Warhammer 40,000/Tactics/Space Marines(9E)

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WE ARE THE SPEHSS MAHREENS! WE ARE THE EMPRA'S FUREH!

This is the current Edition's Space Marine tactics. 7th Edition Tactics are here.

Why Play Space Marines

The Emperor’s finest; the Space Marines; the Angels of Death; the warriors of the Adeptus Astartes go by many names, and all spell annihilation to the enemies of Mankind. Possessed of terrifying speed, strength and resilience, the Space Marines are genetically engineered super-soldiers whose humanity has been sacrificed so that they may unflinchingly stand against those who would see the Imperium fall. They go to war clad in nigh-impenetrable armour. They wield devastating weapons such as the bolt rifle, the chainsword and the lascannon. They are able to speed into battle in armoured tanks and gunships, to drop from the skies on grav-chutes and jump packs or even teleport directly into their enemies’ midst. Coupled with their unshakeable resolve, the Adeptus Astartes are the hardest-hitting and most tactically flexible warriors in the Imperium.

Pros

• A lot of different units.
• Easy for beginners to play, yet rewarding for experts. Can be customized to focus on many specific elements (e.g. Terminators, mass jump pack assaults, etc.) with varying grades of viability.
• Units can do something of everything, with an answer to every situation.
  • A common trend with Imperial armies, your Troop choices aren't tax, being actually good.
• You're GW's favorites, so you'll always be the first to get anything new. See also: Primaris Marines, getting the first full Codex in 8E, being able to be of the first to get a 8E second wave codex.
• Loads of powerful characters to choose from, many of which have potent buffs to surrounding units.
• You'll almost always have an armour save.
• Many of your models are simple to paint with their solid colors and easily identified highlight areas---This makes painting your army very beginner friendly.

Cons

• So many different units that it can be difficult to determine which ones are best in a given situation.
• As the most popular army by a long shot, most people build their armies with at least a few options for killing Space Marines present.
• Tanks (other than the Forge World ones and the hefty points-priced Land Raider family) are somewhat lacking compared to those of other armies.
• All the characters that used to be part of other units (e.g. Apothecary, Champion) moved to the Elites slot, which was already rather crowded. Consider bringing in an extra Vanguard detachment or two.
• You will almost always be outnumbered and will struggle at times to claim objectives, though some Chapter tactics make use of low model counts.

Special Rules

• Combat Squads: Can split a single full-sized unit into two smaller units before deployment. Works just like it always has, but more unit types can do it (e.g. Centurions). While MSU is better, it does give Space Marines a unique way to circumvent the Rule of Three or detachment limits. Now they just need to have spammable units worth Combat Squadding.
  • With the introduction of Shock Assault (See below) there is worth considering the use of some of the older tactics, back when a Tactical Marine was worth more than just a bolter. One such tactic was to put your guns in one squad and your melee in another, using the ranged weapons to soften up a target then the melee (basically a sergeant either a power weapon or fist) to finish off or better yet to tie up the target unit and finish it off (hopefully) during the opponents turn, denying them a turn at shooting and forcing them to basically waste their melee of chaff. You can also put the sarge in the ranged unit with a combi weapon for a total of 3 bolters, 2 special weapons and a heavy weapon for a makeshift dev squad.
• Defenders of Humanity: AKA Objective Secured. If your army is battleforged, all Troop units in detachments consisting solely of Space Marines get this ability. When such a unit is within range of an objective it controls that objective even if there are more enemy models within range of that objective, unless they also have a similar ability. It allows your Troops to seize objectives from enemy non-Troops; enemy Troops will outnumber you.

Angels of Death

• And They Shall Know No Fear: Re-roll failed morale tests. Not going to come into play that much with your generally good Ld scores, but given how punishing Morale can be it's still a good way to ensure your units don't run off, especially for your already small-ish unit sizes & 2W Primaris. And Apothecaries cannot revive models who fled instead of being slain.
• Bolter Discipline: Models using a Rapid Fire bolt weapon can double their number of shots (i.e. rapid-fire) if at least one of the following conditions is met. They don't stack (no triple or quadruple shots if you meet more than one condition). The conditions are:
  • The target is within the weapon's half range (normal Rapid Fire).
  • The model is infantry and every model of its unit remained stationary during the previous Movement Phase. If a Devastator's Heavy Weapon marine moves, the Sergeant cannot use Bolter Discipline on his boltgun.
    • It gives your marines the option to commit to those objectives instead of having to get close to the enemy. Factions like T'au may have long ranged small arms, but Space Marines are the only army that can rapid fire from full 24"-30" away.
  • The firing model is a Terminator, Biker, Centurion, Dreadnought.
    • This right here is the good shit. Footslogging terminators now have a significantly improved threat capacity, bikers are somehow even more deadly fast than they already were, and both Centurions and certain types of dreadnoughts have access to hurricane bolters, AKA 12 shots apiece.
• Shock Assault: A brand new buff for Space Marines, if a unit with this rule charges, gets charged, or performs a Heroic Intervention, models in the unit add 1 to their Attack characteristic until the end of the turn (meaning +2A if they can fight twice like with a stratagem). Like Bolter Discipline before it, this will be available to all flavors of Space Marines (including all three of the Chaos varieties), and gives the generally lackluster melee of most Primaris infantry and chainsword assault marines a little bit of a boost. Killer on units with power weapons like Terminators. Also means foes have to be a bit more careful about charging at Tacticals and such to tie them up, more so if you use larger units, and that they can assist in a melee in a pinch.
• Combat Doctrine: Feel like it's 7th edition all over again. Each of the three Combat Doctrines gives an AP-1 buff to different weapon types in your armies (non-cumulative with buffs from other sources). You have to use each Doctrine in order, starting with the Devastator Doctrine, and once you switch there's no going back, so pay attention to the rhythm of the game. Your army gains this if all units in it have this rule, meaning taking a Guardsman Battalion or even a single Assassin CP'd in right before the battle would prevent the SM detachment from getting this rule, but allied SM detachments are ok even from a different chapter.
  • On top of that, Chapter supplements give First Founding Chapters (and their descendants) a Specialist doctrine that is a bonus active on top of the regular doctrine. Bringing chapters with different specialist doctrines prevents either from getting theirs.
  • These nifty rules will make your marines more efficient killers, but their rotation makes them predictable - devastate -> advance -> assault. Savvy opponents may try to break LoS to force movement penalties on your heavy weapons, rush for melee while you're still under the ranged doctrines, then fall back when you're finally under the assault one, scale buildings, etc. As such, don't be predictable yourself. Remember, you don't need to switch doctrines on the same turn they become available: surprise drop pod a target turn one or advance your infantry under cover of Devastation while your enemy remains confined to their hiding spots turn 3, what have you. The doctrines are as follows:
  1. On Turn 1, your army will always start with the Devastator Doctrine turned on, giving all your Heavy and Grenade weapons the extra -1 AP so that you can soften entrenched infantry and cripple enemy vehicles from afar in preparation for your advance. Remember the first points of AP are the most important ones: AP-2 Heavy Bolters and Assault Cannons are more noticeable than AP-4 Lascannons. Do keep in mind the plethora of sniper rifles and Heavy Flamers (Incendium/Inferno/Flamestorm cannons) are Heavy Weapons too. The boost to Grenades matters only to Intercessors for the most part.
  2. On the 2nd turn you switch to Tactical Doctrine, shifting the boost to your Rapid Fire and Assault weapons. Be it to close the distance to the enemy or because your vehicles are about to give their last, this mostly passes the ranged baton to your infantry. And a bolt rifle going from AP-1 to AP-2 is more noticeable than a lascannon going from AP-3 to AP-4. Storm bolters and auto bolt rifles work wonders here.
  3. On the 3rd or 4th turn you shift to Assault Doctrine (you MUST change to assault on the 4th turn) giving the extra AP to your Pistol and Melee attacks. Don't. Forget. Your. Pistol. The first point of AP is the most important one - chainsword/CCWs benefit the most, while AP-4 on a sword can become excessive.
  • As of the 02/27/20 FAQ, you MUST change from Devastator to Tactical on turn 2, and then change to Assault on turn 3 or 4. This will force you to keep at least a few units that are capable of fighting in CQC, as you can no longer just bum around in Devastator or Tactical doctrine and persist on blasting things from across the map.

Forge World Special Rules

• RELIC: No Battle-forged Detachment may contain more RELIC units than non-RELIC units within any given battlefield role (except for Lords of War; you can take one without needing another LoW first, but this only applies to the first such LoW taken). Also unlocks the Relic of Ancient Glory Stratagem for use.
• Stratagem - Relic of Ancient Glory: At the beginning of your Fight phase, choose a single friendly RELIC unit. All friendly ADEPTUS ASTARTES models within 6" of the chosen RELIC unit may re-roll the first failed hit roll of the phase.

Chapter Tactics

Chapter Tactics are special rules based on the <Chapter> keyword that will affect every unit in a detachment except for servitors. To benefit from Chapter Tactics, your army must be battle-forged, and all units in the detachment must be drawn from the same chapter.

• Servitors are specified to never gain a Chapter Tactic despite having the keyword, but nobody cares about Servitors because they're shit.
• Super-Heavy Auxiliary Detachments also don't benefit from this, so if you want your Raven Guard Thunderhawks to get free cover, you need to put one in a Supreme Command Detachment at the least.
• A reminder that <chapter> Ultramarines is not the same faction as <regiment> Ultramarines, even if both faction keywords are "Ultramarines". It is, however, a sign of the person trying to pull that stunt being That Guy.

Successor Tactics

All Successor chapters that don't already have associated Chapter tactics must make their own. It's the fourth edition all over again, once more you're allowed to create a bespoke chapter tactic for Your Dudes by combining any 2 of 18 available options, or use a First Founding chapter's tactics. The available options are listed below:

• Inheritors of the Primarch: Sacrifice the ability to take a second successor tactic in favor of directly copying a First Founding Chapter Tactic (from Codex: Space Marines, so no copying Blood Angels etc).
  • As this still excludes you from taking named characters from that First Founding Chapter, the only reason to ever choose this is when you want a Forgeworld named character and his detachment to have a First Founding Chapter Tactic. Like giving the Astral Claws the White Scars trait so they can charge after advancing like when renegade. Or if you just want to use the Chapter Tactic without the primogenitor's color scheme.
  • Additionally, pick if you find the full benefit of the parent CT better than a combination. Notably, you can't replicate any individual Chapter Tactic as all of them have at least one element that is unique to them.
  • The only restriction is that, IF your chapter's primogenitor is known, IF you use Inheritors of the Primarch it would need to be from their parent chapter. Examples: the Novamarines' parent chapter is the Ultramarines, so you can't use Inheritors to give them the White Scars' trait (because that's not their parent chapter), and you can't give any chapter the Black Templars' CT (because that's not a First Founding chapter).
• Bolter Fusillades: Re-roll hit rolls of 1 when using bolt weapons. Not only frees your Captains from babysitting line squads so they can focus on the big guns, but it also means you can switch your HQ towards Lieutenants, as anything with bolt weapons is effectively inside a Captain's aura. Keep in mind the Lt's reroll is statistically identical to the Captain's (better for anything that automatically hits, but worse for anything that hurts you on a 1; neither one affects the odds that a successful hit is a 6 or that a successful wound is a 6).
• Born Heroes: Characters with this tactic can do Heroic Interventions from 6" instead of 3". Pretty terrible outside Supreme Command Detachments, but it's good there.
• Duellists: When making melee attacks against enemy infantry or bikers, unmodified hit rolls of 6 auto-hit and auto-wound. Explicitly incompatible with the Whirlwind of Rage tactic, sadly. Doesn't work on Cavalry because GW likes to pretend Wolf Riders don't exist; can't blame them.
  • Duellists works better the tougher your target is, although it's somewhat limited in that Infantry and Bikers don't tend to exceed T5. The bonus is better than Whirlwind of Rage when you need a 5+ to wound (DG/Custodes), equal at 4+ (CSM/Orks) and worse when you wound on a 3+ (IG/Eldar/Tau). This also means anything better than a Power Sword would be better used by Whirlwind of Rage, so, unless you want something specific like a melee Primaris chapter that fights T5 enemies, pick Whirlwind. Take note of the combo with Incursors knives... .
• Fearsome Aspect: -1 Leadership to enemy units while they're within 3" of any of your units.
  • Situational, but can be combined with other debuffing abilities, such as Reivers' aura, to provide an effect like Night Lords PLUS another chapter tactic, because this is only half of your trait. Night Lords, eat your hearts out.
• Hungry for Battle: +1" to the advance or charge roll. Amazing for melee units and also pretty good if you want to spam Assault weapons. Has no synergy with bikes or anything else that doesn't roll to Advance (like anything with Supersonic), but at its most noticeable on slow things trying to advance or deep striking things that want to charge right now - you'll definitely notice this tactic's impact on cataphractii terminators, for example.
  • Gets really crazy with the Master of the Vanguard warlord trait for +2" move and advance. Gets even crazier, borderline illegal, with Lias Issodon for +3" to move and advance.
• Indomitable: You can't lose more than one model from a failed Morale roll. Half of the Dark Angels CT. It can be okay for big units if you want to maximize the effectiveness of Stratagems, but it's not likely you'll fail morale tests to begin with.
• Knowledge is Power: Psykers with this tactic can re-roll "any or all" rolls of 1 when casting or denying. Half of the Blood Ravens tactic. If you're taking a Supreme Command with 3 Librarians for some reason this is good; don't take this if less than a third of the Detachment consists of Librarians.
• Long Range Marksmen: +3" range to all ranged weapons. Your marines get to engage enemies from their own deployment zone, taking better advantage of Bolter Discipline. Furthermore, it's amazing for flamers, which gain 11" range and become able to be used right out of a deepstrike, as well as being almost impossible to avoid by melee units. It also makes meltaguns noticeably easier to use, and while half-range abilities only gain a 1.5" boost, this is enough for Grav-guns and Combi-gravs to double-shoot after deep striking, which makes them a lot less terrible. Also, don't forget this applies to your grenades as well - 9" frag, krak, and shock, and 7" melta, is enough that you'll want to consider throwing a grenade more often when firing Overwatch.
• Master Artisans: A unit with this tactic can re-roll a single failed to hit roll and a single failed wound roll each time it shoots or fights (including overwatch). Half of the Salamanders' CT. Units with a few weak weapons benefit most, but few strong is better than many weak for this. Amazing for pretty much any unit, with the standard Salamander caveat that it's a lot better the fewer attacks per unit you have - always go MSU with this.
• Preferred Enemy: Pick one of the following factions: Aeldari, Tau, Heretic Astartes, Tyranids, Orks, or Necrons. Re-roll hits with melee weapons when attacking them if you charged, were charged, or made a Heroic Intervention. Fluffy, but bad for WAAC lists unless you are building for one specific opponent; Heretic Astartes are the most popular of these factions and Orks are guaranteed to get into combat with you, but you can get re-rolls for hit rolls cheaply in other ways.
• Rapid Assault: Advancing no longer incurs a -1 penalty on firing Assault weapons. It's okay if you spam Assault weapons (especially meltaguns on bikes), but this tactic needs to be combined with something like Hungry for Battle to make it work.
• Scions of the Forge: Units with damage tables count their wounds as doubled when calculating the effects of damage. 1/3 of the Iron Hands CT. Good for heavily mechanised lists.
• Stalwart: When rolling for wounds against your models, natural rolls of 1 or 2 always fail, regardless of any modifiers or abilities the attacking unit might have. Makes your units somewhat better against plasma and other S8+ weapons. The other half of the Blood Ravens tactic.
• Stealthy: Count as being in cover when at least 12" away from enemies. Half of the Raven Guard's tactic. By the time the enemy gets close enough to ignore this bonus you'll be within range for an easy charge. Good for gunlines, especially Vehicles and Flyers; meh for other types of units.
• Stoic: +1 Leadership. Half of the Ultramarines CT. Skip it unless you need it for a very specific plan - it's usually fundamentally garbage compared to Indomitable.
  • Stoic is better than Indomitable in the instances where the unit fails by EXACTLY ONE. However, Space Marine normal leadership, unit size, and ATSKNF means that this happens... quite a bit more frequently than in might in other armies.
• Tactical Withdrawal: Units with this tactic can charge after falling back. Roughly 1/4 of the White Scars' tactic. Amazing for melee oriented armies, allowing you to trigger Shock Assault whenever you want. Generally speaking, best on a unit with FLY (especially Inceptors), since you can fall back, shoot, and then charge back into melee.
  • Wasted on Intercessors and Infiltrators, who can get the equivalent of an extra melee attack without needing to risk overwatch just by firing their bolt pistols; better on Incursors thanks to their knives. Only really works on Troops if you can make them fight twice, if they don't have pistols or you're using another unit to shoot their target between withdrawal and charge, so take it for your heavy hitters instead.
• Warded: 5+ Feel no Pain versus mortal wounds only. Half of the Black Templars' tactic. Situational, but useful if your meta is full of armies who spam mortal wounds.
  • All mortal wounds, not just those from psychic powers; this is basically Armour of Contempt but always active, all the time and not restricted to vehicles. A character about to die can fail to save a regular wound, and pass it onto a Company Vet as a mortal wound to try to save it again. A vehicle that fails a plasma roll has a chance to not lose a wound.
  • What tries to counter TH/SS? Mortal Wounds SPAM. Well now your TH/SS are 2+/3++/5+++, simple as.
• Whirlwind of Rage: When making melee attacks for a unit that charged, was charged, or made a Heroic Intervention, unmodified hit rolls of 6 score an additional hit. Explicitly incompatible with the Duellists tactic, above.
  • Unlike Duellists, mathematically the Whirlwind of Rage bonus constantly behaves as +1WS (one that also affects WS2+ models), irrespective of chances to wound and not limited by keywords. Plus, its bonus is better than Duellists against targets you wound on a 3+ or less, meaning both your anti-horde and power weapons benefit. Do note that, unlike Duellists, Whirlwind only works in the first round of combat, not that anything you were fielding was planning on staying in melee for longer than that.

Stratagems

LOTS of ways to inflict Mortal Wounds here. By the way, Linebreaker Bombardment, Empyric Channelling, Datalink Telemetry and Killshot are not included in the new codex, and the 2019 FAQ confirms them to be DEAD. They are all, however, still available to Blood Angels, Dark Angels, and Space Wolves, at least for the moment. So if you're really attached to that triple Predator detachment, run them as one of them instead.

Utility.

• Auspex Scan (2 CP): When an enemy unit comes in from reserves within 12" of one of your Infantry units, your unit can shoot at it but with a -1BS penalty. It might pay off to keep Devastators/Hellblasters around, as deepstriking Termies can survive hurried bolter fire, and this "emergency" strat can be an unforeseen expense for your relatively-small army.
• Big Guns Never Tire (1 CP): Select a Vehicle; until the end of the phase, that unit does not suffer the penalty for moving and firing heavy weapons.
• Tactical Flexibility (1 CP): At the start of your movement phase, pick any number of 10 model unit with the Combat Squads rule and split them into two 5 model units as if they had been deployed as two Combat Squads. You probably should have split your squads before the battle, but on the other hand, it could be used to unexpectedly divide a squad in mid-battle to let it take two objectives at once. Still, calling it situational would be an understatement.
• Tremor Shells (1 CP): At the start of your shooting phase, when a Thunderfire cannon shoots, subtract 1 from the wound rolls, but as long as it hits, the target unit gets half move, advance, and charge distances their next turn. Doesn't affect Fly or Titanic units.
  • This is all it takes to clog up a large horde army. OR, more importantly, drastically reduce the chances that they get off a charge, in cases when they choose to use Da Jump or other such gimmicks.
  • The effect is worded to last for the whole shooting phase so use the new Suppression Fire stratagem and slowdown the second unit in the same phase!
  • Tremor Shells do bizarre things to your enemy. Most standard units (M6") will still be able to move about 4-6" with an advance move. HOWEVER, this strat forces them to advance to get that far, thus it is also a useful way to reduce a units shooting if you know they need to get close to use close range/assault weapons. Altogether its a great strat.

Character Upgrades

• Chapter Ancient (1CP): One use only. Upgrades a non-named Ancient into a Chapter Ancient, granting +1 to Leadership and makes the range of its Astartes Banner 9".
• Chapter Champion (1CP): One use only. Upgrades a non-named Company Champion into a Chapter Champion, granting +1 to Attacks and Leadership. Enemies attacking them in melee must take -1 to hit, making non-HQs attempting to hit him with Fists a pipe dream. Not usable by Black Templars, they have the Emperor's Champion for that.
• Chapter Master (2 CP): Use before the start of the game to turn your Captain into a Chapter Master, boosting his aura to reroll all hits (fails and successes) instead of only 1s. You can't use this twice, nor use it on a named captain, or if you already have a named Chapter Master from the same Chapter.
  • A named Chapter Master costs about +50pts more than your would-be generic CM and brings along a special rule, a relic of some sort, and +1W. Ask yourself if 2 CP is worth 25pts each plus the loss of the special characteristics. Of course, this isn't an argument for those Chapters without named Chapter Masters.
• Chief Apothecary (1CP): One use only. Non-named Apothecary may be upgraded and can re-roll the die to determine if a model that has been destroyed returns to that unit.
• Chief Librarian (1CP): One use only. A non-named Librarian is upgraded to a Chief Librarian. Knows one more power from their chosen discipline, and has one more Deny.
• Hero of the Chapter (1 CP): One use only. Select a Character from your army that's not your warlord and determine a warlord trait for it.
• Master of Sanctity (1 CP): One use only. A non-named Chaplain is upgraded to a Master of Sanctity, which grants him one more Litany of Battle and the ability to use two Litanies at once.
• Master of the Forge (1CP): One use only. Upgrades a non-named Techmarine who isn't attached to a Thunderfire Cannon to a Master of the Forge. Like Iron Father Feirros, you always restore 3 wounds to a vehicle.
• Relics of the Chapter (1 CP): Use before the start of the battle. You can have an extra Chapter Relic for 1 CP. You can't take two of the same relic, and all the Relics have to go to different Characters. No longer limited to a one-use stratagem due to the sheer amount of relics.
• Veteran Intercessors (1/2 CP): AKA that specialist detachment stratagem from Vigilus part one. +1 attack, +1 leadership to a unit of Intercessors. Costs 1 for a 5 man unit, and 2 for a unit of 6 or more.

Offense: Use these to shoot or fight better.

• Bolt Storm (2 CP): At the start of the shooting phase, pick a squad of Intercessors. Until the end of the phase, that squad's Auto bolt rifles automatically hit if they target an enemy within half range.
  • Effectively multiplies your Intercessors' shooting by 1.5x, but most importantly it completely negates BS penalties and it's nice extra damage before melee.
• Cluster Mines (1 CP): Use when a Scout Bike squad falls back. On a 2+, one unit you fell back from takes D3 mortal wounds.
  • Best in an Ultramarines or White Scars list, where you can fall back, pop it and reengage. The reactive version of the proactive Incursor's mines.
• Death to the Traitors! (1 CP): When one unit is attacking a Heretic Astartes unit in the fight phase, any 6+ to hit generates another attack with the same weapon. Steal their gimmick to use back on them.
• Flakk Missile (1 CP): When an Infantry model shoots a missile launcher at a unit with Fly, make a single hit roll with +1 to hit. If you hit, do D3 mortal wounds instead of rolling to wound. Like Hellfire Shells, Salamanders can get some extra mileage from this with the free reroll.
• Fury of the First (1 CP): A Terminator unit gains +1 to hit until the end of that phase. Now TH/SS doesn't NEED to be babysat by a Chaplain, and Tactical termies can use it in their shooting phase as well.
• Gene Wrought Might (1 CP): When a Primaris Infantry unit from your army has chosen to fight, until the end of the phase, when resolving an attack made with a melee weapon a hit roll of 6+ automatically hits and wounds.
• Gravitic Amplification (1 CP): When a unit of your army is chosen to shoot with any "Grav" weaponry, you can reroll the wound roll and the damage roll. Nifty. Redemption for those Gravs you glued to your Cents back in 7E.
• Hammer of Wrath (1CP): Jump pack models within a unit that successfully end a charge move within 1" of an enemy unit cause mortal wounds on a 5+. Makes your big units of assault marines/VV punch much harder.
• Hellfire Shells (1 CP): Instead of shooting normally, a Space Marine Infantry model (with a heavy bolter) rolls only once to hit. If it hits, it does D3 mortal wounds. Try to get +BS or rerolls and stand still so that you don't miss the shot.
• Honour the Chapter (3 CP): At the end of the fight phase, pick an Adeptus Astartes unit to fight a second time. The usual "fight twice" stratagem, best on characters and units with good weapons to delete someone.
  • Do not besmirch your chapters proud history by affording Abaddon any chance of survival. Finish the job properly! Seriously this could be the pivotal factor in capturing slay the warlord or destroying a tank in one fell combat.
• Hunter-slayer Missile (1 CP): A variation on the flakk Missile Stratagem for dealing mortal wounds to big targets. Target an enemy vehicle or monster within 48" of a Repulsor and not within 1" of an ally. Roll a dice. If it is equal to or greater than the Repulsor's Ballistic Skill (meaning it ignores modifiers to hit), the enemy unit takes d3 mortal wounds. One use per Repulsor.
• Masterful Marksmanship (1 CP): When a Sternguard Squad shoots, it adds 1 to wound rolls with its special issue boltguns.
  • +1/6 to wound on a BS3 unit equals +0.11 wounds per shot, regardless of the target. At most this is 10 Sternguard at 15" do +2.2 wounds the enemy might still save. While not that much, Sternguards are a solidly fun unit and a few couple extra casualties could make the difference when attacking a priority target, like Berzerkers going your way. Just don't expect them to solo a Leman Russ, is what we're saying.
  • This can stack with Catechism of Fire, which can provide a minimum of 4+ to wound for a unit of Sternguard. Combined with the Tactical Doctrine to get AP-3, this can be the bane of other Marines and even serve to poke vehicles.
• Only in Death Does Duty End (2 CP): When one of your Characters dies, it can shoot or fight again. Doesn't combo with the Banner abilities on Ancients. Makes your characters too dangerous to deal with in melee, as not even killing them prevents them from hitting back, and most of them have melee boosts on top of being already good fighters. Overcharge their plasma pistol if they were killed at range.
• Orbital Bombardment (3 CP, Single Use): If your warlord is a Space Marine (this could be your secondary detachment) and didn't move, you can use this stratagem in the shooting phase instead of having him shoot any weapons. Pick any spot on the battlefield that the warlord can see, and roll a D6 for every unit within D6" of it (subtract 1 if it's rolling for a Character). On a 4+, it takes D3 mortal wounds. RIP Linebreaker.
• Rapid Fire (2 CP): At the start of the shooting phase, pick a squad of Intercessors. Until the end of the phase, that squad's Bolt rifles become Rapid Fire 2.
  • Better 2x multiplier than the Auto Bolt Rifle's Bolt Storm's 1.5x from further away and with better AP. If you run a squad of 10, you are looking at 40 S4 AP-1 shots at 15", or AP-2 at 30" with Bolter Discipline and Tactical Doctrine, as the codex demands. That is some good dakka.
• Target Sighted (3 CP): At the start of the shooting phase, pick a squad of Intercessors. Until the end of the phase, that squad's stalker bolt rifles gain the ability to snipe Characters and cause mortal wounds on a wound roll of 6+. Costs 2 more than the Specialist Detachment version of the same name, however no longer requires the veteran upgrade meaning you don't need to lock in 1 CP before the battle.
  • Rather expensive for something Eliminators do better (S5)...on the other hand, Eliminators can't really be spammed and the ludicrous firepower of 10 Stalker Intercessors can drop a Lieutenant. If with 3CP you can kill a character your enemy relies on then, by all means, go ahead.
• Skyfire (1 CP): When a Hunter or Stalker shoots, it may only aim at units with Fly but adds +1 to hit and wound against them and deals double damage on an unmodified 6 to wound.
• Steady Advance (1 CP): Move an Infantry unit and Bolter Discipline will be applied as if they remained stationary.
• Suppression Fire (2 CP): Use in your shooting phase. A Whirlwind or Thunderfire Cannon that did not move may fire a second time, but it can only shoot with weapons that can target units out of sight of the firer. So basically, their main weapon; nothing says it can ONLY fire at targets out of sight.
• Vengeance of the Machine Spirit (2 CP): If a Land Raider, Stormraven, or Repulsor is destroyed, it can either auto-explode, shoot one last time, or attack in melee one last time. In the latter two cases, it acts as if it was at the top bracket of its damage chart.
• Wisdom of the Ancients (1 CP): At the start of any phase, pick a Dreadnought to turn into a 1-phase Captain. Any same Chapter units within 6" can reroll hits of 1 that phase, including itself.

Defensive. makes it harder for your units to die

• Armour of Contempt (1 CP): When one of your vehicles takes a mortal wound, for the rest of the phase, you get a 5+ to ignore mortal wounds, and can use it on the one you just took. Doesn't work on regular wounds.
• Duty Eternal (1 CP): When a Dreadnought is chosen as the target for an attack, until the end of the phase decrease the damage of attacks by 1 to a minimum of 1. Will help keep your Dreads alive in a tight pinch, but it won't save them from massed Las-cannon fire. The latest FAQ made it so it no longer stacks with other forms of damage reduction, so no more Ironstone shenanigans unfortunately.
• Skilled Riders (2 CP): The return of 7th edition jink rules. Use on a biker or land speeder unit. If they move, they gain a 4+ invulnerable save. If they advanced, they gain a 3+ invulnerable save.
• Transhuman Physiology (2 CP): Select something with the Adeptus Astartes keyword that is not a Vehicle or Servitor, until the end of the phase, when resolving an attack made against that unit, an unmodified wound roll below a 4+ always fails, irrespective of the abilities the weapon or model may have. S10 attack? Effective T10 marines aw yee.

Tactical Objectives

11 - Death from Above

1 VP for destroying an enemy unit that turn when the last model in the unit was removed by an attack made by a unit that either arrived by deep striking or has the FLY keyword.

12 - Honour the Chapter

1 VP if one of your Characters made an attack that caused an enemy Character to lose a wound. If the attack killed said enemy Character, get 1d3 VP instead.

13 - No Mercy, No Respite

1 VP if an enemy unit either dies or fails a morale test. Upped to d3 if you have more than 3 enemy units do this.

14 - For the Emperor!

1 VP if at least one Infantry or Biker unit successfully charged that turn.

15 - Lightning Strike

1 VP if you completely destroy an enemy unit that began the turn within their Deployment Zone.

16 - The Emperor's Retribution

1d3 VP if you steal an objective from an enemy, which is upped to 1d3+3 if you steal 3 or more.

Psychic Powers

Like all 8E factions, in addition to Smite, you have access to a faction-specific table of powers. The Librarius Discipline has power for pretty much every situation, but they're mostly niche enough that it's difficult deciding upfront which powers to take - two of them are mortal wound causers which are worse than Smite, three are friendly buffs you can use to help dictate the flow of combat, and one is a really powerful debuff that usually won't go off but can be a gamechanger when it does activate.

With the advent of the new Codex-plus-chapter-supplements model, each chapter will also have access to a second, Chapter-specific psychic discipline for extra flavor, made available as each supplement rolls out. Combined with the Obscuration discipline for Phobos Librarians, that will be a choice of 3 different potential sets of psychic powers that you'll have access to. Bring a different Librarian for each and pretend that you're playing Thousand Sons.

Unfortunately, as of the new Codex, your buffing powers now specify CHAPTER instead of ADEPTUS ASTARTES, so you can no longer spread buffs across to other Chapters.

Librarius

1. Veil of Time (WC6): Select a whole <CHAPTER> unit of any kind 18" away from the user; until the start of the next Psychic Phase that unit re-rolls charge and advance rolls, and also gets Always Strikes First.
2. Might Of Heroes (WC6): Until the next Psychic Phase, a single CHAPTER model of any kind within 12" gains +1S, +1T, and +1A.
3. Psychic Scourge (WC6): Make a Leadership + 1D6 contested against the Leadership + 1D6 of an enemy unit within 18" of the psyker. If you beat the enemy, they take D3 mortal wounds; equal them and they take 1 Mortal Wound, and nothing happens if your total is lower.
4. Fury of the Ancients (WC7): Range 3D6" (average 10.5, but don't trust it), so less than 18" Smite. Target any visible enemy model within that range and draw a line from the caster to that model; each enemy unit under the line, in addition to the target model's unit, takes a mortal wound.
5. Psychic Fortress (WC5): Select a <CHAPTER> unit 18" away from the user; until the start of your next Psychic Phase, that unit automatically passes morale tests and gains a 4+++ FnP against Mortal Wounds caused by psychic powers.
6. Null Zone (WC7): Until the start of your next Psychic Phase, enemy units within 6" can't take invulnerable saves, and cut the results of their Psychic tests in half. Powerful against enemies that depend on their invulns or psychic powers, like Harlequins, Hive Tyrants, Daemons, and Storm Shield MEQs; not so much against heavily armoured units like Terminators. Remember, you need to get the librarian to within 6", not 1" - don't be afraid to Advance into position and let other things do the murder work for you. Combos insanely well with the Burning Blade relic.

Obscuration

These powers can only be used by Vanguard Librarians. They don't do much damage, but god damn can they fuck with your enemy. Tenebrous Curse and Mind Raid are easy to cast and excellent for damaging and trapping or even finishing off enemy characters - free choice of targets (unlike Smite), 1MW each, and either halve all movement or generate CP in the process. Considering most regular HQs clock in at 5W, a successful psychic phase with only one Phobos Libby means they're down to 3W and too slow to pull away. And no one tries to rush down the center with a beatstick that's half dead and moving at a snail's pace, making this a good deterrent.

1. Temporal Corridor (WC6): Pick a friendly CHAPTER Phobos unit within 3". It can move as if it was the movement phase; it must advance and cannot fall back, but when advancing it rolls 3d6 and picks the highest for the distance it advances. Cannot be used on a given unit more than once per psychic phase. HELLO Reivers!
2. Soul Sight (WC6): Pick a friendly CHAPTER Phobos unit within 18". Until the start of your next psychic phase, that unit re-rolls all failed hits when using their ranged weapons. Also allows attacks from ranged weapons to ignore cover.
3. Shrouding (WC6): Pick a friendly CHAPTER Phobos unit within 18". Until the start of the next psychic phase, enemies can only shoot that unit if they're the closest target as if the unit was a Character, but since they don't gain the character keyword your opponent can't just get around it with snipers; psychic powers can still target them, though.
4. Hallucination (WC6): Select a visible enemy unit within 18". Its Ld is reduced by 1. The opponent must also roll 2d6, and if the result is higher than the unit's highest Ld, all its hit rolls take a -1 penalty.
5. Tenebrous Curse (WC6): Select a visible enemy unit within 18" that does not have the Fly keyword. It takes a mortal wound. Additionally, its Movement stat is halved, as are all of its advance and charge rolls. Scarily effective on Death Guard.
6. Mind Raid (WC6): Select a visible enemy unit within 18". It takes a Mortal Wound. If your army is Battle-Forged and the power targeted a character, roll 3d6. If the result is greater than or equal to the target's Ld, you get a free Command Point!

Litanies of Battle

Now litanies are like the Dark Apostle's prayers, going off on a 3+. Before the game starts, generate the litanies your chaplain knows and start with Litany of Hate + Chapter Litany. Like psychic powers, you cannot spam the same litany even if several chaplains know it, but they are chanted at the beginning of the battle round and remain active until the end of it. This also means a Chaplain won't have an active litany on the turn he deepstrikes, as he can't chant while not on the table. The same rules apply if he rides a transport, so you'll need to come up with other ways to make him fast, like giving him a Jump Pack or putting him on a bike.

• Litany of Hate: Default prayer, 6" aura of re-rolling all melee hit rolls (not just misses) for your chapter.

1. Litany of Faith: 6" aura of FnP 5+++ vs mortal wounds for friendly <chapter> units. Not cumulative with other rules, as per usual (but stated regardless).
2. Catechism of Fire: Select a friendly <chapter> unit within 6". +1 to the wound roll when "resolving a shooting attack" against the closest enemy unit, meaning it affects Overwatch, too.
3. Exhortation of Rage: Select a friendly <chapter> unit within 6". Their unmodified 6s to hit in melee generate another attack with that weapon, which cannot proc extra attacks itself. Good when you already have a Captain/Chapter Master/second Chaplain giving you a re-roll and their aura would overlap with the Chaplain's.
4. Mantra of Strength: He'll show you how it's done. +1A +1S to the Chaplain, and +1D to his melee weapons. D3 Crozius!
5. Recitation of Focus: Select a friendly chapter unit within 6". +1 to their hit rolls when shooting. Even during overwatch, meaning you should answer enemy charges with supercharges. Safe plasma!
6. Canticle of Hate: Non-cumulative 6" aura of +2 to charge rolls, as well as +3" to pile in and consolidation moves. In all cases, the friendly <chapter> unit in question has to be within the aura by the time the move is made - the consolidate move especially will often not happen unless the Chaplain also made his charge. Amazing for those of us who re-roll charges, increasing the odds of a successful 9" charge up to 85% (58.3% for non-rerolling lads).

