhinos.

A typical HQ that can load in the rhino squads would work decently.

A few predators wouldn't be bad, depends on the heavy weapons you can load the combat squads out with.

Assault marines could hop up behind the rhinos, using them to block LOS. Make sure to give the vet a power fist, and up it to 10 man if you can.


Deathwing terminators can deepstrike turn one, but only up to half the number of squads held in reserve. So try stay with odd numbers of squads.

My personal favorite loadout on them is as follows.

Srg with power weapon and Storm bolter
1 with twin linked lightning claws
2 with power fist and storm bolters
1 with power fist and assault cannon

A nice combo is as follows: All ravenwing bikers get teleport homers for free (allowing you to drop your deepstriking terminators more accurately). So the bikers get a free 12" scout move then you drop the terminators first turn, and the ravenwing hold up enemies close by creating a LOS blocking assault that your terminators can wade into the following turn.

And yes the LandRaider doesnt work too well at 1000points. Then again neither do terminators.

OK that is all my thoughts for now

Ok so it sounds like I need 3 or 4 powerfists to glue onto some sergeants.

I know I got a bunch when I bought the Space Wolves $90 box several years ago, but they've got wolf skulls on them. You guys know the best way to get them? Can the bits be ordered somewhere?

I think I'll buy a chaplain with jump pack - it seems like having him in there with the assault marines would be awesome - he lets 'em all re-roll their failed to-hits when they charge.

I'll also buy a company master - that classic looking one with the huge feathered headdress is pretty sweet. he can ride in the rhinos.

Rest assured - with 1000 points I'll only use one at a time.

Termies I gotta buy because I really want to paint them.

Bikes same thing - though I'm worried that ravenwing is black, and I'm not sure my painting skills are up to it - all the pictures I've seen they highlight all the edges of the armor with grey and white. I know if I don't highlight I might as well just prime them black and quit for all the detail you'll be able to see.

Just cut/scrape the wolf skulls off the powerfists, it won't be that hard. Unless you really plan on using them later when making space wolves. And yeah, bits can be ordered places online, check the links section.

painting the edges isn't too difficult. Just make sure to go slow and get some practice.

As for the terminators, the bikes can help bring them in. Still, they will be a large points sink in a 1000 point game, and due to the speed of their arrival they will also be unsupported for the turn they arrive, meaning they will be shot quite a bit.

IMO running combat squads works really well with a Company Master. Having a 5 man Ld 8 squad (no matter how far back on the board, which might make it worse) is not good. There have been so many times where I've failed a morale test after losing two guys and the rest bolt.

yea, the master is a must. Setting up at the board edge is pretty silly most of the time, unless you know being further in on the board will hurt.

Hey, where I play, that's usually where the cover is set up.

Nathan wrote:

Hey, where I play, that's usually where the cover is set up.

Next time roll 2D6 and a scatter for each piece.

I was messing about with the DA Codex last night and here is how I think I'm going to go for 1000 points:

----------Models I already own-------------------

HQx1
Dark Angels Company Master with bolt pistol and power sword - 115 pts

TROOPS x2
10 man tactical squad
SRG has bolt pistol and chainsword
7 bolters
1 melta gun
1 missile launcher
Rhino with storm bolter - 225 pts

10 man tactical squad
SRG has bolt pistol and chainsword
7 bolters
1 flamer
1 missile launcher
Rhino with storm bolter - 220 pts

FAST ATTACKx 3
3 landspeeders w/ either heavy bolters or multi-meltas - 195 points.

This ends the "models I have" section. I have 245 points left.
-----------------------------------------------------

--I could buy a 5 man termy squad, 3 storm bolters and power fists, srg with sb and power swords, and an AC would be 245 exactly


-- I have 5 assault marines. I could buy 5 more, give the sergeants in the tac squads and assault squads meltas, and upgrade that flamer in the tac squad to a melta gun. I'd have to group the land speeders into squadrons to stay under the fast attackx3 limit.

-- I could buy a predator and kit it out, and maybe add another land speeder. I'd have to group the land speeders into squadrons to stay under the fast attackx3 limit.

I think I wanna go with the termies. Fun to paint, plus, even if they're not totally ideal for 1000 points, my next step up would be to add bikes, and then it starts to get fun with the teleport homers.

