What Tactical Marines ought to be

Saw this thread on Warseer:
http://www.warseer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=323585

Thought it was interesting.  There's a ton of proposals in there, but I have one of my own:
Let Tactical Marines take 2 special weapons, 2 heavy weapons or a combination of both.

That is all, thanks for listening.

Playing some Space Marine!

Come at me bro.

Have you guys played it yet?  I'm loving the Multiplayer especially.  I haven't played single-player at all, but I've been hacking away at some faces in MP.  My main class is Assault, but I do like to roll Tacticals every now and then.

Chainsword/Bolt Pistol

Swordsman's Zeal

Air-cooled Thrusters

A lot of people complain that everything's overpowered, but hey you know what?  If everything seems imbalanced, then I'm willing to bet it's balanced.

Space Marine Mixed Armor Tactica

This is the long awaited vehicle tactica that deals with different armor groups, notably the AV13 toys that Space Marines have to play with.  One of the biggest follies in the 40K gaming community is that Predators and Vindicators suck because of their static nature and fixed firing ports.  A lot of people see this as a weakness because these two tanks, as dominate as they are in the front arc with their AV13 hulls, have AV11 side armor.  This means that every time they pivot and shoot, they're as durable as Rhino.

That must suck right?  Wrong.  This guide will show you the folly in your ways with some tested battle formations.  I took all these pics using my iPhone since my attempts at MS Paint sucked harder than it should have.  Keep in mind that this tactica is designed for a mechanized army.  Some elements in this guide may or may not work depending on what you field.

Linebreaker formation, pushing up in force.

So over here, you see the typical Linebreaker formation.  Alternating armor values with everything moves up in a straight line. The entire army rotates and pivots with the Vindicators so their side armor of 11 is never exposed.  The only way your enemies can take advantage of the side armor is if one of your Rhinos or LR explodes.  You can even keep Vindicators next to wrecked Rhinos so they can take advantage of LoS and cover saves while limiting your opponents line of fire towards the AV13 front.  With this formation and smoke, you'll find that you'll be all the way in mid-field in relative safety.

Here, you will see R-V-R-V-LR-V-R.  Armor values are 11, 13, 11, 13, 14, 13, 11.  Your heaviest guns and your biggest threats, will be AV13 and 14 when they push up the board.  If you run into a building in the way, move your vehicles in a way that uses that building to deny a side shot.  Think of the building as one big Rhino.  You're essentially making a Vindicator sandwich with R-V-Building.

The Predator version of Linebreaker.

Over here, you see the same formation but with Predators.  My config of Predators is normally AC turret with LC sponsons.  It's cheap and it's an effective firebase.  Preds share the same AV13/11/10 stats as the Vindicator, so their methodology is similar in the fact they're still vulnerable in side shots.  The main difference is that they have longer range, can play refused flank better and have the luxury of rotating turrets and sponsons.  If the Predator ever needs to bring its full power into effect, it needs to rotate exactly like a Vindicator (to bring forth 2x Lascannons and the AC).  Keep that in mind at all times.

Another thing to note is that Predators attract a lot less attention compared to Vindicators.  No one wants a S10 AP2 Ordnance pie plate in their face and people will go to hell and back to see them destroyed.  The humble Predator, however, is looked down upon.  Nothing is better than to see your opponent's vehicles explode in white hot fury after they ignore that lone Predator in the corner of your army.  But more on this later.

Full weight of fire assembled on the left while the right side moves for a flank.

Lets say your opponent deployed all his armor and and heavy hitters on the left.  You refuse armor flank like this and bring all your heavy guns to bear on his active side.  The formation here is R-V-V-V-LR-R-R.  With nothing but AV13 and 14 to shoot at in the center of your army and possibly exposing his flank to the LR and 2x Rhinos on the right, your opponent has better get his shit together.  The yellow arrows shows a possible flank, but this entire army would probably move 12" and smoke first turn.  BA Vindicators don't give a shit and can move 12" and start firing because they're fast.  As awesome as it is to do so, always keep your AV13 facing the direction of the highest threat.  The main objective is to preserve these bad boys and have them wreak maximum damage on the enemy while taking minimal damage in return.  It's like Gun Kata, but with vehicles.

Spearhead formation pushing forward while a Vindicator and Rhino stays back as support.

