Codex: Space Marines 101 v.6

[DarkGuard]

Hey guys,

 

So I believe some of you have seen/used/heard of Codex: Space Marines 101. This resource was made a year or so ago as a combined community project, detailing the basics of each unit in C:SM so that old and new players alike could better understand them and use them. However, it is, or should be, a working document, and there have been some revisions to it in the past to add new ideas and units etc. Those updates have ceased since 6th came out, partly due to time contraints, but also because I wanted to give it some time before updating it to be better in line with new strategies under the new rules. And that time to update it to v.6 has arrived.

 

Now, first of, this isn't a rewrite, just an update. The odd unit may need a rewrite due to the new rules, such as the TFC, but overall I feel the roles of these units are very similar. However, I know that some of the strengths and weaknesses of units have changed, others now have new builds and some more have entire new toys to play with.

 

So in this thread, I was hoping that you, the gamer, will be able to feedback to me your experiences of Space Marines in 6th. Maybe you found that one unit isn't so great anymore, but another has got better. Maybe you found a new build that may not have been viable in 5th, but which 6th has brought to the fore. These are what I'm looking for, and as much help as possible will be appreciated.

 

I've already located some units that could do with an update. The Librarian, which I'm hoping to do over the next couple of days in light of the Libby threads that have been made, the TFC and Scout snipers are just some general unit wide updates. Some new and interesting Sternguard builds are coming out, while the 2xMM Speeder is now actually viable. All of these and more I hope to use to update various units in the tactica, but I don't know it all. So please take the time to offer your own thoughts and experiences on some of the units in 6th and how they differ to what was laid out in C:SM 101. For those who need a quick check at that thread again, the link is in my sig.

 

Thanks in advance for your help on this, it's about time to make this excellent resource relevant again. B)

[DarkGuard]

First update, the Librarian. Here's the entry below (note I'll only post the amended entry for big changes):

 

[Librarians]

Wargear: Psychic hood, force weapon, with added range options and the ability to take Terminator armour and a storm shield.

 

Purpose: unit support, ranged, melee and miscellaneous.

 

It is difficult to define the Librarian as such, since he fulfils quite a few roles and his main strength isn't anywhere specific, but can be defined through choice of powers. With his powers he can carve a path the enemy in combat, blast them apart with powerful psychic powers, or weaken them allowing other units to finish them off, while protecting his own men. And with access to many of the new BGB powers, he's gained even more potential.

 

The most useful perceived psychic powers are:

The Avenger - AP 3 template goodness takes out anything but elite infantry. You'll basically find yourself roasting your way through even power armour, no cover saves allowed, an excellent power.

 

Null Zone - one of the best support powers, if not the very best. Rerolling invulnerable saves can be vital when taking out enemy deathstar units. Needless to say, this power needs to be combined with something that ignores regular armour saves, usually a CC unit loaded with power weapons. Remember that this power can be used from within a vehicle and doesn't require any form of LoS. Also, with cover saves being worse now, this can really punish units that rely on an invulnerable save.

 

Curse of the Machine Spirit - a simple point 'n' shoot power that lets you slowly kill vehicles. Glancing hits are -1HP now, giving this power a lot more potential to be useful, taking away that last HP and so on. Great against armour 13-14 if you need to stop that Land Raider's advance or keep that Vindicator from burning your Terminators. Downside is that the squad the Librarian is working with will have to shoot at the vehicle as well, no matter how slight their odds of damaging it are.

 

The Gate of Infinity - another support spell, this time for movement. Rapid redeploy can be very effective, both for bringing units in and out of combat (though you can argue if Gate can teleport you out of CC, discuss this with your opponent), and it benefits from locator beacons, which makes the travel much safer. Deep striking is not without its downsides and the risk of scatter needs to be taken into calculations when employing this power.

 

Vortex of Doom – an incredibly powerful shooting attack, this is a small blast, strength 10 AP 1 weapon that can devastate units and vehicles alike. However, if the Librarian badly fails his psychic test this blast will centre itself on the Librarian, thereby proving to be deadly against its originator.

 

Common builds: typically ranged options are not taken as the Librarian has fantastic shooting powers, neither is Epistolary taken often as most people design their Librarian to use one power or the other, although there are some exceptions.

 

Barebones, force sword/stave, the Avenger/Gate and Null Zone: Null Zone is the main power here, with the Librarian using it to help take apart big enemy units. Storm shield Terminators and Seer Councils which before proved unkillable are now much easier to kill, while units that rely on invulnerable saves such as daemons now die in their droves. The Avenger is also a fantastic ranged weapon which is handy to have when Null Zone isn’t needed, while Gate is nice as a mobility tool or backup mobility tool for the unit he's with. With such a model a force sword or stave is preferred due to his weak defence making a force axe a liability.Very cheap at 100 points.

