Warhammer 40K: Classic Marines Are Obsolete
The day of the Classic Space Marine is over, all hail the new Primaris.
For over 30 years, the Space Marine has been at the forefront of Warhammer 40K. The Classic Marine has been the poster boy of the game, and the heart of the fluff. They’ve had their ups and downs over the years, but more than any other units, or type of unit, they’ve been the kings of the battlefield, a constant benchmark of the game. And now their watch is ended. 8th Edtion ushered in the Primaris, the real-life and in-universe replacement to the ever-faithful Space Marine. Thought they hung on for a bit, the new Marine Codex and the host of supplements seem to have the final nails in their sarcophagus. The Classic Marine is now obsolete; let’s talk about why.
Hanging On
To most people, it was clear from the first introduction of Primaris Marines that the days of their smaller brothers were limited. Primaris Marines are, generally speaking, superior in the fluff and on the tabletop, and have mostly better models. It was pretty clear they were meant as a replacement for Classic Marines. In spite of this, Classic Marines hung on. In large part, this was simply due to the failure of the early waves of Primaris to catch on. Reivers and Inceptors were underwhelming units (and remain so). Hellblasters were good but overpriced, and Aggressors lacked a good delivery system. Repulsors and Redemptors didn’t bring enough new to the table to justify a hefty price tag. Intercessors, the real lynchpin unit, were costly and under gunned. While they had great models, the units didn’t catch on in the competitive scene.
This allowed time for Classic Marines to stay afloat and dominate within the Marine army. Classic characters, with their myriad options, remain viable. Scouts, a cheap and useful unit, filled a lot of roles and rounded out your detachments. While there were signs of slippage, Tactical, and Assault Marines all but varnished, competitive armies often remained Primaris free, focusing on the old, classic models. The Smash Captain/Scout Battalion became a staple of the meta, defying the new Primaris units.
Primaris Rising
Over two years, GW slowly worked to revise and improve Primairs Marines. They got point drops, Intercessor Sergeants slowly got more options, they got new stratagems, and they got a host of new Vanguard units. It made them better, but not good enough. Then came the new Codex. This book blew the doors off their hinges and released a swarm of Primaris units. Intercessors get better, their weapons were tweaked, and they got more Sergeant upgrades. Many Vanguard units got improvements or tweaks, and even more new units, including the powerful Invictor Warsuit and Repulsor Executioner were added. The army-wide bonus that made all Marines better seemed to specifically help out Primaris more than others, taking them over the edge from OK to great. With the release of the new books the Primaris have “arrived,” their day has dawned for real.
End of An Era
The rising power of Primaris Marines means that the old Classic Marines are largely shunted aside now; moved to the obsolete pile. Scouts used to be the only Marine troop choice you would ever see, now Infiltrators, a more useful version of Scouts, and Intercessors, newly empowered, are taking to the field. While Scouts have hung on in some competitive builds, they are now no longer the obvious choice and are generally taken due to points, not want. Eliminators and Suppressors fill Heavy Support and Fast Attack roles, and Invictors and Repuslors, of both types, are solid tanks now. Looking at meta lists, we see Primaris units for the first time dominating the makeup for Marine armies, and even all Primaris armies being viable.
Where Marines still hang on its in the fringes. These tend to be newer Marine units that don’t have a direct Primaris replacement, Thunderfire Cannons, Centurions, and flyers in the main. Also, Classic Marine characters, both due to lower costs and extra flexibility and options still see limited play. But overall it’s pretty clear these units are here on sufferance, allowed to keep being played only because they don’t have direct replacements… yet.
The core, the old core, of the Marine army though, Tactical Marines, Scouts, Assault Marines, Devastators, Land Raiders, Rhinos. The units that have been with us for this whole long crazy ride we call 40K; they are a dying breed now. They’ve become obsolete, in a few builds, and with a few tricks they have small places, but in general, their day is done. Their usefulness in the competitive scene is fading fast, soon these heroes of old will fade away and become Legends, and Legends at least, never die.
Pour one out for the poor Classic Marines, down in the comments!
