Warhammer 40K: This Week’s Meta Hotness – Vanguard Veterans
Let’s take a look at a unit that was the boogie man of 9th edition for 3 weeks. Today’s Meta Hotness, Blood Angel Vanguard Veterans.
In the ever-shifting meta of 40K, armies rise and fall. We’ve spent a lot of time talking about armies that are hot or not, but a lot less time looking at units that are running the show. Today let’s start by taking a look at one of the hottest units currently running around the tabletop.
Space Marine Vanguard Veterans Basics
Vanguard Veterans the assault masters of the current Firstborn Marines. These guys are built to get there fast and most likely utilize some Space Marine traits to cause as much damage as you can. It is a pretty easy set up they have a decent amount of attacks, a ton of options to choose from, and can get jump packs to make them speedy. It seems the best Space Marine lists run at least 2 or 3 units of these guys as a Jack of All Trades to put pressure on the board. You throw a bunch of Storm Shields on them and you get the always needed flat 4++ invulnerable save plus usually a 2+ save in terrain from most incoming firepower.
Why are Vanguard Vets Good?
I spoke a little bit about it but they have all the current good things you need to make a powerful unit in 40k. They can get a good save – invulnerable or regular armor save. They are fast with either advance/charge options with a good basic movement. They have the CORE keyword which allows a plethora of Stratagems and Psychics to work on them. They also have a ton of options with the current go to being a Lightning Claw plus Storm Shield to allow for an extra attack, decent AP, and reroll to wound which is always a powerful thing. With so much of the game moving towards damage prevention in the form of -1 damage or some other kind of save the Lightning Claw is the best because it gives more attacks and an innate reroll on top of looking cool and inconic for 40k.
Saying a unit is hot is all well and good, but let’s take a look at how players are using it. Unit has been in a number of Space Marine lists that have done well at recent tournaments. One list that uses Vanguard Vets is the following run by Sweet Law, 1st place at Heroes Retreat Mini GT.
++ Patrol Detachment -2CP (T’au Empire) [68 PL, 1,147pts, 9CP] ++
++ Battalion Detachment 0CP (Imperium – Adeptus Astartes – Blood Angels) [110 PL, 7CP, 2,000pts] ++
+ Configuration +
**Chapter Selector**: Blood Angels
Battle Size [12CP]: 3. Strike Force (101-200 Total PL / 1001-2000 Points)
Detachment Command Cost
+ Stratagems +
Stratagem: Angel Ascendant [-1CP]
Strategem: Relics of the Chapter [-2CP]: 2x Number of Extra Relics
+ HQ +
Commander Dante [9 PL, 165pts]
Sanguinary Priest [6 PL, -1CP, 120pts]: 3. Soulwarden, Astartes Chainsword, Bolt pistol, Icon of The Angel, Jump Pack, Rites of War, Stratagem: Angel Exemplar, Warlord
Sanguinary Priest [5 PL, 90pts]: Astartes Chainsword, Bolt pistol, The Armour Indomitus
+ Troops +
Assault Intercessor Squad [5 PL, 95pts]
. 4x Assault Intercessor: 4x Astartes Chainsword, 4x Frag & Krak grenades, 4x Heavy Bolt Pistol
. Assault Intercessor Sgt: Astartes Chainsword, Heavy Bolt Pistol
Incursor Squad [5 PL, 105pts]
. 4x Incursor: 4x Bolt pistol, 4x Frag & Krak grenades, 4x Occulus bolt carbine, 4x Paired combat blades
. Incursor Sergeant
Incursor Squad [5 PL, 105pts]
. 4x Incursor: 4x Bolt pistol, 4x Frag & Krak grenades, 4x Occulus bolt carbine, 4x Paired combat blades
. Incursor Sergeant
+ Elites +
Bladeguard Veteran Squad [10 PL, 180pts]
. 4x Bladeguard Veteran: 4x Frag & Krak grenades, 4x Heavy Bolt Pistol, 4x Master-crafted power sword, 4x Storm Shield
. Bladeguard Veteran Sergeant: Neo-volkite pistol
Company Champion [4 PL, -1CP, 70pts]: Blade of Triumph, Chapter Command: Chapter Champion, Stratagem: Hero of the Chapter, The Imperium’s Sword
Death Company Marines [8 PL, 190pts]: Jump Pack
. Death Company Marine: Thunder hammer
. Death Company Marine: Thunder hammer
. Death Company Marine: Thunder hammer
. Death Company Marine: Thunder hammer
. Death Company Marine: Thunder hammer
Sanguinary Guard [7 PL, 128pts]
. Sanguinary Guard: Angelus boltgun, Encarmine axe
. Sanguinary Guard: Angelus boltgun, Encarmine axe
. Sanguinary Guard: Angelus boltgun, Encarmine axe
. Sanguinary Guard: Angelus boltgun, Encarmine axe
Sanguinary Guard [17 PL, 185pts]
. Sanguinary Guard: Angelus boltgun, Power fist
. Sanguinary Guard: Angelus boltgun, Power fist
. Sanguinary Guard: Angelus boltgun, Power fist
. Sanguinary Guard: Angelus boltgun, Power fist
. Sanguinary Guard: Angelus boltgun, Power fist
Vanguard Veteran Squad [14 PL, 307pts]: Jump Pack
. Vanguard Veteran: Lightning Claw, Storm shield
. Vanguard Veteran: Lightning Claw, Storm shield
. Vanguard Veteran: Lightning Claw, Storm shield
. Vanguard Veteran: Lightning Claw, Storm shield
. Vanguard Veteran: Lightning Claw, Storm shield
. Vanguard Veteran: Lightning Claw, Storm shield
. Vanguard Veteran: Lightning Claw, Storm shield
. Vanguard Veteran: Lightning Claw, Storm shield
. Vanguard Veteran: Lightning Claw, Storm shield
. Vanguard Veteran Sergeant: Master-Crafted Weapon, Relic blade, Storm shield
+ Heavy Support +
Devastator Squad [8 PL, 135pts]: Armorium Cherub
. Devastator Marine Sergeant: Bolt pistol, Boltgun
. Devastator Marine w/Heavy Weapon: Grav-cannon
. Devastator Marine w/Heavy Weapon: Grav-cannon
. Devastator Marine w/Heavy Weapon: Grav-cannon
. Devastator Marine w/Heavy Weapon: Grav-cannon
Whirlwind [7 PL, 125pts]: Whirlwind castellan launcher
++ Total: [110 PL, 7CP, 2,000pts] ++
Using Vanguard Vets
Sweet used Blood Angels as his Chapter of choice. He went with the basic Chapter instead of some kind of combo of Whirlwind of Rage plus whatever else you want. This is interesting as again he didn’t want the exploding 6’s to hit and just went with a much more consistent wounding option. This gives the Vets more murder for your buck when they hit the Assault Doctrine with an extra attack. In a lot of ways this helps cover the missing exploding 6′. The army tries to get into place jumping around and using his other bouncing characters to take the hit. His list also went into other heavy hitters like Death Company Marines and an overall fast moving army. This looks like it has some play into Custodes as it can do a lot of damage.
Congrats to Sweet for kicking butt and being one of the only Space Marine/Blood Angels in the top tables. I think we are all happy to see someone else win besides the Space Juggalos.
Let us know what units you think are hot right now, down in the comments!
