Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team (HoR)/Tactics/Space Marines(8E)

They're the Space Marines. By now you should know how they run, even if it's just by word of mouth. They're easy to build, easy to make, they're tough, and yet have a great deal of flexibility available to them, allowing for a big variety of armies. While not as grand as Deathwatch in diversity, this is nothing to scoff at, even in such a small scale like HoR.

This gives you the rundown of all the basic Space Marines. Primaris have their own Opus, as do Black Templars (Though they have their own Opus for more unique stuff), Blood Angels, Dark Angels, Deathwatch, and Space Wolves.

Your common keywords are Imperium, Adeptus Astartes, <Chapter>

Rules

• Chapter Tactics: Same as the codex, though there are tactics for a slew of new chapters as well as a few tweaks. If you decide not to take a chapter tactic, you can just take a free TP.
  • Salamanders: Only your Leader and up to 5 other models can benefit from the re-rolls, which is only fair because otherwise they'd be too fucking OP.
  • Iron Hands: You can grab a Tech-adept as a leader. For 20 points extra, you can upgrade them to Iron Father and give +2 Wounds and +1 A.
  • Red Scorpions: Purity Above All - A Tactical, Sternguard, or Intercessor Sergeant can grab a narthecium for 15 pts, but it bars you from taking an Apothecary.
  • Carcharodons: Reavers of the Outer Darkness - Your tacs and Intercessors can replace their bolter with a chainsword/knife for free. They can also buy a second chainsword for 1 point or a chainaxe for 2. Enemies within 1" of them take -1 to Ld.
  • Howling Griffons: Hold to Your Oaths! - A model can re-roll 1s on the fight phase if they are in a battle where your side outnumbers the enemy. All auras also gain +3".
  • Fire Angels: No Mercy From the Edge of the Blade - All models gain a 6++ save. Anyone with a chainsword can spend 3 pts for a power sword instead.
  • Marines Errant: Void Warriors - All models re-roll any saves against weapons with random damage. Their frags are all S4 now as well, because TACTICOOL.
  • Raptors: Legendary Marksmen - Their bolt weapons can turn into Heavy 1 weapons and suffer no penalties from range or cover. If they roll a 6 to hit, the AP becomes -3. As an added bonus, they gain a +2 bonus from cover for turn 1 only.
  • Exorcists: Armour of Contempt - All models can deny one power a turn at a -1 penalty, while Librarians can re-roll their deny checks. If any model takes a wound from a power, they ignore it on a 5+, making them a pretty strong anti-psyker army.
  • Mantis Warriors: Models without the Fly or Terminator keywords can ignore difficult terrain penalties and if they charge from cover, they get an extra attack.
  • Executioners: Head-Takers - A model that rolls a 6 to hit in close combat adds +1 to the damage for that hit. They also ignore penalties to Ld and Hit rolls in melee that are caused by enemy abilities or psykers.
  • Red Hunters: Mnemonic Redaction Protocols - Roll 1d6 for random effects!
    • 1. All models can fire rapid-fire weapons after advancing, though be wary of the penalty.
      2. Any models that are charged get a bonus attack on the next turn.
      3. Your models can automatically advance 6" instead of 3", making your mobility game frightening.
      4. Any models that charge gain +1 S for the turn.
      5. All models may re-roll to hit when overwatching.
      6. Sorry, you get shit this game.
  • Star Phantoms: Lords of Ruin - All models can hit on 5+ when using Overwatch and can adjust their reserve rolls by +/- 1. Once per game, you can also make all models re-roll any 1s to hit while shooting.
  • Minotaurs: Brazen Fratricide - Your models gain +1 to advance and charge distances. In addition, any time you roll a 6 to hit against other space marines in close combat, you get a free attack.
  • Sons of Medusa: Strength of the Machine - Your tactics are similar to your forebears in that you can take a Tech-Adept as an HQ (though no upgrades) and gain a 6++ Invuln save. However, your techboys can also fix up marines just as good as vehicles, making your durability really high for cheaper.
  • Novamarines: Xeno Hunters - Your models can re-roll 1s to wound models without the Imperium or Chaos keywords. If you already have this (Like, say, having a Lieutenant), then you re-roll 1s to hit rolls.
  • Black Dragons: Curse of the Dragon - Any models without melee weapons that roll a 6 to hit in close combat roll count that hit as having AP-2. Any models with proper weapons just get +1 S on the charge.
  • Storm Wardens: Unparalleled Duelists - Any model with a power sword can instead buy a relic blade ad the proper cost. If any model ends up in one-on-one combat with an enemy model, then the enemy must re-roll all saves.
  • Soul Drinkers: Cold and Fast - Any model that rolls a 6 to hit with any bolt weapon at half-range gets to make another attack. All models can also consolidate 4" and can move towards any battle they wish.
  • Blood Ravens: Knowledge is Power - Whenever an enemy spends a TP, you roll a d6: on a 4-5, you gain a TP, on a 6, you gain that TP and foil the enemy's Tactical Action unless they spend a second TP. Psykers also gain +1 to cast.
  • Iron Snakes: The Strongest are Strongest Alone - Tactical, Assault, and Intercessor marines all get +1 to hit if they are outnumbered in close combat. Apothecaries also gain +1 to their heal rolls.