 

Jump pack, the Avenger and Null Zone: much as the above, although more combat orientated. Typically put in flamer Assault squads to really lay the hurt down against the enemy before assault.

 

Terminator armour, storm shield, force axe, Null Zone and Avenger/Vortex of Doom: often used to accompany Terminators, works much like the barebones one, although Vortex of Doom is desirable as the Librarian is now relentless, allowing him to make full use of this devastating power.

 

Epistolary, (jump pack), Might of Ancients and the Quickening: used as a combat unit, this Librarian can hit hard by using both combat powers to give himself strength 6 attacks at initiative 10. Also good for character hunting.

 

Terminator armour: A great choice for the Librarian, giving him a thing he lacks a lot otherwise: An invulnerable save! This can be even further enhanced by giving him a storm shield as well which turns him from a very fragile choice to a very resilient one. Getting into terminator armour also gives you relentless, which open up for the possibility of using Vortex of Doom. Terminator comes at a price however. With the loss of power armour goes the ability to deploy in Rhinos/Razors which limits the units that the Librarian will be joining up with. The only way of getting your Librarian across the field (where his abilities will be put to best use) is in a Land Raider, which is expensive in itself. However, with 6th being more about foot and hybrid forces, and with the new powers needing to be cast from outside a transport for maximum effect, Terminator armour has lost a lot of its downfalls. The Librarian would likely be in the open anyway, so Terminator armour protects him. Also, with Terminator armour and a storm shield, the force axe becomes a better choice as he's more protected. This lets the Librarian hit harder in assaults, turning him more into a multi-purpose unit.

 

Jump pack: Gets your Librarian where he needs to be - close up and personal. The problem is that he needs to join a unit with jump packs to be effective. Since you'll be likely to put your Vanguards in reserve to use their Heroic Intervention or in a transport to keep them from getting shot to slag, the Assault Marines seems like an obvious choice. This also limits the units your Libby will be joining a lot.

 

Bike: Same problem as above, you'll need a biker unit to join. Relentless opens up choice for Vortex again.

 

Epistolary: Both your psychic powers each turn. If there is a great combo between your powers, you can go for this, but generally it doesn't seem like an optimal choice. You usually only get to use one power each turn (even when considering the use of the force weapon), and the upgrade is by no means cheap. But with the addition of Warp Charge 2 powers like Invisibility this upgrade becomes more tempting. Had Librarians had access to Divination I'd say it was a must take, but they don't.

 

BGB powers: 6th edition gives Librarians the access to four psychic disciplines - Biomancy, Pyromancy, Telekinesis and Telepathy. This gives the Librarian greater flexibility by potentially getting powers that'll be more useful against certain lists than his Codex ones. Out of the four though, two shine the most. Pyromancy only has one power you'd like, and so isn't that great. Telekinesis has the amazing Objuration Mechanicum (great anti-tank), but this power is similar to Curse of the Machine Spirit. Also, a lot of other powers in there are either not great, or basically the powers we have access to in the Codex.

 

That leaves Biomancy and Telepathy. Biomancy has the better powers (for a normal Libby), in Enfeeble and Endurance. Enfeeble makes killing your enemies easier, while Endurance makes it harder for them to kill you. However, the other powers are either combat based or mediochre shooting powers, so some may not want to run the risk. That leaves Telepathy, which for a normal Libby has only four useable psychic powers, and one good Primaris (best shooting power). As only one of those four powers you roll on is undesirable, that near guarantees you a couple of useful powers, able to make your enemies shoot each other, or stop doing what they want to do, or run away in fear. With the Epistolary table this becomes a must, as you can gain Invisibility for good protection from low AP weapons in a foot force, and/or Hallucination for disrupting your enemies.

 

 

Strengths:

The Librarian is a very cheap HQ because he performs so well without any wargear at all. His psychic powers in themself make him a force to be reckoned with and makes up for the lack of an invulnerable save by far. In addition to his powers, the psychic hood provides an effective defence against enemy psykers. Just about half of the time your enemy's powers will simply be disrupted. Your Librarian works great when shooting (ideally roughly within rapid fire range, like most marines), great in assaults (with his force weapon) and gives you utility abilities on top of it all. With access to BGB powers, his flexibility has increased. One can take the desired the C:SM powers, and upon finding them not to great before deployment, swap them out for disciplines that can be more useful.

