Codex Space Marines Codex: Space Marine Rumours (2nd wave and/or New Characters)

[Evil Eye]

Said before, will say again; a new Drop Pod styled after the Epic model would be pretty cool.

[Alternis]

On 2/11/2025 at 10:38 AM, ChapterMasterGodfrey said:

Just going to chime in with a comment that's a collation of a few of my comments on various other threads. I think:

• Marine Characters, Black Templars, Space Wolves, Grey Knights will release Q2/3/4 2025 with a campaign of sorts surrounding Armageddon.
• 11th edition (10.5) Summer 2026.
• I had started to convince myself DE would be the antagonist faction, but Valrak says he's 110% convinced it's Orks and he's rarely wrong these days when he says something concrete (his theories aren't always correct, but hes spot on when his source tells him something).
• To that point, I think Orks will win and take Armageddon. This tied with Chaos winning Nachmund will really ramp up the Imperium's backs-to-the-wall feel.
• 11th kicks off with Imperium counter attack vs Orks. This plays into the fast attack / alpha strike nature of the units I predict will be in the box:
  • x10 "Tactical Intercessors" - Intercessors in 2026 will be 9 years old, a lot of wasted space on those sprues bolt rifle variants that mean nothing. New kit could old marks of helmets and shoulder pads on a Mark X base. More Sergeant options, melee, pistols, combi (?) and please please BACK BANNERS. I for one hope they go full tilt into it and put a Heavy Bolter, Pyrecannon, Super Frag/Krak, pyre blaster, melta rifle, plasma incinerator in there too. Multiple SERIOUS Imperial defeats could lead Guilliman (the now known pragmatist) to see the benefit of TACTICAL ;) flexibility.
  • x5 Assault Terminators - Need I say more? Alpha strike, decapitate.
  • x5 (or maybe x3) Vanguard Veterans - I posted a whole thread about the potential for VV to become three man Bladeguard Veterans with Jump Packs. I think the theory has legs, for many reasons, chiefly that GW now says Vanguard means Phobos.
  • x1 Vehicle: Either x1 Drop Pod, x1 "Scout Storm Speeder" (replacement for Land Speeder Storm that can transport scouts) or x1 Iron Clad Dreadnought remake - less inclided for this option as doesn't match the fast attack/ alpha strike theme.

  • x1 Captain on Bike. He won't be able to lead anything but that hasn't stopped GW before.

  • x1 Termie LT

  • x1 Jump Chaplain

  • x1 Ancient, either termie or jump

  • x1 Apothecary either termie or jump OR x1 Techmarine in Termie, I think this is dependent on if it's a dread in the box.

• Then the 11th edition marine launch wave will have multi part kits for most if not all the launch box units plus outriders.

• Leman Russ.

You got my attention on everything else bar ‘Tactical Intercessors’ reaching for the stars with that one. 
 

GW very much dislike having a ‘1 unit that does all’ type of thing, it’s less money for them in the long run, is why they’ve doubled down on squashing the first born tactical squad till it’s just never taken anymore

 

but everything else on that list is very plausible. 

[ChapterMasterGodfrey]

8 hours ago, Tokugawa said:

Agree. £55 price tag on an one-use expendable transport is something beyond crazy. ETB is their best future. 

 

Question: would you like to see a drop pod model with fixed closed hatch?

I don't think this would bother me too much. Vast majority of the time my Pods are doors up either on shelf or in reserve.

[ChapterMasterGodfrey]

12 minutes ago, Alternis said:

You got my attention on everything else bar ‘Tactical Intercessors’ reaching for the stars with that one. 
 

GW very much dislike having a ‘1 unit that does all’ type of thing, it’s less money for them in the long run, is why they’ve doubled down on squashing the first born tactical squad till it’s just never taken anymore

 

but everything else on that list is very plausible. 

Ignore all the wargear wishlisting I'm doing, a new Intercessor kit with older marks of helmets thrown in is very much on the cards I'd say. Like I mentioned, there's loads of space on the current Intercessor sprues that could be repurposed. Just to reitorate, it'll be 9 years old next year and I might be wrong but I'm not sure we had a Tactical squad kit last 9 years. I genuinely don't know though so that's more of a question.

7 hours ago, Inquisitor_Lensoven said:

Still doesn’t feel good to get a codex at the end of an edition, just to have it under powered a few months later.