• Experienced Leader: Your leader allows you to take any Special models that share the all same keywords as they do as Core models. If the leader has models that are already core and share all the same keywords, then you can take twice as many.

• Teleport Homer: If you have a model in your team that can take a teleport homer (Read: Termies), they can take one, with extras costing 5 points a pop. They also give you the ability to make an emergency teleport if you want to bail out models that are in danger of getting killed.

Armoury

Honoured Relics of the Chapter

• Wings of Night (Raven Guard): Your jump pack gains a single-use smoke launcher for 5 points. Honestly not the worst thing to throw onto an assault sarge.
• Shadow of Death (Raven Guard): An uber-sniper with Heavy 2 S5 AP-1. This power, however, is quite costly.
• Gladius Honorifica (Ultramarines): An off-hand weapon that's otherwise a glorified CCW with AP-1, but you can make d3 attacks with this sword if you throw all your model's normal attacks with a power weapon that isn't a fist. It's even a pretty cheap grab.
• Banner of Black Reach (Ultramarines): Sergeant or Veteran only. If an enemy ends a charge within 1" of a model within 6" of the bearer, that enemy must test Ld to pile in and immediately fight, but cannot fight in the following Fight phase.
• Blizzard of Inwit (Imperial Fists): Leader only. It's a beefier storm bolter.
• Phalanx Shield (Imperial Fists): Leader without bike or jump pack only. This is essentially a storm shield that robs your guy of 1" of movement and forces all advance moves to be 3" or less, but any attacks with AP0 must re-roll to wound. This is pretty great for a terminator or vanguard who wants to show how to tank shit.
• Fist of Vengeance (Crimson Fists): Non-Primaris Leader only. You gain a beefier power fist that can even ignore the penalty to hit when facing Orks. Do note that this has a different price when put on a terminator, in which case it becomes much more of a steal.
• Combi-Shotgun (Crimson Fists): It's a shotgun. It's a bolter. Why did someone put this together? Because you like the bolter but want the shotgun's close-quarters boost.
• Malleus Malificarum (Black Templars): Leader only. See that Psyker over there? Now your boys hate it. Any 6s to hit deal a mortal wound instead of whatever else, which may be keen for your chainswords and bolters, but it'll fuck over flamers and fists. You can even redirect it in the event of facing Grey Knights or Thousand Sons.
• Sword Savant (Black Templars): Leader only. Your boss is now better at swinging swords, granting a +1 to attacks and they can re-roll 1s to hit with any swords (meaning chainswords and power swords. No Eviscerators.)
• Heartseeker Lance (White Scars): Leader only. It's a power spear that can be thrown, though it can be used on the charge. Charging deals damage equal to half the enemy's Toughness, which is damn scary. The ranged statline isn't as remarkable.
• Auxiliary Ramjet (White Scars): Leader on Bike only. It gives your biker the ability to charge after advancing during the first two turns, which is just as well for the alpha strike.
• Breath of the Forge (Salamanders): Leader or Tech-Adept only. This is a pretty frightening flamer, but it's very variable. Its damage and AP are ad +d3 and Strength is the sum of both of these values +1. The only constant is the four shots it fires.
• Drakescale Raiment (Salamanders): This gives your model some resistance against random-hit weapons like the flamer by forcing a re-roll if they shoot within 8".
• Ice-Cold Logician (Iron Hands): Your model can still shoot a enemy if they're within 1" of an ally.
• Enhanced Tactical Cognition (Iron Hands): This lets you score first turn on a 5+ but this can't be re-rolled. In all honesty, this is kinda rough for a single-use chance for a first turn.

Armour Upgrades

Your models can only take two upgrades unless they're the leader.