 

Weaknesses

No invulnerable save, lacking this means a simple missile launcher sends you off the field, while there is no defence against Perils of the Warp. Furthermore, a lower stat line than the Captain, and no combat skills unlike the Chaplain meaning that the Librarian will not do well in assault, well direct shooting attacks are no more accurate than normal Marines. Two wounds and an initiative of 4 only seek to enhance the Librarian’s fragility in and out of combat, particularly in challenges. Try to keep him with another character to prevent him being picked on by bigger characters.

Validar

DarkGuard

 

You can also find more comprehensive information about this unit here.

[Brother Navaer Solaq]

I like this idea of the update.

My only suggestion is to edit the original post and use a different color font for the update.

 

This article is good overall.

[Raphiel]

On Biomancy: I wouldn't discount the powers other than Endurance and Enfeeble so easily.

 

Last two battles I played, I rolled Life Leech and Hemorrhage. Life Leech greatly helped my Librarian to survive on the frontline by recovering lost wounds. Hemorrhage however, was truly outstanding. I was fighting Eldar, which are mostly toughness 3 troops, so they fail their toughness test on a 4+. I killed about 6 Swooping hawks and put a wound on his Autarch in a single cast. Granted, my opponent had some bad luck with his dice, but still it is a power which works great against low toughness targets.

So always keep your opponent in mind when rolling your psychic powers.

[DarkGuard]

I used Haemorrhage against a Guard army once and netted 5 kills over the entire game, I wasn't impressed. I reckon for it to be best used you want to combine it with Enfeeble. The thing is that's an expensive and ultimately not guaranteed combo. Life Leech is all right, and I'd keep it over Smite. In fact, I'd keep Haemorrhage over Smite, but I'd still prefer Endurance and Enfeeble. I'll add a note saying that the other powers can be useful in the right circumstance though.

 

Mechanicus_Adept, I'll look into using a different colour for the update. I might do it for the first time they go up, ultimately I want this to be a v6 guide though, not v5+, so in the end I'd like everything to be integrated together.

 

Cheers for the feedback guys. <_<

[Apahllo]

On Biomancy: I wouldn't discount the powers other than Endurance and Enfeeble so easily.

 

Last two battles I played, I rolled Life Leech and Hemorrhage. Life Leech greatly helped my Librarian to survive on the frontline by recovering lost wounds. Hemorrhage however, was truly outstanding. I was fighting Eldar, which are mostly toughness 3 troops, so they fail their toughness test on a 4+. I killed about 6 Swooping hawks and put a wound on his Autarch in a single cast. Granted, my opponent had some bad luck with his dice, but still it is a power which works great against low toughness targets.

So always keep your opponent in mind when rolling your psychic powers.

Bio is my favorite right now. I like all the powers and its not as hit miss as the other lores. But the book powers are pretty random to build a plan around them, that's why I'm always in favor of the vanilla powers, especially gates and vortex, sure power and both are epic spells.

 

Leech is good if your getting down and dirty with your book keepers but if he is your warlord it's pretty risky. Hemo is a great spell and is bound to go crazy once a game. All the spells is bio are fun and effective.

[OGT Magne]

Regarding Null Zone - is a "Cover Save" counted as an "Invulnerable Save"? I know this might sound silly but on pages 17 & 18 of the BRB they are dealt with separately.

[DarkGuard]

Regarding Null Zone - is a "Cover Save" counted as an "Invulnerable Save"? I know this might sound silly but on pages 17 & 18 of the BRB they are dealt with separately.

 

Cover Saves are completely separate to Invulnerable Saves, so aren't effected by Null Zone. You'll find some people playing their models in cover so that Null Zone has less of an impact. Of course, Null Zone has had an impact then, by making them change their plan!

 

Also, Bio is my favourite at the moment, but don't discount Telepathy, it's pretty consistent.

[DarkGuard]

So I've been a little busy recently, hence the lack of further update. I think I've done the biggest one for Marines, but there are still some big ones. Any suggestions?

[Iron Father Ferrum]

I'm eager to update my techmarine entries; just been a little busy lately. I'll try to get the updated articles to you soon.

[DarkGuard]

Please do, that'll be much appreciated, especially as I don't run Techmarines at all at the moment. So would that be the MotF, Techmarine and TFC?

[Iron Father Ferrum]

Please do, that'll be much appreciated, especially as I don't run Techmarines at all at the moment. So would that be the MotF, Techmarine and TFC?

 

 

Yup. The changes to power weapons and artillery make them all more useful all the way around!

 

Edit: As an avid fan and usre of Dreadnoughts, I can look at updating those entries too, if you'd like.

