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

====Forge World====
*'''Relic Contemptor Dreadnoughts:''' 37 points (around 38%) more naked than a naked normal Contemptor.  Two more wounds compared to the standard Contemptor, ignore wounds received on a 6+ AND has a 2+ save, but Attacks also degrade with damage now (rather than Movement). You also get access to way more options than any other Dreadnought. For your convenience, they're all listed below; you can take any two you like, unlike the base Contemptor, which is forced into 1 melee option and has only a Kheres and a Multi-melta to choose from for its main gun.  Unfortunately is a Relic, so each one of these forces you to take a non-Relic Elite.  If you really just want a Contemptor but better (i.e. filling the same role against the same targets), take 1 chainfist with a heavy flamer and 1 Kheres.  You'll get into position for the Kheres faster since your Movement doesn't cripple, it'll take way more work to cripple your statline, and your fist's output in both melee and ranged will be incredible.
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*Weapon Options
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*'''Cyclone Missile Launcher''': Per the FAQ, can take one of these, but it's 38 points for two missile launchers at only 36" range - two actual missile launchers would cost you 40, and have 48" range and the ability to split fire if you wanted. Not a bad idea, but better than on Terminators, as it mounts on top of the hull and doesn't replace an arm weapon. The big draw here is the Contemptor's BS2+.
*'''Fist Weapon Options''':DCCW or Chainfist, with a built-in Storm Bolter, Heavy Flamer, Plasma Blaster (an assault 2 plasma gun at a steep price hike, but sull usable for reasons described below), or Graviton Blaster (an assault 2 grav-gun without paying a point more, which is sadly not nearly enough to make it worthwhile).  It's also worth mentioning that Relic Contemptor [[Dreadnought]]s have the ''Unstoppable Fury'' rule, while allows them to reroll 1s to-hit if they are armed with two melee weapons but doesn't specify in which phase. So you have less concern about overcharging your plasma blaster now that you hit on a rerollable 2+. Since your movement no longer cripples, the Heavy Flamer is a really solid choice, allowing you to easily get into position to use it even as your other stats degrade.
**'''Chainfists''': Contemptor Chainfists gain -1 AP and +1 damage over a normal DCCW. Overall a solid upgrade that lets them do terrible damage to both vehicles and monsters. It's a must-take for all purposes. Don't take 2, though - 1 chainfist + 1 DCCW will give you identical performance while saving you 6 shiny points.
**Re-rolling hit rolls of 1 is pretty damn worth it, now that rolling with 2 melee weapons only costs you 10 more points.
*'''C-Beam Cannon''': The new Heavy [[Conversion Beamer]] is a single-shot weapon that starts at S6 AP-3 that does D3 damage. It also gains +2 points of strength and +D3 damage for each 24" between the target and the firer, totaling [[Awesome|S12 AP-3 4d3 Damage]] at 72" exactly, though realistically it will be S10 AP-3 D3d3 between 48" and 72". In addition, if ''a model is removed from play as a result of wounds caused'' then it automatically triggers 2d6 extra auto-hits on the target unit at S6 AP0 D1. Generally speaking, this weapon suffers the exact same problem as the [[Vindicare Assassin]], with a crippling downside that the contemptor MUST remain stationary for the entire turn in order to use it. It cannot be stressed enough that this thing really '''<u>NEEDS</u>''' the range, though firing it at infantry squads has a good chance of killing a random mook and triggering an average of seven further S6 hits, which is still better than a twin heavy bolter. At full range, the initial hit will likely knock the crap out of any target, wounding it on a 2+ or 3+ depending on its toughness and generally reducing its save to 5+ or worse but those additional hits will likely be wasted.
**Against the infantry targets you have a serious chance at one-shotting, the C-Beam Cannon suffers from costing so much.  Against GEQs, you'll do a lot of damage even at short range, but not enough to outperform the Kheres, and you'll face similar scaling problems at any range, largely because as your ability to guarantee the "splatter" improves, your splatter's actual value gets worse.  This weapon actually becomes the best when used against hard targets at the range - at 48" or more away, the only 6+ wounds target it's not your best choice against is T5 or T6, where the twin autocannons take over - but without the range, it's just not going to earn its keep.
