On the pages that follow you will find special rules and an army list allowing you to field a Dark Angels Space Marine army in games of Warhammer 40,000. The list is designed to be compatible with the scenarios included in the Warhammer 40,000 rulebook, but it also provides the information you will need if you wish to use Dark Angels in scenarios that you have devised yourself, or that form part of a campaign.
Important Note: Throughout this book we refer to a Dark Angels army. However, it is possible to use this army list to build an army based on one of the Unforgiven Successor Chapters of the Dark Angels, such as the Angels of Absolution or Angels of Redemption. Alternatively you can use the list for a Chapter of your own devising. This will allow you to create your own colour scheme, Chapter history, special characters and other details, yet still play with a non-Codex army if you want to.
Using the Army Lists
The Dark Angels army list is different from other army lists you may have already seen. Instead of being an independent army list, it is used in conjunction with the standard army list in Codex: Space Marines. A Dark Angels army is chosen in exactly the same way as any other Space Marines army, except where noted on the following pages. Although the Dark Angels and the Unforgiven vary somewhat from a 'Codex' Space Marine army, there are still more similarities than differences. For this reason, and in order to avoid any unnecessary repetition, the following pages detail only the different organisation and army list options that are available to the Dark Angels. Full entries for the other troops available to a Dark Angels Commander can be found in Codex: Space Marines.
Unless noted in this volume, all of the rules, options and limitations that apply to a Space Marine army also apply to a Dark Angels army.
Choosing Your Army
When you are choosing your army, you may make choices from Codex: Dark Angels, within the normal limitations of the Force Organisation chart being used, points values of the battle, etc. Some of the entries that follow refer you to an entry or option from the Codex: Space Marines list. If this is the case, you use the entry or option from Codex: Space Marines, with the special rules presented here. For example, Dark Angels Tactical squads are chosen from the Tactical squad entry in Codex: Space Marines, but use the special rules that apply to Dark Angels printed in this Codex.
Dark Angels Armoury
A Dark Angels army has access to all of the weapons and wargear from the Space Marine Armoury in Codex: Space Marines. In addition, there are a number of special items of wargear which are only available to a Dark Angels army and cannot be taken by an army representing a different Chapter.
Important Note: Dark Angels Masters, Grand Masters, Librarians, Interrogator Chaplains and some Veteran Sergeants are members of the Deathwing and therefore have Terminator honours. The +1 Attack bonus has already been included in their characteristics and may not be taken again. For the same reason, they do not receive the +1 attack bonus if given Terminator armour.