Codex Reviews
This page chronicles my views on each of the 40k codices currently in use. By no means are these reviews to be taken as the law of the land, but rather, a guide to help you decide which units to use in your games. I will try to keep these reviews current with the game's meta, as everyone likes to know how their armies stack up to the new stuff. Additionally, I will be assuming that there is a 2000 point cap when discussing each unit. Since everything here is obviously my opinion, I may well be wrong. Each unit will be rated on a scale of A, B, C, D, or F. As with the American education system, A is a mark of Outstanding, B above average, C is average, D is below average, and F is failing. Please scroll down to see each review.
It is important to note that I base these reviews on my competitive outlook on the game. Each unit will likely be compared against the other units in the same codex, as well as their effectiveness against what other armies will likely bring to the table against you in a competitive environment. By doing this, a player can glean an opinion on which units to avoid in most cases.
It is important to note that I base these reviews on my competitive outlook on the game. Each unit will likely be compared against the other units in the same codex, as well as their effectiveness against what other armies will likely bring to the table against you in a competitive environment. By doing this, a player can glean an opinion on which units to avoid in most cases.
Dark Eldar Codex - Updated August 3rd, 2011
When the Dark Eldar codex was officially announced, as I expected, there was a wonderful cry of happiness. Players have been seen flocking in droves to their LGS to pick these guys up (including myself). Of course, we knew it was coming for some time, it was just a matter of when. This shiny new book replaces a 10 year old codex from the very earliest days of 3rd Edition. Ah, a glorious day indeed!
So the question is, how good a job did Games Workshop do for the Dark Eldar faithful? In my opinion, Phil Kelly (the author) nailed it with this codex. It is rife with options, new weaponry, themes, and beautiful models. Nearly every unit has built in duality and the army is extremely balanced. And when the army is built properly, the DE are devastatingly powerful to behold. This is extremely important nowadays, especially in the world of 5th Edition. No longer are the days where one or two possible army builds cut it. Whether you are a casual gamer or more tournament-oriented player, there has to be more options available when building your army list.
However, that doesn't mean that playing the army gives you an auto-win button. Far from it, in fact. The truth is, this codex is one of the most difficult armies to play. They are flimsy, have very little armor, and don't have very much in the ways of numbers. Nor can the DE out-shoot or out-assault armies that are dedicated to those themes, especially if they are Space Marines or Imperial Guard. This has caused a large number of players who picked up the codex and the models to meet with failure on the battlefield. Unfortunately, this was expected. This army is not for everyone. The learning curve is very steep and your losses might pile up quickly. But do not despair. The DE have numerous strengths that you can use to easily get around their weaknesses. Armed with decent army list, an experienced player will become a force to be reckoned with in battle. Once you get to that point, even the power builds for IG and SM will not phase you. That is the strength of this codex. So let's take a look at it.
There are quite a few things that the Dark Eldar have that sets them apart from the other codices out there. The first one is their speed and maneuverability. Dark Eldar are easily able to cross the battlefield at a moments notice, can reach any objective at any time, or can simply stay out of range of their enemy's weaponry and assaults. To compliment this speed, most infantry units also have fleet. DE vehicles are skimmer based and fast, so that means a 24" movement. Several even have the option to go further than that! But with such mobility comes a negative: lack of decent armor. The highest armor value on a vehicle is 11, with most also being open-topped. In addition, almost all of the infantry lack decent armor to protect themselves and they will die in droves to incoming fire. But all is not lost!
Dark Eldar have a special rule called "Power from Pain" that gives them a selection of USR based on that unit's kills during the game. The first "Pain Token" grants Feel No Pain; the second, Furious Charge; and the final one, Fearless. You gain these tokens by killing your opponent's infantry units. If you kill off the last member of an unit, they gain a Pain Token, up to three possible. Some units in the codex automatically have one to start with to give them exceptional durability. On top of that, you can use the Haemonculi to pass their Pain Tokens off to important or vulnerable units to help them survive longer. Such is the strategy and strength of this wonderful rule. Most units in the codex have this special rule available to them, except for a few of the more unique ones such as the beasts in the Beastmaster Pack.
This army also has a couple more special rules available to the army. The first one is army wide Night Vision. While only effective in 1/3 of all of the BRB deployment types, it is important to negate Night Fighting rules for your army when trying to enact an Alpha Strike against your opponent. While you're protected, your opponent is not. The last important special rule is Combat Drugs. This generally only affects units who are affiliated with the Wych Cults, however, they grant your army the ability to gain one of six possible results. All of which are useful and significantly up the potential of the unit.
The other main thing to note about the Dark Eldar is their use of Poison and Darklight weaponry. Quite a few of their weapons are poisoned (4+), so they are effective against non-vehicular units of all types. And they come in a high volume of fire. The Darklight weapons are the primary source of anti-tank firepower for the Dark Eldar and all contain the Lance special rule. Unfortunately, the Dark Eldar are incredibly reliant on these weapons to be successful and GW deigned to make them pricy to purchase for units. We can no longer spam cheap and easily accessible Dark Lances for our armies. Now they are 25 points a pop, so are expensive to field in an infantry-based unit. But that is where the Blasters come in. ;)
HQ
Asdrubael Vect (Unique): C+
Ah, yes. The Supreme Overlord of Commorragh. He's a beast. His stats are great, is armed with exceptional wargear, and influences who gets the first turn with is ability to give the DE player a 4+ Seize the Initiative roll. There are problems though. The first is the fact that he's so expensive. By himself, he's rocking 240 points. You get out of control expensive if you give him the Dias of Destruction and the required 9-man unit. Another problem is that he doesn't have Eternal Warrior, so he's easily killed by Str 6+ weaponry. Seems kind of strange for one of the oldest Dark Eldar around. The fact he gets Preferred Enemy against all units doesn't cover up this fact.
Lady Malys (Unique): B-
Unlike Vect, she is much more reasonably priced for her abilities. She's not exactly a power house in close combat, but its her ability to grant psychic immunity to an unit and her redeployment special rule, that makes you take her. The Lady's Blade helps her out in CC a bit, but she still isn't all that great there. Decent choice, but there are better out there.
Drazhar, Master of Blades (Unique): C
This guy, however, is completely hyper-tuned for slaughter in close combat. He's the best of the best in the Incubi and will bust up anyone he faces. The problem is, he's prohibitively expensive to field. Nor does he have the all important invulnerable save. Its a tragedy, because he's so good otherwise.
Lelith Hesperax (Unique): B
Games Workshop out-did themselves here. Both renditions of the Lelith model are some of the most beautiful sculpts that this company has put out in my opinion. More reasonably priced at 175 points. And they didn't skimp on her rules either. Much like Drazhar, she eats pretty much anything in close combat for breakfast. She'll get 9 power weapon attacks in close combat on average, but unfortunately, she'll be making them at Str 3. Against MEQ, that is problematic, but the mass of attacks will cause enough to get through. Lelith also has an excellent armor save special rule, that gives her a 3+ invulnerable save against CC attacks and a 4+ invulnerable against shooting attacks. Armed with a Shardnet and Impaler, it's likely she'll be around for a while.
Urien Rakarth (Unique): C-
So, I can understand the fluff reasoning for taking this guy, but he really doesn't do much for a competitive army. Sure he grants bonus Pain Tokens to Wracks or Grotesques, but the latter isn't all that great and the former is fine with just the FNP. Too expensive for what he does, when a normal Haemonculus is more than sufficient.
Duke Sliscus, The Serpent (Unique): A-
This guy will find himself in quite a few lists. He's pretty cheap and his special rules are an amazing force multiplier. He grants superior poison weaponry to one unit he deploys with at the start of the game, giving that unit significantly more kill power. In addition, he allows you to roll an additional die when determining your combat drug result (which he also benefits from). This is huge and for Wych Cult units, extremely important. It potentially gives you another option for the drugs, allowing you to decide which is more beneficial for the opponent at hand. On top of that, he gives the army alternative deployment options by allowing your Raiders, Venoms, and Ravagers to deep strike for free! The Duke is no slouch in close combat either. With his special poisoned weapons, he can reap a tally of kills before you know it. Excellent special rules, awesome wargear, and properly priced, the Duke is a home run HQ choice.
Kheraduakh, The Decapitator (Unique): C
While not exactly amazing, he's not terrible either. He's got some fun special rules and abilities, but nothing to get super excited about. Its disappointing, because he's got some great fluff. Kheraduakh is cheap enough that taking him won't hurt you too much elsewhere in the list.
Baron Sathonyx (Unique): B
The "King" of all Hellions isn't all that bad. Definitely in the top 3 special characters for this codex. He's the cheapest of them all and for what he does, I find it extremely surprising. He grants the ability to make Hellions a troop choice, which opens up a whole can of worms in the army creation process. In addition, he has special rules that makes the Hellion unit he joins much better (i.e. grants stealth, re-rolls failed difficult terrain tests, and phantasm grenade launcher). While he is best with an unit of Hellions, he's definitely got a place with a Beastmaster pack to give them superior leadership, stealth, and combat prowess. His ability to give you a +1 on the roll to go first is also extremely useful in alpha-strike armies. An excellent purchase for a mere 105 points.
Archon: B-
While some people are nay-saying the Archon, I don't believe him to be all that bad. Their main complaint is that he's no longer able to jump on jetbikes or skyboards to give players an uber-IC combat monster. Big deal. Get over it. He's got quite a few weapon and wargear options. Some are more useful than others, but he's also able to be armed with a Blaster. Most IC's aren't able to take special ranged assault weapons like this unless they are in Combi form or a pistol. Definitely useful when combined with an Agoniser and Shadow Field.
The Court of the Archon: D+
I'm not a fan. Expensive and their abilities/stats to not match up with their price. While you can make a pretty combat effective unit for an Archon, you're paying a premium to do so. There are much better options in the codex for this.
Succubus: C+
If you want to run a Wych Cult army and don't want to use Lelith, this is the girl for you. Basically an Archon, but with Wych-oriented wargear. Pretty nice stats, but suffers from the same disadvantage that Wyches do: No armor.
Haemonculus: A-
These guys are how you abuse the Power from Pain special rule. With the ability to pass their pain tokens to the units they join, you give vulnerable units durability. Or you give durable units even more toughness. What is not to like? They are dirtball cheap and have a variety of interesting wargear options. They don't have great armor, but they do pack T4 which makes them more difficult to wound than most DE units. This makes them perfect Webway Portal carriers. To top it all off, they turn Wracks into Troops.
Elites
Incubi: C+
These guys, simply put, will kill whatever they charge. You don't even have to give them their optional special rule upgrades. A simple 5-man unit will wreck MEQ easily. Reasonably priced at 22 points each, with good armor and WS. Their only downfall is that they don't have plasma grenades. Unfortunately, this is a critical flaw as most important enemy targets will entrench themselves in cover, but that can be mitigated if you give them a pain token at the start of the game.
Grotesques: D
Extremely fluffy, but simply not effective. They are expensive and are certainly not on par with similarly-priced terminators. If you really want them, okay. But please don't put these guys in a competitive list.
Wracks: B
As an Elite, not very good. However, because almost all DE lists will feature at last one Haemonculus, these guys will be Troops in most armies. This is where they shine. Cheap and durable, these guys are the perfect objective holders for the DE. Sit them in cover for their 4+ saves and soak up hits with their T4 and FNP. Even a small squad is difficult to displace via shooting. They are pretty decent in CC too, with dual poisoned (4+) CCWs. They are also able to be armed with the Liquifier Gun, which is potentially devastating to infantry squads of all kinds.
Mandrakes: C-
I only know of one person who advocates these in specific lists. I am not this person. They are okay. Nothing truly stands out for me, other than their amazing miniatures. They are better than they were before, but when they compete with Trueborn in this slot, its an easy choice not to use them.
Harlequins: C
This is an average unit from a dated codex (Eldar). They have their uses in some lists, but there are better routes to go in my opinion. They still don't have the ability to use transports, which is lame.
Kalabite Trueborn: A
These guys should be in nearly every DE player's lists. They are simply amazing. Primarily used for their ability to take up to 4 blasters or 2 dark lances, these are the consumate infantry-based AT unit for the Dark Eldar. Running them in a Venom gives them protection and the AI duality needed in an unit like this. Its difficult to get these guys wrong.
Hekatrix Bloodbrides: C+
"Better" versions of the Troop Wyches. Does that mean they actually are? Well, they do have the ability to take three special weapons as opposed to two. Plus they have one more attack each. But they are 3 points more expensive each and compete with Trueborn in this slot. They are not as killy in close combat as Incubi, so its hard justify using them when you have nearly as good units as Troops.
Troops
Kabalite Warriors: B
While these guys were nerfed from their previous codex rendition, they are still pretty darn good. Able to take heavy AT weapons or a variety of closer ranged weaponry to suit. Excellent variable unit that can fit in nearly any army type when combined with the Raider or Venom transport.
Wyches: B-
Cheap, tar-pit units. Technically, you can make them decent at close combat, but it takes a significant point investment to do so. Even if you put the points in to make them better, MEQ will always give you difficulties until you gain sufficient pain tokens (or a favorable drug roll). Still, this unit does allow you to spam haywire grenades, which can be surprisingly effective given the opportunity. Against any foe, these guys will be around for the long haul so are incredible for pesky units such as Thunderwolf Cavalry, Terminators, or Nob Bikers.
Fast Attack
Hellions: C+
I have to put a little bit of a disclaimer on these. In the Fast Attack slot, they aren't worth it. There are much better options for your points, especially for what they do. However, if you have Baron Sliscus in your force, they are troops. That makes them much more viable in a list. They are slightly more expensive than I would prefer, especially with their 5+ armor and T3, but they are pretty nasty in close combat. As jump troops, they have the ability to get around the board fairly quickly and if you have Baron attached, they are reasonably protected against incoming fire. Once you get into charge range, the sheer number of Str 4 hits you can put out in a larger squad (plus whatever your combat drug result was) is often overwhelming to the enemy. Not only that, you can use the Splinter Pods to effectively slim down your target before the charge.
I would say that I've seen these used most effectively in a single larger unit with Baron attached. Without him, they are simply too vulnerable to shooting and lack real killing power without large numbers (which is spendy). In addition, the unit lacks grenades without Baron or a Helliarch with phantasm grenade launcher. Hellions are best coming out of a webway portal to help cut down on shots coming your way, but if there is sufficient cover where you play, they can do well enough starting on the board.
Scourges: B
A lot of people are mocking these guys and I don't understand why. They are somewhat expensive at 22 points a pop, but they have the ability to take two special/heavy weapons per 5 guys. That is amazing, considering the options they have. The primary one of note is the Heat Lance. Two heat lances for 134 points? Or two dark lances for 140 points? Yes please! They have pretty decent armor saves to keep them around. You can use them as a suicide melta unit or in a mobile fire support role. Because they are jump infantry, redeployment after destroying a vehicle with their lances isn't a problem. In emergencies, you can also use them as bubble wrap. Combining their option for special weapons and the remaining squad's Shard Carbines, you have an excellent well-rounded unit on the cheap.
