Editing Tarkus (section)

==In Gameplay==
In-game, Tarkus is probably the most versatile squad member you can field. His Tactical Advance [[tank|reduces incoming ranged damage]] and negates suppression with only a minor drop in movement speed in exchange, and may be upgraded to reduce melee damage and/or make him undying while it lasts. Sure, he'll lose HP, but it will never fall beyond 1 (don't retreat though - Tactical Advance will cease to function and Tarkus is likely to be knocked out). Watch as he stands in the middle of an orbital bombardment without so much as a scratch. This ability also completely overshadows the iron halo, since it drains energy over time, not when damage is taken. This lets Tarkus laugh off mostly everything for extended periods of time on the order of five minutes, rendering him a persistent thorn in the enemy's side. Tactical advance can also be upgraded to increase Tarkus's damage or share its bonuses to the rest of your squads.

Since he's hardy as all fuck, Tarkus works perfectly with short-ranged weapons like [[flamer]]s, [[Melta#Meltagun|meltaguns]], and [[Plasma#Plasma Gun|plasma guns]], and with the [[Veteran_Squad#Sternguard_Veterans|Sternguard]] upgrade he gains access to improved bolter ammo that make [[bolter]]s (and [[Bolter#Storm Bolter|storm bolters]]) useful against just about everything - Kraken rounds boost their range, Dragonfire rounds create AoE explosions that ignore cover, and Vengeance rounds allow them to do bonus damage against vehicles and buildings. It's relatively easy to have him wade into hordes of enemies to kill linchpin opponents like [[Tyranid Warrior]]s and [[Nob]]z, or tie up ranged squads in close combat. His other skills combo perfectly with his durability, letting him draw ALL THE FIRE while the rest of your force gets into position. Tarkus is also a master of grenade warfare, able to throw unlimited grenades, and eventually, throw bunches of grenades.

One more thing of note is that his squad has more <s>meatshields</s> <s>unnamed marines</s> '''battle brothas''', coming in at three over everyone else's two. These can be upgraded to chapter veterans, giving you two extra cheap plasma guns on the field, and the upgrade falls on the road to the super-tactical-advance, meaning it's a no-brainer to get it.

On top of being versatile with all ranged weapons, he also makes for a surprisingly potent melee tank. The extra marine gives him more melee damage than [[Thaddeus]], as well as being a far more durable unit. While ranged veterans give free plasma guns, melee veterans get a tank-busting [[Power weapon#Power Fist|power fist]] and a heavy infantry killing [[Power weapon#Power Axe|power axe]] along with two plasma pistols (note Tarkus himself can't take one for some dumb reason). This pairs extremely well with his taunt ability, allowing him to kite swarms of melee enemies into grenade range. His final upgrade in the Strength discipline gives him access to [[Power weapon#Power Sword|power swords]], but not axes or fists, letting him kinda do Thaddeus's job better than him while remaining invulnerable.

He doesn't have the strongest guns, or the most effective explosives, or the best melee, but his Marines are the most vital part of your team. He will not die, he will mark artillery, and he will buff your entire team to unstoppable levels. Simply put, Sergeant Tarkus is the best Blood Raven in [[Dawn of War II]], bar none. Yes, that includes [[Davian Thule|Davian Cool]] and [[Gabriel Angelos]].

He is also able to affect [[Tyranid]]s with the taunt ability. This can only mean that Tarkus is so skilled at the art of insults that he draws the attention of the [[Hive Mind]] itself.

Leading him down the path of Corruption poses an interesting and extremely useful path of ability expansion that makes Tarkus even more powerful. His global ability, Shield of Hate, reflects all damage done to its target back at the enemy; Aura of Rage forces all enemies to attack each other in a blind rage; Unholy Zeal makes Tarkus temporarily invulnerable and makes attacks that should damage him heal him instead; his final Corruption ability, Mark of Nurgle, essentially makes Tarkus into a [[Plague Marines|Plague Marine 2.0]], provided he is able to fuck any of those 1 on 1 - he not only gains immunity to suppression, he replaces his now redundant Tactical Advance with Aura of Decay, in which he heals himself while damaging enemies for the negligible cost of a movement speed penalty. As if all this wasn't enough, he gains access to exceptionally powerful corrupting wargear (a [[bolter]] and a suit of [[power armour]]) that only he can wield, which grows more powerful every time you donate it to the Librarium. The Blighted Bolter and the Blighted Power Armour, as they are called, boost Tarkus' ranged and melee firepower while granting up to +3 to all combat disciplines and incredible protection vs. everything. You may feel bad corrupting such a [[noblebright]] and manly marine, but the payoff should alleviate any concerns you feel. That said, keeping him pure lets him deal bonus damage to all daemons, which does include [[Ulkair]].

In Retribution, he somehow manages to become even [[Cheese|cheesier]] (read: [[Awesome]]) as he gains the ability to use any weapon that isn't a shotgun, sniper rifle, or 2-handed melee weapon, make himself invincible whenever he uses any of his abilities, and gains a jump pack too, essentially making him a cross between a Sternguard Veteran, a Vanguard Veteran, and a Devastator Marine. Give him the Shadowscale armor wargear that renders him permanently invisible and chapter rites accessory, and a plasma cannon, plus the final offense ability to call in air-strikes, then watch him demolish everything in his path with impunity.