Warhammer 40,000/10th Edition Tactics/Space Marines
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This is the current 10th Edition's Space Marine tactics. 9th Edition Tactics are here.
Why Play Space Marines[edit]
Pros[edit]
- Basically agreed upon to be one of the best if not the absolute best army in the game to start with. They're easy to paint, cheap, and elite.
- As GW’s favorite baby, you will never be in short supply of cool models and strong units.
- So many Leader options and niche support buffing units, you can almost put any ability on your unit for maximize damage output.
Cons[edit]
- Despite being GW's favorite child, you're the fanbase's punching bag.
- Another consequence of being the favorite child is that everyone's going to be making armies to counter you out of habit simply because you're the first codex.
- Bloat. While being spoiled for choice is certainly not a bad thing in of itself, it's not an exaggeration to say that your codex is crowded. Quite a few Space Marine units tend to step on each other's toes with some units simply outperforming other units wholesale. Even with the recent Legends sweep trimming a fair few of your more obscure selections down, you'll still have a lot to keep track of.
- While you are very solid in every category, you aren't going to beat a faction at something they specialize in. If you try to out melee the World Eaters or outshoot the T'au you are going to get humbled quickly.
- A lot of the really cool Heresy-era stuff, despite getting plastic kits, has bafflingly been relegated to Legends, meaning they're impossible to play with competitively.
Faction Rules[edit]
- Oath of Moment: The special rule of the faction, this lets you mark one enemy unit. All of your forces can re-roll to hit and wound this one unit, making it ideal for focus-firing an enemy to death. Expect Knight players to refuse to play against you.
- Space Marine Chapters: A datasheet listing both adeptus astartes and a second faction keyword means the second keyword is that datasheet's Chapter. You cannot have datasheets from more than 1 Chapter in your army.
- As Gabriel Seth shows, most Successor Chapters remain under the umbrella of their progenitor chapter with the exception of Epic Heroes being rendered unable to be fielded alongside other Epic Heroes of that progenitor chapter.
Detachments[edit]
When a detachment is restricted to a specific Chapter, the Chapter name precedes the Detachment name; this always means you can't include any models whose datasheet specifies a different chapter (e.g. you can't field a Dark Angels datasheet in a Space Wolves detachment).
Gladius Task Force[edit]
The Index's general-use detachment. It's focused around single-use Doctrines that can generally influence the way your army operates for the turn. That said, you also have stratagems that allow you to use more localized Doctrines without worrying about usages.
Special Rules[edit]
- Combat Doctrines: At the start of your command phase, you can pick one of these to apply to all adeptus astartes units in your army until the start of your next Command Phase, and each can only be picked 1/battle.
- Devastator Doctrine: Your army can always shoot after advancing, which is actually best on non-heavy weapons that lose nothing from Advancing rather than Remaining Stationary, meaning this buffs your Devastator Squads and the like least. Because GW is bad at rules, this doesn't add the Assault USR to all of your guns (instead applying the definition of it directly to every gun).
- Tactical Doctrine: Your army can shoot and charge after falling back, which primarily buffs units with fly because they're better at falling back.
- Assault Doctrine: Your army can charge after advancing.
Stratagems[edit]
<tabs> <tab name="Battle Tactic">
- Armour of Contempt (1 CP): One of the few rules we welcome being busted to a stratagem. One unit getting attacked reduces the AP of any attacks they get by 1, which will mean a lot more with how much AP got nerfed.
- Honour the Chapter (1 CP): One unit gets Lance on their melee weapons, making this only useful if the unit had just charged. In addition, if you have Assault Doctrine active, these weapons also improve their AP by 1.
- Storm of Fire (1 CP): One unit gets Ignores Cover on all their guns and improves the AP of their guns by 1 if the Devastator Doctrine is active.
</tab> <tab name="Epic Deed">
- Only in Death Does Duty End (2 CP): If an enemy hits and kills one of your models in melee before they can fight back, that model can get one last swing before going down.
</tab> <tab name="Strategic Ploy">
- Adaptive Strategy (1 CP): One unit gets to pick which doctrine it wants active, regardless of what anyone else is using and whether you had used it before. Remember what we said about Adept of the Codex being pointless? This is why.
- Squad Tactics (1 CP): When an enemy moves within 9" of a Infantry or Mounted unit, that unit can move d6" in any direction. Using this while under Tactical Doctrine makes that movement a flat 6" and thus better for getting the squad into position.
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Enhancements[edit]
- Adept of the Codex: captain only, and absolute trash. When you would pick a Doctrine for your army, you can instead select the Tactical doctrine and force it to be on the Captain's unit even if you've already used it; the downside for this is you didn't pick a doctrine for your army, so the entire rest of your army has to go doctrineless. You should absolutely never field this.
- Remember you can Rites of Battle to use Adaptive Strategy for free on the Captain's unit. So yes, you can either take Adept of the Codex and have your entire army go doctrineless in exchange for the Captain's unit having the Tactical doctrine...or have your entire army use a regular doctrine and the Captain's unit have any doctrine for free without consuming an enhancement slot. Hard choice to make.
- Artificer Armour: Bearer gets 2+ and 5+++. Always useful on anything.
- Bolter Discipline: While the bearer is leading a unit, ranged weapons equipped by models in that unit have Sustained Hits 1. In addition, while the bearer’s unit is under the effects of the Devastator Doctrine, each time a model in that unit makes a ranged attack, a successful unmodified Hit roll of 5+ scores a Critical Hit.
- Note that the 5+ crits happen to the bearer regardless, but the Sustained Hits rule requires them to lead a unit, so you should never put this on a non-Leader.
- An example compelling combo with this: Take a Primaris Lieutenant with this (meaning the attached unit also gets Lethal Hits and is functionally always in the Tactical Doctrine). Attach a Primaris Captain with Plasma Pistol. You can now spam the Adaptive Strategy stratagem to maintain the Devastator Doctrine on this unit, and when shooting your Oath of Moment target, you can (and should) re-roll 1-4 hit to fish for 5s and 6s, which will get you 1 hit that auto-wounds (from the Lieutenant) and 1 that must roll to wound but can re-roll failures (from Oath of Moment), and if you pay 1 CP for Storm of Fire as well, you'll also have Ignores Cover and improve your AP by 1.
- The Honour Vehement: Bearer gets +1A and +1S to melee weapons, +2A and +2S instead while under Assault Doctrine. Best suited for any heroes with Extra Attacks like Gravis Captains with fists and Techmarines.
Dark Angels[edit]
Unforgiven Task Force[edit]
The exclusive Dark Angels detachment. This focuses more on mitigating the more disastrous effects of battle-shock since the entire morale game has been shifted dramatically to avoid ATSKNF cheese. Hell, the enhancements present make them even more dangerous when battle-shocked.
Special Rules[edit]
- Grim Resolve: All battle-shocked units are set to OC 1 instead of 0. Very helpful for keeping objectives under your control, but it won't stop enemy high-OC troops from taking over.
- The only way you have to avoid being worse than a Black Templars Righteous Crusaders detachment baseline is to stick to low-OC models: at OC2+, improving your LD by 1 (as they can do, plus more) would be better than Grim Resolve in terms of preserving your OC. However, OC 0 models rise to OC 1 when Battle-Shocked under this doctrine, while OC 1 models simply ignore Battle-Shock for OC purposes, both of which beat the Black Templars in that niche.
Stratagems[edit]
<tabs> <tab name="Battle Tactic">
- Armour of Contempt (1 CP): Same as the one in Gladius. One unit reduces the AP of any hit it suffers by 1.
- Fire Discipline (1 CP): One unit's guns gain Assault, Heavy, and Ignores Cover. Obviously, you want to put this on weapons that will benefit - e.g. don't bother putting it on Hellblasters.
- Unbreakable Lines (1 CP): When an enemy unit charges one of yours, your unit reduces any damage they take by 1.
- Unforgiven Fury (1 CP): One unit gains Lethal Hits on either ranged or melee weapons. If the unit is battle-shocked, they score critical hits on a 5+.
- This means when you use Hellblasters to kill off your own Impulsor and the unit shoots a second time while Battle-Shocked, it'll be critting on 5+. Good times.
</tab> <tab name="Strategic Ploy">
- Grim Retribution (1 CP): If an enemy kills models in one of your units during the shooting phase, they can immediately shoot back at the enemy before dying. Excellent for making anyone pay for mowing down your troops.
- Intractable (1 CP): One unit can shoot or charge after falling back.
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Enhancements[edit]
- Heavenfall Blade: The bearer's melee weapons gain +1 to Strength, AP, and Damage. While battle-shocked, those bonuses are improved to +2. Absolutely ideal on a Judiciar.
- Pennant of Remembrance: Primaris Ancient, Terminator Ancient, or Bladeguard Ancient only. The bearer gives any unit they lead a 6+++ FNP, which improves to 4+++ while battle-shocked. Overlaps with the Primaris Ancient 4+++ while near an objective or the table center.
- Bear in mind that we still don't know how Grim Resolve interacts with Ancients in general.
- Shroud of Heroes: If the bearer dies, they can come back at the end of the turn on a 2+. They'll return with 3 wounds, but this goes to restore all wounds if they died while battle-shocked.
- Stubborn Tenacity: The bearer grants +1 to hit to a led unit when it is below half-strength. While battle-shocked, this also adds +1 to wound. Identical to the buff from a Terminator Ancient, although they'll stack and then get subjected to the standard cap of +1.
Mordekai's Judgement (Combat Patrol)[edit]
A bit...confused, as it's giving you ways to stand stiff but little benefit to fighting back and no morale help.
Composition 1 Chaplain Mordekai, 5 Intercessors, 3 Inceptors, 1 Redemptor Dread
- Chaplain Mordekai: A Primaris Chaplain that keeps the +1 to wound in melee but not the single-use curing of battle-shock. Pretty much exists to keep the Intercessors from being fucked in melee.
- Intercessor Squad: They exist. They lost their ability to keep units capped.
- Inceptor Squad: Come for the surprise assaults with their twin bolters. The loss of your ability to land closer to enemies doesn't change too much since they weren't going to fight anyways.
- Redemptor Dreadnought: The only plasma in an army traditionally focused on plasma. Fortunately, this plasma cannon can destroy any squad without needing to overcharge and has a gatling cannon to blast away any stragglers. Sadly, this has no damage reduction, making any meltas and power fists a very real threat.
Secondary Objectives
- Endless Hunt: 3 VP each turn where you get your Intercessors on an objective outside your DZ, upped to 4 DZ if it's within the enemy DZ.
- Archaeotech Reliquary: Your enemy marks one objective. Score 10 VP if you score it like the average magpie.
Stratagems
- Fortitude of the First (1 CP): One infantry unit gets cover against any enemy shooting.
- Resolute in Duty (1 CP): One infantry unit gains +1 to OC. Excellent for making your Intercessors snatch objectives out of the enemy's grasp.
- Teachings of the Lion (1 CP): One infantry unit can shoot or charge after falling back.
Enhancements
- Stoic Exemplar: Enemies who charge Chaplain Mordekai's squad take -1 to wound on that fight phase, which is pretty iconic for a chapter defined by their stubbornness. Doesn't help them fight back though...
- Zealous Wrath: Chaplain Mordekai's squad can re-roll advance and charge rolls. Better to use if you're being more aggressive.
Space Wolves[edit]
Champions of Russ[edit]
The exclusive detachment for the Space Wolves. Their sagas rely on characters performing a major deed and granting armywide buffs. As such, you'll need to make use of your many characters to get those buffs as fast as possible.
Special Rules[edit]
- Deeds Worthy of Saga: At the end of each round, you can pick one Saga to channel. If you accomplished this Saga during the next round, you get a permanent buff. Some of your stratagems are affected by your sagas.
- Saga of the Beastslayer: If you had a character model kill an enemy Monster or Vehicle model, everyone's melee weapons gain Lethal Hits.
- The best characters for making this happen have good guns, like a Wolf Guard Pack Leader with missile launcher or Bjorn the Fell-Handed.
- Saga of the Bear: If you had a character model reduced to below half their wounds but it still lives, everyone gets Feel No Pain 6+++ to make everyone tanky.
- There's no truly good way to make this happen, as you generally need to rely on your opponent hurting you just enough without finishing the job, but the best you have is fielding a lot of Hazardous weapons (i.e. guns) and shooting them to hurt yourself. Bjorn the Fell-Handed is just about the best you have for earning this.
- Saga of Majesty: If you managed to control an objective in the enemy's DZ and got a character model within reach, your entire army gains +1 to their OC stats.
- Build the rest of your army to take control of objectives like you should have been doing anyway and this should more or less take care of itself, but the more mobile a character, the easier a time you'll have rushing them over once you realize you're on track to score this.
- Saga of the Warrior Born: If one of your Characters killed an enemy character, all of your melee weapons gain Sustained Hits 1.
- You don't have any characters with Precise ranged weapons worth a damn, but in melee you have the Primaris Company Champion (as well as Arjac Rockfist), the Judiciar, and anyone else you gave the Frost Weapon to. Since the first two require a ride to be delivered into melee and can't Fly to reach your target, that third option is the most reliable.
- Saga of the Beastslayer: If you had a character model kill an enemy Monster or Vehicle model, everyone's melee weapons gain Lethal Hits.
- Restrictions: As a very divergent chapter, there are forces the Space Wolves won't use or have alternatives. Tactical Squads, Assault Squads of both Varieties, Devastator Squads, Command Squads, and Primaris Apothecaries are all out of the list. It is easy to tell when you have an intended replacement, as the new units have special rules to make Leader work properly.
- Tactical Squads are replaced by Grey Hunters.
- Assault Squads are replaced by Blood Claws if they don't have Jump Packs and Skyclaws if they do.
- Devastator Squads are replaced by Long Fangs.
- Command Squads are theoretically replaced by Wolf Guard, except their special rule decided to limit them to only Vanguard Veteran attachments instead, so now you have no Command Squads, and then both Wolf Guard and Vanguard Veterans attract the same leaders.
- Primaris Apothecaries have no replacement at all, and even worse, Wolf Priests are weirdly no longer available. Despite the Wolves using regular Apothecaries alongside Wolf Guard during that one temper-tantrum.
Stratagems[edit]
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- Armour of Contempt (1 CP): Same as the one in Gladius. Any hits on one unit reduce their AP by 1. With the loss of any Wolf Priests, you're absolutely going to need this.
- Go for the Throat (1 CP): Improve the AP of one units' melee weapons by 1. If the Saga of the Beastslayer has been completed, these weapons also get Lance for an edge in charging.
</tab> <tab name="Epic Deed">
- Warrior Pride (1 CP): One Character and their unit gains the effects of completing a saga they hadn't yet completed.
</tab> <tab name="Wargear">
- Runic Wards (1 CP): One unit gets a 5+++ against mortal wounds and psychic weapons. This improves to a 4+++ if the Saga of the Bear has been completed.
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- Death Howl (1 CP): When a unit wipes out an enemy unit, they can consolidate 6" towards an enemy unit so they can get into engagement range again. If you've already accomplished the Saga of Majesty, any enemies within 6" of this unit are forced to make battle-shock checks.
- Relentless Assault (1 CP): One unit can shoot after advancing or falling back. If you accomplished the Saga of the Warrior Born, you can also charge with that same unit.
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Enhancements[edit]
- Black Death: The bearer's melee weapons gain Anti-Vehicle 4+ and Anti-Monster 4+. Want an easier way to fulfill the Saga of the Beastslayer? This is how.
- Frost Weapon: The bearer's melee weapons gain Precision as well as improve their Strength and AP by 1.
- Pelt of the Bale Wolf: Enemies engaged with the bearer must take a battle-shock test each turn.
- Wolf Tail Talisman: Reduces any damage the bearer takes by 1.
Thoryk's Void Hunters (Combat Patrol)[edit]
Focuses your army on taking down key units.
Composition 1 Battle Leader Thoryk, 10 Intercessors, 5 Reivers, 1 Invictor
- Battle Leader Thoryk: A Primaris Lieutenant with Bolt Rifle and Power Weapon. While you lost the extremely good [Lethal Hits], you can have his unit shoot or charge after falling back.
- Intercessor Squad: They exist. They lost their ability to keep units capped.
- Reiver Squad: Keep their knives to make them the preferred melee unit to nail key units. Fortunately, they can deep-strike to help them get as close as they need to.
- Invictor Tactical Warsuit: Comes with a twin Ironhail Autocannon for more shots over the Incendium Cannon so you can blow up TEQ with ease. Sadly can't support your Reivers with anything.
Secondary Objectives
- Mighty Saga: Mark one enemy character/vehicle/monster for death. Score 8 VP if you kill this enemy, 12 VP if Battle Leader Thoryk dealt the killing blow. Pretty easily goes hand-in-hand with the default enhancement.
- Reiving Conquerors: 3 VP if you control at least half the objectives in no man's land.
Stratagems
- Keen Senses (1 CP): One unit gains [Ignores Cover] on their guns. They can re-roll 1s to wound any enemy character they target.
- Pack Ambush (1 CP): After your Reivers shoot, their target must take a battle-shock test at a -2 penalty.
- A Warrior's Death (1 CP): When an enemy fights one of your units, all models gain the ability to fight after death on a 4+.
Enhancements
- Tireless Hunter: Mark one enemy unit. Battle Leader Thoryk's unit can re-roll to wound this chosen quarry. A bit thematic, but it does limit their effectiveness outside of that one case.
- Ferocious: Battle Leader Thoryk's unit can use the Heroic Intervention strat for free, regardless of if you already used it. Has much more uses for protecting the Invictor from getting tied up.
Blood Angels[edit]
Sons of Sanguinius[edit]
The exclusive detachment for the Blood Angels. This plays into the very aggressive playstyle the Blood Angels are known for, focusing on getting in the enemy's face and tearing them apart.