Warlord Traits

Named Characters MUST use their designated Chapter Specific trait, thus increasing the appeal of taking an unnamed character. Traits can be classified into two different types: Individual (I), which turn your character into a better beatstick, and Support (S), which are usually Auras stacking on top of your warlord's natural one.

Universal

1. Fear Made Manifest (S): Enemy units within 6" get -1 Leadership.
2. The Imperium's Sword (I): What Smash Captains are made of. Warlord rerolls failed charges (either one or both dice), and gets +1S and +1A the turn he charges (in addition to Shock Assault), to break things immediately out of deepstrike. Chapters that can charge after falling back can trigger the boost over and over.
3. Iron Resolve (I): What Smashfuckers are made of. Warlord gets +1W, and can ignore wounds on a 6. Not dying is nice, and it's better the more wounds your character has.
4. Champion of Humanity (I): +1A when enemy Characters are within 1" of him. When actually targetting the character in melee, add 1 to all hit and wound rolls. Turns a character using relic blades or unwieldy weapons into a top of the line duelist.
5. Storm of Fire (S): Each time ANY <Chapter> unit within 6" rolls an unmodified 6 to hit for a shooting attack, the AP of that attack is improved by 1. At BS3+, that's 25% of your hits. Remember it affects ANY unit, not just infantry. It gives the biggest benefits to low AP weapons that roll to hit - that's all sorts of Bolters. Can be combined with Imperial & Crimson Fists' exploding bolters, but any ranged chapter can make use of it. Doctrines cannot stack AP bonuses, so try boosting small arms during the Devastator doctrine and vice-versa.
6. Rites of War (S): The warlord gains Defenders of Humanity, and <CHAPTER> units within 6" automatically pass morale tests. The counterpart of Fear Made Manifest.

Vanguard Space Marines

Available only to Phobos characters, aka the tacticool Captain, Lieutenant, and Librarian found in the Shadowspear box. Chaplains can suck it because yelling catechisms isn't stealthy, and techmarines haven't yet learned whatever trick the helix adepts are using to fix broken things quietly, so they can suck it, too.

1. Shoot and Fade: At the start of the shooting phase select one friendly <chapter> phobos unit within 6" of the warlord. That unit can move after shooting. If they do, they also have to advance, and they cannot declare a charge afterwards (RIP WS).
   • Imperial stealthy Jump-Shoot-Jump baby! Break LoS and avoid retaliation. That way your Infiltrator/Incursor squads can keep up with your Eliminators, the first dashing in and out of LoS while the later shoot without visual contact with complete impunity.
2. Lord of Deceit: At the start of the first round but before the first turn begins, you can remove and redeploy up to 3 <Chapter> Phobos units present on the battlefield.
3. Master of the Vanguard: Friendly <chapter> phobos units within 6" of the warlord gain +1" to their move and advance and charge rolls.
4. Stealth Adept: -1 to hit rolls that target the warlord.
5. Target Priority: Select a friendly <chapter> phobos unit within 3" at the start of your shooting phase. Until the end of the phase, that unit gets +1 to hit.
   • A Phobos Captain can form a comfy sniper base with Eliminators, letting them hit on a re-rollable 2+ without the sergeant giving up his shooting and protecting them with his 12" deepstrike-denying Omni-scrambler. It doesn't affect Infiltrators because the automatic wounds only happen on an unmodified 6s.
6. Marksman Honours: +1D to all of the warlord's guns. It doesn't apply to grenades or relics. Completely wasted on a Librarian or Lieutenant, but bumps the Phobos Captain's Instigator Bolt Carbine to an eye-watering 4 damage.

Faith and Fury

The following Warlord Traits are unlocked by using a 1 CP stratagem to upgrade a character to a Master/Chief variant of the base model, found in the Faith and Fury supplement. Since only three of these characters are actual HQs, they can be good candidates to use Hero of the Chapter on. That means these traits can cost 2CP; better bring a Battalion.

Master of Sanctity

• Bellowing Firebrand: +3" to Spiritual Leader and Litanies.
  • Helps with positioning. Can be combined with a fellow aura HQ with the Vox Espiritum for two 9" auras.
• Wise Orator: Re-roll failed Litanies rolls. What'd be the point of having multiple litanies if you couldn't rely on them, huh?

Master of the Forge

• Master of the Machine: When resolving an attack made by a friendly <Chapter> VEHICLE model within 6″, add one to the hit roll.
  • Aura of Safe Plasma for vehicles, and great utility for vehicles that need to move, such as dreads.
• Warden of the Ancients: +1S and +1A to friendly <Chapter> Dreadnought models within 6″ of this warlord.
  • Contemptors and Redemptors become able to wound T8 on a 2+, and are the fastest Dreads. They decay, but that's what the Techmarine is for. What would you do otherwise, dread drop pod? Storm raven? Techmarine Biker? Yeah right.

Chief Librarian

• High Scholar of the Librarius: This warlord can know psychic powers from any discipline they have access to, rather than only one. Allows for interesting combos of psychic powers you wouldn't normally be able to use.
• Psychic Mastery: This warlord gains +1 on their first psychic test of a phase. Useful to increase the chances of double Smite if the Chief Librarian casts for second.

Chief Apothecary

• Father of the Future: 6+++ FnP to <chapter> Infantry and <chapter> Bikers. 5++ for the Iron Hands. Best on Primaris who can survive 2D a third of the time, by passing the FnP on either of their 2W. Even better on Centurions and their beefy 4W apiece.
• Selfless Healer: The Chief Apothecary can use his ability twice, and the unit that he targets may be the beneficiary of his work twice. He may do this even if he failed his roll the first time and is recovering the geneseed. Twice the healing, twice the value.

Chapter Ancient

• Singular Presence: Friendly <CHAPTER> INFANTRY, <CHAPTER> BIKER, and <CHAPTER> DREADNOUGHT units within 3″ can perform a Heroic Intervention as though they were characters.
• Steadfast Example: Friendly <CHAPTER> INFANTRY units within 3″ have the Defenders of Humanity rule, and count as two models if they already have it.

Company Champion: Chapter Champion

• Martial Exemplar: Friendly <CHAPTER> units within 6″ of this warlord can re-roll charges.
  • Suppose you can get Black Templar's re-rollable charges without giving up your chapter tactic. Can be very powerful, even if the footslogging Champion needs a Drop Pod to get where you need him to.
  • Take this on a White scars champion on bike (Legends) or in a transport and there won't be an opponant who has a better charge phase than you.
• Master Duelist: When resolving an attack with a melee weapon by a model against this warlord, on a modified hit roll of 1, roll 1d6 and on a 4+ that model’s unit suffers 1 mortal wound after that unit has finished fighting.

Space Marine Armoury

Ranged Weaponry

• Boltgun: You know what a bolter is, but if you somehow forgot it's 24" Rapid Fire 1 S4 AP0 D1.
  • Bolt Carbine: An Assault 2 Bolter, exclusive to the Reiver Squad.
  • Bolt Rifle: A Boltgun with 30" range and AP-1, making it more effective; exclusive to Intercessors.
    • Auto Bolt Rifle: The automatic version, an Assault 3 Bolter. Better than the Bolter and Bolt Rifle when not factoring in Stratagems or shooting at armour. Combine with the Tactical Doctrine to delete hordes.
    • Stalker Bolt Rifle: Not a sniper rifle, lest it invalidates Scouts too. 36" Heavy 1 AP-2 D2 Bolt Rifle, to give faraway targets more than just a poke. Turns Intercessors into something akin to Troop Sternguard. Combine with the new Devastator Doctrine to hit at AP-3 and pretend you're shooting Plasma.
  • Combi-Weapon: can be fired alongside the Bolter part, at -1BS. Note that Combi-Flamers don't care for no BS. Available to sergeants and terminators.
  • Special Issue Boltgun: The big brother to both Boltgun and the new Bolt Rifle, wielded by the Sternguard Veterans. At 30" S4 AP-2 this gun pretty much shoots Dragonfire Vengeance rounds at Kraken range.
  • Storm Bolter/Combi-Bolter: Cheap as chips Rapid Fire 2 Boltgun, typically seen on Terminators, also available to Sarges and upgrades on most of your vehicles. It's especially nasty at Rapid Fire range.
• Astartes shotgun: an option on Scout models, a 12" Assult 2 bolter that becomes S5 while within 6".
• Assault Bolter: 18", Assault 3 S5 AP-1. Would be a really good gun on assault units. Unfortunately exclusive to Inceptors. That said, you can still perform effective hit and run attacks with it, aided by the Inceptors' ability to shoot after falling back.
• Bolt Pistol: A bolter in pistol form, meaning you can fire it in melee. Just don't forget it's there.
  • Heavy Bolt Pistol: More like Better Bolt Pistol with AP-1, exclusive to Reivers.
  • Absolvor Bolt Pistol A handheld Heavy Bolter Pistol with the same stats, just with one 16" shot and carried by Primaris Chaplains and Apothecaries.
  • Boltstorm Gauntlet: A Bolt Pistol with Pistol 3, attached to a Power Fist, attached to the Gravis Captain.
    • Auto Boltstorm Gauntlets: Paired Boltstorm Gauntlets, but they're Assault 6, meaning they can't be fired in melee but you can run-n'-shoot and be used alongside other guns. Exclusive to Aggressors, who wield them well.
• Grenades: Standard issue for any marine; you can only throw one per unit.
  • Krak: Single throw at 6" with S6 AP-1 D1d3, to have something to deal with harder targets.
  • Frag: Single throw with 1d6 hits at 6" with S3 AP 0. A go-to for thinning Guardsmen ranks - it's worse than a storm bolter but better than a bolter, against everything T7 or less.
  • Melta: Single hurl at 4" with S8 AP-4 D1d6 with re-roll wounds against vehicles. Found on Vanguard Vets for 5 points and finds use should your marine's fist fail to punch through an armoured hull.
  • Auxiliary grenade launcher: Exclusive to Intercessors, lets them lob grenades at a range of 30". Lets your Grenades properly benefit from the Devastator Doctrine.
  • Astartes Grenade Launcher: Can replace the storm bolters on Scout bikes. Has Frag and Krak Grenade profiles at 24" Assault 1d6/1.

Special Weapons

• Flamer: An Assault D6 S4 AP- weapon with 8" range which automatically passes rolls to hit. A classic anti-horde option, at least it's cheap. 8" range means it can't be used immediately out of a drop pod. Can't overwatch against charges starting more than 8" away, but those aren't reliable anyway, so a flamer is still good in those cases. Don't bother trying to hit airborne units, as they're too tough and armoured.
  • Hand Flamer: The Pistol D6 version, but only 6" and S3. Not good for Advancing, but for melee to clear out some GEQ. Kind of shit really, as most of the time you could take a bolter or bolt pistol for free or even a storm bolter in some cases, all of which have better range and wound better.
• Grav-gun: 18" Rapid Fire 1 S5 AP-3 D1, upgrading to D1d3 if the target has a 3+ save or better.
  • Grav Pistol: Deals more damage against targets with an armour save of 3+ or higher, but with only S5 it's less likely to wound than a plasma pistol. Good against heavily armoured characters without the Plasma Pistol's risk. Costs more than a Plasma Pistol and does less work than one.
• Meltagun: 12" Assault 1 S8 AP-4 D1d6, becoming best of two 1d6 Damage at half range. Good against anything with lots of wounds, be they Vehicles, Monsters or even Heavy Infantry. At 12" range Supercharged plasma is better (but riskier) however, and this gun is more expensive, so you really should try and get into half range. While you can advance to close the gap, it is convenient that the unit's other weapons are assault weapons as well.
• Plasma weapons: They have a Safe and Supercharged profile. Stick close to a Captain, because Safe plasma isn't really cost-effective. Good against everything. Gets Hot applies to the final modified score, meaning +1BS (Devastator Sergeant's Signum, Rhino Primaris' Servo-skull Hub) make you immune to it. Conversely, plasma guns are more likely to overheat at night.
  • Plasma gun: You know what a Plasma gun is too, but for reference, it's 24", Rapid Fire 1, S7/8 AP-3 1/2 D. Good as a Tactical/Crusader squad's Special Weapon. As much of an all-rounder as the marine wielding it.
  • Plasma Incinerator: A Primaris Plasma Gun, because Cawl wanted to make marine guns' as insecure as their wielders. Better 30" range lets it not only rapid-fire from further away but outrange enemies. Better AP-4 makes them a menace even for tanks.
    • Assault Plasma Incinerator: Lighter 24" Assault 2 Str 6/7 version of the Standard Plasma Incinerator. Easier to make it cost-effective, as it shoots double than the Standard version from 16"-24", still wounding most infantry on a 3+ but lost the ability to wound t4 on 2+.
    • Heavy Plasma Incinerator: The other end of the spectrum. 36" Heavy 1 Str 8/9 lets you wound infantry on a 2+ without having to supercharge, and makes it effective against tanks, enjoying the great range. Which you should keep because it's not Rapid Fire like the other variants. More cost-effective against vehicles than against infantry, but it does the job nicely. Overcharging basically makes it a pocket Lascannon that doesn't have excess damage against infantry, at the cost of not ripping apart tanks. Really good for heavily armoured enemies with one wound.
  • Plasma Pistol: Fairly effective against MEQs when fired normally, a TEQ-killer when supercharged, but Gets Hot! now risks outright killing the user. A high risk-high reward pistol, your Captain's rerolls reduce Gets Hot to a 1/36 chance. Good against everything, really, as plasma can even wound tanks.
  • Plasma Exterminator: Inceptor plasma weapon. Each Inceptor gets (2) Plasma Exterminators. Each Plasma Exterminator is AssaultD3 S7/8 AP-3 D1/2. That translates to 2D3 plasma shots per each Inceptor. Re-roll protection is absolutely essential, otherwise, anything wielding such a weapon will fry itself rather quickly should they turn up the heat.

Heavy Weapons

• Assault Cannon: 24" Heavy 6 S6 AP-1. Brrrt.
  • Particularly great at killing off gaunts as it wounds them on 2+ and they receive no armour save.
  • Probably best when mounted on iron hands storm talons and storm hawks or a Razorback of any chapter.
  • The only real weakness of this weapon is it's range so a mobile platform is advisable.
• Grav-cannon with Grav-amp: 24" Heavy 4 Grav-gun. Akin to a heavier Heavy Bolter to deal with bigger targets.
  • Drop 1 cp on some devastators with these to reroll all wounds and damage on their shots, quite capable of shaving off half a knights wounds with no support or killing off a unit of custodian guard in one turn.
  • A unit with Grav-cannons will become a serious target for your opponent so consider sticking them in a Rhino, Razorback or a Stormraven so they can't be basalisk'ed off the table turn 1.
• Heavy Bolter: 36" Heavy 3 S5 AP-1. Good against hordes at long range due to its high number of attacks, and still useful against lighter vehicles Especially when Devastation Doctrine is active. It's most efficient against hordes with bad/no save, or things that rely primarily on a weak invulnerable save, like daemons.
• Heavy Flamer: A Flamer with S+1 and AP-1. More effective against armoured targets than its smaller brother, but cannot be fired after advancing.
• Lascannon: Heavy 1 S9 AP-3 D6 D with a range of 48". Your primary long-range anti-vehicle weapon. Don't even try to shoot infantry with this. You'll kill 1 model per shot at most now that overkill damage is exclusive to mortal wounds.
  • Las-Talon: Twin Lascannon but 24". Found on GravTanks and the Stormhawk interceptor.
  • Las fusil: Eliminators anti-tank option. 36" S8 but a Flat 3 Damage.
• Missile Launcher: Can fire either Frag Missiles that act like D6 Bolter shots, or a Krak Missile with S8 AP-2 D6 D. Not quite as good as a Heavy Bolter or a Lascannon in regards to dealing with infantry and vehicles (respectively), but still pretty good at both of those roles. Devastator squads with 2 Lascannons and 2 Missile Launchers are a pretty darn good Swiss-Army unit. Good to have at least one Missile Launcher around, due to the Flakk Missile Strategem. Missile Launchers like the new Combat Doctrine rules, allowing them to perform exactly same against T7 as a lascannon would, while still having an S4 AP-1 anti-infantry weapon - something to consider if you know your enemy doesn't bring T8.
  • Hunter-Killer Missile: A single shot krak missile for 6 points if your army can't squeeze in enough normal anti-tank weaponry.
  • Typhoon Missile Launcher: Double shot missile launcher found on land speeders, includes frag and krak missiles.
  • Skyhammer Missile Launcher: Anti air krak missiles
  • Stormstrike Missile Launcher:
• Multi-melta: A 24" Heavy Meltagun, meaning you can't run with it, but can shoot in melta range out of a deepstrike, now fulfilling the role of Drop Pod Threat-removal.
• Plasma cannon: Heavy D3 effectively means the same shots as a Plasma gun, but from 36" away instead of 12". You both need to be careful and to shoot Supercharges, due to the sheer cost of this weapon. Can be a makeshift "heavy weapons team" with the Devastator Sergeant, as his Signum prevents Gets Hot. Being a Heavy weapon it's best to not supercharge in the move, due to -1BS.
• Sniper Rifle: A Scout exclusive, it's a 36" Heavy 1 weapon so it's included here. It's only good for fishing mortal wounds, but it can target characters even if they hide behind a unit. A complete lack of AP means they won't be killing a heavy character like a Captain without committing a serious amount of points to it but can kill his supporting Apothecary.
  • Bolt Sniper Rifle The real deal sniper rifle all Space Marines should be wielding. Has 3 firing modes at 36" which can target characters. Mortis at Heavy 1, S5 AP-2 and d3 damage. Hyperfrag is d3 S5 shots. Executioner rounds are a single shot at S5 AP-1 and ignore line of sight, as well as adding 2 to hit rolls
• Icarus Stormcannon: Autocannon equivalent with accuracy bonus against air units
• Predator Autocannon 72" range with 2D3 shots at S7, AP-1 and flat 3 damage makes this a powerful weapon against TEQ and light/medium armour. AP-1 makes this weapon less useful against AP2 and heavy vehicles, which are better handled by lascannons. This weapon really enjoys the new Devastator doctrine.
• Heavy Laser Destroyer New Primaris weapon found on the Repulsor Executioner. 72" range, Heavy 2, S10, AP-4 and D1d6 (rolls of 1 and 2 always count as 3) makes this a dedicated tank killer, though it is an expensive weapon. The weapon can be fired twice at the same target, resulting in 4 shots, when a Repulsor moves less than 5" almost guaranteeing you will at least cripple your target. Don't be afraid to fire this at multi-wound infantry as it guarantees a kill even on 3 wound mega nobs with each unsaved shot!
• Macro Plasma Incinerator The plasma cannon version of the newer Primaris incinerator weapons. Only a 36" range but fires heavy d6 shots at S8/9 AP -4, and D1/2. Performs well against TEQ and can threaten vehicles and monsters. More of an all-rounder weapon, but it is usually well priced.
• Thunderfire Cannon Heavy 4D3 shots all at S5 AP -1 and fired at 60". It's like a higher output Heavy Bolter and can deny line of sight requirements.
• Whirlwind Missile Launcher Two firing modes which require the operator to purchase one or another prior to game start. Both ignore line of sight requirements and have a 72" range. Castellan missiles are heavy 2d6 at S6, Vengeance missiles are a heavy 2d3 Autocannon equivalent.
• Flamestorm Cannon Found on Land Raider Redeemers and functions like a 12" S6 Ap-2 D2 heavy flamer for torching bigger units.
• Accelerator Autocannon Found on the new Primaris Suppressors. It's an AP-2 Autocannon which denies units with slain models the ability to fire overwatch.
  • Twin Accelerator Autocannon Its an assault weapon mounted on a Sicaran Battle Tank! Assault 8 Autocannon shots which ignore flyer restrictions and wounds of 6+ are resolved at AP-3.
• Ironhail Heavy Stubber: A weird GW trend of putting Stubbers on the hover tanks. Their Heavy weapon equivalent of 36" Bolt Rifles.
  • Icarus Ironhail Heavy Stubber: The anti-air version, with the standard +1/-1 to hit. With only S4 even the flimsiest of Eldar flyers will laugh it off but you should be aiming at Jump Packs.
  • Ironhail Skytalon Array: Don't let the bitchin' name fool you, this is just two Icarus Stubbers slapped together and is just as pointless unless you're shooting at Gargoyles. Well, not so fast. This gun has a unique rule that adds 1 to your wound roll against Fly unit in addition of +1 to hit which mean it will wound most Fly unit on 4+. This is not here to shoot down gunships or bombers, this is here to kill jump infantry.
• Fragstorm grenade Launcher: Found on your Primaris Tanks. Its d6 bolter Equivalent gun uses to gun down chaff and those foolish enough to charge it.
• Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon Found on multiple Primaris armoured platforms and puts the hurt on infantry. Heavy 12 Heavy Bolter shots at 30".
  • Onslaught Gatling Cannon An assault cannon but at S5. Can always be found with the heavier version and pairs very well for 18 total shots.

Melee Weapons

• Chainsword/Combat Knife: Still the basic Close Combat Weapon profile, but it's free and allows for one extra attack, so it's good against enemy hordes. All your sergeants can take it alongside the main gun, so it might be worth it to swap that bolt pistol he's not using anyway. Combat Doctrines make these invaluable for turn 3 deep strikers with AP-1 (although for them, the Bolt Pistol also gets AP-1)!
• Paired Combat Blades: Found on Incursors and some Lieutenants. No extra attacks, but unmodified hits of 6 score an extra automatic hit.
• Eviscerator: A two-handed Chainfist with variable damage on a model with at most 2 attacks. It competes with a power fist with Assault Marines. It is a fucking awesome double-handed chainsword, though.
• Lightning Claws: SU AP-2, allows you re-roll to wound, and grants an extra attack if you have two of them. This will outperform a Power Axe against anything with T less than twice your S, particularly now that it's barely more expensive. Often your best bet for mulching single-wound hordes.
• Relic Blade: Available to Honour Guard, Vanguard Veteran Sergeants, and Captains. S+2 AP-3 D1d3, so it's like a Force Sword or Stave but better (and strictly better than a Force Axe both in absolute terms and because it costs less). Better than a Power Fist against most infantry-sized targets. Costing as much as a Power Fist, consider whether the better accuracy is worth the +2 Strength gap between the Fist and the Blade. One of the advantages over the Power Fist is that effects happening on 6+ to hit can actually trigger with the Blade since it has no hit penalties.
• Power Weapons: Each type of Power Weapon has its own profile now, so pick the right one for the situation. All Power Weapons have a damage value of 1:
  • Power Axe: S+1 AP-2. A good enough compromise between the Sword's armour negation and the Maul's brute force; typically your best choice, despite costing more than the other two, because you have to pick one to take before knowing what you're going to need killed, and this has the best overall performance in the T3-T8 Sv2+-Sv6+ range you care about.
  • Power Maul/Power Lance: S+2, AP-1. This is the one you want to use against lightly armoured units that rely on toughness to shrug off hits. The Lance is identical to the Maul because of reasons.
  • Power Sword: S User AP-3. Best against targets that rely on armour saves over toughness to shrug off hits. Except against frail things with good invulns like Crusaders, who ignore AP anyway.

• Mathhammer: Note that we do not take into account the chances to hit since they do not vary for the 3 weapons we are looking at. Results are expressed in percentages. We also assume that the weapon is wielded by a basic Space Marine, so with Strength 4.

Target		Power Sword	Power Axe	Power Maul	Winner
TEQs	Terminator (T4; 2+/5++)	33.33	33.33	22.22	Power Axe and Sword
	Terminator w/ Storm Shield (T4; 2+/3++)	16.67	22.22	22.22	Power Axe and Maul
MEQs	Space Marine (T4; 3+)	41.67	44.44	33.33	Power Axe
	Captain or Chaplain (T4; 3+/4++)	25	33.33	33.33	Power Axe and Maul
GEQs	Hormagaunt (T3; 6+ or no save)	66.67	66.67	83.33	Power Maul
	Guardsman, Guardian (T3; 5+)	66.67	66.67	69.44	Power Maul
	Aspect Warrior (T3; 4+)	66.67	55.56	55.56	Power Sword
	Sister of Battle (T3; 3+)	55.56	44.44	41.67	Power Sword
Other	Tyranid Monster (T6; 3+)	27.78	22.22	25	Power Sword
	Light Tank or Monster (T7; 3+)	27.78	22.22	16.67	Power Sword
	Medium Tank or Monster (T8; 3+)	13.89	22.22	16.67	Power Axe
	Heavy Tank or Monster (T8; 2+)	11.11	16.67	11.11	Power Axe

As you can see, it is extremely hard to draw a clear winner between the Power Axe and the Power Sword. It is, however, easy to see that Power Mauls/Lances are crap, only superior when fighting units that will already die in droves to bolter shots or won't die easily to anything due to good invulns. What's easy to remember is that the Axe is stronger against Marines (that you'll face a lot), the Maul is best against Storm Shield Terminators or anyone else with a good invuln, and the Axe is best against most of the tanks. Power Swords have the edge on most things relying only on their armour saves, while Axes scale better against tough things. What you choose between the two is a matter of preference, meta, and gaming group. The special case for Mauls is Toughness 5, where the Maul is best down to Sv3+ and the sword and maul break even on Sv2+, due to how powerful it is to move from 2/6 wound chance to 3/6, but T5 are relatively rare to begin with.

• Force Weapons: Librarian power weapons with D1d3 instead of just 1, but they cost around the same as a Power Fist. They lack Sx2 but have no penalty to hit. Useful if you're going to hit characters or multiwound models like Primaris. All of them are overcosted compared to a Relic Blade, with the Force Axe as the worst offender of the lot.
• Chainfist: Sx2 AP-4 D2. Marginally better than a Power Fist against Vehicles and other highly-armoured invuln-lacking models. Costs only 2 points more than a Power Fist, so paying extra for better AP and more reliable damage could be worth it.
  • Never forget, you can swap to your basic CC weapon if you don't want to give up accuracy - against low toughness single-wound enemies without a penetrable save, like basic daemons, this can often be better.
• Power Fist: Sx2 AP-3 D1d3. -1 penalty to hit rolls, which can be annoying. Good against everything, quite cost-effective.
  • Never forget, you can swap to your basic CC weapon if you don't want to give up accuracy - against low toughness single-wound enemies without a penetrable save, like basic daemons, this can often be better.
• Thunder Hammer: The weapon against which all others compare, and boy are you paying for it: NOW 40 POINTS FOR CHARACTERS (16 points for units). A Power Fist that always deals 3 damage. The extra reliability could mean the difference between one-shotting a Custodian Guard/Aggressor or getting a Guardian Spear/Power Fist in the face. When you have a Thunder Hammer/Storm Shield-Captain with Jump Pack every enemy model begins to look like a nail, but at over 4x the cost of a Power Fist, its not worth ditching up to three extra special or heavy weapons just to squeeze out a few extra points of damage. Still quite viable on everything that isn't a CHARACTER, at least.
  • Never forget, you can swap to your basic CC weapon if you don't want to give up accuracy - against low toughness single-wound enemies without a penetrable save, like basic daemons, this can often be better.
• Dreadnought Combat weapon: Allows your dreads to beat up things, allowing them to swing at SX2 (S12) AP-3 and flat D3 with no accuracy reduction. Redemptor version hits at D1d6. Dread chainfists found on contemptors and ironclads are AP-4 and D4.
• Seismic hammer: Like a dread fist but with AP-4 and D5!!!! Imposes a -1 to hit... But one single smack with this is all you need to kill most HQs and cripple tanks. With shock assault ironclads hit 5 times with this weapon for a potential 25 damage!
  • Absolutely garbage, because anything that can take this can take a chainfist instead, and the damage boost is either exactly offset by the accuracy penalty, or the accuracy penalty is worse, depending on circumstances. Always take the dreadnought chainfist over this.

Relics

If your warlord is a Space Marine Character, you can give 1 Character 1 relic, absolutely free. Weapon relics can only be taken by a unit that can take the weapon it's based on, and you have to pay for the base weapon. The Relics of the Chapter Stratagem could previously be used up to twice before the game started to take up to 2 more Relics. It's now spammable with SM codex 2019, though relics can't be duplicates and each one has to go to a separate character.

Named characters and vehicles cannot be given a relic. But only That Guy would try to force a Chaplain dread into the armour indomitus or something like that.

• Bellicos Bolt Rifle: Replaces a master-crafted auto-bolt rifle. 24" Assault 4 S5 AP-1 D2, to support your gunline. Basically The Primarch's Wrath but for Primaris, that doesn't need Bolter Discipline for 4 shots.
• Benediction of Fury: Replaces a Crozius arcanum. S+2 AP-2 D3, unmodified wound rolls of 6 do a mortal wound in addition to other damage. With Mantra of Strength and the right warlord trait, your Chaplain will become as deadly as a he is in the fluff. REPENT, HERETIC! *Plonk*.
• Ghostweave Cloak: phobos model with a camo-cloak, -1 to the wound roll against this model. Give it to a Stealth Adept Captain to make him as difficult to kill as Remo Williams.
• Lament: Upgrades a master-crafted stalker bolt rifle's statline to S5 AP-2 D3, and successful wounds inflict a mortal wound on top of that. Single shot, but puts the big hurt on whatever it reaches.
• Purgatorus: Upgrades a bolt/heavy bolt pistol to Pistol 2 S5 AP-3 D2. It's a great alternative to a Plasma Pistol as it's cheaper and does more damage (2 shots) with no chance of killing the user.
• Reliquary of Gathalamor: Enemy Psykers must subtract 1 from Psychic tests made within 18" of the bearer. In addition, if the psychic power is not successfully manifested, roll a D6. On a 4+ the Psyker that attempted to manifest that psychic power suffers D3 mortal wounds. Niche, but useful to protect your units if your meta is psyker-heavy, especially if you didn't bring psykers of your own (like Black Templar).
• Standard of the Emperor Ascendant: Ancients only. A bit different with the 8.5 codex, they've done away the 3+ for extra attacks. Now it boosts the range of the standard banner ability to 9", friendly units within 9" auto-pass morale tests, and enemies in the same range get -1 leadership. This certainly changes it's uses quite drastically from the auto take it was before to something more niche. Example uses include keeping Crusader squads from suffering under morale tests, or assisting in leadership bombs.
• Teeth of Terra: Replaces a chainsword with a better one with S+1 AP-2 D2, and 3 bonus attacks instead of just 1. Good against hordes, better against multi-wound infantry like Primaris models and most characters. (Fun fact: this weapon is exactly the same as the Alpha Legion unique Relic "Blade of the Hydra." Coincidence? I think not!)
• The Armour Indomitus: Infantry or Biker model only, they gain a 2+ armour save. Once per game, before taking a save you can also activate a 3+ invulnerable save until the end of the turn, useful as a panic button if your character runs into danger. Of use to anyone wearing power armour, it's worth noting this is one of the few ways to give a Primaris character a natural 2+ armour save, due to their inability to take Terminator armour.
• The Burning Blade: Replaces a power or master-crafted power sword. S+3 AP-5 D2. Where the Teeth of Terra hits often, the Burning Blade hits HARD and nullifies all armour saves. Dangerous to monster and even vehicles sized targets, it's begging to be combined with a source of +1Str/to wound so it gets to harm MEQs on a 2+.
• The Honour Vehement: Friendly <chapter> units with the Shock assault ability always get the +1A instead of having to meet the criteria. So, useful for ongoing combats.
• The Primarch's Wrath: Replaces a boltgun or master-crafted boltgun with an up-gunned storm bolter, making it 24" Rapid Fire 2 S5 AP-1 D2. Can be useful for those officers buffing your ranged units. Note that this relic gains the benefit from Bolter Discipline.
• The Shield Eternal: Replaces a storm shield or combat shield, so available only to Captains, Company Champions, and the Terminator Librarian. Gives a 3+ invulnerable, and a 5+ Feel no Pain against Mortal Wounds. Some of the best protection you can give a Character you really want to keep alive.
• The Vox Espiritum: Primaris only. +3" to their aura abilities (2019 FAQ limited it to a max of 9"). Excludes psychic powers and litanies. Enjoy your Black Templars hat for now, Primaris...
• Tome of Malcador: Librarian only. He knows 1 additional power from any discipline he's has access to, which isn't the same as casting 1 additional power. Depending on what discipline you're using, hard pass. It can however be used to take powers from multiple disciplines.

Faith and Fury

• Sacrosanct Rosarius: Master of Sanctity only. 3++ invuln save, patching his inability to get a Storm Shield.
• The Emperor's Judgment: Master of Sanctity only. Prevents opponents from re-rolling hit, wound, and damage rolls against him, and enemies must roll 2d6 drop lowest when taking morale checks within 6".

• Mortis Machina: Master of the Forge only. Relic Power Axe that is S+3 AP-3 D1d3, and does an additional 1 mortal wound to VEHICLES on every failed save.
• The Endurant Protector: Master of the Forge only. +1T, and gains a 4++ invulnerable save.

• Neural Shroud: Chief Librarian only. Adds 12" to the range of the Librarian's psychic hood, to get a veritable umbrella of denying.
• Vinculum Vitae: Chief Librarian only. Force Sword with +1 strength, and an unmodified wound roll of 6 inflicts d3 mortal wounds as damage instead of the normal d3 damage.

• Pennant of the Fallen: Chapter Ancient only. Models that attack with a melee weapon as a result of the Astartes Banner ability may make two attacks instead of one.
• Standard of Righteous Hatred: Chapter Ancient only. When resolving a shooting or melee attack made as a result of the Astartes Banner ability, a model's ballistic and weapon skill are 2+.

• The Angel Artifice: Chapter Champion only. Upgrades the save on the Champion to 2+, and the invulnerable save to 4+.
• Blade of Triumph: Chapter Champion only. Replaces the Champion's Master-Crafted Power Sword with a weapon with strength +2, AP-4, damage 3. WS2+ wounding on a 3+ = WS3+ wounding on a 2+.

• Acquittal: Chief Apothecary only. Replaces a Bolt Pistol or Absolvor Pistol. 16" Pistol 1 S5 AP-3 D1, D1d6 when targeting Non-Vehicle, Non-Monster units.
• Healer's Aegis: Chief Apothecary. Friendly <chapter> Infantry models have a 5++ invulnerable save while within 1" of a model with this relic.

Specialist Detachments

Specialist Detachments are unique detachments from Vigilus books, custom made for specific sub-factions which grant them access to additional Stratagems, Warlord Traits, and Artifacts. Enabling them costs 1 CP per detachment.

• Field Commander (1 CP): This stratagem bears special mention. For one command point, you can designate a character with a Specialist Detachment keyword and they gain the warlord trait associated with that detachment. Can't be used on named characters or to give your warlord a second warlord trait. Usefulness may vary.
  • Codex SM 2.0 has a one use only "give a non-warlord a warlord trait" stratagem, and Chapter Supplements have a one use only "your warlord has 2 Warlord Traits, but the second has to be from this supplement" stratagem. Four Warlord Traits go!

Indomitus Crusaders

Primaris Captains, Primaris Lieutenants, Primaris Ancients, Intercessors squads & Inceptor squads in that detachment gain the Indomitus crusader keyword. Formerly an Intercessor-focused detachment, it is now reduced to a boost for Intercessors and Inceptors, the very first Primaris models released.

Stratagems

• Liberators (1 CP): Use this Stratagem at the start of the Fight phase. Pick an INDOMITUS CRUSADERS unit from your army. Until the start of your next turn, each time you roll an unmodified hit roll of 6 for an attack made by a model in this unit, that attack inflicts 2 hits on the target instead of 1. Note that this bonus applies to any and all shooting and fighting attacks that this unit makes in the enemy turn, assuming you used it in your own Fight phase. 'Stacks with the Whirlwind of Rage Successor Tactic.
  • Intercessor Veterans are the default Primaris melee unit because of their high number of attacks and their ability to use Impulsors (which Aggressors can't use), and yet their 21 attacks on the charge only give you about +3.5 with this. Which still have to wound and go through saves. Consider if 2CP are worth a mere couple of extra hits.

Warlord Trait The real reason to consider using this detachment.

• Grey Shield: Once per battle, at the start of your Movement phase, if your Warlord is on the battlefield you can choose for INDOMITUS CRUSADERS units in the same Detachment as your Warlord to gain an additional Chapter Tactic until the start of your next turn. Pick the additional Chapter Tactics from the following: Codex Discipline (ULTRAMARINES), Lightning Assault (WHITE SCARS), Siege Masters (IMPERIAL FISTS), Righteous Zeal (BLACK TEMPLARS), Forged In Battle (SALAMANDERS), Shadow Masters (RAVEN GUARD), The Flesh is Weak (IRON HANDS), No Matter the Odds (CRIMSON FISTS). Until the start of your next turn, friendly INDOMITUS CRUSADERS units gain the benefit of that Chapter Tactic in addition to any others they already have. They are considered to have the keyword of the appropriate Chapter for purposes of resolving that Chapter Tactic.
  • Having two Chapter Tactics can do a lot of things depending on what your second tactic is. Want Marines with Fluff levels of durability? Raven Guard + Iron Hands. Salamanders + Black Templars help ensure that your punchy characters and sergeants with powerfists and the like make it to combat and actually kill what they're attacking. And if the thought of Ultramarines + White Scars allowing you to Fallback, Shoot, Charge and Fight again all in one round doesn't make you wet, maybe you should find a different game to play.
  • Special note regarding the Iron Hands, the Father of the Future Warlord trait for Chief Apothecaries gives a 5+++ to models that are benefiting from The Flesh is Weak. Use this to give a blob of Primaris 5+++ for a single round.
  • It also means you can combine your Successor tactics with a Founding Chapter ones. Hungry for Battle + Whirlwind of Rage + Black Templars = +1 to Rerollable charges with exploding hits! Crimson Fists + Imperial Fists to utterly destroy hordes with +1 to hit Ignores Cover and 3 hits on 6s with bolters!