• Sanctified Warplate: Leader only. It gives a little perk if you roll a 6 on a save, which is decent for the price.
• Purity Seals: Your model can re-roll a single hit, wound, or save roll, which might be pretty critical.
• Perigrinus Targeter Helm: Model with Fly only. If you wanna hit other flyers, this is how you can even the field, and for dirt cheap.
• Bionics: Ability to ignore wounds, check. No clue if this stacks with the Iron Hands tactic, but if it doesn't, it's a wash.
• Containment Field: Leader only. This gives you a 4++ against shooting and reduces the damage from random weapons, which is a good deal stronger but quite costlier.
• Teleporter: Terminators only. Instead of moving, your fattie can now jump 2d6" around, which is useful, but you can't fall back and shoot.
• Suspensors: Your heavy weapon ignores the penalty for shooting on the move, but your weapon's range is halved.
• Armour of Alacrity: Non-Terminator leader only. This gives a slightly better move rate, but the bigger draw is the re-rollable save, which you'd really want for a tanky marine.
• Larraman's Blessing: You now have a regenerating save. Not quite the thing you need for a Smashfucker, but it's a start.
• Refractor Field: A 5++ Invuln, same as always.

Additional Wargear

• Auspex: If you find reinforcements, you bring one of these and make the team shoot the crap outta them.
• Auxiliary Grenade Launcher: If you really need to use your grenades, this will give you a hefty boost to the range.
• Marksman's Honour: Leader only. This lets your boss re-roll 1s to hit on shooting if they didn't move, but it's not gonna save you against plasma.
• Signum: Leader only. Sacrifice one round of shooting to boost an ally's BS by +1.
• Master-Crafted Weapon: Adds +1 to one weapon's damage. This won't stack on anything already master-crafted, and won't stack on a relic.
• Armourium Cherub: You can grab up to two of these freaky robot-babbies.
• Oath of the Crusader: Damn cheap for such a major effect. Do yourself a favor and grab these babies.
• Sacred Standard: This gives you either a second source of IP or doubles the range of an existing one, both of which can be vital. If the bearer kicks it, anyone who was within its range gains a bonus attack, and the enemy gains a VP if your leader was the one who carried it.
• Smoke Grenade: It's a bit shorter range than a basic grenade, but it gives a 3" bubble that you can hide in to avoid gunfire for the turn. Do note that grenade launchers cannot work with this, so it won't matter who you give it to, and this isn't cover.
• Turbo Maximus: Bike or Jump Pack only. This is costly, but it'll pretty much guarantee you one vital charge.
• Hypercharger: You exchange 1 BS for 1 damage, which can make this an auto-buy for flamers and can give you the shot you need to wipe off an enemy if you can game the odds enough.

Weapons of the Armoury

• Photon Beam: Tech-Adept only. This is a debuffing weapon, with one mode giving the debuff on top of a pretty nice gun (S5 AP-2 D1) while the other one just deals the debuff at a long range.
• Purification Vials: Apothecary only. You can grab multiples of this special poisoned grenade. It'll wound anyone it hits on a 2+, though it's useless on vehicles.
• Soulstorm Staff: Lexicanum only. It's a force stave with a flamer on top, giving a flamer with a variable AP cost, which can possibly be devastating.
• Teeth of the Legion: Leader only. This chainsword's nicer than the basic build and it can deal a lot of damage if you score a 6 to hit. It's also quite cheap if you have a need to go to town.

Philosophies

• The Emperor Protects: +1 TP for never using Tactical Re-Roll.
• Hammer of the Imperium: +2 TP, but you really need to make the first Tactical Action or else lose those TP.
• For the Primarch!: +1 TP for only using your chapter's Tactical Action.
• The Old Guard: +1 TP for not including Primaris or Scouts. Well, you'll find this an easy grab if you use this one.
• The First Company: +1 TP for having a team that only uses veterans and termies. Considering their cost, you'll be needing any TP you can get.
• Unseen Warfare: +1 TP for having a a team that only has Scouts and Reivers.

