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Questions on Shield of Baal


SM1981

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When it came out i was just getting back into the hobby and so I missed it / didnt pick it up. It now seems to be out of print as a physical thing via GW stores, but is available via second hand merchants / sellers on ebay etc.

2 Quick things:

1) Is this worth buying (both for fluff and formations, or one if not the other).

2) How many books are  in this thing. There seems to be a couple of codex type books and then also some novels. What makes up the full range, and what is game related versus just story material.

 

All help / guidance greatly appreciates as always.

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The Deathstorm box is great value if you want all the models inside and know someone who'd want to go 50/50 for the Tyranid models. I bought 2 boxes with someone like this as a cheap way to get 2 Dreads, 10 Death Company and 10 tactical terms (which will be forming 2/3 of an OIF for me). I built one of the Terminator Captains as Karlaen and the other is in my bits box ready to be used in a potential convertion at some point.

 

I can't comment too much on the various formations/books.

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Shield of Baal Exterminatus is the one with the BA rules I believe. Comes with a fluff book and a smaller book with the rules. Some neat formations in there, but honestly Angels Blade is a lot better and basically "updated" a good bit of the BA formations from SOB.

 

I would say if you're looking for stuff to make us more competitive or care about being super competitive, don't worry about it.

 

If you want some cool/fun formations (I like the FT formations) and some probably mediocre fluff (still haven't read it all) to read, pick it up!

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I agree with what's already been said about the rules, but the fluff... well, as always, fluff is in the eye of the beholder. :)

 

Trying not to give much away in case you do want to read it...

 

The whole story actually starts with the three Tyranid dataslates, which cover the attack on the planet Satys.  The Blood Angels also have an interest in this planet and get involved, so there's some BA fluff in there.  No BA rules/formations at all, though.

 

Shield of Baal: Leviathan is next, with the Tyranids moving on to the shieldworlds of the Cryptus system and the Imperium aiming to stop them there before they can reach Baal.  The Blood Angels aren't involved directly, and again no BA rules/formations.

 

Shield of Baal: Deathstorm comes after that, covering a special mission given to Captain Karlaen on the planet Phodia.  There's also a novella of the same name covering the mission in more detail than the fluff in the rule book, and it's not bad.  Not brilliant, but not bad.  Deathstorm also gives you the datasheets for Karlaen, Squad Alphaeus (Terminator squad), Squad Raphen (Jump Pack DC - troops choice), and Cassor the Damned (DC Dread - troops choice) as well as a formation to use them all together.

 

Shield of Baal: Exterminatus contains the majority of the important fluff IMO, dealing with the Blood Angels' deployment to the Cryptus system and the battle as a whole.  I feel it's worth reading to get a good feel for the trouble the Blood Angels are in as the 41st millennium comes to a close.

 

Aside from the Deathstorm novella, I haven't read the other tie-in fiction, so someone else will have to fill you in on that.  Oh wait, I did read Word of the Silent King.  Very short - and set well before all this - but I think worth a look.

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So basically to gather all fluff and all rules relating to BA you would 'need' Leviathan, Deathstorm, and Exterminatus campaign supplements? Is that correct? (Or am I being thick -feel free to say yes, it won't be the first time). For me this is as much about hoarding the fluff as it is about getting additional formations, etc.
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The Leviathan book also has the rules for the updated Cities of Death Expansion (although I'd suggest the Planetary Assault book over this)

Each installment is two books one with fluff only, and the other with rules, formations, and campaign missions. With the exception of Deathstorm, which is just one book.

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Crunch-wise, it really depends on what you want to do. 

 

There are some neat-o Formations and such in Exterminatus, but nothing will really blow your socks off...especially since most of the best parts were repackaged in Angel's Blade.

 

Deathstorm, IMO, is justifiable for the Dataslates on Captain Karlaen (a hidden gem of a HQ choice for his buffs to Seize and Reserves) and the ability to take a DC Dread (Cassor) and 5-man DC Squad (Raphen's DC) as Troops in a CAD-style Formation. If you can use the models, it's quite worth it in my eyes. 

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