How are Primaris companies composed?

[War Angel]

So I'm building an all primaris company, and I just can't figure out what exactly that's supposed to look like with all the different units. Intercessors are obviously the 6 troop units, inceptors are the close support (what about revivers?) and hell blasters are heavy support (aggressors?)

 

Another part of this problem for me is I like to number all my units, both with greenstuff and paint. Can't really start anything till I know what the company will look like. Any suggestions will be very helpful.

[Dark_Jober]

Hi!
 

The best reference I can give you is reading the pag26-27 from Codex: Space Marines, there you will find the Ultramarine s2nd  Company, unfortunately it is not a pure primaris company, but it is a good point for starting. 

 

You could follow the same guide, and simply replace Tactical Squads with Intercessor Squads, Devastators with Hellblasters and Assault with Inceptors... In this case exposed in the codex the Primaris are reinforcements for the old-marines, but you could even "swap" positions and using old-marines as reinforcements (if any) and using the squad numbers in the primaris.

 

In this case, there are no Aggressors or Reivers, but I suppose you could replace Devastators or Assault marines.

 

EDIT: Blood Angels codex is even more flexible in composition, pag15, the battle companies are only described as:

Battle Company

Captain <Name>

<Title assigned to the captain>

2 Lieutenants

6 battleline squads

2 close support squads

2 fire support squads

5 Dreadnoughts

 

So... you can freely decide which close/fire support squads are you going to use.

[UnkyHamHam]

From what ive been able to garner from research, you are split into 60 Battleline marines, 20 Close Assault marines, and 20 Fire Support marines.

 

Battleline units can be Tacticals or Intercessors.

 

Close Assault units can be Assault Squads, Inceptors, Bikes, Attack Bikes, Reivers, or Assault Centurions.

 

Fire Support units can be Devastators, Hellblasters, Aggressors, or Devastator Centurions.

 

You can have more than the old 6/2/2 split as well. Like you can have four 10man Tacticals and four 5man Intercessors for 8 units. But it still totals 60 Battleline marines.

 

Hope this helps.

[Beta galactosidase]

From what ive been able to garner from research, you are split into 60 Battleline marines, 20 Close Assault marines, and 20 Fire Support marines.

 

Battleline units can be Tacticals or Intercessors.

 

Close Assault units can be Assault Squads, Inceptors, Bikes, Attack Bikes, Reivers, or Assault Centurions.

 

Fire Support units can be Devastators, Hellblasters, Aggressors, or Devastator Centurions.

 

You can have more than the old 6/2/2 split as well. Like you can have four 10man Tacticals and four 5man Intercessors for 8 units. But it still totals 60 Battleline marines.

 

Hope this helps.

 

This is exactly how it seems to be.  Primaris come in smaller squad sizes and there are five different squad types instead of three, so there are more formal squads.  The ten-man old marine squads were mostly on paper, like a ten marine assault squad would in battle end up being seven jump infantry, one speeder, and one unfilled spot; a devastator squad could be a few devastator infantry and a few centurions; or a ten marine tactical squad would be a razorback squad and a couple of tanks.  Primaris squads are just permanently broken up into units smaller than ten.

 

That's also why they have formal lieutenants, instead of having a senior-sergeant-as-informal-platoon-leader.

[Aothaine]

 

This is exactly how it seems to be.  Primaris come in smaller squad sizes and there are five different squad types instead of three, so there are more formal squads.  The ten-man old marine squads were mostly on paper, like a ten marine assault squad would in battle end up being seven jump infantry, one speeder, and one unfilled spot; a devastator squad could be a few devastator infantry and a few centurions; or a ten marine tactical squad would be a razorback squad and a couple of tanks.  Primaris squads are just permanently broken up into units smaller than ten.

 

That's also why they have formal lieutenants, instead of having a senior-sergeant-as-informal-platoon-leader.

 

I can't help reading your posts as if you're angry all the time because of the profile icon lol!

 

But I like the layout you gave!

 

I also was curious about this as there are primaris only chapters as well now. the transport option for primaris is currently only the Repulsors too. Something else to consider when building a company and companies generally have a suite of vehicles supporting them.