It feels better than having it be totally invalidated a few months later

[Orange Knight]

In my opinion, the Drop Pod needs to be a stratagem. I'm not even joking. For every single Marine faction, "Drop Pod" should be a stratagem the same way "Armour of Contempt" is.

 

Now. the model is fine and obviously in the lore it's a great and thematic idea. It should still exist, but the Drop Pod should instead be a cool terrain piece.

It's simply not compelling on the tabletop. In general it's value has diminished over time due to a few changes:

 

-The board is smaller

-Armies are bigger and cover more ground quickly

-Lots of free ways to deliver units via deepstrike or infiltrate

 

The people that really want it to remain in it's current state value the model thematically. They aren't really taken and they cause issues, and modelling the model open is a detriment to the game due to the footprint so this isn't even a thing anymore. It doesn't interact well, and it probably never will because the rules don't accomodate models that change shape to such an extent. 

[Dr. Clock]

3 hours ago, Orange Knight said:

"Drop Pod" should be a stratagem the same way "Armour of Contempt" is.

Strategic Reserves in general could be easily handwaved into 'unit coming out of drop pod that's just off the table'...

 

I agree that it's a good and cool idea that kinda just doesn't work very well within the context of the game at present.

 

If it dropped down and just became non-LOS-blocking terrain after contents come out, that'd be fine to my mind. It wouldn't convince me to take any, but it's truly hard to assess how to make them good and interesting without making them semi-mandatory.

 

Yeah - not super fussed to be honest, but I understand people's attachment to them for lore...

 

Cheers,

 

The Good Doctor.

[DemonGSides]

They're just cool and they could be fixed with a price adjustment and be allowed to bring 11; would keep them from just becoming deathstar delivery systems while also making them work in the modern game.

 

New kit is whatever. Just fix the rules to be worthwhile. 

[LSM]

5 hours ago, ChapterMasterGodfrey said:

Just to reitorate, it'll be 9 years old next year and I might be wrong but I'm not sure we had a Tactical squad kit last 9 years. I genuinely don't know though so that's more of a question.

 

Might have missed something, but as far as plastics go:

• 1987: RTB1 
• 1995: Tactical Squad / Combat Squad
• 1999: Tactical Squad
• 2005: ETB trio of Tactical Marines
• 2013: Tactical Squad
• 2017: Space Marine Heroes / Intercessors

The first plastic Devastators were 2007, and then the current kit was 2015. So a nine year turn-around on Intercessors is entirely in bounds.

 

[Robbienw]

The current tactical squad will be 12 years old in august this year and is still on sale.  Intercessors, whilst similar, are a different thing.  The space marine heroes was a limited character squad set, not a replacement.

 

The 1998 tac squad technically made it 15 years, although it was recut in 2004 with several new parts added.  Base parts were the same though.

 

[Dr. Clock]

13 minutes ago, DemonGSides said:

Just fix the rules to be worthwhile. 

Definitely an option - going to 11 guys inside is an obvious start (although purely impossible from a practical standpoint due to there definitely being no 11th harness inside), but frankly the biggest issue for me is just their outsized impact on enemy movement once they're down. The 'DS transport' potential is cool, but it doesn't seem like good design that they are also a 12" bubble move block. 

 

At a certain point you're kinda just spending points to add a bunch of huge weird 'units but not units' to the board. It's not surprising that most people just... take the units that can Deep-Strike naturally, or through a Detachment (thanks Deathwatch!) or put stuff in reserves to get them up the board. 

 

I'd argue that Fortifications in general should also be easier to move around, but then nobody takes those either! Most of the time the terrain pieces should just be... terrain pieces that are included in the board composition, not added afterwards. It's kinda neat to have the option of setting up a 'siege defense' type board or scenario if you have stuff in your collection for that, but that's definitely a more narrative than matched play concern to my mind.

 

For drop pods I'd be satisfied if they just ruled that the leaves 'do not count' as part of the hull for purposes of movement, and that kinda like the Aegis line models may be placed on or touching any extended leaves as if they were terrain. Really the biggest coolness factor of the model is that stuff can actually be placed on the ramps, and I think the rules should reflect that as far as possible.

