Tacticus Firestorm Force

[Lysimachus]

2 hours ago, Karhedron said:

 

It is gone from the MFM which I think is the definitive source. I am pretty sure the only legal detachments now are the ones in the 11th edition Codex.

 

I'm really confused now, I've just been on the mfm and they're all listed? Spearpoint, Shadowmark, Medusa, Sentinels...?

 

[jaxom]

18 minutes ago, Lysimachus said:

 

I'm really confused now, I've just been on the mfm and they're all listed? Spearpoint, Shadowmark, Medusa, Sentinels...?

 

Ditto.

 

[Karhedron]

28 minutes ago, Lysimachus said:

I'm really confused now, I've just been on the mfm and they're all listed? Spearpoint, Shadowmark, Medusa, Sentinels...?

 

 

Woah, that's really weird. I can see them if I select just "Space Marines" I can see them. But if I select a specific chapter they disappear!  OK I guess they are valid as long as you are not playing BA/DA/SW who get their own Detachments.

[Malakithe]

Yeah each chapter still has their 2DP dets in the app at least. Some chapters have more like DA and BA

[Malakithe]

21 hours ago, Karhedron said:

I think that you are underestimating the power of massed plasma. 10 Hellblasters will put 9 Wounds average on a Landraider in a single volley while the Lancer will average about 7.5 (factoring in its rerolls). The Lancer will give your opponent a target for his own anti-tank weapons. I think that target saturation is the key here and a Lancer dilutes that without bringing an obvious advantage.

How are Hellblasters getting that many wounds vs T12? Weight of fire?

[Karhedron]

1 hour ago, Malakithe said:

How are Hellblasters getting that many wounds vs T12? Weight of fire?

 

Exactly! 3 shots each doing 2 Damage means each Hellblaster can cause 6 wounds max. Hitting on a 3+ makes 4. Wounding on a 5+ makes 1.3333. Saving on a 5+ (assuming overcharging) means each Hellblaster does about 0.87 Wounds.

 

If they move less than 3" to get the bonus from Heavy then a full squad puts about 12 Wounds on a Land Raider.

 

Quantity has a quality all if its own! 

[Malakithe]

So the Ork tactics of barrel of dice haha. Would there be ways to give them Lethal/Sus/Dev wounds?

 

Also if we are talking just straight weight of fire, what unit has the most shots of all the rapid fire bros?

Edited October 18 by Malakithe

[Karhedron]

1 hour ago, Malakithe said:

So the Ork tactics of barrel of dice haha. Would there be ways to give them Lethal/Sus/Dev wounds?

 

Also if we are talking just straight weight of fire, what unit has the most shots of all the rapid fire bros?

 

There certainly is. Tacticus Firestorm has the Relentless Assault Strat that gives you Lethal Hits vs Vehicle/Monsters and Sustained Hits 1 vs everything else.

 

You can get Rerolling 1s to Hit and Wound as well as Sustained Hits 1 in the Angelic Inheritors detachment. However this is 3DPs so you have to get within 12" RF range for full effect as you can't stack it with Tacticus Firestorm Detachment. 

Edited October 18 by Karhedron

[mel_danes]

2 hours ago, Malakithe said:

 Would there be ways to give them Lethal/Sus/Dev wounds?

 

Support then with a Lt. Easy Lethal Hits.

[Tacitus]

2 hours ago, Malakithe said:

So the Ork tactics of barrel of dice haha. Would there be ways to give them Lethal/Sus/Dev wounds?

 

Also if we are talking just straight weight of fire, what unit has the most shots of all the rapid fire bros?

Hellblasters - per 10 you have 20 Plasma Shots + 10 Plasma Shots.  The Intercessors have 10 Strong Bolter shots or 20 Weaker ones + 10 more of whichever + 4 Krak Grenade shots.  Technically Sternguard can get more with their Infernus combi-flamer profile  (40 shots per 10 -4 and +5 per Heavy Bolter for 42 if you go that route.  But the differences are pretty niche and small. 

1 minute ago, mel_danes said:

 

Support then with a Lt. Easy Lethal Hits.

Lieutenants don't Lethal vs Vehicles anymore (which was the context)  It works vs INFANTRY and MOUNTED but meh. 

[Karhedron]

1 hour ago, Karhedron said:

There certainly is. Tacticus Firestorm has the Relentless Assault Strat that gives you Lethal Hits vs Vehicle/Monsters and Sustained Hits 1 vs everything else.

 

Going back to my earlier Land Raider example, Lethal Hits will net you another 3-4 wounds so you are now getting very close to one-shotting that Land Raider with a 230 point squad. The good thing is that there aren't really any targets Hellblasters are bad against. OK they may not be the most point-efficient way to kill GEQs but they are still OK at it.

[mel_danes]

I totally missed that. 

Why take that away?

[Tacitus]

6 hours ago, mel_danes said:

I totally missed that. 

Why take that away?

Karhedron just explained the math - probably while you were asking - to keep the specific weapon roles separate.  Lethal Hits wasn't REALLY designed to let Bolters take down Tanks. 

[Malakithe]

Im liking Sternguard for this style. For Ultras has anyone looked at Victrix? They have a heavy bolter profile but not sure about the points cost.

[Dr. Clock]

Took this with Salamanders the other day and it feels great with even just like 3-4 rapid fire units. Heck, 5 intercessors chilling back home become a credible shooter, and it makes something like 10 hellblasters into a complete nightmare. I went with Tactical Brethren in that game, but I found myself wanting a second Devastator turn more, because with the long range rapid fire you're more likely to be trying to just move as far as possible to draw lines with the shooters in the back. All the shots in the world won't help if you're on the wrong side of piece of terrain.

