One of the benefits of fielding Blood Angels is the universal speed of all rhino-chassis tanks, including the loved and feared vindicator. Another benefit is the appearance of a whole new kind of rhino-chassis tank: the Baal predator, a fast predator with the Scouts special rule and your choice of devastating anti-infantry firepower (either flamestorm cannons and heavy flamers or assault cannons and heavy bolters - you pick).
Of all these options: fast predators, fast vindicators, fast whirlwinds (for that matter), or baal predators, which one is best for a Blood Angels army?
Originally, I was very inclined towards Baal predators. There's a lot to recommend them. Fully loaded, any kind of Baal predator can put out a lot of shots, or fewer shots but the ability to ignore cover. Additionally with the Scouts USR, the tank can either outflank or redploy, both of which are powerful situational advantages.
At the same time, however, the vindicator has the ability to drop 10/2 Large Blast Ordnance. That sort of attack will crack most vehicles - up to and including the rare AV 14 monstrosity - and demolish most infantry. The whirlwind's attacks aren't terribly powerful, but they are very long range and have the option to ignore cover. The vanilla predator can bring a huge number of highly mobile lascannons to the table, and there's almost no such thing as too many of those.
At the moment - despite my original allegiance to the Baal predator - I find myself drawn towards the whirlwind. Blood Angels don't need help mopping up infantry at range, but a vindicator's ability to crack armor can be a real asset, and their speed gets around the vanilla vindicator's biggest weakness (the short range of its weapon), as the ability to move 12'' and still fire a cannon with a range of 24'' gives a Blood Angels vindicator a 36'' threat.
What do you think? I'm very nearly set on a vindicator being the next thing to add to my Blood Angels army, and I'd love to read a spirited debate on the topic.