[DarkGuard]

Well my only experience with Dreads is the Rifleman, which I personally feel has got worst, so it'll be interesting to hear any new insights or improved builds that you've used Deus. :sick:

 

I think I'll move onto the Vindicator next, which has benefited a lot, and also put a mention about Telion and the camo cloak rules changes. Then move onto Land Speeders, with their new variants, and then Rhinos and Razorbacks.

[Iron Father Ferrum]

How's this?

 

 

[Master Of The Forge]

Wargear: Servo-harness OR conversion beamer, power weapon of choice, thunder hammer, combi-weapons and bike as possible upgrades.

 

Purpose: Unlocks Dreadnoughts (any variety) as Heavy Support, Cheap leader, long ranged firepower, Techmarine abilities.

 

The Master of the Forge (MotF) is the HQ that can perhaps be geared to do more than one thing well. While the rest of our HQs really only one place they want to find themselves -- in the thick of combat -- the MotF is equally at home either in assault or shooting. As a result, his gear options, while few, also allow you to equip him in a relatively wide variety of ways to ensure that you are getting exactly the use out of him that you want (or need). He is also one of only two HQs in the codex that allow Force Organization Chart changes, giving players greater flexibility when building their armies.

 

Loadouts: Generally speaking, there are two standard loadouts:

 

Servo-harness, power weapon of choice, digital weapons - This version packs a reasonable close combat punch with three standard attacks plus two power fists from his servo-harness. With the changes to power weapons in 6th Edition, his artificer armor and two wounds means that he is more than capable of standing up to most sergeant-level characters in the game (short of Terminators, of course). My recommendation for his power weapon is the sword, providing at-Initiative strikes that defeat standard power armor. This will allow him to fight challenges against enemies with Unwieldy weapons, striking first and (hopefully) killing them before they can hit back. This version also provides extra shooting power to a squad at close ranges with the weaponry from his servo-harness; add a plasma pistol as his off-hand weapon and he can provide two BS5 plasma shots, one of them twinlinked, which synergizes well with plasma gun/combi-plasma combat squads. Do not forget that his flamer can also be fired on Overwatch to protect the unit he is with.

 

Bike, conversion beamer - Though he sacrifices his servo-harness for this weapon, he won't need to be anywhere near the front line and instead he prefers to move as fast away as he can and shoot the enemy with his gun to make the hardest of enemies take an exceptionally painful shot. His bike only helps him to keep his favoured distance. Fielding a conversion beamer MotF without a bike, while cheaper, also severely limits his target priority due to the nature of the conversion beamer. If this option is your choice -- it is cheaper than equipping him for close combat -- then he operates best if attached to a scout squad for backfield objective holding, or with mixed-gun Devastators due to his ability to effectively target both armor at long range and infantry at medium range.

 

Servo-harness, thunder hammer - A rare set-up, this particular melee-centric build is intended for hunting HQs, monstrous creatures, and vehicles. The hammer and harness provide a total of four S8 AP2 attacks -- five on the charge -- more than enough to mulch most armor. This type of MotF wants to be with units that will get into combat, and so he makes for a fine addition to Land Raider-borne Terminator squads or danger-close drop pod units, like Tactical Squads or Sternguard. Again, beware of enemy AP2 attacks since he has no defense against them, and will be striking simultaneously with other Unwieldy weapons and after Smash attacks.

 

Strengths:

In most cases, the MotF is taken for his FOC-altering ability, allowing Dreadnoughts to be taken as both Heavy Support and Elite choices. This is an especially valued ability in all-drop pod armies due to their general lack of effective heavy weapons, which the Dreadnoughts can bring to the table. It's also important to remember that they can actually be made scoring in 6th Edition; Heavy Support choices are scoring/denial units in the Big Guns Never Tire mission, even if they are vehicles. A MotF equipped for short-range shooting (combi-weapon or plasma pistol) or for close combat can provide plenty of punch to C:SM's notoriously-bad-in-melee infantry units, like Tactical Squads. If used conservatively, he can also use his repair ability to add hull points back onto vehicles, keeping key battlefield elements like Land Raiders and Vindicators in the fight.

 

Weaknesses:

The MotF's greatest single weakness is his lack of an Invulnerable save, which makes little sense since this is the Space Marine in charge of the Chapter's entire store of equipment. While decent in close combat, that is due more to his artificer armor and combination of power fists and power weapon options. His Weapon Skill and Initiative are no better than that of a standard Space Marine, meaning that if you really want him to be combat-effective in assault, you basically have to invest the extra points in digital weapons and, in a fight with a dedicated close combat HQ, you will lose. The same points-intensity also effects his shooting build, since not only will you need a bike to maintain optimal firing distance, you will also want a unit of bikers for him to attach to to provide ablative wounds so that he isn't sniped out by low-AP fire.

