Editing Warhammer 40,000/7th Edition Tactics/Space Marines (section)

===Battle Brothers===

Important!  As of the latest rounds of FAQs (and the [[eldar]] being total dicks) your allies, even battle brothers, cannot begin play embarked in your transports, nor you in theirs.

*'''Other Chapters of muhreens''': Let's get serious: if you're relying on MOAR marines it's because they have toys that you don't. With that clear, let's see what have your less Codex-compliant battle-brothers.  Allying with other Codex-compliant chapters is good only if you want two different Chapter Tactics or another Chapter's special character.
**Codex Space Marines: Unlike other Codices, Space Marines can ally with themselves, so it's worth noting it here. In general use, each chapter tactic works well with a unit and tactic. Combine chapter tactics to get the more out of certain units than one chapter tactic alone can give you. Fists have better devastators thanks to Tank Hunters, while Ravens have better assault marines. Combine them to have Tank Hunting devs de-can a transport for assault marines to charge with extra hammers of wrath, or Salamanders cook with re-rolling wound flamers, or any combination you can come up with. Just remember that joining an IC with a unit not from his chapter makes them lose CT while they are together.
**'''[[Black Templars]]''': While not the brightest thing in the world to do now that Black Templars are included in the Codex Space Marines, this can be done if you wanted to mix chapter tactics. The BTs act as, basically, scoring assault marines with land raiders. Neophytes got buffed to BS/WS 4 along with scouts, rejoice.
**'''[[Warhammer_40,000/Tactics/Blood Angels|Blood Angels]]''': You're allying with BA because three things: army-wide Furious Charge, speedy tanks and surgical deep striking jet-packaged assault units. Otherwise GTFO. They have a good assault unit in Death company, good MEQ blasting in the Sanguinary guard and their rhino-variants tanks are fast, which can be wonderful with [[Vindicator|certain ones]]. Since their tactical squads can take a heavy flamer and a grav-gun, consider kitting your own tacticals out with whatever would complement those best. They also get locator beacons in their Tactical squads, which can be hilarious if you have a Terminator-heavy army.
**'''[[Warhammer_40,000/Tactics/Dark Angels|Dark Angels]]''': We are talking about the [[Deathwing]] and [[Ravenwing]]. The Deathwing have some nasty terminators that can be used if you can't (or don't want to) use yours. The Ravenwing are the same, but replacing terminators for bikes, Land Speeders (this includes the Vengeance and Darkshroud patterns), and flyers. Combining Darkshroud with the White Scars or Astral Claws could lead to entire armies of [[Cheese|3+ covered bikers]] (2+ on turbo-boost).
**'''[[Warhammer_40,000/Tactics/Space Wolves|Space Wolves]]''': WOLFWOLFWOLFWOLFYWOLF... Ahem. Jokes aside, the Thunderwolves are a godsend to the vanilla. Resilient, fast and strong assault unit; even the TH/SS termies can't say that. 2nd neckbeard opinion: Their fliers have terrific weapons, along with awesome dreads. Deliver an icy, hellfrosted dildo ''''straight'''' to the butthole with a CoF detachment. Eliminate random reserves, unleash your inner furry!

*'''Imperial Guard''': They gives the [[Tarpit]], cheap infantry and meatshields that may come in handy to the marines. Also useful for their [[Imperial Ordnance|artillery]] and tanks. Also very fluffy, everybody knows of hopeless IG whose asses must be saved by the marines. Also [[Leman Russ Battle Tank|Leman Russes]]. Also veteran tankbusters/plasmaspam
*'''Imperial Militia and Cults''': If your gaming circle isn't averse to [[Forgeworld]], and you've got some Fantasy models lying around, then the Imperial Militia can be a godly choice for allies. Take a Force Commander to gain providences(Taking Cybernetic Augmentations and Abhuman Helots), as well as two 50-man units of Levee squads. For a whopping 320 points, you get to put [[rage|'''101 models on the table with toughness 4 and a 6+ invuln]]. In addition, go ahead and swap their shitty flintlock rifles for flintlock pistols to instantly convert what would otherwise be a god-tier tarpit, into one that can threaten absolutely anything in melee. All for the low, low price of [[rape|'''free''']]
*'''Militarum Tempestus''': The storm troopers have only a few tricks to give a marine, but as it is said "if you're gonna be a one trick pony, better make it one hell of a trick". Tempestus give very good air support with valkyries but normal storm troopers are nothing to sneeze at and are able to chew though marines' power armor with AP3 hot shot las guns, or you can use them as cheap deep strike melta.

*'''Grey Knights''': Three words: Two. Wound. Terminators. Basically a [[DISTRACTION CARNIFEX]], and pretty damn survivable, even without the Assault Terminator 3++ from Storm Shields. Just keep them away from S8+ weapons - there's nothing worse than Paladins going down to Krak Missiles, and lascannons scare the hell out of them. Up against another Marines player with a few Deep Striking units? Vortex of DOOM, motherfucker. Do beware that they'll end up extremely pricy though.  If you grab some homers for a Nemesis Strike Force, they'll thank you tons for it.