Beastmasters: B+
These guys are beasts in close combat. Which is fitting, because they are...ahem...beasts. With a large variety of options, you're able to kit the unit out to where it'll kill pretty much anything it touches in close combat. If you're cunning (and have points available), you can also make your unit pretty much invulnerable to incoming fire for the price of a Land Raider. Very good unit, but it does have its weaknesses. First, its a very expensive unit. Smaller units won't work and they need to be fully kitted out to be viable. Unfortunately, that eliminates their use in smaller games. Next, because you need such big units, they take up a lot of space on the board. This makes them vulnerable to things like tank shocks. Finally, they are semi-slow to get across the board. They ARE beasts, so the use of Cavalry rules helps, but a smart opponent will stay far away from them. This could mean their effectiveness in a game is limited. Just something to be aware of.
Reavers: B+
Reavers are excellent for what they do as well. They seem to be the preferable choice for most people over Scourges and I can understand the reasoning. With an improved T4, the ability to be anywhere you want on the board in a moment (36" turbo-boost), combat drugs, and the ability to gain one heat lance for every third member, these guys are featured in quite a few lists (as 6-man units with two heat lances). Unfortunately, as soon as they slow down enough to shoot, they suffer from their abysmal armor save. T4 won't save them for long at that point. Fortunately, they usually aren't critical to a Dark Eldar's plans so their loss doesn't hurt too much. Just get them into position, taking some infantry out on the way (via Bladevanes) and take your optimal shots at side armor when you're ready. Excellent distraction and objective denial unit.
Heavy Support
Ravager: A
For a pure anti-tank platform, you don't really get much better than this vehicle in the DE codex. Clocking in at a mere 105 points, its difficult to dispute its place in so many lists. Packing 3 Dark Lances, you gain significant AT from a single source. Able to move 12" and fire to full effect, an ability that I'm sure many other armies wished they had. It also features your strongest armor at AV11. However, it still is an open-topped vehicle so will be quickly knocked out of commission against dedicated shots. Fortunately, with firepower potential of the Dark Eldar, its likely there won't be much able to shoot when that time comes. Also able to upgrade its weapons to Disintegrator Cannons, but since they were significantly nerfed over their previous rendition, I don't believe this to be a beneficial upgrade.
Talos Pain Engine: C+
GW improved the Talos over its previous version, but even still, you really do have to build an army around them to make the unit work. Webway Portals are a must, as they simply do not have enough wounds (or invulnerable saves) to slog across the board to get into combat. However, once they get there, they'll wreck face against pretty much everything. Their very high toughness will help save them against all but the strongest weaponry. Also able to take a twin-linked Heat Lance, as well as various other close combat augmentations. Decent in lists where they are the featured unit. :)
Cronos Parasite Engine: C
Much like the Talos, these guys need a list built around them. While they are cheaper than their Talos cousins, I don't think they are effective by themselves. They really do need the Talos to back them up. With the Cronos' ability to pass out Pain Tokens, this unit is ideal as a close support unit to other dedicated CC units. Unfortunately, they aren't effective unless used with a WWP due to the lack of range on their weapons.
Razorwing Jetfighter: B
I really love this unit. While significantly more expensive than the Ravager, with less armor, in a list built around the pure firepower potential of the Dark Eldar, these guys are simply amazing. They can act as decent AT with their two Dark Lances. Or, they can point their Monoscythe Missiles at infantry and watch as they blow massive holes in your opponent's forces. While they don't do much damage against Space Marines if fired one at a time, if you fire two or more in a turn, you gain torrent of fire from large blast weapons! And really, if you don't unleash their missile barrage, they won't live long so its beneficial to send them off early on against annoying units like Long Fangs, mob infantry (Orcs/Nids), Imperial Guard units, or really anything else grouped close together. Once the missiles are gone, they become much less of a target, allowing you to ping away with the DLs. Their duality is amazing.
Voidraven Bomber: C-
Why did I rate the Razorwing so high, but the Voidraven so low? Voidraven's have the best armor in the DE codex (AV11 and not open-topped), the best lance weapon in the game (two Void Lances: Str 9 AP2 Lance), and have a nifty Void Mine thing. In addition, both are the "same" points cost...or are they? Unfortunately, to make the Voidraven as good as the Razorwing, you need to buy at LEAST two missiles for AI-duties. But that makes them extremely expensive. Without those missiles, you simply have a dedicated AT vehicle, and frankly, the Ravager does that better for cheaper. If we're playing Apoc, then they are awesome. But for anything 2000 points or under, they simply are too expensive for wide-spread use.
Dedicated Transports
Raider: A
Cheap, packs a long range AT weapon (Dark Lance), is extremely mobile, and is open-topped to allow assaults after moving. All in all, an essential tool for the Dark Eldar army. Its only downfall is its lack of armor (open-topped hurts you here though). Rife with options, but the only real one worth considering is the Flickerfields for additional protection. One of your main sources of AT, so you'll be taking quite a few of these in your lists.
Venom: A
Doesn't have the ability to transport as many guys as the Raider can, but then again, this vehicle acts much like the Razorback does for the Space Marines. It transports around elite units or those dedicated to shooting. When you upgrade its splinter rifle to a second splinter cannon, the firepower potential for this vehicle is jaw-dropping. 12 poison shots (4+) at 36" away, is simply amazing. And with built-in Flickerfields, this transport is more durable than the Raider for the same price (even though it still has AV10). Pair them with Trueborn-blaster units for great duality. Fielded in enough numbers, you can easily table mob infantry armies in one or two turns. However, doing so will make you weak in the AT department. Overall, a very good vehicle when paired with the right unit or in the right army build.
So the question is, how good a job did Games Workshop do for the Dark Eldar faithful? In my opinion, Phil Kelly (the author) nailed it with this codex. It is rife with options, new weaponry, themes, and beautiful models. Nearly every unit has built in duality and the army is extremely balanced. And when the army is built properly, the DE are devastatingly powerful to behold. This is extremely important nowadays, especially in the world of 5th Edition. No longer are the days where one or two possible army builds cut it. Whether you are a casual gamer or more tournament-oriented player, there has to be more options available when building your army list.
However, that doesn't mean that playing the army gives you an auto-win button. Far from it, in fact. The truth is, this codex is one of the most difficult armies to play. They are flimsy, have very little armor, and don't have very much in the ways of numbers. Nor can the DE out-shoot or out-assault armies that are dedicated to those themes, especially if they are Space Marines or Imperial Guard. This has caused a large number of players who picked up the codex and the models to meet with failure on the battlefield. Unfortunately, this was expected. This army is not for everyone. The learning curve is very steep and your losses might pile up quickly. But do not despair. The DE have numerous strengths that you can use to easily get around their weaknesses. Armed with decent army list, an experienced player will become a force to be reckoned with in battle. Once you get to that point, even the power builds for IG and SM will not phase you. That is the strength of this codex. So let's take a look at it.
There are quite a few things that the Dark Eldar have that sets them apart from the other codices out there. The first one is their speed and maneuverability. Dark Eldar are easily able to cross the battlefield at a moments notice, can reach any objective at any time, or can simply stay out of range of their enemy's weaponry and assaults. To compliment this speed, most infantry units also have fleet. DE vehicles are skimmer based and fast, so that means a 24" movement. Several even have the option to go further than that! But with such mobility comes a negative: lack of decent armor. The highest armor value on a vehicle is 11, with most also being open-topped. In addition, almost all of the infantry lack decent armor to protect themselves and they will die in droves to incoming fire. But all is not lost!
Dark Eldar have a special rule called "Power from Pain" that gives them a selection of USR based on that unit's kills during the game. The first "Pain Token" grants Feel No Pain; the second, Furious Charge; and the final one, Fearless. You gain these tokens by killing your opponent's infantry units. If you kill off the last member of an unit, they gain a Pain Token, up to three possible. Some units in the codex automatically have one to start with to give them exceptional durability. On top of that, you can use the Haemonculi to pass their Pain Tokens off to important or vulnerable units to help them survive longer. Such is the strategy and strength of this wonderful rule. Most units in the codex have this special rule available to them, except for a few of the more unique ones such as the beasts in the Beastmaster Pack.
This army also has a couple more special rules available to the army. The first one is army wide Night Vision. While only effective in 1/3 of all of the BRB deployment types, it is important to negate Night Fighting rules for your army when trying to enact an Alpha Strike against your opponent. While you're protected, your opponent is not. The last important special rule is Combat Drugs. This generally only affects units who are affiliated with the Wych Cults, however, they grant your army the ability to gain one of six possible results. All of which are useful and significantly up the potential of the unit.
The other main thing to note about the Dark Eldar is their use of Poison and Darklight weaponry. Quite a few of their weapons are poisoned (4+), so they are effective against non-vehicular units of all types. And they come in a high volume of fire. The Darklight weapons are the primary source of anti-tank firepower for the Dark Eldar and all contain the Lance special rule. Unfortunately, the Dark Eldar are incredibly reliant on these weapons to be successful and GW deigned to make them pricy to purchase for units. We can no longer spam cheap and easily accessible Dark Lances for our armies. Now they are 25 points a pop, so are expensive to field in an infantry-based unit. But that is where the Blasters come in. ;)
HQ
Asdrubael Vect (Unique): C+
Ah, yes. The Supreme Overlord of Commorragh. He's a beast. His stats are great, is armed with exceptional wargear, and influences who gets the first turn with is ability to give the DE player a 4+ Seize the Initiative roll. There are problems though. The first is the fact that he's so expensive. By himself, he's rocking 240 points. You get out of control expensive if you give him the Dias of Destruction and the required 9-man unit. Another problem is that he doesn't have Eternal Warrior, so he's easily killed by Str 6+ weaponry. Seems kind of strange for one of the oldest Dark Eldar around. The fact he gets Preferred Enemy against all units doesn't cover up this fact.
Lady Malys (Unique): B-
Unlike Vect, she is much more reasonably priced for her abilities. She's not exactly a power house in close combat, but its her ability to grant psychic immunity to an unit and her redeployment special rule, that makes you take her. The Lady's Blade helps her out in CC a bit, but she still isn't all that great there. Decent choice, but there are better out there.
Drazhar, Master of Blades (Unique): C
This guy, however, is completely hyper-tuned for slaughter in close combat. He's the best of the best in the Incubi and will bust up anyone he faces. The problem is, he's prohibitively expensive to field. Nor does he have the all important invulnerable save. Its a tragedy, because he's so good otherwise.
Lelith Hesperax (Unique): B
Games Workshop out-did themselves here. Both renditions of the Lelith model are some of the most beautiful sculpts that this company has put out in my opinion. More reasonably priced at 175 points. And they didn't skimp on her rules either. Much like Drazhar, she eats pretty much anything in close combat for breakfast. She'll get 9 power weapon attacks in close combat on average, but unfortunately, she'll be making them at Str 3. Against MEQ, that is problematic, but the mass of attacks will cause enough to get through. Lelith also has an excellent armor save special rule, that gives her a 3+ invulnerable save against CC attacks and a 4+ invulnerable against shooting attacks. Armed with a Shardnet and Impaler, it's likely she'll be around for a while.
Urien Rakarth (Unique): C-
So, I can understand the fluff reasoning for taking this guy, but he really doesn't do much for a competitive army. Sure he grants bonus Pain Tokens to Wracks or Grotesques, but the latter isn't all that great and the former is fine with just the FNP. Too expensive for what he does, when a normal Haemonculus is more than sufficient.
Duke Sliscus, The Serpent (Unique): A-
This guy will find himself in quite a few lists. He's pretty cheap and his special rules are an amazing force multiplier. He grants superior poison weaponry to one unit he deploys with at the start of the game, giving that unit significantly more kill power. In addition, he allows you to roll an additional die when determining your combat drug result (which he also benefits from). This is huge and for Wych Cult units, extremely important. It potentially gives you another option for the drugs, allowing you to decide which is more beneficial for the opponent at hand. On top of that, he gives the army alternative deployment options by allowing your Raiders, Venoms, and Ravagers to deep strike for free! The Duke is no slouch in close combat either. With his special poisoned weapons, he can reap a tally of kills before you know it. Excellent special rules, awesome wargear, and properly priced, the Duke is a home run HQ choice.
Kheraduakh, The Decapitator (Unique): C
While not exactly amazing, he's not terrible either. He's got some fun special rules and abilities, but nothing to get super excited about. Its disappointing, because he's got some great fluff. Kheraduakh is cheap enough that taking him won't hurt you too much elsewhere in the list.
Baron Sathonyx (Unique): B
The "King" of all Hellions isn't all that bad. Definitely in the top 3 special characters for this codex. He's the cheapest of them all and for what he does, I find it extremely surprising. He grants the ability to make Hellions a troop choice, which opens up a whole can of worms in the army creation process. In addition, he has special rules that makes the Hellion unit he joins much better (i.e. grants stealth, re-rolls failed difficult terrain tests, and phantasm grenade launcher). While he is best with an unit of Hellions, he's definitely got a place with a Beastmaster pack to give them superior leadership, stealth, and combat prowess. His ability to give you a +1 on the roll to go first is also extremely useful in alpha-strike armies. An excellent purchase for a mere 105 points.
Archon: B-
While some people are nay-saying the Archon, I don't believe him to be all that bad. Their main complaint is that he's no longer able to jump on jetbikes or skyboards to give players an uber-IC combat monster. Big deal. Get over it. He's got quite a few weapon and wargear options. Some are more useful than others, but he's also able to be armed with a Blaster. Most IC's aren't able to take special ranged assault weapons like this unless they are in Combi form or a pistol. Definitely useful when combined with an Agoniser and Shadow Field.
The Court of the Archon: D+
I'm not a fan. Expensive and their abilities/stats to not match up with their price. While you can make a pretty combat effective unit for an Archon, you're paying a premium to do so. There are much better options in the codex for this.
Succubus: C+
If you want to run a Wych Cult army and don't want to use Lelith, this is the girl for you. Basically an Archon, but with Wych-oriented wargear. Pretty nice stats, but suffers from the same disadvantage that Wyches do: No armor.
Haemonculus: A-
These guys are how you abuse the Power from Pain special rule. With the ability to pass their pain tokens to the units they join, you give vulnerable units durability. Or you give durable units even more toughness. What is not to like? They are dirtball cheap and have a variety of interesting wargear options. They don't have great armor, but they do pack T4 which makes them more difficult to wound than most DE units. This makes them perfect Webway Portal carriers. To top it all off, they turn Wracks into Troops.