Special Rules[edit]
- The Red Thirst: Any unit that charges adds +1 to the Strength and Attacks of any melee weapons they have.
- This is the Gladius Task Force "Honour Vehement" enhancement but worse (due to not having a doctrine bonus) spread across your entire army, so just like there, it's best on models carrying weapons with Extra Attacks: Captains in Gravis Armour, Primaris Techmarines, Techmarines, and technically Thunderfire Cannons. In your specific case, this list also includes Librarian Dreadnoughts.
Stratagems[edit]
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- Armour of Contempt (1 CP): Same as the one in Gladius. Any hits one unit takes reduces their AP by 1.
- Red Rampage (1 CP): One unit gains Lance and Lethal Hits in for the fight phase. Best saved for a unit who doesn't have a Lieutenant to join.
</tab> <tab name="Epic Deed">
- Angel's Sacrifice (1 CP): When one Character dies, they can immediately attack whoever just killed them with a re-roll to hit.
- Only in Death Does Duty End (2 CP): When a unit is attacked in melee, any models that die can still fight before dying.
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- Relentless Assault (1 CP): One unit can still charge after falling back.
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Enhancements[edit]
- Archangel's Shard: Bearer's melee weapons gain Lance and Anti-Chaos 5+.
- Artisan of War: Bearer gains a 2+ save and improves the AP of their weapons by 1.
- Icon of the Angel: Whenever a non-Vehicle non-Monster unit tries to fall back from the bearer, they need to make a desperate escape test. Battle-shocked units take a -1 on this test.
- Visage of Death: Non-Vehicle non-Monster units within engagement range of the bearer halve their OC. Excellent for frontline denial with a squad of Assault Intercessors or bikers.
Strike Force Marcellos (Combat Patrol)[edit]
Lacks any of the units truly unique to the chapter but does give you a means to play up an aggressive playstyle.
Composition 1 Librarian Marcellos, 5 Intercessors, 5 Incursors, 3 Aggressors, 1 Impulsor
- Librarian Marcellos: A basic Primaris Librarian. Only grants the 4++ to his Intercessors and not the 4+ FNP against enemy psykers.
- Intercessor Squad: They exist. They lost their ability to keep units capped.
- Incursor Squad: Excellent at finding the enemy through anything and then marking them up so Marcellos' Intercessors can finish the job.
- Aggressor Squad: Very up-close combatants with Flamestorm Gauntlets cooking through any hordes.
- Impulsor: A lot less of an assault transport, but it does get a missile array so that you can cover whoever you're carrying with whatever you need.
Secondary Objectives
- Angelic Wrath: 4 VP if you score an objective within 6" of the enemy DZ. Pretty easy if you've got your Intercessors camping.
- Strategic Aggression: Mark one enemy vehicle or monster (or any character if they lack anything else). You get 10 VP if you kill that thing. If you can, use the alternate enhancement to make things a bit easier.
Stratagems
- Controlled Ferocity (1 CP): If an enemy fights one of your infantry squads, the enemy takes -1 to hit them.
- Harness the Flaw (1 CP): One infantry unit can re-roll 1s to wound in the Fight phase, but you re-roll all wounds against monsters or vehicles. Helps guarantee that the Aggressors can demolish the big things.
- Rapid Strike (1 CP): At the end of the shooting phase, you can have your Intercessors or Incursors move right afterwards. That said, they can't enter the Impulsor and can't charge afterwards.
Enhancements
- Baalite Bladesman: Librarian Marcellos' unit improves the AP of their melee weapons by +1. Makes the Intercessors get slapdash chainswords while he and the sergeant really good at killing MEQs. Of course, the Incursors make this job much easier.
- Radiant Wrath: Librarian Marcellos gains [Anti-Vehicle 5+] and [Anti-Monster 5+] to his Smite. Great for taking on the big units but it will restrict his Intercessors to mostly shooting.
Black Templars[edit]
Righteous Crusaders[edit]
The exclusive detachment for the Black Templars. Mainly geared towards melee, their Templar Vows allow them a degree of flexibility that also lets them stand resolute or hunt witches, should the need arise.
Special Rules[edit]
- Templar Vows: Pick one vow to buff your army at the start of the game. Which vow you pick can also affect some enhcancements and stratagems during the game.
- Abhor the Witch, Destroy the Witch: All units gain a 4++ save against psychic attacks and all melee weapons gain Anti-Psyker 4+. You need to be facing a seriously psyker-heavy army for this to be worth it.
- Boosts 'Witchseeker Bolts' enhancement and 'Devout Push' strat.
- Accept Any Challenge, No Matter the Odds: All melee weapons gain [Sustained Hits 1]. Best saved for horde armies, as [Lethal Hits] is better than [Sustained Hits] when attacking enemies that need a 5+ or 6+ to wound.
- Boosts 'Sigismund's Seal' enhancement and 'No Escape' strat.
- Can use Lieutenants, Vanguard Vets and Assault marines to combine Lethal and Sustained hits on several squads.
- Suffer Not the Unclean to Live: All melee weapons gain [Lethal Hits]. Use to overcome high-Toughness armies, as [Sustained Hits 1] is better when attacking enemies that need a 3+ or 2+ to wound.
- Boosts the 'Perdition's Edge' enhancement and 'Crusader's Wrath' strat.
- [Lethal Hits] is easy to gain from Lieutenants onto many squads, but you're paying for one character for one squad. On the other hand, [Sustained Hits] only really appears on Heavy Bolters and Assault squads on foot.
- Uphold the Honour of the Emperor: All units gain a 6+++ and improve their Leadership to 5+. It's the only applicable vow if you go gun-heavy. It's often better than the Dark Angels' Grim Resolve, as it makes a unit harder to battle-shock in the first place rather than partially mitigating one of the penalties of it.
- Boosts the 'Tanhauser's Bones' enhancement and 'Vicious Riposte' strat.
- Abhor the Witch, Destroy the Witch: All units gain a 4++ save against psychic attacks and all melee weapons gain Anti-Psyker 4+. You need to be facing a seriously psyker-heavy army for this to be worth it.
- Restrictions: As ever, your Templars can never field Psykers of any kind. In addition, they've banned the use of any (base) Primaris Vehicles (Gladiator, Impulsor, Repulsor), because they can add a pintle-mounted Multi Melta; that way other chapters don't get that option.
- The way detachments are written, it does mean you could attach Librarians to Crusader squads when not using this detachment. It is heresy, however.
Stratagems[edit]
<tabs> <tab name="Epic Deed">
- Fervent Acclamation (1 CP): A character and the unit he's leading gain a second Vow on top of the army's one. Meaning a squad with a Lt/Castellan can get Lethal, Sustained, and FnP 6+ & Ld5+.
- The wording for Enhancements is "if X vow is active for your army" and this makes it active for a character's squad, so it's unknown if this would proc an enhancement's boosted rule for that squad.
</tab> <tab name="Strategic Ploy">
- Devout Push (1 CP): After one of your units is fired upon, it can move 1d6" towards their shooter. It can move full 6" instead if 'Abhor the Witch' is active for your army, and said move can be either towards the shooter or towards an enemy Psyker.
- No escape (1 CP): When a non-Vehicle/Monster tries to fall back, roll 1d6, adding +1 if 'Accept any Challenge' is active for your army. On a 4+ it cannot escape, and if it does, they must test for Desperate Escape (1 & 2 = dead model).
</tab> <tab name="Battle Tactic">
- Armour of Contempt (1 CP): Same as the one in Gladius. One unit getting attacked reduces the AP of any attacks they get by 1, which will mean a lot more with how much AP got nerfed.
- Crusader's Wrath (1 CP): Improve the unit's melee AP by 1. If 'Suffer not the Unclean' is active for your army, also add +1S to their melee attacks.
- Vicious Riposte (1 CP): Each time your models are killed in melee, roll 1d6, adding +1 if 'Uphold the Honour of the Emperor' is active for your army. On a 4+ the dying model fights after the enemy unit has fought, doing so with full attacks.
- So it's like a riskier but more rewarding version of 'Only in Death' where there's a chance the model may not fight, but if it does it's with full attacks. And marines are often 3A or more. So it's .5 times the models doing 3 times the attacks Only in Death does, but costing half the CP.
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Enhancements[edit]
- Perdition's Edge: The bearer's melee weapons improve Strength and AP by 1. If 'Suffer Not the Unclean to Live' is active for your army, this also adds an extra attack.
- Sigismund's Seal: Bearer's melee weapons gain +1 Attack. If 'Accept Any Challenge, No Matter The Odds' is active for your army, any 5+ to hit counts as a crit for his squad, causing that vow's [Sustained Hits 1] proc twice as often.
- Tännhauser's Bones: Reduces any damage the bearer takes by 1. If 'Uphold the Honour of the Emperor' is active for your army, his squad gets a FnP 5+ (doubling the vow's FnP 6+).
- Witchseeker Bolts: Bearer's ranged weapons gain Precision, Anti-Psyker 4+ and Devastating Wounds. If 'Abhor the Witch, Destroy the Witch' is active for your army, his squad can re-roll to hit and wound psykers with their guns (effectively a 2nd Oath just against Psykers).
- Psykers are often characters but the squad's guns don't gain Precision, only rerolls. Reivers, Eliminators and Scout Sniper squads have it, if you want a source of ranged psyker-sniping.
Siguard's Crusaders (Combat Patrol)[edit]
Need a crash course in what your crusaders can do? This is how!
Composition 1 Marshal Siguard, 10 Primaris Crusaders (5 Initiates, 4 Neophytes), 5 Intercessors, 1 BT Impulsor
- Marshal Siguard: A Marshal with a plasma pistol. Really, that's all he is. No squad buffs, no free strats, nothing.
- Primaris Crusader Squad: Pretty much split down the middle with half the squads carrying guns while the other half carrying chainswords (The Initiates are also picking up a Pyreblaster and the Sword Brother's power weapon). Curiously, they didn't lose anything - Instead, they gain the ability to split your squad in half with one being the 5 Initiates while the other has the Sword Brother leads the Neophytes).
- Intercessor Squad: They exist. They lost their ability to keep units capped.
- Black Templars Impulsor: The best transport for the team, you've got two storm bolters and the crusade-approved multi-melta to support the guns your squad will be toting. Even if it's only the crusaders, you'll be making do since this tank lets its cargo exit after advancing. Also comes with an orbital comms array that does...nothing since it's not on the damn card.
Secondary Objectives
- Path of Purgation: 8 VP if you get any units on the opponent's DZ and not battle-shocked. You get 10 VP if Marshal Siguard's among them.
- Sacred Vow: After turn 1, mark one enemy unit for death. You score 3 VP if you kill them in melee, instead getting 4 VP if it's your crusaders who cut them down.
Stratagems
- Goaded to Fury (1 CP): If an enemy shoots at one of your infantry squads, that squad can move towards the enemy. An excellent choice for your crusaders if you're focusing on the choppy.
- Hate-Fuelled Strength (1 CP): One infantry unit can re-roll to hit if they're fighting or shooting the closest enemy.
- Shield of Zeal (1 CP): When an enemy within 6" shoots or fights one of your infantry units, your squad gains a 4++ save. If it hits your crusaders, the neophytes instead get a 5++ since they only wear carapace plate.
Enhancements
- Crusader's Fervour: Marshal Siguard's unit gains +1 Attack with melee weapons. Ideal for your crusaders with half the squad toting chainswords. Pretty much why it's the default.
- Righteous Defiance: Marshal Siguard has a 5+ FNP. He also has a single-use ability to make his squad gain a 4+ FNP if you need to resist something devastating.
Deathwatch[edit]
Black Spear Task Force[edit]
The exclusive detachment for the Deathwatch. Rather than the Chapter Tactics, which build around the specific rules of the army, these tactics just slap on special rules on the squad's weapons. At least these rules can be applied on all weapons - something you'll need with how weird your kill-teams can end up.
Special Rules[edit]
- Mission Tactics: Essentially a variant of Chapter Tactics. Each Command phase lets you pick one tactic to benefit from for the turn.
- Furor Tactics: All weapons gain Sustained Hits 1.
- Malleus Tactics: All weapons gain Lethal Hits.
- Purgatus Tactics: Any critical hits your army scores gain Precision.
- Restrictions: Lots of stuff gets cut out due to the very special structure of the Deathwatch as the space marine special forces rather than the typical chapter. No Tacticals, Assault Marines, Devastators, Bikers, Assault Bikes, Scouts (including Snipers), or Land Speeder Storms. That said, your new squads can still be joined by specific characters.
- Deathwatch Veterans and Proteus Kill Teams are considered equal to Vanguard Vets.
- Deathwatch Terminators are just regular Terminators.
- Veteran Bikers replace Bikers, and can be led by anyone that can lead Outriders (meaning the Chaplain's still fair game).
- Fortis Kill Teams can be led by anyone who leads Intercessors.
- Indomitor Kill Teams can be led by anyone who leads Heavy Intercessors.
- Spectrus Kill Teams can be led by anyone who leads Infiltrators.
Stratagems[edit]
<tabs> <tab name="Battle Tactic">
- Adaptive Tactics (1 CP): One unit or two Kill Team units can choose to have a different mission tactic active. Sounds good except there's no clause about whether these can be used after being used by the rest of the army - something that sinks this from usable into trash.
- Armour of Contempt (1 CP): Same as the one in Gladius. Incoming attacks against one unit reduce their AP by 1.
</tab> <tab name="Strategic Ploy">
- Teleportarium (1 CP): One unit or two Kill Team units that aren't engaged at the end of the enemy Fight phase can leave the board and redeploy anywhere at least 9" away from the enemy on the next turn.
</tab> <tab name="Wargear">
- Dragonfire Rounds (1 CP): One unit or two Kill Team units can give their guns both Assault and Ignore Cover.
- Hellfire Rounds (1 CP): One unit or two Kill Team units can give their their guns without Devastating Wounds both Anti-Infantry 2+ and Anti-Monster 5+. GW quickly realized giving 2 squads the massive amount of potential mortal wounds against infantry for only 1 CP was a little broken and quickly nerfed it so now it only gives your other guns the means to insta-wound troops and chip away at monsters.
- Kraken Rounds (1 CP): One unit or two Kill Team units can give their guns +6" range and improve their AP by 1. Great for handling MEQ.
</tab> </tabs>
Enhancements[edit]
- Beacon Angelis: The bearer's unit gains the Deep Strike rule and can use the Rapid Ingress stratagem for free.
- Osseus Key: Watch Captain or Techmarine only. When one non-Titanic Vehicle shoots at them, they need to make a Leadership check to force the enemy to make the enemy take -1 to hit.
- Thief of Secrets: +1 to Strength, AP and Damage to the bearer's melee weapons. If this weapon kills an enemy model, those bonuses are improved to +2.
- The Tome of Ectoclades: Watch Master or Captain only. Grants a single-use ability to mark two enemies for the Oath of Moment.
Vigil Force Alphion (Combat Patrol)[edit]
While far from the most tacticool or operational, this does provide you with the means to pull surprises out of your team.
Composition 1 Lieutenant Alphion, 1 Apothecary Krenn, 10 Intercessors, 3 Aggressors
- Lieutenant Alphion: Basic Primaris Lieutenant with a power weapon. Lets his squad shoot and charge after falling back, which is at least helpful but still lacks [Lethal Hits].
- Apothecary Krenn: Primaris Apothecary. Use to raise dead Intercessors if you're using the alternate Enhancement.
- Intercessor Squad: They lost their ability to keep units capped but you can split them up into two squads of 5. Fortunately, you get two grenade launchers for a bit of extra utility, especially with the Special Issue Ammunition strat.
- Aggressor Squad: Come with Flamestorm Gauntlets. Surprisingly keep their AP boost when shooting at the closest enemy, which helps with melting hordes and bothering MEQs.
Secondary Objectives
- Hunter's Insight: Mark one objective outside your DZ each turn. You get 4 VP each turn where you have a squad on it.
- Head-Taker Doctrine: Score 5 VP for each character you kill with an additional 5 VP if you killed them all.
Stratagems
- Deathwatch Teleportarium (1 CP): At the end of one fight phase, you can throw one unengaged unit into reserves. They can redeploy on your next Movement phase, arriving anywhere within 3" of an enemy unit. Seeing how powerful this is for your Aggressors, you're restricted to only one use, so time it wisely.
- Special-Issue Ammunition (1 CP): One unit gains one of two sets of special rules for their guns: [Anti-Monster 5+, Anti-Vehicle 5+, Melta 2] or [Assault, Ignores Cover, Sustained Hits 2]. The Intercessors and whoever joins them gets the best deal with this, since the Aggressors have no AP on their flamers when not shooting at the closest target and are wasted on the second set of buffs.
- Veteran Instincts (1 CP): One unit gains a 5+ FNP when they're attacked. Your Gravis Aggressors instead get a 4+ FNP on account of being chonkers.
Enhancements
- Aegis Vigilate: Lieutenant Alphion's squad gains +1 to Touhness and a 4++ invuln. Pretty much makes your Intercessors into budget Terminators.
- Alien's Bane: Lieutenant Alphion's power weapon gains [Precision] and +1 to Wound, making it incredibly useful if you're targeting a specific enemy.
Strike Force Octavius (Combat Patrol)[edit]
One of the first Combat Patrols released for 10E. Pretty much here to showcase the power of this new gameplay format.
Composition: 1 Captain Octavius, 1 Librarian Tantus, 5 Terminators, 5 Infernus
- Captain Octavius: Pretty much a barebones Terminator Captain equipped with a power weapon and storm bolter. However, he loses access to the free stratagem each turn.
- Librarian Tantus: A basic Termie Librarian with a storm bolter for non-psychic shooting. Lost out on the 4+ FNP against psychic powers but not the [Sustained Hits 1] buff for a squad.
- Terminators: Come with one Assault Cannon. Do not get the Teleport homer. Join the captain if you used the default enhancement and want someone to protect him, otherwise keep the Librarian to make the most use out of that AssCan.