Check out this formation.  It's the same Linebreaker formation we went over the first post, but this shows a tactical advance of the primary armored column while 2 vehicles remain to cover objectives (they smoked).  The idea of armored lists is to saturate the field with a lot of threats.  An LRC filled with angry Space Wolves, flanked by 2 Vindicators and 2 rabid Grey Hunter Rhinos is an enormous threat:  Especially if the front armor is AV11-13-14-13-11.  Do your opponents try to flank and risk getting shot by your Vindicator sitting in the back?  Or do they try to fight your primary spearhead head on.  Either way, your giving him a lot to think about in a short amount of time.

LoS blockers, cover saves, AV13 fronts, the works.

Before you look at this and give up, read what I have to say carefully.  Over here you'll see the armored column of vehicles rush into the fray while leaving Predators in the back as supporting fire.  If the enemy is dead ahead, the return fire will be funneled into 2 realistic scenarios:  Your opponent is forced to shoot at AV13 front, shooting through 50% of the vehicles so I get cover, or doing both of those.

The Red arrows show the Predators trajectory of fire.  They didn't move from their starting locations, but they can pivot just fine.  The Yellow arrows show what the rest of your dudes are doing; rushing forward to do battle with the enemy like real men.

As for your opponent, this is what's going to happen:

• The Green arrow shows what happens if your enemy is firing at the Pred A: 50% of the vehicle is covered by the LR and he's limited to front AV13 armor.  Denied.
• The Blue arrow can't even draw LoS to the middle Pred, so he's limited to AV13 front armor at the Pred A.  Denied.
• The Pink arrow has no shot at the Pred A at all and the rest of his Pred targets are AV13 in the front.  Denied.
• The only possible shot comes from orange, because the shot has to be so accurately spaced and he'll be able to see side armor on Pred C.  But then again, if you knew this was going to happen, you'll probably just space Preds B and C closer together, giving him AV13 while keeping everything else remains the same.

Refused flank formation using a building as an anchor.

Refused flank deployment using the table edge and a building.

Here are two examples of how to refuse flank deploy while keeping your tanks safe.  The tide box is a building, so work with me here.  Oh, and the random ass battery is the edge of the board.  By the way this army was deployed, your opponents are limited to shooting at AV13 while the Predators have a pretty large covering zone.  In the top pic, if the army wishes to advance towards the enemy, he can do so by moving his army parallel to the Predator's covering fire.  This insures that the Predators keep shooting true while the enemy cannot outflank towards the left or right to get side armor shots.  Keep in mind this leaves them vulnerable to deep strikers or outflankers.

In the bottom pic, the LR and the Rhinos are in a defensive formation with the LR blocking LoS on the floor level while preserving the Pred's AV13 front.  The LR and the Rhinos can pounce towards the enemy at any time if they get close enough.

Another formation of deploying, and this doesn't have a picture, is spreading the Predators out all over the place.  Since you shoot 48" with a pivot, you can sit back all day without relying on your tanks to baby sit them.  This forces your opponents to direct their fire at 3 separate targets and thus exposing their side armor to you if they have a fixed arc.  With a full spearhead of Space Marines coming towards them, 3 spread out Predators sitting in the back is the least of their worries.  This formation, called the "lone hunter" formation should only be used if you're confident your opponent don't have the means to deal with you at 48" and that you're the primary aggressor (which you should be!).

Main force pushes upwards and around while Predators focus on left flank.

LoS is blocked by the main force at ground level while Predators engage targets on the left.

Check out these two.  The first pic shows your iron column advancing on enemy positions while the Predators shift positions from their starting location to deal with .. say fast Skimmers.  They pivot and bring their full power to bear while your army pushes on their objectives.  If he closes towards your Preds, your tanks can change course, speed 12" and unleash hell with your troops inside.  You also run the possibility of closing around your opponent all together and crushing him off the board.

The bottom pic is what happens when your opponent sends a flanking force left while keeping some of his AT in the front.  You rush forward and pivot so your armor is forming a hard LoS blocker towards the enemy's incoming fire.  Depending on how high he's positioned, he'll either be screwed out of luck completely from shooting the back Preds or barely draw LoS at all so you'll get a healthy cover save.  Out of desperation, he shoots AT at the left most Pred which is going at his front arc of 13 and given a cover save because of the 50% block from the Rhino.  If you smoke all your Rhino and LR in front this turn, and then rush into his face next turn, your giving him a real difficult decision to make.  This formation is what you use to isolate and destroy flankers while preserving your own vehicles in battle.

