Seven Days of Glory

[Learn2Eel]

Hey guys, Learn2Eel here with a special series to follow in the wake of the now completed Space Marine Tactica series. What originally was going to be just an article covering Black Templars turned into a new series, devoting an article to each of the seven main Chapters in Codex: Space Marines. To commemorate the biggest release of 6th Edition so far, I will be doing a week-long series of articles - one per night, to represent the glory of the Space Marines. These are the Seven Days of Glory! Check back each night at 9PM Eastern Australian time to see one of the new articles. For the Emperor!


The Ultramarines

Through the folly of heretics and the trepidations of Xenos, one Chapter has stood above all others as the clearest example of the Emperor's will. Their deeds unmatched and strategic genius unparalleled, the Ultramarines represent the calm genius of the Emperor, able to influence and build civilizations as equally as he could defeat an opponent through intellect and skill. They are not mere warriors, but strategists, teachers, artisans and leaders. It is believed that the Emperor's will was for their progenitor, Roboute Guilliman, to lead the Imperium in his stead, and thus far the Ultramarines have lived up to the legacy of their most revered Primarch. On the battlefield, they are as calm as they are brutal, masters of all forms of warfare; with blade and bolter, all Ultramarines from mere Initiates to the Masters of the Chapter are drilled to slay in every possible manner. With their strict adherence to the Codex Astartes, the Ultramarines are the most flexible fighting force among the Adeptus Astartes, and their many deeds and successor Chapters are proof of the strength of their fighting philosophies.

Chapter Tactics

Combat Doctrines - Ultramarines are unique among the Chapters - first among equals! - with their Chapter Tactics being a range of one-use abilities that apply for a single game turn, rather than flat bonuses that are always active. This places an emphasis on planning ahead of time to make the most benefit of each of the three Combat Doctrines; Tactical, Assault and Devastator. The more units that can benefit from them at a given time, the more valuable the Combat Doctrines will be; with this in mind, you generally want to have very synergistic army lists to exploit this, either through massed mobile units in transports, or many long ranged units. As well, Marneus Calgar and Varro Tigurius in particular play really well alongside these Chapter Tactics; Tigurius, for example, can give drop-podding Sternguard his Storm of Fire Warlord Trait instead of using the Tactical Doctrine, but instead use the Devastator Doctrine so that they can benefit from boosted Overwatch. Calgar gets to use any one of the three Combat Doctrines twice which will generally be best used with the Tactical Doctrine to give re-rolls to hit of ones across the army for two entire game turns. Using this once the army has gotten into 24" or shorter range should prove to be brutally effective.

Tactical Doctrine - This provides units re-rolls of 1s in the shooting phase, while Tactical Squads instead re-roll all failed to hit rolls in the shooting phase. Applying only to shooting - obviously - this is best used once your Rhino-mounted troops have disembarked en masse, or when most of your Drop Pods have arrived. The shooting bonus it provides is massive for all the infantry units in the army, particularly Sternguard Veterans in a Drop Pod Assault and Tactical Squads.

Assault Doctrine - This provides units with a re-roll for their charge distances, while Assault Squads, Bike Squads and Attack Bike Squads - but not Scout Bike Squads, oddly - instead benefit from the Fleet special rule. This is obviously best used in conjunction with Land Raider or Stormraven-mounted close combat units such as Honour Guard and Assault Terminators, as well as scoring Bike Squads in addition to Assault Squads, to ensure your key charges actually go off. Having Assault Squads able to move 12" in the movement phase and still re-roll their charge distance in the same turn provides a one-turn equivalent of Raven Guard Assault Marines. This usually means turns two to three are the best times to use the Assault Doctrine. In regards to Bike units and Assault Squads, the Fleet bonus is there to allow them to re-roll their Run distances, giving them a bit of an extra speed boost in the first turn to ensure a turn two charge. This is useful more for Assault Squads who are typically armed only with pistols, whereas Bikes probably don't want to give up their shooting.

Devastator Doctrine - This provides units with re-rolls to hit on their snap shots, and it also handily applies to Overwatch, while Devastators also - not instead of - benefit from Relentless unless they disembarked from a transport. This is best used on a turn where many of your uni
ts are about to be charged; against Tyranids and Orks, this would usually be about turn two at the earliest, with turn three being the norm. It also provides huge defensive boosts to units jumping out of Drop Pods or just generally arriving from Reserve. That it applies to all snap shots allows Devastators disembarking from transports to at least have some margin of success, though it is probably far better used to destroy flyers through massed ground-based shooting. The boosts to Overwatch alone are really strong and could lead to numerous failed charges for an opponent, so keeping this one handy for when you feel your opponents units are about to charge you - remember, Doctrines are used at the start of your turns - is key.

Favoured Units

Experience and many trials have led to competitive army lists for each of the Chapters, and they usually revolve around a strong core of units unique to each list. This is the beauty of the Space Marine codex; so many units are affected in a staggering number of ways by the different Chapter Tactics, improving their viability exponentially based on the choice of army. For Ultramarines, I have listed three units that pop up in many of their builds in some form. Please be aware that these aren't necessarily the strongest units available to Ultramarines or the ones that receive the most benefits from their Chapter Tactics, but some of the most common that I have seen.

Varro Tigurius - Tigurius was very much a non-competitive choice in the 5th Edition codex, with below par staying power and very little to justify his incredibly high cost over a regular Librarian. The new codex shifted this completely to the other end of the spectrum, with access to all five rulebook psychic disciplines, a strong Warlord Trait, a massively reduced points cost and a bonus to reserves. He is the master of psychic versatility, and he is so darn cheap that he is easily one of the best HQs in the game. That he is an Ultramarine is almost secondary, seeing as nearly any army list regardless of Chapter Tactics can benefit massively from his inclusion. In fact, many players using other Chapters as their Primary Detachments regularly take an Allied Detachment of Ultramarines just to employ Tigurius! He is an amazing unit and one of the corner-stones to competitive Ultramarines play.

Tactical Squads - While many have sworn by Bikers in the new codex as their primary Troops choices - and with good reason - Tactical Squads are still a great unit in the right hands due to their sheer versatility, and nowhere else can they receive so many buffs than with Ultramarines. Each of the three one-use abilities gives Tactical Squads a huge bonus, from re-rolls to hit in shooting, to re-rolling to hit with snap shots which, as a mostly short to medium ranged unit, suits them perfectly. They are best used alongside Marneus Calgar in either a Drop Pod or Rhino heavy army list, where his expanded usage of the Combat Doctrines and God of War special rule allow them to outsmart and outperform so many other comparable units.

Sternguard Veterans - Even despite the increase in cost for running a unit packed with combi-weapons, Sternguard Veterans remain one of the most versatile infantry units in the Space Marine codex. With their brutal firepower and high cost, they make the perfect target for psychic Blessings and army bonuses; luckily enough, the Ultramarines play host to Varro Tigurius, the best unit multiplier in the game. Combine the two and it will lead to so much carnage that they are worth the expense every time. The benefits from the Chapter Tactics also synergize very well with Sternguard in Drop Pods, from re-rolls of ones to hit on the turn they arrive, to re-rolling to hit in Overwatch.

Themed Army Lists

The key to competitive Ultramarine lists I've found is maximising on their sheer versatility, with the various Combat Doctrines and their one-use-only limits really favouring more mobile lists. Drop Pod lists with Marneus Calgar or Varro Tigurius are very strong indeed, while Rhino-based builds can also do really well as rushing mechanized lists. Here is an example of such an army list that is fun to use and should do pretty well for itself overall.

HQ
Marneus Calgar w/ armour of antilochus (Warlord)

Troops
Tactical Squad (10) w/ combi-plasma, plasma gun, rhino
Tactical Squad (10) w/ combi-plasma, plasma gun, rhino
Tactical Squad (10) w/ combi-plasma, plasma gun, rhino

Elites
Sternguard Veterans (8) w/ four combi-meltas, drop pod
Sternguard Veterans (7) w/ four combi-meltas, drop pod
Terminators (5) w/ assault cannon, two chainfists

Heavy Support
Thunderfire Cannon w/ drop pod
Thunderfire Cannon

Total = 1850

The three Tactical Squads provide flexible scoring units with two plasma weapons for general use against monstrous creatures, elite infantry and light vehicles. Thirty scoring bodies is a good number for any Space Marine list, and they have mobility and protection through the Rhinos. The two Thunderfire Cannons provide artillery and covering fire for the advancing Rhinos, disrupting infantry formations and forcing them to disperse, making the more valuable vehicles and monstrous creatures vulnerable to the reserve units. The drop pod for the Thunderfire Cannon is used empty so that both the Sternguard Veteran units can make a Drop Pod Assault on the first turn. Marneus Calgar joins one of the Sternguard Veteran units, using his God of War and extra Combat Doctrine to boost the first-turn firepower of the Sternguard Veterans through the Tactical Doctrine, and then use it again for the Tactical Squads when they close to short range. He uses his Armour of Antilochus to provide a Teleport Homer for the Terminator Squad, using their assault cannon and storm bolters to provide pin-point firepower into the rear armour of a vehicle or into infantry at close range. With Calgar and the chainfists on the Terminators, dealing with any kind of armour after the initial "melta drop" should be easily handled. This is a well balanced army list that is very mobile and versatile, with perhaps its only real weakness being against flyer-heavy armies - still, the two Tactical Doctrines available to Marneus giving all those units re-rolls to hit (either all or just ones) should help on that front.

In Closing

I hope you enjoyed the first in a series of seven articles covering each of the distinct Space Marine Chapters represented in the 6th Edition Codex: Space Marines! The Ultramarines are the favoured sons, the poster boys of the Space Marines, and they are both beloved and despised for it. Regardless of how you feel towards them, though, their history of success cannot be denied. I hope this article helped you to better understand how to use these peerless strategists in the name of the Emperor!

[Learn2Eel]

The White Scars

From the ancient times of Egyptian Pharaohs and Roman Emperors, to the modern times of Renaissance conflict, mounted warfare has ever been integral to successful strategy. Cavalry are the shock troops that barrel through the flank of a formation, or the scouts that harass and slow down an advancing army. This is where the White Scars, progeny of the Great Khan, have mastered the arts of combat; from atop a saddle, albeit one surrounded by metallurgy and futuristic weaponry, they have brought annihilation to the enemies of humanity. They are ferocious and unrelenting as any accomplished hunter should be, swift death following in their wake; they pursue as swiftly as the night chill, and strike with the iron hard grasp of a titan. Whether it is to destroy exposed supply chains, cripple scouting positions or cleave a bloody path through the ranks of an army, the White Scars rank among the most accomplished of the Emperor's Finest. As the horns of war are sounded, the Great Hunt ensues, and the White Scars will not stop until righteous devastation is visited upon their foe. None can hide from the swift embrace of motoring steel.

Chapter Tactics

Born in the Saddle - This provides units mounted on Bikes a bonus of one to both their Jink saves and the Strength value of their Hammer of Wrath attacks, in addition to automatically passing dangerous terrain tests. Not only do White Scars Biker units get 4+ Jink saves, giving them a defensive boost of about 17% against AP3 and AP2 weapons compared to regular Biker units, but never having to worry about dangerous terrain means they can use terrain to their advantage as they please. They can use terrain to block of line of sight completely, such as hiding in or behind ruins, or just pass through intervening terrain between them and their quarry with no fear of losing models. That they also have Strength 5 Hammer of Wrath attacks is just the icing on the cake, what with 12" moves and the ability to charge after firing increasing the value of this ability. Strength 5 Hammer of Wrath attacks from up to eight Bikers in a unit is nothing to sneeze at whatsoever.

