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

===Flyers===
*'''[[Stormhawk]] Interceptor:''' The anti-Aircraft Aircraft. Comes stock with two assault cannons, a las-talon (twin lascannon with half the range), and a skyhammer missile launcher (60" heavy 3 S7 AP-1 Dd3, +1 to hit rolls against Aircraft). The las-talon can be swapped with an Icarus storm cannon (heavy 3 autocannons that functionally become heavy 6 and gain +1 to hit rolls against Aircraft) for more anti-flying. The skyhammer can be swapped for two heavy bolters (anti-infantry) or a typhoon launcher (flexible, nearly as good as two missile launchers). Cannot hover, but does get +1 to saves when shot at by other Aircraft.
** The skyhammer-Icarus combo makes this a fairly respectable Aircraft hunter, with the assault cannons throwing out enough lead to dink one or two wounds off the target. 
*'''Xiphon-Pattern Interceptor (FW):''' A high-speed interceptor, the Xiphon is a heavily-armed flyer [[Original character, do not steal|that channels a strong Battlestar Galactica vibe]], and - unlike every other Space Marine aircraft - actually looks like it belongs in the air. While it will generally act like a Stormhawk, it loses the bonus save against Aircraft in exchange for +2W, and its weapons loadout is entirely static: it sports 4 lascannons and a Xiphon Missile Launcher, which is like the Stormhawk's Skyhammer but better: 60" heavy 3 S7 AP-2 D3, +1 to hit rolls against Aircraft makes it have 1 better AP and what works out to very slightly better than 1 better D.  It's 235 points, while the least dissimilar Stormhawk is 230 for 2 assault cannons, nearly 2 missile launchers, and nearly 2 lascannons, meaning the Xiphon is usually better at murdering a heavy target, but the Stormhawk is wildly better at murdering hordes.
** 235 points is steep for a flyer, but you're getting the functional equivalent of a flying lascannon Predator with an extra Xiphon battery, and it puts colleagues like the IG Vendetta to shame. Has no options for anti horde, but it's a specialized anti-air/anti-armour killer.
*'''[[Stormtalon]] Gunship:''' Became the cheapest Aircraft and is a general-use hover jet. As standard, it has a skyhammer missile launcher (see above) and a twin assault cannon, meaning baseline you pay 20 points less than a Stormhawk to trade the bonus to saves vs Aircraft for Hover Jet but also you're lacking a gun (at a 20 point difference the missing gun is the Icarus Stormcannon).  The skyhammer can be replaced with two heavy bolters or nearly two missile launchers (which will keep up the comparison, since a Stormhawk can do the same), or two lascannons, which is where the comparison gets weirder.  A tlc Stormtalon is 185 points for two lascannons and two assault cannons, while the closest Stormhawk is 210 for a ''snubnosed'' pair of lascannons, two assault cannons, and its skyhammer (which can itself be swapped out for more points, of course).  
*'''[[Stormraven]] Gunship:''' A flying Land Raider with all the utility, offense, and cost that comes along with it. T7 means S4 weapons can wound it on a 5+ compared to the Raider's T8, 2 fewer wounds, and a 3+ save instead of a 2+, but it's much faster and has -1 to be hit when zipping around or it can switch to hover mode for controlled movement. It's also more expensive than a Land Raider, depending on what you arm it with. Comes stock with a twin assault cannon, twin missile launcher, and two stormstrike launchers (72" Heavy 1 S8 AP-3 D3). Can swap the assault cannons for a twin lascannon or twin heavy plasma cannon (marine mulchers). Can swap the typhoon missile launcher for a twin multi-melta (reminder that this is '''four''' shots in this edition) or twin heavy bolter. It can also strap on a couple of hurricane bolters (+30pts). It has the same {{W40Kkeyword|Machine Spirit}} as a Land Raider. Can carry 12 {{W40Kkeyword|Infantry}} (and can carry Jump, Terminator, and Centurions, but they take extra space) and 1 Dreadnought that has 12 or less wounds; simply put, it cannot carry Redemptor or Leviathan Dreadnoughts. 