Rhino moves back while Preds angle in a way to reduce incoming damage.

I know you guys are used to seeing things move up and push up, but now it's time to show a defensive position with a step back.  The Rhino marked with the Yellow arrow is stepping back to allow the Predators Pink and Red to engage different targets.  Notice the angle of the Predators and notice that AV13 is all over the place with no side armor available.  The upper most Rhino moves in to cover the side armor of the Red Pred while Blue is sandwiched nicely between the Rhino and LR.  Marines don't retreat, they regroup.  The same applies to their vehicles of war.

I'll probably be updating this and editing this this week so feel free to stop by and give me some comments.

Space Marine Psykers

This is a follow-up to my Librarians, why not? article.  Each Librarian will list the powers I find most attractive and why.  Most libbies can only choose 2 powers, but the GK one can buy as many as he wants.

Space Marine Librarian
Null Zone, Avenger, Gate of Infinity

My builds:

Libby, TDA w/ SS (Null Zone, Gate of Infinity) leading 5x TH/SS Termies in a LRC

Libby, (Avenger, Gate of Infinity), Drop Pod, 10x Sternguard w/ Combi-weapons

The weakest Librarian out of the bunch, the standard SM Librarian gets access to quite a few unique powers.  Null Zone really screws anything with invul saves; ranging from TH/SS Terminators, Wyches in CC or 2++ Shadow Fields.  Avenger is one of the best templates in the game as S5 AP3 cuts through MEQ like butter.  GoI is a little tricky but can play a big part in your army as you can take your TH/SS Termies from one location to another or carry a large bunch of Sternguard into your enemies' face.

Blood Angels Librarian
Unleash Rage, Sanguine Sword, Shield of Sanguinius, Blood Lance

My builds:

Libby, TDA w/ SS (Unleash Rage, Sanguine Sword) leading 5x Assault Termies in a LRC

Libby, JP (Unleash Rage, Shield of Sanguinius) leading 10x ASM w/ PF, 2x Meltaguns

The Blood Angels Librarian holds many destructive abilities that compliment the offensive nature of the BA army.  Unleash Rage is one of the reasons the Reclusiarch is a subpar choice.  Preferred Enemy for multiple rounds of combat is much stronger than one round of re-roll hits.  Sanguine Sword allows the Librarian to take on anything in the game because S10 can touch anything on 2s while punching through the strongest armor.  Shield allows BA to spam mech like no other while advancing towards the enemy.  Then, there's the Blood Lance.  It's not as strong as JotWW in terms of what it can target, but it can threaten any vehicle with its S8 AP1 Lance.  Versus enemy tank lines, if you can line up a good shot, you might be able to take out quite a few targets per turn.  The best thing about these abilities is that both the offensive assault ones I noted (UR and SS) can be used in either player's turn.  Shield is a defensive ability that fires during your enemy's shooting phase and Blood Lance is in your shooting phase.  This healthy mix of choices allows the BA Librarian to get off psychic powers in either player's turn.

Grey Knights Librarian
Shrouding, Sanctuary, Might of Titans, Warp Rift

My builds:

Libby, (Shrouding, Sanctuary, Might), 3x Servo-skulls, MC Halberd leading..

6x Paladins (Apoth, MC DH, 2x MC Psycannons, BBanner, MC, all Halberds)

10x GKT (MC DH, DH, rest Halberds, 2x Psycannons, BBanner, Psybolts)

Some say the GK Libby isn't needed, but I think he's one of the best buys in the book.  For 150 points, you get a Epistolary that's in Terminator Armor, can have a 4++ in close combat because of his Force Sword, has access to I6 Halberds or MC weapons, and is equipped with Frag and Krak grenades.  On top of this, he has 4 amazing psychic powers that compliments the GK army perfectly.  Shrouding keeps your units safe in cover with a whopping 3++ save, Sanctuary provides assault protection that covers a large area, and Might of Titans allows your units to punch through tanks with +1S and 2d6 armor pen.  This can be used in conjunction with Hammerhand for S6 vs. T4 MEQ or Hive Tyrant strength vs. armor.  Lastly, we have Warp Rift.  I like this ability because it's essentially a template-sized JotWW.  Sure, it doesn't target models, but against slow, expensive units who are bunched up (think Nids and Orks), this ability is invaluable.  Just like the BA Librarian, the GK Libby can get off multiple abilities per turn since Shrouding is cast in the enemies' shooting phase, Sanctuary in his assault, Might in your assault, Hammerhand whenever and Warp in your shooting.  An unupgraded GK Libby can cast 2 abilities per player turn, and up to 4 per game turn.  With Ld.10, he is my go-to guy to get off Hammerhand when my Paladins use their psychic ability to activate their Force Weapons via Brotherhood Banner.  Instant win.  Oh, and he has access to Servo-skulls, which is pretty much a must-have if you intend on taking Deep Strikers.