- Infernus Squad: There's five of them and lost their ability to force battle-shock tests. Seeing as nobody can join them, they're definitely going to need to make use of the terrain to survive.
Enhancements
- Champion Duellist: Captain Octavius's melee weapons gain [Precision] and [Lethal Hits]. Seeing as this is the default, you're going to be seeing him fighting the enemy warlords often.
- Oathsworn Determination: Captain Octavius's unit gains +1 to their OC. Only really needed if you have an objective to cap over anyone, since you only get OC1 on your termies.
Secondary Objectives
- Wrath of the Emperor: Your default Secondary is pretty basic. Just have your captain kill models and you get 2 VP.
- Shock Tactics: A bit risky, as it requires you to claim any objectives that your enemy owned at the start of the turn. It's a worthwhile win though, as you get 5 VP for getting at least one.
Stratagems
- Duty and Honour (1 CP): Allows a squad to keep an objective capped even if they aren't on it. Expect to use this a lot because you need your men moving constantly.
- Gene-Wrought Resilience (1 CP): If one of your units is attacked, the enemy attack suffers -1 to wound if the attack's Strength exceeds your squad's Toughness.
- Veteran Instincts (1 CP): During the fight phase, you can pick one Terminator squad that hadn't yet fought and lets them re-roll a 1 to wound or re-roll any wounds against Vehicles or monsters.
Wargear[edit]
Melee Weapons[edit]
- Astartes chainsword: A4 S4 AP-1 D1.
- Powerfist: S8 AP-2 D2.
- Chainfist: Anti-Vehicle 3+ WS-1 S8 AP-2 D2.
- Thunder Hammer: Devastating Wounds WS-1 S8 AP-2 D2.
- Power Weapon: A+1 S5 AP-2 D1.
- Twin Lightning Claws: TWIN-LINKED A+2 S5 AP-2 D1.
- Relic Weapon: A+1 S5 AP-2 D2.
- Force Weapon: Psychic S6 AP-1 Dd3.
Ranged Weapons[edit]
- Boltgun: 24" A2 BS3+ S4 AP0 D1. A standard marine base weapon with many abilities added to create variants. Now attack bonus from Bolter Discipline plus Rapid Fire from 9th is now backed into the profile.
- Bolt Pistol: Pistol 24" A1 BS3+ S4 AP0 D1. it and its variants are ubiquitous across foot marines and used when a unit doesn't fall back from melee. Don't forget it as it's extra damage.
- Bolt Rifle: Assault Heavy 24" A2 BS3+ S4 AP-1 D1.
- Storm Bolter: Rapid Fire 2 24" A2 BS3+ S4 AP0 D1.
- Ironhail heavy Stubber: Rapid Fire 3 36" A3 BS3+ S4 AP0 D1. An Upgraded Storm Bolter on primaries vehicles in all but lore.
- Heavy Bolter: Sustained Hits 1 36" A3 BS3+ S5 AP-1 D2.
- Combi-weapon: Anti-Infantry 4+ Devastating Wounds Rapid Fire 1 24" A1 BS4+ S4 AP0 D1. Because Straping a special weapon to a sergeant's Bolter was too cluttered and powerful for the past 2 editions, been powered down to a gun that deals one MW to Infantry.
- Flamer: Ignores cover Torrent 12" Ad6 BS1+ S4 AP0 D1.
- Heavy Flamer: Ignores cover Torrent 12" Ad6 BS1+ S5 AP-1 D1.
- Meltagun: Melta 2 18" A1 BS3+ S9 AP-4 Dd6.
- Melta Rifle: Heavy Melta 2 18" A1 BS3+ S9 AP-4 Dd6.
- Lascannon: 48" A1 BS3+ S12 AP-3 Dd6+1.
- Las-talon: 36" A2 BS3+ S10 AP-3 Dd6+1. Lascannon but weaker.
- Heavy Laser Destroyer: Heavy 72" A2 BS3+ S16 AP-4 Dd6+4.
- Hunter-killer Missile: One-shot 48" A1 BS2+ S14 AP-3 Dd6.
- Grav-gun: Anti-Vehicle 2+ 18" A2 BS3+ S5 AP-1 D2.
- Grav-cannon: Anti-Vehicle 2+ Heavy 24" A3 BS4+ S6 AP-1 D3.
- Assault Cannon: Devastating Wounds 24" A6 BS3+ S6 AP0 D1.
- Onslaught Gatling Cannon: Devastating Wounds 24" A8 BS3+ S5 AP0 D1.
- Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon: Devastating Wounds 24" A12 BS3+ S6 AP0 D1.
- Fragstorm grenade launcher:' Blast 24" AD6 BS3+ S4 AP0 D1.
- Icarus rocket pod: Anti-fly 2+ 24" AD3 BS3+ S8 AP-1 D2.
Generic Unit Analysis[edit]
The keyword "Primaris" is gone. Where marines previously divided themselves in two simple categories (tall or short), now they segregate based on what they're wearing (Tacticus, Gravis, still short, etc). This gives rise to situations where, for example, you can embark primaris Aggressors in a firstborn Land Raider, but you can't attach a Chaplain to them because there's no Gravis Chaplain and they won't accept a Terminator one either.
Characters[edit]
Bear in mind that without any other rules interactions, [Sustained Hits 1] buffs BS3+ output by 25% (so a model contributing that to a led unit must not cost more than 25% of the led unit to be worth it). [Lethal Hits] on a BS3+ model has a buff dependent on wound odds: 6+ to wound is 125%, 5+ is 50%, 4+ is 25%, 3+ is 12.5%, and 2+ is 5%. Also, because [Lethal Hits] anti-synergizes with [Devastating Wounds] and [Anti-X] (preventing critical hits from ever critically wound), you really should pay attention to what leaders you attach to what units.
What armor type a marine leader wears determines what they can lead. See details below.
| Armor | Squads | Leaders |
|---|---|---|
| Firstborn |
|
|
| Jump Pack |
|
|
| Mounted |
|
|
| Terminator |
|
|
| Tacticus (Primaris) |
|
|
| Phobos |
|
|
| Gravis |
|
|
- Apothecary: His Narthecium resurrects a model in his retinue each turn in your Command Phase. Does not actually heal or provide any damage mitigation. Just full health revivals (doesn't revive Characters). Has an Absolvor bolt pistol (pocket heavy bolter) for potshots, as his abilities don't prevent him from fighting.
<tabs> <tab name="Primaris (Tacticus)"> They can attach to any Tacticus squad, even if there's a Captain/Chapter Master/Lieutenant already, but not Bladeguard or Desolators. He has an additional Reductor Pistol with literally point-blank range that can pretty easily kill MEQ and TEQ with relative ease. If the unit ever dies (and he survives), he can give you +1 CP on a 2+, though this is more of a consolation prize than anything else. </tab> <tab name="Biologis (Gravis)"> A Gravis Armour apothecary who can join other Gravis units (Aggressors, Eradicators, Heavy Intercessors) alongside a Captain or Chapter Master. More of a harmacist than a healer (he doesn't have a Narthecium), instead he grants [Lethal Hits] to his unit as though he were a Lieutenant, which you otherwise can't include. If his unit (read "Aggressors") fully destroys an enemy unit in melee, he can shove some of the dead enemy into his giant keg and suddenly become OC 9 for the rest of the battle, making his unit near impossible to shift. Until they are killed. Because he's a medic who doesn't heal.
- Don't attach him to flamer Aggressors, attach him to bolter Aggressors instead - [Lethal hits] has no synergy with [Torrent] weapons. Because the wounds he generates aren't crits, you do want to mix him with [Sustained Hits X] but not with [Devastating Wounds].
- He has a very simple job, put him in a unit of Aggressors and get them toward a contested objective, preferably in a Land Raider Redeemer as that's one of the few vehicles that can carry them all. And if they kill an enemy unit, then they can secure basically any objective.
</tab> </tabs>
- Captain: Our most versatile kind of Leader, there's a version of him for almost any squad, and they can be further joined by a few other characters. That said, the captain's stats and wargear mean you'll want him locked in combat with the enemy. All versions of the Captain have Rites of Battle, which lets him (and presumably his unit) use a stratagem for 0 CP, even if it's already been used this phase. It is especially useful in this edition, where stratagems are few and CP is scarce. You can do this only once per round regardless of how many captains you have, however. Besides Rites, captains have a second ability depending on what armour they're wearing, which thus determines what squads get what buff:
| Armor | Ability |
|---|---|
| Firstborn | Finest Hour: Single use. For a phase, he gains +3A and all his melee attacks gain [Devastating Wounds] |
| Jump Pack | Angel's Wrath: His squad gains +1 Str on the charge. |
| Mounted | Swift Assault: His squad gains [Assault]. |
| Terminator | The Imperium's Sword: Re-roll charges. |
| Tacticus | Finest Hour: Single use. For a phase, he gains +3A and all his melee attacks gain [Devastating Wounds] |
| Phobos | Master of Deceit: Redeploy up to 3 Phobos/Scout squads. |
| Gravis | Refuse to Yield: Halve incoming damage. Presumably rounding up, down to a minimum of 1. |
<tabs> <tab name="Captain"> Now there's no profile difference between him and the Primaris version; same stats, same attacks. At last they are separate but equal. And unlike the Primaris guy he's got a lot of blades and wargear to pick from. Generic Combi-gun TM, two pistols, two claws, two blades (without [Extra Attacks]), TH/SS (which gives him +1W), gun + shield, all of that. As long as it's something he feels comfortable in melee with that's fine.
- Problem is who he goes into melee with. Unless you're going for something thematic (or can't afford them), Bladeguard are often better than anyone he can join.
- Plasma pistols aren't listed despite being on the datasheet.
</tab> <tab name="Jump Pack"> His 'Angel's Wrath' ability gives their squad +1 Str on the charge, helping reach wound brackets, which can be pushed further beyond with [Lance] from the 'Honour the Chapter' strat (for 0 CP). Aside from that, they're identical to their footslogging variants in loadout. As in, he can have a shield on his back, two pistols and a CCW; it's as wild as your imagination. </tab> <tab name="on Bike"> Comes with the requisite speed boost as well as +1 to Toughness, Wounds and Objective Control. Attaching one to a pack of Bikers gives the entire squad's guns [Assault]. Which is noticeable due to the sheer number of guns the squad has, especially their turbo-boosting meltas and multi-meltas.
- Curiously can attach to Outriders despite the gap in Firstborn/Primaris stats.
</tab> <tab name="Terminator"> Is T5 like other Terminators. Aside from the Captain strat use, he lets you re-roll charge rolls. If you're looking for additional durability, you can buy a Relic Shield, which only provides an extra wound this time rather than improving your saves beyond the stock 2+/4++. If you want to successfully charge more than half the time, though, you'll need to be Dark Angels so your Command Squad can give you a +1 to the charge roll as well (the bundled unit makes it 66% of the time, just under 2/3).
- While the Storm Bolter remains the same as ever, Combi-Weapons have been tragically mothballed into a singular tool, giving you A1 BS3+ S4 AP0 D1 with [Anti-Infantry 4+], [Devastating Wounds], and [Rapid Fire 1]. Gone are the days of using a suicide captain to tote a combi-melta to pop a tank, gone are the days of a combi-flamer giving you budget crowd control for a terminator sergeant.
- Melee weapons have similarly seen a mass downsizing, as all power weapons got axed, and the Relic Blade got relegated to just being a fancier power weapon at S5 AP-2 D2. The power fist and chainfist remain effective options while the Thunder Hammer got a bit of a bump by gaining [Devastating Wounds] and the Twin Lightning Claws (presumably the single one just became a power weapon) kept [Twin-Linked] so they can still re-roll wounds.
- A quick note on A*WS*D, since this is primarily a melee model due to re-rolling charges:
- Chainfist: 6 2/3 at S8 AP-2 with [Anti-Vehicle 3+]. Only better than a Power Fist against a T9+ tank, in which case a Thunder Hammer is far more likely to be useful anyway; stick with those two.
- Thunder hammer: 6 2/3 at S8 AP-2 with [Devastating Wounds]. Better than a Power Fist against T8+ Sv2+ and T16+ Sv3+, otherwise worse. Barring a highly specific meta, a Power Fist is a better choice.
- Power fist: 8 1/3 at S8 AP-2. The most commonly useful weapon in this list.
- Relic weapon: 10 at S5 AP-2. Ideal for MEQ-slaying, but against anything T5-15, you're gonna want a Power Fist. If you bring a Terminator Lieutenant along cos you're Space Wolves or Dark Angels, almost always better than a Power Fist (the only exceptions are T6 and T7).
- TLC: 5 5/6 at S5 AP-2 with [Twin-Linked]; because you need to be rolling 1s to wound base to beat a Relic Weapon and this takes up both hands, a Relic weapon is a much more generally useful choice, except against W1 targets.
</tab> <tab name="Primaris (Tacticus)"> Basically the same as the firstborn Captain but for Primaris tacticus squads (but with a catch and no Desolators), as he's got the same stats and same single-use 'Finest Hour' ability (+3A & [Devastating Wounds] on all his melee weapons), as well as more restricted wargear options. Can you believe Master crafted Bolt Rifles don't have the [Heavy, Assault] the normal versions have?
- He can exchange his default CCW for either a master crafted power weapon or a power fist, which is the better option if you can afford it.
- Instead of swapping only his CCW, he's also got the option of exchanging all his weapons for two loadout sets, which is the only way for him to join certain squads. Fucking peer pressure, man:
- Power Fist + Plasma Pistol, which lets him to join Hellblasters. Don't. The Captain's melee stats are too much to waste on a squad who wants to be 24" away from the enemy, even as a deterrent, and he gives away his rifle for a pistol.
- Relic shield + Master crafted power weapon + Heavy bolt pistol, which lets him join the Bladeguard. Yes. They both want to be in melee and they're great at it. Bladeguard are worth it even if they demand the captain follows their dress code; the shield gives him +1W also.
</tab> <tab name="Phobos"> Comes with [Stealth] and [Infiltrator] and a fixed loadout of CCW, bolt pistol and the impressive Instigator Bolt Carbine that can snipe out enemy characters. He can also let you redeploy up to three Phobos or Scout units, even letting you throw them into reserves if need be.
- While the phobos units are all expected, the addition of scouts is a heartwarming one, especially since you can throw this guy onto a pack of them for extra sniping fun.
</tab> <tab name="Gravis"> T6 and halving all incoming damage makes the Gravis Captain an absolute beast. That said, they don't really offer a lot in the form of support outside of their free stratagem usage. Take only if you need the extra fighting power.
- While the MC heavy bolt rifle and power weapon is nothing to sneeze at and does well with a pack of Heavy Intercessors, your melee output can be so much more. Trading that off gives you a Boltstorm Gauntlet (three heavy bolt pistol shots on a power fist) as well as [Extra Attacks] courtesy of either a chainsword, a "relic blade" (just another power weapon) or a second "relic fist" (just a gun-less power fist). This makes putting one on a pack of Aggressors devastating.
</tab> </tabs>
- Chaplain: Each one comes with Litany of Hate, which gives their squad the ever-valuable +1 to wound in melee. While this won't trigger [Devastating Wounds], it will help you with tipping certain weapons to wounding a hardy foe. Fortunately, each one comes with an S6 AP-1 D2 Crozius as a badge of office that doubles as a weapon.
<tabs> <tab name="Chaplain"> Has a single-use ability to give one unit within 12" the ability to ignore the battle-shocked condition, helping them keep a point in your hands.
- As with other firstborn leaders, they get the lion's share of special weapons, including the option for a bolter, storm bolter or combi-weapon. Interestingly, you can also spring for a power fist in place of a gun, letting you go all-in on melee.
</tab> <tab name="Jump Pack"> Goes all-in on the offense with their jump pack. During a fight phase, you can choose to make a smash attack; on a 4+ you'll only deal d3 MWs but a 6 will max out those mortals to a flat 3. </tab> <tab name="Primaris (Tacticus)"> Has a single-use ability to give one unit within 12" the ability to ignore the battle-shocked condition, helping them keep a point in your hands.
- He can attach to plenty of Tacticus squads, with the most obvious benefactors of your boosts being the Assault Intercessors, Bladeguard, and Vanguard Vets.
</tab> <tab name="Bike"> A Primaris Chaplain on a bike, giving all the benefits given to others (speed boost, +1 to T, W, OC, twin bolter). When their attached unit shoots, you can mark one unit within 12" of the chaplain, making all shots gain [Devastating Wounds] so you can blast the enemy apart before charging in. </tab> <tab name="Terminator"> Grants a 4+++ against mortal wounds, making that one squad practically impossible to shift. Can buy a combi-weapon if you're looking to kill slightly tougher infantry, which might see some value if you're sticking him with assault terminators who otherwise can't shoot back. </tab> </tabs>
- Primaris Company Championtacticus: His melee is A5 WS2+ S5([Precision]) AP-2 D2, and he gains re-rolls to hit and wound (the latter is [Twin-Linked] but he doesn't get that per se) against characters, which means against tough, poorly-armored characters he hits harder than a Judiciar, but against most things the Judiciar hits harder. Fortunately, he's got a better chance at getting into a fight between adding +1 to advance and charge rolls and the free use of Heroic Intervention wherever you need it; as they lead the same set of units, you want this one on models planning on charging but not out of Deep Strike(e.g. out of a Land Raider) unless you have other buffs, as charging out of Deep Strike with one of these guys attached only brings you from a 28% chance of succeeding to 41.67%.
- Judiciartacticus: Serves a similar purpose of a Primaris Company Champion (including leading the melee Tacticus set minus Hellblasters), except his sword is way fiercer: A5 WS2+ S7([Precision]) AP-2([Devastating Wounds]) D2, with +1A per character model he destroys. He gives Fights First, so synergizes great with any unit planning to camp inside a Land Raider. He also gets a 4++ against melee attacks, which gives him a bit of safety in a fight compared to a company champion, but both are just as vulnerable outside of it. Slap this on a ranged unit for some insurance against being charged.
