Your thoughts on Space Marine Strikeforce

[RGilbert26]

I'm thinking of getting the new Strikeforce and I was just wondering what people thought of it?

[Mr Mystery]

It's a solid core of a Marine army.

You've got 3 troops choices which can make up an impressive 5 scoring units, decent back up in the form of a Venerable Dreadnought, plus HQ. The rest is just bells and whistles.

The stuff in there, with the possible exception of Assault Marines (though I'm not sure why. Not as if they're terrible at their job) features in most Marine armies that aren't heavily themed.

So yeah, very solid little starting point, and easily expanded with just a couple of ancillary purchases.

[Cap'nSmurfs]

I like it. It's about a £40 saving on the box contents, for one. Yes, it's more expensive; but it actually gives you the core of a force you can start playing with immediately out of the box, which is better than the Battleforce. There's some really nice kits in there.

If you already have a bunch of the stuff in the box, then you may not want to bother; if you don't, it'd be great.

[kire]

The stuff in there, with the possible exception of Assault Marines (though I'm not sure why. Not as if they're terrible at their job) features in most Marine armies that aren't heavily themed.



I've seen people use assault squads, there not great but there workable but when have you ever seen a command squad played. I only break mine out for Apocalypse games but may other people see them more regularly

[daboarder]

You can alwasy use the Assualt squad as a vanguard vets squad too...its a pretty solid starting force thats for sure.

[RGilbert26]

I used to use command squads but they have always been expensive and due to no assaulting after disembarking you have to survive at least one round shooting before you can assault.

[daboarder]

yeah but they look AWESOME

[SON OF ROMULOUS]

i would say for a starting force its a pretty solid option gives you a playable force that you can upgrade as needed i see starter army for under 500$ with that any additional units should be easy enough to buy as well.

[DarkLink]

(though I'm not sure why. Not as if they're terrible at their job)

They kind of are, actually.

[RGilbert26]

You either need 10 of them to make their assault worthwhile or you need to attack a unit that is pants in close combat (like TAU or IG, just don't assault a TAU unit within 6" of another).

Currently I'm planning on buying two boxes of Sternguard to use within the Strikeforce. One box will be used to create the Sgts for each squad and the other will be used for the Command Squad. I'm also thinking of combining components from the Sternguard Sgt and the Captain to make another Captain as I'll be buying the new one too (still can't believe he's £18, more expensive than the plastic Captain and less bits).

[White Tiger88]

Its the first boxset that has all good units in it.....so i must say i like it!

[rusty84]

I think its a really good boxset and if I was starting a marine army now I would probably go for this rather than buying the units individually.
Also I play a 10 marine assault squad and its one of my favourite units to play, get pretty good results with them to!

[nathaneal246]

it is one of the better boxsets but I think they should of put one of the newer units in!

[Hexx2019]

Its a nice little force in my opinion, the new tac marines will give you a series of bits to use as well. While not great the command squad does look good and is ALWAYS good for the extra bits you get, its pretty useable for people new to the hobby or adding to your collection...Also its £55.50 cheaper then buying all components separately, which can be used to get some sternguard and a Rhino meaning you can run two tacs in rhinos and drop pod the sternguard in AND still have a couple of pounds left for some chips!

[DarkLink]

You either need 10 of them to make their assault worthwhile or you need to attack a unit that is pants in close combat (like TAU or IG, just don't assault a TAU unit within 6" of another).

Currently I'm planning on buying two boxes of Sternguard to use within the Strikeforce. One box will be used to create the Sgts for each squad and the other will be used for the Command Squad. I'm also thinking of combining components from the Sternguard Sgt and the Captain to make another Captain as I'll be buying the new one too (still can't believe he's £18, more expensive than the plastic Captain and less bits).

Why spend so many points on something so useless when you could buy something that's actually useful for those points?

[RGilbert26]

I presume you're referring to Assault Marines?

It would have been nice if they had put vanguard in the box to replace the assault marines.

[Cap'nSmurfs]

Why would you use Assault Marines? Because you want to use Assault Marines. Because you'd like a characterful Raven Guard army. Because they make sense as part of an orbital strikeforce. Because you're using a Battle Company. Because you realise the game is about more than points costs. That's off the top of my head.

[Wolfshade]

I very much like this box and once I've finished painting a couple of companies of marines I'll be getting some of these to fill out the next companys

[Psychosplodge]

Will they still have this boxset by then?
Not going the FW armour varient route? Some nice MKVI kits?

[Wolfshade]

Will they still have this boxset by then?
Not going the FW armour varient route? Some nice MKVI kits?

Probably be on 13th edition by then to be fair...

[Idaho11]

I'm starting a Raven Guard force for casual play, probably with some DA allies for termites/knights.

I have the DA from DV and a currently-NIS battleforce.

Should I sell any of that, keep it and also get a strike force, or keep it and buy something else? Just looking to have a strong core to build around, but I don't know what that consist of!

Thanks!

[Katharon]

I think I might die of shock: you save $95 buying the Strikeforce, than if you bought its component parts individually. Are we sure this isn't a glitch on GW's website? I'm freaking out man!

[/rofl]

But in all seriousness, I think that purchasing the strikeforce depends a lot on what kind of army you want to build. A lot of people that are going to buy that strikeforce are probably never going to use the Drop Pod or never purchase a 2nd one...or vice versa, with the Rhino\Razorback. Also, I consider the Venerable Dreadnought to not be that useful; the Ironclad is so much better.

[RGilbert26]

This is what I'm planning on doing: Captain and Command Squad in the Razorback, Dreadnought either deployed in the Drop Pod armed with Assault Cannon and Heavy Flamer or deploy on table/reserve armed with twin-linked Lasscannon and heavy falmer (with it's current rules why bother making the Dread a Ven?), put both Tactical Squads in two spare Rhinos I have lying around, infiltrate the Scouts or start them somewhere good, and deploy Assault Squad somewhere on table.

I'm also thinking about doing Salamanders for the first time which will enable me to use the heads without helmets. What do you guys think of having a Tactical Squad armed with Flamer and Heavy Flamer?

[Katharon]

I'm also thinking about doing Salamanders for the first time which will enable me to use the heads without helmets. What do you guys think of having a Tactical Squad armed with Flamer and Heavy Flamer?

Cool, except that tactical squads aren't able to take heavy flamers.

[RGilbert26]

Ah but we don't know that yet and while I accept it was just a placeholder, the pic for the new army builder has tac squads with heavy flamers :P

[Katharon]

Ah but we don't know that yet and while I accept it was just a placeholder, the pic for the new army builder has tac squads with heavy flamers :P

Just asked the guys at 40K Radio (who had a print-ready copy of the codex a month in advance from a source) and no, they can't. Only Legion of the Damned and Sternguard can take heavy flamers. I personally was hoping that Devastator squads could, but...meh, I'm not too upset about it. Also, I'd never put my faith in army builder.

[RGilbert26]

I seem to recall that they don't actually have the full copy, i.e an earlier version?

Either way perhaps I could make the flamer look like a multi-melta? lol