Elites
Incubi: C+
These guys, simply put, will kill whatever they charge. You don't even have to give them their optional special rule upgrades. A simple 5-man unit will wreck MEQ easily. Reasonably priced at 22 points each, with good armor and WS. Their only downfall is that they don't have plasma grenades. Unfortunately, this is a critical flaw as most important enemy targets will entrench themselves in cover, but that can be mitigated if you give them a pain token at the start of the game.
Grotesques: D
Extremely fluffy, but simply not effective. They are expensive and are certainly not on par with similarly-priced terminators. If you really want them, okay. But please don't put these guys in a competitive list.
Wracks: B
As an Elite, not very good. However, because almost all DE lists will feature at last one Haemonculus, these guys will be Troops in most armies. This is where they shine. Cheap and durable, these guys are the perfect objective holders for the DE. Sit them in cover for their 4+ saves and soak up hits with their T4 and FNP. Even a small squad is difficult to displace via shooting. They are pretty decent in CC too, with dual poisoned (4+) CCWs. They are also able to be armed with the Liquifier Gun, which is potentially devastating to infantry squads of all kinds.
Mandrakes: C-
I only know of one person who advocates these in specific lists. I am not this person. They are okay. Nothing truly stands out for me, other than their amazing miniatures. They are better than they were before, but when they compete with Trueborn in this slot, its an easy choice not to use them.
Harlequins: C
This is an average unit from a dated codex (Eldar). They have their uses in some lists, but there are better routes to go in my opinion. They still don't have the ability to use transports, which is lame.
Kalabite Trueborn: A
These guys should be in nearly every DE player's lists. They are simply amazing. Primarily used for their ability to take up to 4 blasters or 2 dark lances, these are the consumate infantry-based AT unit for the Dark Eldar. Running them in a Venom gives them protection and the AI duality needed in an unit like this. Its difficult to get these guys wrong.
Hekatrix Bloodbrides: C+
"Better" versions of the Troop Wyches. Does that mean they actually are? Well, they do have the ability to take three special weapons as opposed to two. Plus they have one more attack each. But they are 3 points more expensive each and compete with Trueborn in this slot. They are not as killy in close combat as Incubi, so its hard justify using them when you have nearly as good units as Troops.
Troops
Kabalite Warriors: B
While these guys were nerfed from their previous codex rendition, they are still pretty darn good. Able to take heavy AT weapons or a variety of closer ranged weaponry to suit. Excellent variable unit that can fit in nearly any army type when combined with the Raider or Venom transport.
Wyches: B-
Cheap, tar-pit units. Technically, you can make them decent at close combat, but it takes a significant point investment to do so. Even if you put the points in to make them better, MEQ will always give you difficulties until you gain sufficient pain tokens (or a favorable drug roll). Still, this unit does allow you to spam haywire grenades, which can be surprisingly effective given the opportunity. Against any foe, these guys will be around for the long haul so are incredible for pesky units such as Thunderwolf Cavalry, Terminators, or Nob Bikers.
Fast Attack
Hellions: C+
I have to put a little bit of a disclaimer on these. In the Fast Attack slot, they aren't worth it. There are much better options for your points, especially for what they do. However, if you have Baron Sliscus in your force, they are troops. That makes them much more viable in a list. They are slightly more expensive than I would prefer, especially with their 5+ armor and T3, but they are pretty nasty in close combat. As jump troops, they have the ability to get around the board fairly quickly and if you have Baron attached, they are reasonably protected against incoming fire. Once you get into charge range, the sheer number of Str 4 hits you can put out in a larger squad (plus whatever your combat drug result was) is often overwhelming to the enemy. Not only that, you can use the Splinter Pods to effectively slim down your target before the charge.
I would say that I've seen these used most effectively in a single larger unit with Baron attached. Without him, they are simply too vulnerable to shooting and lack real killing power without large numbers (which is spendy). In addition, the unit lacks grenades without Baron or a Helliarch with phantasm grenade launcher. Hellions are best coming out of a webway portal to help cut down on shots coming your way, but if there is sufficient cover where you play, they can do well enough starting on the board.
Scourges: B
A lot of people are mocking these guys and I don't understand why. They are somewhat expensive at 22 points a pop, but they have the ability to take two special/heavy weapons per 5 guys. That is amazing, considering the options they have. The primary one of note is the Heat Lance. Two heat lances for 134 points? Or two dark lances for 140 points? Yes please! They have pretty decent armor saves to keep them around. You can use them as a suicide melta unit or in a mobile fire support role. Because they are jump infantry, redeployment after destroying a vehicle with their lances isn't a problem. In emergencies, you can also use them as bubble wrap. Combining their option for special weapons and the remaining squad's Shard Carbines, you have an excellent well-rounded unit on the cheap.
Beastmasters: B+
These guys are beasts in close combat. Which is fitting, because they are...ahem...beasts. With a large variety of options, you're able to kit the unit out to where it'll kill pretty much anything it touches in close combat. If you're cunning (and have points available), you can also make your unit pretty much invulnerable to incoming fire for the price of a Land Raider. Very good unit, but it does have its weaknesses. First, its a very expensive unit. Smaller units won't work and they need to be fully kitted out to be viable. Unfortunately, that eliminates their use in smaller games. Next, because you need such big units, they take up a lot of space on the board. This makes them vulnerable to things like tank shocks. Finally, they are semi-slow to get across the board. They ARE beasts, so the use of Cavalry rules helps, but a smart opponent will stay far away from them. This could mean their effectiveness in a game is limited. Just something to be aware of.
Reavers: B+
Reavers are excellent for what they do as well. They seem to be the preferable choice for most people over Scourges and I can understand the reasoning. With an improved T4, the ability to be anywhere you want on the board in a moment (36" turbo-boost), combat drugs, and the ability to gain one heat lance for every third member, these guys are featured in quite a few lists (as 6-man units with two heat lances). Unfortunately, as soon as they slow down enough to shoot, they suffer from their abysmal armor save. T4 won't save them for long at that point. Fortunately, they usually aren't critical to a Dark Eldar's plans so their loss doesn't hurt too much. Just get them into position, taking some infantry out on the way (via Bladevanes) and take your optimal shots at side armor when you're ready. Excellent distraction and objective denial unit.
Heavy Support
Ravager: A
For a pure anti-tank platform, you don't really get much better than this vehicle in the DE codex. Clocking in at a mere 105 points, its difficult to dispute its place in so many lists. Packing 3 Dark Lances, you gain significant AT from a single source. Able to move 12" and fire to full effect, an ability that I'm sure many other armies wished they had. It also features your strongest armor at AV11. However, it still is an open-topped vehicle so will be quickly knocked out of commission against dedicated shots. Fortunately, with firepower potential of the Dark Eldar, its likely there won't be much able to shoot when that time comes. Also able to upgrade its weapons to Disintegrator Cannons, but since they were significantly nerfed over their previous rendition, I don't believe this to be a beneficial upgrade.
Talos Pain Engine: C+
GW improved the Talos over its previous version, but even still, you really do have to build an army around them to make the unit work. Webway Portals are a must, as they simply do not have enough wounds (or invulnerable saves) to slog across the board to get into combat. However, once they get there, they'll wreck face against pretty much everything. Their very high toughness will help save them against all but the strongest weaponry. Also able to take a twin-linked Heat Lance, as well as various other close combat augmentations. Decent in lists where they are the featured unit. :)
Cronos Parasite Engine: C
Much like the Talos, these guys need a list built around them. While they are cheaper than their Talos cousins, I don't think they are effective by themselves. They really do need the Talos to back them up. With the Cronos' ability to pass out Pain Tokens, this unit is ideal as a close support unit to other dedicated CC units. Unfortunately, they aren't effective unless used with a WWP due to the lack of range on their weapons.
Razorwing Jetfighter: B
I really love this unit. While significantly more expensive than the Ravager, with less armor, in a list built around the pure firepower potential of the Dark Eldar, these guys are simply amazing. They can act as decent AT with their two Dark Lances. Or, they can point their Monoscythe Missiles at infantry and watch as they blow massive holes in your opponent's forces. While they don't do much damage against Space Marines if fired one at a time, if you fire two or more in a turn, you gain torrent of fire from large blast weapons! And really, if you don't unleash their missile barrage, they won't live long so its beneficial to send them off early on against annoying units like Long Fangs, mob infantry (Orcs/Nids), Imperial Guard units, or really anything else grouped close together. Once the missiles are gone, they become much less of a target, allowing you to ping away with the DLs. Their duality is amazing.
Voidraven Bomber: C-
Why did I rate the Razorwing so high, but the Voidraven so low? Voidraven's have the best armor in the DE codex (AV11 and not open-topped), the best lance weapon in the game (two Void Lances: Str 9 AP2 Lance), and have a nifty Void Mine thing. In addition, both are the "same" points cost...or are they? Unfortunately, to make the Voidraven as good as the Razorwing, you need to buy at LEAST two missiles for AI-duties. But that makes them extremely expensive. Without those missiles, you simply have a dedicated AT vehicle, and frankly, the Ravager does that better for cheaper. If we're playing Apoc, then they are awesome. But for anything 2000 points or under, they simply are too expensive for wide-spread use.
Dedicated Transports
Raider: A
Cheap, packs a long range AT weapon (Dark Lance), is extremely mobile, and is open-topped to allow assaults after moving. All in all, an essential tool for the Dark Eldar army. Its only downfall is its lack of armor (open-topped hurts you here though). Rife with options, but the only real one worth considering is the Flickerfields for additional protection. One of your main sources of AT, so you'll be taking quite a few of these in your lists.
Venom: A
Doesn't have the ability to transport as many guys as the Raider can, but then again, this vehicle acts much like the Razorback does for the Space Marines. It transports around elite units or those dedicated to shooting. When you upgrade its splinter rifle to a second splinter cannon, the firepower potential for this vehicle is jaw-dropping. 12 poison shots (4+) at 36" away, is simply amazing. And with built-in Flickerfields, this transport is more durable than the Raider for the same price (even though it still has AV10). Pair them with Trueborn-blaster units for great duality. Fielded in enough numbers, you can easily table mob infantry armies in one or two turns. However, doing so will make you weak in the AT department. Overall, a very good vehicle when paired with the right unit or in the right army build.
Blood Angels Codex - Updated August 3rd, 2011
Its been awhile since the Blood Angels got some love, but it was the Black Templars turn I tell you! Haha. Such is life, I suppose. Anyway, they have gotten quite a nice boost in power level, as with most of the codices since 5th Edition's release. While gaining several new units, as per standard, the Blood Angels got several new special rules and revisions to old ones. First and most important is "The Red Thirst". At the beginning of every game, you roll a D6 for each unit with this special rule. If a roll of a 1 is made, the unit succumbs to the Red Thirst. In game terms, "And They Shall Know No Fear" is suspended for that unit and in exchange, they gain "Fearless" and "Furious Charge".
The other new army wide special rule added was "Descent of Angels" (DoA). Any unit with this special rule that deep strikes, may re-roll failed reserve rolls. In addition, they scatter D6" less than normal. This makes deep strike more reliable and less likely to mishap. However, they are still bound by the rules of deep strike and may not move or charge that turn. The last huge thing that was added, was to make every vehicle except land raider variants "Fast". This makes the Blood Angels EXTREMELY fast and maneuverable.
There are also several new psychic powers in the codex that are very unique to the Blood Angels army. One such power is the "Blood Lance" which allows you to fire a shot in a straight line in any direction, that is 4D6" long. Any unit or vehicle crossing the line takes one Str 8, AP 1 Lance hit. Nasty for vehicles! Another notable power includes "The Sanguine Sword" which allows you Str 10 attacks in close combat, "Unleash Rage" which gives preferred enemy to the IC and his unit, and "Wings of Sanguinius" which gives you the jump pack rules for the rest of the turn. Equipment is mostly standard Marine stuff, with some exceptions which will be noted in their corresponding unit's analysis.
HQ
Commander Dante (Unique): B
Dante has similar stats to a normal Chapter Master, however, he has some unique special rules that sets him apart. First, he and his squad never scatters when he deep strikes in. He also provides the "Hit and Run" USR to his squad. For special equipment, he has the "Death Mask of Sanguinius" which acts as a normal "Death Mask" (See Sanguinary Guard), plus reduces several stats of an opposing player's IC before the beginning of the game. This can be extremely devastating to an army that relies on their IC to be their combat specialist. He also has a master crafted power weapon. However, for 225 points, you have to take him in a very specialized army to be competitive since it relies on jump packs and not vehicles.
Chapter Master Gabriel Seth (Unique): B-
Reasonably priced at 160 points, he is a CC monster. His "Blood Reaver" resolves all hits at Str 8 and has rending. In addition, he can make a whirlwind attack that causes every model in base to base contact to automatically get hit with one attack. This is done in lieu of his other attacks. Finally, he has the ability to counterattack his opponents. But the chances are slim that a unit will be striking back if charged by Seth and his squad, so that is of minimal use. If you are going to use the Flesh Tears, feel free to use him, otherwise, there are better choices.
Astorath The Grim (Unique): B-
Astorath is a Chaplain, so has the standard Liturgies of Blood (Same as Liturgies of Hate) associated with him. On top of that, he grants the entire army's Red Thirst roll to proc on a D6 of 1-3, instead of just a roll of 1. His axe provides him with a Str 6 power weapon that forces your opponent to re-roll successful invulnerable saves against this weapon. It is quite sad he's 220 points, because it puts him outside the range of normal use. I love his model, I love his abilities, but there is not enough force multipliers for him to be of competitive use.
The Sanguinor, Exemplar of the Host (Unique): C+
Another excellent, but expensive special character. Awesome stats, armor, invulnerable save (3+), special rules, and weapons, however, he is just too spendy (in my opinion) to use in a game. The blessing to increase the stats of a sergeant is just not enough to warrant his use, nor is his extremely good CC ability. For 275 points, you can take several troops squads.
Mephiston, Lord of Death (Unique): B+
This guy is everything that the other special characters are not, and that is a beast. Pure and simple. Clocking in at 250 points, he is worth every one of them. He is the only Space Marine in existence that has more than 4 toughness. He is Strength and Toughness 6! Gross! His other stats are consistently high as well. He unfortunately still uses the old model, but its still pretty bad ass, so its not a huge loss. He counts as a Librarian, and has three powers: Sanguine Sword, Unleash Rage, and Wings of Sanguinius. Mephiston can use all three each turn. He can also transfix an enemy IC in close combat, forcing it to take a Ld test with a -4 modifier. If failed, Mephiston re-rolls all to hits and to wounds on that target. If you put him out on the board, he'll be shot at likely all game and will be very tough to bring down. Once he gets to combat, he'll destroy them. The only downfall to him, is that he doesn't have an invulnerable save or Eternal Warrior, but that really would make him too good.
Captain Tycho (Unique): C-
He's not very good to be honest. Tycho has some interesting perks, such as his "dual-personality", but they don't make him worth taking. Really just a Rites of Battle captain with a couple special rules that aren't really all that special.