I own a land raider that termies can ride around in, for when my army gets bigger.

I kinda wanna settle on the list I'm going to use first, because it gives me a real goal as far as painting them all goes.

1000pts is tough when you're starting out as you want to build a solid foundation yet at the same time you really want to paint and play with a few "toys & tricks"

While Terminators are one of those "toys" which are quite good, I really feel in a stand alone game at the 1k mark you are better off keeping them on the shelf.

Your Core 750ish you have there is a nice mobile start except your Commander has no ride. A Command Squad would be a luxury at this point mark so you may be better served throwing out the cash for a Jump Pack Chaplain which you could eventually incorporate as the 2nd HQ choice anyways.

If you do indeed go with Termies (which it sounds like you will ) go ahead and run your Commander in Term Armour and surround him with a Term Retinue and they can tele in as a whole.

I would make sure to give both Srg's a Power Fist.

For a Tac squad to be effective IMO they NEED a hidden power fist. I doubt you could find even 1 competitive list that doesn't run hidden power fists in tactical squads.

Turning the Landspeeders into Assault Cannon and heavy bolter speeders would be ideal. The Ravenwing boxed set has enough extra assault cannons to equip 6 landspeeders with this load out. So it isn't too difficult to get them (I have these parts to trade). Reason I say this is, Landspeeders without this loud out are no where near as effective.

I play both a pure Deathwing army and a pure Ravenwing army. They do work best when running together.

Like Marc said, I think 1 Terminator squad in 1000 points will be hard to pull off. If however you are going to run them in large games anyway, it won't hurt to run them now and see how they play. Being able to Deepstrike them first turn could be a game winner against certain opponents in 1000 points.

My 2 cents.

Well,

Adding three assault cannons to the 'speeders adds 105 points and the power fists add 50, so I'm 155 over.

I could take out an entire 'speeder and save 100. Still 55 over.
Take out one powerfist and one assault cannon and be 5 under.
Give somebody some melta bombs and be even.

So, I would need, that I don't have, one assault cannon and a powerfist.
One less 'speeder to paint, at least to start with.

It may not be ideal, or the list I'd take to a tourney, but it looks like fun. I wouldn't be painting or spending money on anything I wasn't going to end up using in the long run.

It's definitely a compromise between what I had and your suggestions.

so the list:

HQx1
Dark Angels Company Master with bolt pistol and power sword - 115 pts

TROOPS x2
10 man tactical squad
SRG has bolt pistol and chainsword, melta bombs (or give em to the master, whatever)
7 bolters
1 melta gun
1 missile launcher
Rhino with storm bolter - 230 pts

10 man tactical squad
SRG has bolt pistol and power fist
7 bolters
1 flamer
1 missile launcher
Rhino with storm bolter - 245 pts

FAST ATTACKx2
2 landspeeders w/ either heavy bolters or multi-meltas, 1has assault cannon - 165 points.

ELITE x1
5 man termy squad, 3 storm bolters and power fists, srg with sb and power swords, and an AC. 245 pts

Yeah I don't really know where you could get the points from either, without dropping the Terminators.

1 hidden power fist is better than none i suppose.

Looks good, I think this will be a fun list to game at 1000 points.

So your Company Master just wanders around on his own?

Marc wrote:

So your Company Master just wanders around on his own?

Maybe

He could hang out with the heavy part of of one the tactical squads maybe to discourage folks from assaulting it. He could run up behind the termies. I dunno, I haven't really thought it through I guess (and it shows!)

In any case, it gives me something to work towards as far as painting, play it a few times, then adjust.

perhaps instead of the termies a small veteran squad and rhino to accompany the commander?

Matt wrote:

perhaps instead of the termies a small veteran squad and rhino to accompany the commander?

That's a pretty good idea, actually. I really wanna paint some robed guys

Also kicking around the idea of a Predator.

Maybe combine those ideas into a razorback?

Maybe, but everytime I played a mobile list, the Razorback was usually the first thing everyone shot at. But their more affordable at 50 pts now.

razorbacks aren't too good imo.

Matt wrote:

razorbacks aren't too good imo.

The naked Hvy Bolter Raz is not bad, but the way Combat squads will work your Troops inside will be unable to complement the APC.

personal opinion. I've just never been too fond of them.