Editing Warhammer 40,000/8th Edition Tactics/Space Marines (section)

==={{W40Kkeyword|Salamanders}}===
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[[File:Salamanders_Chapter_Livery.jpg|100px|left|]]In the grim darkness of the far future, the flame of hope burns still.<br>
Thematically, these guys are the true saviours of mankind, as while everyone else is running around hitting/stabbing each other with various weapons, the Salamanders are the warrior angels who are protecting the civilians, infrastructure, and all the other things that make a society a society. And also setting the enemies of the Emperor on fire.<br>
On the tabletop, these Bros acts much like a jack of all trades with Shooting, melee, and resilience, with them being able to both hit and wound a little better than most and being able to ignore -1 AP and other Stratagems means they have a little more staying power. Their preferred weapons are short-ranged, but you'll find that flames and meltaguns will solve almost all problems. <br>
''Vulkan lives!'' (STOMP-STOMP)
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====Special Rules====
*'''Chapter Tactics - Forged in Battle:''' A '''unit''' with this tactic can re-roll a single to hit roll and a single wound roll each time it shoots or fights (including overwatch). Your units treat AP-1 attacks as if they were AP0, meaning things like heavy bolters will be a minimal threat.
**Especially useful to ''all'' vehicles, {{W40Kkeyword|characters}}, MSU, and strong single-shot weapons like Lascannons and Meltas. Assuming you hit and wound on 3+, that one shot goes from 44% to wound to over 70% (saves not calculated). While it reduces your dependence on Captains and Lieutenants (allowing you to focus on the other HQs), it also helps them with those 2s, statistically similar to a Chapter Master (on a 1-shot unit), which the Salamanders lack unless they spend valuable CP on the Stratagem. Especially Vulkan He'Stan, who is like a Chapter Master only to melta and a Captain to everything else - now melta sergeants can re-roll for themselves.
***''Most'' useful on weapons with ''lower'' strength that instead focus on AP and/or Damage to get work done.  A good example is Eliminators firing Mortis rounds, where you will really notice a substantial increase in performance, particularly if you don't use Guided Aim.
** AP-1 weaponry is the most efficient AP in the game in terms of availability and potential threat against your infantry. Ignoring it is hugely beneficial to your survival, armoured or otherwise.
*'''Combat Doctrine - Promethean Cult:''' While the Tactical Doctrine is active, all flame and melta weapons gain +1 to wound. Honestly, did you expect anything else?
**The best way to use this doctrine, as you might expect, is with Successor Tactics, as the Salamanders tactic is relatively awful with flame weapons, and there's a severe lack of synergy with melta, which usually won't benefit from +1 to wound ''or'' -1 to AP from the Doctrine bonus.  In particular, Salamanders successors with +3" range on their guns will enjoy their flamers and meltaguns a lot more than actual Salamanders will.

====Warlord Traits====
#'''Anvil of Strength:''' The Warlord gets +2 to his Strength ''characteristic'' (so it happens BEFORE 2x),  enabling Power Fists, Thunder Hammers and Boltstorm Gauntlets to <u>hit at Str12</u>. This also allows Relic blades to strike at S8 like a power fist without the -1 modifier. Vulkan He'stan takes this.
#'''Miraculous Constitution:''' The Warlord gets a 6+++ FNP and regains 1 wound at the start of your movement phase. Really good, especially if you have an Apothecary nearby. Vulkan lives! Compared to Iron Resolve, Miraculous Constitution yields more than one wound over time, assuming you are taking on moderate level deathstar units that can't wipe you in one go (Abbadon, Swarmlord, Thunder Hammers, etc..). 
#'''Never Give Up:''' At the start of the battle round, pick a unit within 6" of the Warlord to gain Defenders of Humanity for that round.
#'''Forge Master:''' The Warlord gets +2 Toughness. With T6 (or 7 on Gravis/Bike characters), it'll now take anti-tank weapons to bring down your Warlord. Combos well with The Salamander's Mantle to make a character practically indestructible.  
#'''Lord of Fire:''' Friendly units within 6" of the Warlord re-roll the number of attacks they make with flame weapons. Adrax takes this one.
#'''Patient and Determined:''' Once per shooting or fight phase, one of the Warlord's attacks automatically hit. Can make a thunder hammers more reliable, and more hits are always nice. Because of your likely native re-roll aura and a Salamander re-roll, you are very likely to get the overwhelming majority of your hits in. Since the relic's additional damage is on the wound roll and not hit roll, you are also more likely to proc that as well, due to more wound rolls being made.