- Librarian: Grants an attached squad a 4+++ FNP against all psychic attacks thanks to his psychic hood, which sadly won't apply to any wounds inflicted by [Hazardous]. Each one also comes with a pretty dangerous Force Weapon and Smite lets him hit MEQs and higher pretty reliably depending on whether or not he risks [Hazardous].
- Remember, as always, that abilities that require a led unit don't apply when not leading a unit: a terminator librarian on his own has no access to his own Sustained Hits 1 rule, as you can see in action here, where his sixes to hit don't result in additional hits.
<tabs> <tab name="Librarian"> Gives a 4++ save, which means a lot - especially since firstborn marines are stuck at T4. This is also the only Librarian that can pick up some of the more exotic pistols as well as the bolter, storm bolter and combi-weapon in case you really need something gone fast. </tab> <tab name="Jump Pack"> Improves the AP of the unit's melee weapons by 1. For the Assault marines and Vanguard Vets, that'll do a bit in boosting their viability in fight against equal foes. </tab> <tab name="Primaris (Tacticus)"> Gives a unit a 4++ save, which is pretty golden. He doesn't add much else besides defense, so you can have that squad of Primaris handle capping the most dangerous tasks. </tab> <tab name="Phobos"> Gets Infiltrators and grants an attached unit Stealth as well as making enemies beyond 12" unable to shoot them. This is great for Eliminators and Infiltrators, and still a bit decent for Incursors since they can put up some firepower. </tab> <tab name="Terminator"> Get all the bonuses that Terminator armour provides, making them tougher to remove. Very good front-line addition to any Marine unit as on top of all the basic perks, and he can make all Attacks gain [Sustained Hits 1], which will probably apply to his own as well (pending GW fixing the current word salad on rules that buff units when a Leader attaches, as it's not clear whether the Attached unit gets it, which includes the Leader, or the Bodyguard unit does, which does not). Overall, by far the best psychic in the game so far. Take this over a Lieutenant on big guns that expect to wound on 2s or 3s.
- Can be given a Storm Bolter or Combi-Weapon depending on how badly you need something gone.
</tab> </tabs>
- Lieutenant: Attaching a Lieutenant to a squad gives its weapons [Lethal Hits]. Take this over a Librarian on weaker guns that expect to wound on 5s or 6s.
- You can attach one to a squad already host to a Captain or Chapter Master, which can help you do quite a bit of damage.
<tabs> <tab name="Lieutenant"> Lets the unit shoot after falling back. As with the Captain, the firstborn versions come with a freer choice of different weapons. Most of the same ideas above still apply, though taking the shield remains very handy for that 4++. </tab> <tab name="Primaris (Tacticus)"> Lets the unit shoot after falling back, which can do quite a lot for your gunlines. While their MC bolt rifle is as good here as it is with the captain, you can also swap it out for a plasma pistol if you really want to be Primaris Cypher. If you're going for melee, you can replace either their rifle or CCW for either a power weapon or fist.
- If you're looking to accompany a unit of Bladeguard, then you should grab the shield+power weapon+neo-volkite. This not only offers a 4++ save that they can't otherwise get, the pistol gets [Devastating Wounds] at S5 AP- D2. Oddly, this loadout isn't mandatory like it is for the captain.
</tab> <tab name="Phobos"> The Lieutenant for most Phobos troops, being able to accompany them anywhere with a combination of Scouts 6", Infiltrators and Deep Strike. His weapons don't add much else though, as the scoped bolt carbine can't snipe out anything and his paired blades only get more attacks with [Sustained Hits 1] presumably combining with [Lethal Hits]. At least he can have his squad scurry d6" away after shooting to act as nuisances. </tab> <tab name="Reiver"> Comes with an MC bolt pistol and knife with [Precision] to snipe out an enemy character from close range. His special ability boosts their Terror Troops aura to bug out enemies from further away. However, he's still suffering from the ever-present issue of 'not being able to deep-strike with them. </tab> </tabs>
- Lieutenant w/ Combi-Weapon: Hasn't got Leader and hence isn't actually a kind of Lieutenant, despite the name. Despite the fact that Phobos Armour or the fact that he's pretty much a Lone Wolf would be a bigger identifier, GW picked out the Combi-Weapon (which anyone can pick up) as the big differentiator. His entire role is to deploy with a small force and cause mayhem wherever he goes - he's got Stealth, Lone Operative and a 5+ FNP to keep him out of most trouble and he can move whenever an enemy moves within 9", 1/round. He can also mark out one objective to become a priority - doing so gives your troops a big target that lets friendly units re-roll 1s to wound enemies within 6" of it.
- His paired blades get [Sustained Hits 1] and [Anti-Tyranids 4+]. Better on nids, otherwise they're really not all different than the Phobos Lieutenant's.
- Primaris Ancient: Their banners grant the unit they attach to +1 to their Objective Control, making them better on units with already high OC. Combined with his ability to join a unit alongside a Captain, Chapter Master or Lieutenant, he can pretty easily make for a strongpoint of a unit that can camp on any objective without fear.
<tabs> <tab name="Primaris (Tacticus)"> Gains a 4+ FNP if he's within range of an objective or within 6" of the center of the board. This doesn't spread to anyone else, he's just being a glory-hogging bitch.
- Can take either a bolt rifle or power weapon so he can accompany any Tacticus unit he sees fit.
</tab> <tab name="Bladeguard"> Even lazier, lacking anything beyond a CCW to fight with. At least he gets a 4++ save to join his fellow Bladeguard and a single-use ability to give all melee weapons in the squad an extra attack. </tab> <tab name="Terminator"> Okay, technically he could be firstborn, but who's checking? His ability lets his squad add +1 to hit if they're missing models and +1 to wound if they're below half-strength.
- While he can only take the storm bolter as a gun, the array of melee weapons is completely open so he can supplement any squad he wants.
- If you can attach him to a Deathwing Command Squad, you're pretty much double dipping between the bonuses for dead guys and the apothecary bringing them back
</tab> </tabs>
- Techmarine: Despite being able to attach to a squad of Servitors, he can gain Lone Operative if he's within 3" of any Vehicle, allowing him to more comfortably do his work - each Command phase, he not only heals d3 wounds on a nearby vehicle, he can also give them +1 to hit with all weapons, helping both tanks and dreads of any variety.
- Each one comes with an Omnissian Power Axe for some decently powerful attacks with a follow-up through the servo-arm's one much stronger attack. If he sees a vehicle die up within 12", he gets so angry that his axe gets double the attacks for the rest of the game, making him something of a force to be reckoned with - especially with something meant to be disposable like a drop pod.
- The fact he can attach his Servitors to the unit he's attached to allows you to make a pretty well buffed fire base. Take a Primaris Techmarine and his Servitors (with 2 Heavy Bolters) and attach them to a unit of Intercessors (with 2 Astartes Grenade Launchers). Give the Techmarine the Bolter Discipline enhancement and you now have 20 Bolt Rifle shots, 2 Krak Grenade shots and 9 Heavy Bolter shots. All sans the Krak Grenades are hitting on 2s due to Heavy and all have Sustained Hits 1 due to Bolter Discipline (the Heavy Bolters on the Servitors have it stock, so likely don't get Sustained Hits 2, wait on an FAQ before you try to argue they should). All this is enough to blast away 7.5 Marines each turn, if you have them under Devastator Doctrine this goes up to 9. The two gunless Servitors provide spare bodies to soak wounds before you start to lose guns, while if you're smart you'll also have them next to something like the Ballistus Dreadnought for the Techmarine to keep repaired and buffed.
<tabs> <tab name="Techmarine"> Comes with the freedom of weapons for anything you want. His bolt pistol can be swapped for anything other pistol you want, including a storm bolter or combi-weapon if you need one. His axe, can meanwhile be replaced with either a thunder hammer or power fist (or a chainsword if you feel stupid) if you don't expect to ever use his rage-on from seeing dead tanks.
- If you want to get your Servo-Harness, you can buy him an extra servo-arm, plasma cutter (more supporting attacks with S8 AP-2 D2) and flamer so you're more than prepared in combat. A pretty decent setup for a melee menace.
</tab> <tab name="Primaris"> A bit tankier with an extra wound. In exchange, his loadout is stuck with the addition of a grav-pistol to annoy tanks with [Anti-Vehicle 2+] and a Forge Bolter for a couple extra shots from a heavy bolter. </tab> </tabs>
Battleline[edit]
- Assault Intercessor Squad: The guys to throw at the frontlines at all times, as each model gets chainswords to re-roll 1s to wound, improving to re-rolling all wounds if they're on an objective. Combined with their improved pistols and sergeants power weapons options these guys as always are very damage efficient for their size. Now if they had some jumppacks they would be unstopple (someday hopefully). Still a solid choice for a melee focused army.
- Heavy Intercessor Squad: Big beefy guys who get +1 on their 3+ saves against nay D1 weapons. Got a beautiful toughness 6 now so against lasguns or bolters they're essentially as tanky as terminators. Their heavy bolt rifles are slightly tougher stronger than their Tacticus brethren (S5 vs S4) but remain every bit as flexible with Assault and Heavy. If you're looking for more firepower, you can grab a heavy bolter for some extra damage, both in the statline and from Sustained Hits 1.
- Synergize well with the the APOTHECARY BIOLOGIS giving them "Lethal Hits" like a Lieutenant which ups their lethality greatly thanks to the high range on all their weapons.
- Intercessor Squad: The biggest change to Intercessors is that all three types of Bolt Rifle have been folded into a single weapon; as it has both Assault and Heavy, they can both shoot after advancing and gain +1 to hit if they stay still. Also more than anyone else they benefited the most from the buff to grenade launchers, making them less gimped against high-toughness opponents. On top of that, their sergeant gets the widest selection of melee weapons and pistols if you need them to fight someone alongside a character. Needless to say, this means they're way more flexible than they used to be, even if they may still need help against heavier targets.
- A major benefit to grabbing them over Tacticals is their ability to keep an objective capped - If you're trying to rush the capping before getting to the fighting, these are the best for the job.
- Their flexible weapons abilities means that these guys can zip around the board very quickly since they can always shoot after running. Meaning you are less strapped to give them transports. Plus if you ever need to camp them their hit bonuses for doing this plus the upgrade on their special weapons means they can hold positions even against elite infantry better than ever before.
- Tactical Squad: On the plus side, they can always shoot and charge after falling back, meaning that they don't need to rely on the Tactical Doctrine to keep on shooting. On the downside, they're trapped to 10 models a squad with no way to split them up - gone are your days of splitting up squads for more Razorbacks.
- Of course, the standout part of this squad is its sheer variety in special weapons. Not only can one model pick up a flamer, melta, plasma or grav-gun to help out, a second model can also pick up one of those guns or take a heavy weapon for full power.
- Now to talk of the sad part. Due to mass toughness increases across the board, especially so in "monsters" and "vehicles" these guys are nowhere near the anti-everything they once were with many of their special/heavy weapons no longer wounding these hugh models easily. While they can still threaten elites as before, outside a lascannon or maybe grav-weapons (and on Tactical squads just one or two of these are not very efficient) they are going to struggle a lot more against big things than ever before. Keep this in mind.
Infantry[edit]
- Assault Squad: Space marines with chainswords, ideal for deep-striking from a drop pod if you want to fail a bunch of charges, or for charging them out of a Land Raider. While you can support them with some special weapons, the central focus remains on those standard chainswords (and not any eviscerators you pick up). Any time this unit fights, their chainswords get to pick between Sustained Hits 1, Lethal Hits, and Lance. Naturally, a Lieutenant can help make your job that much easier by making you pick between only two buffs each time they fight.
- Note: the following rules are optimal based on what you wound on:
- Wound on 6+ (T8+): Lethal Hits
- Wound on 5+ (T5-7): Lethal Hits or Lance
- Wound on 4+ (T4): Lance
- Wound on 3+ (T3): Sustained Hits 1 or Lance
- Wound on 2+ (T1-2): Sustained Hits 1
- Jump Packs: While they aren't nearly as focused on their chainswords, their jump packs make them more mobile and Hammer of Wrath makes anyone they charge suffer MWs for each 4+ you roll. Combined with a Chaplain, you can make units explode before you even fight them.
- Note: the following rules are optimal based on what you wound on:
- Vanguard Veteran Squad: Scouts 6" make them more mobile than you'd expect, but they remain the dedicated melee force you need. Each one has S5 AP-1 heirloom blades as standard issue and charging adds Lethal Hits as a bonus. As such, a Lieutenant isn't strictly needed unless you're planning on protracted fights. A Chaplain or Librarian, however, can give you some good support. If you don't modify their weapons, they're an Assault Squad but worse, so strongly consider storm shields pr hand flamers for everyone.
- Jump packs: Replaces Scouts 6" with the jump pack's speed boost and deep-striking capabilities but otherwise remain identical. Any heroes with jump packs do a lot better for them with some really needed perks. As with the bare-back squad, strongly consider hand flamers or storm shields.
- Command Squad: The retinue of choice for any firstborn heroes that aren't going all-in with something else. Sadly, they're stuck at five models - two veterans who can pick up any weapons you need, an Apothecary to bring them back from the dead, an Ancient to give them OC2, and a Champion with his souped-up Precision power sword that gives +1 to charge and advance rolls as well as unlimited free uses of Heroic Intervention.
- Devastator Squad: Has a bunch of weapon choices, but for most of them you're better off with some other unit. What's really unique to this unit is how cheaply you can spam grav-cannons on bodies that only take up 1 spot in a Drop Pod, so you should probably consider doing it.
- Scout Squad: While flimsier with only a 4+ save (but now with W2), they can always deploy smokescreens and have Infiltrators to arrive wherever they want.
<tabs> <tab name="Scouts"> Scouts 6" let them arrive within mid-range, which is where they need to be. Between their shotguns and bolters, they can have decent range and as long as nobody's within 6" at the end of the opponent's turn, they can immediately run back into reserves. If you're not as inclined to keep always moving, you can grab a missile launcher or heavy bolter for some heavy firepower.
- While you can replace the team's bolters with knives, this only gives them a single attack over their basic CCWs. Don't expect to use this on anything above GEQs.
</tab> <tab name="Scout Snipers"> Not nearly as mobile, but they have Stealth and a squad-level equivalent of Lone Operative for additional protection. While their sniper rifles aren't quite as powerful as the Eliminator's rifles, they are far better protected. Even better, you can grab a missile launcher so you can also hit tanks as well. The one issue is that you will need them to move once the enemy gets too close. </tab> </tabs>
- Suppressor Squad: The Zaku-esque autocannon squad is notably the only Primaris Squad without Phobos, Tacticus, or Gravis. Like Eliminators they remain stuck at 3-man unit sizes, and only have an okay-ish anti-MEQ gun and a hit roll debuff for targets hit by said gun to show for it. Fans of Autocannons will find better performance on Firestrikes, Predators, and Invictors.
- Astartes Servitors: Four walking meatshields for your Techmarines with T4 4+/6++. That said, they need that techie to keep them at their best with a bonus to WS and BS. Hell, there's no reason (aside from points and losing Lone Operative) not to take them as they can join alongside another retinue for the Techmarine, allowing you to strap some servo-arms and heavy weapons onto a squad that'd need it. Don't feel guilty about losing them either, as they're all OC0 and thus don't really care about battle-shock.
Tacticus[edit]
- Bladeguard Veteran Squad: The retinue of choice if you need a walking bunker. At W3 3+/4++ save they're not quite as tanky as last edition had them, but every Fight phase lets them either re-roll 1s on their invulns or re-roll 1s to hit so you have a choice on either going all-in on the offense or getting extra protection.
- Desolation Squad: The Liefeld-Pattern Launcher Lads somehow got more oppressive with their indirect launchers, since remaining stationary grants them Ignores Cover AND cancels the hit penalty for indirect fire. Adding to that, the changes to Blast make the respective weapons more reliable against basically all unit sizes, with bigger of course remaining better. Plonk 'em somewhere safe and rain bullshit upon your foes.
- Hellblaster Squad: Like with any squad rocking Hazardous weapons, their optimal ride has a big Firing Deck so they can shoot, kill their ride, disembark, and shoot again - and that's extra true for Hellblasters, because their 3+ shoot after dying rule will work on disembarkation deaths just fine. If they live through disembarking but die from the second round of shooting, you get to roll for a third round of shooting.
- Infernus Squad: Equipped with AP0 heavy flamers (or S5 flamers, if you prefer). They also get the ability Purge the Foe, causing one infantry unit that got flamed to make a Battle-Shock test. Got the specialized role of clearing out GEQ units and forcing Battle-Shocks. Still, they're no faster than any other foot soldier and they've only got a 12" non-assault weapon, so transport is often recommended. Remember that Overwatch can now happen in the movement phase, which means your opponent really doesn't want to end a move within 12" of these. Fundamentally the Tacticus version of Flamer Aggressors.
- Sternguard Veteran Squad: Equipped with impressive A2 AP-1 bolt rifles with Assault, Heavy, Devastating Wounds, and Rapid Fire 1 all at once, so they can easily threaten anything in any position. If you're feeling particularly stupid, any of them can swap this for a nearly universally worse Combi-Weapon (1 less shot at all ranges at a relative -1/-2 when standing still/-infinity when advancing to hit in exchange for wounding and penetrating only infantry more easily). 1 in 5 can upgrade to a Heavy Bolter, which has functionally the same accuracy (losing 1 BS and gaining Sustained Hits 1, which is a wash) and rate of fire at all ranges (3, but can't fire when advancing) but has +1S and more importantly +1D. They have Bolter Drills, a single-use ability to shoot twice in the same turn right after destroying a unit.
