Starting/salvaging Ultramarines

[Mobius0288]

I am looking to start an ultramarines army and I have quite a few models that I need to convert/re-paint to get back on track. Before I delve into the project, I was hoping my favorite bolter and chainsword peeps could give me a hand on what things are worthwhile in the army. For context, I have a large deathwatch army, Knights and some Inquisition. A small skitarii battalion is on the horizon as well.

 

Here's what I'm working with:

2-3 x5 tacticals squads (heavy bolter, heavy bolter, plasma gun)

3 x5 Intercessors

2 x5 Hellblasters

1 x5 scouts (snipers)

1 x5 devastator squad (2 missile, 2 lascannon)

3 x3 Inceptors (bolters...)

1 Sternguard

1 x3 Company Veterans (combi-melta/meltas)

1 x3 Centurions (bolters and Grav)

2 Dreds (assault/claw)

1 Ironclad dred (2 claws)

2 Primaris Ancient

1 Ancient

1 Apothecary

1 Captain (plasma pistol/Power axe) 

1 Gravis Captain

1 Librarian

1 Calgar (primaris)

1 Victrix Guard

1 BOBBY G-MAN!

1 Drop pod

1 Dred Drop pod

...potentially a Leviathan Dred (storm cannon and grav bombard)

...potentially a Deredeo Dred (autocannons)

 

I think I want:

2 VV units

1-2 Rhinos

 

Eventually I will have to build out 2 separate companies worth... Are there any units, formations or tactics to focus on? I'm thinking the Victrix Detachment looks really good. I also want a self-sufficient ultramarine force by the time this is done, minimizing ally help/soup lists.

 

Do I at least have some of the right stuff?

[HighMarshalAmp]

I'd say look to the future, see to it that you get all your Primaris units new and blue and work from there. Don't buy new Oldmarines if you have a chance of starting a pure Primaris force from scratch.

Except for the FW Dreads, but Resin can be a real pain to get paint away from.

[Captain Idaho]

The Victrix Guard Detachment is great fun. Difficult to pull off but very much worth it.

[Mobius0288]

Is the ancient worth trying to fit in with the Victrix Detachment? maybe some Vanguard Vets without jump packs in a rhino and a standard bearer? It just seems incomplete without one. Or maybe I'm not utilizing the important aspects of the detachment...

 

I was initially thinking a couple Captains and at least 2 Vanguard Vet units. Honor Guard spam seems a little pricey and sternguard don't have a lot of melee punch. The ancient would be amazing but foot slogging would be awful. Storm Eagles or Storm Ravens might be a better transport option, I just don't have either of those in my inventory.

 

I pulled off a double battalion + a Vanguard Victrix detachment with what I have so far.

[Mobius0288]

 

++ Battalion Detachment +5CP (Imperium - Space Marines) [40 PL, 8CP, 613pts] ++

 

+ No Force Org Slot +

 

**Chapter Selection**: Ultramarines

 

**Chapter Selection**: Codex Chapter

 

Battle-forged CP [3CP]

 

Detachment CP [5CP]

 

+ HQ +

 

Lieutenants [4 PL, 67pts]

. Lieutenant: Master-crafted boltgun, Power sword

 

Techmarine [4 PL, 52pts]: Power axe, Servo-arm, Storm bolter

 

+ Troops +

 

Scout Squad [6 PL, 80pts]: 5x Camo cloak

. Scout Sergeant: Combat knife, Sniper rifle

. 4x Scout w/Sniper Rifle: 4x Sniper rifle

 

Tactical Squad [9 PL, 107pts]

. 5x Space Marine

. Space Marine Sergeant: Chainsword, Storm bolter

. Space Marine w/Special Weapon: Meltagun

 

Tactical Squad [5 PL, 77pts]

. 3x Space Marine

. Space Marine Sergeant: Chainsword, Storm bolter

. Space Marine w/Heavy Weapon: Heavy bolter

 

+ Elites +

 

Apothecary [3 PL, 55pts]

 

+ Dedicated Transport +

 

Razorback [5 PL, 95pts]: Hunter-killer missile, Storm bolter, Twin heavy bolter

 

Rhino [4 PL, 80pts]: Hunter-killer missile, 2x Storm bolter

 

++ Vanguard Detachment +1CP (Imperium - Space Marines) [37 PL, -4CP, 629pts] ++

 

+ No Force Org Slot +

 

**Chapter Selection**: Ultramarines

 

Detachment CP [1CP]

 

Operative Requisition Sanctioned [-1CP, 85pts]

 

Relics of the Chapter (2 Relics) [-3CP]

 

Specialist Detachment [-1CP]: Victrix Guard

 

+ HQ +

 

Captain [6 PL, 105pts]: Champion of Humanity, Jump Pack, Master-crafted boltgun, Relic blade, The Sanctic Halo, Warlord

 

Captain in Gravis Armor [7 PL, 118pts]: Boltstorm gauntlet, Master-crafted power sword, Soldier's Blade

 

+ Elites +

 

Primaris Ancient [5 PL, 69pts]: Standard of Macragge Inviolate

 

Vanguard Veteran Squad [8 PL, 94pts]: Jump Pack

. Space Marine Veteran: Bolt Pistol & Chainsword

. Space Marine Veteran: Bolt Pistol & Chainsword

. Space Marine Veteran: Bolt Pistol & Chainsword

. Space Marine Veteran: Bolt Pistol & Chainsword

. Veteran Sergeant: Bolt pistol, Relic blade

 