Artifacts

• Standard of the Ultima Founding: Primaris Ancient only. Once per battle, at the start of your Movement phase, the bearer can choose to plant this banner. If they do so, until the bearer next makes a move, friendly INDOMITUS CRUSADERS INFANTRY models can re-roll hit rolls of 1 and wound rolls of 1 whilst they are within 6" of the bearer.

Unit Analysis

Unit keywords are Adeptus Astartes, Primaris, Chapter, and the like. Units with a specific Chapter keyword can only be taken by that Chapter. Note that even if most "Bike" variants of characters have been written out of the Codex due to them having no official miniature (and some models due to those miniatures being limited edition), they can still be taken and are legal, using the Warhammer Legends datasheets and the latest point costs. White Scars players can thank the God-Emperor (Absolutely! Interestingly GW does some good things nowadays!)

HQ

The average SM HQ is a heroic model that can do fairly well in melee and, being the poster faction, we have a lot of choices when building our guys. Listed here are some common builds so that you don't have to read "Captain, Captain with Jump Pack, Librarian, Librarian with Jump Pack" and so on.

1. Jump pack: Mobility is the name of the game. The model gains 12" movement, fly and can deepstrike, so he can appear anywhere and ignore terrain, jump over the enemy's bubbelwrap alongside your Vanguard Vets and even punch a damn airplane to death.
2. Bike: High speed, high drag. The character becomes a battering ram, gaining a speedy bike that can turbo boost to M20", T5, +W1, and an additional 4 bolter shots. Sadly, all but Captain on the bike were relegated to Warhammer Legends, including Biker Vets, which makes the whole bunch overpriced.
3. Terminator: The heavy armour. +1W 2+/5++ and Deep Strike but only 5" movement and a slightly reduced wargear selection. Not meant to move around much, positioning is often determined by a Deep strike or the Land Raider that is carrying him around. Provides a lot of protection for your character. A Character's Iron Halo or Rosarius' 4++ has prevalence ofc.
4. Primaris: Extra beef for a relatively low cost. +1W +1A, but usually restricted customization options. Segregated to their hover transports; that used to mean restricted, but now they're more of a separate-but-equal kind of deal.
   • Phobos: Primaris Operator with stealth training; "Concealed Positions" lets them keep up with infiltrators, and they get their own selection of Warlord Traits and Psychic powers.
   • Gravis: Bigger and better beef, offering +1T and +1W with a 5" move as opposed to the Terminator Armors deep strike and 2+ save. Very limited wargear and thus far only Captains.

Remember all re-rolls happen before modifiers.

• Captain: The standard all characters compare to, he can be customized to do almost any job you need him to do. Can be taken with a Jump pack, a Bike, Terminator Armour, Phobos Armour or as Primaris.
  • Captain in Cataphractii Armour:
  • Captain in Gravis Armour:
  • Captain in Phobos Armour:
• Librarian: Your good old source of mortal wounds (and psychic protection). Can be taken with a Jump pack, Terminator Armour, Phobos Armour, or as Primaris.

• Chaplain: The guy for not-magic support magic. So, a Bard-barian. Can be taken with a Jump pack, Terminator Armour, or as Primaris. Litanies make this team-player work somewhat different from other characters, especially his interaction with transports and deepstrikes - a consideration unique to this HQ.

• Techmarine: Vehicles may be tougher this edition, but their performance diminishes with wounds, and this guy repairs them for 1d3 Wounds.

• Lieutenant:

Forge World

• Chaplain in a goddamn Dreadnought:
• Damocles Command Rhino:

Named Forge World Characters

Special Characters are noted with their corresponding <CHAPTER> keyword, and are arranged by their Founding (when applicable). Characters from known successor chapters are in their relevant sections, because supplements make that kind of matter now.

Astral Claws

Either Ultramarines or Dark Angels successors, with no great way to decide between the two; your fluffiest bet is Ultramarines since they make the better bikers anyhow. Although if we look at their Chapter Tactics before 8th, White Scars is the best substitute for a melee-focused rush(if allowed to ignore Successor chapter restrictions). Astral Claws love mortal wounds, have I said that enough? Successor Tactics: Hungry for Battle, Master Artisans, Rapid Assault

• Lugft Huron: Chapter Master, with terminator armour, an artificer heavy flamer (Assault, not Heavy, and D1d3), and THE ONE PIMP HAND TO RULE THEM ALL (S+1 AP-5 D1d3, forces rerolls of successful invulns)! "Big Guns Never Tire" ensures he can bring the hurt once per game to anything on the board that's not a character (d6 mortal wounds on a 2+, or usually 2.92). His “Living Legend” rule makes sure you can pull it off on the 2+ with an extra command point as long as you are battle forged and Huron is your Warlord. He can come back from the dead... as often as you can roll a 5+. But he is well priced at 145 points. Still better in combat than Draigo (who's more expensive), and could even take on Abbadon/Swarmlord (not really he is A4). He still has ATSKNF and his chapter master trait allowing rerolls to hit for any Astral Claws unit within six inches for support. Forge World FAQ gave him and Cullen the ability to deploy via teleporting.
  • 'Ol Lugft you salty bastard! Take note of this dudes special rule (Big Guns Never Tire) and how well it combines with the rest of the Astartes codex. Lugft Huron is the king of mortal wound spam in a very mortal wound spamming prone army. You have to get creative: I'm talking triple vindicators, librarians, scout snipers, scout bikers, devastators using double hellfire shells, all the other command stratagems, AND a Damocles Command Rhino which doesn't even need Lufgt to ride in for another Orbital Bombardment!!! (you're already using forge world so...) You will be that guy to a degree, but this is all totally legal and really just very good tactics. Enjoy frying anything from Magnus to carnifexes all with comfortable ease.
    • BE sure to load up on command points and consider a brigade because this play-style while quite good, is very command point taxing.
• Armenneus Valthex: Techmarine, with an Assault 2 Conversion Beamer, an AP-1 melee weapon that adds 1d3 attacks when at least 3 enemy models are within 1" of him, and a 6" buff of +1 strength (max 5) to boltguns and storm bolters, specifically. Give Valthex the Storm of Fire warlord trait and 1 in 6 bolter shots become heavy bolter shots.
  • Note that hurricane bolters are not specifically storm bolters or boltguns.
  • As his rule reads The Strength characteristic of all boltguns and storm bolters fired by [...] an argument could be made that this also includes special issue boltguns. The word "all" wouldn't make any sense otherwise.
  • Pairing him with a Lieutenant still has the exact same effect as pairing him with a Captain, with or without Storm of Fire.
  • This guy screams for running Astral Claws as Ultramarine successors as his special rule and Scions of Guilliman gives great synergy with a high number of Tacticals/Sternguards/Company Veterans under Tactical Doctrine and Bolter Discipline. While long-range focused footsloggers might not be true to their fluff, it doesn't stop them from being quite good at it. Pair with Long-range Marksman and Stealthy.
• Captain Corien Sumatris: Captain; still a good cost-effective melee fighter/buffer, his power sword does D2 and give +D3 attacks on the charge; combined with his ability to gain +1S near enemy CHARACTERS, this makes him a mini-me Helbrecht, although he might be tougher with his 3++. His gun is a lame Pistol 2 now, despite still being called a Bolter. Also has the unique ability to choose his chapter keyword between Astral Claws and Tiger Claws, the latter of which will never be taken, because it disallows other Astral Claws characters from being taken.
• Arch-Centurion Carnac Commodus: Lieutenant, and improved greatly now; his CC weapon hits as hard as a Heavy Bolter with D2 and vs. INFANTRY every 6+ to-wound does a Mortal Wound, combined with a 6" lieutenant aura makes him another good melee beatstick/buffer for Astral Claws. He also gets a 5++ invul because that's what Void Hardened Armour does now.
  • See above Lugft Huron. Astral Claws love mortal wounds Bitchez!!

Red Scorpions

Probably loyalist Emperor's Children successors; the closest you're going to get here is probably Ultramarines Chapter Tactics to reflect their hard-on for the Codex Astartes, although Iron Hands might reflect their love of purity (and previous tactics) better. Successor Tactics: Indomitable, Stalwart, Stoic, Warded

• Lord High Commander Carab Culln: Chapter Master. Stats-wise, of the level of other CMs here and in the main book, but his extra rules and weapons loadout is scattered and mediocre. An AP-2 D2 stormbolter, a +1 strength power sword with d3 damage that turns into a beastly x2 strength weapon, BUT only when he's fighting monsters or vehicles, and his personal rules gives every red scorpion within 6" a 6+ FNP style damage ignoring roll (no more stacking with iron hands chapter tactics due to 2018 FAQ). Overall, he's not bad, but has a sword that most of the time is simply average, and a gun that works but you aren't paying a couple hundred points for. Stick him in a fight vs Tyranids or similar and he'll prove his worth, but in comparison to the other chapter master level characters he's not quite focused enough in one area to do a job well enough, plus he's still the same points cost as the rest of them
• Carab Culln the Risen: the same guy as above, but slapped in a freakin' Leviathan Dreadnought with a Twin Assault Cannon on one arm, and a D4 siege claw with Heavy Bolter on the other. He also packs two Heavy flamers and three Hunter-Killer missiles for shits and giggles. A fairly decent one-use rule "Death Hold", is when he rolls a 6+ to hit, he can opt to grab his opponent and cause d6 mortal wounds, but this renders the built-in Heavy Bolter useless for the rest of the game. Still retains his old rule that gives 6+ FNP to every Red Scorpions within 6", and if he dies to roll a d6; on 5+ he explodes causing d3 mortal wounds to every unit within 9". Culln is a little underwhelming compared to other Leviathans. As Storm Cannons are better than his Assault Cannons, but he isn't bound by the Relic rule. This means Red Scorpions won't need to take a Chaplain Dreadnought for that all Dread army. So he is is a consideration for the leader of an allied Vanguard or Spearhead Detachment.
  • While he's still a Character, he has over ten wounds, meaning no hiding him behind a wall of thirty Scouts to kamikaze up the field.
  • "Culln is a little underwhelming compared to other Leviathans". Other Leviathans are for the shooty-shooty. Culln is for the punchy-punchy. Two different tools for two different jobs. Compared to a SCA + claw + triple missile Leviathan, then for one extra point, you gain +1A, +1W, +1D in assault, his Death Hold rule, and a 6+ feel no pain for all Red Scorpion models within 6".
  • "but he isn't bound by the relic rule" he has the relic tag and is bound by the relic rule, so you still have to take a chaplain dread alongside him.
• Magister Sevrin Loth: Librarian. Cheesier than a fondue convention in Wisconsin for two editions, he's finally been toned down to a 'good-but-not-too-good' level. He can cast two powers and deny three; now that you always choose powers and with the removal of some of the more potent powers, he's lost a lot here. His most powerful trick of gaining a 2++ is completely gone, now he just gets a 2+/4++. He also has nothing to do with command squads now. The only things that stayed the same are his price and his anti-psyker skills; a 6" aura of re-rolls to wound vs Psykers and a +1S Force Axe that always inflicts 3 damage vs Psykers. Still good enough to be a nigh auto-include for any Red Scorpions player.
• Casan Sabius: New Chapter Master who has inherited the Blade of the Scorpion (S+1 (Sx2 vs monsters/vehicles), AP-3, Dd3) from Culln. He has a 2+/4++ save, and a new rule where if he causes one or more wounds in the Fight phase, one Red Scorpions Infantry unit within 6" gains +1A until the end of that phase. He also has the standard Chapter Master aura bonus, meaning he stacks very well with thunder hammer-wielding escorts, who suffer the usual -1WS.
• Sirae Karagon: Released as part of a duet with the above dude, we've been told to just use him as a standard Chapter Ancient. Lazy and lame.
• Dreadnought-Brother Halaar: Comes from the FAQ; he's a generic dreadnought who can take a flamestorm cannon instead of an assault cannon, but thanks to his FAQ entry having lazy writing, he hasn't got the character keyword.
• Veteran Sergeant Haas: In the same FAQ, this guy is basically completely dropped from the game - instead, you're told to use the model to count as someone else's sergeant.

Minotaurs

Said to have "chimeric" gene-seed, but given their melee preference your fluffiest bet is Black Templars; however, if you field Moloc, Iron Hands is a good choice instead to represent being rock-hard in melee. Whirlwind of Rage should be considered.

• Lord Asterion Moloc: Chapter Master. The Lord Master of the Minotaurs is no longer the Marine killer he was before, but he's still a horrifyingly effective character. Sitting at a 2+/3++ with W7, he is harder to take down than some vehicles. His Black Spear makes a return at S+2, -3 AP, and 3 Damage with an additional attack against CHARACTERs. The spear's lasbeam is no longer single-use, meaning he can fire that sexy, sexy S8 -2 AP weapon all he likes. he gives the usual Chapter Master buff of re-rolls to failed hits in 6", and also gives his Minotaur infantry re-rolls to failed charges. Even if your opponent, somehow, makes it through all those saves in a charge, he gets to pile in and get off those attacks, making melee with him under any circumstance risky at best.
  • Pairing his re-roll failed charges special rule with the Hungry for Battle Successor Tactic (+1" to charge and advance) gives you a ~66% chance on a successful charge after deep striking.
• Chaplain Ivanus Enkomi: The Minotaur chaplain character. He's lost the RAGE buff he had before and has no extra special rules over the usual buffs of a chaplain, usual rosarius, powerfist, and crozius. No jump pack, but instead has a grenade discharger. Frag grenades for mobs, krak grenades for tough targets. Worth noting is that, alongside his boss, Minotaurs re-roll charges as well as hits for the fight phase. Do ask yourself when you take him though... did you really WANT to pay 23 points to double the range of the otherwise completely normal frag and krak grenades. Yes, aside from that he boasts an extra attack and an extra wound, compared to normal, so maybe those 23 points have not been spent in vain.

Ok, maybe they were, BUT, he is now a big boy chaplain, able to chant 2 litanies, so they are definitely not in vain anymore

• Hecaton Aiakos: A character contemptor dreadnought - an HQ choice, but can't be your Warlord. Sporting 13 wounds, a 2+/4++ save, and the ability to ignore wounds on a 6+, he and Moloc apparently both believe that defense is the best offense. Not that either is lacking in that regard. He sports a heavy plasma cannon with all the pain that entails as well as the standard Dreadnought combat weapon. Groundstrike allows him to immediately inflict mortal wounds on a unit in 1" of him if he charged. Also worth mentioning is that, as a RELIC, he gives access to the Relic of Ancient Glory stratagem. All this will set you back in points, however, beating out even Huron for sheer points. Additionally, he can never be your Warlord. But he sure kicks ass. Just let him stay around Moloc for the sweet sweet re-rolls and unleash the moo-moo.

Note that being a Character he can get a trait while not being Warlord, though it would cost you CP to do so and there might be other candidates, but hey, Sword of the Imperium sounds glorious on him

• • Use the WHITE SCARS chapter tactic so Aiakos can fall back and charge and keep dealing out mortal wounds.
• Sergeant Hamath Kraatos: The FAQ basically tells you to drop this guy from the game, and instead use the model to represent a generic Devastator.

Star Phantoms
These guys are DEFINITELY nothing like the Exorcists, and all rumors you have heard that they are successors to the Dark Angels are BLATANTLY FALSE AND HERETICAL PROPAGANDA, PREPARE TO BE PURGED. As their founding chapter is DEFINITELY AND TOTALLY UNKNOWN, treating them as an Unknown Founding chapter makes the most sense for Tactics.

• Captain Zhrukhal Androcles: Captain. Lost his ability to take Devastators as elites and heavy support. Is identical to a vanilla captain statline wise. He comes with Stonefist, which is a named thunder hammer, and a combi-melta, but no Bolt Pistol. With the Thunder Hammer's disgustingly increased cost, Captain Z finally has his chance to shine, since he grants nearly everything a similarly built Captain can give for over 20 points less.

Exorcists
These guys are particularly interesting because they're a Codex Chapter founded by a non-Codex chapter which has no Chapter Tactics rule. As their founding Chapter is considered to be unknown by most of the Imperium, they get a free choice of Chapter Tactics like any other Chapter of unknown origin. Grey Knights additionally have absolutely no rules in their Codex or Index section covering how to field their successors. Your fluffiest choice of tactic will probably be, as the Blood Ravens, to dynamically choose your tactic after finding out your opponents' faction, as that is how the Chapter fights in the fluff and no game rule bans it. Successor Tactics: Knowledge is Power & Warded (known for getting possessed and then exorcising the Daemons).

• Captain Silas Alberec: Captain who can Deny the Witch as if he were a basic Psyker (2d6, 1/phase). Also comes with S5, a named power fist (for that sweet S10) that does 3D to a Psyker or Daemon, and a S6 bolt pistol. Best for pounding enemies into beefsteak at melee.

Blood Ravens
Not confined to use Warded + Psychic Mastery, turns out that was just an example of the tactics you can use as successors. Successors to whom, nobody knows, so you can do whatever you want.

• Gabriel Angelos: That's right, Gabe's finally made his official debut on the tabletop, sporting his Dawn of War III look and coming with some updated rules in July's White Dwarf. (sadly, the C.S.Goto-style acrobatic feats he displays in the game do not get represented in the rules). THE TERMIE FLIP IS BACK BABY, in the form of an ability: Leap into the Fray - upon successful charge a roll of 4+ deals d3 MWs. He's a Chapter Master in Tartaros Terminator Armour and an Iron Halo, so he has a 2+/4++ save along with 6" movement and the ability to teleport onto the battlefield. His Warlord Trait is Rites of War.
  • As for goodies, he comes with his signature Daemon Hammer, Godsplitter, allowing him to choose one of the following 2 profiles in combat: Mighty Strikes is a standard Thunder Hammer statline, with the addition of dealing an additional Mortal Wound whenever you roll a 6+ on the wound roll. The second profile, Sweeping Blows, grants Gabe +3 attacks on top of his 5 base, at str+2 ap-1 d1 without the -1 penalty to hit, for your GEQ killing needs. Additionally, he has an improved version of Chapter Master that allows rerolls for ALL hit rolls, even successful ones. Compared to his previous Forge World rules, he, unfortunately, lost his access to grenades.
  • Naturally, he's best off rolling with other Tartaros Terminators; not only can they keep up with him more effectively than the standard or Cataphractii versions, but they can also be kitted out both to aid him in melee fights and to provide him with the covering fire he needs.
  • At 185 points, he can be a bit hard to fit into smaller lists.

Warhammer Legends Units

This section covers HQ units that were included in the 8th Edition Index but did not receive a new entry in the 2019 codex, and an honorable mention from years long past. These units have gained the Angels of Death special rule through FAQ. Both of them have now been moved into Warhammer Legends.

• Rhino Primaris:
• Land Raider Excelsior:
• Techmarine on Bike:
• Chaplain on bike
• Librarian on bike

Troops

With the new FOCs it is possible to make a Battle Forged list without any Troops at all...but you do need them ____. Troops are usually where one turns for numbers, as in 9E the player with the most models within 3" of an objective can claim it. You have a lot of options for troops, and they're actually decent this edition.

• Tactical Squad:

• Scout Squad:

• Intercessor Squad:

• Infiltrator Squad:

• Incursor Squad:

Elites

The Space Marine Elite slot gets work done and carries essential buffing character units like the Apothecary and Company Ancient, as well as a few exotic Forge World vehicles. Vastly improved with new codex, very powerful units await!

• Aggressor Squad:
• Apothecary:
  • Primaris Apothecary:
• Company Ancient:
  • Primaris Ancient:
  • Ancient in Terminator Armour:
• Centurion Assault Squad:
• Chapter Champion:
• Company Champion:
• Company Veterans:
• Vanguard Veteran Squad:
• Sternguard Veteran Squad:
• Terminator Squad:
• Terminator Assault Squad:
• Cataphractii Terminator Squad:
• Tartaros Terminator Squad:
• Dreadnought:
• Venerable Dreadnought:
• Contemptor Dreadnought:
• Ironclad Dreadnought:
• Redemptor Dreadnought:
• Invictor Tactical Warsuit:
• Reiver Squad:
• Servitors:

Forge World

• Relic Contemptor Dreadnoughts (Forge World):

• Relic Deredeo Dreadnought:
• Deimos Pattern Relic Predator:
• Relic Javelin Attack Speeder:
• Relic Sicaran Battle Tank:
• Relic Sicaran Venator Tank Destroyer:
• Relic Sicaran Punisher Assault Tank:
• Relic Sicaran Arcus Strike Tank:
• Relic Sicaran Omega Tank Destroyer:
• Relic Whirlwind Scorpius:

Warhammer Legends Units

• Apothecary on Bike:

• Company Ancient on Bike:

• Company Champion on Bike:

• Imperial Space Marine:

• Company Veterans on Bikes:

• Honor Guard:

• Legion of the Damned
  • Damned Legionnaires:

Dedicated Transport

• Rhino:
• Razorback:
  • • Twin Heavy Bolter:
    • Twin Assault Cannon:
    • Twin Lascannon:
    • Twin Heavy Flamer: (Index Only)
    • Lascannon and Twin Plasmagun: (Index Only)
    • Multi-Melta: (Forge World)
• Land Speeder Storm:
• Drop Pod:

• Repulsor Tank:

• Impulsor:

Forge World

• Lucius Pattern Dreadnought Drop Pod:
• Infernum Pattern Razorback:

Flyers

• Stormhawk Interceptor:
• Stormtalon Gunship:
• Stormraven Gunship:

Forge World

• Fire Raptor Assault Gunship:
• Storm Eagle Attack Gunship:
• Caestus Assault Ram:
• Xiphon pattern interceptor:

Fast Attack

Rocket jumpers, deadly riders and all kinds of zoomers, here you find units boasting great mobility but also lots of dakka and not just fast blades. The changes to Combat Doctrines make these units more relevant as game progression draws you to close range. Plenty of points reductions here, notably on bikes of all shapes and sizes, making them very useful fast and tough units.

• Assault Squad:

• Inceptor Squad:

• Suppressor Squad:

• Attack Bike Squad:
• Bike Squad:
• Land Speeders:
• Scout Bike Squad:

Forge World

Can you really blame the makers of superheavy choices for submitting fast attack choices that are mostly static guns? These units are dakka that is here so they won't overpopulate the Heavy section.

• Deathstorm Drop Pod:
• Land Speeder Tempest:
• Tarantula Air Defense Battery:
• Tarantula Sentry Guns:

Heavy Support

• Devastator Squad:
• Devastator Centurion Squad:
• Eliminator Squad:
• Hellblaster Squad:
• Thunderfire Cannon:
• Predator Tank:
• Vindicator:
• Whirlwind:
• Hunter:
• Stalker:
• Land Raider:
• Land Raider Crusader:
• Land Raider Redeemer:
• Repulsor Executioner:

Forge World

• Whirlwind Hyperios:
• Rapier Armoured Carrier:
• Mortis Dreadnought:
• Contemptor Mortis Dreadnought:
• Siege Dreadnought:
• Relic Leviathan Dreadnought:
• Deimos Vindicator Laser Destroyer:
• Relic Land Raider Proteus:
• Land Raider Helios:
• Land Raider Prometheus:
• Land Raider Achilles:

Fortifications

Not often seen, Marines in 8th have tended towards static gun lines like Primarch + Devastators. Fortifications are not a serious part of any meta right now, so using them can be an advantage while the Imperial Fists and Iron Warriors are not common.

• Castellum Stronghold:

Lords of War

Warhammer Legends

• Land Raider Terminus Ultra:

Forge World

Forgeworld FAQ[1] updates the relic rule for LoW, effectively you can get one with no pre-requisites but further ones will still require the 'non-relic' tax. On the other hand, who would even need to bring 4 Lords of War into anything short of the biggest Apocalypse games?. Beware as they are all overpriced, thank daddy GW for that and should never be taken outside of fun games

• Relic Spartan Assault Tank:
• Relic Typhon Heavy Siege Tank:
• Relic Cerberus Heavy Tank Destroyer:
• Relic Fellblade Superheavy Tank:
• Relic Falchion Superheavy Tank Destroyer:
• Relic Mastodon Super-heavy Siege Transport:
• Thunderhawk Assault Gunship:
• Thunderhawk Transporter:
• Sokar Pattern Stormbird:
• Astraeus Super-Heavy Tank:

Chapters

Ultramarines

In the grim darkness of the far future, courage and honor will yet win the day.
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, their tactical flexibility is represented by them having a special named character for everything and abilities to change the current Combat Doctrine. RG is the infiltration chapter and IH the vehicle one? Well screw them, we got Telion and Chronus, alongside Roboute Guilliman himself. Where the first casualty of any battle is the plan of attack, Ultramarine tactics are shielded by their inability to be tied up or tarpitted, and they can get extra CP to circumvent Space Marine's trademark thirst for CP.
If you want your marines to always fight on your terms, then march for Macragge and you shall know no fear.

Special Rules

• Chapter Tactics - Codex Discipline: +1 to their Leadership characteristic. They also can fall back and still shoot, with a -1 modifier to hit.
  • Ld9 makes 4-man units (like bikers) immune to morale, and makes the serge of a 5-man unit flee only after two consecutive 6s.
  • Fall Back's main purposes are to give the rest of your army a clear shot. Now nobody can tarpit you. Plus, close-range weapons get easier to use: anything with a flamer will be able to use it with impunity since it isn't affected by the -1 to hit anyway - get close, fire, charge/be charged and trigger Shock Assault, fall back, and flame again. Land Raider Redeemers will be unstoppable engines of destruction.
• Combat Doctrine - Scions of Guilliman: During the Tactical Doctrine, models can move and count as stationary as long as they didn't also fell back or advance during that movement phase. Not only does this mean Relentless from infantry to tanks (Relentless Vindicators & Flyers!), but it also means you always get bolter discipline during turns 2-3, until you reach the Assault Doctrine, where you'll be in close range anyways.
  • Aggressors will be able to shoot twice on the move! Repulsor Executioners will be able to shoot twice without giving up on their role as transports! An Executioner could transport Aggressors for a turn 2 fiery capture of the objective point.
• Warlord Traits

1. Adept of the Codex: When you spend a Command Point to use a Stratagem, roll a 5+ to get it refunded. Versatile, always active (as long as he's on the field and not inside a transport), and gives you more freedom when using Stratagems; it's one of the best traits you can get. Calgar starts with this one.
   • The rules limit CP regain to 1 per battle round, but "WT: +5CP" is still damn useful, even more so with the bonus CP handed out by Calgar.
2. Master of Strategy: Once per battle round, select an Ultramarines unit within 6" of the warlord. Until the end of the battle round, whenever models of that unit attack the Tactical Doctrine is considered to be active (this does not stop either of the other two Doctrines being active, so you can have two active at once this way). Librarian Tigurius and Telion have this as their trait.
   • Their best doctrine one turn ahead of schedule. Also when your army (but not your warlord) is committed to the Assault.
3. Calm Under Fire: Friendly Ultramarines models within 6" of the warlord ignore the -1 to hit penalty to shooting when they fall back. More like Calm Under Melee. Sergeant Chronus come with this.
4. Paragon of War: This warlord's unmodified wound rolls of 6s (ranged and melee) inflict mortal wounds in addition to all other damage. Balanced, offensive champion-type warlord. Captain Sicarius starts with this one.
5. Nobility Made Manifest: 6" Aura of Heroic Interventions for friendly Ultramarine Infantry and Bikers. For The Greater Imperium. Guilliman starts with this one. The loss of Adept of the Codex hurts a bit, but you can always just pay 1cp to give another character Adept of the Codex, and that one out of Guilliman's 3 bonus ones will pay for itself.
   • If you mess with one, you mess with all. It achieves an immune effect by preventing your opponents from eliminating units one by one in melee, and stops them from surrounding a single friendly unit and taking hostages.
6. Warden of Maccrage: This warlord's heroic interventions are 6" long. Why? Chaplain Cassius has this one.

Relics & Special-Issue Wargear

Relics are now split into two categories. Relics of Macragge may only be taken by Ultramarines (unless you use a stratagem). Special-Issue Wargear can be taken by Ultramarines and their successor chapters.

Relics of Macragge

• Armour of John Konor: Terminator model only. 4++, halve damage rounding up. Calgar's clothes, for when you want yet another beatstick or cannot afford papa smurf himself.
• Helm of Censure: Aeonid Thiel's helmet that started the tradition of serges wearing red hats. The bearer can re-roll 1 hit roll of 1 and 1 wound roll of 1 per attack (which usually means all hit and wound rolls get it - it's like having a captain and a lieutenant nearby). When attacking Heretic astartes or Adeptus Astartes, add 1 to both hit rolls and wound rolls in addition (damn).
  • While a librarian benefits lots (WS3+, Power Axe), the boost also affecting ranged combat and not replacing any weapon means a Captain's Combi-plasma/melta wounds a CSM Predator on a 2+, and can even shoot both profiles at BS2+ (although this will have worse performance than safely overcharging just the plasma profile).
• The Sanctic Halo: Captain or Chapter Master only (in all his forms, including Primaris). Gives him a 3++ and can deny one power per turn like a Psyker. Fantastic for the warlord himself, as his most important job is staying alive so you can use Adept of the Codex. Denying psychic powers is also extremely useful since so many of them allow a Psyker to target a character and inflict mortal wounds that bypass their saves. Plus, you won't need to give up your ranged weapon for the Storm Shield, which is nice. Better than the Armour Indomitus to give your Gravis Captain a 3++ on his already sturdy frame.
• Soldier's Blade: S+1 AP-4 D2 sword. Available to characters with either a power sword, master-crafted power sword, or, most importantly, a combat blade, making it one of the few melee relics for Phobos Characters. Otherwise, don't bother - the Burning Blade is better.
• Standard of Maccrage Inviolate: Ancient only, +1A to friendly UM units within 6" of the bearer. Friendly UM units within 12" also autopass morale tests. To be carried by your deathstar's banner bearer.
• Tarentian Cloak: The bearer has 5++, and regains D3 wounds at the start of the movement phase.
• Vengeance of Ultramar: Rapid Fire 4(!) Storm bolter that re-rolls wound rolls against non-vehicles. Best when used by a Termie captain.
  • This can be vicious with the Paragon of War Warlord Trait. Almost guarantees at least ONE mortal wound. Also consider this build on a bike captain with the extra bolter shots... 12 dice at 24"

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.
• Digital Weapons: Do an additional attack when the model fights. If it hits, the target suffers a mortal wound.
• Hellfury bolts: You can choose the bolt weapon it's used on to make only one attack, but it inflicts 1MW if it hits (and the shooting sequence ends).
• 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!
• Reliquary of Vengeance: Once per battle (at the start of the fight phase), friendly chapter units within 6" of the bearer gain +1A.
• Seal of Oath: Designate an enemy before the first turn begins. The bearer has a 6" aura of re-rolling all hits and wounds against That Guy, failed or not.
• Sunwrath Pistol: Cawl's plasma pistol of safe supercharge. But it's Pistol 2, so that's a double improvement.

Stratagems

Bland but reliable, Ultramarine stratagems are Tau-like in that they're focused towards shooting, teamwork and avoiding melee. Guess it's an Eastern Fringe thing. They can be divided into four broad categories: Offense, Defense, Utility, and Character Upgrades.

• Offense: Better accuracy, for when you don't want a silly thing like chance to ruin your dice game plans.
  • Avenge the Fallen (1 CP): Use this stratagem when an Ultramarines unit from your army is destroyed by an attack made by an enemy unit. Until the end of the battle, when resolving an attack made by an Ultramarines unit from your army against that enemy unit, re-roll hit rolls of 1.
  • Martial Precision (1 CP): Use this stratagem before resolving an attack made by an Ultramarines model from your army in your shooting phase, do not make a hit roll, it automatically scores a hit. Note that it only applies to a single attack made by any weapon, so don't go thinking that you can have a Captain automatically hit with all of his Thunder Hammer strikes. Use this against Eldar and other opponents who stack ridiculous amounts of -1 to hit.
  • Sons of Guilliman (1 CP): Use this stratagem when an Ultramarines Infantry or Ultramarines Biker from your army is chosen for the Shooting or Fighting phase. If that unit has a Troops Battlefield Role, until the end of the phase, when resolving an attack made by that unit, you can reroll a hit roll. Otherwise until the end of that phase, when resolving an attack made by that unit, you can reroll a hit roll of 1.
  • Vengeance for Calth (1 CP): Use when an Ultramarines unit from your army is chosen to fight in the Fight phase. Until the end of the phase, when resolving an attack made with a melee weapon in that unit against a Word Bearers unit, you can reroll the hit and wound roll. Potent, if you can find one of the three people playing Word Bearers that is.
  • Tactical Expertise (2 CP, Single Use): Can be used at the start of any movement phase when the Tactical Doctrine is active; all Ultramarines whose Rapid Fire or Assault weapon makes an unmodified wound roll of 6 before the next battle round has the attack's AP improved by 1 (e.g. AP0 becomes AP-1).
• Defense: AKA protection against melee.
  • Courage and Honour! (1 CP): At the start of the Morale phase, add 1 to the Leadership characteristic of Ultramarines models from your army until the end of the phase.
  • Defensive Focus (2 CP): Use this stratagem if an Ultramarines unit from your army is chosen as a target of a charge. Select up to three Ultramarines units that are more than 1" away from any enemy units and within 6" away from the targeted unit. The selected units fire Overwatch at the charging unit as if they were targets of the charge. For the Greater Macragge!
    • Something something Eliminator sergeants with Instigator carbines moving after shooting overwatch. The complete opposite would be to use this near a 'Nobility Made Manifest' warlord to further reinforce the immune response effect. In which case, something something Aggressor double overwatch. Notice how deadly it is to charge an Ultramarines gunline?
  • Fall Back and Re-Engage (1/2 CP): Use this stratagem when an Ultramarines unit from your army falls back. That unit can shoot and charge this turn. If that unit actually has the Codex Discipline Chapter Tactic (it could be a successor), the hit roll penalty for falling back and shooting does not apply for that unit this turn and this strat only costs 1CP instead of 2.

• Utility: Highlight Ultramarines' love for rules by disregarding the rules, with lots of ways to bypass GW's nerf to doctrines and wrong-foot your opponent. Bonus points if you say "Actually..." before using them.
  • Inspiring Command (1 CP): Use at the start of the Shooting or Fight phase. Select one Ultramarines Chapter Master, Ultramarines Captain, or Ultramarines Lieutenant model from your army. Until the end of that phase, the range of that model's aura abilities is increased by 3".
  • Rapid Deployment (2 CP): Used at the start of the battle round before the first turn begins, select up to three Ultramarines from your army on the battlefield. Remove them from the battlefield and set them up again as described in the Deployment section of the mission (if both players can do this, roll off to see who redeploys first).
    • Can be combined with the Lord of Deceit Vanguard Warlord Trait and redeploy your entire army. No need to go that far, but having a second chance at deployment after your enemy already comitted to it can disrupt their plans even before the game begins.
  • Cycle of War (1 CP): Use this stratagem at the start of the battle round if an Ultramarines Warlord from your army is on the battlefield and the Assault Doctrine was active during the previous battle round. The current active doctrine is changed so that the Devastator Doctrine is now active. When there's nobody left in assault range, pop this, move up your heavy weapons and perhaps pop a grenade or two - and more importantly, get a second chance to switch to the Tactical Doctrine. If the game is going to last at least six turns, that is. So, kinda Single Use too.
  • Squad Doctrine (1 CP): Use this stratagem at the start of your Movement Phase; select an Ultramarines Infantry or Ultramarines Biker unit from your army, and then select the Devastator, Tactical, or Assault Doctrine. Until the start of your next Movement phase, that unit gains the bonus of that combat doctrine instead.
  • Tactical Insight (2 CP, Single Use): Use this stratagem after generating your Tactical Objectives. If your Ultramarines Warlord from your army is on the battlefield. Immediately discard your Tactical Objectives and generate new ones.
• Character Upgrades: All Chapters Supplements include some variation of the following three stratagems.
  • Exemplar of the Chapter (1 CP, Single use): Use this stratagem after you nominate an Ultramarines model that is not a named character to be your Warlord. You can generate one additional Warlord Trait for them from the Ultramarines Warlord Traits table. Each Warlord Trait in your army must be unique. Give him Adept of the Codex if they didn't have it already; that'll make this Stratagem more than pay for itself. Finally, a reason to have a warlord other than Calgar or a named character.
  • Honoured by Macragge (1 CP, Single Use): After nominating a warlord from an UM successor chapter, you may give one of their characters a Relic of Macragge instead of one from the main SM codex or a Special Issue wargear.
  • Honoured Sergeant (1 CP): Before the battle, select one Ultramarines model that has the word "Sergeant" in their profile. They may take a Master-crafted weapon/Digital weapon/Hellfury Bolts/Sunwrath pistol, even though they are not a Character. All relics must be different.
    • While a Devastator sergeant can shoot Hellfury at BS2+, an Incursor one ignores all modifiers to hit and an Eliminator/Scout Sniper one can shoot it at characters. The other 3 special issues are close combat oriented. Also, while it looks cool, don't give a Sunwrath to the Hellblaster sarge, he'd be wasting his squad's range on a just-in-case relic. Nobody stops you from giving this to a Assault Centurion Seargant, four strength 10 siege drills in the face for 4 damage.