 

I might be interested in a Primaris Drop Pod if the rules are actually good and clean. It's gonna have to be pretty stellar to out on top of just an Impulsor tho... And it won't surprise me a bit if it moves to Legends in 11th.

 

Cheers,

 

The Good Doctor.

 

[chapter master 454]

one thing I realised that I want that we likely won't get is a terminator captain kit with more options than just sword/Fist and Bolter/combi. I want Storm Shield and thunder hammer, thunder hammer and bolter, lightning claws. As it stands, the current kit is nice but woefully underequipped for no reason...also...give the kit a proper full helmet for goodness sake...You give two head options that are bare (one has a respirator) but no helmet? Just baffling.

 

[LSM]

32 minutes ago, chapter master 454 said:

...As it stands, the current kit is nice but woefully underequipped for no reason...

 

The current kit has plenty of options... if you assume that the sculptor had no knowledge that the Combi-Plasma, Combi-Melta, and Combi-Flamer were about to become a single profile.

 

They probably would have chosen to include something else instead, had they known that the rules were changing. (But the single amalgamated "Combi-Weapon' seemed to have happened after the Leviathan sets were in production, showing how late a decision it was.)

[HeadlessCross]

53 minutes ago, chapter master 454 said:

one thing I realised that I want that we likely won't get is a terminator captain kit with more options than just sword/Fist and Bolter/combi. I want Storm Shield and thunder hammer, thunder hammer and bolter, lightning claws. As it stands, the current kit is nice but woefully underequipped for no reason...also...give the kit a proper full helmet for goodness sake...You give two head options that are bare (one has a respirator) but no helmet? Just baffling.

 

Because REAL heroes don't wear helmets, safety is just a government lie. 

[crimsondave]

1 hour ago, chapter master 454 said:

one thing I realised that I want that we likely won't get is a terminator captain kit with more options than just sword/Fist and Bolter/combi. I want Storm Shield and thunder hammer, thunder hammer and bolter, lightning claws. As it stands, the current kit is nice but woefully underequipped for no reason...also...give the kit a proper full helmet for goodness sake...You give two head options that are bare (one has a respirator) but no helmet? Just baffling.

 

For sure.  I used the DA Terminator helmet off the Deathwing sprue.  A terminator with no helmet option made no sense to me either.

[Rain]

1 hour ago, HeadlessCross said:

Because REAL heroes don't wear helmets, safety is just a government lie. 

OSHA regulations are just convoluted Tzeentchian frippery. My dudes like to feel the wind in their horrific brain implants.

[Chapter Master Valrak]

On 2/9/2025 at 11:55 AM, Indy Techwisp said:

In case anyone is wondering why I haven't specified Valrak in the title or main post, it's because this thread is for any rumours about this potential 2nd wave/new characters, not just Valraks.

While as of yet these rumours are all from Valrak, I didn't want to exclude any that may emerge from another source layer down the line.

 

Would at at least be nice to a have link to a video or two where these came since the entire OP is all my rumour videos, but no bother. 

 

Anyway, when it comes to Marines, lots of exciting things happening this year, I'm actually starting a new army for all of this, so much hype! 

Edited February 13 by Chapter Master Valrak

[Valkyrion]

4 hours ago, LSM said:

 

Might have missed something, but as far as plastics go:

• 1987: RTB1 
• 1995: Tactical Squad / Combat Squad
• 1999: Tactical Squad
• 2005: ETB trio of Tactical Marines
• 2013: Tactical Squad
• 2017: Space Marine Heroes / Intercessors

The first plastic Devastators were 2007, and then the current kit was 2015. So a nine year turn-around on Intercessors is entirely in bounds.

 

 

Was the 1999 tactical squad the same as the one that came in the 3rd ed box set?

My mind might be playing tricks, but I thought there was another kinda v0.5 tactical squad between 1999 and 2013. 

By which I mean, I thought the first box only had a flamer, power fist and missile launcher, and the *new* box had the melta, plasma, missile, power axe etc.

Edited February 13 by Valkyrion

[Robbienw]

15 minutes ago, Valkyrion said:

 

Was the 1999 tactical squad the same as the one that came in the 3rd ed box set?

My mind might be playing tricks, but I thought there was another kinda v0.5 tactical squad between 1999 and 2013. 

