Foot Blood Angels: Dealing with other combat armies

One of the main weaknesses highlighted in both the Blood Angels Jumper and Blood Rodeo lists is other combat armies, specifically anything with multiple Dreadnoughts or MCs. The reason for this is simple, these guys have high T/AV and are good enough in combat so to squish Marines and are best taken out with concentrated and ranged firepower. Foot BA lists which are not running Devs (i.e. Blood/Nipple Hammer) have issues in bringing enough concentrated firepower to bear on these guys to take them down because of their limited range. If they fail to do so and don't get off the charge, well they get charged unless there is a bubble-wrap in the way. So how do Foot BA lists built around combat and without ranged support deal with combat lists? This has been asked a couple of times on the blog and via e-mail/PM so I'm doing a mass reply to all of you :P.

The majority of opposing combat armies aren't always mobile (i.e. Daemons) or as mobile as you (jump packs > 12" transport move). You need to use this to your advantage and pick your fights but also to concentrate your firepower. Pick an MC or tough assault unit (i.e. TWC) and alpha strike it with as many melta type weapons as you can whilst protecting the striking squads from reprisal. If you can position yourself for a follow-up assault where you can take advantage of S/I 5, do so. In Blood Rodeo this would involve using Bikes as a screening unit whilst in a Jumper list you might use VV who with SS are designed to take hits. Honor Guard, Sanguinary Guard & Terminators are all good choices as offensive attacking units as well as they can do multiple ignore saves wounds (HG with 3-4 meltaguns). The main thing though is to pick your fights and don't be afraid to sacrifice other units (especially if you combat squad) to ensure your army as a whole stays intact.

It's also important to pick when you commit to removing these type of units. Using the Daemons example still, outside of MCs they still have a lot of other units which can be very deadly in assault such as Bloodcrushers, Fiends, Bloodletters, etc. and it again comes down to how likely you will be able to kill a unit without taking much damage yourself and if you can protect your army with a single unit effectively. When versusing against a list with a couple of combat squads (i.e. TWC in SW Mech or TH/SS terminators) you need to apply your anti-super units such as Terminators or HG/VV w/SS. These squads can absorb the hits and sometimes dish it back out themselves (i.e. Terminators) but most importantly you want to effectively tarpit the opposing enemy combat squad until you can bring to bear multiple ASM units and land in 30+ S/I 5 hits. This is where Foot BA armies are about combined arms rather than having one squad carve through your opponent.

The most important thing with Foot BA lists is to stay together and don't try and spread out. If your opponent spreads out this means your Blood Lance and alpha strike aren't going to be huge on the drop but his bubble-wrap will be non-existent and you can get in amongst his army quickly. If he stays together to bubble-wrap against you he's getting hammered by Blood Lance and you have the ability to stay together and maximise your force.

Does that help a bit more? I'm sure everyone would like Bat-Rep picture examples...