[Boldthreat]

This particular question is unfortunately up in the air because we do not know how Primaris only Chapters organize their forces.  We know they follow the updated Codex Astartes per Justinian's comments in Plague War.  But we do not know what that actually means yet.  Further more, we are not sure if there is not more units on the way that would help further shore up any deficiencies in the Primaris TO&E, that would ultimately change up the make up of said Primaris only Chapters.  At this point it is open to conjecture.

 

But here is my thoughts and rationalizations.  

 

I am a simple man.  I do not try to re-invent the wheel and I desperately want to keep things as simple as possible.  So I am going to say, rather simply, that a Company is still 100 Space Marines not counting the command staff.  Furthermore... I like to keep things consistent and even.  So either 10 squads of 10, or 20 squads of 5.  Anything else hits me in the codex, and makes me angry.  The Primaris Intercessor squad in Plague war was 10 man... for what it is worth.  I like 5 man squads... as Primaris are twice as survivable as traditional Space Marines with superior equipment.  I feel that justifies having smaller squads so I can further spread the company around and accomplish more with the same amount of billets.  I paint them as such and if I have to combine two squads into a 10 man squad then so be it.  

 

Now here is where I take a few liberties that are completely due to my own rationalizations.  I am not sure that Rievers and Aggressors are apart of the traditional battle-company.  Neither are represented on pages 26 and 27 of the Space Marine Codex, when describing the Ultramarines 2nd Company.  Inceptors are shown to be apart of the battle-company.  So I accept their place in it.  I do not like that they are in 3 man squads... simple man and all that, so I only use them in 5 man squads.  That's how Dad did it before he woke up and it worked for 10,000 years so...

 

Dark Imperium somewhat suggests that the Rievers are independent from the main fighting force and I wonder if in a Primaris only Chapter would they be grouped into a singular company and assigned out as needed.  That is how I would do it.

 

Aggressors are another anomaly.  In the last paragraph of the description of Aggressors on page 77 of the Space Marine Codex, it talks about the Iron Hands were converted to their use after an Aggressor squad "attached" to their 2nd Company perform particularly well.  This could be down to just how I read it... but it comes across as this unit was not native to their 2nd Company, but was attached from somewhere else.  Furthermore on page 152 of the Space Marine Codex there is a quote from Dorrek Recravan and it tells us he is apart of the Imperial Fists Phalanxian Guard.  I do not know what this unit is.  Is it just a named squad in a particular company?  Is it a unique organization in the Chapter?  An updated version of the Phalanx Warders of old?  You do not need a boarding shield if you have up-armored power armor with power fists, bolt guns and grenade launchers.  Is this the name for the Aggressor Company of the Imperial Fists?  I do not know.  More telling is that the Aggressors have a little more bling then their Intercessor or Hellblaster counterparts... one is even sporting a Crux Terminatus hanging from his belt.  But he does not have a white helmet in any of the depictions of Ultramarine Aggressors.  The beauty of Mk X armor is that it is scale-able.  Are Aggressors just company veterans that in times of need up armor their power armor and form ad-hoc squads as needed?  Maybe.  What seems clear is they are not apart of the 1st Company of a Chapter.  Maybe 9th Company reserves handed out as needed?  Maybe.  

 

Inceptors are shown to be apart of the typical Battle Company.  Because of their battlefield infiltration method... I would be hard pressed to believe they were ad-hoc additions as opposed to one of my opinions of the Aggressors.  Until/if we get a traditional Primaris Assault Squad... these guys are the only option we have for Close Assault.  I hope that changes.

 

So here is how I would organize a Primaris Battle Company (Not counting Command Staff)

 

I.  Intercessor Squad

II.  Intercessor Squad

III.  Intercessor Squad

IV.  Intercessor Squad

V.  Intercessor Squad

VI.  Intercessor Squad

VII.  Inceptor Squad

VIII.  Inceptor Squad

IX.  Hellblaster Squad

X.  Hellblaster Squad

 

XI.  Intercessor Squad

XII.  Intercessor Squad

XIII.  Intercessor Squad

XIV.  Intercessor Squad

XV.  Intercessor Squad

XVI.  Intercessor Squad

XVII.  Inceptor Squad

XVIII.  Inceptor Squad

XIX.  Hellblaster Squad

XX.  Hellblaster Squad

 

I would further attach Reivers and Aggressors as needed.  But I would not have them be apart of the Battle Company proper.  They are attached units from other organizations.  In my opinion.  This is how I rationalize it anyway.  