Phobos[edit]
- Eliminator Squad: Dedicated snipers, complete with Infiltrators and the ability to add Devastating Wounds if they sit still on top of Heavy. The bolt snipers will do more than enough for you, giving decent damage and Precision to pick out any key enemies, while the las fusils give you something just to total small vehicles and below. The sergeant can instead pick up a bolt carbine, a visible downgrade as a weapon but it lets the unit to move right after shooting - the value of that one a unit that normally sits and snipes is not to be underestimated.
- Incursor Squad: SEAL Team 6 marines. Downgraded from Infiltrators to Scouts 6" but fills a more coherent niche with Assault and Ignores Cover on their bolters along with Multi-spectrum Array buffing the rest of army. Their job is run up the board and use live bolt rounds to mark which victim gives +1 to hit. Essentially now instead of trying to compete directly with Infiltrators for infiltrating (was never going to work) they now function as the Astartes answer to Pathfinders. Marking targets for annilation, plus this coupled with OoM rerolls means you can nigh-guarantee kills. If the enemy gets too close, they can throw MWs (especially if its a vehicle), and have Sustained Hits 1 knives (though not as good as Astartes chainswords).
- Infiltrator Squad: Infiltrators marines with Heavy bolt carbines that come with many other tricks like the Smoke keyword, 12" reinforcement denial, a 6+++, and CP Refund on a 5+. Only OC 1, but still very good at grabbing an objective Turn 0 and then being very annoying to remove.
- Reiver Squad: Junior Night Lords, making enemies engaged with them suffer Battle-shock test at start of the Fight phase along with -1 aura to Battle-shock and Leadership tests. Got upgrades to give pseudo-jump packs so they can deep strike but robbing them of the ability to join a Reiver Lieutenant and grapnels so they can ignore vertical distance when moving. Their job is too support combats to force battleshock on enemy units thus weakening them up so your heavier-hitters will have an easier time in combat. They also got the role of picking off weak support heroes as they are the highlights of 10th, with their guns and Combat knife got Precision.
Gravis[edit]
- Aggressor Squad: Giant drop-striking bundles of armor. Benefit greatly from the toughness 6 Gravis armour now gives and will need it given their weapon loadouts. Start with a Twin-Linked Ad6+1 flamer or can swap out for longer-ranged but significantly weaker boltstorm gauntlets and grenade launchers, but you should always take the flamers, as they improve their AP by 1 when shooting the closest possible target. That said, outside of very specific situations, Infernus Squads or Heavy Flamer Devastator Squads should generally serve you better.
- Eradicator Squad: Gravis Marines toting melta rifles, each one a single-shot multi-melta at BS3+ base, while buying a multi-melta gives an extra shot at, functionally, -1 to hit on both shots. Total Obliteration lets you re-roll all hit, wound, and damage rolls when shooting their preferred prey of Monsters and Vehicles. Stack with an Apothecary Biologis and you will see things straight-up die when your melta shots crit.
- Inceptor Squad: The chunky fly boys are back. Have deep-strike in built and when they do they can come in as close to 3" from enemies but can't charge. Weapon wise they have seen a reduction of shots but still some good upgrades. One all their weapons are pistols so useable in combat. Their assault bolters have Assault, Twin-Linked and Sustained-Hits 2, so they can do some real work in high volume. In addition their Plasma Exterminators kept their old damage profile and now also have Assault and Twin-Linked. Meaning these guys with their move 10" can get around quickly while opening up on the enemy and being pretty hard to shift
Terminator[edit]
- Terminator Squad: Got the Terminator buff of T5 and a 4++. Fortunately, their WS and BS remain fixed at 3+ (unless you attack your Oath of Moment target, in which case you jump to 2+), which surprisingly actually stays where it is on the power fists (which remains S8 D2 but loses a bit with AP-2 and one less attack than the power weapons), but are stuck on WS4+ on the Chainfists (which are just power fists but with Anti-Vehicle 3+). The power weapons, however, took a step down by just being power swords (no more axes, no more power mauls, just A4 S5 AP-2 D1 for everything). Storm Bolters are slightly nerfed due to no longer having Bolter Discipline constantly apply on these dudes, while the Heavy Flamer got a slight buff (it ignores cover now) and so did the Cyclone Missile Launcher (which actually got S9 on its krak missiles). The Assault Cannon took a nerf by losing its AP, but Devastating Wounds makes critical wounds more effective at penetrating saves and has excellent synergy with Oath of Moment against high-value targets, because you can re-roll successful non-critical wounds.
- Fury of the First makes them a lot more reliable now that its been made into a rule instead of a Stratagem. Being able to ignore any penalties to hit helps throw off a lot, but this also lets you add +1 to hit against anyone you target with Oath of Moment.
- The Teleport Homer remains as a means for reliable deep-striking, but now you need to set them up around 3" of the new pack-in beacon. This also requires you to use the Rapid Ingress Stratagem in order to use it, though you're not wasting a CP for it.
- Assault Terminator Squad: Any unit they charge must take a battle-shock test, which is a pretty solid gift to trap enemies. While they don't get the fixed WS like the standard termies, the Teleport Homers let them arrive wherever they need to be. While the lightning claws give them all the swipes you'd need to chop apart lighter foes, the thunder hammers give you the brute force to wreck MEQ and up and come with a bonus wound thanks to their shield - While there are weapons able to cut through W3 terminators, there certainly aren't many that can go through W4.
- Relic Terminator Squad: The old Tartaros and Caraphractii models, sadly mothballed into one statline with none of the benefits. While you get Fury of the First, you can't get a Teleport Homer to jump in on demand. Unique to their loadout is the Reaper Autocannon, the Assault Cannon's smaller, nicer younger brother. The sergeant also has access to a Volkite Charger or Plasma Blaster, two exotic weapons not found anywhere else in the army. Unfortunately, this unit hasn't got any weapon choices genuinely better than making do with the other two squad types.
- They're fortunately a lot more viable as a flex unit as any model can pick up chainfists or twin claws, though they will lack the heavy punch of assault termies with hammers and shields. You can also buy a grenade harness so they can pull off the Grenades stratagem.
Centurion[edit]
Power armor for your power armor. Even Tougher and slower than Gravis armor at T7 W4 with inbuilt [TWIN-LINKED] triple bolters. At M4", they need a large transport to get anywhere fast, but they are so big they can only hold a min squad efficiently.
- Centurion Assault Squad: Older Brothers of Aggrasors. punch Monster, Vehicle, and Fortification with [SUSTAINED HITS 2] upscaled twin powerfists. A Guy could replace Centurion bolters to use Grenades Statagem, but that predicated you have CP to burn.
- Centurion Devastator Squad: what if Devastator Squad traded fire power for toughness and was better at landing those fewer shots? Decimator Protocols make them acreate against enemies on objectives. Replacing bolters with missile launchers is probably the best value.
Mounted[edit]
- Bike Squad: Bikes are incredibly mobile with 12" movement and Turbo-Boost making any Advance moves automatically roll a 6. Each is also surprisingly good at capping with OC 2, but camping at a point isn't really something you want to do with them. While the bikes can only use their twin bolters to open fire, two of the models can fortunately pick up some special models to support more dedicated weapon specialists. If you need more serious weapons, you can attach attack bikes for a heavy bolter or multi-meltas.
- Attack Bike Squad: A slightly bigger bike with a second passenger and a heavy bolter or multi-melta. Taking them on their own doesn't make them any faster, but if an enemy unit shoots any adeptus astartes mounted unit within 6" (including the unit itself), they can shoot at that enemy unit. Considering ranges, it'd be more prudent to consider the heavy bolter for this purpose over the multi-melta.
- Scout Bike Squad: Basically bikers with Scouts 9" and a weaker save, but the Smoke keyword at least lets them throw smokescreens to protect themselves and Outflank lets them arrive from reserves in the enemy's DZ. Any bike can swap out their bike's twin bolter for a grenade launcher, providing them some much-needed utility against crowds.
- Outrider Squad: Essentially a Bike Squad without any weapon choices but with +1W, slightly upgraded weapons, and the ability to attach an Invader ATV rather than an Attack Bike.
- Invader ATV: Primaris version of an Attack Bike, complete with the same return fire ability once per turn. Comes with a Twin Bolt Rifle and Onslaught Gatling Cannon (complete with Devastating Wounds to handle a potential MEQ threat) or Multi-Melta.
Vehicles[edit]
- Hunter: Always hits monsters/vehicles on an unmodified 2+ to hit, even during Overwatch, while it always wounds on a 3+ on behalf of its S10 AP-3 Dd6+2 missiles having [Anti-Fly 3+] and [Devastating Wounds]. Rely on this if you just want to blow up a couple planes and nothing else.
- Stalker: While markedly weaker than the Hunter, you have plenty of more chances to use it since you can use the Fire Overwatch strat in response to a Fly unit moving within range of your guns, plus you can also Overwatch three additional Fly units 24" of this tank. Better than a Hunter, to be sure, but only truly worth it if you're facing an army with hovertanks like the Eldar or the Tau.
- Predator: The classic battletank. Both carry the same free "options" you'll always end up taking: 1 HK missile, 1 storm bolter, and 2 sponsons (which sponson you take will vary by datasheet).
<tabs> <tab name="Annihilator"> Take the lascannon sponsons to complement its main twin lascannon to re-roll damage rolls of 1 against monsters/vehicles. You can't actually roll a damage roll of 1, of course - the minimum roll for these guns is 2 - but feel free to just leave the table if your opponent really insists on applying the rule to the whole roll, not just the die. </tab> <tab name="Destructor"> All of its guns get -1AP against infantry, which is pretty much the only thing you'd want this against. Just take heavy bolters for sponsons so it can all handle the crowds. </tab> </tabs>
- Whirlwind: Your classic artillery tank, essentially made to hammer infantry and forcing any units that it hits to take a Battle-Shock test. It's at least handy for taking down a couple MEQ and up and spooking whoever's left while your troops rush in.
- Whirlwind ScorpiusHH Legends: Ignore. It's straight-up inferior to the Whirlwind and as a Legends item, it's not going to get any updates unless something gets really broken.
- Vindicator: A girthy cannon's mounted onto this thing, capable of being fired even at close range despite being a [Blast] weapon. 15.17 A*BS*D completely blows out whatever it's up against short of maybe superheavies. The only downside is that its price reflects its power, being the most expensive pure tank, and it should expect future price hikes if this firepower doesn't get hit first.
- Vindicator Laser Destroyer HH Legends: Swaps the cannon for a lascannon array that's still able to hit most tanks with reliable effectiveness but can overcharge, risking [Hazardous] for the ability to instill the fear of the Emperor into any tank it aims at. Even better is that it get's the Predator Annihilator's re-rolls to damage rolls of 1 against monsters/vehicles.
- Gladiator: M10" T10 Sv3+ W12 Ld6+ OC3, so a Predator with +1W. Each of these has at least one decent source of S4 AP0 D1 dakka that won't really matter but it's free so you'll take it and a rocket pod: 24" Ad3 BS3+ S8(Anti-Fly 2+) AP-1 D2.
- Gladiator Lancer: 72" A2 BS3+(Heavy) S14 AP-4 Dd6+3, re-roll 1 Hit, Wound, and Damage roll when you shoot. That's not bad, but it's no Vindicator, especially since you have the Oath of Moment for re-rolling Hits and Wounds.
- Gladiator Reaper: This one isn't even worth detailing - it's fundamentally a pair of OGC Invader ATVs but worse.
- Gladiator Valiant: This is functionally 3 multi-meltas. That means its output against a single hard target is on par with the Vindicator, but you have inferior scaling against hordes. Stick with the Vindicator if you want something from this list.
- CerberusHH Legends:
- Kratos HH Legends: A hefty battletank with T12 and W18. Alongside the multitude of heavy bolters and autocannon, you can also attach a bevy of guns on the pintle, from the twin bolter and combi-weapon to heavy weapons and the crowd-busting havoc launcher. The real star of the show, however, is the main gun - not only is the Kratos able to fire any Blast weapons while engaged with enemy units and all ranged attacks take no penalty to hit. By default, the Kratos Battlecannon can swap between a single devastating AP round that blows up tanks in a single blow and a crowd-blasting HE round that can still paste TEQ with ease. This can be swapped for either a Melta Blast Gun that isn't quite as strong as the basic cannon, even within half-range, but can fire multiple times or a Volkite Cardanelle with S9 AP- D3 and Devastating Wounds to get past any pesky invulnerable saves.
- Sicaran Battle TankHH Legends:
<tabs> <tab name="Sicaran"> </tab> <tab name="Sicaran Arcus"> </tab> <tab name="Sicaran Punisher"> </tab> <tab name="Sicaran Venator"> </tab> <tab name="Sicaran Omega"> </tab> </tabs>
- TyphonHH Legends:
Transports[edit]
- Land Raider: Already we see the significant bump in durability as its Toughness got bumped up from 8 to 12 - incidentally, that's just enough that its lascannons can only wound it on a 4+. That tankiness also influences its damage track, as it now only suffers a penalty to BS/WS when it's on its last 5 wounds. Assault Ramps also make a glorious return, granting your squads the ability to charge after disembarking.
- As with last edition, it can easily grab Wulfen and Termies with ease (each model taking two slots) and can even fit Centurions (each taking three slots), but now it can also carry any Gravis units as well (at two slots a model), meaning you can easily use it to cart a pack of Aggressors so they can incinerate the opposition or assist some Heavy Intercessors with capping a point.
<tabs> <tab name="Godhammer/Classic"> Of course, its "unique" Godhammer lascannons don't have to deal with the return of Twin-Linked and just get 2 shots base, same as your Ballistus lascannons. Aside from that, it comes with a twin heavy bolter to take on anything smaller, with the additional option of a storm bolter and multi-melta depending on what you're up against. Transport Capacity: 12. </tab> <tab name="Crusader"> Comes with two hurricane bolters, thankfully Twin-Linked so you can dump dozens of dice on an enemy in conjunction with the twin assault cannon. Transport Capacity: 16.
- The main reason you're grabbing this is because is the expanded storage. 16 slots, however, gives you 8 spaces for terminators/gravis or 5 centurions. If you're using it for Deathwing, it'll give some room for more terminators alongside the leader. It and the Redeemer also get the Grenades keyword for good measure.
</tab> <tab name="Redeemer"> Also comes with a twin assault cannon, with the sponsons being flamestorm cannons for super-sized heavy flamers to burn through MEQ. 14 spaces gives you just enough space for 7 terminators, so it just might work for a Deathwing CS + Termie Captain + Termie Ancient/Strikemaster. </tab> <tab name="Achilles (HH Legends)"> Comes with space for 12 guys but carries a Quad Launcher so you can take on both tanks and mobs reliably. Also comes with Volkite Culverins to demolish troops. </tab> <tab name="Proteus (HH Legends)"> A basic Land Raider who equips an Explorator Augury Web to add a 12" bubble of reinforcements denial. However, this requires halving the tank's transport capacity from 12 to 6, making it unusable for terminators. </tab> </tabs>
- Repulsor: The gunwagon finally got a facelift, with all its errant guns (read: storm bolters, grenade launchers, and stubbers) consolidated into the Repulsor Defensive Array, an 18 shot boltgun (without rapid fire). Beyond its newfound ability to finally lug around Terminators,Wulfen, and even goddamn Centurions in its 12-man capacity, it also can hoover up a close friendly unit that would otherwise eat a charge.
- This is the ideal container for 6 Eradicators, as they need to be close to the enemy to shoot but hate getting into melee.
- Repulsor Executioner: Received a similar facelift with all the small guns except the 2 anti-fly Icarus branded ones being consolidated into a 10-shot boltgun without rapid fire, but it's entirely unclear why they didn't bother consolidating in the Ironhail heavy stubber, leading to 3 distinct cases of how much nearly worthless S4 dakka you can throw depending on range. For dealing with chaff, it has a Twin-Linked Heavy Bolter and a 12-shot (i.e. double normal) assault cannon. The main gun has two options, but the Macro Plasma Incinerator is optimized for chewing through MEQ and MEQ-adjacent like candy, which is something you have plenty of other guns for. The big seller here is the Heavy Laser Destroyer, a right proper big fuck-off gun: 72" A2 BS3+(Heavy) S16 AP-4 Dd6+4, enough to genuinely frighten most targets (including yourself - this gun has shockingly high chance of vaporizing a Repulsor Executioner in one trigger pull). Every gun on the model gets +1 to hit targets below half-strength.
- Dreadnought Drop PodHH Legends: For whatever reason, GW thinks it now unfair to fit your dreadnoughts into a drop pod. Fortunately, this allows even your newfangled dreads with knees to fit - as well as the comically oversized Leviathan.
- SpartanHH Legends: A super Land Raider, capable of carrying a full 28 models so you can easily fit in two packs of Terminators with characters included. Your option between quad lascannons or laser destroyers hinge on how big of a tank you're destroying while the hull can only take a twin heavy bolter or heavy flamer based on the troops you're facing. While not quite the assault transport of the old Land Raider, it can mark anyone it shoots so its passengers get to re-roll to wound that target.
- MastodonHH Legends:
Fly[edit]
- Land Speeder: M14" T7 Sv3+ T6 Ld6+ OC2, Deep Strike, and Deadly Demise 1, with a heavy bolter or multi-melta, potentially additional guns depending on variant, and a special rule depending on variant. Due to this, you should always carefully consider whether you'd prefer an Attack Bike Squad to a Land Speeder of any stripe.
- Land Speeder (stock variant): Just the 1 gun, but the special rule lets you pick 1 unit visible to this model at the start of shooting; all of your other shooting with Blast weapons at that unit gains +1 to hit and Ignores Cover.
- Land Speeder Tornado: Also has an assault cannon or heavy flamer (take the heavy flamer), and the special rule lets you, after making a Normal Move, select one non-monster non-vehicle the model "moved over" to roll 6d6 against, with each 4+ dealing 1 mortal wound (so 3 MWs on average).