Fight on the Move - This provides units in the army that aren't Terminators or Centurions with Hit and Run, giving them a massive offensive and defensive boost. This amazing special rule applying to the vast majority of an army list is ridiculous for a lot of reasons, namely that they can reliably escape from any unfavourable combat using the army-wide Initiative scores of four or higher. Protracted combat solutions for silencing ranged units such as Devastators will not work at all against White Scars with a minimum 66% chance to succeed in their Hit and Run tests. If charged by a Trygon that only manages to kill half or less of a unit, a squad can promptly escape and shoot the beast to death with their specialist guns in the ensuing turn. This also allows assault units to get out of combat on their terms at the end of the enemy assault phase, allowing them to massacre the majority of another unit at a whim. The potential uses of this special rule across the army are simply limitless.

Favoured Units

Experience and many trials have led to competitive army lists for each of the Chapters, and they usually revolve around a strong core of units unique to each list. This is the beauty of the Space Marine codex; so many units are affected in a staggering number of ways by the different Chapter Tactics, improving their viability exponentially based on the choice of army. For White Scars, I have listed three units that pop up in many of their builds in some form. Please be aware that these aren't necessarily the strongest units available to White Scars or the ones that receive the most benefits from their Chapter Tactics, but some of the most common that I have seen.

Kor'sarro Khan - While Tigurius is easily the best HQ - and probably the best unit - in the codex, he does have a close competitor in the form of the Khan. With good melee capabilities and the option for a Bike that no other Unique Character shares, Khan is a cheap and strong HQ before one even mentions his best trait. Regardless of whether he is your Warlord or not, Khan provides his detachment with the Scout special rule provided they are either mounted on Bikes or have purchased Dedicated Transports. For any army, this is a serious boost, with a "free" movement phase ranging from an extra 6" to 12" on your earlier deployment. This can help Tactical Squads in Rhinos, Honour Guard in Land Raiders and so on get closer to their preferred disembarkation point (optimal shooting or assault range) a turn earlier, but the biggest boost goes by far to Bike units. Bikes are Relentless, and can carry 18" ranged Grav Guns that devastate anything short of hordes. Give those Bikes Scout. Watch the carnage that ensues on the first turn of any game, from slaughtering Wraithknights and Riptides to obliterating Wave Serpents and Land Raiders. Khan makes all of this a much quicker process, reducing the usual time needed for the mostly medium to short ranged Bike units to unleash holy devastation.

Bike Squads - Where do I start? Bikes are a signature unit of White Scars, alongside Land Speeders, Assault Squads and pretty much anything that moves 12" a turn while still retaining full combat effectiveness. Even without White Scars Chapter Tactics, Bike Squads are generally the Troops choice - if you unlock them in that slot - that is best suited for dealing with the Tau and Eldar heavy meta. They are incredibly cost-effective, durable, mobile enough to launch early assaults, and pack a lot of punch. When you add White Scars into the mix, their Jink saves improve by 1, they ignore Dangerous Terrain tests and thus lose any reason to not move through terrain, they get Strength 5 Hammer of Wrath attacks and can be given Scout from the cheap HQ option Kor'sarro Khan. To put it simply, they become by far the most dangerous and effective Troops choice in the codex, and one of the best to be found in the game. They should almost always form the core of competitive or themed White Scars army lists.

Command Squads - Finding the "elite analogy" to regular Bike Squads might not seem too simple, with Attack Bikes filling a different niche altogether as cheap, suicidal heavy weapon delivery units, but Command Squads stand out for that purpose. Unlocked by a Captain-equivalent HQ choice - such as the Khan - Command Squads are effectively "special weapon teams" that can carry the crazy good grav guns while mounted on Bikes, the latter of which is a surprisingly cheap option for the squad. They give you massed special weapons on Bikes, up to five as opposed to the flat two for Bike Squads. This is basically their selling point, but when you give them grav guns in particular, it is one that many Space Marine players - White Scars or no - would love to have. The Chapter Tactics with boosted Jink saves and so on serve to give a very high value unit much better survivability against AP3 and AP2 shooting.

Themed Army Lists

As the most cost-effective Troops choices in the codex, any army list built around Bike Squads will always be stronger than average. When you give those units severely increased durability against armour-ignoring weapons, the ability to ignore dangerous terrain, and the option to leave combats almost at will, it is no surprise that many of the most competitive Space Marine lists are White Scars armies built around Bikes. It is, after all, their speciality. Add in other Bike-mounted units and fantastic value commanders such as Khan and you have yourself a simple, tournament-worthy army list that is also fully themed!

HQ
Kor'sarro Khan w/ moondrakken
Chapter Master (Warlord) w/ bike, the shield eternal, thunder hammer, auspex
Command Squad w/ bikes, apothecary, three grav guns

Troops
Bike Squad (6) w/ two grav guns, attack bike w/ multi melta
Bike Squad (6) w/ two grav guns, attack bike w/ multi melta
Bike Squad (6) w/ two grav guns, attack bike w/ multi melta
Bike Squad (6) w/ two grav guns, attack bike w/ multi melta
Bike Squad (6) w/ two grav guns, attack bike w/ multi melta
Bike Squad (6) w/ two grav guns, attack bike w/ multi melta

Total = 1846

While this army list can certainly be considered "cookie cutter", it nonetheless remains a fluffy list - if you feel it is too spammy, feel free to change the weapon options on the Bike Squads, drop the Attack Bikes or even some entire squads to take units such as Land Speeders and Assault Squads that fit really well into the list. Getting back to what this particular list does though, it offers something no other Space Marine list can; forty-two scoring bodies with Toughness 5, 3+ armour saves, 4+ Jink saves, 12" movement, twin-linked bolters and all while ignoring dangerous terrain tests. It is flat out brutal, especially as each of those six scoring units provides two grav guns and a multi melta allowing them to effectively handle any unit in the game - even hordes will fall under their twin-linked bolters and Strength 5 Hammer of Wrath attacks! The list might be light on models, but it is crazily durable, hilariously mobile with every unit having Scout owing to Khan and minimum 12" moves, while the firepower is ridiculous and the melee capabilities above average for Space Marines. Add in a Chapter Master with the Shield Eternal and a Thunder Hammer, and you have yourself a Command Squad that just flat out will not die. The Chapter Master is the Warlord - why would a Captain lead an army instead of a Chapter Master? - and is there to tank wounds for the Command Squad and Khan, while being a crazy good melee beat-stick in the process. This is a very strong core for any army list and should be used as a basis for most competitive White Scars army lists.

In Closing

I hope you enjoyed the second in a series of seven articles covering each of the distinct Space Marine Chapters represented in the 6th Edition Codex: Space Marines! The White Scars are the ferocious hawks of the Adeptus Astartes, warriors possessed of such ferocity and vigour that their swift, brutal assaults are some of the most infamous across the galaxy. When the horns of war are called, none answer it quicker than the legendary sons of the Great Khan, for they are the true masters of mounted warfare. I hope this article helped you to better understand how to use the controlled savagery of the White Scars in the name of the Emperor!

[Learn2Eel]

The Imperial Fists

When the Emperor sired his Primarch children, each inherited certain traits of their father to distinguish them further from the mortal warriors they were destined to command. Angron was prey to the Emperor's capacity for rage and brutality, just as Lorgar was a famous demagogue and charismatic beyond all others. For Rogal Dorn, the progenitor of the Imperial Fists, it was a legendary stubbornness that would characterize both his heroics, and his fall. Like the clenched fist that is all that remains of their long gone Primarch, the Imperial Fists refuse to break under any pressure, and will batter anything that stands in their way. Their unparalleled mastery of siege warfare plays in tandem with their almost fanatical training with the bolter, and with their refusal to back down, they can overwhelm any opponent. No defence is perfect against the Sons of Dorn. It is testament to their unflinching dedication to preserving the Imperium that they have spawned two of the most famous and important successor Chapters among the Adeptus Astartes. The Black Templars, fanatical zealots that followed Sigismund's distate of the Codex Astartes to operate at a larger size than any other Chapter, and the Crimson Fists, bereaved heroes of Rynn's World leading a vengeful crusade against the Ork hordes, have proven that the legacy of Rogal Dorn remains true even ten thousand years after the Heresy. Though their stubbornness has led to many crushing defeats, particularly against their most hated foes the Iron Warriors, the Imperial Fists will not rest until holy Terra is forever safe from the taint of Xenos and Chaos alike. With ageless icons of courage such as First Captain Lysander leading them into the grim battles ahead, the finest hour of the Imperial Fists is soon to begin.

The Crimson Fists

Few Chapters among the Adeptus Astartes have been swept up in tragedy and grief as the Crimson Fists, a successor Chapter of the Imperial Fists and revered for their legendary heroism and courage. None exemplify these traits more than their Chapter Master, Pedro Kantor, who bore witness to the terrible destruction of most of his beloved battle brothers. Despite this, he led the survivors of that fateful cataclysm to bring salvation to the defenders of New Rynn City, the planetary capital of their recruiting world. Though exhausted and wracked with pain, Pedro led an inspired populace to total victory over the Ork invaders, his unwavering bravery and fervent leadership an unbreakable defence against the greenskin hordes. Despite the victory, the Crimson Fists are a Chapter with a clouded future, one that will be tested time and again as the forces of disorder gather against the Imperium. Even without the numbers of the Ultramarines or the machine affinity of the Iron Hands, the Crimson Fists have proved themselves to be one of the greatest of all Chapters, and at the forefront of this depleted Chapter is one of the Imperium's greatest heroes.

Chapter Tactics

Bolter Drill - This provides units armed with bolter weaponry, ranging from bolt pistols all the way up to heavy bolters, re-rolls of ones to hit in shooting. This gives your mainstay units, such as Tactical Marines and Scouts, a pretty hefty boost to their shooting effectiveness; re-rolls of ones to hit on Ballistic Skill 4 Space Marines means they re-roll half of their misses. However, it is less effective for Ballistic Skill 3 Scouts who only get to re-roll one third of their misses. That it applies to heavy bolters, storm bolters, bolters and bolt pistols alike means it affects almost every unit in the army in some fashion; whether causing a few extra hits with pistols before launching an assault, or adding a few extra Strength 5 AP4 hits, it is a really nice ability. There are a few notable exceptions that stop it from being abused, though, and the first of those is that it doesn't apply to the special issue ammunition employed by Sternguard. I can see why this was done as it would be just a tad too ridiculous, especially with the Vengeance shells that would be able to re-roll their Gets Hot results, but it is nonetheless a disappointment for those wishing to use Sternguard Veterans. Additionally, as much as the fluff would allow it, the rules as written disallow Pedro's relic, Dorn's Arrow, in addition to the Primarch's Wrath, from benefiting from Bolter Drill. The lack of an FAQ to clarify this is disappointing, so I hope it is addressed in the near future.

Siege Masters - This provides Devastator units clad either in Centurion Warsuits or power armour the ability to re-roll their armour penetration rolls against vehicles with their ranged and melee attacks, as well as giving them a +1 bonus to damage results they inflict against buildings. As it only benefits two units in the army, it is a pretty simple ability to cover. Now, regular Devastators are generally the more cost-effective source of anti-tank if all you want is sheer firepower for a low cost, while Centurions don't have to worry about taking ablative bolter-armed bodies to protect their heavy weapons. The choice between the two will often come down to preference, but if you arm Centurion Devastators up with - for example - lascannons and missile launchers, even three of them will be significantly more expensive than seven Devastators armed with four lascannons. I'm generally more in favour of regular Devastators simply due to the big points delta, but this may vary based on your opponents; Centurions are usually afraid of Eldar, Tau and fast assault armies, for example. Centurion Devastators with grav cannons are a different story altogether, of course, but as they don't really benefit from Tank Hunters due to their grav amps, it is really a moot point. In any case, Devastators armed with flakk missile launchers actually become a really viable choice behind an aegis line with a quad gun for all kinds of destruction, though lascannons are my pick for the best overall weapon.

