In the grim darkness of Warhammer 40,000, where the Imperium of Man fights countless battles on countless worlds, you will find no greater exemplars of heroism, skill, and determination than the Adeptus Astartes, otherwise known as the Space Marines.
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These genetically-enhanced super-soldiers are the foremost defenders of humanity, warding off attacks from bloodthirsty Xenos and Chaos cults alike. They are a “jack of all trades, master of none” style army on the tabletop, capable of taking on all opponents – so long as they have a capable commander leading them.
Why Play Space Marines
The Space Marines, known officially as the Adeptus Astartes, are a well-balanced faction with a focus on medium-range firepower and durability. Most of your units are tough, accurate, and reliable, with the bonus of being half-decent in melee.
That’s not to say you’re unbeatable, though. Space Marines suffer from two main problems: you’ll usually be outnumbered, and you aren’t the best at any one thing. To stay ahead of your enemies, you’ll need to play around these weaknesses and force your opponents to fight on your terms.
Army Rules
Every army has an “army passive” that heavily modifies how they play, and how others play around them. The Space Marines army passive is called Oath of Moment: you select an enemy unit at the beginning of each Command Phase, and your entire army gets to re-roll failed Hit rolls against them until the beginning of your next Command Phase.
This ability encourages you to focus on one enemy unit at a time and rewards a keen sense for target priority. Which is more important to destroy this turn: the mob of Cultists holding a far-away objective, or the Khorne Berzerkers about to charge your Captain?
Important Units
Good news: Space Marines have the most units in the game. Bad news: not all of them will work for every army, detachment, or player. It will take some trial and error to learn what you personally like, but below are some strong options that can find a home in many different Army Lists.
Characters
Choosing the right Character to lead your army is vitally important, as their abilities and Enhancements can drastically change your unit synergies and overall battle plan. Of the many powerful options the Space Marines can field, here are some universally useful Characters:
|
Captain |
Your classic all-rounder. This seasoned leader can carry a variety of Wargear and join almost any unit, while conserving your Command Points via his Rites of Battle. If his unit gets into a tight spot – or happens to see a vulnerable enemy unit within charge range – he can use his once-per-battle Finest Hour ability to amp up his melee damage. Use a Captain if you need your leader to be in the thick of the fighting, or if you need to ensure you can use a critical Stratagem at the right time. |
|---|---|
|
Librarian |
Support and ranged damage. If you need a key unit to survive the battle, or you just really like exploding heads with space-magic, the Librarian is a great choice. Just be careful of any Anti-Psyker effects your opponent may have. |
|
Lieutenant |
Low-cost and efficient. While they can’t lead as many types of units as the other two, Lieutenants are one of the cheapest Characters the Space Marines have access to, which is valuable in itself. Add to that a simple but effective buff aura and the Lieutenant can find a place in most lists, Primaris-focused or not. |
Most of your Characters can use different types of armour, each one changing their available Wargear, Abilities, and which units they can lead. Librarians in Terminator Armour and Captains with a Jump Pack or Gravis Armour are the big standouts.
Battleline
These are your basic grunts, your objective-grabbers and cannon fodder – though with Space Marines, even your basic units pack a punch.
|
Tactical Squad |
Your bread-and-butter troops are always useful, able to escort most Characters and pack a pair of special weapons. They aren’t as durable as Intercessors, but they are cheap and flexible – and if you need smaller units to grab objectives or fit into a Razorback, their Combat Squads passive gives you that option. |
|---|---|
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Heavy Intercessor Squad |
If you need a Battleline unit that will soak damage without blinking and whittle enemies down with long-range firepower, you can’t go wrong with Heavy Intercessors. Against your average Infantry unit, they will rival Terminators for sheer toughness, while being significantly cheaper. If you’re low on points, these can be substituted for regular Intercessors. |
|
Assault Intercessor Squad |
If you’re playing a melee-focused Chapter, these bad boys will be your best friends. They can hack through light Infantry with ease, and their Sergeant can threaten heavier targets with the inclusion of a Power Fist or Thunder Hammer. If you can guarantee they make it to the front lines, they won’t let you down. |
Infantry
While your Battleline squads take the objectives, your other Infantry units perform more specialized tasks, from blitzing your enemies to sneaking around the board and taking potshots at exposed targets.
