Warhammer 40K: Why Firstborn Marines Can Still Compete
If Primaris Marines and none of their other units exist either can Firstborn Space Marines as an army still compete?
Folks, we’re going to do a short thought experiment regarding Firstborn Space Marines. As the above sentence suggests, we’re going to take a moment to ignore all the Primaris units from the current edition – all the new units, all the new vehicles, and anything else related to Primaris Marines. Now, looking at the left overs that are the Firstborn (aka Classic) Marines – can you still make them work? Let’s look at some facts.
Still Have Combat Doctrines
These didn’t go away and, while the image is from the old codex, the fact is that First Born Space Marines still have access to these Combat Doctrines. That makes their weapons/attacks better than normal.
Still Have Chapter Tactics
These are available to all Firstborn Marines, too. And some of the might have gotten toned down but they are still a fantastic boost to their respective army.
Are Still Space Marines
They are still Space Marines with all the rules and implications that go along with that. Including:
- ATSKNF
- Two Wounds
- 3+ Armor
- Great Basic Stat-line
- Bolter Drill
Firstborn Marines still set the bar for a LOT of things in regards to stats. They are the measuring stick for many units in the game for a reason.
Still Got Weapon Buffs
Let’s not forget that Classic Space Marines ALSO received all the same weapon buffs that the rest of the Imperium else did, too. That includes:
- Heavy Bolter Buff
- Flamer Buff
- Melta Buff
- Astartes Chainsword Buff
- Terminator Buffs
Firstborn Space Marines still use those weapons. It’s kind of their thing. When these buffs were included this really improved classic units like Tactical Squads and even Assault Squads.
Squads with access to a Heavy AND Special Weapon? So Tactically flexible…
Still Have More Options That Most Other Armies
Seriously, have you seen their unit list? Space Marines have more units available to them than any other army in the game. If you take out the Primaris stuff, then I think Chaos Space Marines might overtake them – but only if you include all the daemon options. Firstborn Space Marines have the tools for the job and they aren’t afraid to use them.
So again, I ask the question – Can Firstborn Marines still compete? Yeah – they can and are still competitive. The problem is that they don’t exist in a vacuum and Primaris Marines DO exist and for the point cost, it’s really hard to justify Firstborn Marines over Primaris.
Man, if only there was a game system for 40k where these ‘Classic’ Marines could thrive all on their own without those pesky Primaris showing off…
Oh well.
What do you think – can Firstborn Marines still compete?
