Editing Warhammer 40,000/9th Edition Tactics/Space Marines (section)

======Kill-Teams======

The Deathwatch signature units. A strange way to hybridize models from multiple different units to create a unit with mixed strengths and gear. You take a base unit then add models from other units.
*Fun thing: if you combat squad a unit, they still count as troop choices, so they have Objective Secured. Extra level of eliteness when your bikes and jump packs get priority on objectives.

*'''Kill Teams:''' The Kill-team rules. If you have a squad with mixed toughness scores (by adding bikes to a veteran squad for instance), you use the majority toughness for the unit. If there is an even split, you choose. The unit as a whole is treated to only have the infantry keyword and for the sake of simplifying terrain interaction, Terminators, Bikers, and Jump Pack models retain their keywords only for the purposes of Bolter Discipline, Transports, or or they make a unit of only them.
**In general, any unit that needs minimum X in order to field Y needs minimum X of that unit type, not models in the Kill Team unit, period.  This immediately impacts how good some Kill Teams are compared to others.
*'''PROTEUS KILL TEAM:''' Kill-Team Classic (and also your ''best'' kill-team). One of your four Kill-Team options, and what may well be the most complex unit in the whole Emprah-damned game. ''The Hammer to your Intercessors' Anvil'', the unit starts at 5 DW Vets, a Kill Team's core. So far, so good. Adding models is where things begin to get odd, since vets aren't your only choice. You have a plethora of transport options, including the bike-carrying Corvus Blackstar and teleportation, so that won't be much of an issue. Each model other than veterans adds a possible stratagem to use on your entire unit:
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<tab name="Veterans">
The default models, yet ''the best if what you want is to keep it simple'', praise Emps and pass the Special Ammunition. Deathwatch Veterans and their Sergeant share stats with a regular Veteran team. They have nice Leadership values and 2 attacks base. Up to four of them can take heavy weapons (like a different Devastator team), any of them can take heavy thunder hammers, and the sergeant can pick up a combat shield. 
*As of current pricing, the weapon they can take most priced to move is an Infernus Heavy Bolter, which, even fired on the move, outperforms all other weapons they can take when shooting at targets within 12".
*The storm shield is your most reliable protection for Veterans without adding more models to the squad. This is useful when fielding MSU, or creating combat squads from 10-model units of veterans in order to guard objectives ''relatively'' affordably. 
*The sergeant has +1A for free, and hence is an excellent candidate for a heavy thunder hammer, which he can take on top of a combat shield.
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<tab name="Deathwatch Terminator">
Identical to the Elites choice [[Derp|Terminators can only deepstrike if the entire unit has the deepstrike rule]]. Create combat squads of 5 Proteus Kill Team terminators to [[Deathwing|deepstrike ObSec terminators]].  You can put a teleport homer on one which lets you scoop the unit up (including the non-termi members) and put it down as per the homer rules. Remember: if the terminator carrying the teleport homer dies you lose the teleport homer.
*The Cyclone Missile Launcher is the squad's most efficient, and effective, long-ranged heavy weapon: 1 Terminator carrying a CML is cheaper than 2 vets with missile launchers 
*The cost-effectiveness of terminators equipped with heavy weapons depends - with prices as they are now - entirely on weapon choice: did you take a Cyclone Missile Launcher and Storm Bolter?  If so, you're more efficient than a heavy weapons veteran.  Pair this with a Power Sword to keep the Terminator cheap, a Chainfist for maximum murder efficiency, or a Thunder Hammer and Storm Shield to help keep the termi safe - just ''don't'' use the termi to tank shots for the normies in the unit.
**You can field a TH/SS/Cyclone loadout, but now your model costs ''63'' points, which is a lot to lose because you're tanking with it, even if 1+/4++ W3 is reasonably tanky. But you're better off putting a storm bolter and a free power weapon on him and letting a base vet tank hits instead.