|
Assault Intercessor Squard with Jump Packs |
Do you know what’s better than a heavily armoured, chainsword-wielding Space Marine charging at your enemies? That same Space Marine being able to Fly! Everything you love about the Assault Intercessors is here, along with increased movement speed, the ability to jump over terrain (and intervening units), Deep Strike, and the chance to cause Mortal Wounds on a successful Charge. |
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Incursor/Infiltrator Squad |
You would think that being a sneaky Space Marine would be a hard job, but these guys in Phobos Armour make it look easy. Incursors are a great support unit, using Scout to move before the game begins and tagging units for the rest of your army to destroy. Infiltrators are more aggressive, deploying up the board with the Infiltrators rule and claiming far-off objectives while making themselves surprisingly hard to remove. |
|
Aggressor/Eradicator Squad |
When you absolutely need something dead, you bring the Gravis units. With Deep Strike built in, these chunky fellows can appear exactly where they are needed, laying down a brutal storm of firepower while being hard to kill in return. Aggressors are best for destroying Infantry, while Eradicators want to be shooting Vehicles and Monsters – and don’t forget that they each carry a pair of Power Fists for melee if necessary. |
Vehicles
If you thought your Infantry were tough, now it’s time to bring out the big guns. Whether you want ranged firepower, safe transportation, or even buffs to nearby units, Space Marine Vehicles can cover all the bases.
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Gladiator |
How many heavy weapons can the Space Marines fit on one Vehicle? Ask the Gladiator: a veritable battleship of a tank bristling with guns and special rules. Grab the Lancer for anti-tank, the Reaper for anti-infantry, and the Valiant for getting up in people’s faces before you delete them from existence. |
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Land Raider |
A classic unit for veteran Space Marine players, this rolling brick house can carry important units into the fray while laying down some impressive firepower to anyone unlucky enough to cross its path. Especially valuable for melee units (like Assault Intercessors) who can use the Assault Ramp to get out and charge after the Vehicle has already moved. |
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Repulsor |
The new heavy transport on the block. Compared to the Land Raider, The Repulsor packs more guns and can hoover up a nearby Infantry unit to protect them from being Charged, while the Repulsor Executioner takes a page from the Razorback’s book: throwing down a ridiculous amount of firepower but only having room for six passengers. |
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Dreadnought(s) |
Turns out that “Only In Death Does Duty End” is serious business to the Adeptus Astartes – if you aren’t completely destroyed by the enemies of the Imperium, you get to fight them again from inside a giant metal coffin/mechsuit. The classic Dreadnaught isn’t as fearsome as it used to be, but now gives a buff to nearby Infantry. The Ballistus has the best shooting, the Brutalis is king in melee, and the Redemptor is versatile and very tough. |
Dedicated Transports
Sometimes you just need to get from Point A to Point B without breaking the bank. These Vehicles won’t deal as much damage as the ones above, but they can get your more important units where they need to be.
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Rhino/Razorback |
Old-school transports for Tactical Marines. The Rhino can carry 12 models, heal itself, and offer space for two battle-brothers to shoot out of the top. The Razorback provides its own shooting with a variety of weapon choices, but can only carry six regular Marines. |
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Impulsor |
Your transport of choice for Primaris units, the Impulsor fits the Razorback role while trading its self-heal for a bigger firing deck of six and the ability to disembark its passengers after the Impulsor has Advanced. |
Detachments
Before you put all the pieces of your army together, you should consider what kind of Detachment you’ll want to use. Each one determines your Detachment Ability (a passive effect that applies to your whole army), the Enhancements your Characters can bring, and the Stratagems you can play during a match.
Speaking of Stratagems, it’s worth noting that the Space Marines have a unique quirk: all Detachments have access to Armour of Contempt, a powerful defensive Stratagem that can keep your units alive in the face of high-AP attacks. Keep it in the back of your mind and use it whenever you get the opportunity.