Litanies of Battle & Psychic Discipline - Indomitus

Indomitus is a mixed bag of situational powers. They consist of the two mortal wound generators (standard across all Chapter specific supplements), one self-buff, one enemy debuff, and two general utility powers. None of these are strong enough to build an entire strategy around, but could provide help in the right circumstance. Pretty middle of the road, but that is to be expected from the Ultramarines.

1. Precognition: WC5. Until the start of your next Psychic phase, this psyker has a 5++ invuln, and when resolving an attack made against this psyker, subtract 1 from the hit roll.
2. Scryer's Gaze: WC7. If your army is Battle Forged you can immediately gain 1 CP. If you choose not to, once this turn, when resolving an attack made by a model from a friendly Ultramarines unit within 18" of this psyker, you can re-roll the hit, wound, or damage roll.
3. Telepathic Assault: WC7. Select one visible enemy unit within 24" of the psyker. Roll 2D6 and add 2 to the result; that unit suffers 1 mortal wound for each point by which the total exceeds the highest Leadership characteristic of models in that unit. You aren't gonna destroy a unit of Necron Warriors, but if you roll well everything leadership 6 and lower are gonna get fucked. Tried using it on an Ork player once, but he says Mob Rule counteracts it.
4. Storm of the Emperor's Wrath: W6. Select the nearest visible enemy unit within 18" of the psyker. Roll a D6 for each model in the unit; for each 6, that unit suffers 1 mortal wound.
5. Psychic Shackles: WC6. Select one visible enemy unit within 18" of this psyker. Until the start of your next Psychic phase, halve the move characteristic (rounding up) of models in that unit, and when a charge or advance roll is made for that unit, subtract 1 from that roll. A unit cannot be affected by both this and the Tenebrous Curse psychic power at the same time, but nothing is stopping you from locking down two different units.
6. Empyric Channeling: WC5. Select one other friendly Ultramarines Librarian within 12" of this psyker. Until the end of this Psychic phase, when a Psychic test is taken by the target, add 2 to the total, and the target does not suffer Perils of the Warp on a roll of double 1 or double 6.

Litanies of Battle - March of Macragge: You can re-roll 1s on advance or charge rolls for friendly Ultramarines within 6" of the Chaplain.

Specialist Detachment - Victrix Guard

Captains of all flavours (note this doesn't include Calgar), ancients (all flavours), Honour guards, victrix honour guards, vanguard vets & sternguard vets gain the VICTRIX GUARD keyword, for when you want to bring the very elite, the exemplars among exemplars. But not termies, they aren't vet enough apparently. And fluff aside, this is the only formation specialist detachment that can bring deepstriking melee squads with actual AP, aka Vanguard Vets.
This is a MELEE formation; Sternguards were included only because their serge looks cool next to Calgar. Thanks, sarge! Note that only ULTRAMARINES can take this, and not any of their Successors.

• Consider a basic Vanguard Detachment of Captain w/ Twin Lightning Claws (with the Imperium's Sword trait), Ancient w/ Bolt Pistol and two basic Vanguard Vet squads, with the Sergeant's replacing their Chainswords with Lightning Claws. This will give you 12 Bolt Pistol attacks, 12 Lightning Claw attacks, and 27 Basic attacks, the later upped to 15 and 36 if the Ancient is given the Relic Banner. All for just over 300 points.
  • If you need a transport, a Land Raider Redeemer works, though it is expensive, almost doubling the cost.
• One use of this detachment is to make your smash captain rival the blood angels; Fight Like Demigods buffs your hit rolls to a 2+ rerolling, Warden of Ultramar makes your wound rolls better than even slamminigus for a turn and Strike First can be a nasty and unexpected counterattack. This tactic costs a lot of CP but is worth it when some random captain tears apart an imperial knight.

Stratagems

• Fight Like Demigods (1CP): At the start of the Fight phase, pick a VICTRIX GUARD unit within 6" of a VICTRIX GUARD CAPTAIN. That unit's attacks get +1 to hit until the end of the phase.
  • Great with unwieldy Thunder Hammers and Power Fists, as they will remain WS3+ whilst enjoying the Captain's rerolls (instead of becoming coin-flip WS4+ and needing a Chaplain). Even with regular power weapons, becoming WS2+ for a single CP (that you can regain) is a good deal.

• Strike First, for Ultramar! (3CP): At the end of the opponent's Charge phase, pick a VICTRIX GUARD unit that was charged or made a Heroic Intervention. They get to pile in and fight right away as if it was the Fight phase AND can fight normally in the actual Fight phase as well.
  • The BEST melee stratagem of them all. Now nothing at all can prevent the chosen unit from fighting, as it attacks even before those units with the "fights first" ability, and even before the enemy can use 'Counter-Offensive'. It's a Counter Offensive Counter Offensive that lets you fight twice, and that'd usually cost 2+3 CP, but the poster boys just have to be better than you.

Warlord Trait

• Warden of Ultramar: Once per battle, in the Fight phase, you can re-roll wound rolls for attacks made by friendly VICTRIX GUARD units within 6" of this Warlord. Useful if you didn't bring or, more commonly, couldn't AFFORD to bring a Lieutenant along. Useless on Twin Claw Vanguards, however, power sword vets become very dangerous.

Special Units

HQ

• Marneus Calgar: Papa Smurf, now back in the HQ slot. His Armour of Antilochus grants a 4+ invulnerable save and halves all damage he receives (rounded up, so he's not immune to 1 damage weapons). The Bolter part of the Gauntlets of Ultramar aren't too bad since they deal 2 damage and have AP-1, but you will ignore both them and his relic blade because in melee they act like Power Fists without the -1 to hit. As is the case for all Chapter Master characters, he grants re-rolls for all to-hit rolls for units within 6". He can also deep strike, and having him as your Warlord in a Battle-forged army grants 2 bonus Command Points. While both his stats and buffing abilities pale by comparison to Guilliman, he can fill a similar role if you want to save the points and/or the Lord of War slot.
  • Marneus Calgar in Artificer Armour: (index) Papa Smurf, before Swarmlord ate his arms, his legs, and half of his face. One less wound, no halved damage, and no ability to deep strike, and now, since the Codex sets Calgar in the Armour of Antilochus at 200 points, 35 points cheaper than the version in Artificer armour, you have no reason to ever take him in this form unless you're re-creating the battle at the Cold-Steel Ridge or something. Or you desperately need him to fit into a Rhino or Razorback.
  • Marneus Calgar in the Armour of Heraclus: It has finally happened. Papa Smurf has become the super-NuMarine. He now gets +1T thanks to his Gravis armour, as well as +1W and +1A from being Primaris, and he even gets to keep his 2+/4++ along with the halved damage. This makes him even more powerful than he ever was, although being a Primaris does mean that if he wants to actually get into combat he'll either need to footslog or pay for a Repulsor.
    • Something for consideration: Calgar, with the right supports, is actually a deadlier fighter in melee than Guilliman is. For starters, while Guilliman can feel the pain from larger foes and their absurd damage, Marneus can, for the most part, walk out less damaged and more annoying thanks to the halved damage. Assuming all damage is multi-wound rather than 1 damage, Calgar technically has 16 wounds, versus Guilliman's 9. In addition, while Guilliman can resurrect with D6 wounds, Calgar can receive near-constant healing through an Apothecary as he is an <INFANTRY> rather than a <MONSTER> (what, you thought Apothecaries can understand the anatomy of pseudo-demigods?). Excluding the cost of a Librarian and Victrix Guard (since Guilliman can benefit from those too) and you can have a better beatstick than Guilliman (though you do lose his super-aura). The only main weakness of Calgar in this regard is that he has slightly less toughness and strength (you ARE using Might of Heroes through Calgar's Librarian, aren't you?) than Guilliman, and he's stuck with D3 damage for his fists. TL,DR: Calgar is far cheaper for a super tough HQ and can benefit from other buffs where Guilliman can not. Calgar can certainly buff your army, but Guilliman does it better. However, Guilliman delivers more melee offense overall and functions better in situations devoid of support.
    • Somebody is really overestimating Calgar here. Against incoming attacks that are 2 damage, D3 damage, 3 damage, and D6 damage respectively, Calgar essentially has 16, 12, 12 and 14 wounds respectively (the results of D3 damage halved rounding up are 1, 1 and 2 and so D3 damage weapons average 1.333 damage against him). Now this is impressive, but the kinds of things you’re talking about fighting will usually force him to use his invulnerable save, which is a 4+, and so his effective hp is actually 32, 24, 24 and 28. Guilliman has 9 wounds on a 3++, so his effective hp is 27 in all scenarios, so the differences are actually minor against the bigger damage weapons without accounting for his revive ability, but between rerolling wounds and D3 mortal wounds on 6+ his melee output is potent enough to deal 7.778 wounds to Calgar in a single fight phase, ie basically killing him on average. How much damage can Calgar accomplish against Guilliman, or Calgar himself (Abaddon)? 2.6 wounds in both cases, 3.02 and 3.78 with the might of heroes. You may notice by this point that you’re paying half the points for less than half the melee power even with psyker support (at least in this case, but I think this is a decent benchmark). Add in that Calgar’s halve-damage durability is completely negated by things like the mortal wounds from snipers, and well...
• Captain Sicarius: No longer able to give 10 leadership to his whole detachment, or let a rhino tac squad infiltrate. But he is a bit cheaper now, and his power sword can do D3 mortal wounds if you roll a 6 to wound. His artisan plasma pistol now gets the benefit of overcharging without any risk of hurting him. He also can grant a squad Defenders of Humanity for a round. Overall, he is roughly the same if not slightly better in terms of melee, but can surprise an enemy via (for example) giving his Terminator retinue ObSec. The best thing about him is that, at 100 pts, he's pretty cheap. He's alright for his price, though his special ability does require some forethought.
• Chief Librarian Tigurius: Got beefy now, with only a 3+ save, no invuln, yet 5W and 4 attacks. He's still rather vulnerable, but can kick and punch almost as well as a Captain thanks to becoming a Primaris Marine. He does have a pretty nifty ability, however, as he can inflict a -1 penalty to all hit rolls against him or a friendly Ultramarine unit within 6" each turn, which helps him or any screening unit to survive. Can also be used on a unit holding an objective to increase its survivability, on a flyer for a -2 to hit for maximum trolling, and so on; this ability has quite a few interesting tactical applications. Is equipped with his rod, a power stave that gives +3 to strength, but you don't want him in close combat anyway, unless facing extremely weak close combat opponents. His mortal wound production from Smite helps against high wound models and hordes. His hood now adds +1 to psychic tests and denial on top of the re-rolls.
  • He can re-roll failed Psychic Tests (but not successful ones, even if they Perils), so his expected damage from Smite is 2.09, rather than 1.79, assuming he can live through Perils, which he can always do with his starting health. His Primaris version is better, and can re-roll any Psychic test, so you can re-roll double 6s to avoid Perils.
    • He knows 3 Librarius (or Indomitus) powers and Smite, and can cast and deny 2 powers per turn. In general, non-Primaris Tigurius' odds of casting a power (assuming he lives through Perils) are:
      • Smite: 97.22%
      • Veil of Time: 92.28%
      • Might of Heroes: 92.28%
      • Scourge: 92.28%
      • Fury of the Ancients: 82.64%
      • Psychic Fortress: 97.22%
      • Null Zone: 82.64%
    • Primaris Tigurius is even better; he gets +1 to cast rolls. His odds on WC5 to WC8 are:
      • 5: 99.31% (Smite, Psychic Fortress, Precognition, Empyric Channelling)
        • Because his +1 will make Smite roll higher more often, his Smite output is higher; because he can also re-roll successful Psychic tests, you can fish for bigger Smites - if you re-roll all rolls of 9 or less (remember, you get 1d6 mortal wounds on 10s with this guy), your average will be 2.319 mortal wounds. If you only re-roll 3s and 2s, since you'll succeed at the cast on 4s, your average will be 2.257.
      • 6: 97.22% (Veil of Time, Might of Heroes, Scourge, Storm of the Emperor's Wrath, Psychic Shackles)
      • 7: 92.28% (Scryer's Gaze, Telepathic Assault, Fury of the Ancients, Null Zone)
• Chaplain Cassius: He grants a mortal wound against enemy units that kill an Ultramarines model within 6" on a 6+. 3+ Marines die often, so with big numbers in your army Cassius has some punch and hurts the enemy in their phase. Combine with a Company Ancient and Apothecary to make the marine shoot as he dies, confer a mortal wound, and be brought back to life to shoot the next turn.
  • With the new codex and the Ultramarines Supplement, Cassius provides two Litanies for your marines. Using the +1 to hit and +1 to wound litanies can give squads that can generally hit on 2s, and a minimum wounding of 5s.
• Sergeant Telion: Telion makes Scout Snipers better. He is armed with a better Sniper Rifle, and Scouts within 3" add 1 to their roll to hit. Telion hits on a 2+, and also has the Ultramarine and Scout keyword. Rolls of one always fail, but modifiers are diminished by his buff to himself.
• Sergeant Chronus: Sadly, you still can't take Chronus in a Repulsor or certain FW vehicles, which is a real shame since he can not only repair the tank he's riding in but also fixes its BS to 2+. This might not seem like much of a buff at first, but keep in mind that this overrides the BS decrease that the damage tables would normally force- not only will it be hitting on a 2+, it'll continue to do so even at the point it would normally be hitting on a 5+! Like in 7th edition, he becomes an infantry unit if his tank is destroyed, but a lackluster statline and bad selection of wargear mean that Chronus on foot is little more than an extra kill point for the enemy.
  • Depending on whether you want him to fill a Heavy slot or not as well as an HQ slot, the two vehicles he's commonly considered best in are a quadruple lascannon predator or a double assault cannon razorback. In either case, remember that he's not a character until he disembarks, and you want his vehicle to have as many guns as possible, so always take a storm bolter and strongly consider a hunter-killer missile.
  • The vehicle Chronus commands gets the character keyword. While that might not by itself stop him from getting shot, (all the vehicles he can ride have 10 wounds or more,) it does mean he can use Company Veterans, Honor Guard and Victrix Guard to deflect shots and stay operational for very long.
  • Originally, vehicles he can command was very specific; but the new Codex has the following keywords as available rides: LAND RAIDER, RHINO, RAZORBACK, WHIRLWIND, PREDATOR, VINDICATOR. Sadly, no REPULSOR, SICARAN, MASTODON, ASTRAEUS, FELLBLADE or SPARTAN, but this still means he can command a Whirlwind Scorpius, a Land Raider Achilles or a Relic Predator. Or if you want to live dangerously, a Vindicator Laser Destroyer or a Terminus Ultra.
  • Chronus and Telion are dirt cheap (65 for Telion, 30 for Chronus, although that's on top of the tank he rides), so they will be a great help to fill compulsory HQ slots for bigger detachments. This is a huge boon for Ultramarine players, as this will help get more command points and recycle them thanks to their warlord trait. Throw in cheap Scout Squads for the troop tax (and to make sure Telion is used to his full potential) and you're good to go for a Battalion.

Forgeworld Successor Chapters Characters
Remember you don't necessarily need to pick Inheritors of the Primarch to be Ultramarine successors and use this supplement.

Fire Angels

• Captain Tarnus Vale: Captain. Provides a 6+ invuln to nearby vehicles, but isn't riding a bike or using a jump pack, so he'll never keep up with his charges unless he’s in a transport or said charges are artillery tanks, such as a Fellblade or Whirlwind. But, he does have a power axe that has D2, and an 8" pistol 3 plasma pistol. Not to mention lots of vehicles sit in a parking lot. Like are you really gonna be zipping that predator up the field?

Successor Tactics: The Fire Angels are notable for for their strict adherence to the Codex, so Inheritors of the Primarch is a perfect fit for them. Alternatively, if you want to build around Vale's Vehicle buffs and build a parking lot type army, tank boosting Tactics like Master Artisans and Scions of the Forge are good options.

Fire Hawks

• Knight-Captain Elam Courbray: Captain. The only Forge World character in this list who showed up with a Jump Pack, with the highest Move stat (and the guy in second place, Hecaton Aiakos, can't be your Warlord, although Lias Issodon is the guy in third place). However, because how DARE you tell him what to do when he comes in from reserve, he teleports in like a boss, rather than falling from the sky like a pleb. Also, he will always try to attack Characters within 1" of him, even if you'd rather he attacked someone else, because, again, FUCK YOU.
  • You're better off taking a regular captain with a jump pack bolt pistol and a relic blade. You're paying 18 points more to get to reroll wounds on your Suser AP-2 D1d3 sword (worse than the relic blade at S+2 AP-3 D1d3, which is more likely to wound on the first roll given it makes the captain S6). That's all he has over the normal jump pack captain. That and the 'has to hit characters if possible within 1"' thing. Which is actually a handicap.

Successor Tactics: While Courbray is nothing you'd build an army around and not a whole lot is known about the Fire Hawk's specialisation, they present a fluffy option for creating a more fleshed out Legion of the Damned. No options for universal FNP or Deep Striking, but general durability boosters like Indomitable, Stalwart, Stealthy (fluff it as the smoke rising off them giving them cover!) Or Warded are fine choices, and Fearsome Aspect is quite appropriate.

Howling Griffons

• Chaplain Dreadnought Titus: Exactly the same as a normal chaplain dread, but his FNP equivalent is a 5+, not a 6+, and he has fixed weaponry in an assault cannon, heavy flamer, and big ol' smashy fist. He's worth taking if you're playing Howling Griffons and already planned on taking a Chaplain Dreadnought, but otherwise unremarkable.

Successor Tactics: Griffons are known for their tactical flexibility and good sense, so most any blend of Tactics could be made to work. Titus himself, similarly, is just a solid all-rounder, though Chaplain Dreads inherently encourage a more melee focused playstyle. A good pick for remaining fast and loose with what sort of army you want to bring.

Marines Errant

• Lieutenant Commander Anton Narvaez: Captain. Used to be he was a little worse stats-wise than a captain (since he's not a captain) but had more interesting (if weird) wargear. Now he's just as good as a regular captain stat-wise, but his wargear got even weirder and even better. He comes with a power sword that on a 6+ to wound does a mortal wound instead (weird), an assault d3 plasma gun with 1 less ap that can't supercharge (weirder) and the Actinic Halo which gives him a 2++ save that is better than his power armour save UNTIL you take an unsaved wound at which points it stops working and only gives a near useless 6++ (legendarily weird). He honestly makes a decently shooty captain who has a decent buff (he provides the captain buff of rerolling 1s to hit, not the lieutenant buff to wounding) and is good for an all-rounder and doesn't cost much at all, use your command point rerolls on his invulnerable save to keep him alive all game and outside of mortal wounds he'll be exceptionally tanky... especially for a dude who's just supposed to be a ship captain.

Successor Tactics: Close range board actions are not well represented on the tabletop outside of Killteam, but we can make it work. Assault is the name of the game here, so Hungry for Battle and Rapid Assault are no brainers.

Novamarines

• Captain Mordaci Blaylock: Terminator captain, with a D3 chainfist, a relic storm bolter S5 AP-2, and grants a 6+ FNP to all Novamarines Infantry within 6".

Successor Tactics: Another Codex hardliner, so Inheritors of the Primarch is probably ypur go-to here. Just as well, Braylock is brutal in close range where he can support similarly built units.

Elite:

• Chapter Ancient: Split off from the Honour Guard, he's the same as a Company Ancient, but exclusive to Ultramarines and comes with a 2+ save and a power sword instead of the pistol (which he can't exchange). He also has a 9" banner range instead of 6", just in case you wanted him to reach out and touch farther units to let them fight or shoot one last time.

• Chapter Champion: Despite the name, the Codex Chapter Champion isn't unique, so one Ultramarines Chapter can have multiple of him. He has the same mandatory Heroic Intervention and re-roll against CHARACTERs as a Company Champion but has +1A and Sv, and different wargear. His Codex entry carries a Power Sword and Champion's Blade (as well as a bolt pistol and grenades), meaning he costs 64 points, so you're paying 10 points over a Company Champion to go from 3+/5++ to 2+ and from A3 S4 AP-3 D2 to A4 S4 AP-3 D1 + A1 S4 AP-2 D1; as you may have just noticed, this means, even before the points difference, your output is going down against anything with 2 or more wounds. Accordingly, you're better off with a Company Champion, even though the Chapter Champion can use the Index to swap his Champion's Blade for a Bolter (which is drastically better on him) or his power sword for something else, simply because the master-crafted power sword on the Company Champion is so efficient and because 2+ isn't that much better than 3+/5++. The closest you're going to get for competition is the Thunder Hammer/Bolter combo, which is 81 points for A4 WS3+ (rerolling 1s to hit characters) S8 AP-3 D3, which will murder most things more efficiently than the Company Champion will, but only once delivered, and you can't give him a Jump Pack - that's a serious points investment over solving the same problem with Thunder Hammer Vanguard Vets, who can just get to the problem with their Jump Packs.
  • Both Champions have buffs that overlap Chaplains/Captains/Chapter Masters, so plan accordingly - if you're bringing the buffs in from elsewhere, neither is remotely as compelling as TH/SS Company or Vanguard Veterans.
    • This has all changed now. The Chapter Champion gets a Mastercrafted Power Sword and some quite substantial buffs now. Firstly, he has 5 attacks on his profile, which is more than even a Captain. Secondly, all attacks in close combat are at -1 to hit him. Combined with a 2+ save he's looking very survivable. Against characters, he also gets a whole host of special rules that will range from okay to downright scary! A 6" Heroic Intervention is okay to reach a character but re-roll hits and wounds against a character is amazing.

Give this guy the Burning Blade and The Imperium's Sword Warlord Trait and enjoy wounding T4 on 2s with AP-5 and D2. You can even shark vehicles with him since he has 7 attacks on the charge at S8. I'd even use him to finish a Knight character and laugh about it!

• Honour Guard: They seem underwhelming at first since there're only two models per unit and they have only one more wound compared to the Company Veterans. However, they only cost a minimum of 50 points plus gear (see below) for the entire unit. They possess a 2+ save, which, paired with their W2, is the primary reason to take them - they're worse in melee than Company Vets - and because of their unit size, have no worries about morale tests. Like the Company Veterans, they can intercept wounds for CHARACTERs, so they're good to have around in melee. Remember that you can stick several units into a single transport, so there is nothing stopping you from sticking 8 2-man units of Honour Guard into a single Land Raider Crusader.
  • Codex Honour Guard has a mandatory Power Axe, but Index Honour Guard can take a Sword, Maul, or Relic Blade, so per the FAQ, the Index "wins", letting you take 50 points Sword Guard for bubble wrap/ablative wounds. For any weapon from Power Sword, Maul, or Axe, an Honour Guard costs the same as a Company Vet with a Storm Shield, meaning the choice is W2/2+ or W1/3+/3++; the former is cheaper per wound, which means your bodyguard lasts longer, but the latter is more durable against the majority of potential incoming fire, due to the abundance of higher damage and armour penetrating guns out there. Note also that both units are functionally immune to morale, but the Company Vets hit harder in melee - the Honour Guard unit is 4 attacks, while the Company Vets are 5. Relic Blades are garbage, doubling the cost of the Honour Guard carrying them; Company Vets with Thunder Hammers will outperform them any day.
• Tyrannic War Veterans: Sternguard Vets, minus the weapons options and with the ability to re-roll all failed rolls to hit or wound TYRANID units. Situational, but since the bugs have gotten significant buffs it might be useful. The unit consists of 4 models, so can be cheaper in total than Sternguard, and make odd arrangements in transportation more viable.
  • As a strange side note, remember that these models have STERNGUARD VETERAN SQUAD as a keyword. This means they not only can benefit from Masterful Marksmanship but also bonuses from being in the Victrix Guard Specialist detachment. Further, with their Special Issue Bolters, you can see them as a way to extend a Sternguard allowance from just 3 squads to 6. Why you would do that is beyond comprehension.
• Victrix Honour Guard: Primaris Honour Guard, with both upsides and downsides. Standard 1 wound and ABOVE standard +2 attacks (normally Primaris get +1), but also kitted out with power swords (losing the superior power axes of the base unit) and storm shields (losing both the bolters and bolt pistols of the base unit), and can perform Heroic Interventions. If they're in the same detachment as Marneus Calgar, they don't take up a slot. The net result, even after paying 5 more points per model, is that you gain a lot of durability and slight mobility, as well as an overall gain to melee output (doubling the unit's total attacks more than compensates for the inferior melee weapon), in exchange for a sharp reduction in ranged output - in fact, if you want your chapter tactic to apply to them, all you can do is have the unit throw a single grenade, as opposed to the base unit, which has a pair of bolters.

Lord of War

• Roboute Guilliman:The most effective unit in the Astartes Codex, even with his whopping 350 point cost. He possesses an impressive statline: WS and BS are both 2+, 8" movement, S6, T6, 6A and has 9 wounds and if he is killed he comes back on a roll of 4+ with D6 wounds. Has the character keyword so can't be shot at unless he's the closest model or by snipers, and also takes cover behind a constant 2+, 3++. Shooting wise he uses the Hand of Dominion which is 24" rapid fire 3 S6 AP-1 Dmg 2, which is good but it's CC where you want Girlyman. In close combat he can either use the Hand of Dominion a Sx2 AP-3 Dmg 4 power fist or use the motherfucking Emperor's Sword at S+2 AP-4 Dmg 3 that on a roll of a 6 causes D3 mortal wounds on top of the 3 damage he already caused. In close combat he is one of the best characters in 8th, on top of that lucky rolls can lead to him dishing out a lot of extra damage through mortal wounds. All of that is nice, however, where Guilliman truly shines is his buffs to the rest of the army. Any keyword Imperium unit within 12" adds 1 to advances and charges, re-roll hits of 1 and can re-roll failed morale tests. As the Primarch of the Ultramarines, he gives any Ultramarines units within 6" re-rolls of any hit roll, and wound rolls of 1 as well. Guilliman himself is affected by his own aura, allowing him to add 1 to charges and advances as well as re roll hits and 1s to wound. If all that wasn't enough if your army is battleforged you get 3 extra CP. He does everything you'd want a warlord to do, basically. The main reasons not to take him are points cost, wanting a different LOW, or not wanting to be seen as That Guy.
  • Be aware that since he has the Monster keyword for some odd reason, he tends to interact strangely with several other rules (e.g. taking Transports). Watch for anything that affects Monster units and be prepared to footslog.

Tactical Objectives

Tactics

Imperial (& Crimson) Fists

In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only defiance eternal.

Stubborn to a fault, the Imperial Fists are paragons of bolt marksmanship and peerless urban fighters and siege specialists.
On the tabletop, this is represented by their bonuses to shooting and mastery of cover use. Where their enemies find no respite, the Imperial Fists dig in whilst letting loose precise bolter fusillades and crippling heavy weapons barrages. Success not out of tricks or outlandish tactics, just shooting like a supersoldier ought to.
If you want to marines whose boltguns actually matter and wish to reduce your enemy's army to mauled infantry turn one, then play as the Sentinels of Terra and fight until the bitter end.

Special Rules

Unlike other supplements, the Imperial Fists share theirs with their Crimson Fists successors. Crimson Fists thus have a full list of relics and stratagems (and Imperial Fists don't), but have their own chapter tactic and half a warlord trait table. They're still Fists, just with some "heroic last stand" tones.

• Imperial Fists & Successor Chapter Tactics - Siege Masters: Enemy units do not receive "the benefit of cover" against attacks made by models with this tactic. If the attack was with a bolt weapon, an unmodified 6 to hit scores an additional hit. Yellow IS shootier.
  • Exploding 6s is mathematically the same as an additional point of BS but better, since it both stacks with actual +1s to hit and doubles your Overwatch. Plus, scoring more shots than the weapon is actually capable of is always neat. This also means you suffer less from -1s to hit, including Auspex Scanner's.
  • Cover isn't the nigh-invuln it was back in 7E, but it's almost like an extra point of AP now that it affects everyone. Not only cover-relying campers like Rangers and Scouts, but also those armies that get "the benefit of cover in the open", where similar things like Deathwatch Dragonfire rounds are specified as NOT working against. This lets Imperial Fists entrench themselves while their opponents cannot, either levelling the playing field when storming enemies in cover, or stacking it in your favour when you have a cover of your own. Especially when it makes Primaris bolter variants more relevant.
• Crimson Fists Chapter Tactic - No Matter the Odds: Add 1 to hit rolls for a unit targeting another unit (in either the shooting or fight phase) that has at 5 more models than the attacking unit has (e.g. a unit of 3 models gets +1 against any unit of 8 models or more). When using a Vehicle to attack, that model itself counts as 5 models, so you only get it on units of 10 or more, not 6. Vehicles and Dreadnoughts you attack still count as 1 - in fact, this tactic can't come up against any target unit with fewer than 6 models in it. Additionally, for attacks with a bolt weapon, an unmodified 6 to hit scores an additional hit.
  • Exploding 6s is mathematically the same as an additional point of BS but better, since it both stacks with actual +1s to hit and doubles your Overwatch. Plus, scoring more shots than the weapon is actually capable of is always neat. This also means you suffer less from -1s to hit, including Auspex Scanner's.
  • As if you needed an incentive to run Multiple Small Units. Keep in mind "cosmetic" models count as squad members, e.g.: an Armorium Cherub would prevent an otherwise 5-man Devastator unit to gain the bonus against a unit of 10 Guardsmen. Still, it gives Crimson Fists great anti horde capability. It works on your damaged units too as well as low count units (Company Vet pairs!), and your characters won't suffer penalties to their power fists when fighting the enemy masses.
  • This Chapter Tactic also means safe supercharged plasma, which can matter against massed T4 enemies like Ork Boyz or Necron Warriors. Always load up your characters with combi plasma. As long as they're shooting units of more than 5 models they'll have safe overcharged plasma for killing primaris or TEQ models. If you're shooting at hordes, the +1 will let you fire both sides of the combi weapon without penalty.
  • Aggressors and Centurions are perfect for the CF: they are a three-man squad and can generate a fuck ton of bolt shot.
• Combat Doctrine - Legacy of Dorn: Heavy Weapons gain +1 damage when targeting Vehicles or Buildings (although good luck finding a non-vehicle building to shoot at) in the Devastator Doctrine. No nonsense, strike some of the important targets turn one at range. But only turn one, due to the changes to Combat Doctrines. Does nothing against monsters.
  • In 8E volume of dice matters more. The doctrine makes Lascannons and Krak missiles more reliable, but 6 Assault Cannon shots at double damage (12 damage at S6 AP-1) are simply more reliable than two lascannon shots at +1D (9 damage at S9 AP-3). The specialist doctrine is active only the first turn and you have to make it count; on top of your actual dedicated anti-tank you could aim your non-specialized heavy guns at tanks too, even the humble Heavy Bolter becomes a considerable threat to lighter vehicles: Auto, Grav, and Plasma Cannons become true all-rounders, able to deal effectively with heavy infantry and vehicles. Combined with the Tank Hunters Stratagem, a true siege master can use even light artillery like Whirlwinds and Thunderfire cannons in a counter-battery role, as well as turn Intercessors' Stalker Bolt Rifles and Eliminator's Bolt Sniper rifles into AP-3 D3 shots (that wound on 4+).

Warlord Traits

Imperial Fists & Successors

1. Siege Master: Add 1 to wound rolls against Building and Vehicle units. Great on a slam captain or anyone else that’s going to be in melee against Knights or tanks. This is Tor Garadon’s required trait.
   • The Imperial Fists can have one of the mightiest Smash Captains of them all: Combine Siege Master with The Imperium's Sword (rerolls charges, +1S +1A). Then give him a relic Thunder Hammer or the cheaper Fist of Terra and now he's wounding Knights on a 2+.
   • Fist Warlords aren't restricted to melee. Siege Masters can wound most vehicles on a 4+ with mere bolters. MC Auto Bolt Rifle > MC Stalker Bolt Rifle.
2. Indomitable: This warlord can only be wounded on a 4+. Essentially the opposite of the above, rather than being good at killing Knights this trait makes you good at not being killed by Knights (or other Smash Captains). This is Captain Lysander’s required trait.
   • Better for T4 characters than for Gravis Captains; Gravis gives up the option of a 3++ for a T5 that would prevent them being wounded by S8 on a 2+, but this trait does away with silly maths. Only S5 Power Axes and Bolt Sniper Rifles would make a difference here.
3. Fleetmaster: Once per battle, at the end of the Fight phase and if this warlord both remained stationary and didn't do any attacks, select a point on the battlefield and roll 1d6 for each unit within d6". On a 4+ (substracting 1 for characters), deal d3 MW to that unit. So, give up a Warlord's trait and turn to do what an Orbital Comms Impulsor does.
   • Then again, it can be combined with an Orbital Comms Impulsor and Orbital Bombardment for 3d3 MW on the enemy's formation / spam 1d3 MW across the board. Rather punishing for MSU armies.
4. Stubborn Heroism: The warlord halves incoming damage (rounding up), but cannot fall back. Combine this with Indomitable, and take the Adamantine Mantle on a Gravis Captain for a character who isn’t going anywhere.
   • He won't die to the big stuff, but keep anti-horde measures at hand should you need them - a Terminator / Aggressor retinue can use Close-Range Bolter Fire.
5. Architect of War: When resolving AP-1 attacks against friendly Fists within 6" of this warlord, add an additional 1 to the (armour) save roll if that unit is "recieving the benefit of cover" (meaning IW & other IF nullify this trait). While situational, enemy Bolt Rifles start as AP-1, so it can be a common situation indeed.
6. Hand of Dorn: If your army is battle-forged, gain D3 command points before the battle. Simple, powerful, always worth taking, even if it requires spending a command point for Sentinel of Terra.

Crimson Fists

1. Tenacious Opponent: If there are at least 5 enemy models within 6" of your warlord in the fight phase, he gains D3 extra attacks.
   • Have him fight before killing models with other units; Eight attacks on a good roll place him among the most damaging captains. Combine it with The Imperium's Sword or Champion of Humanity to make him even deadlier.
2. Refuse to Die: Unlike Robutte Girlyman you don’t need magical armour given to you by Cawl and some filthy heretical Eldar. Once your warlord loses his last wound, roll a d6, and on a 4+ he comes back with 1d3 wounds remaining as close as possible to your original position and at least 1” away from enemy models.
3. Stoic Defender: All Crimson Fists units gain the Defenders of Humanity (Objective Secured) rule within 6” of your warlord, and any unit that already had that rule (your Troops) count as double their model count (5 tacticals count as 10 when determining models securing an objective), so you can steal objectives even if you're outnumbered by guardsmen. Especially hilarious when it's a sudden deepstriking ObSec captain stealing it away from non-troop enemies.

Relics & Special-Issue Wargear

Relics are now split into two categories. Relics of the Fists may only be taken by Imperial Fists (unless you use a stratagem). Special-Issue Wargear can be taken by Imperial Fists and their successor chapters.

Relics of the Fists

The Fists only get four relics for themselves, as they share two slots with the Crimson Fists:

• The Spartean: Vastly improved from SM1, it upgrades a bolt or heavy bolt pistol, making it 18" Pistol 2 AP-3 2D with the ability to target Characters like snipers do. Can be given to a Primaris character (only Captains can take power fists) to help eliminate characters.
• Eye of Hypnoth: Ranged attacks within 6" of the bearer re-roll 1s to wound. So, a limited Lieutenant reroll...but that still frees up 60-70 pts and a HQ slot for a Chaplain or Librarian. Great for a ranged Captain baby-sitting a gunline, especially since Phobos Lieutenants cannot infiltrate.
• The Banner of Staganda: Imperial Fists Ancient only. Melee attacks made by models within 6" get +1 to hit.
• The Bones of Orsak: Imperial Fists Librarian only. When manifesting a Geokinesis power, you can re-roll the Psychic test. Doubtful: Geokinesis powers are easy, being WC6 at most.

And the Crimson Fists get 2:

• Duty's Burden: Crimson Fists exclusive, replaces a master-crafted stalker bolt rifle or master-crafted auto bolt rifle, 30" Rapid Fire 2 S5 AP-2 D2.
• Fist of Vengeance: Crimson Fists exclusive, replaces a power fist, turns it into a thunder hammer with no penalty to hit (D3). One of the best melee relics, especially with the huge points increase for thunder hammers - hits hard and cheap - but usually worse than a Master-Crafted Thunder Hammer, despite the relative costs.