Space Wolves Rune Priest
Murderous Hurricane, Living Lightning, Jaws of the World Wolf

My builds:
Rune Priest (Chooser, Murderous Hurricane, LL) leading..
8x Grey Hunters w/ WG (Rhino, PF/cbM, Meltagun, WS, MotW)

Last, but certainly not least, is the SW Rune Priest.  The best thing about the Rune Priest is that his runic weapon nullifies enemy psychic abilities on a 4+.  No need to roll off like the other libbies, a 4+ within 24" is all you need to shut down enemy powers.  In addition, he can take quite a few pieces of wargear to make him stand out more so than the other librarians.  First, he can take Wolftooth Necklace that makes him hit anything with a WS at 3+, no matter what.  It doesn't matter if he's fighting a Gaunt or a Bloodthirster, if you roll a 3+, you hit.  See a trend here?  Second, is his ability to take Runic Armor, which is the SM-equiv to Artificer Armor w/ a built-in psychic protection.  Third, is his ability to take Sagas that improves his killing potential ontop of his natural Counter-attack.  He has so many different wargear options that he makes other librarians look broke ass poor, save maybe the GK one.  I guess since the Chooser of the Slain is pretty much an auto-include for me, he should get a mention.  18" perched on top of a high point gives the RP +1BS with Living Lightning and pushes back all infiltrated units.  Viewed as the best HQ choice in the game by many players, I take him in every game with Space Wolves.

As for powers, I find Murderous Hurricane, Living Lightning and Jaws to be the best choices.  Murderous Hurricane allows you to slow down and destroy enemy infantry, Living Lightning allows you to punch through armor from infinite range, and Jaws is just... jaws.  No other psychic ability in the game caused as much ruckus as Jaws did when it first came out and it's still being talked about today.  It has a 24" line that can snipe any model it touches and if they fail a I test, they're removed from play.  Laff.

Salamanders

"Into the fires of battle, unto the anvil of war!"

Battlecry of the Salamanders

Whenever you hear about Salamanders these days, you hear about Vulkan He'stan.  He is the current Forgefather for the Chapter, charged with finding the lost relics of his Primarch.  Being one of the First Founding Chapters, the Salamanders have served the Emperor with distinction for thousands of years.  They are known for their artisan craftsmanship and their use of heat-based weapons.  This should be no surprise as their homeworld of Nocturne is ridden with volcanic fire and violent radiation.  Weapons such as Flamers and Meltaguns are all commonly seen on the battlefield when the Salamanders are present.  Even Thunderhammers are expertly designed and perfectly balanced; fitting for the forge-born warriors of Nocturne.  By taking the Vulkan He'stan to battle, Space Marine players can truly enjoy the gifts of the forgefather.

Vulkan He'stan trades Chapter Tactics for something truly remarkable.  He makes all your fire-based weapons such as Flamers, Heavy Flamers, Meltaguns and Multi-meltas twin-linked.  Vulkan also makes all your Thunderhammers master-crafted.  The forgfather himself has Captain stats and has a 2+/3++ armor/invulnerable save.  He also comes with a MC Relic Blade (S6) and a built-in Heavy Flamer as well.  Because of this army-wide buff that Vulkan provides, Space Marine players can quickly take advantage of the most destructive weapons of mankind and use them with greater effect than other Marine Chapters.

