Need help starting Space Marines

[stuciferthemighty]

A friend of mine has offered me some Space Marines in exchange for a Tau battleforce I had (got it for practically free, and I don't like them enough to paint them). His offer includes:

1 Librarian
10x Tactical Marines
10x Assault Marines
1 Dreadnought
5 Terminators

I've been looking over the codex, and I like a few of the paint schemes and chapter tactics. I would really like to build something infantry heavy/vehicle light. The two chapters that are sticking out most to me are Raven Guard and Iron Hands (though Deathwing Dark Angels sounds cool too). What do you guys suggest? I play run-and-gun Eldar/Dark Eldar, so I want something a little different. I would like something that says "you can't hurt me, neener neener", but I don't know enough about these guys to build that way.

What do you think? Is this a good SM start? I can always wait to paint them until I decide on a chapter.

[deinol]

Well, unless you run Raven Guard (or a successor) you probably won't get a lot of use out of the Assault squad. The rest are definitely a solid core for any army.

As for competitiveness, Iron Hands probably have stronger tactics overall. I love Raven Guard (I have Raptors, a successor chapter, but Forgeworld gifted me with nice alternative chapter tactics), but since assault marines aren't particularly strong, their tactics aren't the best. On the other hand, the tactics do make them a bit stronger (you can jump 12" and still get a hammer of wrath on the charge) so it does depend on your playstyle.

Unless you are really in love with one of the core chapters, I almost always suggest making your own color scheme and running a successor chapter. That way, you can decide to change their parent chapter (and thus tactics) after some experience and nobody will complain. There are a thousand chapters of space marines, and GW has only named about 250 in their entire history.

Have fun and good luck.

PS: Pick up another 10x tac marines and/or scouts for more troops.

[SaveModifier]

Yeah, you'll need more troops, the rest is up to you really, if you like sticking about and not dying, more Terminators is a good choice, they can sit there all day and not die, my last game a squad of 5 only lost one man in assault with 4 other units, they just stayed in the centre all game absorbing the other army.

[John Bower]

To be legal you need at least one more squad of troops, I'd go with Iron hands if you like the 'get stuck in' I believe they get Feel No pain pretty much as standard.

[GallandroX]

Looking good for a starting point, the infantry angle is quite flexible and Librarian HQ choice offers some cool options. Id add some infantry punch through a devastator / centurion squad in future for a bit more oomph but youve got the bones of a responsive army.
Raven Guard are themed as run and gun marines and maje use of assualt fast attack units a lot, might take the army back to your eldar style of play, while iron hands are famed for association with mechanics, ie vehicles, just a bit against the fluff. Why not use the colour scheme but make your own army to fit your infantry heavy badass style?
Lexicanum is a good place to find little known chapters to make your own yet still official chapter?
(P.S I'm running Storm Falcons in a red black armour basef on fast assault as liked the little bit of fluff on there to theme my army as Tyranid haters)

[deinol]

Strictly speaking, 10x tactical marines can make two squads, but it's still a not a lot of troops. I like taking them as 10 man squads to have the flexibility of spliting them as needed for the mission (don't split if it means giving out kill points, split if you need to grab several objectives, etc.)

[stuciferthemighty]

Okay, well good. I like the idea of making my own chapter because I'm not 100% sold on ANY of the paint schemes in the books except Imperial Fists (jk).

Also, I had planned on splitting up the Tactical Squad into two groups, at least to start. The next step would be to pick up another box of these.

[phreakachu]

imperial fists are freakin sweet... as of right now i believe you could field all of that using blood angels... the assault marines are troops according to the 'dex, and really the blood angels have everything the codex marines doo, save the new tanks and centurions.

[Charistoph]

Well, unless you run Raven Guard (or a successor) you probably won't get a lot of use out of the Assault squad. The rest are definitely a solid core for any army.

I disagree. Iron Hands can still get some good mileage out of Assault Marines, thanks to FNP. They have to be used a little more circumspectly than in previous Editions, of course, but they are by no means poor.

In fact, Raven Guard would get less out of that acquisition list than Iron Hands, with the Dreadnought and Terminators being unable to use the RG Tactics. Iron Hands, though, have Tactics that affect everything.


Okay, well good. I like the idea of making my own chapter because I'm not 100% sold on ANY of the paint schemes in the books except Imperial Fists (jk).
Well, the Fists ARE the most awesome, so it is hard to compare other chapters to them ;).

Still, color scheme really means nothing. You can have yellow Iron Hands, vermillion Raven Guard, and camo Imperial Fists.

Just do what you like.

[Dalleron]

Im going to offer something I don't usually recommend.

Paint them however you like, but play them as Blood Angels until you get stuff in your army. BA allow you to use Assault marines as troops, thus you realistically have 2/3 troops with what you have right now. When you bulk out your army, then you can pick either IH, IF, or what ever you choose. Some might say the BA book is poop right now but that's not a lot of points you'd have so I don't see it making a huge difference.