Favoured Units

Experience and many trials have led to competitive army lists for each of the Chapters, and they usually revolve around a strong core of units unique to each list. This is the beauty of the Space Marine codex; so many units are affected in a staggering number of ways by the different Chapter Tactics, improving their viability exponentially based on the choice of army. For Imperial Fists, I have listed three units that pop up in many of their builds in some form. Please be aware that these aren't necessarily the strongest units available to Imperial Fists or the ones that receive the most benefits from their Chapter Tactics, but some of the most common that I have seen.

Pedro Kantor - The legacy of Dorn is such that the Chapter Master of one of their most prominent successor chapters is considered amongst the Imperium's finest warriors, and though he isn't strictly speaking an Imperial Fist, Pedro is nonetheless a great support commander. He provides his army with massive offensive boosts against Orks, allows Sternguard Veterans to capture objectives, and gives a bonus attack to all of his brethren within 12". His lower cost and support abilities make him a more generalist choice than the melee monster Lysander, and with many favouring the tragedy of the Crimson Fists, I've found Pedro to be a very popular commander both competitively and for themed army lists.

Devastator Squads - Devastators are a pretty decent unit in their own right, typically taken in medium sized squads of about seven or eight with four heavy weapons. While each of the heavy weapons has their own traits to consider, Imperial Fist Devastators will typically only take either lascannons or missile launchers with flakk missiles. The reason for this is the addition of Tank Hunters, a massive boost against vehicles that works best with the strongest anti-tank weapons. While the lascannons are the better all-round choice, four flakk missiles packed with a Sergeant manning a Quad Gun behind an Aegis Defence Line provides some seriously strong anti-air firepower that is always good against ground units too. The buffs to Devastators from the Imperial Fists are so huge that they become almost an essential unit in the list.

Vindicators - It's true that Imperial Fists do not give their vehicles benefits in any form; indeed, the opposite is very much true for tanks owned by an opponent! However, that doesn't mean Vindicators don't make a natural, themed unit choice for Imperial Fist armies. As a siege tank with a giant gun, Vindicators fit with the preferred methods of warfare for the Sons of Dorn. Though they aren't exactly reliable and can struggle against multiple flanking anti-tank units, such as mobile Crisis Teams with missile pods, there is always a space for Vindicators in an Imperial Fist army - if you can get past the criminally strong Devastators! Vindicators are a very common choice for many Imperial Fist players because they are still scary and offer a natural fire magnet in an army filled to the brim with expensive models requiring protection.

Themed Army Lists

Imperial Fists - When designing an Imperial Fists army list, a couple of units immediately come to mind as both effective and themed choices; namely, Devastators, Centurion Devastators, Vindicators and so on. Tactical Squads get more benefits from Bolter Drill than Bike Squads, though the Troops choices are all largely good to go for a list. As the Masters of Defence and with such massive buffs to their Devastators and medium ranged bolters, I've found Imperial Fists lists tend to be best suited to mixed-mechanized gun-lines. Using Fortifications to their advantage is a big key to success, just as it should be!

HQ
Master of the Forge w/ conversion beamer, melta bombs

Troops
Tactical Squad (10) w/ combi-plasma, plasma gun, rhino, dozer blade
Tactical Squad (10) w/ combi-plasma, plasma gun, rhino, dozer blade
Tactical Squad (10) w/ combi-flamer, flamer, rhino, dozer blade

Elites
Dreadnought w/ two twin-linked autocannons
Dreadnought w/ two twin-linked autocannons

Fast Attack
Assault Squad (5) w/ two flamers, drop pod
Assault Squad (5) w/ two flamers, drop pod

Heavy Support
Devastators (7) w/ four lascannons
Devastators (7) w/ four lascannons
Devastators (7) w/ four missile launchers, flakk missile upgrades, drop pod

Fortifications
Aegis Defence Line w/ quad gun


Total = 1849

This is an army list that I really like, one with a lot of variety that can reliably deal with almost any threat. The Devastators with flakk missiles have their Sergeant manning the quad gun, destroying fliers and light to medium ground vehicles with ease. The lascannon-armed Devastators also sit behind the horizontally straight Aegis Defence Line, giving some great extra survivability to the three hardest hitting units in the army. The two "rifleman" Dreadnoughts sit back either in support of the Devastators by also hiding behind the Aegis Defence Line, or out on the flanks to potentially distract an enemy unit into chasing after them instead. The drop pod for the third Devastator unit is there so that both of the suicide Assault Squads can arrive via Drop Pod Assault on turn one, and these two units will aim straight for Pathfinders and other pesky light infantry units. The three Tactical Squads advance in Rhinos into the midfield, equipped to deal with everything except for AV14 vehicles with varying levels of effectiveness. The Master of the Forge sits back with one of the Devastator units, providing a cheap Warlord with a powerful ranged attack; the Bolster Defences is nice against an assault army for a Tactical Squad or two to dismount early on to stay out of assault range longer. This is an army that attacks the enemy from all three parts of the table, and seeks to break them up and panic your opponent; the Assault Squads strike the rear, the Tactical Squads advance on them, while the Devastators provide brutal covering fire. This is but one strategy to employ with Imperial Fists, one that can be considered a defence force sallying out to the roar of friendly reinforcements. The dozer blades on the Rhinos and melta bombs on the Master of the Forge are there to make up the last twenty points that were spare, but they help the Rhinos get to their quandary even quicker.

Crimson Fists - While not every Crimson Fist list has to be built around Pedro, the unique abilities he provides as well as the staggeringly low number of remaining Battle Brothers in the Chapter really lends itself well to his use in many armies. You don't even need to use him as Pedro; his rules can easily be used to represent a particularly inspirational Captain that is a Veteran of the Rynn's World disaster. From there, one need only look at the scoring Sternguard Veterans Pedro provides to see what kind of army list they are naturally suited to. While Drop Pod armies do tend to be one-note in their application, Crimson Fist variants do have the benefit of more scoring units than usual without compromising on damage output. Besides, one of the many shorts in the codex even features a scenario where the Crimson Fists arrive by the dozen in Drop Pods to liberate an Imperial Guard garrison!

HQ
Chapter Master Pedro Kantor (Warlord)
Honour Guard (5) w/ drop pod

Troops
Tactical Squad (10) w/ combi-plasma, plasma gun, drop pod
Tactical Squad (10) w/ combi-plasma, plasma gun, drop pod

Elites
Sternguard Veterans (10) w/ four combi-meltas, drop pod
Sternguard Veterans (10) w/ four combi-meltas, drop pod
Sternguard Veterans (5) w/ four combi-meltas, meltabombs, drop pod

Fast Attack
Assault Squad (5) w/ two flamers, drop pod
Assault Squad (5) w/ two flamers, drop pod
Assault Squad (5) w/ two flamers, drop pod

Total = 1850

Ah yes, Steel Rein. This legendary tactic made famous by the Blood Ravens has recently been the domain of both the Salamanders and Crimson Fists Chapters. The debate about which army does it best will continue for a while, I'm sure, but it goes without saying that scoring Sternguard Veterans are amazing. Leadership 9 models with two attacks each and special issue ammunition. What's not to love? This is where Combat Squads really rears its head; split each ten-strong Sternguard squad down the middle with two combi-meltas each and, when they disembark, target two separate vehicles with each unit! The small five-strong Sternguard unit is there to add a more sacrificial anti-tank unit, as well as a ninth Drop Pod so that the Drop Pod Assault can begin with five Drop Pods as opposed to four. The Tactical Squads are as you expect, with the free choice for grav weapons over plasma weapons if you prefer them. I'm usually not a fan of the flamer-carrying "delivery boy" Assault Squad units, but in a Crimson Fists list, they could actually make sense; the Assault Company, from memory, is as depleted - if not more - than any other, after all. To round out the list, you have Pedro with a unit of Honour Guard; an incredibly tough melee unit that, with Pedro's +1 attack bonus, can put the wallop on anything that gets in its way. Honour Guard with 5 attacks each on the charge? Yes please, give me some more! The more units that get to benefit from Pedro's Chapter Banner, the better; Space Marines do beat out the basic infantry of other units in combat generally, and with +1 attack each - 2 base for Tacticals and 3 base for Veterans - they can actually become very nasty 'Assault Squads' without paying for jump packs and keeping their guns.

In Closing

I hope you enjoyed the third in a series of seven articles covering each of the distinct Space Marine Chapters represented in the 6th Edition Codex: Space Marines! The Imperial Fists are the masters of siege warfare, and their fervour is such that they will refuse to back down against any foe. As true Sons of Dorn, no foe will ever stand in their way. I hope this article helped you to better employ these proud warriors of Terra in the name of the Emperor!

[Learn2Eel]

The Iron Hands

For many decades, the concept of augmentation to the human body through the use of cybernetics and machinery has long been a source of conflict for varying reasons. There are the moral dilemmas of enhancing ones-self through such means, as well as the risks of permanent nerve damage and other serious disabilities. But regardless of this, it has indeed made humans stronger; from replacing lost limbs to artificial appendages, there are so many applications of this amazing technology that many will tirelessly argue they are well worth any cost. However, in the 41st millenium, there are those that have gone far beyond merely fixing themselves. These are the Iron Hands, a bitter Chapter of the Space Marines that perceives even their own flesh as a sign of weakness, opting to replace and augment their bodies until they are as cold as the machines they worship. They are a bleak Chapter filled with self-loathing, guilty not only that their Primarch fell to his own hubris, but they too were weak and unfit to defeat the scions of Chaos. Since the fateful climax of the Heresy, the Iron Hands have used their mastery of machinations to forge their rage and self-hatred into themselves, devolving into emotionless warriors forever seeking their penance. Like a self-aware machine, they purge any weakness and unnecessary tool, even if it means severing their arms or ripping their eyes from their sockets. As gruesome as their self-mutilation is, the results are undeniable; they are among the most accomplished of Chapters, and their steely brutality has given them a dark reputation as the merciless deliverers of the Emperor's Judgement. They do not accept any imperfection, whether it be the taint of Xenos or the very humans they were created to defend. They have perfected their arts, and count themselves among the greatest of the Adeptus Astartes for it, even if the cost could mean their souls.

Chapter Tactics

The Flesh is Weak - This provides units with Feel No Pain on a 6+, though it unfortunately does not stack with other inclusions of the special rule such as narthecium, instead being replaced entirely. While there is often a stigma associated with 6+ saves in codices and army books penned by Robin Cruddace, from the Shield of Faith on Sisters of Battle to the bubble aura of the Luminark of Hysh in the Empire forces, it is nonetheless a hefty defensive boost. Heldrakes and plasma fire are often the bane of all Space Marines, from Scouts to Terminators, and having an extra save - or any save at all - against them really is invaluable, even if it is only a one in six chance of saving a model. Think of it like this; if a Heldrake lucks out and causes ten wounds on a full Tactical Squad, statistically you will save at least one of them and have a decent chance of saving a second. Now isn't that much better than having no squad at all to potentially contest an objective or take pot shots at an opponents' depleted scoring unit? The same logic can be applied to high-value Terminators who get to take their 5+ invulnerable save, and then a 6+ Feel No Pain save against anything that doesn't cause Instant Death or is Strength 8 or higher. While Ion Accelerators are their bane, plasma weaponry is more common, and saving even one Terminator is well worth using the Iron Hands Chapter Tactics. Remember not to rely on it, but don't forget it - you won't believe how often it can save your units. To increase the effectiveness of it generally means taking more bodies, but this can come in conflict with the next part of the Chapter Tactics.