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<tab name="Veteran Biker">
14" move, A2 T5 2W, with a Twin Bolter and a melee weapon (taking the bolt pistol is stupid). All of which is wasted unless you combat-squad 3 of them alongside two Vanguard Vets, which lets you tank with T5 2+/4++ VVs while the bikers get shooting done. The Relentless Assault stratagem lets them charge even if they fall back and the VV strat, Disruptive Launch, lets them shoot if they fall back, so you can freely burn CP on said mixed unit guaranteeing that tarpitting can't ruin your day. Deathwatch Bikers are generally ''worse'' than the Bikers of other Chapters, since they can't carry special weapons and Bikes are intrinsically a shooting unit, so their improved melee doesn't impress.  Bear in mind that these guys take up 3 spaces in a Blackstar, so 9 vets and a biker can't bring a character along with them.  They also can't Turbo-Boost in a mixed unit.
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<tab name="Deathwatch Vanguard Veteran">
While he lives, the entire unit has access to a stratagem so they can fall back and shoot, Disruptive Launch, even if he doesn't buy a jump pack. Doesn't have {{W40kKeyword|Fly}} even with a jump pack ''except'' for moving across terrain, so various AA things don't get +1 to hit while shooting him or his squad. If you brought one for the stratagem, ''don't give him a storm shield to tank wounds'' - if he dies, you lose the bonus. Now what? Give the storm shield to a regular no-name Vet, it's not like they gave up shooting to get the invuln.  He can't deep strike while in a mixed unit, even when mixed with termis.
*Note that he's (currently) a point cheaper than a Deathwatch Veteran before he puts on his jump pack, so any loadout both he ''and'' a normal Vet can take is cheaper on him ''if they pay the same cost for the loadout''.   In general, he pays Vanguard Veteran prices for things, so the cheapest way to field something both choices can take will vary as GW updates points costs - for example, right now he costs ''less'' with any pistols or melee options because of his personal 1 point discount, and he's even cheaper with a Storm Shield since it costs him a point less, although he can't carry a good gun with his storm shield. There are two things of potential interest to give him right now: 
**Hand Flamers: A pair of Hand Flamers is, right now, the same cost as a Heavy Flamer (so a point cheaper on a Vanguard than a normal Vet), and 7 S3 AP 0 hits is often better than 3.5 S5 AP-1 hits, particularly if you can fully re-roll wounds.  Of course, an Infernus Bolter is still more efficient currently.
**Storm Shields are currently cheaper for Vanguards, by 1 point, so a normal Vet with a Storm Shield and DW Bolter is 25 points to a VV's 23 for a Shield and Chainsword or a Shield and Bolt Pistol, so if literally all you want is the cheapest 2+/4++ you can field, this guy is currently it, and the superior choice for tanking to a termi as a result.
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<tab name="Sample unit builds">
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'''Sample unit builds:''' Kinda straightforward, actually, since this unit only really has three weapon options: bolt weapons, power weapons, special weapons. Yup, dismiss pistols - they become less of an option when squad members allow you to fall back and charge again. Three tenets here: what you want them to do, how you want them to do it, and ''transport options''. As in, if they bring a Biker, they're forced to ride a Blackstar.
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Here's an example build to get you started.
*Give the sergeant a DW Combi-Flamer, a chainsword, and a combat shield - he's backup tank if your primary tanks die, and until then he's a lightweight version of your 4 base vets. 
**You can drop the chainsword and pay a point to swap the combat shield to a storm shield, but that gives up a surprising amount of close combat punch ''and'' makes your tank more expensive when he dies.
**You can also swap the chainsword for a lightning claw if you want to add some points efficient melee punch, but remember, this is a ranged unit - you're better off saving the points and playing intelligently to avoid being in melee, if you can.
*Give your 4 base veterans Infernus Bolters.
*Take 3 termis with Cyclone, Storm Bolter, and Power Sword (or Power Axe, if you prefer).  
**This enables you to buy a homer, which you should, in case the unit needs to bug out, but it's not compulsory if you're low on points.