Librarian: A-
Librarians are awesome. Psychic hoods are becoming more and more needed in every army, and coupling that with some great new psychic powers, these guys are a force to be reckoned with. Priced reasonably at only 100 points stock. :)
Reclusiarch: B
This guy has the same stats as the 4th Edition Chaplains, so he is pretty good. Also has the standard chaplain rules. Excellent leading a squad into close combat (especially Death Company).
Captain: B
Normal space marine captain. Not a whole lot different than others.
Honor Guard: B+
Basically the Blood Angels equivalent of a command squad. But with one tiny difference, that makes them so much better. They have the Blood Chalice wargear piece in the squad. This gives any unit within 6" of the Chalice to gain Feel No Pain and Furious Charge. Most excellent!
Elites
Chaplain: C+
Elite slot version of the Chaplain, which is exactly the same as the 5th Edition Space Marine Chaplains. Cheap and decent in CC with Litanies of Blood. Only problem is, he takes an elite slot and there are better choices here.
Sanguinary Guard: B+
These guys look awesome in my opinion. Very expensive at stock 200 points for 5, however, they do each have jet packs, master-crafted power weapons, and artificer armor. The only problem with that, is that you are limited in the builds you can run with them as they can't take any transports other than the Storm Raven. This means they will get shot at by numerous AP2 or better weapons, and because they lack invulnerable saves, they'll die in quick order. Or you'll have to deep strike them in, limiting their use during the game. Otherwise, you can field them in a jump pack heavy army, and this is where they shine. Because your opponent will have quite a few mobile troops flying his way, the target priority is much less on the Sanguinary Guard. You can give them Death Masks which has the opportunity to drop their CC opponents to WS 1, which is nice, but cost 25 points for the squad. Decent in jump pack armies or those with Storm Ravens, but not so good otherwise. :(
Furioso Dreadnought: B
If you can get him in close combat, he won't die to normal infantry. Even powerfists will have an extremely difficult time cracking this guys armor. For 125 points stock, you get a close combat beast. Only problem is, he is slow to get there, so will likely need a Storm Raven to transport him there. Also has the option to get the Blood Talons and/or the Magno-Grapple. The blood talons are exactly the same as lightning claws, except for a dreadnought. In addition, if armed with two Blood Talons, for each unsaved wound in CC, the Dreadnought immediately makes another attack. How awesome is that? The Magna-Grapple is probably even better, with the opportunity to "drag" your opponent from where they currently are. Numerous tactical situations can come from this, but pulling your enemy's troop transport off objectives is a big one that comes to mind. Just those things would have made this guy better than average, but that is not all. You can also upgrade the Furioso to a Librarian for 50 points. He gets 2 spells (I'd suggest Wings and Lance for speed and ranged AT) and carries the absolutely needed psychic hood. A bit spendy, but if you can fit one in, you'll be happy.
Terminator Squad: B-
Pretty standard terminator squad. Same as the C:SM ones, other than the BA army wide special rules. Decent for mid-range and backup close combat support roles.
Terminator Assault Squad: B
Normally I'd give these guys a B+, but there is a slight problem that prevents me from doing that. Switching to TH/SS costs an extra 5 points, for a total of 45. That's super expensive! Even so, that's the only real ding against these guys. Put a Sanguinary Priest with them, and you have a durable CC monster squad. Just don't forget to give them their Land Raider variant. ;)
Techmarine: C
He can be outfitted in a variety of different ways, with accompanying servitors. They have, okay, close combat abilities in this configuration. But they are slow to get there and cost a pretty decent amount of points for something that isn't too scary at all. Only average.
Sternguard Veteran Squad: B
Same as the C:SM ones, but these ones find themselves without the benefit of Kantor. In addition, in an assault-oriented army, they find themselves out of place. Don't get me wrong, they are still good and there is always a use for this great unit, but they aren't as numerous in the BA army.
Sanguinary Priest: A
Highly customizable, Independent Character, and can be taken in "squads" of 1-3 for the ridiculously low price of 50 points each. They also give any unit within 6" of them Feel No Pain and Furious Charge with their Blood Chalice, including the unit they are attached to. That is awesome! Gives excellent CC abilities via the Chalice, as well as exceptional durability. Can't complain about that at all! You really should never need more than two in a 2000 point list or below. Combo nice with assault terminators or Sanguinary Guard.
Brother Corbulo (Unique): C+
Special rules aside, 105 points for a Sanguinary Priest that you cannot customize is too much to pay. One of the Priest's strengths is that they are so cheap, but Corbulo takes that away.
Troops
Tactical Squad: C
Standard tactical squad. Need a baseline grade, so here it is.
Death Company: C+
These guys have a few special rules to go with them. Fearless, Feel No Pain, Furious Charge, and Relentless are amongst them. They also have the Black Rage, which gives the unit "Rage" and become non-scoring. Whilst the other rules are good, Rage is not. It is the reason I suggest to NEVER, under any circumstances, to field the Death Company on foot. Especially large squads. Your enemy can easily kite them around the board with rage, and they will lose their tactical usefulness. Eliminate that negative by putting them in a transport. Other than that, they are most excellent. They can be kitted out in any number of ways, but get very expensive quick. These guys will knock your opponents teeth out if ran properly, while maintaining excellent resilience. Put a Reclusiarch or Chaplain with them, and they will get re-rolls to hit and wound as well!
Lemartes, Guardian of the Lost (Unique): C+
This guy is a "better" chaplain. Excellent stats and special rules. He's an upgrade to the Death Company, but because he's equipped with a jump pack, he's forced to either join a DC unit in a Storm Raven or lead that unit on foot. Combine that with a 150 point price tag, he'll likely find himself only in fluff armies.
Death Company Dreadnought: C
The Death Company Dreadnought has a few nice little perks. It has Fleet, Furious Charge, but it also is affected by Rage. In addition, it also has 1 more attack than the Furioso Dreadnought does. You can take one for every 5 Death Company models you have. The "None Can Stay My Wrath" special rule allows it to ignore Crew Shaken/Stunned results. Only one problem. You'll be walking your ass all the way to your enemy, which might take all game.
Scout Squad: C-
Not much different from C:SM scouts. Not as good Assault Squads or Tactical Squads, nor do they really have a place in most Blood Angels armies.
Assault Squad: A
These guys are awesome. Normally I'd scoff at them, but they are troops! These guys are what make the Blood Angels army tick. Excellent in all jump pack armies, especially when combined with Vanguard Veterans or Sanguinary Guard. Not only that, they can take off their jump packs and take a dedicated transport for an amazing 35 point discount! Drop pods for free? Rhinos for 15 points? Yes please! You can give them special weapons in 5-man squads, something most Space Marines can no longer do. At 10 strong, you can have 2 meltaguns and a power fist. Yummy. Very versatile and cheap troop squad. Excellent unit.
Fast Assault
Vanguard Veteran Squad: B
Cheaper than the C:SM version, so that makes them more viable. With Divine Intervention and DoA, you get a pretty reliable assault strike force. Excellent in conjunction with the Assault Squads if you're willing to put some points into them. However, it is probably best to go with the Sanguinary Guard as your heavy hitters as they are more durable.
Land Speeder Squadron: B+
I don't think you can have a better fire support unit in the game. Even with AV 10, these things are super important to your game plan. Typhoons can put out massed Missile Launcher fire to help with AT. Tornadoes with MM/HF also fill the AT role, but can also deal with mob armies. Either version can use their speed to manipulate the board and the missions to the player's advantage. Excellent in end-game as well, when you need something to swiftly move into position to contest an objective.
Baal Predator: C+
I want to like these, I really do. They are fast, have Scout, and have excellent Anti-Infantry weapons. The problem is, they are quite expensive at 115 (145 with sponsons) points each. Whats more, they require you to get in close to the enemy to use their weaponry to maximum effect. Once there, you have no guarantee your opponent won't get a side armor shot at this tank. With only AV 11, its too big a risk for the reward you MIGHT reap. Its better off to keep predators at the back of the board, where the enemy has to shoot through the front armor. Unfortunately, that's not possible with the Baal's mid-range weapons.
Attack Bike Squad: B
Excellent substitute for Land Speeders. The only downfall is that every weapon can hurt this unit, unlike the Land Speeder who needs more focused weapons to bring it down. However, it does benefit from an improved Turbo Boost (3++ instead of the LS's 4++).
Bike Squad: C
Average. Not going to make anyone scared of you. C:SM do bike armies better, and Land Speeders are better for the Blood Angels.
Scout Bike Squad: D
Bad. Very. Don't take them.
Heavy Support
Dreadnought: B+
Excellent fire support can be found from the Dreadnought. Unfortunately, it takes up a Heavy Support slot, which is a serious problem. With the Storm Raven and Predators also in this slot, you'll be hard pressed to find room for them in your list. Still, Rifleman Dreadnoughts are quite scary (2x Twin-linked Autocannons).
Stormraven Gunship: B
This thing is fun as heck. It can transport 12 models (even ones equipped with jump packs) AND a Dreadnought. The Storm Raven is a Skimmer and Fast, so it can contest objectives easily. Its armed to the teeth for AI duty, but also has the Bloodstrike Missiles which excel at ranged AT fire. But you only have 4. The Gunship also has Ceramite Plating, which disallows the extra D6 for penetration for melta weapons. Its also an Assault Vehicle with Power of the Machine Spirit, which is great. This thing can be tooled out several different ways, with more AT or more AI depending on your needs. Even at 200 points, this thing makes me smile. Only issue is that the Storm Raven is packing only an AV12, so your opponent's heavy weapons will be pointed its way.
Predator: B+
There is no better fire support vehicle available to the Space Marines. Old Faithful. Does anything you want reliably. Slightly more expensive than the C:SM versions, but that's the price you pay for Fast Predators.
Devastator Squad: B-
Some cheaper weapons than other Space Marine armies, they are still foot based fire support. Easily dealt with, avoided, or killed. Not exactly quality, but they'll do a decent job if you can distract your opponent's attention from them.
Vindicator: C+
No. Only the Black Templars can run these guys decently. The newer Space Marine codices don't give these Power of the Machine Spirit, so all the enemy has to do is shake this all game and it won't ever fire. If facing AP1, its very unlikely to ever fire during the game. Has to come too close to the enemy, and that exposes the AV 11. Not very reliable, nor accurate. Only bonus is that your opponent might fear the Demolisher Cannon. But a mechanized army won't.
Whirlwind: C-
No. Not good enough to warrant use over Predators, Storm Raven, or Dreadnoughts. AV 11 provides very little in the way of protection. Not worth paying the points for.
Dedicated Transports
Rhino: B+
Fast, decently armored, and cheap. They can possibly fix Immobilized results in game and carry up to 10 models. Excellent transport.
Razorback: B+
Excellent fire support. Gives you a relatively cheap and versatile fire base that also functions as a transport. Combined with Assault Squads, you'll get a huge discount and make these the transports to aim for.
Drop Pod: C
Drop Pod Assault does not lend itself to balanced armies. Your opponent can easily deploy to destroy your army piecemeal, at his/her leisure. I explain more about this on other parts of my website.
Land Raider: C+
Neither complete anti-vehicle fire support, nor total transport capable. If you want AT fire, you can take Predators for quite a bit cheaper. If you want transportation, you will want a Land Raider Crusader or Land Raider Redeemer.
Land Raider Crusader: A
Best Land Raider in my opinion. Has the best transportation capabilities, plus can provide mid-range fire support while on the way to dropping off its cargo, or after its been unloaded. Quite excellent AI fire, that very nearly is always firing because the Hurricane Bolters count as defensive weapons! If you purchase them with Assault Squads, you get a 35 point discount. You can't beat that.
Land Raider Redeemer: B+
The main issue with these, is getting close enough to "broadside" enemy units with the Flamestorm Cannon. Unfortunately, a saavy or experienced opponent can easily avoid getting sprayed by its main armament, causing the Redeemer to become a very expensive transport with little fire capabilities.
The other new army wide special rule added was "Descent of Angels" (DoA). Any unit with this special rule that deep strikes, may re-roll failed reserve rolls. In addition, they scatter D6" less than normal. This makes deep strike more reliable and less likely to mishap. However, they are still bound by the rules of deep strike and may not move or charge that turn. The last huge thing that was added, was to make every vehicle except land raider variants "Fast". This makes the Blood Angels EXTREMELY fast and maneuverable.
There are also several new psychic powers in the codex that are very unique to the Blood Angels army. One such power is the "Blood Lance" which allows you to fire a shot in a straight line in any direction, that is 4D6" long. Any unit or vehicle crossing the line takes one Str 8, AP 1 Lance hit. Nasty for vehicles! Another notable power includes "The Sanguine Sword" which allows you Str 10 attacks in close combat, "Unleash Rage" which gives preferred enemy to the IC and his unit, and "Wings of Sanguinius" which gives you the jump pack rules for the rest of the turn. Equipment is mostly standard Marine stuff, with some exceptions which will be noted in their corresponding unit's analysis.
HQ
Commander Dante (Unique): B
Dante has similar stats to a normal Chapter Master, however, he has some unique special rules that sets him apart. First, he and his squad never scatters when he deep strikes in. He also provides the "Hit and Run" USR to his squad. For special equipment, he has the "Death Mask of Sanguinius" which acts as a normal "Death Mask" (See Sanguinary Guard), plus reduces several stats of an opposing player's IC before the beginning of the game. This can be extremely devastating to an army that relies on their IC to be their combat specialist. He also has a master crafted power weapon. However, for 225 points, you have to take him in a very specialized army to be competitive since it relies on jump packs and not vehicles.
Chapter Master Gabriel Seth (Unique): B-
Reasonably priced at 160 points, he is a CC monster. His "Blood Reaver" resolves all hits at Str 8 and has rending. In addition, he can make a whirlwind attack that causes every model in base to base contact to automatically get hit with one attack. This is done in lieu of his other attacks. Finally, he has the ability to counterattack his opponents. But the chances are slim that a unit will be striking back if charged by Seth and his squad, so that is of minimal use. If you are going to use the Flesh Tears, feel free to use him, otherwise, there are better choices.
Astorath The Grim (Unique): B-
Astorath is a Chaplain, so has the standard Liturgies of Blood (Same as Liturgies of Hate) associated with him. On top of that, he grants the entire army's Red Thirst roll to proc on a D6 of 1-3, instead of just a roll of 1. His axe provides him with a Str 6 power weapon that forces your opponent to re-roll successful invulnerable saves against this weapon. It is quite sad he's 220 points, because it puts him outside the range of normal use. I love his model, I love his abilities, but there is not enough force multipliers for him to be of competitive use.
