'Ard Boyz huh?

Well, I was recently perusing my local gaming store's forums, and saw a post someone made about 'Ard Boyz coming up soon.  Turns out, we only have a few weeks til it starts.  It kinda took me by surprise, and suddenly, I'm wondering what I'm going to take for it.


My first year of 'Ard boyz was a good one for me, I won the Prelims and the Semi-finals, and couldn't go to the finals because I wasn't rich.  Last year I won the Prelims again, but couldn't go to the Semi-finals because my friend was getting married and I was one of his groomsmen.  What will this year hold for me?  Regardless of what happens, I likely still won't be going to the finals due to money concerns (I'd also rather go to a real GT, rather than an 'I HAVE to max out every single mission to even have a chance to win' tournament.

First year I took Blood Angels (PDF, rockin' it!) and last year I took double-lash chaos.  I'm not sure the double-lash thing is that great anymore (a combination of mech and psychic defense in the 'best' armies makes the power not nearly as useful) but I'm also not sure what I DO want to take.  I'll probably end up with Blood Angels, since they're new and I want to play a lot of games with them. 

So, if I don't change my 2000 point army (which I might, being as I've only played a few games with the army so far)....

Librarian w/ 5+ cover and Preferred Enemy
Reclusiarch w/ Jump Pack

Assault Squad w/ 5 Extra, 2 Melta, Power Fist
Assault Squad w/ 5 Extra, 2 Melta, Power Fist
Assault Squad w/ Melta, Power Fist, Rhino w/ EA
Assault Squad w/ Melta, Rhino w/ EA

Sanguinary Priest w/ Jump Pack
Sanguinary Priest
Brother Corbulo
Furioso Dreadnought
9 Sternguard w/ 9 combi-plasma, Power Fist, Rhino w/ EA

2 Melta Attack Bikes
2 Melta Attack Bikes
 
...here are some 500-point options for me:
 
Devestator Squad w/ 4 Missile Launchers
Devestator Squad w/ 4 Missile Launchers
Devestator Squad w/ 4 Las Cannons
Extra Attack Bike
 
OR
 
10-man assault squad w/ 2 meltas, infernus pistol
10-man assault squad w/ 2 meltas, infernus pistol
 
OR
 
Honor Guard w/ 4 Lightning Claws, Banner, 4 Meltas, Rhino w/ EA
Assault Squad w/ Melta, Power Fist, Rhino w/ EA
add fist to fistless assault squad

OR

2 Land Raiders as dedicated transports for things

OR

Vanguard Veteran Squad w/ Jump Packs, Melta Bombs, 2x Storm Shields, Power Fist, Glaive Encarmine
Vanguard Veteran Squad w/ Jump Packs, Melta Bombs, 2x Storm Shields, Power Fist, Glaive Encarmine

OR

Storm Raven w/ EA
Lemartes
5 Death Company w/ 2 power weapons, 1 Power Fist

I'm not sure which one I'm leaning towards, to be honest.  A lot of them change the game dynamics by quite a bit.  The devestators are an attractive buy for me personally, since I know that (at least in the semi-finals) there will be a lot of skimmer eldar armies and the devestators would really help me negate their shenanigans.

Still, I want a highly reactive force (the devestators make it less so, sadly), and the Storm Raven carrying my Furioso + Death Company is pretty reactive, and packs a pretty huge punch.  I'd have to use a Vendetta as a 'counts as' model, but I'm pretty sure nobody is going to tell me I can't do it, since nobody even knows what a Raven looks like.  Not a lot of extra models on the board for 500 points though.

The 20 extra jump troops looks somewhat attractive to me as well, though I can't really add more priests to help buff them (unless I drop the Furioso, which I might end up doing).  If I can't buff those squads, they'll lose what makes them 'special' (FNP and Furious charge makes them very good for pretty cheap).

The Vanguard look cool as well, since I've always like their heroic intervention.  If I want I can just make 1 big squad and combat squad them, so that I can keep the two squads of melta bikes.  These guys would help against Imperial Guard tank lines, as well as against weak guys sitting on objectives.  In a pinch, I could just keep them as a big awesome assault squad and run them behind my rhinos and use them for counter-attack.  Lots of versatility to be had by them.

Of all the options, I think I'm least attracted to the Land Raider one.  I've never really been a fan of Land Raiders, and though it adds a little more survivability to my troops, I'm missing out on the 'fast' rules of the Rhinos, and at 2500 points people tend to bring a LOT of melta.

So I guess the question I'm posing to you is, what do YOU think I should do with my extra 500 points?  I don't really want to go the 'take 3 las predator' route since I'd have to buy 3 predators, and I don't want to change TOO much of my current list, though some things are negotiable.  Maybe I should just take my Salamanders with melta spam...