Goatboy’s Warhammer 40K Meta Hotness: December 2023 – Marneus Calgar & Friends
Let’s talk about the Space Marine Vanguard detachment’s winning super-star. Marneus Calgar & friends are this week’s 40K Meta Hotness.
The new Space Marine codex is in full on wreck your business mob as of late. All different flavors are showing up, with the Iron Storm detachment really doing a number on people. But that isn’t the detachment I want to talk about. Instead let’s look at the Vanguard detachment. A building block for an army that is designed to win with movement, applied pressure, and seemingly with Calgar and friends.
Marneus Calgar is a pretty interesting unit in that he isn’t just a single special Character. He comes attached with two super Bladeguard-like friends. They help amp up his survivability, increase any unit they join, and provide a very angry response in close combat. You mix this unit up with some Centurion Devastators and you have a very rough little unit to deal with.
Marneus Calgar Movement Tricks
Marneus grants any unit he joins the ability to Advance, Shoot, and Charge. This is a pretty nutty little rule! With a few extra additions, it can create a unit that can Infiltrate, Move, Advance and Charge – if they go first. This is pretty dang nutty to have such a powerful little unit that all of a sudden shows up, throws lascannons at you, and then some powerfists of destruction.
Marneus Calgar Close Combat Power
Marneus punches pretty well with 6 Twin Link Strength 8 power fists that hit at damage 3. The Victrix that ride with him have 5 attacks each at Damage 2, and then you got the Devastators as well throw out some Damage 2 basic fist attacks. Then you add in the Apothecary Biologis, that grants Lethal Hits and access to an enhancement that helps them get closer to you. YIKES!
Finally Marneus Deep Strikes
Oh and then you got Uriel Ventris, a nice little new model that grants an Infantry unit the ability to Deep Strike. Now this alone isn’t that bad, but what you can combo it with the Vanguard Spearhead detachment Stratagem – Guerrilla Tactics. This lets you pick this model up and then “Deep Strike” it later as it has that ability from Uriel. Thus granting you a unit that can punch something, go back into the shadows, and punch something else later.
A Sample Tournament List
John Lennon almost won the World Championship with the following list utilizing this combo. It is a pretty powerful set of rules and really amps up the better player to have a ton of control in a game. Marneus Calgar does wonders in the list.
John Lennon’s Adeptus Astartes
Space Marines
Ultramarines
Vanguard Spearhead
Strike Force (2000 Points)
CHARACTERS
Apothecary Biologis (80 Points)
• 1x Absolvor bolt pistol
1x Close combat weapon
• Enhancements: The Blade Driven Deep
Marneus Calgar (185 Points)
• 1x Marneus Calgar
• Warlord
• 1x Gauntlets of Ultramar
• 2x Victrix Honour Guard
• 2x Victrix power sword
Uriel Ventris (75 Points)
• 1x Bolt Pistol
1x Invictus
1x Sword of Idaeus
OTHER DATASHEETS
Aggressor Squad (220 Points)
• 1x Aggressor Sergeant
• 1x Auto boltstorm gauntlets
1x Fragstorm grenade launcher
1x Twin power fists
• 5x Aggressor
• 5x Auto boltstorm gauntlets
5x Fragstorm grenade launcher
5x Twin power fists
Centurion Devastator Squad (350 Points)
• 1x Devastator Centurion Sergeant
• 1x Centurion fists
1x Centurion missile launcher
1x Twin lascannon
• 5x Devastator Centurion
• 5x Centurion fists
5x Centurion missile launcher
5x Twin lascannon
Company Heroes (95 Points)
• 1x Ancient
• 1x Bolt pistol
1x Bolt rifle
1x Close combat weapon
• 1x Company Champion
• 1x Bolt pistol
1x Master-crafted power weapon
• 2x Company Veteran
• 2x Bolt pistol
2x Close combat weapon
1x Master-crafted bolt rifle
1x Master-crafted heavy bolter
Eradicator Squad (95 Points)
• 1x Eradicator Sergeant
• 1x Bolt pistol
1x Close combat weapon
1x Melta rifle
• 2x Eradicator
• 2x Bolt pistol
2x Close combat weapon
1x Melta rifle
1x Multi-melta
Eradicator Squad (95 Points)
• 1x Eradicator Sergeant
• 1x Bolt pistol
1x Close combat weapon
1x Melta rifle
• 2x Eradicator
• 2x Bolt pistol
2x Close combat weapon
1x Melta rifle
1x Multi-melta
Inceptor Squad (220 Points)
• 1x Inceptor Sergeant
• 1x Close combat weapon
1x Plasma exterminators
• 5x Inceptor
• 5x Close combat weapon
5x Plasma exterminators
Inceptor Squad (220 Points)
• 1x Inceptor Sergeant
• 1x Close combat weapon
1x Plasma exterminators
• 5x Inceptor
• 5x Close combat weapon
5x Plasma exterminators
Inceptor Squad (110 Points)
• 1x Inceptor Sergeant
• 1x Assault bolters
1x Close combat weapon
• 2x Inceptor
• 2x Assault bolters
2x Close combat weapon
Scout Squad (55 Points)
• 1x Scout Sergeant
• 1x Bolt pistol
1x Boltgun
1x Close combat weapon
• 4x Scout
• 4x Bolt pistol
2x Boltgun
4x Close combat weapon
1x Heavy bolter
1x Scout sniper rifle
Scout Squad (55 Points)
• 1x Scout Sergeant
• 1x Bolt pistol
1x Boltgun
1x Close combat weapon
• 4x Scout
• 4x Bolt pistol
2x Boltgun
4x Close combat weapon
1x Heavy bolter
1x Scout sniper rifle
Scout Squad (55 Points)
• 1x Scout Sergeant
• 1x Bolt pistol
1x Boltgun
1x Close combat weapon
• 4x Scout
• 4x Bolt pistol
2x Boltgun
4x Close combat weapon
1x Heavy bolter
1x Scout sniper rifle
ALLIED UNITS
Callidus Assassin (90 Points)
• 1x Neural shredder
1x Phase sword and poison blades
2000 Pts
Using Marneus Calgar
As you can see, this list is designed to not present a normal army on the tabletop. It will move, hide in the shadows, and show up to wreck your stuff when you least expect it. Heck, it even has movement tricks to try and mess up assaults as well. It is a pretty neat list, and it has so many cool bodies and interactions that if you can master it, you too can be a master of the shadows.
For the Emperor!
