The leaders of the Dark Angels have been tactical innovators since the days of the Great Crusade, and fans will now have three extra detachments to play with in the upcoming Codex Supplement: Dark Angels
The bone-coloured heavies of the Inner Circle Task Force may be stealing the show with brand new Deathwing Knights, Terminators, and Belial himself, but they’re not the only detachment. The Unforgiven Task Force is back, and screaming into view with the smell of burning rubber come the other veteran company of the Dark Angels, the Ravenwing.
Our friends at Battle Report are putting the Deathwing through their paces tomorrow, so while they’re teleporting around a muddy field, we’re saddling up on an altogether more exciting mode of transport – giant roaring motorbikes.
Known as the Company of Hunters, this detachment grants every bike-based dream you’ve had for an army full of thundering engines and ground-churning speed antics. Board control is the name of the game, and the Detachment rule Masters of Manoeuvre makes it easy – freed from (most of) the drawbacks of Advancing and Falling Back, your troops can surge up the battlefield and worry about pesky counterattacks later.
Such speed also makes your bike-borne battle brothers rather hard to hit, especially combined with the riders’ handling skills and intense High-speed Focus. Once you’ve got a priority target locked in, a swift Talon Strike is all it takes to cut down enemy VIPs whether at range or up close.
The Company of Hunters has a nasty selection of Enhancements which come in extra-handy now that the Ravenwing Command Squad’s Champion has gained the CHARACTER keyword, allowing the whole unit to attach to your Outriders or Ravenwing Black Knights to form a packed-out super squad.
Slipping an extra unit into Strategic Reserves with Master of Manoeuvre is already a potent ability, so just imagine how much havoc you can let slip when nine veteran bikers don’t count towards your points limit.
Don’t fancy taking any foot-slogging Space Marines after getting a peek at these new rules? We understand, and you won’t have to either – Outriders get the BATTLELINE keyword in a Company of Hunters detachment, turning an already tough army into a solid wall of high-octane ceramite that’s as difficult to shift off an objective as any old Aggressor or Inceptor.
Looking for a mighty centrepiece to your Ravenwing force that doesn’t even need solid ground to achieve breakneck speeds? You’ll be pleased to know that Land Speeder Vengeances, Darkshrouds, Dark Talons, and Nephilim Jetfighters are also all back – as, of course, is Sammael, Grand Master of the Ravenwing, the man with the coolest bike in the 41st Millenium.
We’ve got more coming from Codex Supplement: Dark Angels tomorrow and later in the week, including a look at their updated Crusade campaign rules.