How does C:SM stand up to C:SW and C:BA?

[Vaktathi]

If one isn't going totally overboard with expensive characters and ultra-elite units, then SW's I think are by far currently the most powerful SM book. A rhino mounted GH squad with a melta along with a combi-melta toting Pfist WG, costs 218pts. That's 17pts cheaper than a Tac squad with a melta/missile/powerfist in a rhino, and way scarier in close combat, a much more competent all around unit for fewer points. Additionally, no army can get the level of fire support that SW's can get for 420pts with three Long Fang units sporting 5 Missile Launchers each. Even with IG, the archetypal shooting army, that many HWS's worth of Missile Launchers costs 450pts and they're all BS3, T3 5+sv Ld7 vulnerable to S6 ID units.

 

SW's don't have the more esoteric units of C:SM, but the core of their army, the common infantry troopers, are far better and cheaper, their fire support way cheaper and more flexible, and their vehicle fleet identical. It's very hard not to acknowledge SW's as superior to C:SM in average power level.

 

BA's are a bit different. They pay more for vehicles, but have more speed, more flexible troops, and more damage mitigation.

 

 

Neither of these armies typically need have fewer models than a C:SM army. SW's especially as many of their units are cheaper and/or more flexible in terms of cost.

[Brother Evar]

Me personally, I tried to re-create my SM army using the BA dex and it was not much better, as BA cannot pull off a traditional battle company build like SM can. Fast rhino's on tacs are way expensive and the HW is wasted as you are at mid range faster. I think SM is good as I like the firepower aspect of it. I always take the CCW upgrades on tacs as I find they help after the gun smoke clears. Also call me crazy, but the SM dreads I like better than the BA ones. Ironclad is great. SW play too much like my BL CSM's. If I had to pick a varient dex to play my first choice would be Black Templars.

[Vincent Black Shadow]

Agree about Space Wolves' codex being the most powerful and easy to pick up. Terminators have to pay through the nose for upgrades and arrive in drop pods if they want to deep strike, but other than that the majority of analogous units are equal or superior to those in other codices in price and performance. Tournament results bear this out.

 

That said... what's more important is whether you have fun collecting and playing the army. All three of them have good powerful options as well as fun, fluffy options. Pick a chapter that you like the backstory and paint scheme, because honestly that's likely going to have a lot more impact on your enjoyment of the game than how they work on the table top. Pick something you like and learn to play it well, rather than picking something that plays well and hoping you'll like it.

[Schultzhoffen]

I've played for 10 Years. Chaos, Black Templars, Blood Angels, Ultramarines.

 

Best army: Ultramarines. Your bog-standard Codex SM. Flexible, balanced, able to handle anything and any mission.

 

The other armies have cute, interesting toys.

 

Basic Marines have tactical flexibility.

[DarkGuard]

Completely agree with you Schultzhoffen. For all their toys and shiny new gadgets it wasn't Blood Angels or Space Wolves who won our recent LGS tournament, it was Space Marines. Neither of those armies can quite put out the long-range or mid-range firepower that Space Marines can put out, and ultimately when you start on opposite sides of the table that can hurt them.