*Take 1-2 tanks.  Given current prices, these are your choices; remember, choosing vanguard vets also opens up the strat to shoot after falling back, which you want:
**Base vet with storm shield and DW combi-flamer, for most output while waiting for your tank to die.  30 points.
**Vanguard Vet with storm shield and chainsword or bolt pistol, for cheapest tank you can field.  23 points.
**Base vet with storm shield and DW bolter, for a compromise of output vs being as cheap a tank as possible.  25 points.
**Vanguard Vet with storm shield and hand flamer, which will underperform the combiflamer, but costs less.  28 points.
*If you went with the cheapest options on the sergeant and ''two'' tanks (i.e. all three tanks), and also sprang for the homer, that's 379 points total spent on what amounts to 4 heavy bolters, 4 heavy flamers, 6 missile launchers, 3 storm bolters, 1 deathwatch bolter, and a flamer, all protected by a pair of 2+/4+++ guys that need to die before you even lose any guns worth mentioning.  
*The unit with 2 vv tanks is 1 body too large for a Blackstar, but can also combat squad to solve that problem - being MSU makes you more resistant to blast damage and morale, but of course you'll need to decide how to allocate your tanks, as you can't protect the whole thing with all of them.  You can drop to 1 tank if you want to fit in a Blackstar as-is.

Maximum plasma:  You can field BS3+ plasma guns with ObjSec for 25 points a dude without any filler, which is ''incredibly'' efficient, and you can kick up to 30 points a dude to strap storm shields to the lot of them.  That's more efficient than anything other chapters can field, in terms of plasma - company and sternguard vets have to pay 10 points for their plasma, not 5.  Don't be afraid to spam some plasma - just remember to field a captain to babysit them.  There's no limit on these - each unit can just be 5-10 plasma gunners if you like.
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*'''Kill team Cassius:''' A fixed setup of an Aquila Kill-Team specialism which includes many nerfed members and two buffed members, which makes telling you how reasonably costed it is slightly challenging, but the loadout is also scatterbrained enough that you wouldn't want it even if it weren't overcosted.  If you're curious, it does cost 260 points and building it manually would run you 258 (including somehow buying the terminator his illegal meltagun) before you'd also have to figure out how to price the biker's gun and the termi's flamer, neither of which exist in your normal options. That said, you can take it without blocking yourself from taking a second Aquila.  Note that both vanguard vets are described as not having jump packs, but they're also described as being M12; one of the reasons you might care is that the unit has Combat Squads, which means since it has only one legal size, CS automatically triggers, and you can split the unit in half when you deploy it.  There's also the unanswered question of how much space the unit takes up on a Blackstar.  The unit is also immune to morale checks, for what that's worth.  The members are:
**A sergeant with a dw bolter who forgot his free chainsword at home, nerfing him compared to a normal bolter sergeant.
**A vet with a plasma pistol and power sword, meaning he's nerfed compared to the same vet with a plasma gun and power sword, which would be the same price (so would be a plasma gun and lightning claw, but that's only ''usually'' better than a power sword).
***Remember, a pistol and melee combo is always cheaper on a vanguard vet instead, if you're building this unit manually.
**A vet who's copying his sergeant by carrying a dw bolter and nerfing himself by forgetting his sword at home.
**A vet who's only half-copying his sergeant, carrying a dw combi-melta and nerfing himself by forgetting his sword at home.
**A perfectly normal vet with a dw frag cannon, the first member of the unit not to have made a deliberately inferior choice.
**A vanguard vet with 2 lightning claws.  That's ok, since while the sergeant and black shield do this more efficiently, the shield costs more and the sergeant is busy carrying a dw bolter, but the crippling problem is that against almost any possible target, this is just less efficient than a chainsword and claw, and again, presumably you fielded this guy over a black shield to keep costs down.
**A vanguard vet with a hand flamer and chainsword, which is dumb as shit in this unit, where a regular vet with dw combiflamer and chainsword would be better.  Vanguard vets with ''two'' hand flamers ''and a jump pack'' are interesting as a deep strike threat that can't miss, but this build has no business in this unit.