Special-Issue Wargear

To compensate for the Fists below average number of relics, some Special-Issue items are of relic-tier quality. First of all, the standard 4 every chapter gets:

• Adamantine Mantle: 5+++ Feel No Pain.
• Artificer Armor: 2+/5++. As always, better on support characters that lack invulnerable saves like Lieutenants or Librarians.
• Master-Crafted Weapon: Increase a weapon's damage by one, cannot already be master-crafted, weapon counts as a Relic.
• Digital Weapons: Gain an extra attack that deals a mortal wound if it hits.

And then the four Fist-specific ones:

• Auric Aquila: 4++ invulnerable save, and 5+++ against mortal wounds in the Psychic phase.
• Fist of Terra: Replaces a power fist, removing the penalty to hit and granting +1 attack. One of the better melee relics. Despite lacking a Thunder Hammer's guaranteed 3 Damage, the bonuses allow the wielder to effectively fight infantry whilst still being effective against bigger targets. And again, 31 damn points cheaper.
• Gatebreaker Bolts: Gives a bolt weapon an alt-fire mode: make one hit roll that makes D3 wound rolls (allocated separately) at AP-5 D1. Best when fired from a Bolt Sniper Rifle or Stalker Bolt Rifle, doubling the damage against vehicles.
• Warden's Cuirass: +1 Wound. Tack it onto an Iron Resolve Gravis Captain for 9W with FnP (6+). That's effectively 10.5 Wounds while still enjoying Character protection.

Stratagems

Attack Stratagems: Doubles down on their bolter and anti-vehicle themes.

• Bitter Enemy (1 CP): In the Fight Phase, re-roll any Hit and Wound rolls against Iron Warriors. The fluffy stratagem everyone seems to get. If it comes up, have fun with it.
• Bolter Drill (2 CP): In the Shooting Phase, one Imperial Fists unit counts hit rolls of 6 with a Bolt weapon as two hits. That's three with the chapter tactic. A tad expensive, so throw it high dakka units like Aggressors, Inceptors, Centurions, Infiltrators (6s auto-wound), FW Quad-Heavy Bolter units (Fire Raptor, Land Raider Proteus, Rapier Carrier) and the like, pray for sixes, and unleash the BRRRRRT.
• Clearance Protocols (2 CP): During the Shooting Phase, ten models in a unit can hurl grenades instead of one. Most noticeable on Assault marines and Vanguard Vets, who have an easier time closing the distance, can hurl a Melta Bomb and aren't missing out on their guns. Still niche.
• Close-Range Bolter Fire (2 CP): Turn a unit's Bolt weapons into Pistols for a Shooting phase. They actually gain the Pistol type, so while Storm and Hurricane Bolters miss out on the double shooting, squads can use their guns alongside their actual pistols, and they get a boost in the Assault Doctrine.
  • Everyone benefits, but who benefits more? 1) Units who would like to fall back, so that's Heavy Bolter Centurions and Devastators (and Rapier Quad Heavy Bolters & Land Raiders Crusader and Proteus, because it isn't restricted to infantry). 2) Units who want to be in melee but don't want to miss out on their dakka, like Auto Bolt Rifle Inceptors and, above all others, Autobolt Aggressors, who can shoot twice because they didn't move that turn. Pistol 12!
• Praetorian's Wrath (2 CP, Single Use): At the start of the movement phase, when the Devastator Doctrine is active, 6s to wound with heavy weapons and grenades gain an additional -1 to their AP until the next movement phase. Note that the wording here means that it applies in Overwatch.
• Sappers (1 CP): In the Shooting or Fight Phase, a unit adds +1 to Hit and Wound against a Building. No one uses buildings, and you already have Combat Doctrine if they do. But if someone brings a Noctilith Crown or a Landing Pad, go break it.
• Tank Hunters (2 CP): Pick one enemy Vehicle. Until the end of the phase, a (1) Imperial Fists unit gets +1 to wound against it. Pop this when the enemy has a piece or armor that absolutely must die, and the combat doctrine just isn't enough for you (or you're trying to destroy it in melee).
  • Anti-infantry guns will wound almost any vehicle on a 4+, and Lascannons, Vindicators and Heavy/Macro Plasma Incinerators will wound almost any vehicle on a 2+.

Defense Stratagems: Makes Fists a pain in the glove to remove, especially when near select locations due to their "Once more, into the breach!" siege flair.

• Bolster Defenses (1 CP, Single Use): At the start of the movement phase, select an Imperial Fists Infantry unit entirely on or within a terrain feature. As long as they remain stationary, when resolving an attack against them, add 1 to their non-invulnerable saving throw.
  • That's the wording. Notice it doesn't say "in the shooting phase", just says attack; if the enemy charges them, they get +1 to their armour save in melee - they're on YOUR turf. Use a Drop Pod or Impulsor, so your unit can begin turn 2 on the enemy's ground and it becomes PROTECT THE BEACH-HEAD!
• Pain Is A Lesson (1 CP): Give a 6+++ Feel No Pain to a non-vehicle or servitor unit for a phase.
• Stubborn Defense (2 CP): Use at the start of the battle if your Warlord is on the battlefield. You can’t discard Storm or Defend tactical objectives, but scoring them gains you an additional victory point.
• The Shield Unwavering (2 CP): At the end of your turn, give an Imperial Fists Infantry unit withing 3" of an objective +1 attack and +1 to (non-invulnerable)^{19/11/2019 FAQ} saving throws until the start of your next turn. Combine with Bolster Defenses or Pain Is A Lesson when the point must be held at all costs.

Upgrade: The usual extra relics & warlord traits.

• Champion of Blades (1 CP): Give a successor chapter a Fists relic, the standard stuff.
• Gift of the Phalanx (1 CP): Give a Sergeant a Master-crafted Weapon, Digital Weapons, the Fist of Terra, or Gatebreaker Bolts.
  • While the Fist of Terra is good and you might want that on a character, they have other relic weapons they can wield, including Thunder Hammers. A Veteran Intercessor with the fist (6A) can join those characters. An Eliminator Sergeant's Bolt Sniper Rifle is a good way to deliver Gatebreaker Bolts.
• Sentinel of Terra (1 CP): Give a non-special character Warlord an additional Warlord Trait. Combine Indomitable and Stubborn Heroism for an incredible wall.

Crimson Fists get two extra Stratagems, in addition to the above:

• A Hated Foe (1 CP): For one phase, a unit gets +1 to wound against Orks. And here's their fluff-appropriate Stratagem.
• Slay The Tyrant (1 CP): For one phase, a unit gets +1 to hit against Characters. Boosting a single sniper unit could be a bit lackluster, but could be useful for units who get to target a character, especially in melee. Especially when using unwieldy weapons, or to offset enemy -1 to hit tricks.

Litany & Psychic Discipline- Geokinesis

1. Tectonic Purge – WC6: Any enemy units that start their charge within 12″ of the psyker must subtract 2 from the result. A strong defensive buff, this trait can combine with the debuff from a Repulsor to make even a Blood Angel unit think twice about charging out of deep strike, or work alone to help keep a unit of Centurions safe. The only major downside is the enemy needing to start within 12″, meaning the Librarian needs to be near the front lines. Combine with Tremor Shells to make charges basically impossible for an enemy unit.
2. Wrack and Ruin - WC6: One visible enemy <building or unit that's wholly in or within a terrain feature> within 18" has to roll 9d6, and for each 5+ (4+ if it's a building) they suffer a mortal wound. Hardly impressive, but it might let you blow up a Tidewall, bang up a Webway gate, or smack a few cover campers.
   • Will outperform Smite, with the caveat that its targeting is heavily restricted.
3. Iron Inferno – WC6: Select a point on battlefield within 18″ and visible to psyker. Roll one D6 for each enemy unit within 6″ of that point, deal one mortal wound on a 4+. Better than most area of effect powers, this doesn’t suffer from a penalty to damage characters or random radius. Still, only dealing one mortal wound per unit makes this need to hit multiple units to do much, making it far from a safe take.
4. Fortify – WC4: Restore D3 lost wounds to one Imperial Fists Infantry or Biker model within 12″. Trivially low warp charge for some healing? Sign me up. Only downside is that Apothecary resurrection happens in the movement phase, so this can’t heal a model to full and allow the Apothecary to resurrect – but it can heal up a resurrected model to full.
5. Aspect of Stone – WC5: Add 2 to psyker’s strength and toughness until your next psychic phase. Counters the positioning vulnerability in the use of Tectonic Purge, and turns a psyker into something of a melee threat. That said, putting your key anti-charge psyker into melee generally isn’t what an Imperial Fists gunline is likely to be doing, so this power has limited viability.
6. Chasm – WC6: Select a visible enemy unit that cannot Fly within 18″ of the psyker. Roll 2D6; if the result is less than the lowest Move characteristic in the unit, it takes one mortal wound; if it’s equal it takes D3; if it’s greater then it’s flat three mortal wounds. Another power that can be used to snipe out a character, this power has a 58.33% chance to do a full three mortal wounds against something with the standard six-inch movement, and of course that only increases against slower units – things like Terminators or Death Guard spring to mind.
   • Starts outperforming Smite against M5 or less. Fuck Orks.

Litanies of Battle - Fortress of Resolve: Fists within 6" hit on 5 and 6 during Overwatch, increasing your hit ratio by +100%. And 5+ overwatch with exploding 6s is equivalent to BS4. Thus a chaplain can boost a unit with Recitation of Focus when the enemy is far away, this litany when at risk of being charged (and it also affects the bubblewrap unit), and Litany of Hate when melee is joined.

Specialist Detachment - Imperial Fists Siegebreaker Cohort

It benefits Captains, Centurions, Dreadnoughts, and Vindicators. Note that only IMPERIAL FISTS can take this, and not any of their Successors. Easily worth paying 1CP to get access to it if you need to kill Knights or Forgeworld vehicles, despite not providing access to a relic or even warlord trait (GW FAQed it away rip).

Stratagems

• Seismic Devastation (1CP): Pick one SIEGEBREAKER COHORT unit at the start of any Shooting or Fight phase. When it makes an unmodified wound roll of 6 against a VEHICLE, you deal an additional mortal wound to the enemy model.
  • Enables your anti-infantry Centurions to also kill a Leman Russ KILL KNIGHTS AND LEVIATHANS. Assault Centurions with flamers deal a bit more wounds, but they have to be within 8" of the enemy instead of 24", so, pass. Bolter Discipline, baby! Redemptor Dreads with Onslaught cannons aren't as killy as Centurions, but they're noticeably cheaper.
    • Three HB Centurions (210 pts) inflict an average of 14.7 unsaved wounds to a 14W 303 pts Leviathan (2+/4++) protected by Duty Eternal(halves damage - denies your Doctrine). That example uses the most basic of boosts: rerolls of 1s to hit and wound, provided by a nameless captain with Eye of Hypnoth (or a Lt). You could combine it with Tank Hunters and Bolter Drill stratagems on Heavy Bolter/Hurricane Bolter Centurions, for +1 to wound, 2D Heavy Bolters, 6s to hit result in 3 hits rather than 1, if you want those three Centurions to kill something like a boosted Knight.
• Structural Demolition (1CP): When your SIEGEBREAKER COHORT units destroy a building, enemy models embarked on it roll 2d6 when exciting instead of d6.
  • Kinda lame to be honest, considering that very few players actually take Fortifications in their lists. In fact, this kinda gives them more of a reason to not use them, and some things like Altars of Khorne don't even have a wounds stat. Don't expect to use it very often.

Specialist Detachment - Crimson Fists Liberator Strike Force

Primaris Characters (Ancient, Apothecary, Captain, Chaplain, Librarian, & Lieutenant), Intercessor squads, Reiver squads, & Hellblaster squads in that detachment gain the liberator strike force keyword. The other side of the coin where it comes to Primaris detachments. It mentions all those squads, but the real stars here are the Hellblasters, as it is a ranged detachment.

Stratagems

• Heroes of Rynn's World (1CP): Use at the start of the shooting phase and pick a LIBERATOR STRIKE FORCE unit. All unmodified hit rolls of 6 count as 2 hits instead of 1.
  • A few extra shots isn't much, so use it on Hellblasters to make it count. It's +1 to +3 dead guys on a 5-man squad firing two shots, depending on the enemy and buff auras nearby.
• Paragons of Dorn (1 CP): At the end of your opponent's shooting phase pick a LIBERATOR STRIKE FORCE unit that was targeted this phase, they can then fire as if it were their shooting phase. Annoying because you have to get shot first.
  • Again your Hellblasters will destroy anything that doesn't kill them. Add an Ancient and an Apothecary so that actual casualties don't go to waste.

Warlord Trait

• Expert Instructor: Re-roll hit rolls of 1 for friendly LIBERATOR STRIKE FORCE units within 9" of your warlord.
  • Useful for a Lieutenant Field Commander for the double aura. Give the Eye of Hypnoth to the Captain, and now you have two double auras. Alternatively you can pick a Librarian or Chaplain (there's no Primaris Techmarines yet), and give them the double aura to boost a Hellblaster unit with Recitation of Focus / Tectonic Purge & Fortify.

Artifact

• The Vengeful Arbiter: 12" Pistol 2 S5 AP-1 D2, and successful hit rolls cause more shots at the same target (additional shots can't generate further hit rolls). Boo, relic pistol.
  • It goes with the ranged theme, functionally giving your character a 12" D2 Heavy Bolter as a pistol. Then again, 12" is but the prelude to melee, and your other relic is basically a Thunder Hammer without unwieldy - one of the best relics in the codex in fact, and one of the few a Primaris Captain can use.

Special Units

HQ

• Captain Lysander: Lysander is a better TH/SS Terminator Captain; the Fist of Dorn being a S10 Thunder Hammer without the -1 to hit penalty, making up for the actual IF relic pistol. If you have T5 enemies, Lysander's the guy you schedule them a play date with. He also gives +1Ld to nearby Fists, as if Space Marines cared about Leadership (you'd think it'd help Psychic Scourge, but that's a shitty power). Do you know how to use a TH/SS Termie Captain? Then you know all there is to know about Lysander strategy.
• Captain Tor Garadon: The original owner of the Spartean Bolt Pistol, now a named Primaris Captain in Gravis armor with +1 wound. He comes with a Grav-gun, making him pack just a bit more punch at range than the usual Gravis captain. He also has a Signum Array that gives a friendly Imperial Fists unit within 3" BS2+ at the start of the shooting phase (thus overriding a vehicle's damage bracket), which stacks nicely with his Captain's Rites of Battle aura. His Hand of Defiance isn't just an aesthetically bulky Power Fist, it's Sx3 AP-3 D3 (but still -1 to hit). Last but not least, his Siege Captain ability gives all his attacks +1 to their damage characteristic when he attacks a Vehicle or Building, so he can punch a Land Raider to death with attacks to spare or help to whittle down a tank from afar.

Forgeworld Successor Chapters Characters
Remember you don't necessarily need to pick Inheritors of the Primarch to be Imperial Fists successors and use this supplement.
Crimson Fists

• Pedro Kantor (Crimson Fists): More focused this edition than in the last several; he no longer benefits Sternguard especially, nor especially torments Orks, Pedro Kantor is a CC killing machine in 8E. His Oath of Rynn special rule is now a buff to give +1A to all friendly Crimson Fists models within 6", while 'Chapter Master' affects whole units within that range. And it's great not having to pay CP to get full rerolls. For his price and relatively small footprint, he can make a huge impact in any melee.
  • He's excellent when paired with -1 To Hit escorts, like TH/SS Termies/Vets or Aggressors. Add a Lieutenant and you'll be rerolling everything. Being a footslogger, however, you'll need to find him a way to the front line, but at the very least he's got an Assault 4 AP-1 Bolter to jog across the board. Especially with those resilient Primaris, their 2 base attacks and their Assault weapons, who may not be riding Repulsors because you don't give in to GW's shilling.
  • Kantor, being a 'Chapter Master' also lends himself to gun lines. His +1A helps your Marines punch back when onrushing hordes inevitably reach the Marines, Primaris hitting as if they were Vets with chainswords.

Executioners

• High Chaplain Thulsa Kane: Chaplain with the most awesome name, +2W and A, and rather dodgy with -1 to be hit in melee. Has a 6" aura that grants an additional attack for models that roll an unmodified 6 To Hit, in addition to the Mastr of Sanctity's two active Litanies. Furthermore, instead of the Crozius he uses Lifetaker, a S+2 power sword with D2, which becomes D4 against characters. And he's also got a plasma pistol with an extra shot. Though he's an impressive beatstick that buffs the melee capabilities of everyone around him, he's a footslogging manlet, so you need to put him in a good transport, like a Drop Pod or a Land Raider.
  • Successor Tactics: Imperial Fists tactics are trash for Executioners; their endgame is assault and Thulsa Kane helps them do that well. This guy is an awesome force multiplier when combined with the "Whirlwind of Rage" successor trait and some high attack volume units (like Vanguards with double Chainswords). Every 6 to hit generates an extra attack AND scores an additional hit. And while those extra attacks cannot generate any more attacks, they DO generate additional hits on consecutive 6s! Add his natural Chaplain ability to reroll failed hits and you literally drown your enemy in to wound rolls. Put him in a Drop Pod and take "Hungry for Battle" as your second trait so he and his company actually arrive in melee after deep striking (though you wouldn't be able to use litanies that turn).
    • Even better with Incursor squads, whose Paired Combat blades score an additional hit on a 6. Combine it with Gene Wrought Might (1CP) to Auto Wound on a hit roll of 6. Exhortation of Rage means 6s generate an additional attack and Litany of Hate re-rolls any hit roll that isn't a 6. If you're fighting heretic astartes, pop Death to the Traitors (1CP) while your at it. All up, each six we roll then explodes into 1 auto-wounds, two additional hits and 3 additional attacks that can also roll 6s to get a further 3 auto-wounds (but no more additional attacks).

Tactical Objectives

• Indomitable Defence: Choose three objectives, score 1vp if you control one of them, d3 if you control two, and d3+3 if you control all three.
• Man The Walls: Score 1vp if at least three of your units are in cover or embarked.
• Disciplined Firepower:Choose a number between one and three, if you kill that many enemy units, you score that many vp.
• Champions Of Dorn: Score 1vp if an enemy character was killed by one of your characters.
• Death Before Dishonour: Score 1vp if this objective has been in your hand for two turns, but it is discarded if you fall back.
• Breach Their Defences: Score 1vp for each enemy building (lol), or unit you killed that was in/on terrain, to a maximum of three.

Tactics

So you love bolters, hate vehicles, and forts trigger you despite never having seen one. What to do with all this?

• Positioning: Shock Assault urges you to melee, your doctrine pulls you to range. But whatever you choose, you have to commit: unlike WS and UM, the stubborn Imperial Fists don't take falling back too well - Stubborn Heroism warlords wouldn't even think of it. Where other armies have stratagems to do complex feints, you simply gain true grit. You deny cover, but you're also geared to garisonning terrain features and objectives. Understand you're not fighting merely on a battlefield, but with it.
• Attrition: Imperial Fists are balanced: they shoot well, can give the enemy a hard time closing in, and being space marines they don't suffer in melee like other armies do.
  • When the enemy is far away you can outshoot them: blow up their gunships and bastions, ignore their cover, dig in yours.
  • When the enemy comes to you, delay them: blow up their transports, omniscramble their deepstrikes, pin them with Tremor Shells, punish their charges with Fortress of Resolve overwatch, and turn them back with Repulsor fields & Tectonic purge.
  • When the enemy reaches your objectives, you can use Shield Unwavering and Bolster Defense to protect them, and Close-Range Bolter Fire when falling back isn't an option.

Black Templars

In the grim darkness of the far future, there will be only war. 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, these guys are no-nonsense marines, geared to fight the enemy in honest melee with daring charges and skilled swordplay. There's the enemy, go kill it. Shrug off their psychic tricks, bolter and blade will carry out the day. What deals more damage than just shooting? Shooting AND fighting, and you can chain the two better than other Chapters. So good at it that even charging right out of orbit can be a tactic - skip movement and psychic phases, shooting and fighting is where it's at.

Are all orks dead? Has chaos been defeated? Then chain your weapons to your gauntlets and take the fight to them . No pity, no remorse, no fear!

Special Rules

• The Lost Librarius: Adeptus Astartes Psykers cannot be from the Black Templars Chapter, if you needed reminding. Doesn't affect non-Templar Psykers in allied detachments.
• Chosen Champion: You also can't use the Chapter Champion stratagem. But that's because you have the Emperor's Champion, so you don't care.

• Chapter Tactics - Righteous Zeal: Units with this tactic can re-roll failed charge rolls, either one or both dice. They also get a 5+++ FNP vs mortal wounds.
  • All mortal wounds, not just those from psychic powers; this is basically Armour of Contempt but always active, all the time and not restricte to vehicles. A character about to die can fail to save a regular wound, and pass it onto a Company Vet as a mortal wound to try to save it again. A vehicle that fails a plasma roll has a chance to not lose a wound. What tries to counter TH/SS? Mortal Wounds SPAM. Well now your TH/SS are 2+/3++/5+++, simple as.
  • Imperial 'Ere We Go! Simple yet effective, this and Shock Attack are your incentives for melee. With an individual 56.9% of making the charge, a massed deepstrike is less of a coinflip ― the probability of at least one of two units making a 9" charge is 0.569+(1-0.569)*0.569 = 81.4%. And you have a ton such units: Anything Jump Pack, Reivers, Terminators; Cataphractii's transport issue is all but solved! Even melee Dreadnoughts will improve, as it makes charges vastly more reliable. But MSU everything: one of two 5-man units making the charge is better than 10 dudes standing around doing nothing. It also doubles the grenades they can use (especially Reiver Shock Grenades), and the unit left behind can prevent any characters that didn't make the charge from being sniped when the others do get into melee.
    • Of course, it's not restricted to a melee drop: a Rhino/Razor/Impulsor rush or a Land Raider Crusader boosted with Shock and Awe works too, and the Assault Doctrine doesn't work until turn 3. Just doing the math so you don't need to cogitate it mid-charge.

• Combat Doctrine - Knights of Sigismund: When the Assault Doctrine is active, units that charge/Heroically Intervene against non-Vehicles that roll an unmodified 6 to hit in melee auto-hit and auto-wound.
  • It's alright. Believe it or not, ((WS-1)*(To Wound)+(1/6)) is actually equal or better than the Blood Angels' +1A when wounding on 4+/5+/6+, since BA gain +1 attack (+25% on 2+1 A Intercessors), while you get +25%/+50%/+125% on any attacks you have. And compared to the WS, you get your bonus while they get nothing against single wound models. So, are BT better at melee than BA & WS? No. Especially not compared to the BA snowflake exclusive units. This bonus also suffers from being better against only the most secific of targets: high toughness single wound models. Fight hordes and you'll wish you had +1A. Fight anything T8 and you'll see it has more than one wound, so WS do double damage to it. Not to mention why are you punching a vehicle with your S4?
  • If you're fishing for exploding 6s, remember there's Exhortation of Rage, Gene Wrought Might and Grimaldus, as well as Death to the Traitors when fighting CSM. So does Incursor melee, although you also have Crusader squads and Veteran Intercessors as melee Troop choices too - after all, more attacks = more 6s.

Warlord Traits

1. Oathkeeper: Warlord can do 6" Heroic Interventions. Eh, it's ok. You certainly don't want your warlord to leave his squad unsupported when they get charged, but you should be the one who charges anyway. Emperor Champion's trait.
2. Epitome of Piety: The Warlord can deny one power in the Psychic Phase, and gains a +1 on his roll to do so. Just in case you need a little more protection than what Righteous Zeal provides you with.
3. Paragon of Fury: After the warlord makes a charge move, roll 1d6 for each enemy unit within 1” of the warlord; on a 2+ that model takes a mortal wound. Ok, but you can do better.
4. Master of Arms: The Warlord Always Fights First. Black Templars don't do fall back feints, and fighting first means the enemy cannot kill you because you killed them first. Though if you can't get stuck in because you're killing everything in the charge then pick something else.
5. Inspirational Fighter: When friendly Black Templars units within 6” of this warlord roll an unmodified 6 to wound for melee weapon attacks, improve the weapon’s AP by 1.
   • Biggest issue with this is that the AP boost cannot stack with the Assault Doctrine's, meaning you'll be lucky if you even manage to fight under this effect for at least one round.
6. Front-Line Commander: Add 1 to the Advance and Charge distances of friendly Black Templars units within 6”.
   • Remember it doesn't stack with Canticle of Hate, which doesn't affect advances and doesn't work if the user was in a transport, but does increase Pile In moves by +3". Which is like the Devout Push stratagem, but as an aura. Up to you to use a Front-Line Commander to do a turn 1 drop pod assault or be patient and wait for turn 2 with Chaplain support.

Relics and Special-Issue Wargear

• Ancient Breviary: Chaplain only. When you roll for a litany for the bearer, you can roll 2D6 and discard either result. Equivalent to being able to re-roll, except that you can use both this and a tactical re-roll. Can give 97.55% reliability to Litany combos for a Master of Sanctity.
• Aurillian Shroud: Once per battle at the start of the battle round, a model with this relic can activate it. If they do, until the end of the battle round, models in friendly Black Templars units have a 4++ invulnerable save while within 3” of the relic bearer.
• Crusader's Helm: Increase the range of the model's aura abilities by 3", to a maximum of 12". Also, at the start of your Movement phase (so it doesn't work in deepstrike/transports), pick a friendly Black Templars unit with the Combat Doctrines ability within 6" of this model. Until your next Movement phase, the Assault Doctrine is active for that unit, replacing the current doctrine.
• Skull of the Cacodominus: Once per battle, after a psychic power is manifested within 12" of the bearer, roll 1d6; on a 2+, the caster suffers 1d3 mortal wounds after the power is resolved. Alas, poor Cacodominus, I knew your psychic death screams well.
• Sword of Judgment: Replaces a power sword or master-crafted power sword. S+1 AP-3 3D. Compared to a Thunder Hammer, hitting on a 2+ but wounding on 3+ is the same as hitting on a 3+ but wounding on a 2+.
  • Despite this is using a relic slot (1CP) to do what a regular Thunder Hammer does, this relic sword costs TEN TIMES LESS points, and can be wielded by Primaris characters, who can't use hammers. And Knights of Sigismund makes 6A with this relic deal similar damage to 5A with a relic hammer.
• Witchseeker Bolts: Goes with a bolt weapon and you can shoot these instead of its normal ammo. You only get one attack, but the attack can target a PSYKER CHARACTER even if it’s not the closest model. Also, a hit on a Psyker causes an extra 1d3 mortal wounds. Put it on a Master-crafted Stalker bolt rifle for D3+1d3 to witches. So does a Master-crafted Instigator bolt carbine, but the RG FAQ confirms a Marksman's Honorus warlord does get +1D when shooting relic ammo.

Litanies of the Devout

To compensate for their lack of a Psychic Discipline, the Black Templars gain six unique Litanies for their Chaplains to use instead of the usual one. You are sooooo bringing a Master of Sanctity for them- good thing you can just take Grimaldus instead of using the CP for the Master of Sanctity Stratagem.

1. Litany of Divine Protection: Target friendly black templars unit within 6" gets a 5+++ FNP without being restricted to mortal wounds. Good, but suffers from not being a bubble.
2. Psalm of Remorseless Persecution: Re-roll melee wound rolls of 1 for black templars units within 6". Like having a lieutenant around, but worse.
   • Then again, the Lieutenant may be somewhere else. It would take both a Chapter Master and a Lieutenant (or Guilliman) to give the rerolls that a Master of Sanctity gives you in melee.
   • White Scars get full wound re-rolls for units within 6". On top of more and better stratagems, relics and Librarians with their own spells. Just play your BT as WS and you'll be a happier man.
3. Vow of Retribution: -2 leadership to enemy units within 6". Just don't. You're not a leadership bomb based army, and you should usually be trying to keep your chaplain near your own units more than the enemy.
   • But hear me out! Fear Made Manifest Master of Sanctity + Phobos Lieutenant with the Reiver keyword. That's -4Ld on top of rerolling all melee and wounds of 1.
4. Fires of Devotion: Target a friendly black templars unit within 6". It gains +1A if it charges or makes a Heroic Intervention until the end of the turn. So, if you go first, it's not active during your enemy's half of the battle round unlike other litanies.
   • Black Templars are already great at making charges, and of course this stacks with Shock Assault. The only downside is that it's not a bubble, so you want to put it on a melee deathstar of some sort. It's much better than (and will stack with) Exhortation of Rage in practice, not that Exhortation of Rage was a great Litany to begin with. Since this one only works offensively, you want it on a faster Chaplain - the Litany does nothing when you are charged.
5. Fervent Acclamation: +3" to aura abilities of black templars units within 6" (which applies to the chaplain, so really 9").
   • BELLOWING VOICE! Crusader Helm Captain, Vox Espiritum Lieutenant, TWELVE-INCHER Auras. Oh and it helps Helbrecht's, Grimaldus', and Cenobyte Servitor's auras too. As well as Standard bearers and the Aurillian Beviary. Positioning made simple, it allows Black Templars to footslogg like they used to.
6. Oath of Glory: Target one friendly black templars unit within 6" to always fights first.
   • Terrible utility. Good for ongoing combats (which you should not count on your opponent giving you); combine it with Canticle of Hate or Devout Push to charge and get stuck in. More importantly, you can try to keep them in place with Tenacious Assault. That way, you deny your enemy their shooting phase, and you still get to fight first on their turn.

Stratagems

• Abhor the Witch (1 CP): Roll 1d6 when an enemy psyker manifests a power within 24". roll a d6. On a 4+, the psychic power is resisted. Doesn't even have to target you, you could deny an enemy boost.
• Crusader Relics (1 CP): Differently from other Sergeant (or "Sword Brother") Relics stratagems, you can hand out only three: Witchseeker bolts (better fired by a Primaris character's Master-crafted gun), Sword of Judgement (better wielded by someone with more WS and Attacks), and the Skull of the Cacodominus, which merely needs to be held. Your choice.
• Devout Push (1 CP): Use at the start of the fight phase. +3" to the Pile in move. You'll need a big unit, since there's only so much ground a 5-man unit can cover. Doesn't stack with Canticle of Hate per se, but use it on a unit outside litany range and pile onto everything.
• Oaths of Honour (1 CP): Use during the fight phase. select one Black Templar Scout Unit that charged or was charged. They can reroll the wound roll of their melee weapons.
• Shock and Awe (1 CP): When an Infantry unit disembarks from a Land Raider Crusader, they become immune to Overwatch and force attacks against them to be made at -1 to hit. Take big Crusader units geared for melee to exploit the Crusader's improved transport capacity, since this only affects one unit at a time.
  • Alongside Devout Push they are basically the only reason to use Crusader squads, since you cannot pile in onto anything you didn't declare a charge against, and Shock & Awe cancels any overwatch. Ferry a 15-man Crusader unit into range, declare a charge against the target and everyone around it, and not even Tau can prevent you from tying up anything nearby.
• Tenacious Assault (2 CP): roll a d6 when an enemy infantry unit without FLY tries to fall back from your black templars. On a 2+, they can't fall back. What the Emperor ties up in melee, let no man separate!.
  • Keep in mind that the dice is rolled by the Black Templars player and not the opponent. This allows you to use a CP to reroll, reducing the chance of failing from 1/6 to 1/36.
• The Emperor's Will (1 CP): Use when a Black Templar advances. They can still shoot pistols and charge. White Scars! Bikers have pistols and chainswords, do they count as 'Advancing' when they Turbo-boost?
• Vicious Riposte (1 CP): Use during the fight phase. Select one Black Templar infantry unit. Until the end of the phase, when they roll an unmodified save roll of 6, their attacker suffers a mortal wound.

Specialist Detachment - Sword Brethren

High Marshall Helbrecht, the Emperor's Champion, Company Champion, Captains (all flavours) and Company Veterans in this detachment gain the SWORD BRETHREN keyword, so you can do a mighty crusade! Neither Grimaldus, Crusader squads, Terminator squads nor Vanguard Vets are affected, btw.

• This is the ONLY specialist detachment that affects a Chapter Master, a named one at that, as well as the Emperor's Champion unique character. Named characters still can't take this detachment's warlord trait, though.
• You can use it on Company Veterans on Bikes, since they too have the Company veterans keyword, same as the Captain on Bike...buuut they are overcosted. Even more so than before, as in CA2018 they retained their old price while everything else got a discount.

Stratagems

• Uphold the Honour of the Emperor (1CP): At the start of the Fight phase, pick a SWORD BRETHREN unit. Roll a D6 each time one of the models in that unit loses a wound, on a 5+ that model does not lose that wound.
• Suffer Not the Unclean to Live (2CP): At the start of the Fight phase, pick a SWORD BRETHREN unit. All models in the unit get an extra attack and may reroll failed wound rolls.

Warlord Trait

• Master Swordsman: +1A. Each time your warlord rolls an unmodified 6 to hit in the fight phase, the attack inflicts 2 hits instead of 1. Come my foes, get closer. I shall teach you to fear the Emperor!
  • Regular Captain WS2+ 4A+1 wielding a Thunder Hammer hitting a T4 4++ enemy becomes 5*(4/6+4/36)*(5/6)*(1/2)*(3)+5*(1/6+1/36)*(5/6)*(1/2)*(3) = 6.07 unsaved wounds. You can add the Teeth of Terra to get more attacks, and swap the hammer for a Relic Blade to combine it with Grimaldus and unleash a hurricane of attacks.

Artifact

• The Holy Orb: The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch finally returns. Once per battle, in your Shooting phase you can choose for the bearer to throw the Holy Orb instead of making a normal shooting attack. If you do so, pick a visible enemy unit within 6" of the bearer and roll a D6 for every 10 models in that unit (rounding up). For each roll of 2+ that unit suffers D3 mortal wounds. Eh.

Special Units

HQ

• High Marshal Helbrecht: The big boss of the Black Templars. All Black Templar units around him reroll all hit rolls and gain +1 strength — and Str 5 is a sweet spot in this edition. So when this guy rolls up in a Land Raider Crusader and then charges you with his strength 5 rerolling to hit homeboys...you're dead. End of discussion. He himself is no slouch in combat, roasting things with a combi melta, and gains d3 attacks on the charge using what is effectively a Relic Blade.
  • It almost goes without saying, but this makes Power Swords and Lightning Claws the superior weapon vs MEQ, and Power Axes wound on 2+ vs GEQ. He also makes Power Fists S10, but only Plague Marines or Land Raiders would notice, so leave those TH/SS at home, and use the increased space for Ancients and Apothecaries instead.

• Emperor's Champion: This guy will brutally murder any enemy character, SM2.0 and PA:F&F making him live up to Sigismund's legacy. This guy is basically a better Chapter Champion, triply so in the way that he costs no CP, is better equipped and is an actual HQ instead of being in the overpopulated Elites slot. He can hand out punishment as well as take it: With 5A base, +1A on the charge, +1A +1S vs Characters wielding what is basically a Relic Blade (S+2 AP-3 D1d3), and re-rolling hits and wounds against characters he hits above his points cost, especially when a thunder hammers cost 40 pts to his Black Sword's 0 pts. Like the Chapter Champion he is, he inflicts a -1 to be hit penalty in melee, but with a 2+/4++ base where a the regular version would need to spend 1CP for the relic armour. *Against monsters he just rerolls the wound roll.
  • Being entirely dedicated to be a beatstick, he needs support, most notably a transport. Furthermore, his retinue will need support because he lacks an aura himself, and you both lack Librarians and cannot use Litanies out of a transport. Helbrecht is a great choice since he turns him Str8 against characters, his Chapter Master aura would override a Captain's, and also helps him get to melee. These two characters would make any transport a high value target, so either put him in a one that is hard to kill (Land Raider (Crusader) / Stormraven), one that cannot be intercepted (Drop Pod), or just put him in a separate Rhino.

• Chaplain Grimaldus: THE guy for Black Templar's Black Tide lists, now a Master of Sanctity with two litanies (but only Ld9). Unmatched Zeal is basically the Exhortation of Rage litany (unmodified 6s generate an additional attack with that weapon (which can miss)) but in aura mode, so it always affects everyone within 6" instead of only a single unit a turn after disembarking. Furthermore he can deny one power, meaning he gets two Deny the Witch at +1 when he's the warlord. Suffer not the witch!
  • He's got a plasma pistol you should never supercharge, but now he wields the Artificer Crozius (S+2 AP-2 D2). So, if you bring Helbrecht and use Mantra of Strength, you could have 4 S8 D3 WS2+ attacks, which is basically a Thunder Hammer without unwieldy. Since that'd prevent him from using Litanies of the Devout, you could have his second litany be either Canticle of Hate to consolidate into everyone, or Exhortation of Rage (stacks with Unmatched Zeal, but for a single unit). Fervent Acclamation helps with the lot of auras you can bring, but since the other litanies are okish you can have some other Chaplain sing it, if you want to.