[Brother Lunkhead]

Brother Boldthreat's breakdown seems like a good starting point to me For whatever it's worth, I see Reivers and Aggressors as veteran Primaris (more like Sternguard/Vanguard, Terminators respectively) and members of the First Company and therefore attached to Battle Companies as needed. Of coarse we won't know for sure until GW develops the Primaris concept more. But, until then I think Brother Boldthreat's organization is highly workable.

[Boldthreat]

Brother Boldthreat's breakdown seems like a good starting point to me For whatever it's worth, I see Reivers and Aggressors as veteran Primaris (more like Sternguard/Vanguard, Terminators respectively) and members of the First Company and therefore attached to Battle Companies as needed. Of coarse we won't know for sure until GW develops the Primaris concept more. But, until then I think Brother Boldthreat's organization is highly workable.

Thanks Brother. They could be First Company. The only reason I hesitate on that is the current way Games Workshop has chosen to paint their miniatures. But that's just a guess on my part. They are veterans of some kind for sure.

[OutlawSixActual]

The other thing to remember is that, as a chapter master, YOU have the ability to tweak your chapter organization to what fits your desire. Chapters are autonomous and while it is important to follow codex teachings, you don’t need anybody’s permission to decree that companies are getting extra squads, the 5th company is going to be scouts and the veteran company is the 7th, etc.

 

You control how quickly you spend your geneseed stocks, how quickly you recruit into your battle companies, how many people you squeeze into your ships, etc. So many chapters have variations on their formulas and you should feel comfortable making decisions for your chapter that you feel are within reason.

 

At least, thats the joy of your DIY chapters :) you dont have to worry about anything being contradicted by published fluff!

[Phantomzero17]

 

Hi!

 

The best reference I can give you is reading the pag26-27 from Codex: Space Marines, there you will find the Ultramarine s2nd  Company, unfortunately it is not a pure primaris company, but it is a good point for starting. 

 

You could follow the same guide, and simply replace Tactical Squads with Intercessor Squads, Devastators with Hellblasters and Assault with Inceptors... In this case exposed in the codex the Primaris are reinforcements for the old-marines, but you could even "swap" positions and using old-marines as reinforcements (if any) and using the squad numbers in the primaris.

 

In this case, there are no Aggressors or Reivers, but I suppose you could replace Devastators or Assault marines.

 

EDIT: Blood Angels codex is even more flexible in composition, pag15, the battle companies are only described as:

Battle Company

Captain <Name>

<Title assigned to the captain>

2 Lieutenants

6 battleline squads

2 close support squads

2 fire support squads

5 Dreadnoughts

 

So... you can freely decide which close/fire support squads are you going to use.

 

 

The regular Space Marine Codex does this as well on Page 13.  Depicting the Ultramarines Chapter disposition circa the beginning of the Indomitus Crusade.  Layed out similarly with only the battlefield role of squads listed not the exact ones.

 

The interesting bit on the page you mentioned for the Second Company is that it states that the new Codex Astartes (I think in Dark Imperium they called it the Nova Codex Astartes) dictates that squads seconded from the Reserve Companies now repaint their trim to the Battle Company they're assigned to (time and battlefield conditions permitting).  Which I think is just a cop out / recognition to the fact that most players don't differentiate companies when painting their units anyways.

[01RTB01]

Thinking aloud, what markings are aggressors and reivers given?

 

Would that help figure out where they sit?

[UnkyHamHam]

I always see Aggressors with the Dev/Fire Support chevron and Reivers with the ASM/Close Support crossed double arrows.

[Gederas]

Thinking aloud, what markings are aggressors and reivers given?

 

Would that help figure out where they sit?

 

I always see Aggressors with the Dev/Fire Support chevron and Reivers with the ASM/Close Support crossed double arrows.

Reivers (and Inceptors) are Close Support Squads, Aggreessors (and Hellblasters) are Fire Support, yes.

 

Just grabbed my Codex and double-checked

[01RTB01]

Cheers folks :)