Space Marine Line Breaker List

Fritz here… There is more to Space Marines then just Razorbacks and minimal Tactical squads right? Here is a list that I have been playing around using various units working together in synergy. Fill in the blanks according to your point level.

Side stepping for a moment, I’ve talked about how in 40K you want to be an active player over a reactive player. An active player builds their army with a plan in mind, sets it up, and goes about the plan regardless of the mission or the opponent they are playing. The active player knows what they are going to do and forces the reactive player to adapt. Said active player has the advantage in that they are always one step ahead of the reactive player who sets up according to their opponent and maneuvers their army based on what their opponent does. Often in 40K the first person who “blinks” is the one who loses…

So what is my LineBreaker list? It’s a concept that puts pressure on your opponent mid field, breaks them open, and then surges forward in the assault to finish off the opponent. Basically we have four sections in the list: front: heavy tanks, center: Tactical squads, rear: Assault marines, and finally probing elements of Attack Bikes and Scouts.

At the start of the game I’ll look for a place to set up to take advantage of terrain, hopefully castling up in the right or left, but ready to deploy center if my opponent has a null deployment type list. The three tanks – either three Vindicators or two Vindicators and a Predator go up. AV 14 and terrain cover saves are a powerful combination.

The second layer behind them are full strength Tactical squads set up with las cannons (or missiles) and plasma guns. Being ten strong means they can take some wounds, and will be firing the 24” plasma gun and 48” las cannon every turn. For now the bolter marines are just wound takers, and if needed the plasma gun and las cannon will go out to the sides, with the marines behind the physical model footprint of the tanks for cover saves.

Behind this second line are groups of Assault marines, in cover, natural or created ready to surge, while attack bikes and scouts either prepare to zoom out (bikes) or infiltrate/outflank (scouts).
This is the deployment no matter the mission. It may change a bit depending if I am going first or what my opponent has in terms of how and when it comes on, but in general that is what is forming up.

The Tactical always go out, but maybe the Assault marines and tanks move on, maybe they get set up and I try to seize the first turn, maybe I take first turn and go for an alpha strike knowing that cover and AV 13 can protect me from my opponent’s first turn if I fail? Knowing the how and when is key, but deployment always comes together like this.

Tanks and Tacticals blast away doing the usual de-mech. Multi-melta attack bikes are ready to zoom out to take out that Land Raider wanting to deliver the termie goodness into my ranks. A null zone libby helps to whittle down those invulnerable saves taken from the vindicators. The idea is to grind my opponent down in the center of the table with the tanks and tactical. One that is done, and I’m ready and expect to lose the tanks, bikes, and take Tactical casualties, the assault marines then surge out and engage in the assault finishing my opponent off, or at least breaking them to where they can’t win the mission.