Machine Empathy - This provides characters and vehicles with It Will Not Die, as well as giving an extra +1 bonus to repair attempts in the army. While having Feel No Pain on a 6+ across the force is certainly nice, this is the real kicker of the Iron Hands Chapter Tactics. It Will Not Die on the characters gives them a 33% chance on each of their own turns to regain a wound which, in an edition where extra victory points are scored for killing Warlords, can give you an extra turn - or the rest of a game - for a character, especially your Warlord, to survive and do some damage. That it also applies to any vehicle in the army is pretty crazy, giving everything from Rhinos to Predators the ability to regenerate hull points. Now, this ability becomes more valuable the tougher a given unit is, simply because they will have more chances of actually getting to make an It Will Not Die roll. Two-wound Chaplains and Librarians die a bit too quickly to really benefit, but a four-wound Chapter Master with a Shield Eternal will be laughing at anyone trying to best him. Rhinos and Land Speeders can fall over to a stiff breeze nowadays, but Land Raiders have almost impenetrable defences and four hull points to cover them. This naturally favours mechanized lists with lots of tough vehicles, such as Predators, Vindicators and Land Raiders, and with the Feel No Pain buff on the infantry, lots of scoring Troops in transports. Obviously, this makes points a bit of an issue, and besides, the vehicles aren't exactly impregnable; massed Strength 8 shooting can still down a Predator in record time, for example. This is where that repair bonus really gets valuable, and it just buffs up vehicular lists even more. Iron Hands have some really strong Chapter Tactics that allow for the "immortal" Chapter Master to Ironclad spam builds, and this is definitely an example of great codex design where multiple competitive builds are possible even from a single army tree!

Favoured Units

Experience and many trials have led to competitive army lists for each of the Chapters, and they usually revolve around a strong core of units unique to each list. This is the beauty of the Space Marine codex; so many units are affected in a staggering number of ways by the different Chapter Tactics, improving their viability exponentially based on the choice of army. For Iron Hands, I have listed three units that pop up in many of their builds in some form. Please be aware that these aren't necessarily the strongest units available to Iron Hands or the ones that receive the most benefits from their Chapter Tactics, but some of the most common that I have seen.

Chapter Masters - When the Space Marine codex was released, everyone jumped up and down about the Chapter Master, and with good reason. With a crazy stat-line and access to some great wargear, the Chapter Master is one of the most cost effective and potentially brutal generic characters in the game. The discussion about them quickly turned to which Chapter benefited them most, and most have come to the conclusion that Iron Hands are the winner here. With It Will Not Die and Feel No Pain (6+), the Iron Hands Chapter Master with a Shield Eternal, Artificer Armour, a Bike and a Thunder Hammer is quite possibly the toughest unit in the game below the 250 point mark. Not only is he a Toughness 5 Eternal Warrior with 4 wounds, but he has a 3+ invulnerable save, 2+ armour, hits like a truck and is mobile as heck. And he can regrow wounds. This guy is just brutal!

Biker Squads - Adding on the incredible strengths of the Iron Hands Chapter Master are Bike Squads which are unlocked as Troops by the typical Chapter Master build on a Bike with the Shield Eternal. Considering Bikers are the most cost effective, tough, mobile and damaging Troops choice you can get in the codex, not only does it increase the value of the Iron Hands Chapter Master by a huge margin, but it just makes the already great Bike squads even better with guaranteed scoring.

Ironclad Dreadnoughts - Oh yes! Ironclad Dreadnoughts are probably the best value walker in the codex, what with better armour on all facings than the other Dreadnought types, and much improved melee capabilities. It is an assault walker that is actually good at its' job, and quite tough for the cost. Now, add in the benefits of the Iron Hands Chapter Tactics, and these things start to get a little bit ridiculous. Load them up in Drop Pods, shoot some stuff with their meltaguns on the drop, wait a turn, soak up some damage, then charge in. Sounds like any other Ironclad right? Hold your horses, the Iron Hands Ironclads get It Will Not Die and thus regenerate lost hull points! Part of the reason Heldrakes are so darn ridiculous is that they can regrow their lost hull points, and while this isn't always great for an AV12 Defiler, on an AV13 Ironclad that can guarantee short-ranged arrival in a meta filled mostly with S7 AP4 or AP2 spam, this is really darn good. It's not like Ironclads weren't already scary enough!

Themed Army Lists

There are actually quite a few very distinct competitive Iron Hands army lists going around, each with a different focus based on the amazing ability to give It Will Not Die to any vehicle in the detachment for free. There are numerous Land Raider spam forces that deny the opposition any chance at getting to the scoring units, while more traditional mechanized lists filled with Predators, Razorbacks, Rhinos and other tanks are also common. However, one build I would like to highlight just for its sheer ridiculousness is the Ironclad spam list. Now, I know this probably isn't strictly a fluffy list, but I look at it this way; Dreadnoughts generally aren't that competitive these days, right? Walkers are just generally inferior to monstrous creatures in most codices, with some exceptions such as War Walkers and Soul Grinders. Despite that, every Space Marine player I've ever met loves Dreadnoughts; they have awesome models and can be used to represent a Chapter's greatest heroes, even if their lives have long been forgotten. So, in the interest of showing what this particular build is capable of, and because while not necessarily themed we all want a way to make Dreadnoughts work, let's have a closer look at such a list.

HQ
Master of the Forge

Troops
Tactical Squad (9) w/ flamer, drop pod
Tactical Squad (10) w/ flamer, drop pod
Tactical Squad (10) w/ flamer, drop pod

Elites
Ironclad Dreadnought w/ drop pod, locator beacon
Ironclad Dreadnought w/ drop pod, locator beacon
Ironclad Dreadnought w/ drop pod

Fast Attack
Assault Squad (5) w/ two flamers, drop pod
Assault Squad (5) w/ two flamers, drop pod

Heavy Support
Ironclad Dreadnought w/ drop pod
Ironclad Dreadnought w/ drop pod
Ironclad Dreadnought w/ drop pod

Total = 1846

So the list is pretty darn straightforward. There are eleven Drop Pods, meaning that six can arrive on the first turn via Drop Pod Assault. There are six Ironclads. Now, I admit to not being the best at maths but....that is a lot of first-turn carnage, and it is all but guaranteed you will get First Blood. After that, provided you took out a lot of vehicles or valuable anti-tank units such as Crisis Teams - with some luck of course - your six Ironclads with It Will Not Die should be pretty safe. Expect to lose two, perhaps three, though really most armies will struggle to deal with so many AV13 assault walkers and are likely to make mistakes such as splitting their fire. If this happens, you may not even lose a single Ironclad, though I wouldn't count on it. Unless you lose half or more of them and do some pretty decent damage, the Drop will be a success. From there, your flamer-equipped infantry can come in to mop up light and medium infantry units with bolt and template fire, while the Ironclads proceed to charge into any nearby unit to either tarpit them or annihilate them. Any vehicle you don't destroy on the Drop Pod Assault will be a prime target for a charge. The Master of the Forge is pretty much only there to give you Ironclads in both Elites and Heavy Support, but his boosted repair abilities will no doubt come in very handy for preserving your Ironclads. Is it a spam list? Yes. Is it a themed list? In a sense, it could be, yes. Is it a fun list? Oh yes! Your opponent may not enjoy it and get locked up in an asylum muttering "Ironclads" for the rest of their lives, but that is, after all, how the Iron Hands are - cold, merciless and calculating. Their inhumanity is what makes them great, so don't be afraid to show your opponent the depths of their failure when they behold the sight of the glorious children of Medusa!

Now while that list is certainly fun, it is rather....shall we say, diluted. I personally wouldn't use such a lift that often other than for the sheer novelty factor. So how about a balanced Iron Hands list that makes better use of the Chapter Tactics?

HQ
Chapter Master w/ thunder hammer, bike, artificer armour, the shield eternal
Honour Guard (6)

Troops
Tactical Squad (10) w/ combi-plasma, plasma gun, rhino
Tactical Squad (10) w/ combi-flamer, flamer, rhino
Biker Squad (8) w/ two grav guns, attack bike w/ multi melta
Scouts (5) w/ two sniper rifles

Fast Attack
Stormtalon Gunship w/ skyhammer missile launcher
Stormtalon Gunship w/ skyhammer missile launcher

Heavy Support
Predator w/ lascannon sponsons
Predator w/ lascannon sponsons
Land Raider Crusader w/ multi-melta

Total = 1848

I've always loved the flexibility of Space Marines, particularly the common Ultramarine builds, and this Iron Hands list is no different. There are thirty-three scoring bodies, twenty of which are in transports, eight of which are protected by an Eternal Warrior Chapter Master, and five of which are happy to sit on a home objective out of sight. While the Sniper Scouts will mostly hide and maybe try to pick off a plasma gunner or other special weapon carrier, the other units are downright nasty; the flamer unit aims for the medium to light infantry of other armies, while the plasma gun unit is more of a generalist that can handle light vehicles and elite infantry. The Bikes use their multi-melta, grav guns and large squad size to combat squad as necessary, or stay together to bring maximum damage to vehicles and monstrous creatures alike. The attached Chapter Master is insane, with It Will Not Die, Toughness 5, a 3+ invulnerable save, a 2+ armour save and four wounds. He tanks all the hits the Bikers don't want to take, such as those nasty cover-ignoring Strength 8 pie-plates Riptides can dish out with Ignores Cover.

The scoring bodies are mobile and durable enough, with the exception of the dirt cheap Scouts, while the rest of the force puts out some really good damage output. The two Predators gun for tanks of all types and with It Will Not Die thrown into the mix they should be relatively safe from hull point attrition, hiding behind their front AV 13. The Land Raider Crusader brings the rain with an Honour Guard unit of six models, just enough to frighten the pants off of nearly any unit they run into. With a mix of power weapons to taste and four attacks each on the charge, they can take on anyone and hide behind their 2+ armour save. The Crusader itself provides fire support with the multi-melta, aiming to gun down a vehicle or take a wound off a particularly nasty monster each turn. And hey, if you aren't too fussed for the Crusader, you can easily swap it out for a standard Land Raider and move 6" a turn to fire both its sponson lascannons - just be aware that each turn not in combat is another turn the Honour Guard aren't plying their trade! The outliers in the army are the pair of Stormtalons; while It Will Not Die won't benefit them much with only two hull points, they should still prove effective at dealing with enemy fliers provided they come on second.


In Closing

I hope you enjoyed the fourth in a series of seven articles covering each of the distinct Space Marine Chapters represented in the 6th Edition Codex: Space Marines! The Iron Hands are the vengeful children of Ferrus Manus, determined to wipe away the shame of their Primarch's foolish death. With their close ties to the Adeptus Mechanicus and fusion with the machinations of technology, the Iron Hands bring righteous fury to any enemy of the Imperium. They will never relent so long as the stain of Ferrus' suicidal mistake haunts them, and as they toil in the forges of war, their disdain of flesh and traitors burns ever brighter. I hope this article helped you to better understand how to make the most of the technological advancements of the Iron Hands in the name of the Emperor!

[Learn2Eel]

The Salamanders

From adversity, comes glory. From sacrifice, comes honour. From loyalty, comes faith.