[DarkGuard]

Yeah that looks good to me, comprehensive, useful, and easy to read. Just a couple of points. When you talk about all Sergeants except Terminators being able to punch through his armour reliably, I'd suggest changing that to Assault Terminators, most Tactical Terminators have swords still. Also, maybe mention his Bolster Defences rule and how that can combine with holding objectives etc.

 

But yeah, it looks great. I'll hope to have some up soon, I've been away from my laptop for a bit, but have it back now.

[DarkGuard]

OK, I've posted your MotF and credited it Deus, looking forward to the next one. :)

 

Also, I've run into a block of essays. I may get the odd little unit updated (Vindicators, Speeders, stuff that's easy and simple), but the big ones will have to wait. I do hope to have this done by the beginning of the new year though.

 

So again, I encourage anyone who wants to help out to do just that. I'm not asking you to write an entire new entry. If you see something that looks out of place in this edition, let me know, and provide the small change for it if you want. You only need to amend if that's what you want. Any help, as always, will be much appreciated.

 

UPDATED POSTS: look what I got up to instead of doing my essays. :P

 

I've gone with the red for changes for now, I'll phase those out when everything is done and commented on. For references, if the post has been edited, and still retains some features of the last, the original poster's name is put next to 5th original, the editor is 6th editor. Where a poster has done both, I've just kept the name with nothing extra. Deus I was unsure with your MotF one, if that was all you and not some of Grim (I thought I saw some of Grim), just let me know.

 

[Rhino]

Wargear - Standard vehicle equipment and storm bolter, extra storm bolters, extra armour and hunter killer missile are notable options.

 

Purpose - Transporting foot soldiers reliably across the battlefield with a capacity for 10 men.

 

The Rhino is our iconic transport unit, capable of mobilising our most important units and giving them a safe haven to shield from enemy fire. Obviously it is target for the juicy contents rather than the actual unit itself, but it is quite handily a very cheap unit so if it does happen to explode it won't have cost you much. Of course this also means there isn't much reason not to take them!

 

Common builds: barebones, any additional choices are generally not needed and are often a waste of points. However, the addition of a dozer blade is generally good, as it allows greater freedom of movement by allowing you to reliably move through cover, while preventing hull point depreciation that could occur there.

 

Strengths:

Able to carry up to 10 men this will accommodate the vast majority of squads quite easily. Its reasonable armour isn't going to keep it alive forever, but saves the squad from small arms fire and can deploy them rather rapidly. Its biggest strength is that it is a cheap and all round reliable transport which can be taken as a dedicated transport for many of our units. Furthermore, combat squadded unit can now have each combat squad in the Rhino, further increasing its flexibility.

 

Weaknesses:

The Rhino isn't particularly durable and can collapse quite easily to firepower that can take out armour, especially with only three hull points. It also is unable to be taken for some units. Of course the other thing about this vehicle is that it can only take 10 men, which means if we want a special character in addition to the squad, it cannot run at full strength or in the Tacticals case (which can run up to 12 men) it cannot take the full squad! Furthermore, disembarking from a Rhino isn't great if you want to charge, rendering it useless for Honour Guard, Command squads and Vanguard Veteran squads. Also, if the Rhino is penetrated, there's a good chance that your troops will be debilitated in the next turn, even when they get out.

Shadowstalker Grim - 5th edition original

DarkGuard - 6th edition update

 

 

[Razorback]

Wargear: comes standard with normal vehicle wargear and a twin-linked heavy bolter, this may be upgraded to a TL-heavy flamer, TL-assault cannon TL-lascannon or a lascannon/ TL-plasma gun turret. It can be further upgraded with a dozer blade and extra armour a storm bolter and hunter killer.

 

Purpose: a dedicated transport meant to ferry small units of Space Marines across the battlefield while laying down supportive fire.

 

Razorbacks are the second dedicated transport in the Space Marine codex, and are normally compared to Rhinos. Coming in at base cost of just 5 more points than a Rhino, the Razorback offers increased firepower and options for decreased transport capacity.

 

Common builds:

TL- heavy bolter: cheap, and able to threaten the majority of infantry in addition to light vehicles.

 

TL- assault cannon: more expensive, but able to put out a large amount of accurate, rending shots that can decimate infantry and vehicles alike. Very effective when used with outflanking via Khan or Sicarius. It is also a fantastic midfield unit, if a little expensive.

 

TL- lascannon: a home base defender, this vehicle can throw out a high powered shot each turn that is very likely to hit the unit it's firing at.