====Relics and Special Issue Wargear====
=====Relics=====
*'''Drake-Smiter''': Replaces a Thunder Hammer. Doesn't lose the -1 to hit, but does get AP-4 and becomes 6(!) D on a 6 to wound. Forged in Battle can help you fish for that 6. 
*'''Helm of Drakos''': {{W40Kkeyword|Primaris}} only. Gives +1W and enemy units within 6" get -1LD. Thoroughly meh. The Mantle is a better defensive relic, and unless you're going all in on Leadership debuffs, it's not worth it. That said, a Primaris Librarian with Draconic Aspect and the Fear Made Manifest trait can have an aura of -4LD in 6". If you're playing a Fearsome Aspect successor, you can bump that to -5LD in 3". Some Reivers nearby can bump that to a potential -6LD, then -7LD with Standard of the Emperor Ascendant, and make anything run in terror if your opponent forgets how to solve the problem with CP.
*'''Nocturne's Vengeance''': Replaces a combi-flamer. Both parts get -1AP and 2D with the flamer jumping to 12" range. It's a master-crafted combi-flamer that works out of deep strike to cook up the enemy well.
*'''Salamander's Mantle''': Now re-worked to be even better. It gives a straight -1 to wound the bearer. Combo with the Forge Master trait, and now anything up to S11 (S13 for Gravis/Bikes) wounds on no better than a 4+.
*'''Tome of Velcona''': A {{W40Kkeyword|Librarian}} knows an additional power from the Promethean discipline (even if he took Librarius or Obscuration powers). More importantly, he gets +1 to Psychic tests for Promethean powers. Casting all your powers on a 5+ is nice.
*'''Vulkan's Sigil''': The character gets +1A, and once per game during the Fight phase, all {{W40Kkeyword|Salamanders}} units get +1A for that phase (bringing the bearer to +2A).
*'''Wrath of Prometheus''': Replaces a boltgun or master-crafted boltgun. No additional shots, but it gets +6" range, +1S, -2AP, and D3.

=====Special Issue Wargear=====
*'''Adamantine Mantle:''' Fnp5+++. "Not dying" is good for everyone, but (smash) captains/Primaris are the ones with the most wounds to proc it with.
*'''Artificer Armour:''' 2+/5++. Most useful for Lieutenants and Librarians, who lack invulns.
*'''Master-crafted Weapon:''' +1D to a weapon, and it now considered a relic (so now some WTs no longer affect it and such). ''4D Thunder Hammer isn't quite as appealing since your Relic is better, but why not put this on a Sarge with the right Stratagem?''
*'''Digital Weapons:''' Make an additional attack when the model fights. If it hits, the target suffers a mortal wound.
*'''Obsidian Aquila:''' Friendly {{W40Kkeyword|Chapter}} models within 6" get a 6+++ FNP. You now have a bubble of marines more durable than Iron Hands.
*'''Promethean Plate:''' Wound rolls of 1, 2, or 3 always fail against this model. For when you've already got a model with the Mantle and want a second durable character to hang around. Can really neuter a lot of the deadlier melee attacks in the game.
*'''Dragonrage Bolts:''' When firing a bolt weapon this model has, only make one attack, but if it hits you get 1d6 wound rolls, ignore cover, and -1AP. Turns a bolter into a long range almost-flamer. Notably does not count as a flame weapon, so you don't get the +1 to wound from Promethean Cult.
*'''Drakeblade:''' Replaces a power sword, master-crafted power sword, or combat knife. It's -4 AP, D2, and deals 1 mortal wound on an unmodified 6 to wound. Something for the Phobos characters to replace their crappy combat knife with.