Troops

• Crusader Squad: RIP vestigial limb. Initiates (marines) cost 13 pts instead of the normal 12 for, idk, the privilege of being able to swap their boltguns (and lose Bolt Discipline) for chainswords, and one of them can take a power weapon/fist. Neophytes (scouts) can replace their bolter for either a shotgun or knife. When there's at least as many Initiates (marines) as Neophytes (scouts), the later can re-roll 1s to hit in melee. Now they need to number 10 members to get both a Special and Heavy (or power) weapon.
  • Crusader squads only make sense (barely) when taken at 11-20 size and boosted with stratagems or litanies that target a single unit. But that squad size makes them vulnerable to morale as well. Chaplains (especially Grimaldus) help their morale at the same time they increase their lethality. So do Captains(Helbrecht)/Lieutenants/Ancients, and the Standard of the Emperor Ascendant/Rites of War Warlords make them immune to morale, so 20-man Crusader squads love them, as they can't fit inside most transports.
  • On the opposite side they can actually be extremely useful in low point games even taken as five man squads! Give the captain and a Initiate power fists, pop two squads inside a drop pod and watch them tear apart the usual single tank most players bring to a 500 point army. The chainswords are even useful for either causing some chaos from the rear after their job is done or slicing through the cannon fodder your opponent uses to separate your squads from their targets (gretchin anyone?). Basically they're useless when taken on foot unless in huge numbers, but if you focus on mobility and need that sweet Battalion CP they can cause a surprising amount of pain with all your melee bonuses.

Elite

• Cenobyte Servitors: Provide FnP 4+ for Mortal Wounds to Black Templar units within 6". They're cheap and don't take an Elites slot if you also took Grimaldus, but they're frail and not a character, meaning they can be easily removed. Furthermore, Black Templars already have a natural FnP 5+ vs MW so, if you use them, avoid giving up First Blood and hide them behind a Rhino.
  • Or just have them as decorative non-models, like Azrael's Helmet bearer.

Tactics

"I have slain many enemies, and won many battles and I tell you there is no great secret to success in war, no subtle trick of strategy that has saved my foes -- I seek out the enemy, attack as soon as I am able and with all the force at my command, rend his soldiers and smash his fortresses, leave only corpses behind me and then move on -- thus my Primarch has taught me, and I find his wisdom has proved worthy on a hundred battlefields" -- t. Kharn the Betrayer Bloody

• MSU Spam: Black Templars aren't the best melee chapter (especially not when BA and WS exist), but they can reliably get lots of models stuck in, even right out of a deepstrike, which often needs special tricks to accomplish. Multiple small units mean more rolls and more sarges, but be sure to support them, with ranged weapons killing keepaway units and dealing with targets your melee could struggle with, like vehicles. Suppressors can be useful, their mobile firepower shutting down overwatch from far away.

White Scars

In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only the hunt unending.

Thematically, they're the archetypical steppe nomads but turned into a post-human military force. These guys are the ones if you want your warrior-monks asian instead of western.
On the tabletop these guys are the fast, melee marines, with the speed to keep up the pace, strong bikes to keep up the pressure, and the rules for relentless punishing assault. Your units will be as fast as genestealers without being as frail as them. Furthermore, their charge is devastating and their rules turn ongoing combats into repeated charges.
If you want your army to hit as fast and hard as a lightning bolt, then ride with the White Scars and unleash the storm.

Special Rules

• Chapter Tactics - Lightning Assault: Units with this tactic can charge even if they advanced or fell back. Furthermore, their Bikers don't suffer the penalty for moving and firing Heavy weapons (Attack Bikes) or advancing and firing assault weapons (Scout Bikes, and up to 3 special guns in a unit of SM bikes). Land Speeders and Boltguns still eat dirt.
  • Advance + Charge is huuuuge. Not talking about infantry's effective 3d6" charge range, no. This is for 12" Rhinos that end up with a 22.5" average charge threat range, whose cargo can then disembark, shoot after the rhino falls back, then charge overwatch-free when the rhino charges back in. This is for turboboosting bikers of 27.5" threat range and Attack Bikes which don't need to stay put in order to have a good chance of hitting something.
  • Charging after falling back is especially useful to units that proc Mortal Wounds on a charge, like Inceptors and your own Deadly Hunter Warlord (and Ironclad Dreadnoughts and Assault Centurions), on top of triggering Shock Assault and guaranteeing your units hit first. It also allows ranged support to help a unit from afar before it charges back into the fray. Even better when you have a Rhino to absorb overwatch.
  • By letting them re-engage after falling back, Assault Marines and Vanguard Vets no longer sacrifice their melee phase in order to throw a Melta Bomb, and 8E has no restriction on charging disembarked models or units different to those the unit fired at. Makes White Scars field some of the best Jump Pack Infantry among SM.
• Combat Doctrine - Devastating Charge: While the Assault Doctrine is active, melee attacks performed by a unit that charged or performed a Heroic Intervention deal 1 more damage. If this triggers, you'll have already activated Shock Assault, so even a simple chainsword will be able to shred most two-wound infantry.
• Warlord Traits

1. Deadly Hunter: Each time he successfully charges, roll a D6. On a 4+, the enemy unit takes a mortal wound. And his Chapter Tactic allows him to charge after falling back, triggering the mortal wound again and again and again.
2. Chogorian Storm: +1d3A when he makes a charge or heroic intervention, aka WS' Smash Captain.
3. Trophy Taker: Whenever this warlord successfully kills a character, he gains +1A until the end of the battle. Kor'sarro Khan comes with this. Skulls for the Golden Throne!
4. Master Rider: Biker warlord only. Reroll charges, -1 to be hit if he advanced.
5. Hunter's Instincts: +1 to wound and hit vs vehicles and monsters.
6. Master of Snares: On a 4+ enemies stuck in can't fall back unless they contain a model with a minimum move characteristic.

Relics & Special-Issue Wargear

Relics of Chogoris

• Banner of the Eagle: Ancient only. +1S to friendly WS units within 6".
• Glaive of Vengeance: Kahn spear that is always Sx2 AP-3 D1d3, even if it didn't charge.
• Hunter's Eye: One white scars unit within 6" of the bearer gains Ignore Cover.
• Mantle of the Stormseer: Psykers only. The bearer adds +1 when attempting to manifest the Stormspeaker discipline.
• Plume of the Plainsrunner: 6" aura of +1 to Infantry advance and charge rolls.
• Scimitar of the Great Kahn: Replaces a power sword/master-crafted power sword/relic blade. +1S AP-3 D2. Unmodified wound rolls of 6s do D4 (D5 during the Assault doctrine wtf!).
• Wrath of the Heavens: Biker model gets a Jump Bike. Movement characteristic becomes 16" and basically can advance as if it had FLY.

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.
• Cyber-Eagle Helm: Models in units within 6" (so, units) hit Overwatch on 5 and 6.
• Digital weapons: Do an additional attack when the model fights. If it hits, the target suffers a mortal wound. Yet another source of MW for a Deadly Hunter warlord.
• Equis-Pattern Bolt Pistol: Upgrades a bolt or, interestingly, a Heavy Bolt pistol to full brrrt Pistol 5 S4 AP-1. Your infantry can advance and charge, but pistols can't advance and shoot. They can, however, shoot into melee provided the shooter is in the melee, and supplement your already potent assaults, provided you don't fall back, which you usually will.
• Headtaker's Trophies: -1Ld to enemies within 6" of the bearer. Very spooky with just a mere couple Reivers.
• Master-crafted weapon: +1D to a weapon, and it's now considered a relic (so now some WTs no longer affect it and such). D5 Thunder Hammer!!
• Stormwrath Bolts: Pocket autocannon. You can choose the bolt weapon it's being used on to make only one attack at S7 AP-1. If the target is a monster, it also gains D1d6.

Stratagems

White Scar Stratagems can be divided into four categories; movement, offense, durability/utility, and universal.

• Movement: As befits their reputation for lightning warfare, the White Scars have an impressive number of movement related stratagems. These revolve around getting your units where you want them to be, whether that means in melee combat, onto an objective, or out of a transport.
  • Wind-swift (2 CP): Select one unit that has just moved, and move it again. Can't advance if it had already advanced, can't shoot, charge or use psychic powers either. Can be useful if you need an aura ability like an Ancient's or Chaplain's right fucking now.
  • Lightning debarkation (1 CP): A transport that doesn't have the Flyer Battle Role can disembark its cargo after it has already moved, though they cannot charge that turn. Aka pay 1CP to give a transport the Impulsor's rule.
  • Fierce rivalries (1 CP): Your first charge that phase rolls the best 2 of 3d6. Game on, Blood Angels.
  • Strike for the heart (2 CP): One of your WS can consolidate D3+3", or D6+6" if every model in that unit has a move characteristic of at least 10". Not only can you hit hard and fast, you can also drag nearby squads into the melee.
  • Encirclement (1CP): During deployment, set up a unit outflank instead of on the battlefield. At the end of one of your movement phases, that unit can arrive within 6" of a battlefield's edge and more than 9" away from enemy models.
• Offense: These stratagems allow you to hit harder or ignore penalties to your shooting from advancing or falling back
  • Butchered quarry (1 CP): When an enemy falls back from a WS Infantry or Biker unit (that isn't within 1" of yet another enemy unit), your squad makes one attack with a melee weapon at the falling back unit. If they yet live, your squad can follow them 3", as long as that move doesn't take them within 1" of another enemy unit.
  • Hunter's Fusillade (1 CP): When a unit advances, their Heavy and Rapid Fire weapons can be fired as if they were Assault (keep in mind Rapid Fire 1 becomes Assault 1).
  • Born in the saddle (1 CP): A biker can advance and shoot.
  • Feinting withdrawal (1CP): A unit that falls back can still shoot.
  • Chogorian thunderbolts (1 CP): When one of your squads finishes a charge move, for each model in your squad select one enemy unit within 1" of that model. Roll a d6 and inflict 1MW on that unit on a 6. Doesn't say you can't select the same squad many times - true, but obviously in matched play it can only be used once per phase.
  • The eternal hunt (2CP, Single Use): Use this strat at the start of the movement phase if the Assault doctrine is active. Until the start of the next battle round, Pistols and melee weapons gain yet -1AP on unmodified wound rolls of 6.
• Survival/utility: While the White Scars are extremely fast and deadly, they have a limited number of stratagems that focus on defense or utility options.
  • Ride Hard, Ride Fast (1 CP): Use it on a unit that just advanced. Enemies shooting at it get -1 to hit until the start of your next movement phase. Unstoppable -2 to hit Smoke Launcher'd transport.
  • Quarry of the Khan (1 CP): If your WS warlord is on the field when you first generate a Tactical Objective, this strat guarantees your it is Kingslayer, which your warlord is good at.
  • A mighty trophy (1 CP): Use it when a WS kills the enemy warlord with a melee weapon. Your White Scars now autopass morale tests.
• Universal: All Chapters Supplements include some variation of the following three stratagems.
  • Khan's Champion (1 CP): Give one of your "sergeant"s a Master-crafted weapon/Digital weapon/Headtaker's trophies/Stormwrath bolts. Remember all relics in your army must be different and handed to different characters.
    • Stormwrath bolts restrict the weapon to "make a single shot with this stats", but it DOESN'T change a profile's rules: an Eliminator Sergeant can snipe characters with Stormwrath bolts with +2 to hit that ignore cover/inflict a MW on a 6+ to wound. Unsure an Armorium Cherub could reload a Devastator sergeant's boltgun, but his Signum would give him BS2+.
    • The other three SI wargear are melee-oriented; a Master-crafted power weapon or Digital weapon for Vanguard Vet/Primaris sarges. A Reiver with Headtaker's trophies, however, can inflict -2Ld on his own.
  • Tempered by wisdom (1CP, Single Use): You can generate a second warlord trait for one of your WS characters that isn't a named character, from the White Scars Warlord Trait table. All warlord traits must be different.
  • Gift of the Khans (1CP, Single Use): After nominating a WS Successor character as your warlord, you can give one Relic of Chogoris to one of your WS Successor characters instead of giving them a relic from the regular SM codex or a Special Issue wargear.

Litany & Psychic Discipline - Stormspeaker

Stormspeaker contains several standout powers that can combo together to spectacular effect. The discipline relies on lashing your opponent with blasts of wind and lightning, shielding your units from enemy fire, and speeding your units into the enemy's lines while hampering the ability of their units to advance and charge.

• Blasting gale (WC7): Targets an enemy unit with 18". Target cannot advance and rolls one fewer die for charges. Stacks with Tenebrous Curse, too!
  • This can be a bit tricky to use and requires a good understanding of your opponent's move values. Very good for handicapping units that rely on the ability to charge after advancing.
• Lightning call (WC7): The closest enemy unit within 18" takes d3 mortal wounds. Then roll a die. On a 4+, deal one additional mortal wound. rinse and repeat until you fail, with the target going up by one each time (5+ on the second roll, 6+ on the third).
• Ride the wind (WC6): +2" to advance and charge. Due to the psychic phase happening after the movement phase, it will be rare to get use out of this power in both phases. If your opponent tries to fall back, you can hopefully catch them thanks to the bonus from the advance rolls (provided the unit isn't shot off the table first).
  • This is a very solid power that works well with a wide array of White Scar units thanks to the Chapter Tactic. Great for helping deep striking units make that 9" charge.
• Storm-wreathed (WC6): Enemy units cannot fire overwatch. In addition, roll a die for each model that charged and got within 1" of an enemy. On a 6, it causes a mortal wound.
  • The Mortal Wounds are a nice bonus if they happen, but the real benefit is the ability to turn off overwatch, especially if your are facing auto hitting weapons like flamers.
• Spirit of chogoris (WC6) Enemy unit has -1 leadership and -1 on hit rolls. This is yet another solid power. Combine with Ride Hard, Ride Fast for an additional -1 to hit penalty.
• Eye of the Storm (WC6): Roll a d6 for each enemy unit within 12". Add 1 if the enemy has fly. On a 4+, cause a mortal wound.
  • A very good one for a close support librarian. Keep him out of unfavourable combat via screens, give him a jump pack for supreme positioning and a combi weapon for some fire support and he'll make his points quickly especially in the MSU meta.

Litanies of Battle - Strike Off the Head: Re-roll failed wound rolls for friendly White Scars units within 6".

Special Units

• Khan on Bike: Cannot be customized, but his Khan's Spear (S:User AP-3 D1d3) becomes StrX2 when he charges or makes a heroic intervention (but not when charged unlike Shock Assault), akin to a non-unwieldy Power Fist on the charge. Cannot take a Storm Shield, but his Buckler improves his armour save by 1 against melee weapons.
• Kor'sarro Khan: Grants +1 Str to his chapter's units that charged that turn. On-foot units with mid-strength weapons like Vanguard Veterans with Power Axes and Lightning Claws assault terminators get the most benefit. His buff to Str is by Unit, so large units of Assault Marines can carry his buff wide. Their resultant Str 5 is productive. Wide, stringy assault units strung out before multiple enemy units, like three tanks, are great. They charge one of the enemy units and then use their pile in to get within 1" of the other units. On a turn, they charge they can only target the unit they charged. The next turn, those enemy units are locked in melee, and unable to shoot.
  • Kor'sarro Khan on Moondrakkan (White Scars): On bikes he naturally pairs with melee high-speed assaulty units. His buff applies to all WHITE SCARS, so the marines he travels well with are the many Infantry Fast Attack options. Jump Pack Assault, Veteran Vanguard. and Bike Squads with Chainswords carry his force multiplier far and fast, and the last one is a perfect fit for the Born in the Saddle Stratagem. Do note, he can only have a bike if taken from the Index. Yes it is fucking stupid that you need the Index to field the only Bike-Chapter character on an actual bike.
  • Primaris Kor'sarro Khan: Sure he's got improved stats, a cyber-hawk that deals a mortal wound on a 4+ in the shooting phase and Moonfang's now S+2, but the real deal is that his new "+1 to wound rolls for melee weapons" aura is better than Biker Kor'Sarro's old +1 to Str on the charge. Wounding MEQ on a 2+, that's like a non-unwieldy power fist too.
    • Whats the catch? Figure a way to get him to melee. No bike, can't use a drop pod. A Repulsor is expensive and prone to being a fire magnet. Impulsors might work but they can't carry Aggressors, and their meanest occupants are Vet Intercessors and Reivers. Vanguard Vets, Deep striking terminators, and Bikers can catch up to him, but not vice versa, so you either commit with a Repulsor or you give him glorified tactical as a retinue.
    • Alternate opinion: Vet intercessors have 4 attacks a piece with 5 attacks on a thunder hammer sergeant that can be mastercrafted up to damage 5 in assault doct that can swing twice. The real downside is that he only provides a re-roll 1's bubble that can't be upgraded to a chapter master re-roll all bubble because he is named.
    • Alternate alternative: You can use the encirclement strat to put him in the reserves and deepstrike him along the edges of the map.

Forgeworld Successor Chapters Characters
Remember you don't necessarily need to pick Inheritors of the Primarch to be White Scars successors and use this supplement.
Mantis Warriors

• Ahazra Redth: Librarian; can ignore his first Perils of the game, has a 5++ and a force sword that deals flat D2.

Successor Tactics: Guerrilla tactics are much benefited by Inheritors of the Primarch here, and the White Scar's Tactic is generally superior in every aspect then any combination of Successor tactics when coming to that end. That being said, if you are trying to squeeze every bit out of Ahazra you can, Knowledge is Power can help preserve his "ignore first Perils" bit around for as long as possible.

Tactical Objectives

• Rapid Redeployment: Pick an objective marker more than 18" away from your army (if none are available, use the one furthest away). Gain 1 CP if you control it at the end of your turn.
• Run Them Down: Score 1 CP if you destroyed at least one unit with a White Scars unit that advanced this turn.
• Mounted Assault: Score. 1 VP of you destroyed an enemy unit with a Biker or Land Speeder model, d3 VP if you destroyed at least 3 this way.
• Feigned Retreat: Score 1 VP if one of your units fell back this turn.
• The Clean Kill: Pick an enemy unit (if possible, it needs to be one that has not lost any wounds yet). d3 VP if you kill it by the end of the turn, but if it hasn't been killed by then this objective is automatically discarded.
• Claim Their Heads: Score 1 VP for each enemy Character killed by a melee attack this turn, up to a maximum of 3. If one of them was the Warlord, you get an extra d3 VP.

Tactics

• Primaris Devastating Charge and Lightning Assault makes Primaris close combat vible.
  • Incursors - With the Gene-Wrought might Stratagem, on the charge every 6 to hit is 2 automatic wounds at D2 -1 AP.
  • Inceptors - completely disposable source of mortal wounds. Run a unit of 6 with assault bolters. shred infantry, mortal wounds, tarpit, repeat. also, Strike for the heart makes these guys tarpit 6+d6 when consolidating
  • Reivers - these guys are only 16 points each, running deep striking horde & a Phobos Librarian with Temporal Corridor or Ride the Wind power.
• Bikes: White Scars signature and have a lot of abilities revolving around it. Bikes are one of the fasted units, being able to Advance 20" + 2d6" to charge. Scouts can fire and advance, while Spacmarines are more durable.
• Speed of the foot: on foot your ground troops can cover 6" + d6" + 2d6".
• Assault Terminators: With the proper support, White Scars have probably the fastest terminators in the game. A terminator librarian with the Plume of the Plain Runner Relic and the Ride the Wind Power will let your assault terminators make a charge on a 6+. Activate the Fierce Rivalries stratagem, and now they need a 6+ on 3d6. If that was not enough, you can use Fury of the First to make them hit harder. Even if your opponent falls back, your terminators can still advance and catch them, making up for one of their traditional weaknesses.
• Leviathan Dreadnought: Take a Leviathan and use Encirclement. Congratulations you now have a 14 wound, 2+/4++ monster on your opponent's board edge. Shoot something and use Fierce Rivalries to all but ensure your charge. You did bring a meele weapon right?

Raven Guard

In the grim darkness of the far future, death comes from the shadows.

Thematically, these guys are THE specialist of covert operations and rapid deployment, striking their enemies before they can react.
On the tabletop, these guys are well-suited to picking off characters, either from long range sniping, mass Jump Pack assaults, or smash captains flipping entire units by themselves, and either way they're tricky to actually land a hit on. Thanks to a wealth of deployment and redeployment options, they will constantly be moving in to attack from multiple directions, and they are one of the few chapters that can reliably deliver Primaris units into close quarters without relying on transports.
If you want your marines to behave like the special forces they are, keep quiet, and stalk the shadows with the Ravens.

Special Rules

• Chapter Tactics - Shadow Masters: Your units get the benefit of cover if they're being shot beyond 12". If they're not vehicles and happen to be entirely on or within a terrain feature (not just receiving cover), enemies must also subtract 1 from their hit rolls.
  • Of help to long-range attackers of all types, from Scout Snipers to ranged Dreads. One of the best chapter tactics available, as is basically good on everything, from units that can pick off opponents from afar to melee units that need to cover long distances to reach their intended targets, preventing them from being shot up quite as badly.
  • While it's a nerf from the old -1 to hit (it being restricted to far-away cover), a 2+ save still helps, and your vehicles get cover in the open: hard to destroy -1 to hit (Smoke launchers) 2+ Rhinos (Shadow Masters) without also getting within 12" of them. It's also worth noting that Vanguard Primaris means that there are now more units with Camo Cloaks, as opposed to just Scouts, and they'll all enjoy that +2 to saves at 12". Turns out that Salamanders don't have a monopoly on infantry that can ignore AP-1.
• Combat Doctrine - Surgical Strikes: While the Tactical Doctrine is active, all your models add +1 to hit and wound rolls when targeting a character. Unlike most doctrines, this isn't restricting you to any particular method of fighting...though you can snipe a character earlier than you can reach it in melee. Naturally, sniper Scouts and Eliminators in particular will appreciate these bonuses, triggering Mortal Wounds on a wound roll of 5+.
  • This rule is an absolute nightmare for opponents running large, monstrous characters. Knights with relics, Greater Daemons, Hive Tyrants, Mortarion, and Magnus were already fire magnets, and this makes the situation far worse for them.
• Warlord Traits

1. Shadowmaster: The enemy can't fire overwatch against your warlord, enabling him to make the charge first, selflessly (and safely) screening his retinue from overwatch. Works on any kind of warlord... but it's obviously better on those who reroll charge ranges, like Shrike or a Jump Pack Captain with the Raven's Fury. Do keep in mind characters with auras that benefit the charge should charge last, or their retinues would no longer benefit from them...like Shrike's.
2. Master of Ambush: At the start of the first battle round, but before the first turn begins, remove your warlord and 1 non-Centurion infantry unit and place them anywhere on the battlefield more than 9" away from the enemies deployment zone. 6 Aggressors??! Note that it allows a Chaplain to infiltrate together with Scouts, Vanguard Primaris units, and other Vanguard HQs without spending a CP.
3. Swift and Deadly: Friendly Raven Guard units within 6" of the warlord can be chosen to charge even if they advanced. Jump Packs? No, lets try bikes!
4. Master of Vigilance: When resolving an attack made by a melee weapon by this warlord, an unmodified hit roll of 6 inflicts a mortal wound in addition to any other damage.
5. Feigned Flight: When this warlord falls back, they can move across models and terrain as if they weren't there. In addition the warlord may shoot and charge in a turn that they fell back.
6. Echo of the Ravenspire: Once per battle, at the end of your movement phase, the warlord can vanish into the gloom if they are more than 6" away from any other models. When it does, remove it from the battlefield and set up the warlord again at the end of your next movement phase anywhere on the table that is more than 9" away from enemy models. Excellent on a Terminator or Gravis Smash Captain.

Relics & Special-Issue Wargear

Relics are now split into two categories. Relics of Ravenspire may only be taken by Raven Guard (unless you use a stratagem). Special-Issue Wargear can be taken by Raven Guard and their successor chapters

Relics of the Ravenspire

• The Armour of Shadows: Treat AP-1 attacks against the wearer as AP0. In addition, an unmodified hit roll against them of 1, 2, or 3 always fails (i.e. it's harder for elite units to hit you, but worse melee units won't notice). Watch as your opponent's WS2+ smash unit hits as well as a guardsman.
• The Ebonclaws: Replaces Lighting Claws. SU AP-3 D1d3 A+1, re-rolls wounds.
• Ex Tenebris: Replaces a mastercrafted stalker bolt rifle, mastercrafted occulis bolt carbine, or mastercrafted instigator bolt carbine. Replaces the profile with 36" Assault 3 S4 AP-2 D2, it can target enemy characters even if they are not the closest, and it adds 1 to its hit rolls and ignores cover. Was made by Corax and supposed to be given to Konrad Curze. Probably would have helped his shooting. Consider putting this on a Primaris Captain who's supporting your backline to snipe characters, or even better, a Primaris Lieutenant (+1 to hit increasing him to 2+ to hit) since he's cheaper and his buffs stack with the Phobos Captain, who also has a sniper rifle. Since it's a relic, it sadly does not stack with the Marksman's Honors trait.
  • The +1 to hit bonus stacks with the Combat Doctrine, allowing even a Lieutenant to ignore a -1 to hit penalty on other sneaky characters. So it's wasted on a Captain.
• Oppressor's End: Replaces a combat knife with S+1 AP-2 D1 A+1. Against an enemy character, the damage improves to 3. Not shabby, but the only HQs that can this are the Phobos Captain and Lieutenant... and they'd probably rather take Ex Tenebris.
• The Raven Skull of Korvaad: Once per turn, you can re-roll a hit roll, wound roll, or damage roll. In addition, if the model carrying this relic is destroyed by an enemy unit, you can add 1 to the hit rolls of any Raven Guard unit targeting that enemy unit for the rest of the game. Kind of begs for martyrs, which should be easy to find with Templars, but this does have its uses regardless.
• Raven's Fury: Jump Pack model only. Can charge even after advancing, and re-rolls failed charge rolls. It also inflicts a mortal wound on its charge target on a 4+. While its extra speed might be ignored so your other Jump Infantry can keep up, and Champions don't have access to them, it is of great help to a Shadowmaster RG Warlord to get that charge.

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.
• Digital Weapons: Do an additional attack when the model fights. If it hits, the target suffers a mortal wound.
• 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!
• Korvidari Bolts: Select one bolter weapon from Codex Space Marines that model is equipped with, when that model is chosen to shoot you can fire a Korvidari bolt. The model's ranged weapon's range is increased by 6" and can target units that are not visible, but only one attack can be made with the weapon. Great on a Phobos Captain, as he only gets one shot anyways, or an Eliminator sarge to always use the best ammo despite being out of LoS.
• Shadow Master Cloak: 3++ invuln save while completely within a terrain feature. Good on Lieutenants and Librarians for the same reason as Artificer Armour, the choice depends entirely on the availability of terrain.
• Silentus Pistol: Models with a bolt pistol or heavy bolt pistol only, replaces it for a pistol 2 S5 AP-2 D2. It can target a character even without it being the closest and can add 1 to the hit roll.
  • Since it doesn't fully synergize with the Combat Doctrine (it gets the to hit and to wound bonuses but not the AP bonus), it works better on a Successor Chapter.
• Shard of Isstvan: +1 attack, and when a morale test is taken for a chapter unit within 6", the test is automatically passed.

Stratagems

Raven Guard Stratagems can be divided into four broad categories; Mobility, Offense, Disruption/Survival, and Universal.

• Mobility: If White Scars are the masters of speed, Raven Guard are the masters of deployment.
  • Infiltrators (1 CP): At the start of the first battle round, but before the first turn begins choose an infantry unit and move them. As long as you finish more than 9" from enemy models. Each unit can only be selected for this once per battle. As your turn hasn't begun you can use this multiple times on different units.
    • Best utilized on Jump Infantry, though as Concealed Positions also happens before the first turn, it can also be used to reposition an infiltrating unit.
  • Strike from the Shadows (1 CP): Lets you place a Raven Guard Infantry unit in ambush, allowing them to deep strike.
  • Strike from the Skies (1 CP): Start of the Charge phase. One Raven Guard Jump Pack unit can charge even if they advanced and adds 1 to the charge rolls.
  • The Raven's Blade (1 CP): Allows you to reroll all charge rolls against one enemy unit. Useful for removing an important enemy unit by charging several of your melee units into it simultaneously.
  • False Flight (2 CP): One Raven Guard unit can now shoot and charge after they fall back. There's plenty of utility here, from making a fighting retreat to double-dipping on any charge bonuses you get.
• Offense: Compared to other chapters, the Raven Guard have only a few Stratagems that enhance their damage output, and they are either limited to once per turn or very narrow in scope.
  • Lay Low the Tyrants (1 CP): Use during the melee phase. Pick a Raven Guard Infantry or Biker unit. When they resolve a melee attack against a character that is not a vehicle or a non-vehicle unit with a model that has 4 or more wounds, add 1 to the wound roll. Stacks with Surgical Strikes, giving you +2 to wound against enemy Characters.
  • Vengeance of Istvaan V (1 CP): A Raven Guard unit can reroll all attack rolls in melee when targeting a Word Bearer, Iron Warrior, Alpha Legion, or Night Lord unit. Avenge the Drop Site Massacre. ”Come on you fucking pansies! Fight us face-to-face! For Corax! For Brothers lost! CHARGE!!!”- Master of Shadows Kayvaan Shrike, battle for Hope’s Pyre against Word Bearers.
  • Ambushing Fire (2 CP): Use at the start of your moving phase if the Tactical Doctrine is active. Until the end of the next battle round, all Raven Guard units shooting Rapid Fire and Assault weapons in your army improve their AP by 1 on an unmodified wound roll of 6. Can only be used once per battle.
• Disruption/survival:While most armies have stratagems aimed at utility or defense, the Raven Guard emphasize disrupting your opponent's plans and making it harder for them to use stratagems, target your units, and take/score objectives.
  • Stranglehold (2 CP): Use during the first turn of the game to screw over your opponent's stratagems. You must have Raven Guard Scouts or Phobos units in your army. roll 1d6 each time an opponent spends a command point on a stratagem. on a 5+, the opponent must spend an additional command point or the stratagem is countered and cannot be used again this round. Only works during the first turn.
  • See but Remain Unseen (1 CP): Use this stratagem at the end of your turn. Select one Raven Guard unit that did not make any attacks. Subtract 1 from any hit rolls that target them. You could possibly be a dick and use this on transports working as meat shields for your army, you're not gonna miss a few WS 6+ attacks or less than 10 Storm Bolter shots. Works especially well if you position your units such that your opponent must engage the transport. Also makes an Infantry unit in terrain with Smoke Grenades ridiculously survivable at -3 to hit (>12").
  • Decapitating Blow (2 CP): Use when you kill the enemy warlord with a Raven Guard unit. For the rest of the game, enemy units are at -1 leadership.
  • Deadly Price (1 CP): Use at the end of your turn to boobytrap an objective. If an enemy unit tries to take it, roll a d6. On a 2-4, they take d3 mortal wounds. On a 5+, they take 3 mortal wounds instead. Can't be used on the same objective more than once per battle.
  • Force their Hand (1 CP): Tactical objective shenanigans. Force your opponent to discard a tactical objective and draw a new one. You need to have a bike or infantry unit on a objective in your opponent's deployment zone to use this. A lot of hoops to jump through to make this work.
• Universal: All Chapters Supplements include some variation of the following three stratagems.
  • Masters of the Trifold Path (1 CP): Non-named characters can generate a second warlord trait. No duplicates. once per battle
  • Favored of the Ravenspire (1 CP): A Raven Guard Sergeant can take certain relics
  • Token of Brotherhood (1 CP): The standard successor relic sharing stratagem.

Litany & Psychic Discipline - Umbramancy

As a discipline, Umbramancy focuses on shadows, disruption, and making your solo-operators more deadly. Its two mortal wound powers are somewhat weak, but the rest of the powers are fairly solid, if somewhat limited by targeting restrictions. Two of the powers (Umbral Form and Spectral Blade) only affect your librarians themselves, while a third (Shadowstep) only affects characters, and the last (Enveloping Darkness) can only affect a single enemy unit. Nevertheless, there are several combos that present themselves (The Abyss + Spectral Blade), (Spectral Blade + Umbral Form), (Shadowstep + Enveloping Darkness/The Abyss/Smite), (Spectral Blade + Enveloping Darkness + a unit of Reivers).

1. Umbral Form: Warp Charge 5. The psyker gains a 4++ Invulnerable save.
2. Enveloping Darkness: Warp Charge 7. One visible enemy unit within 18" cannot fire Overwatch and subtracts one from their hit rolls. Basically a psychic Shock Grenade, which stacks.
3. Spectral Blade: Warp Charge 5. Until the start of the next psychic phase, the psyker's Strength is equal to their Leadership. In addition, they have AP-4 when resolving an attack against a unit with a lower Leadership. In most cases, this will make your Librarian Strength 9, and you can guarantee the AP bonus by using one of the numerous Leadership penalty sources available (suddenly, Fear Made Manifest gets better as a warlord trait).
4. Shadowstep: Warp Charge 7. One Raven Guard Character within 18" of your Librarian redeploys wherever he wishes while 9" away from the enemy. Once again, it can be used to send a Chaplain to support infiltrated Marines, or to teleport around a Terminator or Gravis Smash Captain.
5. The Abyss: Warp Charge 6. Select one visible enemy unit within 18". Roll 3d6; for each each roll of 4+, the target takes a mortal wound. If any models are destroyed, then the unit suffers a -1 penalty to their leadership for the rest of the turn.
6. The Darkness Within: Warp Charge 6. Select up to 3 enemy units within 18"; roll 1d6 for each unit. On a 4+, they take a mortal wound. If you rolled a 10 or higher on the psychic test, add 1 to the d6 rolls.

Litanies of Battle - Swift as the Raven: Raven Guard within 6" can fall back and shoot, and also charge that turn if they can Fly.

• Inceptors want to tie up units that cannot fight them back, like small troop squads and vehicles, to hide from enemy shooting or force them to fall back. This litany lets them do just that. Let the Chaplain give +1 to hit to their Plasma Exterminators for safe plasma supercharge, and use Swift as the Raven when they reach the enemy. They are the only flying unit that can both shoot and melee, more than Suppressors. If you can get over the autism of mixing a manlet Jump Pack Chaplain with Primaris Inceptors, that is.

Special Units

• Primaris Kayvaan Shrike:He’s been spoiled as a Vanguard Chapter Master. He’s finally got a gun (even though it’s a pistol), still has the Raven's Talons, the jump pack, and that fuck-ugly emo hairstyle. He now lets you re-roll all hit rolls as per the Chapter Master rules revision. His gun, Blackout, is an 18" AP-2 D2 bolt pistol that can target characters and do mortal wounds on 6+ like the usual sniper rifle. In addition, he now has 6 wounds and a 14" move. Combine all that with Winged Deliverance (re-roll charges for units within 6"), and... hoo boy.
• Shadow Captain Korvydae: This guy was dropped from the game in a FAQ; instead, you're told to use the model to represent a generic Captain.
  • Good model for a Raven's Fury/Thunder Hammer Captain. They make decent character assassins, as the sheer speed at which they can close with a target can catch people off guard.

Forgeworld Successor Chapters Characters
Remember you don't necessarily need to pick Inheritors of the Primarch to be Raven Guard successors and use this supplement.

Raptors

• Lias Issodon: Chapter Master. Lias is the king of Infiltration Fuckery. When he infiltrates (at the end of any Movement Phase, thus it supplements Strike from the Shadows), he can take up to three RAPTORS INFANTRY units with him (barring TERMINATORS, PRIMARIS and CENTURIONS, but now allowing jump-pack Marines). Surprise, motherfuckers! He has a 6" aura that adds +1" to all move, advance, charge, and fall back moves (making his base movement 8"), on top of his Chapter Master 6" aura of rerolls to hit. His weapon Malice is a 30" Assault 3 S5 AP-4 D1d3 murdermachine with ignores cover, which he can fire after retreating from melee with Hit & Run. In addition to all of this, Lias essentially has a 0+ save while sitting in any cover (though of course save rolls of 1 always fail, this is more to troll enemies who try to negate cover saves). This means, when he is in cover, he gets a save against every weapon in the game. Yes, including those AP-6 Titan weapons. Plus he has a master-crafted power sword, just in case he needs to run interference to protect your ambushers from small opportunistic chargers. Storm of Fire is the preferred Warlord Trait, as he'll largely be hanging out with other shooters.
  • Potential ambushers to think about are Devastators, Sternguard, or Company Veterans (never waste this ability on units that already have the means to deep strike via cheapish Jump Packs!). Remember he can also buff Inceptors and Cataphractii Terminators, as they can deep strike next to him without his rule, and any Primaris units you infiltrate with Strike from the Shadows *cough*Assault Centurions*cough*. Nothing beats the feeling of deep striking 30 multi-melta Devastators in melta range of an IG tank column or Knight Castellan.
  • Raptors seem to be gaining in popularity. Using this dude takes caution and practice, but if done right you can route your enemy in spectacular fashion. One of the main questions you should be asking yourself is what will I use to clear screens, and how will I force my opponent's movement to open gaps for the ambush? Build your list around sculpting your opponent's plays, and let the mind games begin.

Successor Tactics: Inheritors of the Primarch works just fine for them, and are perhaps even better built for them than their parent chapter! Inheritors is also absolute cheese on Issodon’s deepstrike force (put them down in cover and you have a group of 15 lascannon-toting Devastators who reroll all failed hits, with -1 to hit and a 2+ save, along with Issodon’s 0+ and -1 to hit). If you feel like mixing it up, however, Tactics like Preferred Enemy, Long-ranged Marksmen, and, of course, Stealthy are all fluffy and effective picks. Consider that the Hungry For Battle Trait, combined with the Master of the Vanguard Warlord Trait and Lias Issodon's built-in +1 to charge can give your reserve force a respectable 6" charge out of deepstrike, season with Raven's Blade for a re-roll to taste.