*'''Adeptus Custodes''': The Custodes offer a golden alternative to the Paladins of the Grey Knights; Eternal Warrior on a 2 wound character with a supercharged stat-line, they seem to be an almost flawless response to the complaints associated with Paladins (strength 8 insta-death). With spears, they make for vicious MEQ killing machines. Terminators? Pfffffffft. With sword and board, they are tanky to the max, and make for a killy tar-pit. Rending for days, from tons of attacks. Additionally, they have a few more models coming out with rules. With them, you accept high cost models with potency and favoritism to rival the Ultra Marines. Can't have the Emperor's own guards being mook-ass chumps, ya know. If only there was [[Lias Issodon|someone]] who could solve their slowness issue...

*'''Adepta Sororitas''': They actually have rules outside of White Dwarf now! And Exorcists. Yes please. Consider a command squad with Condemnor Boltguns if expecting to face Screamerstars or Grey Knights. Troops with heavy flamers are fantastic for roasting hordes, Dominions with meltas are even better at opening cans than Imperial Fist lascannon devs, and there's nothing like an Exorcist for making Crisis Suits cry. Sisters Repentia are - in a Land Raider or Stormraven - the definitive counter for an Imperial Knight.

*'''Inquisition''': Why haven't you taken it yet? Seriously, you get 3 Elites Choices (Read: 3 units of Inquisitorial Henchmen) and each of them can take a transport like a Rhino, or a Chimera or a Land Raider or a Valkyrie. That makes it worth it right up front, but with the right load out, they can fill holes in your army, so this should be your first choice right here. Consider taking a Inquisitor in a Valkyrie and a tarpit or two of Acolytes, while still having a full Guard artillery battery and doing some screening with large blocks of bolter brothers; or a four lascannon Devastator squad buffed by a psyker Inquisitor while Space Wolves take care of the melee combat.  If you want to be a douche, attach an Inquisitor to Dev Centurions w/ Grav Cannons and roll for Perfect Timing.  If there's something your current army is lacking, the Inquisition has something that can compensate for it. ALSO, if you bring these guys, take their Razorbacks instead of yours. They can get psybolt rounds and are cheaper without upgrades (40 to your 55).

*'''Imperial Knights''': An Errant Knight titan is probably a good bet for players looking for some reliable long range anti-tank/anti-TEQ killer.   The Paladin Knight brings some long range high strength high AP shooting (Double shot battle cannon? Hell yeah) to an army that can really use some for only two termies more than two Leman Russ Tanks.  And these things score (well, maybe, the Facebook post wasn't clear with whether the allied ones score), so charge him at the enemy lines faster than you can say DISTRACTION CARNIFEX. Thanks to their Str. D CC arm, they can reliably deal with with most monstrous creatures with ease, barring Skarbrand and maybe a Wraithknight. Also, Seer/Screamer-Star or any other re-rollable 2+ bullshit?  Meet D-Weapon. 

*'''Skitarii''': the newest BFFs in the block, they can put a good amount of precision shots/wannabe-markerlights around. But since they don't have an HQ you can't use an Allied Detachment, only their special CAD. They have access to some of the best anti-air in the imperium with the Icarus array on the onager dunecrawler, firing multiple weapons at once including a str 6 ignores cover launcher, a TL auto cannon and a str 7 ap2 missile. The onagers can also provide a firepower with the neutron laser, a 48" range small blast vindicator round for less than the space marine equivalent. Too bad your Drop Pods can't play taxi service for them any more (thanks FAQ), otherwise they'd be a great way to get their high-BS, Preferred Enemy, 3-shot plasma pukers in close. Remember that most vehicles have at least one facing with AV12 or worse - that much plasma will eat such vehicles for lunch, in addition to the obvious utility against TEQ and MCs.

*'''Cult Mechanicus''': If you take this army, be sure to make use of their Kataphrons.  They can tout heavy weapons better than you ever can.  CC-based armies can especially be helpful in tying them up alongside Electro-Priests.

*'''Officio Assassinorum''': The Vindicare and Eversor have the potential to be useful in any army, with the former being good at single-target killing and the latter at thinning hordes. However, the [[Eversor|Eversor Assassin]] is now massively overshadowed by [[MURDERWINGS]], so make of it what you will. The Culexus is very good to shut down psychic bullshittery by Eldar et simila and murdering the fuck outta every psyker within a foot of him. The Callidus is useful with her strategic buffs and reserve fuckery. In all look for synergy between what you have, and what they provide. An Eversor will get shot to death if he is alone in front of your gun line. A Callidus can take a negative modifier to reserve rolls, and make the first absolutely brutal. The Assassins all function best if they are allowed to be a cherry-on-top for the tactics you were already going to use, instead of being a special snowflake amidst the desert.