====Stratagems====
*'''Born Protectors (2 CP)''': When a {{W40Kkeyword|Salamanders}} unit is charged, pick another {{W40Kkeyword|Salamanders}} unit within 12". That can fire overwatch in addition to the charged unit, and if the charge is successful, they can Heroically Intervene 2D6", but only towards that charging unit. Tau Overwatch plus a Heroic Intervention? Fantastic, if situational. Can deter certain charges and anything that can change how your opponent plays has a place.
*'''Despite the Odds (1 CP)''': At the end of a turn where you didn't score any Tactical Objectives, if your Warlord is still on the table, generate a new Tactical Objective.
*'''Exemplar of the Promethean Creed (1 CP)''': Your Warlord gets a second Warlord trait. Doesn't work on named characters or someone you gave a trait to with Hero of the Chapter. Lots of fun and interesting combos here.
*'''Flamecraft (2 CP)''': In the shooting phase, a unit's flame weapons will always fire its maximum number of shots. Good for a Land Raider Redeemer, flamer Aggressors, combi-flamer Sternguard, and Assault Centurions. Still great if less efficient on Invictors and Land Speeders with dual Heavy Flamers and on Bray'arth Ashmantle.
*'''Immolation Protocols (1 CP)''': Turn all of one unit's flame weapons into Pistols for one shooting phase. Not a bad way of saving a shooty flame unit from melee.
*'''Master Artisans (1 CP)''': Give a Sergeant a Master-Crafted weapon, Digital Weapons, the Drakeblade, or Dragonrage Bolts
*'''Relentless Determination (1 CP)''': At the end of the Movement phase, pick one unit that did not advance. It counts as stationary, and if it has a damage table, it counts as having double wounds to see which row of the table you use. Let Aggressors and Repulsor Executioners still shoot twice after moving or have a vehicle re-position and still fire its shots at full BS.
*'''Rise From the Ashes (2 CP)''': When a {{W40Kkeyword|Salamanders}} {{W40Kkeyword|Character}} dies, roll a 4+ and they pop back up with 1 wound remaining. Only once per character per game. Opponent manage to take down your Warlord? Snipe the Techmarine playing Self Sacrifice meatshield? Get a lucky shot on your Smash Captain? Hit the undo button on that shit.
*'''Rites of Vulkan (2 CP)''': At the start of the movement phase while in the Tactical doctrine, for the rest of that battle round, all Rapid Fire or Assault weapons in your army get an additional -1AP on natural 6's to wound. Only once per battle. Works best when you have a lot of shots spread around the army.
*'''Self Sacrifice (2 CP)''': Use at the start of the opponent's shooting phase and pick a {{W40Kkeyword|Salamanders}} {{W40Kkeyword|Infantry}} unit in your army that has more than five models and then one other unit that is wholly within 6". For the rest of the phase, your opponent cannot shoot the unit that is being shielded as long as they are wholly within 6" of the unit that is protecting them, unless they are the closest unit. The unit that is doing the body blocking can't be hidden from shooting by psychic powers or other trickery.
*'''Stand Your Ground (1 CP)''': When a {{W40Kkeyword|Salamanders}} {{W40Kkeyword|Infantry}} unit that didn't advance in your last Movement phase is picked as the target of an attack, they get +1 to their saves against D1 weapons for the rest of the phase. Doesn't help with invuln saves (or Servitors, but why are you bringing those?).
*'''Strength of the Primarch (1CP)''': Pick a unit at the start of the fight phase. They get +1S and any unmodified wound rolls of 6 do double damage. Probably worse than Crucible most of the time, but you can use them together to potentially get +2 to wound and exploding 6's. Imagine this on Bray'arth when it goes off. Absolutely crazy on Thunder Hammers. One lucky '6' and the warlord is gone! Just three lucky '6s' and so too is that Landraider! 
*'''The Crucible of Battle (1 CP)''': In the shooting or fight phase, one unit gets +1 to wound for that phase. Veterans of the Long War for the pyro-marines. Works well with the Promethean Cult, and if you want to sink more CP into it, you can toss in Flamecraft for max shot flamers wounding everything on a 4+ or better.
*'''The Fires of Battle (1 CP)''': In the shooting phase or when firing overwatch, when a model is firing a flame weapon or melta, any unmodified 4+ to wound does a mortal wound in addition to normal damage (to a max of three Mortal Wounds). Only works for 1 weapon shot by 1 model, so no Aggressor MW spam for you.
*'''Trust of Prometheus (1 CP)''': Give a successor a {{W40Kkeyword|Salamanders}} relic
*'''Vengeance for Isstvan V (1 CP)''': When facing Word Bearers, Iron Warriors, Night Lords, or Alpha Legion in the fight phase, one unit can re-roll all hit rolls. Very situational, but fluffy.