Tactical Actions

• Bathed in Glory (1 TP): This makes sure that you hold onto an objective when confronted with many assailants, but it expects that the model you pick can hold on long enough for backup to arrive because you'll otherwise give up a free VP if they die.
• Against the Odds (1 TP): Considering the cost of a marine, it's very likely that you'll end up outnumbered. This can be the nudge to keep your odds even.
• Battleforged Wisdom (2 TP): Whenever your leader kills another character or 3 lesser models, you can give him a Warlord Trait, which is pretty awesome to consider.
• Sign of the Aquila (1 TP): You can force an enemy to charge one model of your choice, which is really good for directing attention to your terminators while leaving the backup to handle the original target. Do be careful however, as this only attracts the closest model, and this might leave a deadlier enemy free to charge on their own initiative.
• Shadowed Pinions (2 TP): Raven Guard only. This gives any flying models that enter from reserves a hefty invuln so they can last long enough to bumrush the enemy.
• Grand Strategy (1 TP): Ultramarines only. You pull this one off during deployment, making the enemy deploy models while you stall until you see where they go and restrategize. Don't expect to use this on all tables depending on how you set up deployment, but this is really helpful.
• Close-Range Bolter Drill (2 TP): Imperial Fists only. This is like rules such as Death to the False Emperor in that you score an extra hit if you roll a 5+ to hit with a bolt-weapon at half range, but these hits are automatic.
• The Great Hunt (3 TP): White Scars only. Okay, holy shit. Extra attacks for having enemies near you? That's really batshit to throw at a power axe or some really mean shit. The drawback is that you have to make those bonus attacks at the model who gave it and that the range is only 1".
• Burning Zealotry (2 TP): Black Templars only. This will double the range of all your leader's aura effects and lets anyone inside it ignore terrain for movement. Just what you need for a mass charge.
• Dragon's Lair (2 TP): Salamanders only. You can omit to deploy a model and instead leave a trap for anyone who breaks into your deployment zone.
• Flawless Cognition (2 TP): Iron Hands only. This is the next step from Tactical Re-Roll, the ability to choose the result of a die.
• Newfound Might (3 TP): Available for any other chapter. This lets you re-roll 1's for a phase, which can be helpful, though maybe a bit costly.

Rites

These are special rules that your leaders can grab (2 for Tac and Scout sarges, 1 for any others).

• Boarding Honour: Lets your leader and anyone also fighting the same enemy re-roll to hit the target, which is pretty handy for such a low cost.
• Gunnery Laurels: Your leader can re-roll random hits, so you'll only use this when using a flamer.
• Fleet Command Laurel: You gain another TP. Your leader also gains +d6 to Leadership, giving you a good chance for Ld12 and another free TP.
• Way of the Boltgun: In the event that you wanna specialize in bolters, this is the best pick. All 6s to hit with them double the number of hits you score, which can be painful.
• Way of the Sword and Gun: It's possible to set up a charge against someone your guy shot, but this will limit what you can use for the shooting to pistols.
• Rites of War: Sergeant leader only. Your sarge now has an aura letting allies re-roll any 1s to hit, which is nice. The downside is that this is expensive for a rite.

Army List

Your FOC is as follows

• 1 Leader
• 1-20 Core
• 0-3 Special

Leaders

• Tactical Sergeant: Your utility HQ with options for almost anything he desires. In most cases, you'll end up settling with this guy unless you're kitting around a specific tactic since he's the middle of the road guy. Make use of the Look out Sir! rules and keep a couple of meatshields with him to dramatically increase his survivability (given the small amount of low AP weapons you should almost always have an Armor save even for your bullet-catchers).
  • Biker Sergeant:
  • Assault Sergeant: He's the Tac Sarge with a chainsword instead of a bolter. He's about as expensive this way, but you'll more than likely grab the jump pack and a better weapon if you really want to go rip and tear.
  • Vanguard Sergeant: Slightly more expensive than the Assault Sergeant, but he has access to the premium toys for that extra price.
  • Sternguard Sergeant: Slightly pricier than the tac, but you get the vet statline and a slightly better bolter in exchange. He's otherwise not much more unless you plan to spam Sternguards.
  • Terminator Sergeant: He's got the armaments available to basic Termies and can grab up to 5 termies of the same type as Core. His loadout is based upon what type of termie he is, so be sure you want to focus on that particular terminator type.
• Codicier: A ML1 Librarian (with a Vet's statline plus a Wound) with Smite and one other Librarius power. The Force weapon means he can gib enemy leaders or multi-wound gribblies with relative ease. Unfortunately he can't take Terminator Armor, but he can grab a jump pack for some added mobility. Sadly cannot bike, as this doesn't have the Index on hand.
• Warden: A Veteran aspirant to Chaplain. These guys are the ones you grab to push into melee with Litanies of Hate.
• Scout Sergeant: About the same as the basic Sergeant, but as a Scout. He can grab a CCW or Shotty if he needs to make a stand, a sniper to pair with the Camo Cloak for proper snipery, and basic special-issue gear.
  • Scout Biker Sergeant: If he grabs a bike, then he can take more than 3 Scout Bikes.
• Second Lieutenant: Another veteran, this one with the re-rolls to wound of a Lieutenant. He's not as dependent on hitting as the normal sergeant is, so he can be useful for a gunline.