- Land Speeder Typhoon: Has a Typhoon Missile Launcher in addition to the stock gun and can Normal Move 1d6" after shooting during the Shooting Phase, but if it does so, it can't charge later.
- Storm Speeder: M14" T9 Sv3+ W11 Sv6+ OC3, Deep Strike, and Deadly Demise D3
- Storm Speeder Hailstrike: Designed for the same niche as an OGL (assault cannon) Invader ATV, you should basically take whichever is cheaper, but this one debuffs a single unit it hits when it shoots such that the rest of your army gets -1AP for shooting the same target after the Hailstrike finishes.
- Storm Speeder Hammerstrike: 1.5 multimeltas and hence designed for the same niche as a multimelta Invader ATV (which only has 1 multimelta, don't forget), and it inflicts the same debuff as a Hailstrike but worse, although they stack: after it's done shooting, one enemy that was hit can't benefit from cover until the end of the phase.
- Storm Speeder Thunderstrike: A Hammerstrike with a better gun at range but worse up close, and it inflicts a much better debuff: a monster/vehicle that's hit when it shoots suffers +1 to be wounded when shot until the end of the phase.
- Javelin Attack SpeederHH Legends: A bigger and classier Typhoon with a default missile launcher and heavy bolter alongside its ability to shift a bit after shooting. If you're in need of more anti-tank firepower, you can replace the missile launcher with a pair of lascannons while the heavy bolter can switch for a multi-melta.
Aircraft[edit]
- Stormhawk Interceptor:
- Stormraven Gunship:
- Stormtalon Gunship:
- Fire Raptor GunshipHH Legends:
- Storm Eagle GunshipHH Legends:
- Sokar-Pattern StormbirdHH Legends:
- Xiphon InterceptorHH Legends:
Artillery[edit]
- Firestrike Servo-Turrets: A giant mobile emplacement, giving you either a Twin-Linked autocannon so you can blast through TEQ with little issue or a Twin-Linked lastalon to better blast vehicles. While it can't do much aside from that, it can overwatch quite well, with each shot hitting on a 4+ when using the Fire Overwatch stratagem.
- Thunderfire Cannon: A trundling bombardment platform. While the cannon itself isn't too much side from having Blast and Indirect Fire, anyone hit by it suffers -2" to movement and -2 to advance and charge rolls. Just be wary that despite having two models between the cannon itself and the techmarine minding it, your lifeline isn't really the 12 wounds you'd expect - the moment one of them dies, the other is just gone as well.
Walkers[edit]
- Dreadnought: Where all the old 9th ed captains went. Take it for what it's worth. The Venerable Dread isn't here, so this might be all they're worth now. A Dread's old man stories carry a re-roll of 1s to hit, so the youngin' Adeptus Astartes Infantry will huddle 6" around him as they purge the enemy. Got a choice of Assault cannon, Heavy plasma cannon, Multi-melta, or Twin lascannon for the left arm, and a Missile launcher as a right if standing back or a Dreadnought combat weapon to bitchslap some fools into a paste. Even if he is a tougher captain with heavy weapons, he still has the size and durability of a light vehicle with only infantry speed, so make use of that smoke.
- Ballistus Dreadnought: The brand-new Dakkanought, as if the ability to re-roll to hit units at half-strength or higher isn't enough to show. At T10 W12 with a 2+ save, they're capable of taking a stray melta shot but not much beyond that. This dread comes in a classic Hellfire loadout, with one arm getting an A2 BS3+ S12 AP-3 D1+d6 lascannon, the other a missile launcher that can go between firing a decently-sized blast to handle mobs or a high-powered Krak to take care of light vehicles, and the only Twin-Linked weapon this thing gets, the Twin Storm Bolters.
- Brutalis Dreadnought: The Choppy to the Ballistus' Dakka does Mortal Wounds on the Charge not too dissimilar to the Tank Shock Stratagem, which it is also a good choice for. Grab the Talons unless you really want the Bolt Rifles (you don't). With Melta weapons no longer being the be-all end-all the heavy bolters are worth another look. Hilariously it can be can be carried by by a Stormraven, don't expect this to last though.
- Contemptor Dreadnought: That old man that refuses to die. Despite the Horus Heresy giving back a lot of the cool stuff to this dread, GW decided to go for the laziest fucking route possible and gave it either a Kheres Assault Cannon or a multi-melta from the plastic kit. Fortunately, it has the ability to resurrect itself on a 2+ with d6 wounds left at the end of the phase. While it's not as tough as the primaris dreads, it comes with a 5++ save unseen on others.
- Relic Contemptor DreadnoughtHH Legends: The Contemptor we should have gotten. Comes with all the fun guns you've ever wanted in melee or at range, curiously starting out with twin plasma cannons. Your fists and chainfists come with combi-bolters with the heavy flamer option also adding in options for plasma blasters to easily crack MEQs and the graviton blaster to annoy vehicles. You can also strap a cyclone missile launcher for additional firepower.
- Ironclad Dreadnought: A Dread with hate for Vehicles and Fortifications. Wish it could run faster, but a 6" move does it no favors unless you shill for a Stormraven. In melee, the Ironclad gets +1 to hit and wound vehicles and fortifications. One melee weapon can be a Seismic Hammer if you're good at math or a Chainfist if you aren't (the Chainfist has Anti-Vehicle 3+, but your +1 to wound vehicles won't stack with that), while the other can be a Dreadnought Close Combat Weapon if you forgot you can't use 2 melee weapons at once or a Hurricane Bolter if you remembered.
- Redemptor Dreadnought: No longer outperformed in shooting by the Brutalis and only Dread keeping -1 damage, the Redemptor has an option for anything but killing Tanks reliably. Especially the Plasma Incinerator benefits greatly from the changes to Blast.
- Invictor Tactical Warsuit: No longer able to Infiltrate, the training wheel Dread for loner marines trades it for Scouts 8". Additionally said loner marine has grown more socialable and will now return fire on any who dares to shoot at a friendly Phobos squad within 6" of him. Though only once a Turn, newfound friendship only goes so far.
- Deredeo DreadnoughtHH Legends: The Dreadnought to use if you just want to shoot. Like the Ballistus that took after it, this dread can re-roll to hit enemies above half-strength. Each of their arm-guns are paired with specific purposes - the Anvilus Autocannons demolish crowds, the Arachnus Heavy Lascannons to demolish tanks, the Hellfire Plasma Cannonade to blast apart TEQs and the Volkite Falconets to burn through high toughness monsters. You can also pick up one of two different missiles, one capable of handling crowds while the other lets you easily break flyers.
- Leviathan DreadnoughtHH Legends: The end of any tanks or monsters you see. The Cyclonic Melta Lance can easily rip through monsters and tanks all the same while the Grav-Flux Bombard gives you more reliable ways of damaging tanks at the cost of effectiveness. The Storm Cannon exists if you're up against any hordes. You can also grab a claw or drill, the difference really only being that the drill has one less attack for [Anti-Vehicle 4+], otherwise they're both almost identical and carry meltas.
Dedicated Transports[edit]
- Drop Pod: Transport 10, but can't transport Jump Pack, Wulfen, Centurion, Gravis, or Terminator models. Whatever you load it with can deep strike at any point in the first four turns without any issues, and once it does arrive the marines can walk out and it turns into a flimsy emplacement.
- 10 slots, while sounding numerous, does have issues. On Tacticals, this means that you can't take any characters. Other units have to wager the value of that character over more models. One of the best uses of a Drop Pod is taking big guns to pile out of it and unload, since you have other ways to deliver melee in a hurry (like a Land Raider).
- Land Speeder Storm: This 6-scout transport has Firing Deck 6 and Assault Ramp like a Land Raider (it isn't called that because GW is bad at rules, but it has the same definition of letting the disembarking unit charge even if it disembarked after their ride moved).
- Impulsor: Remember when GW told you you didn't have Primaris-only transports anymore? Yeah, they lied - you need to wear Tacticus or Phobos to board this thing, which is a real shame, because all 6 people on board can shoot out of it. You should already be reaching for Hellblasters so you can shoot, kill off your ride, disembark, and then shoot again, potentially dying and shooting a third time. Also has Assault Vehicle, which lets embarked models disembark after this model Advances - they count as having made a Normal Move and can't charge.
- Razorback: The second part of that desegregation lie. It can only carry six models lacking any Primaris keywords on top of the other stuff. Since you can't squad out Tacticals, this leaves these to be accompanied by a good number of other units from veterans to Assault Marines and Devastators. While you can slap on a storm bolter or hunter-killer, your main priority should always be on the main guns - the twin assault cannon gives Devastating Wounds to gut any TEQs while the twin lascannon gives an answer to enemy vehicles. Even better, one target they shoot at gets marked so the squad that disembarks can re-roll to wound them when they shoot on their own.
- Rhino: The third part of that desegregation lie. This reliable guy can't take any explicitly Primaris units on top of the other usual suspects. With Tacticals being trapped to 10 models, you are pretty much compelled to take one to accompany them if you aren't taking a Drop Pod - Firing Deck 2 pretty much screams "Use the special weapons!" with no irony. It's a pretty light tank at T9 W10, but it's capable of repairing a wound during your Command phase.
- Terrax-Pattern TermiteHH Legends: An inverse drop pod, this is your only deep-striking carrier, capable of fitting 12 firstborn marines in basic armor and nothing else. While it's not as mobile as a Rhino, it's got effective sponsons (combi-bolters, heavy flamers or twin volkite chargers) on top of the Melta Cutter to chop through light tanks. If you need to destroy anything bigger, you'd need to get into melee for the drill to rip them apart.
Fortifications[edit]
- Hammerfall Bunker: T12, 2+ save and 14 W, the Hammerfall bunker went out of stock soon after the Index dropped, because why not pump up the rules of underselling models? Still fundamentally not a bunker, as you can't embark anyone inside it, but you can use it as cover if it obstructs your opponent's LOS.
- A change from last ed is that its Heavy bolter/flamer array now makes either 6 or 2d6 shots at models that end their move within range, but can only do so up to 4 times instead of last ed's "all targets within range"
- Tarantula Sentry BatteryHH Legends: For whatever reason, these turrets also cannot arrive anywhere outside of your DZ, though your equipped heavy bolters/lascannons are less concerned about the range depending on table size. Fortunately, they can also Fire Overwatch on their basic BS of 4+, giving you a decent bit of protection if you piss them off enough.
Chapter Unit Analysis[edit]
Dark Angels[edit]
Thematically, the Dark Angels are a stoic and reclusive chapter, with specialist knightly orders furthering their hidden agendas. Resolute almost to the point of stubborness, they will stand their ground against all odds. Constantly on the hunt for their hated enemies though, they are known to abandon anything (even their own allies) in their relentless pursuit.
On the tabletop, these guys are like three armies as one, being able to call on the pursuit specialists of the Ravenwing, or the intractable killers of the Deathwing to complement your stoic core of green marines being reinforced by special characters. Especially with Dad finally having a decent profile.
Characters[edit]
- Deathwing Strikemaster: Essentially a Lieutenant in terminator armor. Gives his squad Lethal Hits as well as gaining a personal buff of +1 to hit and wound enemies below half-strength. Naturally, he can attach to any squad already led by a captain, and that can make them very threatening.
- While he can't grab any guns aside from his storm bolter, the entire list of melee weapons remains free to use, including a Mace of Absolution from the Deathwing Knights.
- Ravenwing Talonmaster: A souped-up Land Speeder with a Twin-Linked heavy bolter and assault cannon as well as the pilot's own power weapon. He's here to compensate for the lack of any biker Lieutenant, and thus he has a 6" bubble giving all friendly mounted and fly vehicle units Ignores Cover while a smaller 3" bubble gives him Lone Operative so he has some protection. Once per turn when an enemy moves within 9" of him, he can immediately move 6", giving him a bit of a tactical scoot wherever you need him.
Epic Heroes[edit]
- Azrael:
- Asmodai:
- Belial:
- Ezekiel:
- Lazarus:
- Lion El'Jonson: A foregone conclusion since he was revealed at the end of the last edition. Like Roboute, he does have the ability to hide behind regular marines despite being too big to join them. However, Lion's a lot more fighty, always getting Fights First so he can chop things up with Fealty. This gem's still rather powerful to handle most monsters with its Strike profile, but S12 will see it run into walls when facing tanks if you don't proc Lethal Hits. The Sweep profile meanwhile remains great for chopping through MEQ. The Emperor's Shield provides more than a bit of extra protection, as he's got a monstrous 2+/3++ save with the shield providing damage reduction and the ability to deal a mortal wound to an attacker if he rolls a natural 6 on a save in melee.
- As with his brother, Lion also gets Primarch of the First, his choice between one of three different auras he can emit each turn. All Secrets Revealed is a trap that forces enemies within 12" that use a stratagem to make a battleshock test or else waste the CP spent and give you a CP in return. Martial Exemplar lets friendly units within 6" add +1 to hit rolls in melee. No Hiding from the Watchers gives friendly units within 6" a 4+ FNP against mortal wounds.
- Sammael:
Infantry[edit]
- Deathwing Command Squad: With a lot of the special rules being relegated to the various detachments, the Deathwing seem to be little more than glorified Terminators. Fortunately, the Command Squad remains a very reliable retinue for any Terminator heroes, as you have a Narthecium to resurrect 1 dead non-character model per turn and an Ancient to improve the squad's OC. The champion carries a Halberd of Caliban for a slightly stronger power weapon with Precision to nail any rival characters without needing your attached leader to intervene as well as a +1 to charge and advance rolls. Keeping him alive also makes the Heroic Intervention strat free.
- Deathwing Knights: The melee-obsessed termies. While they don't get the Deathwing rule for constant WS 3+, any damage they take is reduced by 1 to make them an excellent retinue for any Termie captains. Each man takes a Mace of Absolution to make them high-powered can openers while their sergeant gets a Flail of the Unforgiven, its dip in damage offset by a higher AP on top of Sustained Hits 1 and Devastating Wounds.
- This is also where you get the rules for the Watchers in the Dark, which every other DW squad can equip despite lacking rules for them. As this is the edition that removed psychic powers, you're instead given a single-use 4+ FNP against mortal wounds. Not all psychic powers, some of which might have a high enough AP to cut through their 2+ save, just the ones that deal MWs.
- Deathwing Terminator Squad: Pretty much equivalent to any other Terminator squad with the exception of being able to equip any member with twin claws or hammer+shield if you need some extra melee support in your squad. Aside from the basic weapons given to terminators, you get to add a Plasma Cannon for a high-powered bombardment weapon with Blast if you just want anti-MEQ explosives. No-one in the unit can take a Power Weapon, but their datasheet lists its rules anyway just to confuse you; for even more needless headaches, you can take a Watcher in the Dark as wargear, but its rules are on the deathwing knights datasheet instead, so you can't tell at a glance how your unit works.
Mounted[edit]
- Ravenwing Black Knights: Specialized bikers with a 5++ save, Plasma Talons for anti-MEQ firepower and special combat weapons (aka the old Corvus Hammers), capable of getting either Anti-Infantry 4+ or Anti-Vehicle 4+ each turn so you can always get the edge on the enemy. The grenade launchers are helpful for when you need to do crowd control.
- Ravenwing Command Squad: Black Knights equipped with all the trappings of a command squad - A banner for bonus OC, a narthecium to raise dead bikes, and a champion with a special power weapon that can add +1 to advance and charge rolls and gives free Heroic Intervention.
Vehicles[edit]
- Ravenwing Darkshroud: A bigger land speeder with either a heavy bolter or assault cannon. However, the real draw is their 6" bubble of Stealth and cover, somethingthat you'll absolutely want to hide your troops behind.
- Ravenwing Land Speeder Vengeance:
Aircraft[edit]
- Nephilim Jetfighter:
- Ravenwing Dark Talon:
White Scars[edit]
Epic Heroes[edit]
- Kor'sarro Khan: While he still can't ride a bike, he can help his squad move as fast as possible by giving all guns Assault (wasted on Intercessors, but worthwhile on Assault Intercessors and Vanguard Vets) while giving all melee weapons Lance for the more devastating charge (less valuable on Vanguard Vets due to their own rules providing Lethal Hits on the charge). The Khan is someone who wants to be fighting enemy characters, as his super sword has Precision and any characters he kills gives him a free CP.
Space Wolves[edit]
Thematically, these guys are fucking furries a bunch of football hooligans angry space Vikings who can't read have no respect for anything other than their own strength and culture rather than any book. Their way of organisation is rather unorthodox but no less effective.
On the tabletop, these guys focus on the assault. You want to get in close, and start checking off sagas from your Champions of Russ detachment (unless you just go with Gladius).
Characters[edit]
- Cyberwolf: A wolf with metal bitz on them is somehow special enough to be a character. Attaching him to other wolves grants the squad Scouts 6" while he gets +1 to hit and wound an enemy below half-strength.
- Iron Priest: The wolfy Techmarine. While he's otherwise identical in terms of rules, he does have special armaments that are stuck onto him: a high-powered Tempest Hammer good for pasting TEQ and a Helfrost Pistol that can either be a puny hand flamer or something on-par with a weaker plasma pistol with high AP and Damage.
- Wolf Lord on Thunderwolf: Your equivalent to the Captain. His giant wolf provides the same movement, Toughness and OC boosts as a bike, but instead of a twin bolter he now has some supporting attacks in melee. He now provides his attached squad of Thunderwolves a +1 to advance and charge rolls as if he were a company champion.
- Wolf Guard Battle Leader: Your equivalent to the Lieutenant.