**[[derp|How it is a Centurion can fit through the doors but Primaris can't is a mystery, as Primaris are ''smaller''; a Thunderhawk Gunship proves this as it can carry both, and Primaris take up ''less'' space.]]
** With a 45" max normal move (up to 65" if you advance), you can get right in the face of something, then have an almost guaranteed charge the next turn. There are no restrictions on disembarking from it, so you don't even have to drop to hover if you don't want to.
**While all vehicles are more expensive this edition, the big bird can eat up a massive amount of points. 310 points base can be a large chunk of your army, and is over 20% of a 1,500 point game.
** Be aware that some armies have dangerous AA fire or even AA melee (Fly Monsters, Jetbikes, Battlesuits, etc). Your Stormraven carries a huge "shoot me!" sign right above its cockpit, so most players will try to get it down as early as possible. This will most likely also kill some of the passengers. 
*'''[[Storm Eagle]] Gunship (FW, -1CP):''' Same airframe as the Fire Raptor but same purpose as the Stormraven (i.e. its statline is a Stormraven with +4W, and due to the Fire Raptor's broken stat math, ''three'' of the extra stat points happen before degrading, and the fourth wound shows up in the most-degraded section of its statline), this model focuses on transport capacity: instead of carrying 12 infantry and a dread, it carries 20 infantry.  It comes stock with a vengeance launcher (a 48" heavy 2d6 assault cannon with blast).  Its wings can carry 4 hellstrikes, which have the same profile as the Stormraven's 2 stormstrikes and are 72" Eliminator las-fusils ''except'' that they can +1 to hit and +1d3D against {{WH40Kkeyword|aircraft}}, or 4 lascannons for an up-charge. Its nose can carry a twin heavy bolter or typhoon missile launcher (both free, so the typhoon is generally better), or a twin multi-melta for an up-charge.  Since it can't take a hurricane bolter at all, the net result is that it's better at carrying anti-heavy weapons than a Stormraven, but the Stormraven can be kitted out better for murdering hordes.
** In comparison, the Storm Raven is 15 points cheaper, carries a Dreadnought, and has more diverse weapon options. The Storm Eagle is tougher (+4W) and carries more Infantry. It also has a much better model. 
*'''[[Fire Raptor]] Gunship (FW, -1CP):''' If the Storm Raven is a flying Land Raider, this is your flying Dakka Pred. T7 W18 Sv3+, with a twin avenger bolt cannon (60" heavy 10 S6 AP-2 D2), two twin autocannons (together 48" heavy 8 S7 AP-1 D2), and two twin hellstrike launchers (together 72" heavy 4 S8 AP-3 D3, +1 to hit rolls and +d3 damage against Aircraft). The autocannons can be replaced with eight  heavy bolters (together 36" heavy 24 S5 AP-1 D2) and the hellstrikes can be replaced with four lascannons. This thing is the flying middle finger against MEQs, spitting out 18-34 D2 shots on top of 4 D3 or D1d6 shots. Has the Machine Spirit and Relic keywords, and all the abilities and limits those keywords entail.
** Arguably the best Aircraft (point for point) Marines have access to, and undoubtedly the best anti-horde unit, but expensive as fuck. Seriously, at 340pts with twin autocannons, this thing is as expensive as a Storm Raven. The quad heavy bolter option will cost you another 60pts on top of that. 
*'''[[Caestus Assault Ram]] (FW Legends):''' A flyer designed to ram starships/buildings and disgorge Space Marines into the breach, the Caestus Assault Ram is armed with a number of thematically powerful weapons and abilities. The Caestus is quite survivable with T7 W14 Sv2+ and -1 to hit, this is your true flying Land Raider. Armed with two firefury missile batteries (36" heavy 2d3 S6 AP-2 D1, blast) and a twin magna-melta (24" heavy 2d3 S8 AP-4 Dd6, blast, melta). 
** Coming into 9th, it's lost its melee weapon, the ability to charge enemy units, and the ability to take Terminators for only one transport slot. It's pretty garbage now, has nothing special that can't be fulfilled by a model that is still in production, and at 320pts it costs the exact same as a Stormraven.