So I thought I would do a post on the army dearest and nearest to me, the Blood Angels.As far back as I remember, I have loved the honour guard. In 3rd edition and part of 4th, they could be an uber powerfull 1000 pt squad with 10 power weapons and furious assault. Now they are much more on the level but still can be rather strong.
Dante: 200
Honour Guard:330/355(meltabombs)
-Jump Packs
-Melta Bombs (optional)
Company Champion: Power Weapon, Combat Sheild, Plasma Pistol
Standard Bearer: Blood Angels Banner, Power Fist
Tech-Adept: Power Weapon, Artificer Armour, Plasma Pistol
Sanguinary Priest: Exsanguinator, Power Weapon
Veteran: Melta-Gun
So there you go. 530/555 points for the squad.
What makes it great- Dante gives preferred enemy to any squad within 12", meaning everyone, including himself, re-rolls to hit in close combat (though his axe is already MC). Further this by the fact any enemy within 6" of Dante has -1 to their BS and WS. Then he allows you to take the BA Banner, giving all friendlies within 12" +1 A and allows them to re-roll failed morale and pinning tests. Rites of Battle allows any unit in the army to use his LD for their checks. The more assault troops you can keep within 12" the better. Mass your DC with them and you have a crazy force with rending getting all these bonuses as well.
Dante himself has a sweet MC power axe and an inferno pistol (Axe Mortalis and Perdition Pistol). Basically it is a pistol with the stats of a melta gun, 12" S8 AP1 melta. He is fearless, but the squad isn't, so this doesn't matter, unless he detaches and joins the Death Company. WS6 BS5 S4 T4 3W I5 4A Base and a 2+/4+ save.
With Dante's Bonuses, you then have a squad that has 3 power weapons, a Power Fist, 2 Plasma Pistols, and a Melta-gun, that can do crazy amounts of damage. One of them has a 5+ Inv save in CC and another has a 2+ SV normal. 2 Attacks base each, 4 with 2 CCW, and almost a guaranteed charge, on top of everything Dante does and you are looking at 7 WS6, 20 WS4 Powerweapon attacks and 5 normal WS4 attacks.
Added bonuses: Exsanguinator keeps guys alive when you need it most, and the Blessing of the Omnisiah allows them to fix vehicles.
The whole unit has Jump Packs, so they are amazingly fast to boot.
In APOC I add the following to the unit
Masters of the Chapter- Jump Packs on All
Captain: 150- Plasma Pistol, Power Weapon
Captain: 150- Pair of Lighting Claws
Captain: 165- Thunderhammer, Plasma Pistol
Captain: 160- Lighting Claw, Plasma Pistol
Chaplain: 135- Jump Pack, Plasma Pistol
Mephiston: 225
Why not Lemartes- He is better left with actual Death Company.
Mephiston can keep up with the Wings of Sanguinius.
The Squad gains an old school psychic hood.
Mephiston can use all his powers, so he bumps himself with Might of heroes since he is S5 and has a Force Weapon, it is most useful on his self. Then Transfixing Gaze can leave an enemy completely defenceless, allowing this megasquad of hurt to hit automatically and not risk being hit in return (oppossing squad looses all attacks).
The Chaplain is there to make the squad fearless, and redundancy with litanies of hate. Plus more power weapon attacks is always welcome.
The 4 Captains bring some hurt in varrying shapes and sizes with a good mix of weapons and plenty of plasma bite.
Here is what everything would look like on the Charge:
7+D3 WS6 S5 I6 Force Weapon Attacks
7 WS6 S4 I5 Power Weapon Attacks
23 WS5 S4 I5 Power Weapon Attacks, 11 Reroll to wound
15 WS4 S4 I4 Power Weapon Attacks
4 WS4 S4 I4 Attacks
5 WS5 S8 I1 Thunderhammer Attacks (can stun)
5 WS4 S8 I1 Powerfist Attacks
ALL can re-roll to hit.
That is brutality.
Shooting right Before assault:
2 Meltagun shots, 1 at BS5 1 at BS4
7 Plasma Pistol shots, 5 at BS5 2 at BS4
2 Bolt Pitol shots at BS4
Saves
2+/4+ Dante
2+ Mephiston and Tech Adepts
3+/4+ Chaplain and Captains
3+/5+ Company Champion
3+ Veterans
All of this is a pure power house.
Take Lemartes with the Death Company and run them next to this power unit and you have a massacre on jet packs.