<tabs> <tab name="Terminator"> Also grants his lord a 4+++, which makes him quite handy for blocking out snipers. While he can only grab a combi-weapon for an alternative gun, his melee weapon choices remain quite wide, including being able to dual-wield power weapons. </tab> <tab name="Thunderwolf"> Provides his unit a single-use ability to move d6" after getting shot, which at the very least gets them within charging range. Of course, he gets the wide list of melee weapons for use on top of the supporting bites from his pet wolf. </tab> </tabs>
- Wolf Guard Pack Leader: Replacing the old option to upgrade Blood Claws/Grey Hunters/Long Fangs, these guys only grant a single-use re-roll of a battle-shock test and nothing more. Well, he's able to join any units already joined by another character, making something of disposable fodder for characters, forcing enemies in melee to pick between either fighting the big guy with all the buffs or this separate but equally annoying wolf.
- Comes in standard, jump pack, and terminator varieties, but their armaments are pretty much identical to the captain's except for the terminator, which lets you take a cyclone missile launcher, combi-weapon, and thunder hammer so you can properly support a Long Fangs unit with additional dakka.
Epic Heroes[edit]
- Logan Grimnar:
- Stormbringer:
- Arjac Rockfist:
- Bjorn the Fell-Handed: M8" T9 Sv2+ W8 Ld6+ OC3, halves incoming damage. This glorious bastard is simultaneously your best bet at achieving Saga of the Bear (and you can recover from having done it with a Techmarine or Iron Priest) and Saga of the Beastslayer, since he's inherently exposed, durable, and has very good gun choices. If you're going to field Space Wolves in their detachment, you should consider him an auto-include. He has an array of gun choices, most of which you'll never make, so here's the short list of tempting ones.
- Multi-melta: Better than the Twin Lascannon at achieving Saga of the Beastslayer, but requires you to get close to your target to make that happen. If you have a credible plan for getting close, this is your best bet.
- Plasma Cannon: Ideal A*BS*D in Hazardous mode, plus you can use Hazardous to attempt Saga of the Bear on your own terms. Not the best at Saga of the Beastslayer, but has perfectly adequate range.
- Twin Lascannon: Has the range and offensive oomph to really let you go for Saga of the Beastslayer on your own terms, as soon as you've rendered something wounded enough to probably die in one shot. If you're scared of the Plasma Cannon's Hazardous mode, this is your best bet for sitting back at range.
- Canis Wolfborn:
- Harald Deathwolf:
- Krom Dragongaze:
- Lukas the Trickster:
- Murderfang:
- Njal Stormcaller:
- Ragnar Blackmane:
- Ulrik the Slayer:
Battleline[edit]
- Blood Claws: Angry assault marines, gaining +1 to Strength and Attacks when they charge. Uniquely capable of taking some special weapons that even the codex ones can't like the grav-guns and plasma. That said, they need the supporting characters because their chainswords don't get any of the tricks that get given to standard assault marines.
- Grey Hunters: The grizzled old guys of the chapter. They're Tactical Marines without the option for heavy guns. That's really all you need and they're always able to remain mobile - especially since they can ride around in a Razorback.
Infantry[edit]
- Hounds of Morkai: Specialized psyker-hunting Reivers. Not only do they get a 4++ save against all psychic powers, their knives and pistols also get Devastating Wounds, Precision and Anti-Psyker 4+ so you know just who to throw these bastards to. On top of that, they can target one enemy within 12" during the shooting phase (upped to 18" if they join a Reiver Lieutenant) and force them to take a Battleshock test with a -1 if they're a psyker. If they fail, the unit isn't only battle-shocked but now take a -1 to hit with any Psychic weapons they use.
- Long Fangs: RAW unplayable, as RAW they aren't adeptus astartes, but hopefully no opponent will be a stickler for that. Significantly better than baseline Devastatator Squads: not only can you take a Wolf Guard Pack Leader in Terminator Armor for a pair of additional missile launchers, but instead of gaining Ignores Cover from Remaining Stationary, you gain re-rolling 1 to hit, which is better.
- Skyclaws: Give the Blood Claws jump packs but no longer gives them the Battleline keyword. Otherwise remain just as inclined to charge, but they sadly don't get the ability to deal mortal wounds on the charge.
- Wolf Guard: Absolute trash. If you're in a Gladius detachment so you're not forced to drop the good stuff, just take a real Command Squad.
- Wolf Guard Terminators: Combination regular/assault terminators.
- Wolf Scouts: Veterans as scouts, and they have the firepower to show. On top of the missile launchers and heavy bolters, they can also grab special guns if the bolter and shotgun don't cut it for them. Their sergeant, meanwhile, has a lot of fancy tools to employ both in melee and at range.
- Wulfen:
Beasts[edit]
- Fenrisian Wolves:
Mounted[edit]
- Thunderwolf Cavalry: This unit isn't good at murdering anything, especially since you'll always swap their pistols out for storm shields. What they're good at is mobility and durability, meaning they're good escorts for a leader. Leader options are:
- Logan Grimnar on Stormrider (1/battle your whole army can re-roll charges and melee hit rolls)
- Canis Wolfborn (Led unit has Sustained Hits 1, but that's putting lipstick on a pig)
- Harald Deathwolf ('Devastating Wounds on the wolves' jaws only, ugh)
- Wolf Lord on Thunderwolf (+1 to Advance and Charge rolls and 1/round free strat, now we're getting somewhere)
- Wolf Guard Battle Leader (Lethal Hits and 1/battle move 1d6" after being shot, and can stack with a Wolf Lord, Harald, or Logan)
Vehicles[edit]
- Space Wolves Venerable Dreadnought:
- Wulfen Dreadnought:
Aircraft[edit]
- Stormfang Gunship:
- Stormwolf:
Imperial Fists[edit]
Epic Heroes[edit]
- Darnath Lysander: The world's angriest terminator remains ever-obstinate. On top of being an angry man with a super-hammer and shield, he has a single-use ability to make his save a 2+/2++ for a turn, making him nigh-unkillable. On top of that, if he's leading a unit of terminators, the enemy has to take -1 to wound if their weapon's Strength beats the Terminator's Toughness - It doesn't matter how strong those meltas and lascannons are, they're still taking that reduction.
- Tor Garadon: A Gravis Captain with the unique loadout of Grav-gun and super Power Fist at S12 AP-2 D2 that can reduce anything it sees to scrap - and that's before adding his own special benefits that add +2 to Strength, AP and Damage when used against any Vehicle, Monster or Fortification. Fortunately, any Gravis unit he joins (Aggressors, Eradicators, Heavy Intercessors) can get some benefit by getting Lethal Hits and Ignores Cover, benefiting anything that isn't flamer Aggressors.
- Pedro Kantor: Technically here despite being chapter master of the Crimson Fists. That said, he doesn't really offer a whole lot to any squad he provides. Rather than the stuff a Captain would normally get, he instead gives the unit +1 to hit if they're missing models and +1 to wound if they're below half-strength. Simply put, this doesn't cut it. He has a single-use ability to give every weapon in his unit +1 attack on any Command phase, which has its uses, but it's at the cost of being able to use a free stratagem any turn.
Blood Angels[edit]
Thematically, these guys are a bunch of poncy space vampires who constantly battle their own genetic curses. These curses turn out to be their greatest strengths, as they become genuine monsters made to Rip and Tear.
On the tabletop, these guys go pretty deep for both melee and speed with your unique units mostly focusing on jump packs or being Death Company.
Characters[edit]
- Sanguinary Priest: An apothecary with a chainsword. Rather than resurrecting the dead, he grants a 5+++ FNP to whoever he leads and improves the AP of their melee weapons by 1. Fortunately, he can join a squad already led by a captain, chapter master, or lieutenant, allowing some welcome protection and melee support for everyone. He joins the "standard" set of firstborn squads with Command Squads replaced by Devastator Squads to avoid letting you (thematically speaking) double up on apothecaries in 1 unit: Assault, Devastator, Tactical, or Vanguard Squad.
- with Jump Pack: Because it'd be weird if you couldn't buy one for him. Changes what he can lead to the standard Jump Pack set (assault Squads with Jump Packs and Vanguard Veteran Squads with Jump Packs).
Epic Heroes[edit]
- Astorath the Grim: A jump pack chaplain with a very ferocious axe who can only join jump pack DC. Any pack he leads gets the chance to fight before dying and any charges they make give their weapons Devastating Wounds.
- Lord Commander Dante:
- Brother Corbulo: A special Sanguinary Priest, the only differentiating factor being that his chainsword has +1 Strength and Sustained Hits 1
- Captain Tycho:
- Tycho the Lost:
- Lemartes: A Chaplain on a jump pack who can only pick up jump pack DC. Alongside the 6+ FNP symbolic of the Death Company, he also grants them Lethal Hits on melee, something his unique Crozius already enjoys.
- Mephiston:
- The Sanguinor:
- Gabriel Seth: Though he's Chapter Master of the Flesh Tearers, the new 10E rules essentially treat him as a Blood Angels Epic Hero who can't interact with any other BA Epic Heroes. While he's no stronger than the basic firstborn captain, he is very mobile by letting an attached unit (a Tac Squad, Assault Squad, Command Squad or Vanguard Vets) charge after advancing. He's also insanely fighty, as his Blood Reaver is a very lethal chainsword with S8 AP-2 D3 with Sustained Hits 1 as well as an extra attack for every 5 enemy models within 6" of him. Put him in front of a mob of gaunts or boyz, and he'll cleave through them like nothing.
Infantry[edit]
- Death Company Intercessors: Intercessors with 6+ FNP. That said, they can only be led by a Primaris Chaplain. If you don't at least have a Chaplain within 12" of them, then these guys lose their OC1 and can never fall back, making them useful only as a kamikaze unit. Fortunately nothing forces you to pick either the bolt rifle or chainsword loadouts, as you get a free use of either Heroic Intervention or Fire Overwatch each turn - provided you didn't use it before.
- Death Company Marines: The original Death Company. This gives you more freedom to pick how many of your models can go either melee or ranged, and the melee ones can freely pick whether or not they pick up power weapons and thunder hammers. While they lack free stratagems, they do gain Sustained Hits 1 if they lose models and Sustained Hits 2 if they're below half-strength.
- Jump Packs: Re-rolling to charge at least makes them far more likely to reach combat - it's the only place they're meant to go. Sadly, they don't gain anything to make charges more deadly and the jump Chaplain's power only gives you smashes during the fight.
- Sanguinary Guard: The jump pack answer to the Command Squad. Maybe they don't have an apothecary on hand, but having one as a retinue in place of jump pack Assault marines makes enemies take -1 to hit (natively) and -1 to wound (as a retinue).
Vehicles[edit]
- Baal Predator: Can re-roll advance rolls (so average 4.25", not average 3.5") and all ranged weapons gain Assault when the model advances (which is functionally the same as always having it) but can only target infantry units when they shoot, which is extremely crippling. The default loadout is just a Razorback but worse since it's not a transport, but you can take sponson weapons (2 heavy flamers or bolters) and more importantly swap out the turret TAC for a Baal Flamestorm Cannon: 18: Ad6+3 BS Torrent S6 AP-2 (Ignores Cover) D2. Good news: the BFC is better than a TAC against nearly everything. Bad news: the heavy flamers are generally inferior to heavy bolters, and unlike a real Predator, you can't take lascannon sponsons; more importantly, the BFC has fundamentally similar performance to a Predator Destructor's Predator Autocannon against the majority of targets (remember, at BFC range, the autocannon fires 8 shots) at inferior range. tl;dr Never take this, a Predator Destructor does the same job better.
Walkers[edit]
- Death Company Dreadnought: The Furioso Fists have 1 AP over the classic dreadfist, making them a bit better on tanks even before accounting for all the MWs you deal before fighting in melee. If you go fisting, take a Magna-Grapple to make things easier on yourself - You want to be fighting Monsters and Vehicles, so a +2 on charge rolls is vital at the cost of the Smoke keyword. Taking the Blood Talons is only worth it for fighting infantry mobs. A helpful ability this dread gets is the ability to fight back if anyone tries to attack at any range.
- The underslung guns on your fists will offer some support, but you're going to be pressed for choices. Just by default, you only get a storm bolter on one fist while the other fist comes with an odd melta. The only alternatives you get for both are heavy flamers.
- Furioso Dreadnought: Comes with a Frag Cannon so you have a better gun to blow apart hordes at close range. That said, you can still go double-fisting if you want - after all, you're getting [Twin-Linked] for going full melee. Just beware that you lack the DC 6+ FNP.
- Librarian Dreadnought: A Furioso Dread with one fist and a force halberd for a supporting attack - While a lot less powerful than the fist, it's capable of a lot more damage. If you want real psychic power, it has the Blood Lance power for a single shot that can ram through lighter tanks.
- The Librarian Dread comes with two psychic buffs that make it better for support. One is a 6" bubble that gives everyone a 5+ FNP against mortal wounds and psychic powers, the other is a risky power that lets you redeploy one Infantry squad within 12" anywhere on the board.
Iron Hands[edit]
Epic Heroes[edit]
- Iron Father Feirros: A step beyond the typical techmarine, as he can heal a flat 3 wounds on any vehicle he hides behind. Uniquely, he doesn't get angrier if a tank dies near him, he can instead give his squad (only being Eradicators, Aggressors or Heavy Intercessors due to his Gravis Armour, but can't attach any servitors for some reason) a 5+ FNP save. For the Heavy Intercessors, this is wild since they now have something that can be used to ignore any hits they suffer, regardless of whether or not they can reduce the attack's AP, while flamer Aggressors and Eradicators will just need it by virtue of how close they need to be for their jobs.
- Much as with the Techmarine above, he can be used to make a firebase unit. Attach him to a full squad of Heavy Intercessors and park them and a Ballistus Dreadnought on a backfield objective, Feirros will keep the latter in operation while the former gain 5+ FNP and along with Ferros' Forge Bolter can dump 16 Heavy Bolt Rifle and 9 Heavy Bolter shots on the enemy. All sans 6 of the Heavy Bolter shots are at BS 2+ (unlike the regular Techmarine build, apparently Servitors are better shots with their Heavy Bolters than actual Marines as they have 3+ BS when a Techmarine is with them), so you'll only get 5 dead marines vs the 7.5 of the Techmarine build. Overall, this means you should probably use him for a choppy sort of build, as below.
- Where Feirros is much better, however, is advancing with a retinue of Aggressors and alongside a Brutalis Dreadnought, he'll keep the Dreadnought at full wounds and buffed, while his Aggressors soak enemy fire and clear out any chaff between the Dreadnought and its
victimtarget.
Ultramarines[edit]
First among equals, the Ultramarines set the standard for everyone else, and are paragons of strategy. Appropriate, since their Primarch wrote the Codex Astartes.
On the tabletop, said primarch helps with giving you an extra usage of Oath of Moment. Even with only one character shown? People are already upset about your unique units. (And that's before we get to the rest of the special snowflakes)
Epic Heroes[edit]
- Marneus Calgar: Now is attached to his Victrix Guard, providing a 4+ FNP while they're alive and two souped-up power swords to complement his own Twin-Linked power fists with heavy pistols strapped onto them. He provides 1 CP for every turn he's alive, but more importantly, he can attach to a very wide set of units despite being a giant guy in Gravis Armour - This works in his favor since he can let any unit he joins shoot and charge after advancing or falling back. Excellent for keeping his squad at their absolute best at every opportunity.
- Captain Sicarius: One of the very few plasma pistols that never worries about overheating. He can give any squad he joins Assault on their guns and Scouts 6", which feels a bit redundant on the Vanguard Vets (if they can't stack, that is). He also has the ability to move 6" if any enemies move within 9" of them so they can close in for the assault.
- Chaplain Cassius: Comes with a slightly stronger Crozius and a combi-weapon with Torrent and Ignores Cover being the only thing to remind us that it's meant to be a combi-flamer. While he doesn't give +1 to wound like typical Chaplains, he does provide a squad Devastating Wounds. He also gives his squad the chance to make one attack after dying in melee on a 4+.
- Chief Librarian Tigurius: His psychic hood not only grants a 4+ FNP against psychic weapons, but also against any mortal wounds - whether psychic or mundane. He also has the far more powerful perk of making enemies suffer -1 to hit his unit while also granting a single free use of either Counter-Offensive, Fire Overwatch, Go to Ground or Heroic Intervention.
- Sergeant Chronus: Remains someone meant to pilot tanks, as he starts out commanding any Land Raider, Predator or Rhino-based battletank. The lucky tank not only gets a 2+ BS across all their guns (though it's uncertain if it accounts for any damage tracks the tank might have), but they can re-roll one wound roll each turn, making whatever he hits a big threat. That said, the servo-arm is now even more token since he can't even repair the tank he's riding.
- Sergeant Telion: The major force multiplier for scouts, as he's not only giving them +1 OC but also +1 to hit and your choice of either Lethal Hits, Precision or Sustained Hits 1 each turn. While this applies to all weapons, he's probably best at home at range, as his special bolter is pretty much a sniper.
- Uriel Ventris: Grants one squad of Infantry the ability to deep-strike (Note: it doesn't have to be the squad he joined), but more importantly he can let you re-use stratagems, though you still need to spend CP for it - in exchange he can use strats even though the squad's battle-shocked. He's got a pretty basic loadout, with his power sword gaining Sustained Hits 1 while touting a bolt rifle.
- Roboute Guilliman: The Avenging Son has received an extra wound and can come back from the dead on a 3+ (with 6 wounds) the first time he's defeated. While he can't join units, he gains Lone Operative any time he's within 3" of any Space Marines infantry units to compensate. (Sadly, he still can't take transports because he's not infantry.) His shooting is roughly the same since while the Hand of Dominion is only Rapid Fire 2 now, it compensates with AP-2. In melee, he's as dangerous as ever, with the Emperor's Sword granting 14 S8 AP-3 D2 attacks with Devastating Wounds and the Hand of Dominion granting 7 S14 AP-4 D4 attacks with Lethal Hits. Finally, Adept of the Codex lets him choose one of three buffs at the start of the Command Phase, which will last until the next Command Phase:
- Primarch of the XIIIth: Friendly units within 6" gain +1 to OC and can re-roll Leadership and Battle-Shock tests.
