p.s. on those Dark Angels from yesterday...

Thinking further on yesterday’s thinking on the Codex list for Dark Angels thinking, specifically the jump troops squad:

So to discuss the Vanguard Vets in general, I generally don’t go for those because to use their special ability to assault upon deepstrike makes them 30 pt models: 20 for the vet, plus 10 more to give each one a jump pack.  It’s called Heroic Intervention and would be spiffy but it’s unreliable.  You may assault IF you land within 6” of an enemy, assuming you don’t scatter too far off the mark.  Which if you ask me is pretty risky, trying to land within 6” of an enemy unit to assault it and hoping you don’t land on top of it instead and suffer a nasty deep strike error roll.  So *IF* you land on target and manage to pull it off, great, but you’re paying 30 pts per model for a squad to maybe pull off that maneuver once in a game, or maybe die trying.  The other general good use for vanguard vets is simply as foot-pounding vets with good close combat gear.  (To that end I’ve thought about running a unit of Space Wolves with my Crimson Fists, being mean codex vanguard with cool claws and such.)

So my new thinking for the Dark Angels unit is maybe run an assault squad and then make a Captain with a jump pack and war gear to join them. 

FA	Assault Squad (5) sgt w. power wpn, marine w. plasma pistol	130pts
HQ	Captain: jump pack, relic blade, storm shield, digital wpns	180pts

Could be a bad dude!  I saw on the 2012 FAQ that having both a relic blade and storm shield is legit, so that makes a 12” bouncy Captain with a S6 power weapon and 3+ invuln save (and I threw in digital weapons just for fun – if I needed those 10 pts elsewhere, so be it).  I’m imagining a big angelic looking guy with wings rather than a jump pack (and remember my DA assault boys have both – using the cool sanguinary guard models), a big honkin’ sword and angel-embossed shield and iron halo over his head.  Hmmm…  Might have to do that! 

Ah, screw it, I might as well make up a whole unique character right now!  So here’s an awesome figure to use for this guy, found on Scibor’s Miniatures (www.sciborminiatures.com).  (That guy’s doing some amazing sculpting over there!)

Not sure on a name, since Azreal’s already taken, so let’s go with Raphael for now (an angel’s name in Paradise Lost) but something classic and angelic and more masculine would be better. 

STATS:  as a Space Marine captain.

GEAR:  k+f grenades, artificer armor, iron halo, Flaming Sword, Wings of Shadow

            *Flaming Sword: A powerful relic of the chapter, flames dance along the blade when held by the righteous.  This is a power weapon that always wounds on a 3+.  Once per game, Raphael can project fire in the shooting phase as a flamer.  The weapon’s only drawback comes when the Night Fighting rules are in effect: Raphael and any unit he is joined to are visible as if lit up by searchlight (do not roll for spotting distance).

            *Wings of Shadow:  Acts as a jump pack.  If he deep strikes (alone or joined to a jump infantry unit), he will only scatter 1D6 and they may assault the same turn.

UNIVERSAL RULES:  Independent character, eternal warrior, fearless

SPECIAL RULES:

            *Dragon Slayer: Raphael was one of the first Dark Angels who fought the crusade against the monsters of Caliban before mysteriously disappearing for millennia.  He has Preferred Enemy against Monstrous Creatures, walkers, and models with T5.

            *Daemon Slayer: He’s specialized in fighting against the powers of chaos for time uncounted.  He rerolls both to hit and to wound against daemons.