It is these principles that define the Salamanders, and have led to them being among the most revered of all Space Marine Chapters. It is their forebears that led a suicidal charge into the depths of a planet to safeguard the advance of their fellow Legions before the Heresy, even without the leadership of their progenitor, Vulkan. This has ever been their duty; no matter what odds they face, they will gladly sacrifice themselves if it means the safety of others. They are esteemed and revered above all other Chapters for their heroism and protection of humanity; unlike most other Space Marines, a Salamander will throw themselves into the fires of war if such an act would save even one human. They are the glory of Vulkan resplendent, clad in ornate armour and wielding sublime weapons of war. They are the artists among the Space Marines, craftsmen without equal that sacrifice the raw efficiency of the Iron Hands' construction for more elaborate and beautiful works. They are strong even among the Space Marines, but not just in physical form, but in heart. Their terrible fate at Istvaan left them gutted like no other Chapter, and yet still they refused to yield in their duty or seek vengeance for their lost kin. They live among those they protect, and it has given them an unshakeable dedication to the preservation of humanity. The glory of the Imperium, the worship of the God-Emperor; these are secondary to safeguarding those they guide. Depleted as they have always been, they continue to fight beyond their means and engage in countless conflicts, their faith in their own arm and in that of their battle brothers a deep bond that cannot be shattered. The taint of Chaos and the filth of Xenos will never shake them from their goal, for they are born of Nocturne, and as the fires there moulded them into giants of great strength, so too will they leave nothing but ash in their wake.

Chapter Tactics

Flamecraft - This provides unit with re-rolls to wound and on armour penetration rolls, as well as re-rolling their failed saves against weapons defined as flamers. So first off, re-rolling 3+ armour saves against a big chunk of template weapons out there is very nice, though obviously it won't save your infantry from their worst predators; Heldrakes, Riptides and so on. Re-rolling failed armour penetration rolls with them is decent, but as the strongest flamer your infantry can get is only Strength 5, it isn't really that much to crow about. Where this ability really gets interesting is against infantry; heavy flamers killing Fire Warriors and Dire Avengers on 2s with re-rolls? Flamers killing Hormagaunts on 3s with re-rolls? Sign me up please! This is of best use on five-man Assault Squads with two flamers in a unit, as not only do they get their Drop Pod for free, but they aren't restricted to just one flamer and a combi-flamer. They are cheap, simple and very effective against any light infantry your opponent has. For other applications, it works well for Bikers equipped with flamers especially, as well as other deep-striking elements, such as Command Squads built for defence with several template weapons.

Master Artisans - This provides characters, from Sergeants to Chapter Masters, with a free master-crafting on one of their weapons for free. This isn't as significant an ability as Flamecraft or Vulkan's Forgefather special rule, but it is nonetheless a handly little extra, especially for Sergeants with combi-weapons. Getting a free re-roll to hit on their combi-weapons makes them absolutely invaluable, particularly for Tactical Squads and Sternguard Veteran Squads being employed in a Drop Pod Assault list. Additionally, taking a weapon such as a thunder hammer or the Burning Blade on a Chapter Master with the Shield Eternal gives him a re-roll to hit in combat with their preferred weapon, and one that hits very hard. This is a very nice little bonus that should encourage you to not only take more combi-weapons on your Sergeants, but to give your Independent Characters nasty melee or ranged weapons. How does master-crafting on a Master of the Forges' conversion beamer sound?

Favoured Units

Experience and many trials have led to competitive army lists for each of the Chapters, and they usually revolve around a strong core of units unique to each list. This is the beauty of the Space Marine codex; so many units are affected in a staggering number of ways by the different Chapter Tactics, improving their viability exponentially based on the choice of army. For Salamanders, I have listed three units that pop up in many of their builds in some form. Please be aware that these aren't necessarily the strongest units available to Salamanders or the ones that receive the most benefits from their Chapter Tactics, but some of the most common that I have seen.

Vulkan He'stan - In the 5th Edition Space Marine codex, Vulkan was usually thrown up as the best value character in the codex because of his crazy ability to master-craft all melta and flame weapons in the army - plus thunder hammers - in addition to being very well equipped himself. Nowadays, with Khan and Tigurius being so darn good, Vulkan has quietly shuffled out of the spotlight as one would expect. However, that doesn't mean he isn't still a great character. He is equipped about as well as a Space Marine Captain could be short of having the Shield Eternal, and not only that, but he again master-crafts all melta weapons in the army. His Warlord Trait is nice, on the side. Basically, with Legion of the Damned getting much better, Assault Squads opening up as suicidal flamer-delivery squads on the cheap, and most regular elements of Drop lists getting points reductions in some form, adding Vulkan to make a Drop list is always a smart move. They are still just as brutal, and running dual melta Land Speeders is still just as fluff-breaking. He fights well, he buffs your army immensely for a specific build type, and he is pretty darn hard to kill. Oh, and the fluff perfectly justifies him popping up pretty much anywhere. What's not to like?

Tactical Squads - While Biker Squads are (justifiably) the most commonly seen Troops choices for other Chapters, Salamanders do get a lot of extras out of Tactical Squads, but only if they use them in transports. With their Chapter Tactics and Vulkan in the mix, Tactical Squads become cheap, reliable, scoring weapon teams that can put the hurt on whatever you kit them out for. Give them a combi-weapon, a special weapon, a transport of some form and go to town. They are a cost effective unit as it is, but especially in Drop Pods, they become very dangerous in their own right as well and make for the perfect Troops choice.

Legion of the Damned - The Legion of the Damned got a pretty significant boost in the new codex, what with Ignores Cover on all their shooting attacks and a pretty hefty points drop. They are a decent unit by themselves, but when paired up with Vulkan, they become seriously good Devastator equivalents. Having Relentless shooting with multi meltas that get a re-roll to hit from Vulkan and also Ignore Cover is just brutal. They make for the perfect foil for Tactical Squads and Assault Squads in a Salamanders Drop Pod list, replacing Devastators quite handily.

Themed Army Lists

When I think of themed Salamanders armies, I look first at the Chapter Tactics and then at the nature of Nocturne, their main recruiting world. Salamanders receive most of their benefits at short range, while fluff-wise they should be restricted in their use of Land Speeders and Bike-mounted models. Considering that the Vulkan also provides a serious buff to short-ranged weapons, albeit across the entire army and not just Salamanders infantry, a pattern starts to form about what kind of army list tends to be most effective for them. To give you an example of why many gravitate towards this kind of list, just think of all those Skyrays, Wave Serpents and Pathfinders you see nowadays, and think of what devastation this list can do those units.

HQ
Vulkan He'stan (Warlord)
Command Squad (5) w/ five flamers, drop pod

Troops
Tactical Squad (10) w/ combi-melta, meltagun, drop pod
Tactical Squad (10) w/ combi-melta, meltagun, drop pod
Tactical Squad (10) w/ combi-melta, meltagun, drop pod
Tactical Squad (10) w/ combi-melta, meltagun, drop pod

Elites
Legion of the Damned (5) w/ meltagun, multi melta
Legion of the Damned (5) w/ meltagun, multi melta
Legion of the Damned (5) w/ meltagun, multi melta

Fast Attack
Assault Squad (5) w/ two flamers, drop pod
Assault Squad (5) w/ two flamers, drop pod
Assault Squad (5) w/ two flamers, drop pod

Total = 1850

That this is a Drop Pod Assault list really shouldn't be surprising to any veterans of the army from the 5th Edition codex. It is, after all, the simplest and most effective use of both Vulkan and their Chapter Tactics. Drop Pods provide the quickest and safest means of deploying near enemy forces to make full use of the re-rolls to hit for both flame and melta weapons. This does make the army list mostly one note, but it is undeniably brutal. There are eight Drop Pods, half of which are dedicated to clearing infantry, and the other half of which will destroy any tank that gets within range. Two to five flamers in a single unit with re-rolls to wound will easily clear out entire hordes, light infantry units such as Fire Warriors, and even big chunks of Space Marine squads on the drop if they get a good range going. Similarly, having two melta shots with re-rolls to hit that get Armourbane at 6" should reliably lead to many slagged tanks. The heaviest hitters there though are the Elites' analogy to Devastators; Legion of the Damned. Packing a meltagun and multi melta at five men is really good, especially as they are Relentless unlike Devastators and thus fit perfectly into a Drop list. Best of all, they don't even have to purchase a Drop Pod and have semi-reliable deep strike scatter! Due to the wording of Vulkan's special rule, the Legion of the Damned gain the benefit of master crafting on their melta weapons. This gives them the biggest threat range of all the units with the Relentless multi meltas. And with forty scoring bodies and Combat Squads, the army is flexible, can capture objectives easily, and has possibly the best alpha strike in the game. Having eight Drop Pods as opposed to nine or seven is a bit of a bummer, but remember, this is just the basis for a good, themed Salamanders army. Space Marines often deploy in massed Drop Pods to the surface as a rapid counter-assault force - which is what they are designed to be, after all - so anyone saying this list isn't themed is kidding themselves.

But another army list I would like to cover is one you don't see very often; a ground-based force. Yes, both Vulkan and the Salamanders' abilities directly benefit Drop Pod lists the most as it provides you with one of the most devastating alpha strikes in 6th Edition. But the Salamanders were not renowned for these kinds of attacks, nor for their use of vehicles; they relied, much like the Death Guard, on an impenetrable wall of infantry backed by courage and determination. As they would grind their foes against an anvil of steel, so too would they smash them with a hammer of justice.

HQ
Chapter Master Tu'shan w/ terminator armour, thunder hammer, the shield eternal

Troops
Tactical Squad (10) w/ plasma gun, plasma cannon
Tactical Squad (10) w/ plasma gun, plasma cannon
Tactical Squad (10) w/ missile launcher
Tactical Squad (10) w/ missile launcher

Elites
Dreadnought w/ two twin-linked autocannons
Dreadnought w/ two twin-linked autocannons
Assault Terminators (5) w/ thunder hammers and storm shields

Fast Attack
Assault Squad (5) w/ two flamers, drop pod w/ locator beacon

Heavy Support
Devastators (7) w/ four lascannons
Thunderfire Cannon
Thunderfire Cannon

Fortifications
Aegis Defence Line w/ quad gun

Total = 1848

When designing this list, I wanted to make something that made sense for Salamanders, rather than the most competitive list possible. Due to the conditions of their home-world Nocturne, skimmers, bikes and other such machinations are rarely employed by the Children of Vulkan. What this list represents is a desperate defensive effort from a ground-based force of Salamanders that is re-enforced first by a rapid strike from an Assault Squad, and then by the legendary Chapter Master himself - Tu'shan, with his personal Terminator entourage. Tu'shan regularly fights in Terminator Armour, and he usually carries either a thunder hammer or a blade gouged in fire - a relic that would make perfect sense as the Burning Blade, no? Still, I favour defence for my Chapter Masters above all else, hence why the Shield Eternal is in - and also because Tu'shan is commonly clad in a cloak of drake scales, an item that grants Eternal Warrior in the Horus Heresy rules. These two units provide the aggressive counter-punch to cause the enemy a lot of grief; the Assault Squad is more of a distraction than anything else designed to hunt Pathfinders and Guardians, but the Terminators and Tu'shan cannot be discounted by any means. The locator beacon on the Drop Pod serves to guide them in, though deep striking them elsewhere as necessary is acceptable.

For the defensive line itself, I (of course) went for the Aegis Line and quad gun to be manned by one of the four Tactical Squads or the Devastator Squad. The two missile launcher-armed Tactical Squads are quite bare, but to fit points around, I had to drop some extras from them that would have given them a nice defensive boost - namely flamers! The Tacticals provide nice, albeit uninspiring, long ranged fire, with their true damage potential becoming evident as an opponent closes in. The Devastators and Dreadnoughts are at home from afar though, especially as each will benefit from the 4+ cover saves provided by the defence lines. The Dreadnoughts will hunt light to medium vehicles, while the Devastators aim for the medium and heavy vehicles in the opposing army. The pair of Thunderfire Cannons bolster any other terrain pieces in the Salamanders' deployment zone so that the infantry don't all have to bunch up behind the Aegis Line. Of course, that is a secondary benefit to these high rate-of-fire barrage weapons, blasting infantry of all kinds apart from across the board! This is a nice balanced list that presents a lot of options for dealing with vehicles, infantry and monsters, and even though sacrifices are made to keep the list themed, it is nonetheless one I would get a kick out of playing.


