I've been a Dark Angels fanatic ever since I got my copy of the 1st edition of Space Hulk and its expansion, Deathwing. I remember pouring over the story by William King and being fascinated by these warriors who painted their armour bone-white before going into battle against the Genestealer menace. Back in 2001, when I rejoined the Games Workshop hobby after a little break for college, it was my first inclination to start a Dark Angels army, and I have been playing them ever since.

The Dark Angels have changed a bit over the years. The colour of their armour is different, their background stories have grown in new directions with each release, and their battlefield abilities have evolved. Of course, certain aspects of the Dark Angels will always be eternal, like their hunt for the Fallen. This article will deal with a few of the new (and old) ways you can use your Dark Angels forces in games of Warhammer 40,000.

COMBAT SQUADS

Dark Angel Units That Can Use Combat Squads:

Company Veterans Squads

Scout Squads

Tactical Squads

Assault Squads

Ravenwing Attack Squadrons

Devastator Squads

One of the most interesting changes in this Codex: Dark Angels is the addition of Combat Squads. Instead of having a 10-man unit of Dark Angel Space Marines, you can split that squad when you deploy them into two 5-man squads which both act as scoring units for the purpose of holding objectives in a scenario. Combat Squads also apply for Ravenwing Squadrons; in their case, you can split them into two units of three Ravenwing Bikers. Using this new rule can effectively give your army twice the number of scoring units, something no other army has the ability to do. One has to consider carefully the pros and cons of splitting your units. It does mean that you will be more likely to be outnumbered in close combat and will be at a disadvantage if you take too many casualties from shooting. However, your opponent will have to divide fire between all your units. You gain manoeuvrability and the the ability to cover two places at once. Also consider the look on your opponent's face when he sees that he is surrounded on all sides by your Dark Angels.

Both Scout Squads and Devastator Squads can benefit by forming Combat Squads. With Devastators, you can put all of your heavy weapons in one 5-man Combat Squad and make the other Combat Squad a maneouvrable bolter squad or split the heavy weapons between both squads and move them to different sections of the game table to cover more ground. With Scouts, you could give half of the unit sniper rifles and the other half shotguns or bolters and chainswords. Split these apart into Combat Squads, and you now have two units that fill two different battlefield roles for one unit entry.

One thing to keep in mind with the Combat Squads (and Dark Angel squads in general) is the requirement to deploy 10-man or 5-man squads. In some respects, the Dark Angels are rigid adherents of the Codex Astartes, and their squad structure shows it. Only Company Veteran Squads are granted the dispensation to deploy a variable number of Space Marines.

Combat Squads aren't the only new thing in Codex: Dark Angels. Time to check out everyone's favourite bone-coloured Terminators and jet-black Space Marine Bikers.

A Dark Angels Combat Squad disembark from their Razorback transport.

Next: Deathwing Assault