Space Sharks

• Tyberos the Red Wake: Chapter Master. An unholy, terrifying murder machine whose melee damage went through the roof in this edition. Comes with 2 weapons: Hunger and Slake. Hunger is a chainfist that does a flat 3 damage (one better than the normal), and Slake is a lightning claw that does 2 damage while still getting the re-roll to wound. He grants all Carcharodons models within 6" +1S including himself, he also gives all Carcharodons units within 6" re-roll to hits (including shooting). His statline is almost identical to that of a Terminator Captain but Tyberos has 5 attacks instead of 4, 1 more strength due to his buff and 1 less BS. Tyberos excels at fighting small units composed of models with multiple wounds and HQs due to his damage output. Keep an assault unit of some sort alongside him and together they should destroy any MEQ or TEQ unit with absolute ease. While VERY expensive Thunder Hammer armed Vanguard or Assault Termies become more effective at killing high toughness units when alongside Tyberos. ((The S10 they get from Tyberos' buff combined with the Thunder Hammers means they'll go from wounding T8 and T9 units on 4+ and 5+ respectively to wounding them on a 3+ and 3+ respectively (this means they can wound even a Knight or Warhound Titan on a 3+). A squad of 5 will put out 11 AP-3 Dmg 3 Strength 10 hits that can cause a maximum of 33 damage and they get to re-roll misses due to Tyberos. That's a potential of 48 damage in a single fight phase between them and Tyberos using Hunger (15 from Tyberos 33 from the hammer unit.
  • If Tyberos is your warlord, you should really be pumping everything you can into his attacks - his hitting power is strong, but his overall volume of attacks quite low by comparison. To start with, give him The Imperium’s Sword for +1A on the charge, which compliments his existing +1A from Shock Assault. Cast Might of Heroes on him for another +1A and +1S, giving him eight attacks at S12 ap-4 dmg3. Finally, drop the Whirlwind of Rage successor trait and keep a Lieutenant nearby, and watch your sweet little bundle of death chew through an Imperial Knight every turn.
  • Since sharkboy has no ranged weapons at all, not even a bolt pistol, any turn where he isn’t wrecking face in cc is a waste of his substantial 205 points cost - so absolutely invest in a transport to get him up the board as quickly as possible. Bonus cool points if you play his favourite song while disembarking.

Successor Tactics: Whirlwind of Rage is an absolute must here, Tyberos benefits too damn much from it. Great choices for your second Tactic include Hunger for Battle, to get into melee ASAP, or Tactical Withdrawal, to keep Shock Assault up and working for you. Fearsome Aspect is a fluffy, if not as brutal option.

Tactics:

Objective Defense: The Ravens can defend an objective simply because of how difficult it is to hit them. You can take things to an extreme with just a couple vanguard troops: keep them close and have a squad use their smoke bombs (and thus not shoot) and use See But Remain Unseen. Next, have a Phobos Librarian use Shrouding on the other squad to force the enemy to target the -3 to hit squad. That's an auto-miss on BS4+. And Deadly Price stacks with Incursor mines, meaning your units can barely be shot at, and anyone who wants to contest the objective is greeted by a flurry of mortal wounds. On top of now being too close to Incursors. Happy haunting!

Aggressor Rush: The First Axiom of Victory is to be other than where the enemy desires you to be. Your enemy doesn't want Aggressors near his lines, or defending the objectives he placed. The First Axiom of Stealth is to be other than where the enemy believes you to be. Your enemy believes Chaplains cannot move quickly without giving up their litanies. 10,000 years later, Corax's tennets remain true. Risky, but devastating when your enemy isn't prepared to meet & greet six Aggressors buffed by a Chaplain. Add support to it, like a couple of Invictors, and your enemy simply won't be able to take care of your stealth ball of hate fast enough. The enemy HAS to move back to avoid the charge, and that more than 5" (Aggressor move) + 7" (average charge) = 12". Congrats, your mere presence FORCED the enemy back and gave you cover in the open (>12") to top it all!

Salamanders

In the grim darkness of the far future, the flame of hope burns still.

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.
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.
Vulkan lives! (STOMP-STOMP)

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, 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

1. 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 hit at Str12. This also allows Relic blades to strike at S8 like a power fist without the -1 modifier. Vulkan He'stan takes this.
2. 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..).
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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: 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 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 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 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 Salamanders unit is charged, pick another 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 Salamanders 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 Salamanders 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 Salamanders 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 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

1. 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.
2. Fire Shield: WC6. A unit within 18" imposes -1 to hit against ranged attacks and -1 to charge distances.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
  • 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 400 pts 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 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 12 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.

Iron Hands

In the grim darkness of the far future, the Flesh is Weak.

Thematically, these guys are more machine than man Astartes. Having a strong affinity with machines. With calculated Rage, they are unyielding, precise, and show no mercy.
On the tabletop, these guys are one of the most durable chapters for infantry and vehicles and have a strong affinity with heavy weapons and tanks. Makes you feel like Deathguard with everything having Feel no pain, Damage reduction, and vehicle stats take more wounds to degrade, shooting down charges with accuracy, and as an added bonus they're experts at wielding heavy weapons of all types.
If you like big guns and bigger tanks, the Iron Hands is the Chapter for you.

Special Rules

• Chapter Tactics - The Flesh is Weak: 6+++ Feel No Pain: roll a die when a model with this tactic loses a wound; on a 6+ that wound is ignored. This doesn't work with supercharged plasma since that slays models without wounding them(except the ones mounted on vehicles - spam those plasma redemptors). Overwatch hits on 5 and 6, regardless of modifiers, and models with a damage table are considered to have double the number of wounds. So not only is Steel Strong, but it's also reliable.
  • Being more difficult to kill is an obvious bonus to your Warlord, but unlike Guilliman, who is classified as a Monster, your <chapter> infantry Captain can be healed by an Apothecary. And then you add the Shield Eternal...yes, it's Smashfucker all over again.
  • Stronger than it first appears, because there is an interaction with units of multiple multi-wound models and weapons that deal more than 1 damage. After failing your save, you are allowed to roll for each lost wound individually. For example, a unit of 2 wound models being attacked by a D2 weapon is approximately 35% more durable. This is because if you save either one of the lost wounds (27.78% chance to resist exactly 1; 30.56% chance to resist at least 1) it takes a whole second shot to even try to kill that model, thanks to damage not spilling over.
    • This improvement is still best on 1-wound model units - the interaction above means it's not as worse on multi-wound as it first appears, and Iron Hands have some kick-ass Primaris units, but the ability is generally more noticeable the fewer wounds the model with it has remaining.
    • While your boost to survivability is around 20% to the RG's 25%, yours isn't situational, and even works in the melee Shock Assault urges you to be.
  • Vehicles also get a noticeable boost from this. Even before you account for the FnP effect, the slower rate of stat loss from damage will keep your tanks and dreads at full effectiveness for much longer than vehicles of other Chapters.
    • The boost's benefit also varies with Wounds, as GW tends to use the same algorithm to build all of your degradation tables. By and large, this reduces the tendency of wounds to be useless - for example, ordinarily going from W13 to W14 is not useful, because the extra wound happens in the middle band of the degradation table, compared to going from W10 to W11, where the extra wound happens in the top band. Under Iron Hands, both wounds show up on top. The effect is particularly noticeable on W11 and W15, and at its absolute worst when Wounds is a power of 2 - your W16 Land Raiders will get the least benefit from this compared to most other things you can field.
• Combat Doctrine - Calculated Fury: Whilst the Devastator Doctrine is active (First round only), models with this ability do not suffer the penalty for moving and firing Heavy weapons. In addition, when resolving an attack made with a Heavy weapon by a model with this ability, re-roll hit rolls of 1.
  • Like Scions of Gulliman, but instead of making Bolter Discipline easier to trigger you'll have heavy weapons that tear through armor saves with minimal difficulty and don't need babysitting. Load up on vehicles and Devastators to spew out all the dakka.
    • Do not load up on Hellblasters. The re-rolling of 1s to hit makes them look initially tempting, but their Heavy gun costs far too many points, and going to AP-5 is useless against most targets and nearly useless against the remaining ones. Similarly, even though moving and shooting at no penalty makes multimeltas look far more tempting, AP-5 is underwhelming - for the same cost, anything in your army with a choice will prefer an assault cannon to a multimelta against just about any target (and the weapons have the same ranges, too).
  • Also frees up your captains to focus on supporting your choppier units while also allowing those heavy weapon users to reposition without sacrificing accuracy. You will need Captains after turn 1 Since the Devastator Doctrine is active only active then. Don't feel bad your jump and terminators are not initially on the board.
    • Remember to bring take lieutenants to spread around re-rolling 1s to wound as well, techmarines to keep your HQ taxes cheap (the conversion beamer is still absurdly expensive, but it's better for Iron Hands than for anyone else), or librarians to make the leviathan we both know you took even more dangerous.

Warlord Traits

1. All Flesh Is Weakness: 5+++ FNP.
   • You could already have this if you take a Chief Apothecary warlord with Father of the Future. Just saying.
2. The Will of Iron: Can deny a psychic power. If they can already deny, they can deny one more.
3. Adept of the Omnissiah: Can repair vehicles like a techmarine, but only repair 1 wound. If you can already do this, you repair +1 wound.
4. Merciless Logic: The Warlord's unmodified 6 (not 6+) to hit with any attack procs an extra attack with the same weapon, which can't proc this again, essentially multiplying his attacks by 7/6. Primaris Captains and the Teeth of Terra make good use of it, as they naturally have more attacks with which to proc the extra ones. For shooting, Biker and Terminator Captains have better chances, as they have two ranged weapons.
5. Student of History: When consolidating, the Warlord can move up to 6", and doesn't need to move towards the nearest enemy. Malkaan Feirros has this as his warlord trait, and boy does it work well with him.
   • Great on smash captains if you want more mobility rather than hitting things, lets him run from enemy swings or engage a bubble-wrapped character.
6. Target Protocols: In the shooting phase, pick a friendly Iron Hands unit within 6" of the Warlord. They can re-roll one hit, one wound, and one damage roll that phase. Good for ensuring that forgeworld death titan cannon destroys something.

Relics & Special-Issue Wargear

None of these relics can be assigned to vehicles.

Relics of Medusa

• Aegis Ferrum: Primaris Model only. +1 Toughness, and the model takes 1 less damage (to a minimum of 1).
• Axe of Medusa: Replaces a power axe. Gives it +3S, AP-3, and D3. Used to be a weak ass relic blade. Now it's actually an interesting alternative to the Burning Blade. For non-primaris only, primaris haven't earned the right to swing axes yet.
• Betrayer's Bane: Replaces a Combi-Melta. The Melta part becomes Assault 2. Yay. You will probably never take this.
• Gorgon's Chain: 4++ Invulnerable Save, and equipped model has -1 to be wounded against ranged attacks. Can't be wounded on anything worse than a 3+. Sadly nerfed from its 7th edition incarnation, but now Smashfucker has a few new toys to play with above such as the Aegis Ferrum or the Iron Stone.
• Ironstone: At the start of the battle round, select one friendly Iron Hands vehicle unit within 3" of the bearer of this relic. Until the start of the next battle round, when resolving attacks made against that unit, if the bearer is within 3" of that unit, you can reduce any damage suffered by 1 (minimum of 1) Another method of keeping the damage tables from getting to you never hurts. Give it to a techmarine and the vehicles he sticks near will never die. Sadly this no longer stacks with Duty Eternal.
• Mindforge: Force Sword, Axe, or Stave. Your force powerfist of choice! Sx2 AP-3 D1d3, essentially a force powerfist. You get the hint that they want you to take non-captain characters?
• Tempered Helm: Roll 1d6 for every command point spent whenever you use a stratagem. On a 5+, the command point is refunded. Only 1 command point can be refunded in this way per battle round (no limit on stratagems used outside of a battle round, i.e. before the battle begins).
  • Per the September 2019 FAQ, you can't use this to refund command points before the battle begins

Special Issue Wargear

The first four relics in the Special Issue Wargear section are copy-pastes for each Supplement, then there's a selection of unique mini-relics.

• Adamantium Mantle: 5+ Feel No Pain. You have a Warlord trait that does the same thing. Even with Paragon of Iron to give a different character a 5+++, should the Warlord really be taking relics from the Special Issue wargear section instead of diving for the actual Chapter relics?
• Artificer Armor: 2+/5++. Excellent on Lieutenants and Librarians who don't get invulnerable saves to start. Or, throw it on a Sergeant with Scion of the Forge.
• Digital Weapons: Do an additional attack when the model fights. If it hits, the target suffers a mortal wound.
• Master-crafted Weapon: +1 to the damage characteristic of one of the bearer's weapons, which is then considered a relic. D4 Thunderhammer baby!
• Automedicae Bionics: Heal 1d3 wounds at the start of the turn. Actually a decent pick!
• Dataspike: Roll 2 dice and drop the lowest result when healing vehicles. Generally speaking, this will turn 1d3 healing from average 2 to average 2.44, changes the odds of rolling at least 2 from 2/3 to 8/9, and changes the odds of rolling 3 from 3/9 to 5/9, in terms of your ability to repair a target enough to change wound brackets.
• Haywire Bolts: Affects a bolt weapon. It can only do 1 shot, but when targeting a vehicle, an unmodified wound roll of 4 or 5 does d3 mortal wounds, and a 6 results in a flat 3 mortal wounds, in addition to normal damage. Can be useful for chipping off the last few wounds from a vehicle. You know, in case your Heavy Weapons under the Devastator Doctrine somehow didn't finish the job.
  • The additional damage is both mortal and additive, so the effect is more noticeable on a weapon with poor AP and D to begin with, and it happens on a 4 or 5 even if the shot failed to wound, so also more noticeable on low S, and for obvious reasons, you want to take it on a 1-shot weapon to begin with. Nothing else matters per se, so e.g. it'll have the same impact on a weapon of any range. More noticeable maybe, but no more effective. It's actually most efficient on a single shot weapon as you don't lose any of your initial firepower.
    • Could be interesting on a Primaris Lieutenant with a stalker bolt rifle. Or a sergeant armed with the same if you want to use the stratagem.
• Teeth of Mars: Replaces a chainsword, SU AP-2 D2 A+1; becomes Sx2 AP-2 D2 A+1 when resolving attacks against vehicles.

Stratagems

Iron Hand Stratagems can be divided into four categories; offense, defense, utility, and universal

• Offense: Iron hands have stratagems that improve accuracy and create bonus attacks or AP on rolls of 6.
  • Engine Purge (2 CP): Use at the start of your movement phase if the devastator doctrine is active. Until the start of the next battle round, when resolving an attack made with heavy or grenade weapon by an Iron Hands model in your army, an unmodified 6+ to wound increases the AP of that attack by 1.
  • Mercy is Weakness (1 CP): Choose after a unit decides to shoot or fight. Select an enemy unit, and until the end of that phase, every Iron Hands model that attacks this unit wounds twice on unmodified wound rolls of 6. Enjoy.
  • Methodical Firepower (1 CP): If the devastator doctrine isn't active, pick a unit. Now it is for this unit.
  • The Gorgon's Rage (1 CP): Use in the Fight phase, when choosing an Iron Hands unit to fight. Until the end of the phase, that unit adds +1 to melee hit rolls. If the target is emperor's children, enjoy an additional +1 to wound.
  • Vengeance for Istvaan V (1 CP): Use in the Fight phase, when choosing an Iron Hands unit to fight. Re-roll hit rolls vs Alpha Legion, Iron Warriors, Night Lords, and Word Bearers.
  • Wrathful Machine Spirit (2 CP): Used in the shooting or fight phase when a vehicle is chosen to shoot or fight; it can re-roll hit rolls for that phase.
    • Not bad, but for those same 2 CP you could upgrade a captain to a chapter master and get the same buff in an aura, all game. Situational, if you've got, say, lots of fliers a captain can't keep up with, or if you're not taking a captain and need the buff, but if you're taking a captain and don't have too many vehicles that he can't keep up with, it might be better to just take a chapter master instead. Besides, you can always pay cps during the game to get this strat if you need it for whatever reason.
• Defense: Iron Hands have an impressive number of defensive related stratagems to keep your important characters, vehicles, and units alive.
  • Cogitated Martyrdom (1 CP): Use at the start of an enemy shooting phase. An Iron Hands infantry unit can intercept attacks before rolling FNP for non-vehicle Iron Hands characters within 3". On a 2+, take a MW on the infantry unit.
    • Enjoy treating Intercessors as drones. Particularly useful as your characters will be high priority targets for your opponent like the new iron father or anyone with the ironstone. Maybe use it for servitors. This lets you shove some poor sod in front of the Sniper-lascannon aiming for your characters.
  • Machine Empathy (1 CP): After a Techmarine heals a vehicle, that model can use that ability again. Remember, our vehicles' wounds count as double for the purposes of their bracket, so even a single repaired wound can bump up a damaged vehicle.Now, imagine the potential to heal 6 damage on a tank. Yes, please! (Due to ERRATA you can now use second repair only on different (non-repaired) vehicle)
  • Optimal Repulsion Doctrines (2 CP): A unit during your opponents charge phase enjoys 5+ overwatch. If you're Iron Hands and not a successor, enjoy 4+. If you use this on a unit next to a chapter master then you'll have 3/4 shots hitting in overwatch, brutal.
  • Reject the Flesh, Embrace the Machine (1 CP): Use in any phase when an Iron Hands infantry unit in your army is chosen as a target for an attack. FNP on 5+++. If it's a Warlord with All Flesh is Weakness, he gets a 4+++.
• Utility: While most Chapters have narrowly focused utility Stratagems, the Iron Hands have the advantage of having some of the most generally useful options.
  • March of the Ancients (1 CP): After nominating a warlord, select a single Dreadnought in your army. That Dreadnought gains the Character keyword, and adds 1 to its attack and Leadership characteristics. Dreadnoughts with 10 or more wounds can still be targeted, but Cogitated Martyrdom allows nearby infantry to catch any lascannon shot going your way. Enjoy having a Venerable Dreadnought Rifleman who has the protection of being a character! Or, finally be able to screen that Ironclad Dreadnought as it runs up with the Seismic Hammer and Chainfist, appreciating the extra attack!
    • As of the most recent FAQ, this was changed to be only once per battle. It still remains a decent stratagem for any Dreadnought that wants to get into close-range.
  • Mnemonic Auto-Savant (2 CP): If your WL is on the battlefield upon completing a tactical objective, do not discard it. You can use it again in the subsequent round. Nice.
  • Souls of Iron (2 CP): Deny on 4+ within 24" of an Iron Hands unit.
• Universal: All Chapter Supplements get some variation of the following three stratagems.
  • Bequeathed by the Iron Council (1 CP): Iron Hands relics for successors. Yay!!!
  • Paragon of Iron (1 CP): Bonus warlord trait for your non-named character warlord. Must be from Iron Hands. The usual supplement special.
  • Scions of the Forge (1 CP): Your sergeant gets toys! Yay! Special issue wargear to sergeants (chosen from m-c weapon, digital weapons, Teeth of Mars and Haywire Bolts).

Litany & Psychic Discipline - Technomancy

Technomancy is a support discipline that centers around buffing your vehicles and wargear while cursing your opponent's. A heavily-mechanized army will gain the most benefit from this school, but if you are looking to create an Iron Hands version of Mephiston, you are out of luck. Two of the powers (Blessing of the Machine God and Reforge) can only target your vehicles, while two of the mortal wound generating powers (Machine Flense and Fury of Medusa) need to target enemy vehicles to get the full effect (or any effect in the case of Machine Flense). Fortunately, the last two powers (Objuration Mechanicum and Psysteel Armour) are both pretty good without having to target vehicles.

1. Blessing of the Machine God (WC5): Grants +1 to hit for a friendly Iron Hands vehicle unit within 12". You need to get at least an 8 on the psychic test to use this on Titanic units, so have a CP to burn if you want to buff that Fellblade or Astraeus.
2. Objuration Mechanicum (WC7): If manifested, select one visible enemy unit within 18". When that unit rolls unmodified 1s to shoot, it takes a mortal wound after it finishes the gun in question. Enjoy self-immolating aggressors, Tau Fire Warriors, and Chaos Havocs with miniguns.
   • While the actual output of this weapon depends on the number of shots the target unit makes, and penalties to hit won't affect it (although if the target has to re-roll hits, that absolutely may), one of the big values is forcing your opponent to decide if shooting with the unit is worth the mortal wounds it will suffer. It also has better scaling the more guns the unit uses to make those shots, since a given gun gets all of its shots before any mortal wounds happen, but mortal wounds will happen between guns.
     • Without any relevant buffs, the number of shots the target has to make to suffer at least as much as Smite would have - bearing in mind that this happens after it shoots, not before, as it would with Smite - is 19, so anything with at least that many shots - such as a Leman Russ Punisher, or 5 models within 12" with Storm Bolters, or what have you - will die to this power faster, with, again, the caveat that the mortal wounds won't happen until after each gun fires.
   • Point at plasma wielding squads for double the fun, now a roll of 1 on an overcharge will both kill the gunner and drop a mortal wound on one of its buddies. If you really want to cheese it, get something to force -1 to hit modifiers on your unfortunate victims and your opponent will just plain give up on shooting with them (it won't help this power hurt them, of course).
3. Fury of Medusa (WC6): Select an enemy model within 18". Draw a line 1mm wide between the psyker and target. For every enemy unit the line crosses, including the target model's, roll 1d6, adding 2 for vehicles; the unit takes a mortal wound on a 4 or 5, and 1d3 mortal wounds on a 6.
   • • This needs to cross 4 non-vehicle units, 2 vehicle units, or 1 vehicle and 2 non-vehicle, in order to outperform Smite.
4. Psysteel Armour (WC6): Select an Iron Hands unit within 12" of the psyker. Add 1 to non-invulnerable saving throws for it.
5. Reforge (WC5): Heal D3 lost wounds on a vehicle within 3".
   • This turns your Librarian into a much more expensive and much less reliable Techmarine, and you don't even get a range benefit.
6. Machine Flense (WC6): Select a visible enemy vehicle unit within 18". It takes 1d3 mortal wounds. Then select an enemy unit that was within 6" of that vehicle and visible to it when the power was manifested (meaning the original target need not still be on the table). Roll 1d6 for each mortal wound the original target suffered. On a 3+, the secondary target takes a mortal wound.
   • After the cast, this will on average deal 2 mortal wounds to the target and 4/3 mortal wounds to the secondary target, meaning that this power actually does do more mortal wounds than Smite (1.79 for Smite, 1.44 to the target, 0.96 to the secondary target, 2.41 total mortal wounds dealt by this power, taking cast odds into account), assuming no bonuses to the cast are available.

Litanies of Battle - Medusan Furore: Your chaplain adds +1S to all Iron Hands within 6", which might help your Reivers and Incursors edge over their enemies or let your captain pulp some heads.

Special Units

• HQ
  • Malkaan Feirros: The Iron Hands' first named character is a Gravis Captain but without the re-rolling 1s to hit aura. Stat-wise he's like a Gravis Captain with 7 wounds, 5 attacks, a 2+ save, and a 5+ FNP instead of the Chapter's 6+ FNP, and offense-wise his Gorgon's Wrath is an AP-2 D2 Heavy Bolter, and his Harrowhand is a S+3 AP-2 D2 axe. Naturally you want him for his buffing abilities, as awesome as his punch and durability may be. He gives all Iron Hands INFANTRY units (FAQ) within 6" a 5+ Invulnerable save. He's also a superior techmarine (which should be obvious being the Master of the Forge and whatnot) and repairs a flat 3 wounds to vehicles instead of d3 wounds (or 6W with Machine Empathy strat). He also has a Signum Array that gives a friendly unit within 3" BS2+ at the start of the shooting phase (if applied to vehicles, it overrides their damage bracket), so he acts like a versatile Devastator Sarge on top of that. Land Raiders hitting on 2+ and restoring 3 wounds a turn, anyone? Feirros is shaping up to be a blue chip unit in Iron Hands detachments, provided he doesn't cost over 200 points like a certain spiritual liege and...oh my god what he's only 110 points. Blue chip status confirmed.
• Forgeworld Successor Chapters Characters
  • Remember, you don't necessarily need to pick Inheritors of the Primarch to be an Iron Hands successor and use this supplement.
    
  • Sons of Medusa
    • Vaylund Cal: Chapter Master/Techmarine. If you ever wanted to see the mechanized fusion of a Techmarine with a Chapter Master, this is the motherfucker for you. Sporting a monstrous statline of S5 (doubled with his Medusan Hammer and Servo-Arms) and an enviable T6, he'll be hard to take down. Also makes an excellent anchor for a firing line, because he gives both a re-roll bubble AND can repair vehicles. His price was dropped to 173 116, making him a clear pick over a tech marine with an upgraded captain. While slightly less flexible, it will save you a few points along with three command points.

Tactical Objectives

1. Methodical Destruction: When this Tactical Objective is generated, select up to three enemy units on the battlefield. Score 1 victory point for each of those units that was destroyed as a result of an attack made with a ranged weapon by an IRON HANDS unit from your army this turn. Score D3+3 victory points instead if all three units were destroyed in the same phase.
2. Advance and Secure: Score 1 victory point if you control the objective marker closest to the centre of the battlefield at the end of your turn (if several objective markers are equally close to the centre, you achieve this Tactical Objective if you control any of those objective markers at the end of your turn).
3. March of the Machines: Score 1 victory point if an IRON HANDS DREADNOUGHT from your army either finished an Advance move or charge move wholly within the enemy’s deployment zone this turn.
4. Destroy the Weak:Score D3 victory points if at least one enemy unit was destroyed as a result of an attack made by any IRON HANDS models from your army during both the Shooting phase and the Fight phase of this turn.
5. The Strength of Metal: Whilst this Tactical Objective is active, keep a tally of how many times IRON HANDS models from your army would lose a wound that is subsequently not lost (e.g. due to the The Flesh is Weak Chapter Tactic or the Artificer Bionics ability). Score 1 victory point if this Tactical Objective is still active when the tally reaches 10.
6. Cold Fury: Score 1 victory point if any enemy units were destroyed as a result of an attack made by an IRON HANDS VEHICLE model from your army this turn. Score D3 victory points instead if three or more enemy units were destroyed as a result of an attack made by an IRON HANDS VEHICLE model this turn.

Tactics

In the month following the release of their codex supplement but before the October FAQ nerf, the Iron Hands enjoyed an unprecedented level of popularity and brokenness. An article on Warhammer site Goonhammer reported a winrate of 71% overall in 234 qualifying games, far higher than any other faction had enjoyed since the launch of 8th edition. This helps to explain why, on October 17 of 2019, an initial, rather anemic FAQ was amended within hours to include a number of changes to try and get ahead of the situation. As a result of these nerfs, the tactical situational for the Iron Hands is in something of a transitional state. It remains to be seen if the changes will have their intended effect. In the mean time, here is a brief list of several of the most popular units from before the nerfs.

• Stormhawk interceptors, Stormtalon Gunships, and Stormraven Gunships: A popular choice on several competitive lists. All three flyers pair well with the Iron Hands Chapter tactics, and units like the Stormhawk and stormtalon, which have heavy weapons but not power of the machine spirit, benefit greatly from both the Devastator doctrine and the chapter doctrine.
• Thunderfire Cannons: Another popular competitive choice and almost an auto-take in an Iron Hands army thanks to the interaction between Devastator doctrine and the Chapter doctrine.
• Repulsor Executioners: Initially broken as fuck due to the interaction between Feirros and the Ironstone. Now far less so thanks to the nerfs to both units, but still solid for all the expected reasons.

• Aggressor Bomb: Take a Chief Apothecary warlord with Father of the Future, ForgeFather Feirros, and a large group of Aggressor. Now you have 3 wounds 3+/5++/5+++ models packing a lot of Bolter fire that would endure and overwhelm even a Banblade.

Tactics and Strategy

Army Building

Overall

The Meta is bound to change as codices are released and tournaments are played, but there are a few essential things you need to know when building an army.

• Anti-armour weapons: The opportunities for fielding lots of big units like vehicles and monsters means that you should be prepared to face a lot of high toughness, good armour save, lots of wounds models. The fact that these models have lots of wounds means you need to put a lot of effort into destroying them. When building an army, make sure you have enough high strength weapons that deal multiple damage. Lascannons and melta weapons are a priority for taking out vehicles, and you will need a lot of either. Hammernators or Dreadnoughts are the close combat variation, but note that most vehicles can move a lot faster than Hammernators, so getting that assault in may be difficult. Just 6 lascannons in 1500 points is NOT ENOUGH anti-tank weaponry. Most vehicles are T7, with some of the harder ones being T8, so Strength 8 weapons are a minimum or else you're wounding on 4+ or 5+. In the case of lighter vehicles, overcharging Hellblasters are an effective alternative to melta weapons, with their increased range and rapid fire ability (at least for the basic Plasma Incinerator) compensating for their comparatively low damage per shot.
• Tactical Flexibility: From lots of games played it seems to be the go-to option for marines. MSU squads of 5 will minimize the effects of morale while giving more flexibility in terms of board control, more (free) Sergeants and usually more Special/Heavy/Melee weapons. If you're set on fielding 10-men squads for fewer drops during the Deployment Phase, or you change your mind during the game, you can also use a stratagem to split a squad in half.
• Anti-infantry: This edition favors large hordes of cheap models, with bolter discipline even your basic marines can devastate hordes at long range, but you'll need to be sure to load up on anti infantry weapons like Assault Cannons, Heavy Bolters and such. Flamers are also pretty good in Overwatch if you expect to be fighting in close quarters, but their random shot count and lack of AP can be an issue if the dice aren't on your side. Also remember you can't Drop Pod and flame anymore unless you're running a custom chapter with Long Range Marksmen.

Mixing Imperium Units

8th Edition has evolved into a meta that favors cheap hordes and incredibly durable weapons platforms like Imperial Knights and Primarchs. One approach to the problems marines have in 8th Edition is to use units outside of Marines in an allied detachment, as cheap Guardsmen/Skitarii Brigades can easily be brought alongside Astartes detachments. In fact, many players will go for a different imperial army and blend in some Marines; just remember that they can't be in the same detachment despite sharing the Imperium keyword. Use allies to cover your weaknesses, but be aware that you will sacrifice the benefits of Combat Doctrines unless the other detachments are also drawn from Codex: Space Marines- and even if they are, you'll lose your Chapter-specific Combat Doctrine boost if its Chapter Tactics are different.

Specific Mixes

Specific combinations are mainly dependent on your chapter trait but there are some combo's that are great for any army some examples are shown below:

• Grav-Bomb, stick some grav-cannon devastators or grav-centurions in a razorback, stormraven or rhino with a captain. Yeet it up the board ideally keeping out of LOS or at least partially obscured, then drop off your devastators or centurions in cover somewhere just in range of a nasty enemy unit ideally a centrepiece unit with a high armour save (at least 3+). Then drop the 1cp stratagem to re-roll all wounds and damage rolls for the unit and if your using devastators use the armorium cherub too. That's 4 shots each at strength 5 AP -3, hitting on 3+ rerolling 1's and re-rolling all wounds and damage rolls. Usually this is enough to make targeting your devastators a priority for your opponent and in all likelihood they're going to take heavy casualties but the unit will have easily made back its points by then and seriously disrupted your opponents army.
  • If you're Iron hands or a successor then you can move these guys without any penalty to hit and re-roll 1's without a captain so that's something to consider, only works in the devastator doctrine though.
  • Effective against hordes as well so this combo is still good against swarm lists and those army's will have a hard time dislodging your guy's from a ruin.
• Captain and hellblasters, pretty self explanatory stick a bare bones captain near a 10 man squad of hellblasters and fire on overcharged with only a 1 in 36 chance of dying each time you fire, generally works best if you use a impulsor as this allows you to move a fair distance BEFORE DISEMBARKING to shoot with no penalty to hit, if you're within 15" then that's 20 shots at s8 AP-4 which is enough to cripple or kill almost anything without an invulnerable save.
  • Although this unit is a serious threat to your opponent it's unlikely to be killed off early, an impulsor's fairly tough anyway if you give it the shield dome equipment and hide it behind a wall it becomes incredibly difficult to remove turn 1. Not to mention that if you have the right threat saturation in your army then your opponent is unlikely to shoot this thing anyway.
• Aggressor auspex scan, when playing against an opponent like daemons, orks or tyranids it's pretty common to have a swarm of infantry pop up to charge you out of deepstrike, ordinarily this can be a real problem as many of the units available to these armies have ways of getting a very easy charge. This trick's for just such a situation. When you deploy your units leave a nice gap behind your lines where an enemy infantry unit could deepstrike just in range of your agressors ideally a unit of six that hasn't moved, when your opponent tries to deepstrike his infantry play the 1CP stratagem to shoot all your aggressors at his guys TWICE at a -1 penalty, (you should have a chapter master in range anyway so that's not too big a deal) even with a 5 man aggressor unit you should annihilate any light infantry that tries to deepstrike for just 1 cp.
  • With iron hands chapter tactic then you can pretty much get the same effect on normal overwatch, for 1CP you overwatch on a 4+, 75% accuracy near a chapter master.

Character Buffing

For those of us that want a pure marine army it is important to double up on your force multipliers at every opportunity. The Troop Tax is no more; it is replaced with the HQ tax. Use your HQs to their maximum. And while HQs and the Lord of War Guilliman improve your hitting and wounding, units inside the elite slot have created a new dynamic for Marines. The Marine Formula -- a Unit and it's accompanying support Unit, goes for all the non-character models.

• Apothecaries and Ancients are must-takes in infantry heavy Space Marine armies. Ancients enable out of turn shooting from models you'd otherwise be removing from play, and help reduce the toll of Alpha Strikes; getting shot off the board Turn 1 is a thing, and Ancients help you recoup some of your losses by returning fire as models die. Apothecaries can then bring those dead heroes back to the table or heal up the ones who survived the fusillade of fire.
• Build around your Warlord! HQs like Kantor, Shrike, Vulkan, and Khan can drastically change your army's peak efficiency. Using Vulkan around loads of Melta toting marines is more efficient than Kantor around the same loadout. Conversely, Kantor with dedicated heavy assault troops (Assault Centurions, Assault Terminators with Thunder Hammers, Vanguard Veterans with Thunder Hammers, etc.) can take out a Knight in one turn of CC. Without Kantor, they only accomplish 50% of the damage.
• Another popular combination is a Captain (ideally upgraded to Chapter Master if you can spare the CP) and Lieutenant; the Captain allows hit re-rolls of 1 while the Lieutenant allows wound re-rolls of 1. Hellblasters and Devastators in particular really benefit from being inside these auras. Chapter Masters and Lieutenants are essential for getting accurate firepower; other armies lack accuracy but make up for it with volume of fire. Marines will usually have a low model count and so need each shot to work.

Sergeant Equipment

Most of your regular Infantry and Bikers have a Sergeant that takes items from the Sergeant Equipment List. This includes your Tactical/Scout/Assault/Devastator Squads, your Company/Vanguard/Sternguard Veterans, and your Bike Squads and Company Veterans on Bikes. If you don't have specific wargear in mind, ALWAYS take a Storm Bolter and Chainsword instead of leaving them with their default options. This 2-point upgrade adds the same amount of dakka as an entire 13-point Tactical Marine/11-point Scout.

• Veteran Sergeants all have 3 attacks, so investing in a nice melee weapon is often worth the points, even if you don't intend to use them in assaults. A 16-point Thunder Hammer presents a very serious threat to pretty much any multi-wound model, be it Infantry, Monster, or Vehicle. Taking a Thunder Hammer in this instance is as much about limiting your opponent's options as it is about directly inflicting losses, though landing even a single blow will more than make your points back if you pick the right target (putting it on an Intercessor Sarge helps here since they get one more attack than the other types).
  • Saying that, remember that most power weapons are only 4 points in 8th. So when low on points left, consider a Power Sword or something like that to cut through armour if you find yourself in combat.

Transport Tips

• Razor Rush: Razorbacks hauling troops are way better in 8e than they were in 7e, and in 7e they were free. The unit inside the razorback should do something complementary to the razorback, while maintaining a similar weapons range. If inside a laserback, consider a plasma tactical squad. A razorback with heavy flamers would benefit from a melta/combi-melta tactical squad, or even an assault squad to offer a bit of melee counterpunch. In this MSU approach, it is better to diversify your squads. So while one can bring devastators with 4 multi-meltas inside a razorback (5 if you're using FW's infernus razorback to take another multi-melta), that razorback is going to draw too much attention and those devs are likely to be stranded.
  • Non-Ultramarines watch out. While spammable, Razorbacks aren't disposable. It can be infuriating to not be able to use a twin assault cannon because an enemy managed to touch the transport. Protect your boxes!
• Two Drop Pop: -- No longer as relevant after Chapter Approved. Land Raiders carrying slews of units can easily be arranged into an army with only two drops. Use that to get +1 to the roll to go first on an army that was built assuming first turn. It's never a smart move to compromise your army's effectiveness just to attempt to get first turn. Beware 1-drop Tau Manta armies (not because of their tactics, but because anyone who actually owns a Manta should be considered mentally unstable). The meta has shifted dramatically to beta strike armies. Lias Issodon, Drop Pods, Jump Pack Marines, Terminators, and Reivers all have built in Deep Striking on their Data Sheets, keeping units off the table until you deploy them later in the game. Deploying later in the game keeps units safe from gun fire, so you can guarantee your units get to shoot.
• STEEL REHN Revisited: The ability to deep strike on the first turn in Matched Play using Drop Pods is a significant boost to the Space Marines' offensive ability. We shouldn't need to go into detail about what this means for you^{please do, this is a tactics page}, but needless to say it lets you take the fight to the enemy much sooner than most armies can. Seriously though, this can get a bit stupid, this writer has killed entire 2500 point armies in two turns by stuffing the entire army in drop pods, suffering something like 6 models as casualties^How?. Yes, 6 MODELS, not units. Whilst this is ridiculous and broken, it does limit you to non-bulky infantry. You will lack termies, Dreads, or any large vehicles, so play with caution. Of course you could just bring some cheap backfill units, like artillery (Whirlwind anyone?^lmao) to counter this issue. Advised only to be done when you really, really need to win or teach someone a lesson. You will lose friends, you have been warned.

