Best "Tank" Space Marine Characters (?)

[L30n1d4s]

I am seeing more and more value in having at least one Astartes character who is super tough and can absorb a lot of attention and damage output from your opponent while the rest of your army is freed up to shoot, maneuver, hold objectives, score secondaries, etc.

 

 

With that in mind, in your experience, what are some of the best Astartes "tank" builds for characters out there?

 

 

One of my current favorites is the following:

 

 

-Salamander Successor (Born Heroes, Whirlwind of Rage) Chapter Master on Bike with TH/SS.

 

Relic: Angel Artifice (i.e. 2+ save, +1W, +1T)

WL Trait 1 - Forge Master (+2T)

WL Trait 2 - Iron Resolve (+1W, 6+++ FNP)

 

 

This gives you a character on bike with T8, 8 Wounds, 1+/4++ Saves, and a 6+++ FNP. Between that, character protection from shooting via "Look out, Sir!', healing from a friendly Apothecary, and "Rise from the Ashes" Strat to resurrect on a 4+, he can be a total bear to take down. Finally, my opponent can't ignore him, since he I can use Strats like "Strength of the Primarch" and "Crucible of Battle" to make him a legit danger to almost any other character/tough unit.

 

 

Anyway, back to the main topic.... what have others on here found working for them as a "tank" type character in their Space Marine armies?

Edited January 3, 2022 by L30n1d4s

[Brother Kraskor]

BT Primaris Chaplain on Bike with Tannhauser's Bones and Iron Resolve - T5, W8, 6+++ but can only take one damage at a time. And inherently ignores Mortals on 5+.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

BT Primaris Chaplain on Bike with Tannhauser's Bones and Iron Resolve - T5, W8, 6+++ but can only take one damage at a time. And inherently ignores Mortals on 5+.

 

I believe BT also have a WLT for 5+++… would be very annoying.

[Iron Father Ferrum]

Iron Hands Gravis Captain (either profile, don't matter) with the Aegis Ferrum and All Flesh is Weakness WLT.

 

He's T6, -1 damage, 3+ armor, 4+ Invulnerable, 5+ FNP which can be improved to 4+ with a strat.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

Never realized the strat improves his FNP to 4+++ … awesome !

 

My Iron Hands build is:

 

Captain upgraded to Chapter Master

Stormshield (& thunderhammer)

Bike

Angel’s Artifice (relic)

Flesh is Weakness

Iron Resolve

 

T6 - 8W - 1+/4++ Save - 5+++

Edited November 25, 2021 by Black Blow Fly

[Karhedron]

Blood Angel's Chaplain on a Bike with the following:

• Armour Indomitus
• Gift of Foresight WLT (reroll a failed Hit, Wound and Save each turn).
• 2nd WLT "Artificer of War" to give him Adamantium Mantle for a 5+++

8W at T5 with a 2+/4++/5+++ which can be upgraded at a 3++ once per game. He also gets a free save reroll every turn.

[Tokugawa]

Tannhouser chaplain is the current "toughest". Haven't known him yet? Soon you will see him again and again, in games with BT players.

 

If other candidates are really tougher than him, why they don't see tournament play?

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

Mortal wounds will literally light him up… so he has an Achilles heel so to speak. And the topic is tankiest characters not what’s the most popular in the current meta.

[Inquisitor_Lensoven]

Librarian dreadnought

[Tokugawa]

Any character is ok? Then Iron hands leviathan, march of the ancients.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

"… while the rest of your army is freed up to shoot, maneuver, hold objectives, score secondaries, etc."

 

Dreads are more for shooting and melee.

[Captain Idaho]

Ultramarines Captain - Storm Shield, Thunder Hammer, Iron Resolve, Tarentian Cloak.

 

1+ armour save, 7 wounds, 6+ ignore wounds and 4+ Invulnerable save... coupled with D3 wounds healed per turn. That's fairly tough to eliminate and surprising for many opponents who don't expect Ultramarines characters to be as difficult to remove.

[L30n1d4s]

Here's another one --

 

-Raven Guard Primaris Captain with Relic Shield and Mastercrafted Power Sword:

 

Relic: Armour of Shadows

WLT1: Master of Ambush

WLT2: Iron Resolve

 

This gives a Captain with 7W, 2+/4++, Ignoring AP-1, access to Transhuman, a 4+++ against MWs and a 6+++ vs everything else, and ALL attacks against him can only hit on a 4+ at best.

 

So, for example, with Transhuman activated, Morvenn Vahl supported by a Priest would do 6 attacks, 4-5 hits (after re-rolls), 3-4 wounds (again, after rerolls), 1-2 wounds causing 3-6 damage, and then 2-5 unsaved wounds on average after 6+++ FNPs...so, leaving the Captain alive, ready for an Apothecary to heal up another 3W and keep him trucking.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

He’s a monster for sure !

[Captain Idaho]

Transhuman is massive factor in Primaris survivability. Obviously it can only be used on 1 unit at a time but it's brilliant.

[Brother Kraskor]

Mortal wounds will literally light him up… so he has an Achilles heel so to speak. And the topic is tankiest characters not what’s the most popular in the current meta.

 

If this is re: Tannhauser Chaplain, I would actually say Mortals are well-covered by BT inherent 5+ against them. Not an Achilles heel at all.

[Lord Raven 19]

Well, if you want a tank character, surely sergeant Chronus is best