 

Lascannon, TL- plasma gun: another home base defender, this upgrade is often preferred due to the addition of a plasma gun, which increases its capability against light vehicles and marine armies, while also increasing the survivability of the unit by having two weapons rather than one. Both weapons can also be fired on the move, with the twin-linked plasma gun a prime contender for being used for snap shots. The two different weapons allows it to contribute to shooting light vehicles at range, while being more effective against infantry up close.

 

 

Storm bolters may be a good upgrade, as it has the chance to prevent your heavy weapons from being destroyed with the first weapon destroyed result. Likewise, a dozer blade is good for getting through cover.

 

Strengths:

The standard Razorback with heavy bolter is still a cheap transport, and it can still take small units of Space Marines across the board. Therefore they tend to be the transport of choice for Space Marine units utilising combat tactics or small squads. However, its biggest strength over the Rhino is the superior, more accurate firepower it can boast of, along with increased weapons options, including a TL-heavy flamer, TL- lascannon, TL- assault cannon and a lascannon TL- plasma gun turret. In large numbers the Razorback army can put out a lot of firepower while being scoring with small tactical squads inside.

 

The las/plas Razorback is often considered the better choice when buying a weapons upgrade due its ability to put out 3 high strength, low AP shots at close range, in addition to it having range at the beginning of the game with its lascannon.

 

Weaknesses:

The Razorback suffers from a small transport capacity, meaning that it cannot take 10 man Tactical squads unless they split down into two separate combat squads. Furthermore, while a standard Razorback is a quite cheap, one with a weapons upgrade is quite expensive. This can be problem as the Razorback still has the low armour and hull points of a Rhino, meaning that they can be easily destroyed and taken out of action. Furthermore, for all Razorback variants apart from the las/plas turret they have no redundancy, meaning a weapon destroyed result will take out their, often expensive, killing power. Also, if you are to upgrade the weapon, then it is unlikely that you'll be able to shoot it if you are using it as a transport, due to moving too fast, and thereby you are wasting points. Therefore, for Razorbacks going forward it is often better to stick with heavy bolters, while the longer-ranged variants are used as base objective holders, making some of the closer ranged weapon options undesirable.

 

Furthermore, Razorbacks do not have a fire point, unlike Rhinos, and so the troops inside can do little else except twiddle their thumbs until they get out, or are forced out. Therefore, you can't do drive by shootings, making them somewhat undesirable to some as the troops inside have to expose themselves. Again, like the Rhino, combat units don't want to use this as a transport, and it can be detrimental to the unit inside if penetrated.

DarkGuard

 

 

[Land Speeders]

Wargear: A standard gun (heavy flamer, heavy bolter or multi-melta), a second gun (same as before, with additional option of assault cannon) when in Tornado pattern or a Typhoon missile launcher when in Typhoon pattern. So one base weapon with the possibility to have an additional weapon or a missile launcher.

 

Purpose: Rapid moving weaponry to shoot out a variety of targets, primary purpose is rapid response heavy weapon support.

 

The Land Speeder is something that should be highly valued and carefully used. It is a light platform that packs a fierce bite, carries heavy weapons and a good selection to choose from. Often it can be armed to take out multiple targets with one Speeder making them good if they need to operate alone. Also Speeders can have multiple different loadouts in the same squad to work different elements. They are fragile but powerful and the speed they have makes them so deadly as they can rapidly take out targets of opportunity.

 

Common builds:

Heavy flamer, multi-melta - for many the grail of combinations as its effective against both vehicles and infantry and so can turn its hand to just about any battlefield opportunity.

 

Heavy bolter, Typhoon missile launcher - a strong combination that is a decent threat to just about anything, but obviously focuses on lighter infantry and vehicles, but the frag missiles and heavy bolter can both fire on the go as frags are defensive weapons!

 

Multi-melta - a pure simple and cheap anti-tank platform that can rapidly move to shoot tanks down.

 

2x multi-melta - for many, the new holy grail of fast melta. the Speeder can move rapidly and still fire both guns, and or deep strike down. Pricier than some options though.

 

2x heavy bolter - for some, quantity of firepower is the way forward. This variant utilises just that, able to spit out a lot of firepower that can cause massive casualties to infantry and take hull points off light tanks.

 

Strengths:

The main strength of the speeder is indeed its speed. It can move around and shoot targets of opportunity. Its ability to take out a variety of targets equip itself appropriately means that it is a really diverse unit that can really make the difference on the battlefield. Armed correctly the Speeder can turn its hand to just about anything and will prove a real thorn in the side of an opponent, whilst its speed gives it the chance to bring such high powered weaponry to bear possible, while nearly always having a cover save as well!. It can also deep strike and cut right behind the enemy lines, which means it can deposit a nasty payload and shoot off to fight new targets. They are relatively cheap for what they do and this helps to mitigate the light armour they have. Furthermore, with two weapons it can still move 12" and fire both, increasing it's movement and weapon options.