 

Honestly the game last week also convinced me that Firestorm is probably my go-to for Storm Lords (White Scars) after obligatory Stormlance, even though I'll likely only end up really using it on 3 units: Hunter's Eye Librarian +10 Hellblasters, Korsarro + 10 Intercessors, and Company Champions. Korsarro adds Assault to the intercessors' Focused Fire, which just sounds epic, and 1DP to make a couple big squads into decent kites is more interesting than alternatives for my 'movement' marine list.   

 

In short, yes, I think Firestorm is possibly the best 1DP build around detachment, and I love that it makes regular bolter marines something you want to take lots of. 

 

In fairness, I think if really leaning in to this I'd favor an MSU horde over a 10s. A good number of big hitters with buff characters sure, but probably at least one small unit per big I figure, just to take up space.

 

Consider: 1995 pts; Firestorm, Devastator Brethren, Deathwatch Support

 

Ancient + 5 Sternguard

Captain + Honour of Vigilance + 10 Hellblasters

Lieutenant + 10 Intercessors

Lieutenant + 10 Sternguard

Lieutenant + Beacon Angelis + 10 Deathwatch Kill Team

 

3x5 Intercessors

2x5 Hellblasters

1x5 Sternguard

1x5 Kill Team

 

Funny enough I can almost run this between my Deathwatch and oldmarine Salamanders. Just swapping in like 10 Infernus + Vulkan would get me there I think. Maybe after I've given my actual Deathwatch/Agents list a go.

 

Cheers,

 

The Good Doctor.

[Tacitus]

14 hours ago, Malakithe said:

Im liking Sternguard for this style. For Ultras has anyone looked at Victrix? They have a heavy bolter profile but not sure about the points cost.

They're not horrible but probably still too much for "spam".  Bits and pieces of both Intercessor Bolt Profiles merged together 2A +1 S5 but still D2.  The power weapons are a nice "side effect" for the unit, but the Chapter Ancient is an Epic Hero.  Company Heroes are probably a better fit as both more repeatable (for Sticky Banners) and cheaper. 

[Malakithe]

On 10/19/2026 at 12:43 PM, Tacitus said:

They're not horrible but probably still too much for "spam".  Bits and pieces of both Intercessor Bolt Profiles merged together 2A +1 S5 but still D2.  The power weapons are a nice "side effect" for the unit, but the Chapter Ancient is an Epic Hero.  Company Heroes are probably a better fit as both more repeatable (for Sticky Banners) and cheaper. 

Yeah I can get a unit of 10 Sternguard for cheaper

[Malakithe]

Is there any chapter specific support characters or units that could help this playstyle? Like maybe a Sang Priest for +1T plus the heals? Just throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks.

[jaxom]

15 hours ago, Malakithe said:

Is there any chapter specific support characters or units that could help this playstyle? Like maybe a Sang Priest for +1T plus the heals? Just throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks.

Tor Garaddon stripping cover?

[Tacitus]

15 hours ago, Malakithe said:

Is there any chapter specific support characters or units that could help this playstyle? Like maybe a Sang Priest for +1T plus the heals? Just throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks.

Kor'sarro Khan gives one unit Reroll 1's vs Characters.

Guilliman gives every unit within 6" reroll 1's all the time. 

The Lion gives 5+++ FNP.

Grimaldus can give +1T

Watch Masters give essentially super doctrines.

Tiggy helps with Mortal Wounds, +1SV,  and 4+++

Sicarius helps with Move When Enemy within 8"

Wardens of Ultramar help wtih Redploy, Objective Secured and Ablative Bodies

10 man Deathwatch Veterans can have up to 2 Heavy Bolters and 2 Frag Cannons. 

The Talonstrike Kill Team looked promising originally as a way to give Gravis (Edit:  Or Terminator) models the Tacticus keyword, but they don't have Rapid Fire - but that is something to look for - is there a Tacticus character that can join a Gravis unit thus giving a Rapid Firing Gravis unit Tacticus keywords?

 

Edited October 21 by Tacitus

[Karhedron]

15 hours ago, Malakithe said:

Is there any chapter specific support characters or units that could help this playstyle? Like maybe a Sang Priest for +1T plus the heals? Just throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks.

 

I do enjoy a Sanguinary Priest with my Hellblasters as the Heal can patch up any failed Hazardous tests. I think the real place Sanguinary Priests shine is with Company Heroes. Stacking the +1T with the -1 to Wound rule means that S5 attacks (of which there are a LOT now) only wound on a 6!. It makes them practically impossible to take down with "basic" weapon attacks.

 

The only downside with this is that I am then tempted to run Angelic Inheritors to get the reroll 1s to Hit and Wound. Unfortunately as a 3DP Detachment, it can't be stacked with anything else. 

[L30n1d4s]

No, Ceramite Sentinels are alive and well in the MFM (not to mention in the App as well, under Imperial Fists);

 

https://mfm.warhammer-community.com/en/space-marines

[Malakithe]

Azrael is Tacticus, has a super strong rapid fire gun and gives the unit a 4+ invul. His abilities are good with handing out a doctrine and giving his unit Sustained 1.  

[Malakithe]

Happy Halloween! Anyone put some of this theory craft to the test yet?

[Karhedron]

2 hours ago, Malakithe said:

Happy Halloween! Anyone put some of this theory craft to the test yet?

 

Not yet. I play Blood Angels and Space Wolves so I have having too much fun smashing stuff in melee to worry too much about shooting.