Getting Around Smite Spam

Space Marines are unusually vulnerable to Smite Spam armies, because Marines pay a premium for 3+ Armour and T4, yet all of that armour and toughness is useless against Smite. For that reason, it is good to sneak a Black Templar/Inquisition unit or two into a list to use their Stratagem. A Culexus Assassin is a major component to consider from the wider Imperium armies; a Culexus can be used to suppress the first turn of Smites. Fortunately, following the changes to how Smite works you aren't likely to see Smite spamming outside of Thousand Sons and Grey Knights armies nowadays. Still, there are many pseudo-smite or other useful powers that can be stopped. The Black Templars' CT and the Warded successor tactic are also an option. A 5+ against mortal wounds isn't great- but it's free, always active, doesn't require a Librarian to trigger, and also works on other sources of Mortal Wounds.

• Allying in other flavors of marines and other anti-psyker buffs just straight up is not worth it under Marine codex 2.0. You lose combat doctrines to take any non marine faction unit, and you lose your chapter specific doctrine if you have more than one chapter of marine in your army. Unless you know you're going up against a psyker heavy army, don't give up doctrines for a anti-psyker unit, and even then its probably not worth doing. Instead: nowadays all marines have a source of FnPs to help offset how much mortal wounds hurt, Iron Hands just rock the FnP army wide, every marine faction (except Black Templars) have access to the Psychic fortress power to give a unit a 4+ FnP against mortal wounds, so if you see you're up against a smite spam army, grab the psychic power during setup, and just play positioning games with the unit you buff so all the smites go into it instead of the rest of your army, and laugh as you shrug half of them. Or grab an apothecary and give all infantry near him a 5+ FnP. The list goes on. Point being, don't ditch doctrines to get anti-psyker units. either play black templars, shoot the smite spam army off the table before it can hurt you (its absolutely possible with marines now), or load up on FnPs to counter the smite spam. you have options now.

How to infiltrate

With the release of Phobos Armour, Marines have a lot of Vanguard options. Here is how to not be shot off the board.

Unless you're sure you can get the first turn, standing in the open exactly 9" from the enemy for a charge is not advisable. Always grab cover and LoS blocking positions when you can; Infiltrators can grant a large deepstrike denial aura, but if focused down while in the open, they become inefficient bullet magnets.

Army Composition

Deciding on what units to take generally comes down to what you want your force to accomplish on the tabletop. One school of thought is to avoid having too many various “types” of marines in one force, instead focusing on using lots of similar profiles in order to force opponents to attack units using suboptimal weapons. Using very little vehicles and lots of Infantry “wastes” your opponents anti-tank shots, for example. Or by having lots of heavy infantry and armour means that the small arms fire directed at you will be less effective. Other schools emphasize the modular nature of Space Marines and prioritize the taking of multiple styles of Marine units in order to more effectively deal with various threats. These two schools are extremes, and good list building most likely lands somewhere in the middle.

• The goal of making an army themed around a specific profile type is to reduce the effectiveness of your opponents shooting- an all-infantry army being more effective against anti-tank weapons is an obvious example, but similar principles apply to things like multi-wound attacks being overkill against single-wound units. However, this idea has one catastrophic flaw which should always be kept in mind: when the opponent is able to counter your chosen style and you don't have any units not of that style, they will counter you hard. Try to figure out what your enemy will be likely to use ahead of time so you don't pay for putting all your eggs in one basket!
  • All scouts is one type. Or all Power Armour-traditional. Go all Primaris or all-regular Marine, do not mix. You want to either be all 2 wound models or all 1 wound models. The 1 wound models would all suck were it not for the awesome veterans: Sternguard kill things; Vanguard with 2 chainswords (4 attacks) that's a lot of attacks that does add up well; Company Champions can carry 1 stormbolter and 1 chainsword for 18 points and intercept wounds meant for the characters. Even Tacticals have the advantage of being a cheap source of heavy+special weapons, if nothing else.
• The T5 family is all bikes, Inceptors and Aggressors. They'll be able to take a beating and things like Pedro Kantor+Aggressors are a powerful combo, but Bikes and Gravis-armoured Primaris Marines don't synergize very well with each other and you might end up leaving half your army behind if you don't pay extra for Repulsors (and it has to be Repulsors, Impulsors don't carry Gravis-armoured units).

Tactical Marines

The introduction of Primaris Marines all but stopped the popular use of Old Marines, it was hard to argue why you would wouldn't take the Nuboys, twice the wounds, an extra attack, an extra -1 ap and 6" on their weapon range all for a few extra points. However the new Codex Space Marines (8E) 2.0 gave the humble Tactical Marine a new lease on life. They can gain the benefit of all Doctrines, Devastator for heavy weapons and grenades, Tactical for bolters and special weapons and assault for their melee attacks. "MELEE?!!" You say, "Why would you trade the obviously superior shooting of their bolters?" and i say "Fools!!!, you know nothing of the glory days of yore, when the Metal Bawks' had the personality of a steam roller, clearing an inexorable path across the field of battle, when the holy Bolter was but a device to smear butter on any unfortunate newbs who happened to risk the wrath of the OG' to snatch an extra round of shooting at something more important."

• But enough of the nostalgia and theatrics. 2.0 gave marines a lot of what they had back in 2-3ED, +1A on charge, strike first if they charge (back then there was an Initiative stat (I) and charging granted +1I making marines I5 and against most armies except the Eldars and stealers this ment they got first strike), the new doctrines are an effective reintroduction of special rules you could purchase to allow you to flavour your marines to whatever chapters you had in mind. But now the glory days of Tactical Marine have returned, 2 shots with their bolter then another 2 in Melee, that makes for up to 41 S4 attacks per turn with a 10 man squad and 4.6 dead enemy MEQs before they can even react, with a base 10 man marine squad for only 120pts, with doctrines (either tactical or assault) and you get another dead enemy marine. Then the support options are all gravy. Consider using the Rhino rush strategy to deny the enemy ground, deliver your marines in safety and use them to soak up overwatch, you should muse over use of the trusty; Stay in combat and clean up during your opponents assault phase tactic to protect your units from shooting.
• Do you want to know what what they get now that they didn't get back in pre 8ED 2.0? 2. Damage. Melee. Attacks. The White scars take Tactical marines melee to a whole new stratosphere even if you only take generic Chapter Tactics. If you manage to preserve a 10 man Tactical squad until turn 3 they will of earned 21 S4 ap-1 2D melee attacks, that's 3.5 dead primaris, 2.3 dead TH/SS terminators, 4.6 wounds against a character with T4 2+ and ... wait for it ... 3.1 wounds against a T5 2+ Character (Abbadon springs to mind). Bear in mind this is a Full tactical squad with no weapon upgrades OR support of any other kind and in addition to any added bolter fire.
• A Captain/lieutenant adds about 10% damage to both melee and range, Chapter Master (-2CP) adds about 20% to both in melee and range, Chaplain w/litanies of hate (66% of the time) adds about 20% in melee only and a WS Master of Sanctity (-1CP) with both litanies of hate and strike off the head (88% of the time for 1 and 44% for both) adds about 40% damage boost in melee. You want to go all melee? Master of Sanctity. Want reliable? Go Chapter Master and want cheap but effective support? Go lieutenant.

Specific Builds

I Can't Believe It's Not Plasma

Take a Vanguard Detachment of Armenneus Valthex and a Chaplain (with Catechism of Fire) as HQs, 3 max squads of Sternguard as Elites. Use the CP generated by this detachment to give Armenneus the Storm of Fire trait. Congratulations, you now have a ball of cheese that puts out 60 S5 AP-2 shots. But that's not all, each shot has a 1/6 chance to be AP-3 and, assuming Catechism of Fire goes off, they wound on 2s, making them basically Plasma Guns (with a weaker damage). And if Tactical Doctrine is in effect, they're now discount Hellblasters. Suck it Cawl.

• This tactic can be slightly modified to remove the Chaplain, losing the wounding on 2s (and thus becoming only 80% as effective), but also becoming exactly 500 points in a single, Matched Play legal, detachment.
• Some mathhammer here, the Sternguard make 60 shots that hit on 3s, wound on 2s and are AP-2/-3 (or AP-3/-4 in Tactical Doctrine). This means that:
  • GEQs wouldn't get saves even without Armenneus, so why are you shooting at them? (For the curious, you'll deal 33.333 wounds to them)
  • MEQs will lose 23.148 wounds. Or 28.703 under Tactical Doctrine.
  • TEQs will get their 5++ save no matter what. So will lose 22.222 wounds.
  • A Leman Russ will lose 13.889 wounds. Or 17.222 under Tactical Doctrine. Yes, this means that even without Tactical Doctrine this is all the AT you need in a 2000 point game. And with Tactical Doctrine you can 1 shot a Malcador if you get lucky.
• This can be buffed by Chapter Tactics such as Bolter Fusillades, which increase you output by 1/6 mathematically.

Matchups and Counterplay

This is where matchups and counter-play is discussed. Feel free to add what tactics and strategies have worked against specific armies in your own personal experience. For simplicity's sake, let's assume that these are mono-lists and are not relying on allies (AKA Soup).

Imperium

• Space Marines: You already know what's good since it's been discussed at length in the articles above. Make sure you account for their Chapter Tactics, as they may cause them to follow a very different playstyle than your own army despite having the exact same units available to them.
• Blood Angels: The following 5 armies (lovingly referred to as other flavors of power armour) are mostly just your units mixed with some unique units and different chapter tactics. For Blood Angels, avoid melee if possible because they essentially get +1 to wound in the first round of combat. They often field lots of jump-pack infantry. Best known for their smash-captains, who rain terror down on battlefields everywhere- bring weapons that gain bonuses against things with the Fly keyword.
• Dark Angels: They're the shooty emo catholic marines who are secretly traitors hunting down loyal Dark Angels that they refer to as the Fallen THE MOST LOYAL SERVANTS OF THE EMPEROR. Their Chapter Tactic makes them almost immune to morale, plus they re-roll 1s to hit if they stand still. They are less reliant on generic characters such as Chaplains and their Masters (the equivalent of Captains), but they do gravitate toward named characters a lot more. Their Chapter Master Azrael gives a 4+ Invulnerable save to all non-vehicle units within 6" of him, making him particularly annoying against weapons that rely on high AP in order to do damage. Their specialty is in Plasma, Biker Squads, and Terminator squads. Their most famous stratagem, "Weapons of the Dark Age", boosts the damage of all Plasma weaponry a chosen unit fields by 1. It is frequently paired with their Chapter Master Azrael leading a maxed-out squad of Hellblasters toting the Heavy Plasma Incinerators for devastating effect. Their Ravenwing units have a stratagem that lets them advance and still shoot and charge normally, letting them have a 4+ Invulnerable save against ranged attacks, and allow them to bring their assault Plasma Talons to bear. Deathwing Terminators are fearless, and can drop 2cps to shoot the moment they arrive from reserves in order to clear a screen and allow other deep-striking units to close in on you. The Darkshroud, another commonly seen unit, gives an aura of -1 to hit and can advance in order to get the 4+ Jink save like other Ravenwing units. Counter the Azrael-Darkshroud-Hellblaster-WotDA castle with Transhuman physiology to protect against the plasma, and bypass the Darkshroud's 4+ Invuln with the Flakk Missile and Hellfire Shells stratagem to whittle it down and drop it.
• Space Wolves: Like Blood Angels they are also a melee-centric army, with +1 to hit instead of +1 to wound. They focus more on running instead of jump-packing. This addition they gravitate towards weapons like power fists with a -1 to hit. Units of wolves and Thunderwolf cavalry are common to see. They are still Space marines and have a range of Shooting vehicles, flying landraiders and better devastators to fill in range. Their units of wolves provide nice chaff units. Outside of Thunderwolf and Wulfen spam, there's not a lot to see here.
• Deathwatch: They're more elite Space Marines, who essentially have Sternguard Veterans as a troop choice and can gain bonuses against everything in a specific FOC slot. More importantly, they kept the Special Issue Ammunition that your veterans lost, which applies to all Bolter weaponry (minus Heavy Bolters and the Incinerator Heavy Bolters (Infernus Heavy Bolters)) fielded by their infantry and bike models.. They can mix Terminators, Assault Marines, and Bikers into said squads too, which is a funny gimmick. Their Watch Masters act like Chapter Masters, so be wary of an Intercessor blob with 5 hidden heavy hellblasters spitting out Hellfire rounds and S9 overcharged shots. They can deep-strike their entire army like Grey Knights, so a good screen and the Auspex Scan on a key unit of your choice should do well. Their Veterans like to hide Storm Shields in their squads to tank the odd Plasma gun or high-AP weapon shot, but with the new combat doctrines forcing a shit-ton of Bolter saves will hurt them, just as much as it does to your own units with Storm Shields. The Corvus is an overcosted flier just like your Storm Raven, a few Lascannons and multi-meltas will do you well. Again, using Transhuman Physiology against a unit's hellfire rounds will do you good, mitigating the 2+ to wound non-vehicle units.
• Grey Knights: Oh look, it's one of two armies that you can actually realistically outnumber (Knights are a third army you can outnumber, but they're tonka-tough). Let's be real: Grey Knights are long past the glory days of 5th Edition. Their equivalent units are either overcosted compared to yours or just flat-out suck, maybe with a few exceptions. Grand Masters in Dreadknights are one example, and the Chapter Master equivalent Kaldor Draigo is another one for the obvious reason. They can pull off decent alpha-strikes, but use Scout Squads and Infiltrators to zone out their deep strike bubbles and/or Auspex scan a unit of your choice. If you have access to Vanguard Primaris units, a couple combat squads of Infiltrators can not only block a Strike Squad out of Rapid Fire range, but also lock his entire army out of charge range. After that, it should be easy pickings as Grey Knights lack cost efficient means of mobility. Their interceptors are way too expensive for what they do and Stormravens are a major point sink that a few good lascannon and/or meltagun shots can swiftly take care of, so if you can hold onto the skies you should be in good shape.
  • I won't say too much here, cause I haven't read it in full yet, but Ritual of the Damned buffed these guys like crazy. Not saying they're game breakingly good now, but they're no slouches anymore. assume the above on Grey Knights isn't true, will update this when/if I get the book, or someone who knows more can update it.
• Imperial Guard: Don't let their weak statlines fool you. Guard are VERY tough to deal with this edition. Between dirt-cheap infantry, extremely weapon-dense deep striking units like scion command squads, and absurdly good for their cost tanks, Guard can take an enormous beating and deal one out in turn. We'll point out the linchpin - Officers! Snipe out those low-wound characters to neuter the enemy chain of command and his infantry will suddenly be a LOT less impressive. Take a squad or two of Sniper Scouts or Eliminators. Vehicles to beware include the Leman Russ if it has the Conqueror Battle Cannon and the Executioner Plasma Cannon, Hellhounds, and any artillery vehicle. Now with the new codex and supplements (and the power creep that follows), we have LOTS of potential ways to counter the Guard's shenanigans, turnabout is fair play from their horrific index cheese. The Devastator Doctrine makes a mockery of guard tanks on turn 1, moreso if you're using Imperial Fists. The Tactical Doctrine will help you shred guard squads a bit easier (the guard player can't issue orders if there's nobody TO issue an order to), and the Assault Doctrine should be considered as a mop-up action. Consider taking Raven Guard Eliminators, and on turn 2 pop the tactical doctrine so you can snipe officers on 2+ (stick a Phobos Captain next to them to re-roll those pesky 1s), and deal mortal wounds on 5+. If you decide to wall-bang them with the Executioner Rounds you'll at least wound them on a 2+ and force saves. Thunderfire Cannons can shoot twice with the Suppressing Fire stratagem, enabling it to mulch 2 guard units in a turn (preferably any fragile Heavy Weapon Squad). A squad of 5 Reivers with combat knives and taking advantage of Shock Assault will throw out 21 attacks while lowering the Guard’s already weak Ld, wiping out entire 10-model squads in a single combat + morale.
• Adeptus Mechanicus: The weird middle-child between you and the Imperial Guard, Adeptus Mechanicus' can elect to run modestly cheap Skitarii-focused armies or eschew the tin men for the Cult Mechanicus tank-like Kataphrons. Either way, most AdMech players will likely be running their squads MSU style to get around their poor leadership. Weapons like Heavy Bolters strike a nice medium for ripping through most of their infantry, though you'll definitely want to pack a few Lascannons to handle any Dunecrawlers or Kastelan Robots. Other than the knights, not a single admech unit has t8, they also practically have no rapid fire weaponry and awful but universal invuls, making meltas a more or less perfect way to deal with most if not all their units. Don't underestimate the basic Skitarii though, their Arquebus sniper rifles and Plasma Calivers can easily chew through your marines if they get the chance, but thankfully they fall quickly if given any attention, which could be worth it anyway, considering that and their weapons cost a small fortune compared to other GEQ like units. Be aware that most admech armies have more than enough s6+ weaponry to chew through your marines, cover or not, if they dont have a better target, so bring vehicles to distract and counter the heavier elements while you play for objectives. Also, be careful when deploying and go for the second turn, they can and will happily kill or strand your marines and lighter vehicles if you are the first to break cover.
• Adeptus Ministorum: If you see someone using sisters at a tournament, be VERY afraid - sisters are one of, if not the, weakest armies in the current meta, so if you see someone using them in competitive play, they’re either insane or a tactical genius to rival Creed. This may change when if the new codex comes out, but for now if you face sisters take Centurions and any other mass-bolter fire unit.
• Adeptus Custodes:You will outnumber these golden boys, big time, but they are tough as nails and hit like a sock with a halfbrick. Best known for their jetbikes, which have hilarious amounts of firepower and are lethal in melee for good measure. Do not engage in combat if you can help it and bring as many sources of Mortal Wounds as you can.
  • At least until they get to bring Sisters of Silence along with them.
• Imperial Knights: Remember, Imperial Knights seem intimidating and are armed to the teeth, but they lack board control. If you have the second player turn, pop the Prepared Positions stratagem and watch as all your vehicles and infantry have 4+ saves against the Knights' Battlecannons! It's better than a 5 or 6+ save, after all. Lascannon spam, deep striking squads full of Meltaguns, or Chainfist Terminators can deal with Imperial Knights fairly well. As a general rule, Imperial Knights prefer their titanic feet attacks in melee compared to their arm weapons, aside from the Gallant variants. Best advice: play to the mission! Your best bet is to win on objective points, as most armies don't have the firepower to take down an army of knights. You can, however, wear them down enough to make them much less of a threat.
  • The basic Knight Paladin is armed with a Rapid Fire Battlecannon and the Reaper Chainsword, with two Stubbers. It's versatile, but a simple 2d6 Battlecannon shots is not quite as devastating as you think compared to its cost. The Imperial guard get 2d6 battlecannon shots on one battle tank that stands still, for 1/3 the cost of a Knight Paladin!
  • The Knight Errant trades its RFBC for a Thermal Cannon that is half the range, but absolute cancer to vehicles and multi-wound models.
  • The Knight Warden has a Thunderstrike Gauntlet and a RFBC base that can be exchanged for the Avenger Gatling Cannon, a 12 shot beast capable of reliably deleting your infantry units.
  • The Knight Crusader is the dakka knight, it has a Thermal Cannon (that can be swapped for a RFBC) and the Gatling Cannon.
  • The addition of Armiger Knights makes things a bit more challenging as they can offer a bit more board control for the Knights at the expense of durability. The Armiger Helverins are superior to Autocannon Predators every day of the week, and Armiger Warglaives that get too close will wreck vehicles and heavy infantry in short order.
  • The Dominus Knight variants are perhaps the biggest challenge. Both variants have weaker Battle cannons, and Shieldbreaker Missiles that can target characters, even out of LoS, for 2CPs. The infamous Dominus Castellan has a mini Volcano Cannon and a Plasma Decimator, it is capable of one-shotting two Land Raider equivalent vehicles per turn. Apologies Knight Crusader, THIS is the Dakka knight. The Dominus Valiant has a fuck-huge Harpoon that does a flat 10 damage and an additional d3 mortal wounds to a model that somehow survived the initial shot (Full strength Land Raider or Storm Raven). It also has a gigantic flamethrower for crowd control. The problem with the Valiant is that its weapons aside from the Shield Breaker missiles are so short ranged that you'll have a fairly easy time throwing enough meltagun shots and drowning it in mass bolter fire at it to destroy it. The same cannot be said for the long ranged Castellan who will try and play the keep away game.

Chaos

• Chaos Space Marines: Some matchups will play out like a mirror match depending on the Legion traits, but Chaos Space marines have a better combination of USRs, as Death to the False Emperor will come into effect more often than ATSKNF. Like you, they have the shock assault and Bolter Discipline rules, making World Eaters armies horrifying on the charge.
• Chaos Daemons: They often come in four flavors. Khorne Daemons hit like freight trains on the charge with all of their characters granting re-rolls on failed charges, and by paying command points to get Banners of Blood, they will often make their charges out of deep strike. Their shooting is a joke and basic Bloodletters are surprisingly fragile at T3, but a Khorne player worth their salt will make sure to lock you down to prevent you from capitalizing on it. Nurgle is obscenely tough to kill with the Disgustingly Resilient rule but like the Death Guard it's fucking slow. Slaanesh is fragile, but they are very fast and you will likely be staring turn 1 charges in the face if you don't back your shit up as far back as possible. Tzeentch is arguably the easiest to deal with as they are only good at range, and your ranged abilities will exceed theirs. Just remember to take librarians to deny some of their smites. Thunderfire Cannons and anything with an Assault Cannon will do well to hack up their infantry, and good lord deal with any greater daemons before they get close otherwise you're fucked, no other way to put it. Iron Hands and Ultramarine Chapter Tactics will do you well here, overwatching on a 5+ combined with a 6+ shrug will let you weather the storm, and Guilliman's aura will make a Daemon player (or any opponent, really)cry.
• Death Guard: Mortal Wound spam out the ass, lots of rerollable wounds, and Disgustingly Resilient making their units extra-hardy. Fun times abound! They have the stronger Chaos Primarch, Mortarion. Morty is also known as that guy who absorbs all your fire even when he doesn't have any buffs to support him before ramming his rusted, STD-infested scythe up your army's gaping sphincter. Good thing they're slow as shit. Use that to your advantage.
• Thousand Sons: They have the weaker Chaos Primarch, Magnus the Red. Magnus is also known as the guy who dies in 1 turn of shooting even if he receives all of the defensive buffs first. However, "weaker" should still not be misinterpreted as being the same as "weak", because he can still rip and tear with the best of them. Thousand Sons are an army that relies on their psychic phase more than anyone aside from Daemons and Grey Knights, and they've got access to way more powers than either of those. Their Tzaangors can create a nasty suicide unit by either moving forward with Warp Time, or deep striking in front of you and then charging.
• Renegade Knights: See Imperial Knights above. They share a lot of traits with them, but favor melee to a greater extent and can mix and match weapon types to a degree.
• Renegades and Heretics (FW): This will play out much like a Guard match, but the difference is they still have access to morale-immunity on their hordes of renegades. Take Scout Snipers and assassinate their Enforcers like you would a Company Commander/Commissar!

Xenos

• Tau: Tau vs. Marine matchups exist in a weird space as Tau are both devastating at range, and a pain in the ass to charge with their bonuses to overwatch. At the same time, space marine armies (regardless of composition) are strongly middle-range armies. Part of surviving tau is closing in with the enemy with multiple units to force the split of overwatch. Youre not going to outshoot them, and while you should beat them in close combat, you're not a close combat army either. While they have indirect fire options, a huge part of their mechanics rely on line of sight, so cover becomes remarkably important. Tau guns are strong but are usually wielded as BS4+, so anything with minuses to-hit (like Raven Guard units) will fare well against Tau. Ensure to remove supporting drones with bolters before shooting your lascannons at the battlesuits, or your shots will likely be wasted. Sniping buffing characters like Fireblades and Ethereals will make your life easier. Most importantly, Tau often castle up to make the most of their synergies. If they do, don't try take them head-on, instead just play the mission and win on victory points!
• Craftworld Eldar: Classic Eldar are known for two things: psychic powers and hyper-specialized units. Use a few snipers or psykers of your own to shut down or prevent Farseers/Warlocks from supporting their units or debuffing/smiting yours. This will cripple the Craftworlders significantly, as many of their units will begin to struggle against MEQ without their buffs helping them work around their otherwise garbage GEQ statlines. As for units like their aspect warriors, simply take advantage of their weaknesses; Howling Banshees, Striking Scorpions and Fire Dragons are practically helpless at range, while units like Dark Reapers, Swooping Hawks and Shadow Spectres are considerably easier in melee. Wraith units might have devastating firepower and can still easily throw down in a fist fight, but all variants are generally slow and have very limited ranges on their weapons. If you lack heavier firepower to simply punch through their armour and toughness, you can still kite them with relative ease and whittle them down.
• Dark Eldar: This faction is a bit special in that their codex more or less divides itself into three armies so here's an entry for each.
  • Kabals: Death of a thousand cuts. Most of their units will whittle you down with splinter fire since your T 4 doesn't mean a thing to them, and they have a startling lack of multi damage weapons outside of Dark Lances and the like making Primaris units quite useful as short of disintegrators they don't have any cost effective solution to bringing them down. Moreover their infantry fold under bolt fire like guardsmen and are quite afraid of it; luckily Venoms also crumple easily under massed bolter fire, Raiders and Ravagers are slightly tougher but will quickly fall apart under heavier firepower however. That being said, do not underestimate the speed or cost-effective anti-tank their vehicles can bring.
  • Wych Cults: One of the two combat heavy sides to the DE with terrific invuln saves in combat, avoid melee if you can even with your own dedicated CQC units as they will get bogged down pretty quickly and your more ranged units will either be killed or mauled quite badly. However, the good news is outside of combat they're essentially useless and like the one above massed bolt fire will work wonders, even against their transports, and Assault Cannons are just their worst nightmare. Be prepared to fall back as often as you'll be able to open up their units to your fire, but hey, you're the Imperium: when is Guns O' Clock not the solution?
  • Covens: The other combat heavy side that relies on being obscenely tough. Everyone gets an invulnerable save, be it close combat or at range. Quick, but not as fast as the Wyches, so finishing them off with well placed charges can be effective. They can also bring a fair amount of beefy monsters and can harm your Primaris marines a fair bit more reliably. The best way to beat their invuln saves is by swamping them in Bolter fire which doesn't care about armor.
• Harlequins: Death of a thousand honks . . . wait. In all seriousness though these lot are FAST, like insanely fast, like genestealer fast! Okay maybe not that fast, but still they well be in your lines turn 2 at the latest. Unfortunately for you they can and will shred Marines faster than you can blink so avoid melee like the plague. Good news is even though they all have a 4++ or better they're still T 3 so massed bolters will wipe out whole units at a time. Bad news is they'll make sure they have transports, which have 4++ and a -1 to hit so taking them down quick will be a challenge, mortal wounds will bypass those well enough or a well positioned librarian with Nullzone can lead to you wiping out most of their army in one go.
• Ynnari: This particular faction of space elves can be a bit tricky to plan for, but invariably the weakest of the them all. The bad news is they are already tailormade to fuck you up as MSU is their preferred targets, the good news is they're a semi decent close combat army at best so the usual tactics apply. To really shut them down however it's best to bring some psychic denial to stop the new hotness for them Unbind Souls their version of Doom that'll only apply in combat, which means librarians or Black Templars. Next to worry about is their few key strategems which can make any of their characters get back up on a 4+, or the two separate ones they have to give reroll to wound against your units. Be warned you'll probably be facing dual battalions which means lots of elves, hope you brought your bolters.
• Tyranids: Almost an automatic win for you if you have a competent list. Kill off synapse and any significant firepower they may bring. Rub salt in the wound with your plethora of sniper weapons. You truly do not need help here.
• Genestealer Cults: Imperial Guard with Tyranid flavor, or Tyranid with Imperial Guard flavor? In all seriousness, deepstriking Genestealers with armoured support to back it up sounds like a very daunting prospect. As with Nids, avoid melee with anything that has a Rending Claw, Rock cutters/saws, or power hammers if possible. Remember to zone out ambushing units with Scouts. If you're planning on mixing in the new Primaris Vanguard units, remember that Infiltrators and the Phobos Captain can deny deep strikes within 12", making them and scouts your best friends against GSC by pushing them out of charge range. Ultramarines or Imperial Fists work well because the smurfs can fall back and still shoot, and the Fists can ignore cover (which a GSC player worth their salt would spring for). Unfortunately if you're reliant on offensive Librarians for damage, a single Magus will make you cry by giving all GSC units within 6" of it a free Deny the Witch. If that wasn't enough, Jackal Alphuses and Sanctuses will then proceed to heap the pain on characters with their Silencer sniper rifles (AP-1, d3 damage and forces perils on psykers that lose a wound to the shot). Kelermorphs are also bonkers since even if they don't have the relic pistol Oppressor's Bane they will snipe a non-screened Librarian, Chaplain, or Lieutenant with ease.
• Necrons: You shouldn't really need any help killing Necrons, but just in case: play for keeps and don't leave half-eaten units around. If you fail to wipe a unit, Reanimation Protocol will see a bunch of their slain models return (funnily enough, losses to morale do not count). Necron Wraiths and Lychguard with sword and board have especially good invulnerable saves, but a speedy Librarian build (Terminator, Index Bike, Jump Pack) with the Null Zone psychic power will make a mockery of them. The really solid unit Necrons have are Destroyers. Wraiths will constantly absorb firepower, while warrior blobs will harm your units badly if they can waddle into rapid fire range.
• Orks: You shouldn't really need any help killing Orks, but just in case: the most important thing is target prioritizing. Take a lot of infantry mulching guns and unload into the massive units of Ork Boyz your opponent brought, and focus your anti-armour guns on popping their transport open. If you have any dedicated melee units of your own, don't rush into combat; that's playing right into the Ork players hand. Hold them back and let your guns soften the enemy up before intercepting them when they get too close. Also, keep in mind that 'ere We Go! allows orks to pull of charges from a surprising distance, so don't let that catch you off guard. Finally, if you must go toe-to-toe with a Warboss, make sure your character has a Storm Shield: Warbosses hit like a freight train and the Ork player can use the stratagem Orks is never defeated to guarantee that the boss gets a chance to fight. Orks are a volume army (both in T4 wounds and S4 attacks)... snipers picking off key buffing characters and the Warboss can cripple them.

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Warhammer 40,000 Tactics Articles (10th Edition)

General Tactics	General Weapons Terrain
Imperium	Space Marines (Black Templars, Blood Angels, Dark Angels, Deathwatch, Space Wolves) Grey Knights
	Adeptus Mechanicus Adeptus Titanicus Imperial Knights Imperial Guard Sisters of Battle
	Adeptus Custodes & Sisters of Silence Imperial Agents (Inquisition, Rogue Traders, etc.)
Chaos	Chaos Space Marines (Death Guard Thousand Sons World Eaters)
	Chaos Daemons Chaos Knights Chaos Titans
Eldar	Eldar (Craftworlds, Corsairs, Harlequins, Ynnari) Dark Eldar
Necrons	Necrons
Orks	Orks
Tau	Tau
Tyranids	Tyranids Genestealer Cults
Votann	Leagues of Votann

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Warhammer 40,000 Tactics Articles (9th Edition)

General Tactics	General Movement Psychic Fortifications Tactical Terrain Weapons Apocalypse
Imperium	Space Marines (Blood Angels Dark Angels Deathwatch Space Wolves) Grey Knights
	Adeptus Mechanicus Adeptus Titanicus Imperial Knights Imperial Guard Sisters of Battle
	Adeptus Custodes & Sisters of Silence Inquisition Officio Assassinorum Rogue Traders
Chaos	Chaos Space Marines (Death Guard Thousand Sons World Eaters)
	Chaos Daemons Chaos Knights Renegades and Heretics
Eldar	Craftworld Eldar Dark Eldar Harlequins Ynnari
Necrons	Necrons
Orks	Orks
Tau	Tau
Tyranids	Tyranids Genestealer Cults
Votann	Leagues of Votann

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Warhammer 40,000 Tactics Articles (8th Edition)

General Tactics	General Movement Psychic Fortifications Apocalypse
Imperium	Space Marines Blood Angels Dark Angels Deathwatch Grey Knights Space Wolves
	Talons of the Emperor (Custodes and Sisters of Silence) Adeptus Mechanicus
	Adeptus Ministorum (Sisters of Battle and minor factions) Adeptus Titanicus
	Imperial Knights Imperial Guard Inquisition Officio Assassinorum
Chaos	Chaos Space Marines (Death Guard Thousand Sons)
	Chaos Daemons Chaos Knights Renegades and Heretics
Eldar	Eldar Dark Eldar Harlequins
Necrons	Necrons
Orks	Orks
Tau	Tau
Tyranids	Tyranids Genestealer Cults

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Warhammer 40,000 Tactics Articles (7th Edition)

General Tactics	General Movement Psychic Fortifications
Imperium	Space Marines (Siege Assault Vanguard) Blood Angels Dark Angels Deathwatch Grey Knights Space Wolves
	Adeptus Custodes Cult Mechanicus Skitarii Adeptus Sororitas
	Imperial Knights Inquisition Officio Assassinorum
	Imperial Guard (Armoured Battlegroup Death Korps of Krieg Assault Brigade Death Korps of Krieg Siege Regiment Elysian Drop Troops D-99)
Chaos	Chaos Space Marines Khorne Daemonkin Chaos Daemons Renegades and Heretics
Eldar	Eldar Dark Eldar Harlequins Corsairs
Necrons	Necrons
Orks	Orks Ork Dred Mob
Tau	Tau
Tyranids	Tyranids Genestealer Cults

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Warhammer 40,000 Tactics Articles (6th Edition)

General Tactics	General Movement Psychic Fortifications
Imperium	Space Marines Blood Angels Dark Angels Grey Knights Space Wolves
	Adeptus Sororitas Inquisition
	Imperial Guard (Armoured Battlegroup Death Korps of Krieg Assault Brigade Death Korps of Krieg Siege Regiment Elysian Drop Troops) Militarum Tempestus
Chaos	Chaos Space Marines Chaos Daemons Renegades and Heretics
Eldar	Eldar Dark Eldar Corsairs
Necrons	Necrons
Orks	Orks Ork Dred Mob
Tau	Tau
Tyranids	Tyranids

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Warhammer 40,000 Tactics Articles (All)

General Tactics	General (8th) Movement (8th 7th) Psychic (8th 7th 2nd) Fortifications (8th 7th) Tactical Terrain Apocalypse (8th)
Imperium (8th)	Space Marines (8th 7th 6th 5th 4th 3rd) Blood Angels (8th 7th) Dark Angels (8th 7th) Deathwatch (8th 7th) Grey Knights (8th 7th 6th 5th 3rd, AKA Daemonhunters) Space Wolves (8th 7th 6th 5th)
	Talons of the Emperor (Custodes and Sisters of Silence) (8th 7th) Adeptus Mechanicus (8th 7th) Adeptus Ministorum (Sisters of Battle and minor factions) (8th 7th 6th 3rd, AKA Witch Hunters) Adeptus Titanicus (8th)
	Imperial Knights (8th 7th) Imperial Guard (8th 7th 6th 5th 3rd) Inquisition (8th 7th 6th) Officio Assassinorum (8th 7th)
Chaos	Chaos Space Marines (8th 7th 6th 5th) Death Guard (8th) Khorne Daemonkin - 7th Edition Thousand Sons (8th) Chaos Daemons (8th 7th) Chaos Knights (8th) Renegades and Heretics (8th 7th 6th)
Eldar	Eldar (8th 7th 6th 5th) Dark Eldar (8th 7th 6th 5th 3rd Revised) Harlequins (8th 7th)
Necrons	Necrons (8th 7th 6th 5th 4th)
Orks	Orks (8th 7th 6th 5th 3rd) Ork Dred Mob - 7th edition (6th 5th) Ork Kult of Speed - 3rd edition Feral Orks - 3rd edition
Tau	Tau (8th 7th 6th 5th)
Tyranids	Tyranids (8th 7th 6th 5th) Genestealer Cults (8th 7th)

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