Core

• Tactical Marine: The basic marine with access to a rather broad set of weapons of any sort for 1 out of 5, and with the ico- No, hey, where are you going? Why are you scrolling? Tacticals are essentially one of the best Core choices in HoR, mostly because of the statline combined with the amount of gear makes a normal Marine able to deal with almost anything. Of course, the steep price of 14 pt is still quite high for its damage output, but if you can place enough models (7-10 Tacs, instead of just a few), the number itself should do you a favour by allowing you to keep on Bolter fire even with a few casulties. If you are playing with Injuries, these guys become the hardest motherfuckers in the game for the price.
• Scout: They're Scouts. Keep them out of the line of fire. They can grab whatever they normally can, meaning that cover-snipers are in. Since in Kill-Team there's a fuckton of cover Camo cloaks are a good choice, giving the scouts basically a 3++.
• 0-5 Assault Marine: These guys are rather confined, hardcapped at 0-5 and only 2 out of the 5 can grab a Flamer or Plasma pistol. Don't even consider the Eviscerator unless you have backup. When you take a Jump Pack sarge, it's still advisable to take some shooty units to keep them distracted while you tie them up. A flying flamer can be decent against some of the most cover-reliant enemies like orks or Dark eldar. Beware Dangerouos Terrain tests when using Jump Packs, keep him behind LOS blocking terrain but stay out of it when possible.
• 0-3 Scout Biker: They're Scouts. On Bikes. Hardcapped at 0-3 without a Scout Sarge on a bike. Only thing of note is that one of them can grab a Grenade Launcher (and another one if you take 3+ models), but that's it.
• 0-3 Space Marine Biker: These guys are always welcome (especially among the White Scars), but are limited to 0-3 without a biker Sarge. Each 1 out of 3 can grab a new gun for their bike. The special weapons here are particularly vulnerable, since you can't have redshirt bikers catching bullets with their faces for the gravgunner. If in normal games bikes are good here they are god-tier. Obviously White Scars CT is hotly recommended since Hit and Run, and especially ignoring all the metric fuckton of terrain you *should* be playing with, is a huge bonus.
  • 0-1 Attack Bike: It's slightly more than your base bike, but you now have a heavy bolter or multi-melta stuck onto it. Never leave this thing alone because you don't want this lost.

Special

• Sternguard Veteran: Good solid shooty units, though they will end up pricy to kit out. With the limits in this category, you need to make sure you're picking the smartest weapons for the job. Let your Plasma gunners worry about the 2+ saves and mulch infantry (which Kill-Team has aplenty of). If your enemy gets too close remember they have 2 attacks base, so they aren't totally harmless against non power weapon wielders. One of them can also take a Heavy or Special weapon, a nice idea if you want a Heavy Flamer.
• Vanguard Veteran: A solid model that will cost as much as a Sternguard when kitted with a Jump Pack. While he can't Deep Strike unlike his Blood Angels variant, he can be just as effective in combat. With a storm shield, he becomes even tougher. Beware of Overwatch and Dangerous Terrain.
• Terminator: Your fave super-armored kill-tanks, these guys have a good lot of versatility to them, and can be kitted to fit most of your needs, especially with the ability to buy the other marks of armor. Even if you grab a Termie Sarge to make them core, make sure you bring other support units to at least keep from draining all the points. In Kill team they are nothing to scoff at, being resistant and with decent weaponry.
• Apothecary: The standard Apothecary, though he now has the option to grab a Bike. He is a mixed bag: he costs as much as 2 Marines, but if you keep your soldiers close he can act as a good force multiplier. On the flip side if you bunch up you can have difficulties capping Objectives and are more susceptible to flanking manoeuvers. If you happen to run Iron Hands enjoy your 3+/4+++ tacticals. Congratulations, your basic goon is as resilient as a terminator for less than half the price.
• Tech-Adept: Virtually identical to a Techmarine. Unlike the base techie though, this guy has some special effects that can influence the turn (One enemy takes -1 to hit with a weapon, one ally and nearby allies remove penalties for heavy weapon movement, robbing cover from an ally, a save from overheating, or possibly forcing an ally to spend more TP for a Tactic), making him especially handy.