By which I mean, I thought the first box only had a flamer, power fist and missile launcher, and the *new* box had the melta, plasma, missile, power axe etc.

1998 tactical squad, the 3rd ed box actually came out in 1998 

 

There was a recut version of this tactical squad that came out in 2004.  It was recut from the 1 marine sprues to 2 5 man squad sprues and an accessory sprue.  Several bits were added to the kit, such as a plasma, meltagun, studded shoulder pads, new rescaled heads, some more arms and some decorative bits.  
 

The 1999 assault squad was recut at a similar time.

[chapter master 454]

22 hours ago, LSM said:

 

The current kit has plenty of options... if you assume that the sculptor had no knowledge that the Combi-Plasma, Combi-Melta, and Combi-Flamer were about to become a single profile.

 

They probably would have chosen to include something else instead, had they known that the rules were changing. (But the single amalgamated "Combi-Weapon' seemed to have happened after the Leviathan sets were in production, showing how late a decision it was.)

 

Not to be disparaging fellow frater...but the option of Power Weapon or Power Fist isn't exactly inspiring. Because yes, everyone takes captains for their incredible ranged prowess with Combi-weapons and storm bolters. Lets look at the vaunted history of...hmm...Storm Shield relic blade...storm shield thunder hammer...storm shield and...bike and relic blade WITH storm shield (how did he drive?)...

At no point have people taken ranged on options on captains other than there were nothing else to fill the appropriate slot for wargear. The only time we take such things is when forced as no-one is taking a vast majority of any of the marine characters for their ranged power because all of them are locked out of anything that would be make their shooting worth it. Even the option for a plasma gun wouldn't change the fact that a captain, a master of war and near limitless access to the armoury, only has the option for a power fist/power sword and a pattering of worthless shooting.

 

In fact, I could forgive the forced ranged weapon take if we had decent melee options for him.

 

For my case in point, take a good LONG hard look at the Gravis captain. The original one we got was from Dark Imperium, the start of 8th edition and that was the only source of that captain. However when the gravis captain for a proper single model it was that load-out that everyone liked...it was a garbage load-out captain with a power sword and bolt rifle that no-one wanted. He was trash and made resellers of the Dark Imperium captain happy. To make it clear, he didn't have the upgraded rifle he does now, it was a damage 2 weapon. Oh how powerful...truly a captain worthy of leading aggressors. Maybe they intended him for Heavy Intercessors...who needed melee punch to not get mauled so the melee load-out captain was always going to be better and the go to option for anything.

They eventually gave us the REAL gravis captain that people wanted and gave him melee options for his off hand. All of which imo actually have merit.

 

However here we have a Terminator captain, the lauded captain that wears the finest armour the captain can offer any of their chapter...and he can't even get a storm shield? The chaplain does. Why not the captain? Heck, I am actually kind of surprised and irked that the option was a power fist instead of a thunder hammer. Then you'd have a real difference there, and both versions of the load-out would look suitably heroic and awesome but sadly the best load-out also looks the most anemic as the power fist just kind of...exists...nothing dramatic just...there.

 

Might just be that a history of options has warped my view but...that has kind of been the gimmick of space marines for a long long long time. from 3rd edition, 4th and so on until the 8th edition trend, marines had some of the most intense amount of options open to them to allow them to be customised to any threat, or for anyone own personal character they wanted to make. At this point it just frustrates me because we look at every other army and even game system that GW has...and they are just NAILING IT.

Mayhaps it is just the legacy of marines that haunts it and my own perceptions.

But you can't argue that a Thunder Hammer wielding captain isn't something bizarre. For goodness sake, Lysander is THE terminator captain character and that's his load out.

 

/rant

-old guard space marine player annoyed at new marine models, breaking news: water wet-

[LSM]

13 minutes ago, chapter master 454 said:

.../rant

-old guard space marine player annoyed at new marine models, breaking news: water wet-

 

But then they can't put out an Assault Captain in Terminator Armour next year! (;P)

 

(I do legitimately think that had the sculptor known that three Combi-Weapons on the sprue was overkill, they'd have probably chosen to include a Thunder Hammer &c instead.)

[ZeroWolf]

5 minutes ago, LSM said:

 

But then they can't put out an Assault Captain in Terminator Armour next year! (;P)

 

(I do legitimately think that had the sculptor known that three Combi-Weapons on the sprue was overkill, they'd have probably chosen to include a Thunder Hammer &c instead.)