With that in mind, it's not too difficult to construct a list that can take advantage of these bonuses and keep to the theme of the Salamanders Chapter.  The list below is the list that I constructed at 1750 points:

1750

Salamanders

HQ:

Vulkan He'stan = 190

TROOP:

10x Tacticals (Rhino, PF, Meltagun, MM) = 235

10x Tacticals (Rhino, PF, Meltagun, MM) = 235

10x Tacticals (Rhino, PF, Meltagun, MM) = 235

FA:

3x Land Speeders (MM/HF) = 210

ELITE:

Ironclad (Drop Pod, HF, IAL) = 195

5x TH/SS Terminators (LRR w/ MM) = 450

The list I have here is pretty cookie-cutter.  I take advantage of all the flamer and melta tech that I can while keeping the entire army mobile and aggressive.  Vulkan and his bodyguard of 5x TH/SS Terminators rides in a fluffy Redeemer w/ MM while the rest of the army pushes up next to it.  The 3 squads of 10x Tacticals in Rhinos carry Meltaguns/MM for anti-armor, but you can easily replace the meltaguns with flamers for an anti-horde metagame.  This would buy you the points to take a LRC as well, except I think S6 AP3 flamers are pretty fluffy for Salamanders.  Keep in mind that the Flamestorm Cannons from the LRR cannot benefit from Vulkan's re-roll.

Aside from the TH/SS and Tacticals pushing up the center, I have 3x Land Speeders with MM/HF that can either ride shotgun infront of the army or come in later from Deep Strike.  The reason why I have Land Speeders in my army over attack bikes is because they're extremely versatile in a Vulkan list.  They can take advantage of having both the Heavy Flamer and the Multi-melta; thus making them capable of dealing with anything on the table.  When deploying the speeders, putting them on the table early and turbo-boosting across the field provides another layer of threat in the first turn of the game.  If you choose to keep them in reserve and deep strike them later, they will mess with your opponents' head and hopefully screw up his deployment.  This is where the Ironclad comes in.  If he deploys poorly, you can hammer (get it?) the undefended portions of his army to bits with the full might of your army.  The Ironclad functions as a greater threat than normal Ironclads because his built-in meltagun and heavy flamer is now twin-linked.  Since your army is rather small and short-ranged, it's in your best interest to get within kill range as soon as possible.  This is not the type of army that you can sit back and shoot with.

There's a lot of Vulkan lists out there.  Some players like taking two LRCs with Hamminators, but a lot of people find that cheesy and boring to play with/against.  I personally like this list because I get to use the Ironclad and Land Speeders, but that's just personal preference.  Another idea that I had was a small squad of 5x Sternguard with Vulkan in a Rhino (or RB).  The Sternguard carries 2x Heavy Flamers and whatever you want (keep them cheap, mine's only 180 points) and Vulkan rides shotgun towards the enemy.  This is normally done with TH/SS Terminators in a LR pushing up next to it so the anti-tank fire goes to them.  The objective of this Sternguard squad is simple:  Turn everything that's living into ash.  With Vulkan, you have 3x twin-linked Heavy Flamer templates that can make a mockery of any infantry squad in the game.  I personally call this setup the "Dragon's Fire"; especially if you breath fire from the nostrils of the Rhino.  Keep in mind this is not the only way you can play Sternguard in a Vulkan list.  You can also opt to take 10 of them in a Drop Pod with Vulkan and combat squad them on the way down.  One squad can carry 2 Heavy Flamers with Vulkan and can act as a burn squad while the other half combi-meltas the crap out of transports.  Or you can go balls up and just combi-melta everything since you have re-rolls to everything.

Vulkan marines is one of the hardest lists out there for competitive C:SM builds.  Their twin-linked flamers and meltaguns makes a mockery out of infantry and tanks alike, and their TH/SS Terminators are better than other Chapters.  They can get a little boring to play because of their monotone playstyle, but that's why I suggest you change the lists up every once in a while.  Go with a mech army one game and switch it up with a alpha-strike Drop Pod army the next.  That way, you keep your opponents guessing and makes your game more enjoyable.

Raven Guard

"Victorus aut Mortis."

Battlecry of the Raven Guard

The Raven Guard are one of the original Space Marines Legions.  They are known for their hit and run tactics and their ability to strike unseen from the shadows.  Stealth and infiltration is their forte and their attacks are precise and focused.  By striking at their opponents weak points, they leave their opponents disorganized and confused; making them susceptible to the fury of the Space Marines.