**The first buffed member: a veteran biker with a power sword who somehow got his bike's storm bolter to fire DW ammo, making him a ''lot'' less useless than veteran bikers are.  Since he's the only biker member, Mixed Unit can't really help you, here.
**The second buffed member, a dw terminator with a power fist and a homer (it's on him specifically, even though homers are bought for the unit), and an illegal set of guns: he has a meltagun, which dw termis can't even legally carry, ''and'' a totally unique weapon he calls a Deathwatch heavy flamer.  This sunnuvabitch has three profiles, ''all of which'' automatically hit:
***Normal heavy flamer, which you'll virtually never fire, although it's the best mode against TEQ - you want it against T4 or T5 with a 2+ save.  For anything else, pick another mode.
***Poison mode: sets AP to 0, but wounds non-{{WH40Kkeyword|vehicle}} non-{{WH40Kkeyword|titanic}} units on 2+, making it usually better than standard mode against its viable targets.
***Blast mode:  Possibly the only auto-hitting blast weapon in the game, this sets S to 4 and AP to 0, but not only doubles the rate of fire to 2d6, ''also'' adds the Blast rule.  This is easily the best mode for clearing away chaff, and when you can't use poison mode, ''also'' usually better than the heavy flamer mode against heavies.
*'''FORTIS KILL TEAM:''' A basic Primaris Killteam - Intercessor Squads (''not'' Veteran Intercessors, for some reason) mixed with other Primaris units to form Fortis Kill-Teams. They no longer have SIA, so you have to use them like normal Primaris units, but individual models can individually pick which version of their weapon they want and add models from more expensive units to give a balance of more power while cutting costs or create two unique 5-man squads for different jobs using only 1 troop slot. Take 5 Intercessors (with individually chosen rifles), then add other flavors of Primaris Marines to match the role you have in mind for them.
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<tab name="Intercessors">
The shooty core of the team. You're going to have 4 of them plus a Sergeant, and, unlike the base squad, you're free to give any bolt rifle to any intercessor without forcing the rest of them to follow suit, which is primarily only useful for some strange mixed units you can make.  
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<tab name="Assault Intercessors">
An unfathomably poor choice - these are already troops, and gain ''nothing'' from being in this kill team, instead ''losing'' their sergeant for no substantial benefit.  Just don't.
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<tab name="Outriders">
Pay extra for a bike ridden by a primaris; you can build a 5-man Outrider squad this way, which is normally illegal, but Outriders are cowards compared to Veteran Bikes at -1 Ld, so it's unclear why you'd want to - if all you want is 5 bikes with ObjSec, a Proteus Team does this more cheaply and more bravely.  Has extra durability and makes more attacks. This ''does not'' give the entire team the bike's Devastating Charge rule - explicitly, only the bikes have it.
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<tab name="Hellblaster">
Does not add any extra rules of its own. It does, however, add a lot of extra firepowers.  Hellblasters are the ''reason'' to field Fortis Kill Teams: Hellblasters are like letting you pay 13 points to upgrade an Intercessor to have better S, AP, and the option to Overcharge, although remember, if you take 5 Hellblasters, you can't take a second grenade launcher; from the Hellblaster's perspective, they gain the ability to take up Troops slots (making them spammable) and ObjSec:
*Assault: 13 points improves you from S4 AP0 to S6 AP-4. Particularly ideal because the Grenade Launcher is also assault, so the entire unit can still advance and shoot if it needs to.  Generally the best option here.
*Rapid Fire: 13 points improves you from S4 AP-1 to S7 AP-4, with an Overcharge option, but you also ''lose Bolter Discipline''.  The worst choice you can make, here.
*Heavy: 13 points improves you from S4 AP-2 to S8 AP-4. 
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<tab name="Sample Unit Builds">
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'''Sample Unit Builds:''' As there aren't quite as many potential combinations to work with for these guys as there are for their shorter cousins, here are some example Primaris kill-team loadouts to consider using:
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*'''5 intercessors plus 5 outriders''': You get a unit of 5 intercessors to hold objectives, which is ok, and also get [[awesome|a monstrous 5 outrider unit that can hold objectives if they wish to]]. It's the biggest outrider unit you can field for now, and with the ability to hold objectives, they can steal lightly defended objectives and keep them for quite a while.