In Closing

I hope you enjoyed the fifth in a series of seven articles covering each of the distinct Space Marine Chapters represented in the 6th Edition Codex: Space Marines! The Salamanders are the truest defenders of humanity, their purity of intention and heart born from their close bonds with the people of Nocturne. Following in the footsteps of their mighty Primarch, those sired of Vulkan are artisans without equal, and match their tempered steel with a fiery devotion to their people. They are true heroes of the Imperium, going so far as to strike against their fellow Adeptus Astartes if it would mean the preservation of but a hundred human lives. Even though many fear them for their abnormal appearance, the Salamanders will stand resplendent before humanity against any threat - to them, humanity, not the Imperium or the God-Emperor, is worth any sacrifice.

[Learn2Eel]

The Raven Guard

Across the Imperium, from Istvaan to Barbarus, the Space Marines are revered for their mastery of shock and awe tactics; striking suddenly to severely cripple enemy war efforts by decapitating important leaders and destroying critical supply chains. While every Space Marine Chapter distinguishes themselves from another in some form, it is the Raven Guard that most embody the tactics all Loyalist Spaces Marines employ. Using the shadows as a veil, they attack from all directions with great swiftness, embracing the knowledge that every battle fought to deny aircraft refueling, to assassinate key military leaders, and to force the starvation of an army through cut supplies is the key to winning a war efficiently. They do not use the brute force of Chapters such as the Black Templars to crush all opposition in a single devastating strike, but instead they debilitate and cripple the enemy until all that is left is a husk of a fighting force. The Raven Guard have long been synonymous with the wings of deliverance, and so do many of their battle brothers take to the skies with jump engines. With a grace and skill that no other Chapter could ever match, the Raven Guard glide through forests and ruins, leaping into an exposed cog of a battle line, crushing it, and swiftly departing with only massed corpses giving any indication they were ever involved. To fight the Raven Guard is to battle the shadows themselves, for to them, it is a great equalizer, where the greatest of warriors fight to the death with skill alone. As the darkness is their shield, so too is terror their weapon of choice. Soaring in the skies on mechanical wings, the Raven Guard bring deliverance to the foes of the Imperium, diving from the clouds into the inky depths of darkness. It is an example set by Corax himself, that he would journey to the Eye of Terror to combat its unknowable horrors.

Chapter Tactics

Strike from the Shadows - This provides units that aren't Bulky (or larger) with both Scout and Stealth on the first turn, giving your foot infantry one big boost and one minor one. Scout for your ground infantry may not be as ridiculous as Scouting White Scars Bikers with grav guns, but it is still very nasty when abused; it is a massive incentive to break out the classic Rhino-Rush lists, for example. Scouting up Honour Guard in Land Raiders or other transports is incredibly nasty, though it also exposes the limitations of this particular Chapter Tactic. While Stealth is nice on the first turn, it won't apply to units in transports which, with Scout, you will want to be taking. It also doesn't benefit your jump-pack equipped units of which the other part of the Raven Guard Chapter Tactics strongly encourage usage of. Stealth is only really a boost for Devastators, while Scout is mostly useful for Tactical Squads, Sternguard Veterans and Honour Guard.

Winged Deliverance - This provides jump infantry units with the ability to re-roll their charge distances regardless of whether or not they used their jump packs in the movement phase, giving them a far greater reliable threat range. This is a pretty significant boost for Assault Squads just to guarantee getting into charge range on turn two or three, rather than having to decide on which phase to use the jump pack. Random charge lengths, after all, can mess up your plans pretty majorly if you roll something like a 2" charge after moving 12", leaving you in rapid fire range of an entire Fire Warrior gun-line for example. The other part of the ability is a bit less important, providing re-rolls to wound on Hammer of Wrath attacks; this is nice with the Strength 4 hits that jump-pack units will inflict, but it isn't anything special what with no AP value and hits only being inflicted by Assault Marines in base contact with enemy models at the Initiative 10 step.

Favoured Units

Experience and many trials have led to competitive army lists for each of the Chapters, and they usually revolve around a strong core of units unique to each list. This is the beauty of the Space Marine codex; so many units are affected in a staggering number of ways by the different Chapter Tactics, improving their viability exponentially based on the choice of army. For Raven Guard, I have listed three units that pop up in many of their builds in some form. Please be aware that these aren't necessarily the strongest units available to Raven Guard or the ones that receive the most benefits from their Chapter Tactics, but some of the most common that I have seen.

Tactical Squads - I've already covered Tactical Squads in depth, and Raven Guard don't really change them on a fundamental level. What Raven Guard do though is boost the most common build for Tactical Marines; fielding them in Rhinos with a special and combi weapon. While giving Stealth to the unit on turn one is neat, the potential for Night Fighting and the generally short ranged nature of Tactical Squads limits its potential, even with a 6" Scout move. What really does it in is giving the unit Scout and allowing it to take a transport, such as an incredibly cheap Rhino. Hmm. Basically, your Rhino-mounted Tactical Squads get a free 12" move, meaning they will be getting into short range with their predominantly 24" rapid fire guns one turn less than normal in most situations. This boosts the unit to a pretty high level, and is really an invaluable ability if only for countering the opponents' deployment.

Assault Marines - This one was always going to be obvious, as Assault Marines are essentially the signature unit of the Raven Guard. The Chapter Tactics don't provide them with the Stealth or Scout benefits as they are Bulky models, but they do get one amazing benefit; they can move 12" in the movement phase and still re-roll their failed charge distances. The other part, re-rolling failed to wound rolls with their Strength 4 Hammer of Wrath attacks, is decent but nothing to really write home about. Being able to use their jump packs in both the movement and assault phases means they have an average and reliable assault threat range of 19" with the re-roll giving them a high chance of getting above a six or seven. While not as big as the buffs given to Bikers by White Scars, it does nonetheless serve to make Assault Marines even more useful.

Honour Guard - One of the things I picked up on immediately with the Scout part of the Chapter Tactics was that it was yet another point in favour of Honour Guard over Assault Terminators in terms of making them your main dedicated melee unit. Honour Guard, with four power weapon attacks each on the charge and 2+ armour saves for almost half the cost of a stock Assault Terminator, are incredibly high value units. Add in the fact that they benefit from Scout with Raven Guard and not Assault Terminators, and they really stand out. Though they can't take a proper assault transport as a dedicated transport, that extra 12" move and their 2+ armour leads to an assault unit that is much cheaper than a Scouting Assault Terminator unit in a Land Raider, and even more deadly for the points. This gives Raven Guard an incredibly fast - deploy, 12" Scout, 6" move, 6" disembark (wait a turn), 6" move, random charge length from 2" to 12" - assault unit and one that will be frightening as heck to pretty much any opponent. Raven Guard players can freely substitute a Rhino for another transport, like a Drop Pod or Razorback, as Honour Guard do also come with bolters. Attaching the Chapter Master or other characters is also unnecessary, as Honour Guard will typically tear right through most any unit that gets in their way. This can free up the Chapter Master to go on a Bike with a Biker Squad, for example.

Themed Army Lists

When I think of Raven Guard, I imagine mobile infantry carried in transports supporting jump-pack equipped hunters armed to the teeth. They are intended to be mobile, and deadly to boot at close range. Their Chapter Tactics more naturally benefit Tactical Marines in dedicated transports as opposed to Bikes, which is very much a welcome change from the usual competitive builds. While Assault Marines aren't the fantastic super melee units people make them out to be, they are nonetheless bullies of most other units, especially basic infantry. Giving them a much higher average threat range and slightly increased damage potential on the charge are very welcome, albeit not really major, buffs. To make the most of this, the common tactic for Raven Guard is centred around the classic Rhino-Rush tactic, something that Raven Guard do surprisingly well. With Scout on all their ground transports carrying non-bulky infantry, this gives me a strong impression of an army literally appearing out of nowhere and closing in on the enemy before they have time to strike back.

HQ
Chapter Master w/ artificer armour, shield eternal, thunder hammer

Troops
Tactical Squad (10) w/ combi plasma, plasma gun, rhino
Tactical Squad (10) w/ combi plasma, plasma gun, rhino
Tactical Squad (10) w/ combi flamer, flamer gun, rhino

Elites
Assault Terminators (5) w/ four thunder hammers and storm shields

Fast Attack
Assault Squad (9) w/ two flamers
Assault Squad (9) w/ two flamers

Heavy Support
Land Raider Crusader
Predator w/ sponson lascannons
Predator w/ sponson lascannons

Total = 1846

I actually like this list, as it is a bit of a change on the typical Rhino-spam lists you see for Raven Guard. There is a nasty Chapter Master bringing the hardiest assault unit in the book, Storm Shield Terminators, along for the ride in a Land Raider Crusader to act as the focal point of your attack and a massive fire magnet for your opponent. Trust me, Assault Terminators and a kitted out Chapter Master in a Scouting Land Raider Crusader is absolutely terrifying, and people will throw themselves at it in desperation. This should allow the Rhinos with the solid Tactical Squads to advance, getting off reliable turn one shooting with a 12" Scout move, a 6" move, then a 6" disembark, assuming you also deployed the maximum distance. With all these rapidly advancing elements, the beefy Assault Squads should be fine to jump from behind cover to cover, using the Rhinos as cover if need be and spreading them out to defend from Ion Accelerators. The Predators provide effective long range fire support, targeting vehicles and monstrous creatures as necessary. With the Scout moves, all three of the melee units - even though Assault Marines don't have Scout - should be making combat by turn two, which is what you really want above all else. The Tactical Squads could get into rapid fire range with their guns on turn one, but will definitely be able to on turn two. Basically, this is similar in principle to the typical Khan-led White Scar lists; hyper-aggression with lots of damage output, though obviously this Raven Guard list is dissimilar in most other facets.

In Closing

I hope you enjoyed the sixth in a series of seven articles covering each of the distinct Space Marine Chapters represented in the 6th Edition Codex: Space Marines! The Raven Guard are the dark deliverance of the Emperor's Will, swooping like fell hawks upon the enemy and escaping in the blink of an eye. They are predators more than warriors, and use the fear of shadow and their sudden, untraceable strikes to force the enemy into willing submission. As Corax could flay dozens in a matter of moments, so too can the Raven Guard crush enemy resistance across a world in mere minutes through calculated, coordinated strikes that are beyond any commanders' ability to counter. Every clash is but a feint to strike at a greater goal, every battle brother but a tool of disruption and chaos. Their brutal strikes match those of their Primarch, and as descendents of the Deliverer, they are shrouded in a cloak of mystery; does the Great Primarch live, or will the Raven Guard be forever destined to carry out his legacy?