**Think of this as the Swiss Army Knife of Dreadnought weapons. While there are dedicated weapons that handle their specialty better than the C-Cannon does, the fact that this can be used against almost any target and still be relatively effective is worth a mention. The movement restriction is an issue, though.
*'''Kheres Assault Cannon''': Take this against 1-wound models at Toughness 3, 5, 6, 7, or 10, (where on God’s green earth you’re going to find a Toughness 6/7/10 1-wound model is beyond me, but just in case...) and mulch your enemies.
*'''Twin Heavy Bolters''': 68% the cost of a Kheres, in exchange for S5 instead of S7 and 12" more range.  S7 isn't a big deal, but S6 is, for shooting up both GEQs and Buildings, should that come up; the tl;dr here is that the THB is your best choice against 1-wound models with Toughness 1, 2, 4, 8, or 9 (although where you'll find those last options is a mystery).
*'''Twin Autocannons''': Identical to the one on the normal Dread. Worse than either of the above options against single-wound enemies, but the best you can take against 2-wound foes; the twin [[lascannon]], below, only finds viable targets starting at 3-wound targets and above, but this gun remains a good choice all the way up against ''something''; even at 6+ wound targets, this is best against Toughness 5, 6, 7, or 10, due to its relatively cheap cost.
*'''Twin Lascannons''': Pop vehicles open without having to get into melta range. Probably better on the Contemptor Mortis, though.  Has fantastic range, but is crippled by its staggering cost; in order to earn its keep you have to shoot things with the wounds to notice that 1d6 damage rating.  Once you're up against 6+ wounds targets, it's best against Toughness 1-4, 8, and 9.
*'''Multi-Melta''': A terrible idea.  Much less effective than twin lascannons, against, well, anything. And the basic Dread or non-FW Contemptor could already take this.
*'''Heavy Plasma Cannon''': You have a 6+ save against the wounds overcharging this causes, but it's worse than your other choices against anything in the game, overcharged or not.  Skip.
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*'''Relic Deredeo Dreadnought:''' The end-all solution to your dakka-Dread needs, for when even the Contemptor Mortis won't cut it. Its armour save is slightly worse than the Contemptor's at only a 3+, but to compensate it has 2 more wounds and its invulnerable save rises to 4+ in the Fight phase (but why are you in melee in the first place?) on top of the built-in smoke launchers. For guns, you have the Anvilus Autocannons (8 36" autocannon shots with +1 S) for mulching infantry, the Hellfire Plasma Carronade (5 overcharged plasma gunshots which deal 3 damage each but cause mortal wounds on a 1) as the generalist option, and the Arachnus Lascannon Battery (2 S10 AP-4 D6 Damage shots that deal an extra mortal wound on 6s) for taking out vehicles, and also chest-mounted heavy bolters/heavy flamers. Don't bother upgrading to heavy flamers. While auto-hits are good, the Deredeo should be as far away as possible. It should be shooting things, not tied up in melee. It can supplement the main weapon with either an Aiolos Missile Launcher for extra fire support or an Atomantic Pavaise to give everyone within 6" of itself a 5+ invulnerable save. The latter works great with Devastators or other long-ranged units that can help support the Deredeo's firepower.
**8th edition is kind of a mixed bag for the Deredeo. While 8 shots at BS2+/3+ on the move with the Anvillus sure are great, the 12" range reduction is very painful, especially for the plasma carronade. 24" max means it will be in range of most weapons in addition to the risk of losing wounds which is very probable at 5 shots per turn. So it is advised to have a reroll/repair character nearby should you go for the plasma option.
** Raven Guard and Salamanders Chapter Tactics make Deredos substantially better - RG increases its survivability, and Salamanders provides a source of rerolls to make sure those giant fuck off lascannons deal damage or that the plasma carronade doesn't damage the Deredeo.