- Master of Battle: After picking the target for Oath of Moment, select a second enemy unit. If the first target dies, your army receives the re-roll bonuses that Oath of Moment provides against the second target.
- Supreme Strategist: A friendly Space Marine unit within 12" can be targeted with a Stratagem for free, even if the Stratagem you're targeting it with has already been used that Command Phase.
Infantry[edit]
- Tyrannic War Veterans: 5 Tacticals with Anti-Tyranids 4+ and Devastating Wounds against Tyranids, so they have everything they'll need to rip through smaller nids. That said, this is all they can do since they can't equip anything else and can't be attached to anyone but Cassius.
Salamanders[edit]
Raven Guard[edit]
Epic Heroes[edit]
- Kayvaan Shrike: An absolute sneak, complete with Stealth and Lone Operative so he has protection without anyone around him with the added bonus of being able to fly into reserves if he needs to, and while he can join an Assault squad or Vanguard Vets for additional jump pack shenanigans, he can let them enjoy the benefits of Lone Operative if he's in charge of them.
- Losing the Phobos keyword pretty much acts as an unequivocal win for Shrike, since none of those units could ever fly around at his speed. Getting his retinue the ability to fly with him lets him easily get past any retinue and put his claws to work ripping through enemy characters with Precision. Hell, he even has a special bolt pistol so he can try and snipe an enemy out if he feels so inclined.
Black Templars[edit]
Actual quote by Sigismund, he called it first.
The Great Crusade never ended for these guys. Not confined to a sector like other chapters, the Black Templars fight the enemies of mankind wherever they are.
On the tabletop, we've only seen Sword Brethren so far. But with how they look? It's a good time to be on a crusade.
Characters[edit]
- Castellan: A very zealous Primaris Lieutenant with restrictions on what he can lead and worse weapon choices, a complete waste of your time.
- Marshal: A very zealous Primaris Captain with restrictions on what he can lead and worse weapon choices, a complete waste of your time.
Epic Heroes[edit]
- High Marshal Helbrecht:
- High Chaplain Grimaldus:
- The Emperor's Champion:
Battleline[edit]
- Crusader Squad: A band of zealous Firstborn with chainswords that can re-roll advances and charges.
- Primaris Crusader Squad: A band of zealous Primarines with chainswords that can re-roll advances and charges.
- Primaris Sword Brethren: A band of zealous Primarines with chainswords and power weapons aplenty. Helping them out is Vow-sworn Bladesmen, which lets them add +1 to either attacks or damage for their melee weapons each Fight phase, which means a lot when combined with detachment vows. Will this also apply to the leader? Will we see 12 D2 attacks from Helbrecht?
Vehicles[edit]
So you saw that the Primaris Vehicles were all blocked for some reason, didn't you? Here's why - the crusade has their own versions! All boils down to replacing the Ironhail heavy stubber slot with a multi-melta, giving your Primaris vehicles extra punch against everything.
- Black Templars Gladiator Lancer:
- Black Templars Gladiator Reaper:
- Black Templars Gladiator Valiant:
- Black Templars Impulsor:
- Black Templars Repulsor:
- Black Templars Repulsor Executioner:
Deathwatch[edit]
Peerless xenos hunters, the Deathwatch is the space marine MIB. Veterans drawn from across every chapter, they are geared to combat the alien menace even more so than their by-comparison-ordinary fellow superhumans, using Specialized Weapons And Tactics seen nowhere else.
A rather weird army that runs against the grain of the typical chapter. That said, they have plenty of the units that combine different sorts of units to provide all the firepower without needing to buy the individual models.
Army Rules[edit]
- Kill Teams: The necessary rules needed to accommodate the various types of models combined into a kill team, as indicated by the keyword. Models with Terminator, Jump Pack, or Mounted can still enter transports that would traditionally would've refused them, though each of those models take up 2 slots. Those latter two keywords also still count as Infantry for the sake of terrain. And when the unit is being attacked, you use majority T, breaking ties in favor of highest T.
Characters[edit]
- Watch Master: Your substitute for a captain, armed with what's essentially a bolter with a beefy S6 AP-2 D3 power weapon with Lance. While he doesn't give free stratagems, he has a one-use ability to make a strat the enemy uses permanently cost 1 CP more and he can let any DW Vets or Proteus Team (the only ones he can accompany) shoot and charge after advancing or falling back.
- Is he worth taking over a captain? If you're not looking at any stratagems as your game-changers and just want someone to smack things alongside your exclusive teams; also, if you already have a captain, Watch Masters have no 1/army restrictions on their abilities like a normal captain's Rites of Battle does. Otherwise it'd be foolish to pass up free strats.
Epic Heroes[edit]
- Watch Captain Artemis: A captain with a power sword and a combi-flamer we can only identify as such because it has Ignores Cover and Torrent. On top of a tanky 3+/4++/6+++, he can come back from the dead on a 2+, giving him a precious lone wound to fight on. Why would you take him? Well, he's like Uriel Ventris in that he can let a squad he leads use a stratagem that was already used. True, it's still using a CP, but it's a useful resource.
- Kill Team Cassius: When a younger Cassius learned the finer arts of xenocide with a band of friends. He leads 8 veterans of varying loadouts, a biker, and a terminator, granting them all Devastating Wounds while he's still alive. Meanwhile, the entire squad gets to re-roll battle-shock and Leadership checks. Truth be told, the grand consolidation of combi-weapons works somewhat in their favor, as they're now mostly dedicated to being anti-infantry, though it's still split between melee and ranged. Also troubling is how only two members (Cassius and the Terminator) get any invulnerable saves while only the Librarian gives a 4+++ against psychic attacks.
- The Veterans all have unique loadouts per member: Vael Donatus (Bolter+CCW), Zadeon Gydrael (LV Melee+Ranged), Rodricus Grytt (Frag Cannon), Antor Delassio (LV Ranged+Melee+Jump Pack), Edryc Sedorax (Twin Claws+Jump Pack), Jensus Natorian (Librarian hood+Force Weapon+Psychic Cleanse for something more rapid-fire without the overload), Drenn Redblade (Bolter+LV Melee), Ennox Sorlock (LV Ranged+CCW). Alongside them is Jetek Suberei (Biker w/ LV Melee) and Garran Barantar (Terminator w/ Heavy Flamer+Fist+LV Ranged)
Battleline[edit]
- Deathwatch Veterans: Your elite alien hunters. They still have plenty of firepower to use and Death to the Alien lets them re-roll 1s to hit, improving to re-rolling all hits against units without the Imperium or Chaos keywords (confirming that the dwarves are considered to be xenos by the Imperium), which is ideal when you want to fish for critical hits if you have Lethal Hits turned on.
- Many of your loadout options will turn you into a Proteus Kill Team, Vanguard Veteran Squad, or especially Sternguard Veteran Squad But Worse. Consider very carefully before reaching for this unit; you need a specific plan. For example, a squad of 5 of them with combi-weapons can legally ride a Razorback since they're firstborn, which lets you use the Razorback's re-rolls to wound to help out your Devastating Wounds.
Infantry[edit]
- Deathwatch Terminator Squad: Essentially Assault Terminators who can still pick the special guns. While the Homing Beacon stays, they get the slightly less helpful Terminatus Assault from the Assault Termies, forcing enemies they charge to test for battle-shock. Uniquely, any unit with special guns can still pick up a chainfist or power weapon, but the power fist remains better. If you need more melee power, you can still give anyone twin claws or the hammer+shield.
Kill Teams[edit]
These teams will always count as Infantry despite potentially carrying bikes or terminators who might throw things off. Hell, you can even fit them in transports, though it'll take a bit of more room to fit them in.
- Proteus Kill Team: The firstborn team, granting +1 to hit when they attack enemies at or above half-strength. Probably the most diverse squad out there, as it lets you pick out various troops, including Terminators and Bikers.
- The base vets work just like Deathwatch Veterans, with two nerfs: no sergeant to pick up a Xenophase Blade or force his bolter to be a combi-weapon, and the heavy gunner dudes can't pick up missile launchers. We'll get to the Terminators in a second, but for your 5 base dudes, at least 3 of them have 1 real job: getting shot first to ensure the unit stays at T5. That means you want 3 of them to have an invuln shield, and since base bolters are functionally useless, go ahead and give them power swords ("LV melee weapons").
- No melee loadout you can take on a base dude can remotely compare to a Terminator with a Terminator Thunder Hammer, which is why we already forced 3 dudes to carry a shield. However, your remaining 2 base dudes can carry guns worth a damn, so you have a choice there: 2 more shieldbearers for more ablative wounds for the Termis on top of some anti-MEQ melee, or 2 Infernus Heavy Bolters so you can always choose between a Heavy Bolter or a Heavy Flamer. The latter is probably your best bet.
- The Terminators raise your unit's T to 5 provided you bring 5 of them, which is illegal this edition. 3 of them should be gun carriers, with a Cyclone Missile Launcher, Storm Bolter, and Power Fist each. The remaining 1 should take the inexplicably good Terminator Thunder Hammer, which outperforms both the basic dude Thunder Hammer and the Thunder Hammer your normal Termis can take, which forces a pairing with a Storm Shield for W4. Make no mistake, all 4 Termis are here to murder things, not to tank except as a last resort - you took 3 basic shield dudes for a reason.
- A note on points: right now, the basic veterans are "worth" 20 points each, the terminators are "worth" 42, and the bikers are "worth" 28.33 points each, but the Proteus Kill Team costs 33 points a dude - meaning even if you were able to take 5 Terminators, your "average" value would be 31 points that you're paying 33 for (according to GW's math), and any other choice only makes your points efficiency plummet. While GW certainly can't be trusted to get points values anywhere near correct, this is another reason to ignore bikes and jump pack dudes in your unit.
- The jump vets are stuck with a deeply inferior loadout: a power sword with no accompanying invuln shield. As a result, never take these - your base veterans are better.
- The bikers each have a "twin boltgun", which is a boltgun but worse, going from A2 to A1 in exchange for Twin-Linked, and a power sword; the reason to take them is that each is OC2 and T5, which, per the Kill Team special rule, will let the entire unit act like it's T5 if half of the models or more are bikers. That means in order for your bikers to protect your other dudes they have to die last while holding the worst weapons in the team, so you probably don't want any - Terminators are also T5 and carry weapons worth a damn.
- The base vets work just like Deathwatch Veterans, with two nerfs: no sergeant to pick up a Xenophase Blade or force his bolter to be a combi-weapon, and the heavy gunner dudes can't pick up missile launchers. We'll get to the Terminators in a second, but for your 5 base dudes, at least 3 of them have 1 real job: getting shot first to ensure the unit stays at T5. That means you want 3 of them to have an invuln shield, and since base bolters are functionally useless, go ahead and give them power swords ("LV melee weapons").
- Fortis Kill Team: The Tacticus team, gaining +1 to hit enemies below half-strength. While you can grab plasma incinerators and heavy pistols+chainswords as separate goons, they can't equip much more than they start with. That rests with the basic Intercessors, who can buy special weapons, including LV ranged and melee weapons and plasma pistols. You really shouldn't take this unit - it's fundamentally Hellblasters But Worse. The only real benefit to taking them is it lets you attach a Judiciar or Primaris Champion to Hellblasters, but why is that your priority?
- Basic bitches: one can take a power sword ("LV melee weapon") with no downsides, so always take that. Separately, you can swap out a bolt rifle for a combi-weapon ("LV ranged weapon"), which is a terrible idea, and you can swap out a bolt rifle for several options that are all worse than a hand flamer or a hand flamer. Swapping out 1 rifle (probably on the sword dude) for a hand flamer is an interesting choice that likely depends on which detachment rules you're using.
- With no terminators in the unit and no options for actual shields, you're stuck to using the bikers as your shields. Fortunately, these guys can still use their twin bolters for different firepower, trading Assault and Heavy for Twin-Linked. Unfortunately, these guns aren't worth enough to warrant 5 bikes that die last, so don't take any bikes.
- If you're stupid enough to take a member with a heavy bolt pistol and chainsword, you deserve what you get. This is a ranged unit.
- Indomitor Kill Team: The Gravis team, gaining +1 to hit if they're below starting strength and +1 to wound if below half-strength. Pretty much required to fire within the 18" range despite having heavy bolt rifles with almost double that. You need them within that range because you've only got the Aggressors to fight back in melee.
- These are Eradicators But Worse. Hard Pass.
- Spectrus Kill Team: The Phobos team, capable of flying into reserves at the end of the enemy's turn if they're over 6" away from any enemies. The Infiltrators are necessary as they can equip the only gear available - a Helix Gauntlet for a 5+++ and a Comms Array for a CP refund on a 5+. Alongside them are the far more mobile Incursors and the Reivers with their close-quarters marksmanship letting them hit key targets.
- Like with all of the other Primaris Kill Teams, you're better off just fielding real units than using this unit to field a weird mix that can't do anything right.
- The Suppressors remain the odd ones out, being the only ones with jump packs and their accelerator autocannons only giving them long-range firepower without any power to actually lock down foes. If you want something just as powerful and capable of killing the person you want, you can just grab Eliminators - just remember that you're getting no las-fusils for genuine anti-tank firepower.
- The datasheet has rules for las-fusils but no option to take them, implying this is yet another 10E Index oversight.
Mounted[edit]
- Veteran Biker Squad: Pretty much what you'd expect. All your bikers can grab LV Melee weapons, or a Xenophase Blade for someone really special. The only reason you'd pick a shield is because you really want to be a bunker for whatever character joins them, since these give the 4++ save.
Aircraft[edit]
- Corvus Blackstar:
Tactics[edit]
leader buffs[edit]
so many character options; break down what each leader provides to a unit ignoring selfish ablities.
Captain: 0CP
- Terminator: Reroll charge
- Jump pack: +1Str on charge
- Bike: [Assault]
Lieutenant: [Lethal Hits]
- Reiver: +3” terror aura
- Phobos: Shoot, then normal move
- Primaris/Lieutenant: fall back, Shoot, and charge
Librarian: Psychic 4+++
- Primaris/Librarian: 4++
- Phobos: Stealth and 12” un targetable
- Terminator: SUSTAINED HITS 1
- Jump pack: -1 AP melee weapons
Chaplain: +1 wound in melee
- Primaris/Chaplain: once per battle end battle-shocked
- Terminator: 4+++ vs MW
- Bike: DEVASTATING WOUNDS to shoot one target
- Jump pack: MWs
Primaris Company champion: +1 advance and charge
PRIMARIS APOTHECARY: Raise 1 model
APOTHECARY BIOLOGIS: [LETHAL HITS]
ANCIENT: unit +1 OC
- PRIMARIS: self only 4+++
- BLADEGUARD ANCIENT: once per battle, +1 melee attack
- TERMINATOR: +1 hit less than full, +1 wound if Below Half-strength
JUDICIAR: Fights First
Now Break down by unit group.
Firstborn:
- Captain: 0CP
- Lieutenant: [Lethal Hits] & fall back, Shoot, and charge
- Librarian: Psychic 4+++ & 4++
- Chaplain: +1 wound in melee & once per battle end battle-shocked
Jump pack
- 0CP & +1Str on charge
- Librarian: Psychic 4+++ & -1 AP melee weapons
- Chaplain: +1 wound in melee & MWs
Tacticus:
- Captain: 0CP
- Lieutenant: [Lethal Hits] & fall back, Shoot, and charge
- Librarian: Psychic 4+++ & 4++
- Chaplain: +1 wound in melee & once per battle end battle-shocked
- Primaris Company champion: +1 advance and charge
- PRIMARIS APOTHECARY: Raise 1 model
- ANCIENT: unit +1 OC
- Fights First
Bladeguard:
- BLADEGUARD ANCIENT: Unit +1 OC & once per battle, +1 melee attack
Bike:
- Captain: 0CP & [Assault]
- Chaplain: +1 wound in melee & DEVASTATING WOUNDS to shoot one target
Phobos:
- Captain: 0CP
- Lieutenant: [Lethal Hits] & Shoot, then normal move
- Librarian: Psychic 4+++ & Stealth and 12” un targetable
TERMINATOR:
- Captain: 0CP & Reroll charge
- Librarian: Psychic 4+++ & [SUSTAINED HITS 1]
- Chaplain: +1 wound in melee & MW 4+++
- ANCIENT: unit +1 OC & +1 hit less than full, +1 wound if Below Half-strength
Gravis:
- Captain: 0CP
- APOTHECARY BIOLOGIS: [LETHAL HITS]
<tabs>
<tab name="10th">
| General Tactics | |
|---|---|
| Imperium | |
| Chaos | |
| Eldar | |
| Necrons | |
| Orks | |
| Tau | |
| Tyranids | |
| Votann |
</tab>
<tab name="9th">
| General Tactics | |
|---|---|
| Imperium | |
| Chaos | |
| Eldar | |
| Necrons | |
| Orks | |
| Tau | |
| Tyranids | |
| Votann |
</tab>
<tab name="8th">
| General Tactics | |
|---|---|
| Imperium | |
| Chaos | |
| Eldar | |
| Necrons | |
| Orks | |
| Tau | |
| Tyranids |
</tab>
<tab name="7th">
| General Tactics | |
|---|---|
| Imperium | |
| Chaos | |
| Eldar | |
| Necrons | |
| Orks | |
| Tau | |
| Tyranids |
</tab>
<tab name="6th">
| General Tactics | |
|---|---|
| Imperium | |
| Chaos | |
| Eldar | |
| Necrons | |
| Orks | |
| Tau | |
| Tyranids |
</tab>
<tab name="All">
| General Tactics |
|
|---|---|
| Imperium (8th) |
|
| Chaos | |
| Eldar |
|
| Necrons | |
| Orks | |
| Tau | |
| Tyranids |
</tab>
</tabs>