Now that you said that...they probably will create a assault terminators captain. I can already see the monkey paw curling a finger

[HeadlessCross]

33 minutes ago, chapter master 454 said:

 

Not to be disparaging fellow frater...but the option of Power Weapon or Power Fist isn't exactly inspiring. Because yes, everyone takes captains for their incredible ranged prowess with Combi-weapons and storm bolters. Lets look at the vaunted history of...hmm...Storm Shield relic blade...storm shield thunder hammer...storm shield and...bike and relic blade WITH storm shield (how did he drive?)...

At no point have people taken ranged on options on captains other than there were nothing else to fill the appropriate slot for wargear. The only time we take such things is when forced as no-one is taking a vast majority of any of the marine characters for their ranged power because all of them are locked out of anything that would be make their shooting worth it. Even the option for a plasma gun wouldn't change the fact that a captain, a master of war and near limitless access to the armoury, only has the option for a power fist/power sword and a pattering of worthless shooting.

 

In fact, I could forgive the forced ranged weapon take if we had decent melee options for him.

 

For my case in point, take a good LONG hard look at the Gravis captain. The original one we got was from Dark Imperium, the start of 8th edition and that was the only source of that captain. However when the gravis captain for a proper single model it was that load-out that everyone liked...it was a garbage load-out captain with a power sword and bolt rifle that no-one wanted. He was trash and made resellers of the Dark Imperium captain happy. To make it clear, he didn't have the upgraded rifle he does now, it was a damage 2 weapon. Oh how powerful...truly a captain worthy of leading aggressors. Maybe they intended him for Heavy Intercessors...who needed melee punch to not get mauled so the melee load-out captain was always going to be better and the go to option for anything.

They eventually gave us the REAL gravis captain that people wanted and gave him melee options for his off hand. All of which imo actually have merit.

 

However here we have a Terminator captain, the lauded captain that wears the finest armour the captain can offer any of their chapter...and he can't even get a storm shield? The chaplain does. Why not the captain? Heck, I am actually kind of surprised and irked that the option was a power fist instead of a thunder hammer. Then you'd have a real difference there, and both versions of the load-out would look suitably heroic and awesome but sadly the best load-out also looks the most anemic as the power fist just kind of...exists...nothing dramatic just...there.

 

Might just be that a history of options has warped my view but...that has kind of been the gimmick of space marines for a long long long time. from 3rd edition, 4th and so on until the 8th edition trend, marines had some of the most intense amount of options open to them to allow them to be customised to any threat, or for anyone own personal character they wanted to make. At this point it just frustrates me because we look at every other army and even game system that GW has...and they are just NAILING IT.

Mayhaps it is just the legacy of marines that haunts it and my own perceptions.

But you can't argue that a Thunder Hammer wielding captain isn't something bizarre. For goodness sake, Lysander is THE terminator captain character and that's his load out.

 

/rant

-old guard space marine player annoyed at new marine models, breaking news: water wet-

To be fair, there was a point to rang weapons on Captains when actual relics were available, and some have actually been pretty solid over the editions. 

 

But now I can't get mileage out of my Chapter Master model using a Flamer. 

[Indy Techwisp]

On 2/13/2025 at 7:37 PM, Chapter Master Valrak said:

Would at at least be nice to a have link to a video or two where these came since the entire OP is all my rumour videos, but no bother. 

 

Anyway, when it comes to Marines, lots of exciting things happening this year, I'm actually starting a new army for all of this, so much hype! 

 

Hi.

Sorry it's taken a bit to respond to this, I've not logged in for a few days.

 

I've added a link to your channel to the OP.

I'm not personally certain as to which rumors came from which video as the list was collated from the various flamed out Marine threads that have been popping up across the forum.

[Commissar Greif]

I have a suspicion Pedro Kantor will be receiving a new plastic model. It seems odd to me that he's been included in the 10th edition codex when his model was discontinued at the time, aside from a brief MTO window. GW has made a lot of odd choices in the past, but a tournament-legal datasheet for a character whose model is OOP is an exceptionally odd one. Has me thinking there must be more to it.

[Chapter Master Valrak]

Pedro is coming and it will be glorious :)