[Learn2Eel]

The Black Templars

All sinners fear the Emperor's Wrath! Purge the Xenos! Abhor the Witch! Let none escape the Judgement of the Righteous!
If there was ever a Space Marine Chapter that embodied the over-zealous and fanatical Knights Templar Order that famously participated in the Crusades for the Kingdom of Heaven, it would be the Black Templars. Their progenitor may have been Rogal Dorn, but it is to the Holy Light of Terra that they owe their sole allegiance. As Sigismund did long ago, the Black Templars have forsworn the Codex Astartes, instead adopting tactics and a force organization that is as much an insult to Roboute Guilliman's work as was their famed creator turning his back to the great Primarch. The Black Templars are so frightening because they are super-augmented warriors that cannot be controlled save by the High Marshall himself; he alone organizes their ever-swelling numbers into Crusades, individual fleets tasked with the utter annihilation of a foe. They care little for the protection of humanity itself, going so far as to punish those that stand in their way - harmless civilians or traitor cultists all! They are a space-bound conglomerate of well equipped zealots fueled by rage and true abhorrence of those they deem unworthy of the Emperor's blessing; psykers, xenos, traitors, all are mortal enemies to the Black Templars. It is such that their Chaplains are among the most fanatical and charismatic of all, driving their battle brothers into a divine frenzy that is a truly terrifying sight to behold for any mortal being. On the battlefield, the Black Templars are an unstoppable horde combining raw martial skill with a controlled battle lust, making them perhaps the ultimate warriors among the Space Marines. They do not strike as a small force disrupting an enemy battle line as any other Chapter, but as countless armies engaging the foe in the most brutal close quarters combat imaginable.
They do not accept surrender.
They do not entertain mercy.
And any that are impure to their eyes will face the wrath of the Emperor resplendent.

Chapter Tactics

Accept Any Challenge, No Matter the Odds - This provides characters, from squad Sergeants to Independent Characters, with re-rolls to hit with close combat attacks in a challenge, as well as applying the Rending special rule to their melee weapons while engaging an opponent in single combat. Whereas Iron Hands provide significant defensive boosts for their multiple-wound characters through It Will Not Die, Black Templars instead get a significant damage boost by having anything like re-rolling all to hit and to wound rolls with six attacks on the charge armed with a pair of lightning claws. While most will prefer the added survivability - seriously, regrowing wounds on a character with Eternal Warrior, four base wounds and a 3+ invulnerable save is just nuts - having a character with a lot more damage potential can be a lot of fun. The re-rolls to hit can help save your character by inflicting more wounds on an opponent that strikes after you, for example, such as when you are in cover and charged by a wounded Skarbrand. Skarbrand can rip apart even an Iron Hands Chapter Master with the Shield Eternal in one round of combat, so having those extra potential hits can actually prove to be more valuable in certain cases. That this also applies to regular characters gives a greater incentive to take Sword Brothers and Sergeants in your squads, as with re-rolls to hit, even models with Veteran profiles can be pretty nasty with mere power weapons.

Crusaders - This provides units with both the Adamantium Will and Crusader special rules, giving them two minor boosts that are nonetheless underrated by the community. Adamantium Will gives a +1 Deny the Witch bonus to all Black Templar units which, with their inability to take Librarians, means each of their units will usually Deny the Witch on a 5+. This isn't that great not because of a lack of psykers in the meta, but instead because the strongest psychic powers are blessings that don't directly target an opponents' units. However, with the new Tyranids, this may prove more valuable with the probable increase in the number of Zoanthropes seen in army lists. Crusader, the other side of this coin, allows units to roll an extra dice, picking the highest for their Run moves, as well as adding D3 to their Sweeping Advance rolls. Not only does this give foot-slogging or "recently departed" (read, blown out of a transport) squads a very useful speed boost for closing to the enemy, but they are also quite a bit more likely to catch slippery (read, Eldar) enemies that attempt to flee from combat. With so many abilities and wargear choices available to give fleeing a units a boosted or regular, regardless of casualties, chance at regrouping, making sure you catch and destroy fleeing units is almost essential. With Fire Warriors, Crisis Teams and so on having access to Bonding Knives, or Eldar that can get psychic powers for automatic regrouping, Sweeping units up with strong shooting could very well be the difference between your assault unit making another charge or getting blown to pieces. While Adamantium Will and Crusader are probably the most minor boosts for Space Marine infantry from the various Chapter Tactics, they are nonetheless quite useful and should not be disregarded.

Unit Reviews

High Marshall Helbrecht - The High Marshall comes with a Chapter Master stat-line and all that entails, with the goodness of four wounds and four attacks. He is tough with a 2+ armour save and 4+ invulnerable save, he dishes out the hurt pretty well with D3 + four AP3 attacks on the charge at Strength 4, and he has a slew of one-use abilities. He's pretty cheap as far as special characters go, and for this reason alone he is always a nice option to consider. Helbrecht even comes with a combi-melta that, with Ballistic Skill 5, is very reliable and can be quite helpful in a pinch, though obviously it shouldn't be used as the only anti-tank weapon in a unit considering it is one-use-only. Helbrecht's Warlord Trait is solid, providing he and his unit with Furious Charge for one turn when they launch an assault; you have to declare it before you resolve the charge, which can sadly lead to it being wasted if you fail to make it into combat. This obviously makes it a bit unreliable as there is always a possibility you may not get to use it, and as far as one-use-only Warlord Traits go, it isn't all that great anyway.

However, when you combine it with Helbrecht's unique special rule, Crusade of Wrath, it does get very interesting. Another one-use-only ability, you can declare you are using it at the start of the Assault Phase, granting all Black Templar units with both Hatred and Fleet for that phase. Combine this with Furious Charge from the Warlord Trait and, for Helbrecht alone, you are looking at D3 + four Weapon Skill 6, Strength 5 AP3 attacks that re-roll failed to hit rolls. Applying these re-rolls to hit for the first round of combat across an entire army can be really nasty, especially for Crusader Squads and elite melee units such as Honour Guard. However, the really big part of this is providing Fleet across the army, making your charges far more reliable for a turn. Basically, you want to be using his Warlord Trait and Crusade of Wrath in the same turn, and this is also why he makes a great leader for the "Black Tide" - a horde of twenty-strong Crusader Squads.

Sadly, there are a couple of issues that Helbrecht suffers from that stop him from being an auto-include in Black Templar army lists. First off, his survivability doesn't stack up to your regular Chapter Master builds for two reasons; he lacks a 3+ invulnerable save, and he doesn't have Eternal Warrior. However, he does have greater durability than Pedro, for example, and he can get lots of ablative wounds in the form of large Crusader Squads, so this isn't a massive issue unless you face properly kitted out combat characters. His actual damage output is worse than most other Chapter Master equivalents, especially a generic Black Templar Chapter Master, because he only gets four base attacks and between five and seven on the charge. He has a power sword with no other bonuses aside from the bonus attacks on the charge, and while he does have Rending from the Chapter Tactics, and re-rolls to hit, he doesn't get as much benefit from them as other characters would. His damage output just isn't what I would hope for from the actual High Marshall of the Black Templars, a Space Marine that is reportedly chasing Ghazghkull across the galaxy.

My main issue with him though is that after using his Warlord Trait and his Crusade of Wrath, there just isn't much to distinguish him from a better equipped Chapter Master for a similar price. The Warlord Trait isn't that great, and though the Crusade of Wrath is very nice, it is just so reliant on a number of factors. To really make the most of it, you want multiple units charging at once, and that just isn't likely in the current meta with such dominant shooting armies. To be fair, this is why Helbrecht is quite cheap; in fact, he is cheaper than a Chapter Master equipped identically to him, and Helbrecht gets the advantage of all his extra rules. Still, he isn't much of a combat monster, his abilities aren't great and his equipment isn't really optimal. He's a good choice because of his low comparative cost, but he isn't nearly as ground-breaking as someone like Tigurius for Ultramarines or Khan for White Scars.

High Chaplain Grimaldus - When reviewing Chaplains, I pointed out their low comparative durability and melee prowess to Captains, as well as mostly mediocre support abilities, made them poor, expensive stand-ins for Librarians. They try to perform both roles and end up being over-costed and rather ineffective at both, though they do have their uses when kept cheap and attached to large melee units. This makes them quite a bit more valuable for Black Templars with their potentially massive Crusader Squads, especially as Librarians are unavailable to the Heirs of Sigismund. Enter Grimaldus, the High Chaplain of the Black Templars, with a boosted stat-line including an extra wound and attack, making him more of an Interrogator Chaplain equivalent than anything else. He comes stock with a master-crafted plasma pistol, as well as the It Will Not Die special rule. With the extra wound, this might seem valuable, but with only a 3+ armour save, Toughness 4, a 4+ invulnerable save and no Eternal Warrior to speak of, he isn't really that durable. His damage output isn't much better than a regular Chaplain as well, as he only benefits from one more attack than a Chaplain.

Grimaldus' signature rules are to bring a unit of Cenobyte Servitors, or Servitors without any options to speak of, and conferring the Zealot special rule to units within 6" rather than just the unit he is attached to. The problem with the Servitors is that Grimaldus has to join them, and as there can only be five in the squad and they aren't cheap, you need to get them a transport - easier said than done as they have no dedicated transport option. They are fragile and don't really offer Grimaldus the protection he needs as an expensive support character, and while giving models within 6" of them a 6+ invulnerable save is ok, it isn't really worth their inclusion. Similarly, Grimaldus conferring Zealot to all units within 6" seems nice enough, but it pretty much requires you to bunch up your units to get any more benefit out of it than a regular Chaplain. Given all the Strength 8 AP2 large blasts with Ignores Cover and similar weapons going around, it isn't really a great idea to bunch up with units, Space Marines especially. Grimaldus' abilities just aren't that worthwhile, and while this wouldn't be such an issue if he was cheap, he is significantly more expensive than a regular Chaplain and he isn't even equipped that well. Grimaldus is thus reserved for fluffy lists more than anything else, as his bubble effects really aren't that useful in the first place - giving Fearless to models with And They Shall Know No Fear is a good, but hardly massive buff for Space Marines, though Hatred is decent enough. I just do not see Grimaldus as being worth it, or his Cenobyte Servitors, especially as he is slightly more expensive than the far more useful High Marshall Helbrecht.

The Emperor's Champion - One of the iconic Black Templar commanders, especially as he was previously used to take army-wide vows when the army had its' own separate codex, the Emperor's Champion is designed to hunt down enemy characters. As a unique character, you can only take one in the army, no matter how much you might like them. So how has the Emperor's Champion carried over from the old codex? He doesn't give you vows - the Chapter Tactics see to that now - and he is now, unfortunately, more like a more expensive, inferior Captain. He has similar stats to a Captain, with one less to his Ballistic Skill - not that it really matters - Wounds and Attacks, the latter of which are incredibly important. Having less Wounds and Attacks means that not only is he quite a bit less survivable, but his damage output is also lessened. Sadly, none of his other rules really make up for this. He comes stock with Artificer Armour and a very handy AP2 power sword with master-crafting, which are certainly very useful indeed. His special rule, Slayer of Champions, forces the Emperor's Champion to both issue and accept challenges and, with only three or four Strength 4 AP2 attacks on the charge, this can be really bad. As the Emperor's Champion is hardly cheap, he could very well be your Warlord, and regardless, having an expensive character forced to challenge characters you really want to avoid - like Abaddon - or have to accept challenges against solo characters - like a Bloodthirster - can really mess up your assault phase.

The benefits of his unique special rule are that he can pick from one of two "stances" in each challenge, gaining either +2 Strength on his attacks but losing a bonus attack for two weapons and striking at Initiative 1, or having instant death on to wound rolls of a 6. These are decent, but they do suffer from the overall issues I have with the Emperor's Champion; he doesn't have that many attacks with only four on the charge using his one-handed stance, and three on the charge with his two-handed stance. The Strength 6 stance is great for engaging most characters, but striking last and losing an attack can be a death knell for the Emperor's Champion. Similarly, having Instant Death on to wound rolls of a 6 is nice, but again, with only four attacks at Strength 4 and no re-rolls to wound to speak of, it just isn't that much of an improvement over the damage potential offered by a similarly equipped Captain. Pair that up with a reduced statline, notably one less wound than normal, and the Emperor's Champion is an uninspiring choice that, while a good combat character certainly, just isn't worth the cost. You are far better off paying more points to get a kitted out Chapter Master if you really want a combat monster to hunt enemy characters and, unlike the Emperor's Champion, the Chapter Master isn't forced to issue or accept challenges and can survive almost anything that is thrown at him. Like Grimaldus, I feel that the Emperor's Champions' abilities are decent, but they just aren't worth the price you pay for them.