*'''5 intercessors plus 5 hellblasters''': The intercessors with heavy bolt rifle can shoot from afar while the hellblasters can bring on the pain. And if you get hit, just prioritize the intercessors to save points.
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*'''INDOMITOR KILL TEAM:''' The Gravis armored Kill Team. These big boys are your most durable option when it comes to kill teams, having Toughness 5 across the board for extra survivability. In addition, they might have the most shooting attacks per model of the Primaris kill teams, with loads of options to tear through GEQ and MEQ units. Sadly, the one thing that they're let down by is their speed; unless you stick these guys in the Teleportarium, they aren't going anywhere quickly. Still, plop them down on the objective and laugh as your opponent cries salty tears while struggling to shove them off of it.
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<tab name="Heavy Intercessors">
The thickest of the intercessors, these big lads are the core around which you will be building your most durable unit. While expensive in terms of points per model cost, they more than make up for it with their weapons, which are Range +6" S5 versions of the normal bolt rifle variants. Just don't stick them in melee, though, as they have 0 options outside of punching people.  Unlike the stock unit, you can mix and match rifles, ''which means you can take a unit of any basic rifle where the 5th dude carries any of the big bad guns''.  This lets you field (other options exist, but have no actual purpose) 4 Executor bolt rifles + 1 Hellstorm heavy bolter, meaning the extra heavy guy has given up range for dealing more damage per salvo (8 a*d, rather than 6).  Never take Rapid Fire on them, but choose their loadout based on what you're mixing in (not counting Combat Squads).
*Because these are so much less efficient than Eradicators, if you're committing to a full 10-man unit to give the Eradicators ablative wounds - i.e. you're ''not'' combat squadding - it's actually more efficient to forego the heavier weapon entirely and just take 5 Executors.
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<tab name="Aggressor">
With the loss of their special rules, these guys have lost their coveted top spot on the throne of Primaris units, but they are still some of the best objective holders and assault units available to the Space Marines. Bolt Aggressors are functionally Hellstorm Heavy Intercessors, only with wildly more efficient output in both ranged and melee combat, having sacrificed range to get things done.  You can use this team as a way to field ObSec Aggressors, but make sure you have a plan for getting them near the enemy.
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<tab name="Inceptor">
Only take these to Combat Squad them out so you can Deep Strike your ObSec guns onto the battlefield.
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<tab name="Eradicator">
The only unit in this squad with an actual special rule, and GW says only they can use it! Well, actually this one is kind of understandable. These guys are your means of combating a glaring weakness in the Deathwatch's arsenal: mid-range anti-tank weaponry. Being able to fire at the same unit twice with their Melta Rifles means that whether in line with the Heavy Intercessors or moving forward with the aggressors, these guys can take care of your tank problem.Eradicators are the best reason to field this team.  Field them to absolutely ''murder'' your enemies; it's not as good as pure Eradicators are, but it's both ObjSec and ''spammable''.
*No, seriously.  4 Eradicators with Heavy Melta Rifles + 1 with a Multimelta using Total Obliteration is ludicrously efficient even with buying 5 Heavy Intercessors as taxes; in fact, it's ''so'' efficient, your taxes should stick to Executor Bolt Rifles and forego the points for their heavier gun, as those points are better spent on more spam of this.
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<tab name="Sample Unit Builds">
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'''Sample Unit Builds:''' Given that these thick lads are all T5, any loadout you could take will be a tough nut to crack for your opponent. Here are some example Indomitor Kill Team loadouts:
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*Heavy Murder:
**4 Heavy Intercessors with Executor Bolt Rifles.
**1 Heavy Intercessor with a Hellstorm heavy bolter.
**2-4 (default 2) Eradicators with Heavy melta rifles.
***You can field two more of these - they're just better than the Heavy Intercessors at getting shit done - if you want more spammable ObjSec melta, but the first two let you take a third with a multi-melta, while the second two do not, so there's less incentive.  You can keep them together to make Teleportarium cheaper, but Combat Squading them lets Eradicators choose distinct targets from the Heavy Intercessors.