Without further ado, here is a list of all the Detachments the Space Marines can bring to bear, and which Chapter they are inspired by:
|
Detachment |
Inspiration |
Description |
Suggested Units |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Gladius Task Force |
Ultramarines |
This flexible Detachment gives you three single-use, army-wide buffs to help get you out of sticky situations. If you need more, the Stratagem Adaptive Strategy can give you an extra use for a single Command Point. |
Any |
|
Anvil Siege Force |
Imperial Fists |
If you want to blow away your opponents in the Shooting Phase, this is the Detachment for you. Remaining Stationary gives your units significant bonuses to shooting, and you have multiple Stratagems to increase their damage and reliability. |
Intercessors, Heavy Intercessors, Centurions |
|
Ironstorm Spearhead |
Iron Hands |
A well-balanced Detachment that provides constant re-rolls, counter-attacks, and Vehicle synergies. Pairs well with Techmarines and Tactical Squads, and especially well with Dreadnaughts. |
Tacticals, Dreadnaughts, Gladiators |
|
Firestorm Assault Force |
Salamanders |
A perfect choice for point-blank destruction, Firestorm armies want to be as close to their enemies as possible so they can better destroy them with Flamers and Meltas. A good army for Aggressors, Eradicators, and Transport Vehicles. |
Aggressors, Eradicators, Land Raiders |
|
Stormlance Task Force |
White Scars |
Do you like going fast? Do you wish you could go faster? Everything in a Stormlance Task Force can burn Command Points to move quickly, and your mounted units are especially fearsome. Great for melee-heavy armies that want to Advance as often as possible, even if the Gladius offers more flexibility. |
Assault Intercessors, Invader ATVs, Stormtalon Gunships |
|
Vanguard Spearhead |
Raven Guard |
An ideal Detachment for sneaky types, the Vanguard Spearhead improves your defenses at range and gives you Stratagems to keep your distance, pick off important enemies, and pull friendly units into Strategic Reserves to deploy again later. |
Incursors, Infiltrators, Librarian in Phobos Armour |
|
1st Company Strike Force |
Any |
The elite of the elite – Terminators and Veterans – get even scarier in a 1st Company Task Force. Your Oath of Moment becomes incredibly powerful once per battle, and these small units of scarred warriors will put the hurt on anything in their way. |
Terminators, Sternguard Veterans, Vanguard Veterans |
Remember that you aren’t locked into playing a certain Detachment just because you painted your models to represent a specific Chapter: each Chapter fields a variety of army types in lore, so you don’t have to worry about your personal army being “non-canon.”
Example Armies
Now that you know what the different Units and Detachments do, here are some examples of how to put it all together. These lists are by no means the only ways to play the Space Marines, but they will play to the strengths of the Detachments in question.
Balanced Blade (Gladius Task Force)
- Librarian (Enhancement: Fire Discipline)
- Intercessor Squad
- Tactical Squad
- Incursor Squad
- Gladiator Lancer
- Impulsor
- Razorback
Strategy
Put your Librarian and a 10-man Intercessor squad into the Impulsor and drive it into no-man land to take the most dangerous objectives. Meanwhile, your Tactical Squad will split up – five battle-brothers will guard the back of the board on foot, and the other half will secure your flank in the Razorback.
The Incursors will sneak around and soften up important enemies for the rest of your army to mow down, and the Gladiator Lancer will blast holes in any scary Vehicles or Monsters your opponent might bring.
Immovable Firepower (Anvil Siege Force)
- Captain in Gravis Armour (Enhancement: Architect of War)
- Aggressors
- Heavy Intercessors
- Devastator Centurions
- Hellblasters
- Whirlwind
- Impulsor
Strategy
First off, use the Stratagem Rapid Ingress to Deep Strike your Captain and a big squad of Aggressors into the middle of the board and shoot any Infantry that even think about approaching you. The Heavy Intercessors will make themselves at home on a backline objective, and the Devastator Centurions will stomp up the board to take out anything the Aggressors can’t kill.
Enemy troops will find themselves bombarded cross-map by your Whirlwind, and the Hellblasters will ride around in the Impulsor picking off whatever is left with a well-timed drive-by.
Fun fact: because weapons fired via a Vehicle’s Firing Deck count as coming from the Vehicle itself, any wounds caused by failed Hazardous tests will be allocated to the Vehicle, not the unit(s) inside.
Lightning Strike (Stormlance Task Force)
- Captain with Jump Pack (Enhancement: Portents of Wisdom)
- Assault Intercessor Squad
- Assault Intercessor Squad with Jump Packs
- Invader ATV x3
- Land Raider
- Stormtalon Gunship
Strategy
This army list is all about ruthless aggression. Your Captain will run up the side of the board with his Jump Pack friends, hopping from cover to cover until they can get into charging range. The Land Raider will carry your regular Assault Intercessors towards an enemy-held objective, blasting at any Vehicles or Monsters it sees along the way, while your Stormtalon provides covering fire and additional anti-tank shooting.
Lastly, the Invaders will split up and apply pressure wherever you need it, packing a mixture of anti-infantry Gatling Cannons and anti-tank Multi-Meltas.
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