Hey everyone, Reecius here to share some experiences with
the new Dark Angels in practice!
I must say, they've exceeded my expectations! I felt that
they would be good, but you need to play a new army to really get a feel for
it. We broadcast the game live on our Twitch Channel, for anyone
that is interested in watching. Every Tuesday and Thursday night, at 7:00pm
PST.
The Black Knights, as expected, were extremely powerful.
They have a combination of speed, firepower, melee ability and special rules
that make them a cornerstone unit, and one I expect to see in most DA lists. I
ran mine in a unit of 6 a s a command squad, for the added benefit of the
Apothecary, and with an Interrogator Chappy on a bike to grant them Fearless
and Zealot, in addition to providing a few tank wounds. I was very pleased with
the combo.
I teamed them up with the Ravenwing Support Formation which
really proved to be excellent. Again, they exceeded my expectations. I thought
it would be solid on paper, but it was better even than I had hoped. The 3
Typhoons with the Darkshroud was such a great combo, with rerollable Jinks on
the unit, plus stealth and the buff to nearby units, they proved to be ultra
durable. Their firepower was excellent, too! I was happy to put my Typhoons on
the table, again. I think the added benefits of Interceptor and being able to
deny the enemy overwatch, will be incredibly useful in some match ups.
I had a base of Scouts as my troops, and the little buggers kicked
some butt! I have always enjoyed playing Scout bases lists and in this edition,
they really outshine most other troop choices by a mile. The improvement to
WS/BS4 on Scouts in general (sorry, BA!) is such a big boost!
I also through in a unit of Deathwing just to use the iconic
Terminators. They are certainly better, but still not what I would call great,
unfortunately. They performed well for me, but I could see them really
struggling in certain missions. However, with the benefits gained from Grim
Resolve, Deathwing and their Ravenwing buddies, I think they can find a place
in many lists.
I am also looking forward to trying them out as allies with Astra Militarum and Skitarii, who I think will blend with them extremely well.
So far, I am really enjoying Dark Angels and I think they
will be a big hit with both casual and competitive players. My only strong
complaint is their lack of AA, but that is easily remedied with allies.