My second thematic army from the C:SM Codex was the Raven Guard.  After playing Crimson Fists for a bit, I decided to needed to spice it up a bit.  After looking through the codex for some inspiration, I came along a Special Character named Kayvaan Shrike, Captain of the Raven Guard 3rd Company.  Being one of the more familiar names in Space Marine lore, I quickly looked over his special rules and noted what he can offer to the table.  The first thing I noticed about Shrike is that he trades Chapter Tactics for Fleet.  This makes the assault elements of your army even more deadly as they can close the distance and engage in battle much quicker.  The other thing to note about Shrike is that he can give him and the squad that he's in Infiltrate.  This means that regardless of where your opponents deploy, Shrike's squad can start 18" away from them (or 12" if they're out of LoS).  The ideas quickly started to pour into my head.  I needed an army that can have enormous first strike potential at the weaker points of my opponents' army.  The army needed to be precise like a surgeon's knife and hit hard like a hammer.  This is how I came up with my army list:

1750

Raven Guard

HQ:

Shrike = 195

TROOP:

10x Tacticals (Rhino, PF, Meltagun, PC) = 240

10x Tacticals (Rhino, PF, Meltagun, MM) = 235

10x Tacticals (DP, PF, Meltagun, MM) = 235

FA:

3x Scout Bikes (Beacon, MB) = 100

5x Vanguard Veterans (JP, 2x MB, 2x LC, PF) = 225

ELITE:

10x Sternguard (DP, 8x CbM) = 325

Ironclad Dreadnought (DP, HF, IAL) = 195

At first, I was tempted to take Assault Terminators as my infiltration unit, but they were unfluffy and couldn't guarantee I'll get into assault first turn.  My next option was 10-strong Assault Space Marines.. but I couldn't get the weapons layout I wanted in them.  My last option was the Vanguard Veterans.  Now if you guys ever seen me post on Warseer, you would know how much I hate VV.  They're completely overpriced in the C:SM Codex (not in BA) and are hardly worth the points most of the time.  They do, however, function perfectly as Shrike's elite, personally trained warriors known as Shrike's Wing.  The weapon layout consists of Jump Packs, 2x Meltabombs, the Sergeant carrying a Raven's Claw (regular Lightning Claw), another claw and a Power Fist.  Because they start out 18" away from the enemy (12" if deployment's in my favor), I can fly 12" first turn, Fleet and then charge my target.  This attack combined with my Scout Bike's Infiltration, Scout Move and Locator Beacon, puts 2 Drop Pods on top of my enemy's forces at the start of my turn.  Once the first wave sets down, my Bikes will turbo-boost to the next major objective:  Be it my opponent's exposed flank or a worthy objective, their locator beacon will be ready to guide my last pod of Tacticals.  During this mayhem, my Tacticals in Rhinos move into the firing lanes and prepare to assist their brothers.

It's to no surprise that I chose a Ironclad and Sternguard to go in the first wave with Shrike.  They represent amazing first strike potential and can follow up next turn with devastating results.  The layout for my Sternguard are 8x Combi-Meltas; designed to target and destroy the heaviest armor that my opponents can offer.  Keep in mind that though they replace Combat Tactics for Fleet, they can still combat squad into 2 squads of 5x Sternguard with 4 meltas a piece.  With the correct positioning, they will be able to melt armor and expose the inner troops to the rest of my army.  With that said, the Ironclad is equipped with Ironclad Assault Launchers (giving me offensive and defensive grenades), a meltagun of his own and a Heavy Flamer.  Let's just say he'll be following up the Sternguard's work with great enthusiasm.

The rest of my list is pretty standard.  Three Tactical squads; 2 in Rhinos and 1 in a Pod to contest and conquer objectives.  They will provide MM and PC fire from their locations and assist in whatever task Captain Shrike commands them.  The first turn will no doubt be the most brutal for my opponents. I've had players fold by turn 2 because the situational looked so grim for them.  First turn charge from Shrike and his Wing, an Ironclad Dreadnought on his flanks and Sternguard Veterans melting his transports puts my opponents in a rather.. uncomfortable position.  Keep in mind that Shrike doesn't always have to assault nearby the SG and the Ironclad.  They can comfortably assault enemy heavy weapon emplacements elsewhere, further splitting up my opponents retaliation fire and possibly exposing their rear armor.

A lot of fun can be had with this list.  I think by employing Scout Bikes, Drop Pods and the Vanguard Veterans, I was able to replicate the fighting ideals of the Raven Guard quite handsomely.  Their first strike potential is amazing and they break the traditional method of playing as Space Marines (moving as one).  A list like this is great every now and then to off people's game since everyone's used to playing vs. Vulkan Mech.  Speaking of which.. my next Chapter will be Salamanders.

Crimson Fists

"There is only the Emperor!"