====Litany & Psychic Discipline- Promethean====
#'''Flaming Blast''': WC6. Pick a spot within 24" that the psyker can see. Each unit within 3" of that spot takes a mortal wound on a 4+. Could be useful for pinging the last wound off of a character if your Eliminators don't finish it off, or singeing several units that are all clumped up, but Smite is probably better most of the time.
#'''Fire Shield''': WC6. A unit within 18" imposes -1 to hit against ranged attacks and -1 to charge distances. 
#'''Burning Hands''': WC6. Until your next Psychic phase, when the psyker is attacking with the base CCW, any hits cause a mortal wound instead of rolling to wound. If you plan to get your Librarian into close combat against something with a good invlun maybe, but you've already got a force weapon.
#'''Drakeskin''': WC6. Pick a unit with 12" to get +1T until the next Psychic phase. Between this and Fire Shield, a Salamanders Librarian can make one target significantly more durable turn after turn.
#'''Fury of Nocturne''': WC6. Pick a visible enemy unit within 18" and roll 2D6. If you roll higher than their highest toughness, they take D3 mortal wounds. Worse chance of causing damage than Smite, but you can pick the target. Could be useful for sniping low T characters.
#'''Draconic Aspect''': WC6. Until your next Psycic phase, all enemy units with 12" get -2LD. Potentially makes for a decent leadership bomb if combo'd with the Helm of Drakos and the Fearsome Aspect tactic and/or Fear made manifest trait.

'''Litany of Battle - Selfless Saviours:''' Within 6" of the priest, friendly Salamanders units gain Heroic Intervention.

