Greetings one and all.
Today we’re going to be having a look at the Sons to the Angel himself, the Blood Angels; and more specifically, the Combat Patrol Blood Angels boxset. So, find a rock to sit on, and pray a radioactive dust storm doesn’t kick up while we find out if this boxset is value for money, and is it worth anything on the table top.
As with the other Combat Patrol box sets, the Blood Angels set contains enough for a small starter army: 1 Primaris Librarian, 1 Impulsor, 5 Primaris Intercessors, 5 Primaris Incursors, 3 Primaris Aggressors, 2 Blood Angels Primaris Upgrade Frames. All for £85.
On their own, each model would cost roughly:
1 Primaris Librarian = £22.50
1 Impulsor = £45
5 Primaris Intercessors = £15
5 Primaris Incursors = £14
3 Primaris Aggressors = £30
2 Blood Angels Primaris Upgrade Frames = £18
All combined, at the recommended retail price these items are worth £144.50. With the Combat Patrol Blood Angels box set costing £85, this is a saving of £59.50. (However, It should be taken into account that the Intercessors and Incursors prices are based on their current average prices on eBay.)
This makes it by far the best Combat Patrol boxset in terms of savings, but is it of any value on the table top?
As it seems to be becoming a theme, let's start with the HQ choice. The Primaris Librarian is a potent HQ choice; he’s able to use his psychic powers to buff himself and allies, while also having a range of powers to cause damage to enemies. And while force weapons aren’t as good as they once were, his staff is still more than capable of delivering some serious hurt.
The Orks have a saying, “Red ones go faster”, and the Blood Angels are certainly an example of this with their history of suped up vehicles. So the Impulsor fits the Blood Angels like a glove (with a 14inch move). And with the number of loadouts that can be exchanged to suit the force you're facing, alongside the ability to carry six primaris marines (or three in Gravis armour), it's a versatile transport that can not only deliver troops to where they’ll be more useful, it can bring some covering fire too.
The Aggressors with their Boltstorm Gauntlets can lay down a withering hail of shots while being a fairly tanky unit. Meanwhile, the Incursors can set up ahead of the army using their concealed positions ability, securing objectives early in the game. And lastly, the reliable Intercessors provide a firm but flexible unit.
So overall, the Combat Patrol Blood Angels is a good boxset with a mixture of speed and staying power, if used the right way. It provides everything you need if you’re just starting out, or if you want to reinforce an existing army, and the lack of a dedicated Blood Angels unit means it can be used by any space marine player.