**In addition, a "Master of the Forge" Techmarine can provide a +1 to ensure the Deredeo takes no mortal wounds. And since you're bringing another elite, make it a plasma armed vehicle (like a redemptor dreadnought). Overlap the 5+ invuln save and safe plasma on a few high-wound dreadnoughts and you got yourself a sticky gun battery that will cause a headache for your opponent.
*'''Deimos Pattern Relic Predator''': Take a Predator, give it an extra wound, and slap a Plasma Destroyer on it as its turret weapon, and you have one of these tanks. The Plasma Destroyer itself can't be overcharged, but with the same number of shots as the basic Predator Autocannon and 2 Damage, it doesn't really need to be. While it can swap out the plasma destroyer for the standard Predator guns, that's a waste of its options. Instead, you should use its unique options: the Conversion Beam cannon to make it a hard-hitting artillery unit, the Magna-Melta for close-range anti-vehicle firepower, and the Infernus cannon for a double dose of heavy flamer goodness.
**The c-beam isn't bad if you can keep your target at least 24" away. 72", heavy 1, S6, AP-3, Dd3, 2d6 S6 auto-hits if you cause a wound. A pretty solid addition to a gunline, since the infantry can provide a deep-strike and charging buffer. Best utilized against light-vehicles and smaller monsters due to 2d6 auto-hits. Its real downside is that it's heavy 1. You get one-shot. Just the one. Uno. Ein. So try and make sure it's plonked next to a Captain, or have a CP or two set aside to re-roll. 
**Plasma Destroyers fill in the usual plasma niche, but better. 36", S7, AP-3, D2, and does NOT cause a mortal wound. A good counterpart to the autocannons anti-light vehicle, this gun specializes in anti-heavy infantry. In that vein, the range gells with sponson heavy bolters, but can also pair well with sponson lascannons if you're going after monsters. 
**The magna-melta is garbage (24", Heavy d3, S10, AP-4, Dd6, melta rule), and it's '''70pts'''. Hard pass, grab the twin las for vehicle busting. The infernus cannon (8", heavy 2d6, S5, AP-1, D2, auto-hits), isn't much better at its role of infantry killing at 45pts. Predator autocannons or plasma destroyer will do much better at that role, especially since you don't have to spend at least two turns getting in range. Either grab a Baal Predator or a Hellhound if you want Imperial '''fire'''power. 
*'''Relic [[Javelin Attack Speeder]]:''' The poor Deodorant Tanks got a huge nerf in 8th edition. For the most part, these fulfill the same role as before, that of a Heavy Land Speeder. [[lolwut|But they lost the twin-linked rule on their Missile Launchers'''(WTF)''']]. They even lost their trademark Outflank ability. Overall this turned what was already a mediocre relic slot item, at best, into a shitty tool that's worse off than a generic land speeder. 
** IS it garbage? for 100 points you get 9 wounds on a T6 platform with a 3+ save and FLY, also including a handy rule: "Gravatic Augur Haze" that imposes a -1 modifier on all shooting attacks from 8" or more. This layout has 2 lascannons and a heavy bolter. That is 1 less heavy bolter than a Predator and arguably more survivable, plus it doesn't have a damage chart. With Raven Guard enhanced chapter tactics these should be able to get an additional +1 cover save while you comfortable fly around the backfield. Frankly, you could do worse, 3 of these will be 300 points with 6 lascannons and will be very hard to remove, all the while they constantly provide dedicated fire that can maneuver very well. 

*'''Relic [[Sicaran Battle Tank]]:''' The Sicaran has transitioned smoothly into 8th ed, retaining its status a high-speed menace. With a big 14" move, T7, 14 wounds, and 3+ Save it falls in between a Predator and a Land Raider in terms of size and durability. It's armed with a nasty twin accelerator autocannon which has a couple of neat tricks. It fires at 48" Assault 8 S7 AP-1 D2, suffers no penalties to its hit rolls when attacking flyers, and a to-wound roll of 6 increases the AP of that hit to -3. It's also armed with a single Heavy Bolter and can grab 2 sponson-mounted Heavy Bolters or 2 sponson-mounted Lascannons, a hunter-killer missile, and a pintle-mounted Storm, Bolter, if you crave more dakka. The Sicaran is a useful anti-air unit in a pinch and is well known for its ability to counter skimmers. Make good use of the Assault rule on its main gun by zipping around and firing while advancing. Thanks to Chapter Approved the Sicaran now only costs 165 points without sponsons.