 

Weaknesses:

Well sadly the fall of these Speeders are that they are fragile. Really fragile! They fall to pieces quite easily as they are only AV 10 all round, and only have two hull points. Effectively this means that although they are fearsome and dangerous they are quite like glass arrows, they fly in and deal the damage but may well shatter to pieces after they do the damage. Of course this means that a savvy player may be able to keep the speeder at arm’s reach and keep it safe, but poorly used it can just fly in and die before it achieves anything.

Shadowstalker Grim - 5th edition original

DarkGuard - 6th edition update

 

 

[Attack Bikes]

Wargear: twin-linked bolters and heavy bolters on a 2 wound Space Marine Bike, and with options to upgrade the heavy bolter to a multi-melta.

 

Purpose: quick response anti-infantry or tank hunting unit.

 

The Space Marine attack bike is similar to the Land Speeder in that it is fast, and is one of the ways to mount melta on a fast platform. At a relatively cheap points cost a squadron of attack bikes can prove a big threat to more expensive tanks, turbo boosting close by before pouncing, eradicating the threat with precise melta blasts.

 

Common builds:

2x multi-meltas: a small, cheap unit designed to take out big enemy transports

 

3x multi-meltas/heavy bolters: maximum amount of bikers you can take, the multi-meltas ensure tanks are destroyed, while the heavy bolters form a reaction unit designed to destroy units of enemy infantry.

 

2x multi-meltas and 1 heavy bolter: a unit designed to hunt tanks, using a heavy bolter bike to give some diversity and a bullet shield.

 

Strengths:

The attack bike is capable of mounting weaponry for either infantry or tanks, and so are flexible when it comes to list building, although they aren't as flexible on the field. With access to cheap multi-meltas, and being a relentless, fast platform the attack bikes can hunt down tanks and destroy them easily. Their high toughness and two wounds enable them to take some punishment, and debris from exploding tanks is very unlikely to hurt them, while T5 means that it's very hard to instantly kill them. They also have two attacks standard, and so can be used to attempt to tie up enemy units in assault if all tanks are destroyed. They will nearly always have a cover save, and they can turbo boost to their target, giving them a good cover save in the process, and due to their low profile are easy to hide.

 

Weaknesses:

Having to move through terrain can cause wounds, but that is unlikely with their power armour. The main weakness is that once their targets are destroyed, they swiftly run out of utility as they aren't flexible enough to cope with both infantry and vehicles, and they are still vulnerable to being locked in assault and being hurt by small arms fire. Their deployment options are limited, meaning they may have to turbo boost across the open and hope on their cover saves before getting a chance to engage their target. Finally, their mediocre leadership means that if they take a casualty, they are more likely to run away than other units, and with a big fall back move that can take them out of the game.

DarkGuard

 

[stormtalon]

Wargear: Assault cannon, and then one of: heavy bolter; twin-linked lascannon; Typhoon missile launcher; Skyhammer missile launcher (think autocannon but more shots). It also gets ceramite plating, protecting it from the melta special rule.

 

Purpose: Rapid moving weaponry to shoot out a variety of targets, primary purpose is rapid response heavy weapon support. Can act in spearhead or interceptor/counter-attack roles.

 

The Stormtalon is our flier, mobile, fast, and has some interesting abilities that can make it a useful suppression tool. While they are fragile against AA weaponry they have a lot of firepower that they can bring to bear nearly anywhere they want, and are unlikely to be hit by anything that hasn't have Skyfire.

 

Common builds

Lack options means most builds are common, but these are the most common ones I’ve seen so far:

 

Barebones: 4 times the price of a Rhino means keeping it cheap can be good. The assault cannon and heavy bolter have similar ranges and are good anti-infantry weapons. This gives you a good unit coming in from reserve to take out infantry who you have disembarked.

 

Skyhammer: the Skyhammer missile launcher is only found on the Stormtalon, and it turns it into a more mobile assault cannon/autocannon Dread. While the ranges don’t match up it does give it options at operating at long range before more than doubling its firepower up close. The weapons again match up, making it not only good at anti-infantry but also better at anti-tank than the barebones variant.

 

Typhoon: this adds flexibility and punch, at the loss of rate of fire and range compared to the Skyhammer. Potentially more lethal against tanks while getting more infantry kills.

 

Lascannon: being able to kill a vehicle 1/3rd of the time you pen it, plus it's high strength and twin-linked fire can turn this flier into a pretty reliable vehicle hunter, although at a loss of versatility.