The Sanguinor, Exemplar of the Host (Unique): C+
Another excellent, but expensive special character. Awesome stats, armor, invulnerable save (3+), special rules, and weapons, however, he is just too spendy (in my opinion) to use in a game. The blessing to increase the stats of a sergeant is just not enough to warrant his use, nor is his extremely good CC ability. For 275 points, you can take several troops squads.
Mephiston, Lord of Death (Unique): B+
This guy is everything that the other special characters are not, and that is a beast. Pure and simple. Clocking in at 250 points, he is worth every one of them. He is the only Space Marine in existence that has more than 4 toughness. He is Strength and Toughness 6! Gross! His other stats are consistently high as well. He unfortunately still uses the old model, but its still pretty bad ass, so its not a huge loss. He counts as a Librarian, and has three powers: Sanguine Sword, Unleash Rage, and Wings of Sanguinius. Mephiston can use all three each turn. He can also transfix an enemy IC in close combat, forcing it to take a Ld test with a -4 modifier. If failed, Mephiston re-rolls all to hits and to wounds on that target. If you put him out on the board, he'll be shot at likely all game and will be very tough to bring down. Once he gets to combat, he'll destroy them. The only downfall to him, is that he doesn't have an invulnerable save or Eternal Warrior, but that really would make him too good.
Captain Tycho (Unique): C-
He's not very good to be honest. Tycho has some interesting perks, such as his "dual-personality", but they don't make him worth taking. Really just a Rites of Battle captain with a couple special rules that aren't really all that special.
Librarian: A-
Librarians are awesome. Psychic hoods are becoming more and more needed in every army, and coupling that with some great new psychic powers, these guys are a force to be reckoned with. Priced reasonably at only 100 points stock. :)
Reclusiarch: B
This guy has the same stats as the 4th Edition Chaplains, so he is pretty good. Also has the standard chaplain rules. Excellent leading a squad into close combat (especially Death Company).
Captain: B
Normal space marine captain. Not a whole lot different than others.
Honor Guard: B+
Basically the Blood Angels equivalent of a command squad. But with one tiny difference, that makes them so much better. They have the Blood Chalice wargear piece in the squad. This gives any unit within 6" of the Chalice to gain Feel No Pain and Furious Charge. Most excellent!
Elites
Chaplain: C+
Elite slot version of the Chaplain, which is exactly the same as the 5th Edition Space Marine Chaplains. Cheap and decent in CC with Litanies of Blood. Only problem is, he takes an elite slot and there are better choices here.
Sanguinary Guard: B+
These guys look awesome in my opinion. Very expensive at stock 200 points for 5, however, they do each have jet packs, master-crafted power weapons, and artificer armor. The only problem with that, is that you are limited in the builds you can run with them as they can't take any transports other than the Storm Raven. This means they will get shot at by numerous AP2 or better weapons, and because they lack invulnerable saves, they'll die in quick order. Or you'll have to deep strike them in, limiting their use during the game. Otherwise, you can field them in a jump pack heavy army, and this is where they shine. Because your opponent will have quite a few mobile troops flying his way, the target priority is much less on the Sanguinary Guard. You can give them Death Masks which has the opportunity to drop their CC opponents to WS 1, which is nice, but cost 25 points for the squad. Decent in jump pack armies or those with Storm Ravens, but not so good otherwise. :(
Furioso Dreadnought: B
If you can get him in close combat, he won't die to normal infantry. Even powerfists will have an extremely difficult time cracking this guys armor. For 125 points stock, you get a close combat beast. Only problem is, he is slow to get there, so will likely need a Storm Raven to transport him there. Also has the option to get the Blood Talons and/or the Magno-Grapple. The blood talons are exactly the same as lightning claws, except for a dreadnought. In addition, if armed with two Blood Talons, for each unsaved wound in CC, the Dreadnought immediately makes another attack. How awesome is that? The Magna-Grapple is probably even better, with the opportunity to "drag" your opponent from where they currently are. Numerous tactical situations can come from this, but pulling your enemy's troop transport off objectives is a big one that comes to mind. Just those things would have made this guy better than average, but that is not all. You can also upgrade the Furioso to a Librarian for 50 points. He gets 2 spells (I'd suggest Wings and Lance for speed and ranged AT) and carries the absolutely needed psychic hood. A bit spendy, but if you can fit one in, you'll be happy.
Terminator Squad: B-
Pretty standard terminator squad. Same as the C:SM ones, other than the BA army wide special rules. Decent for mid-range and backup close combat support roles.
Terminator Assault Squad: B
Normally I'd give these guys a B+, but there is a slight problem that prevents me from doing that. Switching to TH/SS costs an extra 5 points, for a total of 45. That's super expensive! Even so, that's the only real ding against these guys. Put a Sanguinary Priest with them, and you have a durable CC monster squad. Just don't forget to give them their Land Raider variant. ;)
Techmarine: C
He can be outfitted in a variety of different ways, with accompanying servitors. They have, okay, close combat abilities in this configuration. But they are slow to get there and cost a pretty decent amount of points for something that isn't too scary at all. Only average.
Sternguard Veteran Squad: B
Same as the C:SM ones, but these ones find themselves without the benefit of Kantor. In addition, in an assault-oriented army, they find themselves out of place. Don't get me wrong, they are still good and there is always a use for this great unit, but they aren't as numerous in the BA army.
Sanguinary Priest: A
Highly customizable, Independent Character, and can be taken in "squads" of 1-3 for the ridiculously low price of 50 points each. They also give any unit within 6" of them Feel No Pain and Furious Charge with their Blood Chalice, including the unit they are attached to. That is awesome! Gives excellent CC abilities via the Chalice, as well as exceptional durability. Can't complain about that at all! You really should never need more than two in a 2000 point list or below. Combo nice with assault terminators or Sanguinary Guard.
Brother Corbulo (Unique): C+
Special rules aside, 105 points for a Sanguinary Priest that you cannot customize is too much to pay. One of the Priest's strengths is that they are so cheap, but Corbulo takes that away.
Troops
Tactical Squad: C
Standard tactical squad. Need a baseline grade, so here it is.
Death Company: C+
These guys have a few special rules to go with them. Fearless, Feel No Pain, Furious Charge, and Relentless are amongst them. They also have the Black Rage, which gives the unit "Rage" and become non-scoring. Whilst the other rules are good, Rage is not. It is the reason I suggest to NEVER, under any circumstances, to field the Death Company on foot. Especially large squads. Your enemy can easily kite them around the board with rage, and they will lose their tactical usefulness. Eliminate that negative by putting them in a transport. Other than that, they are most excellent. They can be kitted out in any number of ways, but get very expensive quick. These guys will knock your opponents teeth out if ran properly, while maintaining excellent resilience. Put a Reclusiarch or Chaplain with them, and they will get re-rolls to hit and wound as well!
Lemartes, Guardian of the Lost (Unique): C+
This guy is a "better" chaplain. Excellent stats and special rules. He's an upgrade to the Death Company, but because he's equipped with a jump pack, he's forced to either join a DC unit in a Storm Raven or lead that unit on foot. Combine that with a 150 point price tag, he'll likely find himself only in fluff armies.
Death Company Dreadnought: C
The Death Company Dreadnought has a few nice little perks. It has Fleet, Furious Charge, but it also is affected by Rage. In addition, it also has 1 more attack than the Furioso Dreadnought does. You can take one for every 5 Death Company models you have. The "None Can Stay My Wrath" special rule allows it to ignore Crew Shaken/Stunned results. Only one problem. You'll be walking your ass all the way to your enemy, which might take all game.
Scout Squad: C-
Not much different from C:SM scouts. Not as good Assault Squads or Tactical Squads, nor do they really have a place in most Blood Angels armies.
Assault Squad: A
These guys are awesome. Normally I'd scoff at them, but they are troops! These guys are what make the Blood Angels army tick. Excellent in all jump pack armies, especially when combined with Vanguard Veterans or Sanguinary Guard. Not only that, they can take off their jump packs and take a dedicated transport for an amazing 35 point discount! Drop pods for free? Rhinos for 15 points? Yes please! You can give them special weapons in 5-man squads, something most Space Marines can no longer do. At 10 strong, you can have 2 meltaguns and a power fist. Yummy. Very versatile and cheap troop squad. Excellent unit.
Fast Assault
Vanguard Veteran Squad: B
Cheaper than the C:SM version, so that makes them more viable. With Divine Intervention and DoA, you get a pretty reliable assault strike force. Excellent in conjunction with the Assault Squads if you're willing to put some points into them. However, it is probably best to go with the Sanguinary Guard as your heavy hitters as they are more durable.
Land Speeder Squadron: B+
I don't think you can have a better fire support unit in the game. Even with AV 10, these things are super important to your game plan. Typhoons can put out massed Missile Launcher fire to help with AT. Tornadoes with MM/HF also fill the AT role, but can also deal with mob armies. Either version can use their speed to manipulate the board and the missions to the player's advantage. Excellent in end-game as well, when you need something to swiftly move into position to contest an objective.
Baal Predator: C+
I want to like these, I really do. They are fast, have Scout, and have excellent Anti-Infantry weapons. The problem is, they are quite expensive at 115 (145 with sponsons) points each. Whats more, they require you to get in close to the enemy to use their weaponry to maximum effect. Once there, you have no guarantee your opponent won't get a side armor shot at this tank. With only AV 11, its too big a risk for the reward you MIGHT reap. Its better off to keep predators at the back of the board, where the enemy has to shoot through the front armor. Unfortunately, that's not possible with the Baal's mid-range weapons.
Attack Bike Squad: B
Excellent substitute for Land Speeders. The only downfall is that every weapon can hurt this unit, unlike the Land Speeder who needs more focused weapons to bring it down. However, it does benefit from an improved Turbo Boost (3++ instead of the LS's 4++).
Bike Squad: C
Average. Not going to make anyone scared of you. C:SM do bike armies better, and Land Speeders are better for the Blood Angels.
Scout Bike Squad: D
Bad. Very. Don't take them.
Heavy Support
Dreadnought: B+
Excellent fire support can be found from the Dreadnought. Unfortunately, it takes up a Heavy Support slot, which is a serious problem. With the Storm Raven and Predators also in this slot, you'll be hard pressed to find room for them in your list. Still, Rifleman Dreadnoughts are quite scary (2x Twin-linked Autocannons).
Stormraven Gunship: B
This thing is fun as heck. It can transport 12 models (even ones equipped with jump packs) AND a Dreadnought. The Storm Raven is a Skimmer and Fast, so it can contest objectives easily. Its armed to the teeth for AI duty, but also has the Bloodstrike Missiles which excel at ranged AT fire. But you only have 4. The Gunship also has Ceramite Plating, which disallows the extra D6 for penetration for melta weapons. Its also an Assault Vehicle with Power of the Machine Spirit, which is great. This thing can be tooled out several different ways, with more AT or more AI depending on your needs. Even at 200 points, this thing makes me smile. Only issue is that the Storm Raven is packing only an AV12, so your opponent's heavy weapons will be pointed its way.
Predator: B+
There is no better fire support vehicle available to the Space Marines. Old Faithful. Does anything you want reliably. Slightly more expensive than the C:SM versions, but that's the price you pay for Fast Predators.
Devastator Squad: B-
Some cheaper weapons than other Space Marine armies, they are still foot based fire support. Easily dealt with, avoided, or killed. Not exactly quality, but they'll do a decent job if you can distract your opponent's attention from them.
Vindicator: C+
No. Only the Black Templars can run these guys decently. The newer Space Marine codices don't give these Power of the Machine Spirit, so all the enemy has to do is shake this all game and it won't ever fire. If facing AP1, its very unlikely to ever fire during the game. Has to come too close to the enemy, and that exposes the AV 11. Not very reliable, nor accurate. Only bonus is that your opponent might fear the Demolisher Cannon. But a mechanized army won't.
Whirlwind: C-
No. Not good enough to warrant use over Predators, Storm Raven, or Dreadnoughts. AV 11 provides very little in the way of protection. Not worth paying the points for.
Dedicated Transports
Rhino: B+
Fast, decently armored, and cheap. They can possibly fix Immobilized results in game and carry up to 10 models. Excellent transport.
Razorback: B+
Excellent fire support. Gives you a relatively cheap and versatile fire base that also functions as a transport. Combined with Assault Squads, you'll get a huge discount and make these the transports to aim for.
Drop Pod: C
Drop Pod Assault does not lend itself to balanced armies. Your opponent can easily deploy to destroy your army piecemeal, at his/her leisure. I explain more about this on other parts of my website.
Land Raider: C+
Neither complete anti-vehicle fire support, nor total transport capable. If you want AT fire, you can take Predators for quite a bit cheaper. If you want transportation, you will want a Land Raider Crusader or Land Raider Redeemer.
Land Raider Crusader: A
Best Land Raider in my opinion. Has the best transportation capabilities, plus can provide mid-range fire support while on the way to dropping off its cargo, or after its been unloaded. Quite excellent AI fire, that very nearly is always firing because the Hurricane Bolters count as defensive weapons! If you purchase them with Assault Squads, you get a 35 point discount. You can't beat that.
Land Raider Redeemer: B+
The main issue with these, is getting close enough to "broadside" enemy units with the Flamestorm Cannon. Unfortunately, a saavy or experienced opponent can easily avoid getting sprayed by its main armament, causing the Redeemer to become a very expensive transport with little fire capabilities.
Tyranid Codex - Updated August 3rd, 2011
A lot has changed since the last version of the Tyranid codex was in effect. Now, the Hive Mind has quite a few weapons at its disposal to ensure that the Hive Fleets consume the universe. There have been dramatic changes to the weapons, biomorphs, synapse, and the units themselves. Synapse now works a bit differently. It no longer gives protection from instant death, but still gives fearless to units in its range. In addition, if a Nid unit falls outside of synapse range it gains one of two unique special rules: "Lurk" or "Feed". Lurk basically causes the unit to seek shelter in the nearest cover and fire at the nearest enemy unit. Feed gives the unit Rage and they begin to charge towards the nearest visible enemy unit. Shadow of the Warp also provides the Tyranids an excellent way to help curb enemy psykers. If one of your units with SotW is within 12" of an enemy psyker, they have to take their psychic tests on a 3D6 instead of a 2D6. However, they still suffer Perils of the Warp on a double 1 or 6! The addition of Mycetic Spores also give the Tyranids the ability to "Drop Pod" into battle as its a transport. It can deep strike into battle carrying 20 infantry units or 1 monstrous creature using drop pods rules. While drop pods often become nearly useless with their limited fire after dropping into the battle, Mycetic Spores have a decent weapon to fire at anything that gets too close (6 inches) so it still retains its usefulness as a defensive unit.
Many of the weapons now available to the Nids now are able to destroy vehicles handily, as well as giving the Heavy Venom Cannon the ability to do so once more. There were slight changes to the close combat weapons, including making the Bonesword a power weapon with the ability to instant death. Scything Talaons also got an improvement by being able to reroll failed to hits. The change to toxin sacs also gave nearly the entire Nid codex the ability to wound on a 4+ (poison) which is huge, especially for the weaker troops such as termagants and hormagants. Even if Games Workshop only improved the quality of the weapons and biomorphs as they did, the codex would be still be significantly more powerful than before.