Crusader Squads - Now we're talking. Take a Tactical Squad, give it the option of both a special and heavy weapon at five-strong, the option of a Land Raider Crusader as a Dedicated Transport, the option to exchange their boltguns for chainswords, the option of taking a special melee weapon on a non-character model that cannot be challenged out and the option to add cheap Scout equivalents into the squad itself for a total potential squad size of twenty. After all this "giving", take away....the option for a teleport homer on the squad leader, and choice on which Chapter Tactics to have. So basically, Crusader Squads are essentially Tactical Squads plus one, and I almost wish I wasn't being serious with that comment. For a Black Templars army, there is literally no reason to not take Crusader Squads over Tactical Squads. I almost don't need to say anything more, because they are just an awesome Troops choice that pretty much one-up Tactical Squads in a lot of ways. You can run Crusader Squads in multiple-small-units with a plasma gun and lascannon at five-strong, for example. You can use a maxed-out squad of twenty models to run up the field as a cheaper than expected melee horde that can carry boltguns and shotguns or just combat weapons at leisure. You can run them in Land Raider Crusaders to dare your opponent to breach your AV14 walls of armour to get at your valuable scoring units. You get to share one of the traits that Grey Hunters are famous for, hidden power weapons. This is really just a great unit overall that can either be used as miniature firebases, cost-effective dedicated melee units or just your above-average scoring units. You seriously cannot go wrong with this surprisingly versatile unit.

Favoured Units

Experience and many trials have led to competitive army lists for each of the Chapters, and they usually revolve around a strong core of units unique to each list. This is the beauty of the Space Marine codex; so many units are affected in a staggering number of ways by the different Chapter Tactics, improving their viability exponentially based on the choice of army. For Salamanders, I have listed three units that pop up in many of their builds in some form. Please be aware that these aren't necessarily the strongest units available to Salamanders or the ones that receive the most benefits from their Chapter Tactics, but some of the most common that I have seen.

Chapter Masters - While the Iron Hands Chapter Master is easily the hardest nut to crack of the different Chapter Master builds, the Black Templar variant is by far the most deadly. With re-rolls to hit and Rending in challenges, arm them with anything from a thunder hammer to the Burning Blade and they can tear apart almost any character in the game short of Skarbrand with ease. This is before mentioning the obvious ubiquity of unlocking Biker Squads as Troops choices, the boosted stats over a Captain, and the always handy but unreliable Orbital Bombardment. They are great value for Black Templars especially and, if you don't want to encroach on High Marshall Helbrechts' domain, just treat your Chapter Master as a Marshall leading a Crusade!

Crusader Squads - Crusader Squads are basically Tactical Marines with a few neat little twists, the most important of which is that they can bring Land Raider Crusaders as dedicated transports. This means that you can mount all the infantry in a Black Templars force in Land Raiders without compromising your Heavy Support slots, a build which does have certain hard counters - such as massed flying monstrous creatures - but is itself a hard counter to many of the tournament lists going around. Having a wall of AV14 transports protecting your hard-hitting scoring units is kind of crazy when done en masse. Add to that the option of taking both a special and heavy weapon at five-strong units, including ablative wounds in the form of Neophytes, and freely exchanging boltguns for close combat weapons, and Crusader Squads are in some ways even more of a toolbox unit than Tactical Marines.

Land Raider Crusader - What's not to love about Land Raider Crusaders? They are pound for pound one of the most durable transports in the game, they are as mobile as any other tank, they have good firepower and they can ferry pretty massive units. Add Frag Assault Launchers, the Assault Vehicle special rule, as well as it being a Black Templar creation, and you have yourself a fluffy and awesome heavy transport. Though incredibly expensive, the option to take these on Crusader Squads as dedicated transports - the basic Troops choice for Black Templars - is massive in that you can field an entire force inside of Land Raider Crusaders while still bring Predators, Stormravens and other dedicated fire support options in your Heavy Support slots. Iconic and strong, the Land Raider Crusader is a great transport for Crusader Squads, and will serve any Black Templar list well.

Themed Army Lists

Coming up with a themed Black Templars list was rather difficult, with a tough decision between two popular fluffy builds that have emerged with the new codex;. It was either the "Black Tide", a horde of foot-slogging Initiates and Neophytes led by Helbrecht for his one turn of re-rolling charge rolls, or "Black Crusade", a mass of Crusader units and elite melee squads mounted up in Land Raider Crusaders. I eventually settled on the latter build simply because it is a hilarious spoiler list at tournaments that can prove surprisingly effective.

HQ
Chapter Master w/ thunder hammer, artificer armour, shield eternal
Honour Guard (6)

Troops
Crusader Squad (5 Initiates, 5 Neophytes) w/ meltagun, Sword Brother
Dedicated Transport - Land Raider Crusader w/ multi melta
Crusader Squad (5 Initiates, 5 Neophytes) w/ meltagun, Sword Brother
Dedicated Transport - Land Raider Crusader w/ multi melta
Crusader Squad (5 Initiates, 5 Neophytes) w/ meltagun, Sword Brother
Dedicated Transport - Land Raider Crusader w/ multi melta

Heavy Support
Land Raider Crusader w/ multi melta

Total = 1850

This army list plays off of one of the awesome extras that Crusader Squads gain over regular Tactical Squads; the option to take Land Raider Crusaders as dedicated transports. This allows for four of these armoured behemoths to surge forward, filled with angry Crusader Squads and Honour Guard led by a ferocious Chapter Master that are all above average combat units. The Crusader Squads are there to beat down on the scoring units of other armies, from Fire Warriors to Tactical Marines, and backed by their own personal AV14 tank, they should have no trouble against the vast majority of units they engage. The Honour Guard are there to beat down on an opponents' elite units, including Assault Terminators and Wraithblades, and will make a mockery of most units that engage them. The Chapter Master is as you expect and, with Black Templar Chapter Tactics, even nastier than usual with re-rolls to hit in a challenge. Each transport and Crusader Squad has a melta weapon to nominally deal with an opponents' armour, and while this list is very one-note and can be countered quite easily by lance weapon spam or flying monstrous creatures, it is nonetheless an incredibly tough list to get points off in the current meta. Wave Serpents with scatter lasers, Tau with massed Strength 7 and Strength 5 shooting, Necron Airforces and other such top builds traditionally struggle with Land Raiders due to their rarity, and Black Templars can bring them in a way that no other can really match at the moment.

But because I love hordes....

HQ
High Marshall Helbrecht

Troops
Crusader Squad (10 Initiates, 10 Neophytes) w/ combi-melta, meltagun, power weapon, meltabombs
Crusader Squad (10 Initiates, 10 Neophytes) w/ combi-melta, meltagun, power weapon, meltabombs
Crusader Squad (10 Initiates, 10 Neophytes) w/ combi-melta, meltagun, power weapon, meltabombs
Crusader Squad (10 Initiates, 10 Neophytes) w/ combi-melta, meltagun, power weapon, meltabombs
Crusader Squad (10 Initiates, 10 Neophytes) w/ combi-melta, meltagun, power weapon
Crusader Squad (10 Initiates, 10 Neophytes) w/ combi-melta, meltagun, power weapon

Total = 1850

As much as I'm aware massed fast skimmers can just avoid this list with ease, as much as Imperial Guard or Tau artillery lists will blast it to pieces in short order, as much as a monster-heavy Tyranid army will just dominate it, and as much as a flier-spam army can fly circles around it for an entire match, there's just nothing quite like plopping down one hundred and twenty one Space Marines on the board in an 1850 point game. No one expects it. Heck, I'm not sure anyone even prepares for it. Just how many bullets can one put out to deal with 121 Toughness 4, 4+ and 3+ armoured bodies? And it's not like these are Termagant or Hormagaunt hordes that simply can't do anything to vehicles; these are all Space Marines, all with krak grenades, and each unit carrying two or more melta weapons. Realistically, aside from fliers of both the organic and mechanical type, there isn't anything this list can destroy....but whether it catches anything is another matter. A static gunline army had better hope they can kill off this force before it reaches them, as even 60 Space Marines can quickly rip a Xenos or Guardsmen gun-line apart in a few turns. Helbrecht is the leader for his one turn of re-rolling failed charges and conferring Furious Charge on to his unit, while each Crusader Squad has a power weapon, combi-melta and meltagun to terrorize all kinds of opponents. Fun? Hell yes! Competitive? That depends on what you expect to face....but prepare to laugh until your sides hurt regardless!

So those are probably the two most...."unique" army builds that can be done with Black Templars. The former plays off the fact that you can easily mount an entire army in Land Raider Crusaders, while the other is based heavily on the sheer horde potential of a Space Marine unit that can have up to twenty models. The common trait that the two lists share is the Crusader Squad, the unit that makes both lists possible - realistically, they improve on an already great Troops choice in the form of Tactical Marines, giving you one of the premier units in the codex. This is what I wanted to show off with the two above lists; just how dramatically your army lists with the codex can change through the use of one unit provided exclusively by the Black Templars is amazing. I recommend that each Black Templar list, whether it be an un-fluffy gun-line list (heresy!), a tide of warriors, a mixed force, or a mechanized assault hammer, should build up around these amazing units. They have never let me down, and I am sure they will do the same for you!


In Closing

I hope you enjoyed the last in a series of seven articles covering each of the distinct Space Marine Chapters represented in the 6th Edition Codex: Space Marines! The Black Templars are the most fanatical of the Space Marines, dedicating their lives to the glory of the Emperor above all else. As Sigismund turned his back on the Codex Astartes long ago, so too have the Black Templars shied away from the strictures and laws followed by other Chapters; they are instead a conglomerate of zealots, blindly fervent in their holy quest to rid the galaxy of those they deem impure. Psykers, witches, xenos, chaos taint; all are aberrations in the Emperor's eyes - or so they believe - and they will never rest until the galaxy has been purged of heresy. Their lineage shines through clearly, the stubborn refusal of High Marshall Helbrecht to end his vendetta against Warlord Ghazghkull but one of countless examples to which the Black Templars have refused to accede in a crusade. It is their unfathomable fervour and fearless charges that have made them a force to be feared by all in the galaxy, and the Emperor have mercy on those that run befoul of their wrath. There is no mercy, there is no surrender!

No Pity, No Remorse, No Fear!

[Learn2Eel]

Due to the incredibly positive reaction to this series, I've now decided to adapt it as the "Closing Week" article series for all future armies.
Again, thank you guys for all the responses so far! This is officially the end of the Space Marine Tactica, and it has been a long journey indeed. I hope I have helped you all with your Space Marines!
Thanks again!

[energongoodie]

Well done Learn2Eel! Great stuff.

[Renegade]

That "exulted hero" in the form of a Chapter Master would be a Marshal going by BT fluff (stats do not a name make) Marshals lead Crusades but Black Templar ranks do not fit neatly with Codex ranks.

Its No Pity, No Remorse, No Fear!

Nice summary though.

[Learn2Eel]

Posts edited to fix up mistakes, add in additional less-spammy lists, fix up previous lists :) Thanks for the feedback guys both here and on the front-page!