Warhammer 40K: 5 New Units We Need In The Next Marine Codex

If a new Marine Codex gets announced these are the units we need to see.

Space Marines are getting a new Codex. Now look, I don’t know when this is going to happen. It could be soon, or it could be in a couple of years. What I can say for sure is that at some point Space Marines will get a new codex. They do usually get two codexes per edition. Based on how it’s gone recently it’s more likely to be sooner rather than later. In fact, with the Adepticon Seminar coming up this week it could be now. There is after all some big mystery announcement at it and it’s about time (based on the past cycles) that Marines got a new codex. So here are 5 units Marines absolutely need to get in their next codex.

Primaris Breachers

Primaris units lack a really “tanky” shooty unit. I think a really cool unit to add to their roster would be an updated Primaris version of the old Legion Breachers. Think of a unit of Primaris Marines with a Stormshield in one hand and an Inceptor Assault Bolter in the other. This would lead to a really tough close-ranged unit, that could shred enemy infantry at 18″ and tank punishment in return. Put the unit in Gravis armor and nothing is going to move it. I think this keeps with well with the idea of single focus squads, with Legion inspiration, while adding a cool unit to the roster. Think Blade Guard with guns.

Jump Packs

This really is the last bit of the classic lineup that doesn’t have a Primaris version. It’s been teased for a long time. We know they have various types of jump and grav packs. Yet we’ve yet to see a Primaris Jump Pack Assault unit. Well, that needs to be fixed.

Mortar Teams

Ever since 2nd Edition I’ve loved weapons teams. They’ve got a cool aesthetic and make a lot of sense practically. One thing I’d really like to see, and that would make a ton of sense is a Primaris Mortar team. Now I would specifically make this a Vanguard/Phobos unit.

Infiltration and command forces love mortars. They are quiet compared to most other heavy weapons and relatively easy to transport and move around on foot. This makes them great for Vanguard units. The team could also have a couple of cool features not seen yet. First off it would provide Primaris forces with a source of indirect fire that can target units out of LOS. This is something the army doesn’t have a lot of, which is a little strange for a hi-tech shooty army.

You could also give it some kind of smoke effect to play in with the Phobos feature. Maybe the mortar can drop smoke shells on enemy units giving them a -1 to hit at shooting? This would be a great ability and thematically match the Vanguard units, as many carry smoke grenades. Finally, they are trans-humans wearing power armor, so two Phobos marines on a base could carry a big high-tech-looking mortar compared to that puny AM one. Overall I think this would just be a cool addition.

A Flyer

Now look, I’m not really a huge fan of flyers in 40K. While they have some amazing models (and I love Thunderbolts to death) I just don’t think most have a place in a game of 40Ks scale. However, those are my personal feelings and the reality is that flyers are here to stay. That being said the lack of a flyer is a big gap in the Primaris lineup and puts a hole in their chapter organization.

To fix this you’ve got a few options. You could make rules and a model for the Overlord, the only known Primaris aircraft. However, the Overlord is said to be larger than a Thunderhawk so this would likely be a Forge World model and not practical for standard 40K games. The simplest option would be to simply convert one of the existing flyers to Primaris use. The Stormhawk doesn’t have a visible pilot on the model and it would be easy to just say it’s now flown by Primaris pilots. Lastly and most likely (gotta sell a new model after all) is the creation of a new, heavy(?), Primaris fighter. Any of these options will work, as long as we get one.

More Different-er Lieutenants 

It’s not really a Space Marine Codex without a new type of LT, is it?

Let us know what Primaris units you still want to see, down in the comments! 

Author: Abe Apfel

Abe is that rare thing, an Austin local born and raised here. Though he keeps on moving around, DC, Japan, ETC., he always seems to find his way back eventually. Abe has decades of experience with a wide range of tabletop and RPG games, from historicals, to Star Wars to D&D and 40K. He has been contributing to BOLS since almost the start, back when he worked at and then owned a local gaming store. He used to be big into the competitive Warhammer tournament scene but age has mellowed him and he now appreciates a good casual match. He currently covers 40K tactics and lore, as well as all things Star Wars, with occasional dabbling in other topics. Abe remains in mourning over the loss of WFB to this day.