HQ
Hive Tyrant: B
This guy is a jack-of-all trades. He has above average CC abilities or can go hybrid when armed with a ranged weapon. With excellent stats, lots of wounds, and excellent armor (3+ save but can be upgraded to 2+), he'll be around for quite a while. He has the ability to take many of the heavy weapons of the army and can take one of three abilities for a price: Hive Commander, Indescribable Horror, and Old Adversary. Hive Commander gives 1+ to reserve rolls and a single troops squad outflank; Indescribable Horror gives a leadership test to assault Tyrant and his squad; Old Adversary gives Preferred enemy to the Tyrant and to helpful units within 6". All of these make the Tyrant much more expensive, as he comes stock at 170 points, so I'd suggest only ever using Hive Commander if you are running a reserve list. Indescribable Horror is a waste of points, as anyone assaulting the Tyrant makes you happy. His psychic powers are also decent as well.
Tyrant Guard Brood: B-
If you are taking a Tyrant, you'll need these guys to eat shots for you while you advance. With excellent defensive stats and decent CC capabilities, they are worth the 60 points each. 2 should normally be sufficient for your needs, with the Bonesword and Lash Whip upgrades.
Swarmlord (Unique): B
This guy is the consummate CC beast of the Tyranids. He has excellent stats, an 4+ invulnerable save in close combat, provides Universal Special Rules to one unit within 18", a larger synapse range, 1+ to reserve rolls, and can use two psychic powers. Unfortunately, he's clocking in at 280 points for something with no ranged weaponry so he only fits into certain army builds. If you need something with a bit of punch that can take out durable assault units (TH/SS Terminators, Fortuned Jet Bike Seer Counsels) or ICs, put him with a Tyrant Guard brood and you're set to go.
Tervigon: A
These guys are 160 points, but their usefulness cannot be expressed enough. For each termagaunt squad you've taken, you can take one Tervigon as a troops unit. A scoring monstrous creature with T6 and W6? Yes please! He only has average ability in close combat, but his usefulness comes from the ability to spawn termagants each turn. Free troops squads are never a bad thing! They also provide valuable synapse and psychic powers. Nearly every list will want at least one of these guys.
Tyranid Prime: B+
Very cheap, can use a wide variety of weaponry but vulnerable to instant death from Str 10 weapons. He can also join a warrior squad and let them use his ballistic and weapon skills. Additionally, he can upgrade his devourer with Brainleach Worms making it a Str 6 weapon with 6 shots. Excellent HQ if you need an effective unit on the cheap.
The Parasite of Mortrex (Unique): C-
This guy is only decent. He has some nice special abilities that might net you some ripper swarms. However, despite his mobility and CC strengths, there just isn't enough going for him to take as an HQ choice in my opinion. He's also quite vulnerable to instant death with his T4.
Elites
Hive Guard Brood: A-
I really like these guys. For 50 points each, you get a tough infantry unit that fires the Impaler Cannon. This thing will become the new rhino killer with its two Str 8 shots per turn that doesn't require line of sight. Unfortunately, they do only have a 24" range so the Hive Guard need to be near the front of your lines. They will get demolished in close combat so make sure they have some support nearby to protect them. Hive Guard are absolutely essential in most lists for their AT weaponry.
Lictor Brood: D+
They are decent in CC, but cannot sustain it for long periods of time with their poor saves. Useful as an assassination unit, as well as ensuring your reserves arrive with Pheromone Trail. Overall, not a very good unit and take an elite slot from the Hive Guard.
Deathleaper (Unique): B
With his ability to reduce a single enemy character's leadership by 1-3 while he's alive, you can effectively destroy a psyker from doing anything to you. Or if no psyker is available, you can seriously hamper other HQ's ability to provide their Ld to other squads. Adding in increased stats for CC deadliness, he also has survivability special rules in "Where is it?". It basically forces any unit shooting at Deathleaper to test for night fighting, and then halve that score. You can also redeploy Deathleaper every turn should you decide to wreck havoc on weak spots on the enemy's line. However, if playing someone where a minus to their leadership would not affect their game much, this guy's value goes way down.
Venomthrope Brood: C
While its Toxic Touch and Lash Whips do some to help this floundering unit, its WS3 and 2 attacks don't help its cause. He does provide a 5+ invulnerable save to units within 6", but chances are you'll have a 4+ cover save anyway. I'm also not sure why GW gave it WS3 and BS 4, when the Venomthrope is clearly a CC unit (and it can't shoot anything anyway)!
Zoanthrope Brood: B
These guys pack a punch if used properly. Mycetic spore drop them in, then use their new Warp Blast power (Str 10 AP 1, Lance) to demolish the enemy's most valuable vehicles. They only have average stats, but their survivability is improved by their 3+ invulnerable save. On top of that, they double as synapse creatures. Sitting at 60 points each, they are reasonably priced for their anti-tank abilities.
The Doom of Malan'Tai (Unique): C
Many people have preached the bombshell for this guy. While he does have a nasty ability to kill those around him with Spirit Leech, it doesn't affect units inside of transports. This limits his usefulness dramatically, as most armies in 5th edition are mechanized. Plus, the only viable way to take him is to with a Mycetic Spore so he won't be shot up before he can use his abilities. Problem with that is, even if you get him out in turn 2, chances are your enemy has already spread out in preparation of his arrival. He probably won't get to use his Cataclysm spell with any significant power. Once on the ground, he'll die quickly as he's not exactly durable. Take him if you want because he's super cheap, but there really are better options in the elite slot.
Pyrovore Brood: F
The only real way to use these guys is to take 3 Pyrovores with a Spore and drop into flame range, but its 175 points and takes up an elites slot where I personally believe Hive Guard/Zoanthropes are a much better option. Once they land, do their blast, they are effectively a slow moving infantry unit that likely won't get any more shots off as your enemy will be able to avoid flame template range. Plus, they have only T4 and can easily be Insta-deathed by quite a few weapons which also ignore their only average armor save of 4+ (Missiles, Meltas, Lascannons, Bright/Dark Lances, etc). So at best, you will kill a squad of whatever normal infantry which likely will be poorly armored and cheap. If its the most common opponent, the Space Marines, you will likely only kill 4 on average (6 hits per template, 12 wounds, 4 failed saves). The Pyrovores are then stuck sitting there because they can't move/charge the turn they deep strike in. If the Space Marine player doesn't shoot them, which he will, he'll then charge them. Since Pyrovores have initiative of 1, the SM will strike first in the ensuing CC and will kill 2 of the Pyrovores on average (assuming no power weapons/fists). Leaving only 1 power weapon attack from the Pyrovore brood and assuming it wounded (which is very likely won't happen due to low WS and average Str), that leaves five SM's to fight on. 175 points to NOT kill a 180 point Space Marine squad on foot (where it should be in a transport anyway) OR kill a 100 point IG squad before getting the brood killed. One-shot wonder in my opinion. :(
Ymgarl Genestealer Brood: C+
While they do get the ability to add either 1+ to Str, attacks, or T for a turn...for 23 points and no chance to add a Broodlord, I'd rate these guys only slightly above average. Very fluffy, but a touch too expensive when there are better elite options.
Troops
Tyranid Warrior Brood: C+
While these are reasonably priced at 30 points each, they are only average now that they are affected by instant death. The additional wound gained in this edition of the codex helps against lower strength weapons, but those won't be the ones firing at this squad. An ok, semi-durable squad to provide synapse...but it seems that a Tervigon with termagants would be better. ;)
Genestealer Brood: B-
The genestealers are as beastly as they were in the previous codex. For 14 points, these guys are decent. Outflank them to weak portions of the enemy's line and watch the kills pile up. For even more killiness, add a Broodlord. He lost his power weapon attacks, but gained psychic powers and is still a monster in CC. However, they don't have any source of AT outside of their rending claws, so they will have trouble getting at infantry in transports without help. Nice unit if you need some disruption in your army.
Hormagaunt Brood: C
They lost their beast status, so you'll not see a threat bubble of 24" from these guys anymore. However, they still have a good 18" striking distance with their new Bounding Leap rule (3D6 for running). While just the basic assault troop that will get killed in droves, when taken in significant numbers and with toxin sacs, they'll ruin anyone's day when they get to CC. Excellent troop choice at 6 points a pop.
Termagaunt Brood: B
These guys are what give you scoring Tervigons. In balanced armies, you'll want at least one unit to play the objective game. Not really all that great in CC, but they have their own version of a bolter that you can use to thin down units. A steal for 5 points. You can also add Toxin Sacs for 1 point each, to make them wound anything in the game on a 4+ in CC, which is awesome (or can inherit it from a Tervigon).
Ripper Swarm Brood: D
I'm not really a fan of these guys. They are just too easy to kill. I suppose they are decent disruption units, but I don't know if I'd waste a troops slot choice on them.
Fast Attack
Tyranid Shrike Brood: C-
These guys provide you with a mobile synapse creature for armies that require such things. Unfortunately, they only have a 5+ armor save so they likely will get shot up a bit. Other than that, they are much like the Warrior Squad.
Ravener Brood: B+
Admittedly, I'm biased towards these guys. I like them a lot. For 30 points each, you get beast that has a threat range of 24", excellent CC abilities, and three wounds. Their downfall is their 5+ armor save so you might get instant death, but if you use their Move Through Cover USR, you'll minimize losses. You can also add rending claws for minimal cost. Excellent disruption unit.
Sky-Slasher Swarm Brood: D+
Excellent disruption squad IF you have a synapse unit in range. Otherwise, these aren't very good.
Gargoyle Brood: C+
These make a decent fast moving disruption unit. For 6 points, you get a semi-shooty squad that can assault enemy shooty units with reasonable success. Their Blinding Venom (auto wound with a roll to hit of a 6) is just icing on the cake. Plus their models look pretty sweet.
Harpy: B
Fast moving and durable shooting platform. It can be taken stock to kill infantry or outfitted to kill vehicles. Either setup works, but since the Tyranids are excellent in CC, you'll probably want to be able to have options to kill vehicles. Spore Mine Cysts can be an excellent bonus shot to vulnerable enemy units. Overall, 160 points is very cheap for what these guys do. I'd try to fit them in to your lists if possible.
Heavy Support
Carnifex Brood: C+
In previous editions, these guys were scary. They aren't so much anymore. Yes they are nice shooty units (can now take them in groups of 1-3), but they are slow as hell and vulnerable to assaults. 160 points is just too much for this average unit.
Old One Eye (Unique): C-
He's got upgraded stats over the normal Carnifex, but is outfitted for close combat. Improved regeneration, additional attacks in close combat, and his Alpha Leader ability (any unit within 12" can use his Ld) do not make up for the fact that he has I 1, super expensive at 260 points, and still vulnerable to assaults. Not normally worth the slot.
Biovore Brood: C-
While being vulnerable to shooting and assaults, they normalized the spore mines into one weapon. They have the ability to reasonable damage to infantry based enemy armies, as well as providing excellent disruption. Not advised to use on a normal basis, but nice in one-off games for a change of pace.
Trygon: B
This thing is gross. You definitely want this guy rampaging in your enemies lines. Excellent close combat skills, very durable, and can be upgraded to a Trygon Prime. He has a nice special shooting attack that is upgraded if you are a Prime. Also provides a gateway for other Nid units to reserve through by using his Subterranean Assault, which is an excellent way to get them quickly and safely into CC. Provides synapse if you upgraded to the prime. The main ding on him, however, is the fact that the model is so large. Its extremely difficult to get cover saves for him so its likely that your opponent will shoot him up before he reaches their lines.
Mawloc: C
Cheaper than the Trygon at 170 points, but not nearly as good in CC. However, he's just as durable and is an excellent disruption unit. His burrow has the potential to destroy enemy units outright (Str 6 AP 2 with wounds equal to amount of models even partially under large blast) if he deep strikes into them. Plus, he can return back to reserve to do it again, though you're likely only to get two shots at that ability per game. If you need an excellent distraction unit, this is your guy.
Tyrannofex: A
These guys are incredibly durable with high toughness, wounds, and a 2+ save. You can upgrade him to take regeneration, which furthers his already immense durability. He's slow and not particularly great in CC, but that's really ok as his weapons are just godly. You can go the anti-infantry route with the Fleshborer Hive, which provides a 12" range bolter with 20 shots. Or, you can outfit him to be anti-tank and give him the Rupture Cannon. This has a 48" range, Str 10, AP 4, and 2 shots. TWO. Yikes! He clocks in at 250 points at basic cost, but you should look at giving him some upgrades. Outstanding unit.
Many of the weapons now available to the Nids now are able to destroy vehicles handily, as well as giving the Heavy Venom Cannon the ability to do so once more. There were slight changes to the close combat weapons, including making the Bonesword a power weapon with the ability to instant death. Scything Talaons also got an improvement by being able to reroll failed to hits. The change to toxin sacs also gave nearly the entire Nid codex the ability to wound on a 4+ (poison) which is huge, especially for the weaker troops such as termagants and hormagants. Even if Games Workshop only improved the quality of the weapons and biomorphs as they did, the codex would be still be significantly more powerful than before.
HQ
Hive Tyrant: B
This guy is a jack-of-all trades. He has above average CC abilities or can go hybrid when armed with a ranged weapon. With excellent stats, lots of wounds, and excellent armor (3+ save but can be upgraded to 2+), he'll be around for quite a while. He has the ability to take many of the heavy weapons of the army and can take one of three abilities for a price: Hive Commander, Indescribable Horror, and Old Adversary. Hive Commander gives 1+ to reserve rolls and a single troops squad outflank; Indescribable Horror gives a leadership test to assault Tyrant and his squad; Old Adversary gives Preferred enemy to the Tyrant and to helpful units within 6". All of these make the Tyrant much more expensive, as he comes stock at 170 points, so I'd suggest only ever using Hive Commander if you are running a reserve list. Indescribable Horror is a waste of points, as anyone assaulting the Tyrant makes you happy. His psychic powers are also decent as well.
Tyrant Guard Brood: B-
If you are taking a Tyrant, you'll need these guys to eat shots for you while you advance. With excellent defensive stats and decent CC capabilities, they are worth the 60 points each. 2 should normally be sufficient for your needs, with the Bonesword and Lash Whip upgrades.
Swarmlord (Unique): B
This guy is the consummate CC beast of the Tyranids. He has excellent stats, an 4+ invulnerable save in close combat, provides Universal Special Rules to one unit within 18", a larger synapse range, 1+ to reserve rolls, and can use two psychic powers. Unfortunately, he's clocking in at 280 points for something with no ranged weaponry so he only fits into certain army builds. If you need something with a bit of punch that can take out durable assault units (TH/SS Terminators, Fortuned Jet Bike Seer Counsels) or ICs, put him with a Tyrant Guard brood and you're set to go.