Vanguard Veteran Squad [8 PL, 94pts]: Jump Pack

. Space Marine Veteran: Bolt Pistol & Chainsword

. Space Marine Veteran: Bolt Pistol & Chainsword

. Space Marine Veteran: Bolt Pistol & Chainsword

. Space Marine Veteran: Bolt Pistol & Chainsword

. Veteran Sergeant: Bolt pistol, Relic blade

 

Victrix Honour Guard [3 PL, 64pts]

. Victrix Honour Guard: Power sword, Storm shield

. Victrix Honour Guard: Power sword, Storm shield

 

++ Battalion Detachment +5CP (Imperium - Space Marines) [42 PL, 5CP, 757pts] ++

 

+ No Force Org Slot +

 

**Chapter Selection**: Ultramarines

 

Detachment CP [5CP]

 

+ HQ +

 

Librarian [6 PL, 98pts]: 2) Might of Heroes, 3) Psychic Scourge, Force stave, Storm bolter

 

Primaris Lieutenants [5 PL, 74pts]

. Primaris Lieutenant: Master-crafted auto bolt rifle

 

+ Troops +

 

Intercessor Squad [5 PL, 85pts]: Auxiliary Grenade Launcher, Bolt rifle

. 4x Intercessor

. Intercessor Sergeant: Chainsword

 

Intercessor Squad [5 PL, 85pts]: Auxiliary Grenade Launcher, Bolt rifle

. 4x Intercessor

. Intercessor Sergeant: Chainsword

 

Intercessor Squad [5 PL, 85pts]: Auxiliary Grenade Launcher, Bolt rifle

. 4x Intercessor

. Intercessor Sergeant: Chainsword

 

+ Heavy Support +

 

Hellblaster Squad [8 PL, 165pts]: Plasma incinerator

. 4x Hellblaster

. Hellblaster Sergeant: Bolt pistol

 

Hellblaster Squad [8 PL, 165pts]: Plasma incinerator

. 4x Hellblaster

. Hellblaster Sergeant: Bolt pistol

 

++ Total: [119 PL, 9CP, 1999pts] ++

[Captain Idaho]

If I'm honest you will need to focus on the Victrix Guard Specialist Detachment if you want to get the most out of it. Consider the following:

 

i) Exchange the Warlord Trait Champion of Humanity for Warden of Ultramar.

 

ii) Take more Vanguard models, with additional Storm Shields and weapons that might make a splash.

 

iii) The Ancient is indeed difficult to use alongside Jump Pack troops. If you can run alongside and get within 6" you'll be doing well and hurt opponents.

 

iv) Victrix Guard are an okay unit at protecting vulnerable characters but fairly easy to remove in all things considered and aren't particularly powerful in melee. Use as bodyguards but remember to get the benefit of this Specialist Detachment you need punching power.

[Mobius0288]

No this is good, I definitely need feedback on making the Victrix detachment as optimized as I can. I was playing with sternguard in there as well but not super melee. Has anyone run VVs without jump packs in rhinos? At least that way the ancient would be with them when they disembarked... Then I could forgo a librarian with veil of time to aid the deep strike charges?

 

The Victrix Guard guys would be right in the middle of my Ancient/apothecary/Capt blob... in the event I face off with snipers. I could do without them though.

 

I'm also toying with a techmarine and Captain on a bike (Captain in the victrix det). And ideally I would start vanguards on the board, racing them up next to the Captain. I could also get Calgar to fit in place of the Gravis Captain for the ancient/intercessor/hellblaster blob. Trying to punish on 2 fronts: melee rush and mobile shooting castle.

 

Gotcha on the vanguard piece. Either max out the 2 units or put in another, but that willd efinitely mean minimizing the tactical space marine bodies and toys. Possibly just making them all scouts.

 

I like where these thoughts are going. Good input.

[jonjacob]

I run my vanguard vets from storm raven, or rhino.

I run 10 power sword and plasma pistol marines. Four of them can be swapped out for thunder hammer + storm shields / power sword + storm shield.

 

Idaho has a great set up that could work well without jump packs and it maximises the use of quality redundant save. I'm sure he'll post it.

 

If I go raven the captain and ancient are present. I use rhinos though when I need to move them with the main bulk of the force.

 

Close disembark are great if you get all the piece together. I often find though my victrix can overkill a unit so badly i cannot consolidate into anything else. So it might be good to declare a multiple charges with the vanguard and Rhino could take the brunt of the overwatch of said units.

[Mobius0288]

I took your guys' advice and made some major changes. I was leaning heavily on the primaris / ancient / hellblaster blob so I removed my first battalion to strengthen my Victrix Detachment.

 

First battalion is pretty normal (Primaris) - Calgar (Warlord for +2 CP), Lt, Ancient, 3 Intercessor and 2 hellblaster. Also an apothecary borrowed from the other detachment... fluffy reasons.

 

The Victrix I changed to have the following:

- Captain on bike (storm bolter, power fist, Sanctic Halo, Warden of Ultramar)

- Librarian on bike (Might of Heroes, Null Zone, Storm bolter, staff)

- Company Ancient on a bike (Power Axe, Standard of Macragge)

- x10 Vanguard Veterans (melta bombs, 3 twin lightning claws [sgt], 2 bolt pistol/power fists, 5 chainsword/storm shields)

- x10 Vanguard Veterans (3 bolt pistol/powerfist [sgt], 2 twin lightning claws, 5 chainsword/storm shields)

- Xiphon Interceptor

 

Everything is going to start on the board so I tried to bring enough threats to divert fire... xiphon, 2 hellblasters and the VV blob. I had totally missed the ancient on bike from the index. I also looked back through the giant Victrix threat and found some of the lists you guys were throwing around. Appreciate all the contributions.