====Special Units====
*'''[[Vulkan He'Stan]]:''' Has a Captain's statline, with a 2+ save and a 3+ invuln. Comes with Heavy Flamer, and Relic Blade, and Storm Shield equivalent gear. He has the Captain Rites of Battle ability to let you re-roll hits of 1 for Salamanders units within 6", and his Forgefather ability lets all Salamanders models within 6" reroll any failed hits and wounds with flame or melta in the name, and with his own Gauntlet of the Forge (note that this affects vehicles and melta-bombs too now, but it doesn't affect the bolter part of combi-weapons). Great for tagging along with Sternguard or Company Vets in a Rhino or Drop Pod. Vulkan standing with a 5-man devastator squad, armed with 4 Multi-Meltas and a Combi-Flamer, is extremely productive, both for shooting hordes and high toughness targets. The forgefather rule made him a more support oriented HQ as his melee is mediocre compared to other named characters worth a similar amount of points (namely Shrike or Lysander). He got used to being an immovable object in 7th (2+,3++,5+++(FnP)) but in 8th all you need to do to is fail one 3+ invulnerable save and you take multiple wounds, or get saddled with Mortal Wounds he can't save against. Still, take him if you are a Salamanders player because his rules aren't by any means bad  - and his model is awesome.
**As long as he's your warlord, he also hits with a solid S8 thanks to his Warlord Trait.
**Alternate take: Vulkan He'Stan riding along with either a squad of Assault Centurions in a Land Raider Redeemer or a squad of Aggressors with Flamestorm Gauntlets can be quite effective. Proper positioning will allow re-rolls to hit and to wound on both Land Raider Flamestorm Cannons, the Land Raider's Multi-Melta and on all 6 of the flamers that you've definitely taken on your Assault Centurions, all preceding a devastating charge. The Aggressors will similarly benefit, whether it's from the 4d6 flamer shots they get if they stay still or the 2d6 they unleash as they move into melee range. 
** Primaris Eradicators!!!! They are tough infantry, can move and fire with assault weapons, very high shot volume for melta-weaponry, with He'Stan you should kill any T7 vehicle in one go, with only Land Raiders/baneblades surviving out of the T8 models. 
**He'stan is insanely good backing up Cyclonic Melta Leviathans, or, keeping it lighter, standard-issue multi-melta/heavy flamer dreads, where he will buff the guns all the way, and they can use Salamanders tactics if they need to in melee.
*'''Adrax Agatone''': A Primaris Captain with a hand flamer that acts more like a stronger flamer (12" range and AP-1) and a D4 Thunder Hammer. His cloak reduces all incoming damage by 1, and his Unto the Anvil aura adds 1 to all wound rolls for melee weapons when Shock Assault is triggered. Obviously, he works nicely with Flamestorm Aggressors, especially when he's Warlord so they can re-roll how many hits those Aggressors make. 
*'''Captain Pellas Mir'san (Forgeworld):''' He has the statline of a Captain in Terminator Armour, except with a 6" move instead of 5" and without the transport restrictions of being a terminator, but no Teleport Strike (dude, he's clearly in Artificer armour, not Terminator). He comes with a combi-flamer, Cinder Edge (functionally identical to a force sword), and Steelsilver, which lets you make an additional attack at S4 AP0 D1 against every model within 1". Those attacks are made after his Cinder Edge attacks are resolved and before you consolidate, so it can be a super chainsword or useless depending on what his regular attacks leave behind. He gets the normal Captain Iron Halo for a 4++ and Rites of battle to re-roll 1s to hit within 6". He also gets 2 more attacks when he's within 2" of any enemy Characters. All this for a few points less than a similarly equipped Terminator Captain.  He really wants to be in close combat chopping heads to maximize his usefulness. Probably plays best running with Vanguard or Company Vets kitted for close combat, but he'll likely need a transport to get to where you want him as he has no deep strike options on his own.
**As the Forgeworld characters do not have fixed warlord traits, there are a few options to choose from. 
***The Imperium’s Sword give Pellas more general melee ability by raising him to strength 5 and 6 attacks on the charge (8 if you get close to an enemy character) as well as a reroll for charge distances.
***Alternatively, Champion of Humanity makes him an even better character hunter. He keeps the 8 attacks on the charge but gains a +1 on wound rolls, which can be further combined with Crucible of Battle for a +2 to wound.
***The Salamander-specific Warlord Traits are, sadly, not quite as good as the base rulebook, but could have their uses. Anvil of Strength and Forge Master can both keep you alive longer and may be worth it depending on what you are fighting.
*'''[[Bray'arth Ashmantle]] (Forgeworld):''' He's now even more indestructible than before, being a Character with T9, W8, a 2+/5++, and a 4+ to ignore lost wounds, he's not going down easily. He's also dead killy up close. His two Dreadfire heavy flamers can put out some serious hurt with S6, AP-2 and 3 damage a pop at 8" range. In close combat, his claws have him swinging 4 times at S16, AP-4, and D6 damage, and if you are locked in with someone during the shooting phase, his Burning Wrath is now a 2D6 shot auto hitting S4 pistol with a 2" range. On the downsides: In an edition of HQs buffing your other units, he does nothing to improve nearby Salamanders. He can only be your Warlord if there are no other HQ units, so you'll limit yourself to a smaller number of command points if you want to use him to deny your opponent Slay the Warlord. He can't cause any harm until he gets within 8", so you either buy him a transport or have him be a walking 14" threat bubble. This all comes for the hefty price of <s>400 pts</s> '''325 points''' (more if you buy a Dreadnought Drop Pod or Stormraven for him to ride in).
**It's worth noting that he is a {{W40kKeyword|CHARACTER}} and hits almost as hard as a Volcano Cannon in close combat. The amount of panic he'll cause walking towards your opponent with a few cheap screening units in front of him (or even a few Rhinos) is well worth the price tag, as is the satisfaction when he finally hits the opponent's gunline and all hell breaks loose. On a side note if you can get your enemy to charge him on overwatch he is likely to butcher MEQ or even TEQs with his dreadfire flamers.
**The new Space Marine and Salamander's codices bring several tricks that can turn Ashmantle into a right nightmare. 
***The Salamander Chapter Tactic and the Duty Eternal stratagem make him even more durable than he once was. Using the Drakeskin and Fireshield Psychic power can add even more durability to him, though at this point, it may be approaching overkill.
***Hero of the Chapter can be used to grant him a Warlord Trait, thus getting around one of his main restrictions. Some possible standout options include Anvil of Strength for extra killing power (strength 20 Dreadfire claws), Forge Master to make him T11, or Lord of Fire to make his Dreadfire Heavy Flamers even more lethal.
***Only in Death Does Duty End will let him fight even if your opponent manages to take him down while Rise from the Ashes will let him potentially get back up and keep fighting. Just have a techmarine nearby to patch him up.
***Obviously, Ashmantle is a prime target for Flamecraft if you can get him close enough to use his Dreadfire Heavy Flamers, but that’s not all. Immolation Protocols pairs well with his Burning Wrath pistol attacks should any opponent be foolish enough to try and stick around in melee, and Born Protectors will discourage countercharges. Then there is The Crucible of Battle...
**Now a whopping 75 points cheaper, saving you enough to almost buy his Drop Pod outright.