 

Strengths:

The main strength of the Stormtalon is speed. Being able to move 36” and fire everything is something that very few units can do, and this is the only one in the Marine Codex. This means you can reposition it and not worry about moving slower, while also being able to quickly get it into range with its assault cannon. The weaponry it can carry is also generally fearsome, giving it a high rate of fire and often some good quality of shots as well; in short this vehicle packs a punch. Its rules also allow it to outflank with other units, bringing it in to get side armour shots, while it can also become more accurate and pin units if it doesn’t move.

 

Weaknesses:

High points cost and AV11 with two hull points, these are not good things in a dog fight. You’re normally looking at about 155pts for a Stormtalon, as most will try to get the missiles, that's more expensive than a Vendetta! Even with heavy bolters it’s expensive. This means you tie up a lot of points in a fragile flier, which itself is a weakness. If your opponent brings decent fliers or a quad gun, expect it to die quickly. Furthermore, it's not too manoeuvrable as it can't hover, and if it does hover strike to stay still it'll get shot down quickly. This means that sustained fire against one unit is next to impossible. Lack of options also means its roles are largely dictated to it, so it won’t fit every list.

DarkGuard

 

 

[Vindicator]

Wargear: Comes equipped with a mighty demolisher cannon and storm bolter, in addition to the standard searchlight and smoke launchers, with further normal vehicle upgrades, plus a siege shield.

 

Purpose: Close-ranged fire support and anti-everything.

 

Described in the codex as a siege tank, the Vindicator really excels in the role of anti-everything, due to the strength of its gun. With its high front armour value as well, many people see its purpose of something as a bullet magnet, taking fire away from valuable units such those in Rhinos, or firebase units. One the most powerful weapons in the Space Marine arsenal, but also one of the, surprisingly, harder ones to use, the Vindicator is very hit and miss, but when it hits it tends to make a big mess.

 

Common builds: Normally the only upgrades taken are either dozer blades, siege shields, or an additional storm bolter to add further protection to the demolisher cannon.

 

Strengths:

The demolisher cannon on the Vindicator is its main strength. With it being a S10 AP2 large blast weapon, the Vindicator can lay waste to conceivably any squad in a single shot, either wiping it out entirely or seriously bringing the squad down to size. Cover isn't so great now, and AP2 is more important, helping the Vindicator to excel. It is also an excellent weapon to crack open any tank, due in large part to its high strength as well as the ordnance armour penetration rules, while it can engage vehicle squadrons to some effect as well. The Vindicator also boasts the ability to move and fire this powerful gun, while also having a hefty front armour of 13. Couple this to a points cost that allows you to take two Vindicators to every one Land Raider, and you have a pretty good tank on your hands.

 

Due to it being so dangerous, many people will focus on getting rid of the Vindicator, and so they are useful in mech builds, as they are able to take away firepower aimed at important units mounted in Rhinos.

 

Weaknesses:

The demolisher cannon is also the Vindicator's main weakness. It only has one shot a turn, and if that shot misses, your tank has just done nothing. If it does get destroyed, then it's nothing more than a battering ram. Furthermore, it can be easy to kill with side armour AV11. Therefore players have to be extremely careful about positioning, which is made harder still by the weapon only have a 24" ranged, meaning that driving forward is likely expose that side army. It is therefore safe to say that while the Vindicator is powerful, that makes it a desired target and one will normally die quickly.

DarkGuard

 

So, what do you think?

[pyroknight]

overall very good, just a couple of typos I found

 

Razorback

Strengths:

Change “In large numbers the Razorback army can put out a lot of firepower while being scoring with small tactical squads inside.” to “In large numbers the Razorback army can put out a lot of firepower while carrying scoring tactical squads inside.”

As units can no longer score inside a transport. (pg 123)

 

Stormtalon

Purpose:

Change “hasn't have Skyfire.” to be “doesn’t have skyfire”.

At least for American English...

[DarkGuard]

Fantastic, thanks for picking those up. The mistakes you make when rushed. :)

 

Will change those asap.

[Bannus]

I'd choose another color than red for the updates. Red is a bit hard to read on most backgrounds.

[DarkGuard]

Agreed, I'll go to my blues. I'll make the amendments suggested and maybe get another done at the weekend, so busy at the moment. :)

[Hellrender]

are all the ammendments immidietly implemented in the actual 101?

[DarkGuard]

They are for now, because those are the base, I'm just posting the snippets from them here as it can be hard at times to find what you want in there. On reflection I probably shouldn't put them straight in, but then I always do things the hard way. :huh: