Email in: BA 'Ard Boyz

My current Version of Blood Angels for Ard Boyz, This will be my First for many things.
First Tournament, First Game in 4 months and first time above 1500 Points.

Mephiston To Run Solo-ish and do what he does best While the Librarian Runs with the Terminators and Normal Priest, Other 2 priests join the Assault Squads with Jump Packs

HQ:

Mephiston

Librarian, Terminator Armour with Storm Shield
Shield of Sanguinius, Unleas Rage

Elite:

5x Assault Terminators
4x Claw, 1 TH/SS
Land Raider Crusader, MM, EA

3x Sanguinary Priests
2x Jump Packs

Fast:
Baal Predator
TL-Assault Cannon, HB Sponsons

Baal Predator
TL-Assault Cannon, HB Sponsons

Baal Predator
FlameStorm Cannon, HF Sponsons

Troop:

5x Assault Marines, Melta Gun, Power Weapon
RazorBack, TL-AC

5x Assault Marines, Melta Gun
RazorBack, TL-AC

5x Assault Marines, Melta Gun
RazorBack, TL-LC

10x Assault Marines, Jump Packs
Power Fist, 2x Meltaguns

10x Assault Marines, Jump Packs
Power Fist, 2x Flamers


This list makes a pretty classic mistake for those new to a format, namely the "one of everything" error. What, exactly, is it doing? It's not a mechanized list. It's not a jump list. It's not a Deathstar list. It's just sort of a random assortment of different things piled together. As I've said with regards to some of the other lists: you might make it through Prelims with this, but Semis are going to kick your ass pretty hard. I understand that not everyone has the ridiculous number of models necessary to build a 2500 list to the exact standards they want, especially if you're used to playing 1500 (which is a totally different game), but if you're aiming to really compete at 'Ard Boyz, you need to tighten up the list a bunch.

I'm not going to spit out a specific list because there's too many directions this could be taken; it's got so many things going on that it's hard to pick out any one of them. We could, for example, build a heavy mech list out of this, with two Land Raiders carrying Termies, six Predators (3x AC Baals and 3x AutoLas normal ones), and a bunch of Razorbacks, just driving the whole dang mass of them right in the enemy's face. We could also do a pure deathstar with heavy fire support, using the Terminators as a distraction to take the focus off our weaker elements. We could aim for a Mephiston list using lots of Dreads and probably some Stormravens. We could even do jumpers, just flooding the enemy with bodies. There are a lot of things that could be built from the basic elements here, but all of them require carving away the non-necessary parts to really make the list work.

Looking towards less drastic ways to improve the list, there are a few simple ones. Weapon swaps on the Razorbacks will gain you a lot- the TLLas should be a LasPlas or TLAC, depending. The TLAC is a fine gun, but if you're bringing them, you want to bring LOTS of them and switch that third Baal over to AC/HB as well. (The HB sponsons, while decent, are not a requirement and can be a good way to free up some points if you need them.) The Terminators should be either 3/2 or 2/3 when mixing Claws and Hammers- a single TH/SS just isn't enough to scare things like monstrous creatures, etc, and will often leave you relying on the 5++ of the other guys to keep them alive. You may also want to give the Priests Power Weapons or Lightning Claws, since they benefit from WS5 compared to simple sarges. Dropping a Jump Pack from one is a decent option, since more of your force is mechanized than not; that sets one Priest in the Raider, one in a Razor, and one hanging with the two jump squads; generally that will be sufficient, although personally I would want to have a 4th guy (i.e. Honor Guard) in a list this big.

Remember that two of the scenarios start with Night Fight, which is going to cut down on your shooting a lot. The Traitor should obviously hang out inside a transport and within FNP range; whether this means the Land Raider or not depends mostly on whether or not you're pushing it forward. If you are, it's probably better not to risk him there despite the additional protection, as that puts him within shooting/assault distance of the enemy once they Melta it away.