*'''Harath Shen (Forgeworld):''' As a Master Apothecary, Harath deploys to the field armed with more than just a Narthecium. He has the same statline as a normal Apothecary, barring Leadership 9. He is armed with a Power Sabre, which is identical to a Master-Crafted Power Sword (Str: User, AP -3, 2 Damage) and Bloodfire, a Plasma Pistol with nothing special (except for causing a mortal wound rather than slaying the bearer). His Master of Chirurgery rule carries over from his 7th edition iteration, it's similar to the Apothecary's ability but the rolls are passed on a 3+ instead of a 4+, and Harath can heal D3+1 Wounds instead of D3. All of this will set you back 75 Points, as opposed to an Apothecary's 72 Points for the same loadout (although it's worth noting that an Apothecary doesn't have access to weapon options). Which means you pay 3 points for his increased medical abilities ''and the payment of an HQ tax'', if you were looking for that. Overall, he's a support Character who can increase the survivability of your Salamanders, but can also do some damage in combat if absolutely necessary; just keep him away from enemy Characters.

====Tactical Objectives====

====Tactics====
*Real Deal MSU: Take 2 battalions, each with 3 tac squads armed with a single Lascannon. Salamanders trait gives each Lascannon crucial re rolls for hits and wounds, making these 6 Lascannons typically all the anti-armor you will need. Fills out battalions nicely, and leaves plenty of room for anti-horde and whatever heavy hitter Elites/HQs you desire to polish off any other pockets of durability your opponent has. This forces your opponent to usually shoot their anti-armor at 15 point tactical marines (because they're camping back in cover and ignore ap-1 requiring big guns to shoot them), thus helping reduce the barrage your armor and heavy infantry will receive. This may also force your opponent to surge forward into walls of flame weapons.
* In keeping with the small unit size benefit, look at squads of Eliminators and/or Eradicators. Your re-roll ability allows units that rely on a few powerful shots to do their job. Eliminators hit 88% of the time and wound MEQ 88% of the time with re-rolls. Eradicators don't double their shots- they fire twice, meaning each set of three melta shots at gets their re-rolls. Statistically, with your re-rolls, there are very pieces of armor in the game that won't be living in abject fear of a Salaamander Eradicator squad.
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