40K EDITORIAL: How to Fix Codex Space Marines
So if 6th is coming next year – Space Marines wont be far behind. But, how exactly do we bring them up to snuff with the latest power level in the game?
First a baseline – I don’t think movie-marines is the goal here. I think fundamentally that the Grey Knight codex should represent the pinnacle of the “low model count – high quality” MEQ army the Imperium can field. So the question is how do you expand on and add some variety to such a well established and fairly good range both model and ruleswise as the bog standard Space Marines?
Here’s what I would do:
1) HQ based Command Squads – Bring back some cool command squad options for commanders based upon how they are equipped. Normal command squad, fine, Terminator command squad – lets bring it back. Bike command squad, why not. If the commanders equipment unlocks certain troop option FOC shifting, so be it.
2) Tactical Squads that DO something. According to the new retconned fluff, the often maligned Tactical Squads are composed of the most experienced marines who have more experience than their Scout, Dev and Assault counterparts. It sure doesn’t show on the tabletop even if it does in THQ’s Space Marine. I would love to see Tacticals upgraded somehow to be a halfway house between what they are now, and the fully fledged Sternguard. I’ll leave unraveling that riddle up to you.
3) Plastic Sternguard/Vanguard boxed set. Nuff said, lets keep throwing the metal out of the Marine range. If this boxed set came with a bunch of Heresy-era aka Veteran armour bits, so much the better.
4) Useful standard Terminators. Either they get cheaper, or get more lethal, so taking the standard squads is a viable alternative to Thunderhammer/Stormsheild spam. My personal choice is to just give all standard termies Sternguard special-issue-ammo for their Stormbolters. After all its THE SAME GUYS wearing the big suits!
5) Useful Scouts – lets clean up these guys and go back to 4th. Better stats and a dedicated LS Storm transport would do wonders.
6) A Special Character for each First Founding Chapter. – they’ve earned it.
7) Useful Whirlwinds – Maybe a Heavy D3 5″ blast like the Manticore missiles, just…. something. When is the last time you saw a Whirlwind on the battlefield?
8) Plastic/Finecast Thunderfire. – Assembling the metal one is a catastrophe.
9) Techmarines with Cool Wargear. – The Grey Knights made Techmarines useful overnight with the simple concept that they have control over the cool sexy toys/grenades of the chapter. Can we all admit that the entire mid-game fixing thing just doesn’t work and isn’t worth the points.
10) Plastic Contemptors – PRETTY PLEASE!
~What do you got? Jump in gang.