"He is our shield and our protector!"
Warcry of the Crimson Fists

The first army that I started with in the C:SM codex was the Crimson Fists.  Being a Seconding Founding Chapter of the Imperial Fists, the Crimson Fists received its unyielding tenacity from the Primarch Rogal Dorn.  Lately, tragedy has befallen the Chapter and their Fortress Monastery on Rynn's World has been destroyed the Orks.  Though injured and severely outnumbered, Pedro Kantor, Chapter Master of the Crimson Fists rallied the remnants of his Chapter and fought courageously to purge the Ork invaders from Rynn's World.

Ingame, Pedro Kantor is actually one of the most price effective choices in the entire book.  He's a Chapter Master so he automatically has access to Honor Guard and Orbital Bombardment.  His special rules replaces the entire army's Chapter Tactics with Stubborn and Hold The Line!  Stubborn makes it so you always take morale checks at max leadership when you lose combat and Hold The Line! makes all your Sternguard Veterans count as scoring units.  Probably the biggest bonus that he offers is an amazing 12" aura of +1 attack to all friendly units within 12" called Inspiring Presence.  This is huge!  It makes your basic Marines fight like Veterans and your Veterans fight like gods.  This also effects Dreadnoughts so your Ironclads get 5 attacks on the charge.  Aside from that, he comes with a S4 AP4 Assault 4 Storm Bolter at BS5 and a Power Fist at WS6 and 3 attacks base.

The way I envisioned my Crimson Fists army was to be a list with Pedro Kantor leading a small but elite army capable of shattering the fiercest opponents.  Since most of the Chapter was wiped out when the Fortress Monastery was destroyed, they only have limited resources to play with.  This however, does not mean they can't be competitive.  With veteran squads carrying mankind's greatest weapons and one of the most courageous Chapter Masters to lead them, traitors and xenos alike will learn to fear the wrath of the Crimson Fists!

1750
Crimson Fists

HQ:
Pedro Kantor = 175
Librarian (TDA/SS) = 140

TROOP:
10x Tacticals (Rhino, PF, Meltagun, LC) = 245
10x Tacticals (Rhino, PF, Meltagun, PC) = 240

ELITE:
5x TH/SS Terminators (LR w/ MM) = 460
6x Sternguard (RB TLLC, 2x PC) = 245
6x Sternguard (RB TLLC, 2x PC) = 245

The first thing you'll notice here is the single Land Raider Godhammer pattern (to symbolize Rynn's Might) and the 2 squads of Sternguard Veterans.  Because the Crimson Fists cannot afford further losses to their already diminished Chapter, the army is designed to play defensively and take advantage of their expert weaponry, Stubborn and Pedro's 12" Inspiring Presence.

The Sternguard and their Razorbacks with TLLC will deploy close enough together to allow the rest of the army to assist them if needed.  Depending on player turn and board layout, Pedro will either deploy with them or inside the Land Raider.  On my opening volley, I should be able to shoot out 4 TLLC shots from the Land Raider and two Razorbacks, and a single Lascannon shot from the Tactical squad inside the Rhino.  If Pedro is allowed to deploy with the Sternguard, he will use his Orbital Barrage and hopefully bust open the heaviest transport available.  This will hopefully damage enemy transports and make them exposed to my next round of fire which will consist of 5 Plasma Cannon shots from the Sternguard and Tactical squads.  The Librarian with Terminator Armor and Storm Shield will probably have Avenger (S5 AP3 Template) and Vortex of Doom (12" S10 AP1 Blast) and he'll be assisting the counter-charge with the 5x TH/SS Terminators.  In the presence of Pedro's heroic presence, they will get 20x Thunderhammer attacks on the charge.  Easily capable of destroying most squads in one turn of combat.

I personally think I captured the theme of the Crimson Fists pretty well with this list.  I take advantage of Pedro's Hold the Line! rule that makes Sternguard scoring and at the same time I keep the list small and elite.  Once I am satisfied that I have done enough damage to my opponent's army, I will pack up my Sternguard squads in their dedicated RBs and make way to the closet objective.  They will camp there while the rest of my army assists with contesting or point control.

Three days, three Chapters

Over the next couple of days, I'll be revisiting the army lists that I've used for 5th Ed. Space Marines.  Space Marines was the first army that I started with 8 years ago and they're still my favorite.  When the new codex came out, I chose three thematic yet competitive ways to play the new book and I will cover one each day in the next three days.  Each list has a distinctive playstyle, true to the theme of the chapter they represent.  Those glorious heroes are the Crimson Fists, Raven Guard and Salamander Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes.  Enemies of the Imperium beware.