**1 Eradicator with a Multi-melta.
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*'''SPECTRUS KILL TEAM:''' The Phobos Kill Team, for when you want maximum Sneaky Beaky. Being able to deny deep strikers, ignore all penalties to hit, and/or just flat out ignore cover, these guys are potentially really good, particularly if you give them the upgrade against HQs. Starts off with 4 infiltrators and an infiltrator sergeant. From there, you can add in up to 5 more dudes, of the following:
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<tab name="Infiltrators">
Your basic vanguard marines. Capable of either taking a comms array, which means the squad always counts as being within aura range of your Phobos captains/lieutenants, or a helix gauntlet, which turns the first failed save into 0 damage. Other than that, each also has a Marksman bolt carbine, which is a boltgun that on a 6 to hit auto wounds as well, which is a strike against this team's favor - they have much less use for re-rolling 1s or full re-rolls to wound than other units.
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<tab name="Incursors">
Garbage - these are already troops, and they're worse than the other three Phobos units at ''everything''.  The ''only'' reason to include one - and ''only'' one - in the unit is so you can also buy a Haywire Mine, but that's not remotely worth the cost of admission.
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<tab name="Reivers">
Gives the whole unit a fear aura of -2Ld to enemy units in 3". Also ''does not'' have concealed positions, so if your kill team has one of these scary marines, you have to deploy normally, so you should ''always'' Combat Squad them out if you take them.  Reivers aren't good, but if you wanted them anyway, this team will get you ObjSec ones.
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<tab name="Eliminators">
Let's face it, this is why you took a Spectrus kill team. ''5'' Eliminators in a unit (normally illegal!), although you can't field a Sergeant with a Carbine.  Armed with either the delicious bolt sniper rifle, or the not quite as strong as a lascannon but more reliable Las Fusil. Unlike vanilla marines, you can mix and match as to which eliminators carry what, allowing for way more versatility. Also come equipped with camo cloaks, which is an additional +1 to armour saves if they're in cover, and the eliminator is taking the brunt of the attack; probably not a good idea, as you want these guys alive. If you're taking 5 of these snipers and not Combat Squading them (and you should, they're amazing) ''and'' a Phobos Captain and/or Lieutenant, then take the Comms array on one of your meat-shield infiltrators, so you're always in range of those sweet sweet auras; otherwise, take the gauntlet, so the Infiltrators are good at dying so Eliminators don't have to.  This unit is a particularly good choice for the specialism that murders HQs - full re-rolls aren't as good on Infiltrators as on anything else in your Codex, but because Eliminators need 6s to wound in order to deal a mortal, against some highly specific targets - like T4 or less with Sv1+ or better, e.g. a Termi Captain with a Storm Shield - they can use a full re-roll to fish for the 6, deliberately re-rolling successful wounds that don't deal mortals.  
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<tab name="Sample Unit Builds">
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'''Sample Unit Builds:''' While there aren't quite as many potential combinations to work with for these guys as there are for their shorter cousins, Spectrus Kill Teams have extremely versatile sniping units, able to assassinate characters from long range and just generally make your opponents day worse. Here are some example Spectrus kill-team loadouts to consider using:
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*Comms Array Build (this one has superior scaling, as 1 set of Phobos HQs will support as many of these units as you like).
**Purgatus, so improved re-roll wounds against HQs.  If Purgatus is taken, field a Phobos Lieutenant.
**5 Infiltrators, 1 with a Comms Array; you should take a Phobos Captain. 
**5 Eliminators with Sniper Rifles.
*Helix Gauntlet Build (this one has inferior scaling - spamming it too much won't work out).
**Purgatus, so improved re-roll wounds against HQs.
**5 Infiltrators, 1 with a Helix Gauntlet; you should take a Phobos Librarian with Shrouding and Soul Sight, and duct tape him to this unit. 
**5 Eliminators with Sniper Rifles.
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