40K Friday: Gathering the Dark Angels

 

So I've spent most of the mini-time over the past week building the Armageddon set minis that I want to use for the new (ish) Dark Angels force. I built the Captain, the Ancient, and half of the Intercessor squad. I also started digging through what I have floating around various marine armies in an unfinished state - which is, fortunately or unfortunately, quite a bit. I added a Lieutenant from Dark Imperium, and the solo-Rambo-dual-blades Lieutenant from Leviathan as a start on a command group. I wanted a foot chaplain for this army too so I grabbed the hooded and robed one from Dark Imperium too (I think) which was still on the sprue. I also pulled in a Primaris Librarian, the existing one with the sword, as I'm going with a theme here. 

Theme-wise I've come up with some rules for the army so far:

• No bare heads or faces - only helmets! This is both practical - as it means I wont get bogged down detailing up eyes and beards and mohawks etc. - and thematic as the Unforgiven are supposed to be mysterious - so let's leave some mystery there as to what they look like. I may have to check some of my existing figures but it shouldn't be difficult to make some updates if I need to.
• Swords! Particularly power swords! They have a knightly theme and a sword is part of their chapter so for melee options I want swords - not fists, not axes, not staves.
• Well there is also the usual "Dark Angels = Plasma" thing too but I'm not going to go plasma exclusive on the specials and heavy weapons. Just enough to keep the theme.

Digging around some more I found the Hellblaster squad I knew I had somewhere -let's see, 10 bodies with guns, 10 backpacks, and ... 8 heads. Well I do have more primaris helmets but I'll have to spray them.  Such are the dangers of leaving units unfinished for years.

I also decided to put my heretofore untouched Reivers into this army as well, along with a Reiver Lieutenant. The Unforgiven have been a somewhat Unloved army here over the years so why not make them a home for wayward-children-type units as well. Reivers are still not thought of as great but there are tricks in some of the DA detachments - mainly with chaplains I believe - that might work well with them. Plus it gives them an infiltration type unit which can be handy even if the squad itself isn't super-powered.

Going back to the intercessors for a minute it is the Armageddon set of ten which would be better as 2 sets of five. There's one possible candidate for a second sergeant, a guy holding an auspex scanner. Then I reviewed the weapon options for a (regular) intercessor sergeant and, well, they can have a power sword. Luckily I do have a spare unbuilt intercessor and some spare power sword arms so ... decision made. 

So the army is shaping up like this at the moment:

• Armageddon Captain
• Armageddon Ancient
• Dark Imperium Chaplain
• Primaris Librarian
• Primaris Apothecary (another unfinished mini) 
• Lieutenant
• Another Lieutenant
• That Other Lieutenant
• 5-man Intercessors
• 5-man Intercessors
• 10-man Hellblasters
• 10-man Reivers (have to think about this one)
• 5-man Armageddon Vanguard Vets (I mean, they all have power swords so ...)
• Armageddon Land Speeder (probably?)

That's pushing around 1000 points so not a bad core. 

I have completely forgotten the armored part of this force. I'm leaning towards a Redemptor, 2 Ballistus Dreads, a Gladiator tank, and I might commit one of my Repulsor hulls to this one - it would give me a way to transport the Hellblasters at least.

I also might add in a jump captain to run with the VVs. Not sure there yet either.

Anyway there's a very loose rambling rundown of how one of these takes shape - for me anyway. Not completely focused in yet, but getting there.