Tervigon: A
These guys are 160 points, but their usefulness cannot be expressed enough. For each termagaunt squad you've taken, you can take one Tervigon as a troops unit. A scoring monstrous creature with T6 and W6? Yes please! He only has average ability in close combat, but his usefulness comes from the ability to spawn termagants each turn. Free troops squads are never a bad thing! They also provide valuable synapse and psychic powers. Nearly every list will want at least one of these guys.
Tyranid Prime: B+
Very cheap, can use a wide variety of weaponry but vulnerable to instant death from Str 10 weapons. He can also join a warrior squad and let them use his ballistic and weapon skills. Additionally, he can upgrade his devourer with Brainleach Worms making it a Str 6 weapon with 6 shots. Excellent HQ if you need an effective unit on the cheap.
The Parasite of Mortrex (Unique): C-
This guy is only decent. He has some nice special abilities that might net you some ripper swarms. However, despite his mobility and CC strengths, there just isn't enough going for him to take as an HQ choice in my opinion. He's also quite vulnerable to instant death with his T4.
Elites
Hive Guard Brood: A-
I really like these guys. For 50 points each, you get a tough infantry unit that fires the Impaler Cannon. This thing will become the new rhino killer with its two Str 8 shots per turn that doesn't require line of sight. Unfortunately, they do only have a 24" range so the Hive Guard need to be near the front of your lines. They will get demolished in close combat so make sure they have some support nearby to protect them. Hive Guard are absolutely essential in most lists for their AT weaponry.
Lictor Brood: D+
They are decent in CC, but cannot sustain it for long periods of time with their poor saves. Useful as an assassination unit, as well as ensuring your reserves arrive with Pheromone Trail. Overall, not a very good unit and take an elite slot from the Hive Guard.
Deathleaper (Unique): B
With his ability to reduce a single enemy character's leadership by 1-3 while he's alive, you can effectively destroy a psyker from doing anything to you. Or if no psyker is available, you can seriously hamper other HQ's ability to provide their Ld to other squads. Adding in increased stats for CC deadliness, he also has survivability special rules in "Where is it?". It basically forces any unit shooting at Deathleaper to test for night fighting, and then halve that score. You can also redeploy Deathleaper every turn should you decide to wreck havoc on weak spots on the enemy's line. However, if playing someone where a minus to their leadership would not affect their game much, this guy's value goes way down.
Venomthrope Brood: C
While its Toxic Touch and Lash Whips do some to help this floundering unit, its WS3 and 2 attacks don't help its cause. He does provide a 5+ invulnerable save to units within 6", but chances are you'll have a 4+ cover save anyway. I'm also not sure why GW gave it WS3 and BS 4, when the Venomthrope is clearly a CC unit (and it can't shoot anything anyway)!
Zoanthrope Brood: B
These guys pack a punch if used properly. Mycetic spore drop them in, then use their new Warp Blast power (Str 10 AP 1, Lance) to demolish the enemy's most valuable vehicles. They only have average stats, but their survivability is improved by their 3+ invulnerable save. On top of that, they double as synapse creatures. Sitting at 60 points each, they are reasonably priced for their anti-tank abilities.
The Doom of Malan'Tai (Unique): C
Many people have preached the bombshell for this guy. While he does have a nasty ability to kill those around him with Spirit Leech, it doesn't affect units inside of transports. This limits his usefulness dramatically, as most armies in 5th edition are mechanized. Plus, the only viable way to take him is to with a Mycetic Spore so he won't be shot up before he can use his abilities. Problem with that is, even if you get him out in turn 2, chances are your enemy has already spread out in preparation of his arrival. He probably won't get to use his Cataclysm spell with any significant power. Once on the ground, he'll die quickly as he's not exactly durable. Take him if you want because he's super cheap, but there really are better options in the elite slot.
Pyrovore Brood: F
The only real way to use these guys is to take 3 Pyrovores with a Spore and drop into flame range, but its 175 points and takes up an elites slot where I personally believe Hive Guard/Zoanthropes are a much better option. Once they land, do their blast, they are effectively a slow moving infantry unit that likely won't get any more shots off as your enemy will be able to avoid flame template range. Plus, they have only T4 and can easily be Insta-deathed by quite a few weapons which also ignore their only average armor save of 4+ (Missiles, Meltas, Lascannons, Bright/Dark Lances, etc). So at best, you will kill a squad of whatever normal infantry which likely will be poorly armored and cheap. If its the most common opponent, the Space Marines, you will likely only kill 4 on average (6 hits per template, 12 wounds, 4 failed saves). The Pyrovores are then stuck sitting there because they can't move/charge the turn they deep strike in. If the Space Marine player doesn't shoot them, which he will, he'll then charge them. Since Pyrovores have initiative of 1, the SM will strike first in the ensuing CC and will kill 2 of the Pyrovores on average (assuming no power weapons/fists). Leaving only 1 power weapon attack from the Pyrovore brood and assuming it wounded (which is very likely won't happen due to low WS and average Str), that leaves five SM's to fight on. 175 points to NOT kill a 180 point Space Marine squad on foot (where it should be in a transport anyway) OR kill a 100 point IG squad before getting the brood killed. One-shot wonder in my opinion. :(
Ymgarl Genestealer Brood: C+
While they do get the ability to add either 1+ to Str, attacks, or T for a turn...for 23 points and no chance to add a Broodlord, I'd rate these guys only slightly above average. Very fluffy, but a touch too expensive when there are better elite options.
Troops
Tyranid Warrior Brood: C+
While these are reasonably priced at 30 points each, they are only average now that they are affected by instant death. The additional wound gained in this edition of the codex helps against lower strength weapons, but those won't be the ones firing at this squad. An ok, semi-durable squad to provide synapse...but it seems that a Tervigon with termagants would be better. ;)
Genestealer Brood: B-
The genestealers are as beastly as they were in the previous codex. For 14 points, these guys are decent. Outflank them to weak portions of the enemy's line and watch the kills pile up. For even more killiness, add a Broodlord. He lost his power weapon attacks, but gained psychic powers and is still a monster in CC. However, they don't have any source of AT outside of their rending claws, so they will have trouble getting at infantry in transports without help. Nice unit if you need some disruption in your army.
Hormagaunt Brood: C
They lost their beast status, so you'll not see a threat bubble of 24" from these guys anymore. However, they still have a good 18" striking distance with their new Bounding Leap rule (3D6 for running). While just the basic assault troop that will get killed in droves, when taken in significant numbers and with toxin sacs, they'll ruin anyone's day when they get to CC. Excellent troop choice at 6 points a pop.
Termagaunt Brood: B
These guys are what give you scoring Tervigons. In balanced armies, you'll want at least one unit to play the objective game. Not really all that great in CC, but they have their own version of a bolter that you can use to thin down units. A steal for 5 points. You can also add Toxin Sacs for 1 point each, to make them wound anything in the game on a 4+ in CC, which is awesome (or can inherit it from a Tervigon).
Ripper Swarm Brood: D
I'm not really a fan of these guys. They are just too easy to kill. I suppose they are decent disruption units, but I don't know if I'd waste a troops slot choice on them.
Fast Attack
Tyranid Shrike Brood: C-
These guys provide you with a mobile synapse creature for armies that require such things. Unfortunately, they only have a 5+ armor save so they likely will get shot up a bit. Other than that, they are much like the Warrior Squad.
Ravener Brood: B+
Admittedly, I'm biased towards these guys. I like them a lot. For 30 points each, you get beast that has a threat range of 24", excellent CC abilities, and three wounds. Their downfall is their 5+ armor save so you might get instant death, but if you use their Move Through Cover USR, you'll minimize losses. You can also add rending claws for minimal cost. Excellent disruption unit.
Sky-Slasher Swarm Brood: D+
Excellent disruption squad IF you have a synapse unit in range. Otherwise, these aren't very good.
Gargoyle Brood: C+
These make a decent fast moving disruption unit. For 6 points, you get a semi-shooty squad that can assault enemy shooty units with reasonable success. Their Blinding Venom (auto wound with a roll to hit of a 6) is just icing on the cake. Plus their models look pretty sweet.
Harpy: B
Fast moving and durable shooting platform. It can be taken stock to kill infantry or outfitted to kill vehicles. Either setup works, but since the Tyranids are excellent in CC, you'll probably want to be able to have options to kill vehicles. Spore Mine Cysts can be an excellent bonus shot to vulnerable enemy units. Overall, 160 points is very cheap for what these guys do. I'd try to fit them in to your lists if possible.
Heavy Support
Carnifex Brood: C+
In previous editions, these guys were scary. They aren't so much anymore. Yes they are nice shooty units (can now take them in groups of 1-3), but they are slow as hell and vulnerable to assaults. 160 points is just too much for this average unit.
Old One Eye (Unique): C-
He's got upgraded stats over the normal Carnifex, but is outfitted for close combat. Improved regeneration, additional attacks in close combat, and his Alpha Leader ability (any unit within 12" can use his Ld) do not make up for the fact that he has I 1, super expensive at 260 points, and still vulnerable to assaults. Not normally worth the slot.
Biovore Brood: C-
While being vulnerable to shooting and assaults, they normalized the spore mines into one weapon. They have the ability to reasonable damage to infantry based enemy armies, as well as providing excellent disruption. Not advised to use on a normal basis, but nice in one-off games for a change of pace.
Trygon: B
This thing is gross. You definitely want this guy rampaging in your enemies lines. Excellent close combat skills, very durable, and can be upgraded to a Trygon Prime. He has a nice special shooting attack that is upgraded if you are a Prime. Also provides a gateway for other Nid units to reserve through by using his Subterranean Assault, which is an excellent way to get them quickly and safely into CC. Provides synapse if you upgraded to the prime. The main ding on him, however, is the fact that the model is so large. Its extremely difficult to get cover saves for him so its likely that your opponent will shoot him up before he reaches their lines.
Mawloc: C
Cheaper than the Trygon at 170 points, but not nearly as good in CC. However, he's just as durable and is an excellent disruption unit. His burrow has the potential to destroy enemy units outright (Str 6 AP 2 with wounds equal to amount of models even partially under large blast) if he deep strikes into them. Plus, he can return back to reserve to do it again, though you're likely only to get two shots at that ability per game. If you need an excellent distraction unit, this is your guy.
Tyrannofex: A
These guys are incredibly durable with high toughness, wounds, and a 2+ save. You can upgrade him to take regeneration, which furthers his already immense durability. He's slow and not particularly great in CC, but that's really ok as his weapons are just godly. You can go the anti-infantry route with the Fleshborer Hive, which provides a 12" range bolter with 20 shots. Or, you can outfit him to be anti-tank and give him the Rupture Cannon. This has a 48" range, Str 10, AP 4, and 2 shots. TWO. Yikes! He clocks in at 250 points at basic cost, but you should look at giving him some upgrades. Outstanding unit.
Black Templars Codex - Updated August 3rd, 2011
Unlike our last codex, we actually have a fair amount of options this time around. Unfortunately, most of them don't have that many combat roles or don't perform up to par.
HQ
Commander: B
Marshals find themselves an option in mechanized lists for their ability to field cheap CC-support and the universal Ld10. Rites of Battle are especially important in gunline armies if you can fit him in. Castellans are also an option if you need a way to get cheap command squads (i.e. Drop Pod armies). It won't hurt you that much to take a Commander for your second HQ choice (other being Emperor's Champion), as you can have them fairly cheap, but you wouldn't go out of your way for one.
Emperor's Champion: A+
Well, you don't have a choice here. Even if I did, I'd still take the guy. The vows change your entire army, and the guy himself is a solid backup for a Crusader squad. As for the vows, they're pretty simple for us. 'Accept' is great for most forces (because it grants Preferred Enemy to every unit) and is generally the vow you'll take to a battle. 'Uphold' is okay, because you ignore pinning. This could be important if you are unfortunate enough to lose a transport to incoming fire, as it allows you to ignore the ensuing pinning test. Unfortunately, it does cause you lose out on 5th Edition's 4+ cover saves. 'Suffer' is good against Eldar of both sorts, since the dangerous ones hit first anyway, and you can now hurt Wraithlords and C'Tan with basic troops. However, 'Accept' will cause more wounds overall. 'Abhor' is good if you're playing a take and control type list featuring more shooting than assaulting. This will be the 2nd most used vow behind 'Accept' because its cheap, allows you a possible free move, and throws in psychic defense as a bonus.
Chaplain: C
You don't need Zeal so much in a Mechanized list, but those re-rolls to hit are exactly what an assault-oriented force needs if you don't take the 'Accept' vow. If you DID take 'Accept', feel free to take another unit in lieu of him. Upgrading the Chaplain to a 'Master of Sanctity' is optional, but isn't necessary because he's fearless. If you feel you need the extra wound, go for it. Try to keep them cheap, so you are able to field more troops. Because most assault-oriented lists take 'Accept' or are shooting based, you won't see this guy used so much as to save points.
Terminator Command Squad: B-
With the release of the new BT FAQ, this unit begins to become relevant once more. Led by a Commander or Chaplain, you're able to take dual-Cyclone Missile Launchers with Tank-Hunters. Yikes! That is scary. Unfortunately, it is extremely expensive to field so it should only be seen in 2k lists or above.
Command Squad: C+
One of the very few ways to gain a dual-meltagun unit in the Black Templars army. Apothecaries now grant FNP to the squad, but beyond using this unit in a Drop Pod army, they are too expensive for what they do. Crusader squads fill the role just as well and count as scoring units. However, they are a valid option in larger games.
Elites
Terminators: A
These guys are the only Terminator squad still able to field the two heavy weapon setup. With the update to the Cyclone Missile Launchers, this is huge. Combining Tank-Hunters with the CML, gives you great long-ranged fire support unit that is also extremely durable (especially in cover). While not amazing in close combat, they will hold their own against non-dedicated CC units. Also effective as "bubblewrap" units.
Assault Terminators: B
These guys are all slaughter in close combat. Very few units in the game can compete with even a minimally sized unit of BT Terminators with "Accept Any Challenge", Furious Charge, and assaulting out of LRC. They will destroy almost any unit that they charge. Not only that, they are extremely durable when you give them Storm Shields. However, they are extremely expensive. Between the Terminators and the LRC they need to take for protection, they cost nearly 500 points. That unit, if taken by itself, is quite easy to neutralize by your opponent. This could be via long range shooting, suicide melta units, bubble wrap units, or even movement blocking. That means you need two squads so your opponent cannot concentrate on your single unit of Terminators, which knocks them out of the battle. Unfortunately, this makes your list very unbalanced! But if you can pull off the combo, you're in a good position to win.