*'''Relic Sicaran Venator Tank Destroyer:''' The Venator trades the regular Sicaran's quantity of anti-skimmer shots for vehicle annihilation; even if a tank survives the Neutron Pulse Cannon's S12 AP-4 D6 damage hits (all 3 of them), it'll have all its shooting rolls reduced by 1 for the turn, which can make life very difficult for vehicles like Executioners or Tau vehicles with Ion Cannons. Additionally, it doesn't get penalties for moving and firing its heavy weapons.
*'''Relic Sicaran Punisher Assault Tank:''' A new flavor of Sicaran, its draw is the Punisher Rotary Cannon- 18 Heavy Bolter shots guaranteed to make any hordes within 36" hate life. And if you don't move that turn, it re-rolls all to-hit rolls of 1. Enjoy making Orks and Tyranids cry.
*'''Relic Sicaran Arcus Strike Tank:''' Another Sicaran variant, this one is armed with a rotary missile launcher. Though 24" is a bit short-ranged for a vehicle weapon, it's still Heavy 2d6 with S5 AP-2 D1. And not only does it negate cover saves, it also deals an extra mortal wound to INFANTRY units on a 6+ to wound. If you're forced to fight an extra large horde, it can switch its weapon profile to Heavy 4d6 at the expense of not being able to fire its missiles until after the end of the next turn. As a result, taking the heavy bolters/lascannons and the storm bolter is a good idea to ensure it doesn't render itself defenseless after a missile massacre.
**Alternative Opinion: Don't get the Arcus Strike Tank. Ever. Functionally, the Relic Whirlwind Scorpius performs the exact same role against most types of infantry (but better) except against pure hordes, at which point the Sicaran Punisher takes over. Seriously, this tank is an absolute mess, and there is little to no reason for you to bring this. If you really want to field a Sicaran tank, look somewhere else. 
*'''Relic Sicaran Omega Tank Destroyer:''' Yet another member of the Sicaran family. Its Omega Plasma Array has two modes; in its normal mode, it acts like a Heavy 6 plasma gun, and when supercharged it becomes Heavy 3 S9 AP-3 3 D and inflicts an extra mortal wound on a 6 to wound, but loses d3 wounds if it rolls a 1 to hit. Unfortunately, its range is no better than that of the Arcus, which is far better at wiping out infantry of all types due to the sheer number of cover-ignoring shots it can fire. The range issue is even worse when trying to use it against vehicles, since it'll be in lascannon/plasma cannon range long before it can shoot back and the -1 to hit from moving is going to make it a lot more likely to blow itself up (and even if it survives, it'll still be overshadowed by the Venator). Overall, it's not bad, but not ''quite'' good enough when compared to its competition.
*'''Relic Whirlwind Scorpius:''' The Scorpius is set apart from the basic Whirlwind by its Scorpius Launcher (and its occupation of an Elites slot, not a Heavy one) - while it has only half the range of either of the Whirlwind's rocket types, 3d3 S6 AP-2 D2 shots is still plenty to threaten hordes and light vehicles alike. And as an added bonus, it can fire twice in a shooting phase if the Scorpius hasn't moved in the movement phase.
* If you stand this bad boy still, it has 6D3 S6 AP-2 D2 Shots that ignore LOS. 48'' is plenty enough range to hit the majority of targets it wants to hit, and doing so outside of LOS is huge. Properly supported, it can annihilate medium and heavy infantry, while the number of shots, good AP, and reliable damage give it utility against light and medium vehicles. With Combat Doctrines it will have AP-3 round one. Very nice vehicle.