Sword Brethren: C-
These guys can do it all. Unfortunately, Sword Brethren don't do any one thing super well, they lack weapon options, and aren't very durable. They're the only unit in the game that can take Terminator Honors individually, but are also the only unit in the BT army that cannot take a LRC as a dedicated transport. Sadly, they are non-scoring, can get expensive in a hurry, and really lack the options to take them over-the-top.
Dreadnought: B
Tank-hunting Venerable Dreadnoughts with Lascannons/Missile Launchers (or Heavy Flamers) are most excellent in AT duties. Combine that with the extreme durability of the Venerable upgrade, you've got yourself a mean firepower platform. Combat Dreadnoughts are good, in or out of Pods, if you use them for their specified role. Unfortunately, they lack the weapon options of the newer Space Marine codices, but its not a huge loss.
Techmarine: D-
They make for good combat support, but you've already got that. They're far too expensive to make a makeshift Devastator squad out of him since they die more than twice as fast. Simply put, no.
Troops
Crusader Squad: B
The Crusader Squad is variable as hell, so you can do anything with it. In CC roles, power fists are normally the choice here as it can kill Dreadnoughts and Monstrous Creatures which, if left unchecked, will occupy your unit for the whole game. The meltagun is the best special weapon, as it provides you with valuable anti-vehicle weaponry. CCWs and bolt pistols are normally the main armament, but you can also arm these guys to be shooty. Just give them flamers/meltaguns and multi-meltas in Rhinos (MM Bunkers). Or if you desire a long-range option, lascannons and plasmaguns in Razorbacks is a great setup. As the only 5-man marine Troops unit available to take advantage of the Special/Heavy weapon upgrades, its a valid option to consider. Just remember our "Kill Them All" special rule. This is the Black Templar's only scoring unit. The only real ding on this unit is the fact that you cannot field more than one power weapon in the unit.
Fast Attack
Assault Squad: C-
Since we're already moving at 12" a turn (with transports), and hitting just as hard, these guys no longer serve their footslogger purpose. However, they do one thing right and that's going after strategic targets. Minimal sized units with two Plasmas and a Fist can be used as a surgical strike to take out Devastator squads and equivalents, to rush and kill Wraithlords and equivalents, or with Meltabombs to take out vehicular fire support. Taking Storm Shields gives you a potential tarpit unit, but its too expensive for what it does. At that point, you might as well take Terminators. Normally not taken over Land Speeders.
Land Speeder: A+
Highly mobile firepower platform. Very cheap for what you get, but at the cost is armor (AV 10). The Multi-melta and Heavy Flamer combination is excellent in anti-tank roles, while being a threat against infantry with the flame template. Assault Cannon and Heavy Bolter speeders are good for AI fire support, but isn't a great option against anti-tank weaponry. AT is hard to come by and Land Speeders are one of the few places to get it cheaply. But what really makes this unit special is the Typhoon upgrade option. Typhoons really got a buff with the updated Typhoon Missile Launcher rules. For a dirtball cheap 70 points, you gain excellent AT firepower and decent options against infantry. Typhoons really take the guess-work out of using Land Speeders and are much easier to use than the more finesse MM/HF pattern. They are very effective at long range and can neutralize both vehicles and infantry. One of the best units in the codex, and arguably, in the game.
Bikes: F
Despite the massive affinity you'd think the Black Templars should have with these modern cavalry, they're not very good at all. Even if you go to the extreme of five bikes with three Power Weapons and an attack bike, you're still going to do laughable damage for the massive points cost. Additionally, you'll be stuck in combat for quite a while (BT fearless rule) as this squad won't be killing things quickly enough to win. The only combo worth mentioning here is three Bikes with three meltaguns. Otherwise, avoid this squad.
Attack Bikes: C
These guys are actually a feasible option for Black Templars. For 150 points you can get six wounds with the firepower of a Devastator squad. Sure its more vulnerable to Instant Death, but you're far more mobile and resilient. If you've got the slots and need the anti-infantry, they're excellent. The Multi-Melta option might be a bit extreme, but if you're up against more than one Land Raider, it's going to help. Overall, a great unit to take for your fire support. Remember, the more shots directed at resilient units like this, the less shots taken at your more valuable rhinos!
Heavy Support
Vindicator: B
If you can afford to spend the points on a tank that will almost certainly die before it fires, this is the tank. If it lives, you can obliterate hundreds of point per shot. Take Power of the Machine Spirit so that it can't just be chain-stunned. PotMS also allows you to move a full 12" and fire the Demolisher Cannon, giving you the opportunity to wreck infantry first turn. Using two or three of these monsters as a screen for your transports will throw your opponent into reaction-mode real quick, so if you can afford the points, try playing around with them for fun. However, with the proliferation of mechanized armies, these guys have really fallen to the wayside.
Predators: A-
These are your heavy firepower. They are cheap, durable, and pump out quite a bit of fire. You'll probably need a Dakka Pred (Autocannon/Heavy Bolters) against most armies and just about any other option is good against the right force. You're going to want at least one, probably two or three, in most lists.
Land Raider: C+
It's neither a total firing platform, nor a total transport. Predators are just as shooty but much cheaper, and Land Raider Crusaders are by far the superior transport. Unless you need to take it, don't (I've yet to require its use).
Land Raider Crusader: A
The ultimate vehicular transport, the Land Raider Crusader is the only vehicle to take if you can afford it. Not only can it destroy entire squads of infantry and survive through entire games against heavy fire, but it enables you to take much better squads and in higher numbers than you can fit into a mechanized army without it. Try to avoid taking more than two in a single list 1750 points or below. Only Space Marine codex which allows the use of Blessed Armor (negates 'Lance' rules) and comes standard with Multi-melta and Extra Armor.
HQ
Commander: B
Marshals find themselves an option in mechanized lists for their ability to field cheap CC-support and the universal Ld10. Rites of Battle are especially important in gunline armies if you can fit him in. Castellans are also an option if you need a way to get cheap command squads (i.e. Drop Pod armies). It won't hurt you that much to take a Commander for your second HQ choice (other being Emperor's Champion), as you can have them fairly cheap, but you wouldn't go out of your way for one.
Emperor's Champion: A+
Well, you don't have a choice here. Even if I did, I'd still take the guy. The vows change your entire army, and the guy himself is a solid backup for a Crusader squad. As for the vows, they're pretty simple for us. 'Accept' is great for most forces (because it grants Preferred Enemy to every unit) and is generally the vow you'll take to a battle. 'Uphold' is okay, because you ignore pinning. This could be important if you are unfortunate enough to lose a transport to incoming fire, as it allows you to ignore the ensuing pinning test. Unfortunately, it does cause you lose out on 5th Edition's 4+ cover saves. 'Suffer' is good against Eldar of both sorts, since the dangerous ones hit first anyway, and you can now hurt Wraithlords and C'Tan with basic troops. However, 'Accept' will cause more wounds overall. 'Abhor' is good if you're playing a take and control type list featuring more shooting than assaulting. This will be the 2nd most used vow behind 'Accept' because its cheap, allows you a possible free move, and throws in psychic defense as a bonus.
Chaplain: C
You don't need Zeal so much in a Mechanized list, but those re-rolls to hit are exactly what an assault-oriented force needs if you don't take the 'Accept' vow. If you DID take 'Accept', feel free to take another unit in lieu of him. Upgrading the Chaplain to a 'Master of Sanctity' is optional, but isn't necessary because he's fearless. If you feel you need the extra wound, go for it. Try to keep them cheap, so you are able to field more troops. Because most assault-oriented lists take 'Accept' or are shooting based, you won't see this guy used so much as to save points.
Terminator Command Squad: B-
With the release of the new BT FAQ, this unit begins to become relevant once more. Led by a Commander or Chaplain, you're able to take dual-Cyclone Missile Launchers with Tank-Hunters. Yikes! That is scary. Unfortunately, it is extremely expensive to field so it should only be seen in 2k lists or above.
Command Squad: C+
One of the very few ways to gain a dual-meltagun unit in the Black Templars army. Apothecaries now grant FNP to the squad, but beyond using this unit in a Drop Pod army, they are too expensive for what they do. Crusader squads fill the role just as well and count as scoring units. However, they are a valid option in larger games.
Elites
Terminators: A
These guys are the only Terminator squad still able to field the two heavy weapon setup. With the update to the Cyclone Missile Launchers, this is huge. Combining Tank-Hunters with the CML, gives you great long-ranged fire support unit that is also extremely durable (especially in cover). While not amazing in close combat, they will hold their own against non-dedicated CC units. Also effective as "bubblewrap" units.
Assault Terminators: B
These guys are all slaughter in close combat. Very few units in the game can compete with even a minimally sized unit of BT Terminators with "Accept Any Challenge", Furious Charge, and assaulting out of LRC. They will destroy almost any unit that they charge. Not only that, they are extremely durable when you give them Storm Shields. However, they are extremely expensive. Between the Terminators and the LRC they need to take for protection, they cost nearly 500 points. That unit, if taken by itself, is quite easy to neutralize by your opponent. This could be via long range shooting, suicide melta units, bubble wrap units, or even movement blocking. That means you need two squads so your opponent cannot concentrate on your single unit of Terminators, which knocks them out of the battle. Unfortunately, this makes your list very unbalanced! But if you can pull off the combo, you're in a good position to win.
Sword Brethren: C-
These guys can do it all. Unfortunately, Sword Brethren don't do any one thing super well, they lack weapon options, and aren't very durable. They're the only unit in the game that can take Terminator Honors individually, but are also the only unit in the BT army that cannot take a LRC as a dedicated transport. Sadly, they are non-scoring, can get expensive in a hurry, and really lack the options to take them over-the-top.
Dreadnought: B
Tank-hunting Venerable Dreadnoughts with Lascannons/Missile Launchers (or Heavy Flamers) are most excellent in AT duties. Combine that with the extreme durability of the Venerable upgrade, you've got yourself a mean firepower platform. Combat Dreadnoughts are good, in or out of Pods, if you use them for their specified role. Unfortunately, they lack the weapon options of the newer Space Marine codices, but its not a huge loss.
Techmarine: D-
They make for good combat support, but you've already got that. They're far too expensive to make a makeshift Devastator squad out of him since they die more than twice as fast. Simply put, no.
Troops
Crusader Squad: B
The Crusader Squad is variable as hell, so you can do anything with it. In CC roles, power fists are normally the choice here as it can kill Dreadnoughts and Monstrous Creatures which, if left unchecked, will occupy your unit for the whole game. The meltagun is the best special weapon, as it provides you with valuable anti-vehicle weaponry. CCWs and bolt pistols are normally the main armament, but you can also arm these guys to be shooty. Just give them flamers/meltaguns and multi-meltas in Rhinos (MM Bunkers). Or if you desire a long-range option, lascannons and plasmaguns in Razorbacks is a great setup. As the only 5-man marine Troops unit available to take advantage of the Special/Heavy weapon upgrades, its a valid option to consider. Just remember our "Kill Them All" special rule. This is the Black Templar's only scoring unit. The only real ding on this unit is the fact that you cannot field more than one power weapon in the unit.
Fast Attack
Assault Squad: C-
Since we're already moving at 12" a turn (with transports), and hitting just as hard, these guys no longer serve their footslogger purpose. However, they do one thing right and that's going after strategic targets. Minimal sized units with two Plasmas and a Fist can be used as a surgical strike to take out Devastator squads and equivalents, to rush and kill Wraithlords and equivalents, or with Meltabombs to take out vehicular fire support. Taking Storm Shields gives you a potential tarpit unit, but its too expensive for what it does. At that point, you might as well take Terminators. Normally not taken over Land Speeders.
Land Speeder: A+
Highly mobile firepower platform. Very cheap for what you get, but at the cost is armor (AV 10). The Multi-melta and Heavy Flamer combination is excellent in anti-tank roles, while being a threat against infantry with the flame template. Assault Cannon and Heavy Bolter speeders are good for AI fire support, but isn't a great option against anti-tank weaponry. AT is hard to come by and Land Speeders are one of the few places to get it cheaply. But what really makes this unit special is the Typhoon upgrade option. Typhoons really got a buff with the updated Typhoon Missile Launcher rules. For a dirtball cheap 70 points, you gain excellent AT firepower and decent options against infantry. Typhoons really take the guess-work out of using Land Speeders and are much easier to use than the more finesse MM/HF pattern. They are very effective at long range and can neutralize both vehicles and infantry. One of the best units in the codex, and arguably, in the game.
Bikes: F
Despite the massive affinity you'd think the Black Templars should have with these modern cavalry, they're not very good at all. Even if you go to the extreme of five bikes with three Power Weapons and an attack bike, you're still going to do laughable damage for the massive points cost. Additionally, you'll be stuck in combat for quite a while (BT fearless rule) as this squad won't be killing things quickly enough to win. The only combo worth mentioning here is three Bikes with three meltaguns. Otherwise, avoid this squad.
Attack Bikes: C
These guys are actually a feasible option for Black Templars. For 150 points you can get six wounds with the firepower of a Devastator squad. Sure its more vulnerable to Instant Death, but you're far more mobile and resilient. If you've got the slots and need the anti-infantry, they're excellent. The Multi-Melta option might be a bit extreme, but if you're up against more than one Land Raider, it's going to help. Overall, a great unit to take for your fire support. Remember, the more shots directed at resilient units like this, the less shots taken at your more valuable rhinos!
Heavy Support
Vindicator: B
If you can afford to spend the points on a tank that will almost certainly die before it fires, this is the tank. If it lives, you can obliterate hundreds of point per shot. Take Power of the Machine Spirit so that it can't just be chain-stunned. PotMS also allows you to move a full 12" and fire the Demolisher Cannon, giving you the opportunity to wreck infantry first turn. Using two or three of these monsters as a screen for your transports will throw your opponent into reaction-mode real quick, so if you can afford the points, try playing around with them for fun. However, with the proliferation of mechanized armies, these guys have really fallen to the wayside.
Predators: A-
These are your heavy firepower. They are cheap, durable, and pump out quite a bit of fire. You'll probably need a Dakka Pred (Autocannon/Heavy Bolters) against most armies and just about any other option is good against the right force. You're going to want at least one, probably two or three, in most lists.
Land Raider: C+
It's neither a total firing platform, nor a total transport. Predators are just as shooty but much cheaper, and Land Raider Crusaders are by far the superior transport. Unless you need to take it, don't (I've yet to require its use).
Land Raider Crusader: A
The ultimate vehicular transport, the Land Raider Crusader is the only vehicle to take if you can afford it. Not only can it destroy entire squads of infantry and survive through entire games against heavy fire, but it enables you to take much better squads and in higher numbers than you can fit into a mechanized army without it. Try to avoid taking more than two in a single list 1750 points or below. Only Space Marine codex which allows the use of Blessed Armor (negates 'Lance' rules) and comes standard with Multi-melta and Extra Armor.
