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Hi folks. I've been playing with the new Space Marines codex for a while now, and I've come up with a few minor changes that might make some of the under-utilised options a little more attractive for competitive play. I'll state right now that I think the SM codex is very good as it is, and I've really got no idea how "fluffy" the changes are, or if they're really needed, but I think they'd be fun to use.

1. Assault Marines can now take Meltaguns for 15 points each, under the same model constraints as Flamers/Plasma Pistols. In todays land of Mech this would turn Assault Marines into fantastic transport killers, where they could Melta the transports then assault the squishy contents. 15 points reflects that fact that Meltaguns are always 5 points more expensive than Flamers. I feel they are balanced because they have a high opportunity cost; they take up precious Fast Attacks slots usually dedicated to MM/HF Land Speeders or MM Attack Bikes, and are also slower and more susceptible to small arms fire. I could see them being used as cheap 'melta suicide squads', similar to the min/maxed IST squads that SM can already take.

2. Command Squads can now be taken as an individual HQ choice, and do not require a Captain to unlock them. Similar to a CCS or a Wolf Guard Battle Leader, this would give SM players a decent HQ choice to use in smaller games, where paying 100 points for a single model can be a real disadvantage. Fluff-wise, it also doesn't make sense that a Captain/Librarian/Chaplain would be leading every assault; making the Command Squad a HQ choice is a nice compromise to reflect this.

3. Vanguard Veterans now have a special rule that lets them re-roll the scatter dice when deep striking. We all know the problems this unit have, I feel this special rule would greatly encourage their use and would actually reflect Heroic Interventions high cost.

That's it, what do you all think?

I think that Tactical Squads should be like this:
If the Squad numbers 5 or more, they can take an assault weapon. If they number 10, they can also take a heavy weapon.

JSK-Fox wrote:I think that Tactical Squads should be like this:
If the Squad numbers 5 or more, they can take an assault weapon. If they number 10, they can also take a heavy weapon.

I would love that. It would make my list MUCH more deadly. (3 dual autocannon dreads, 3 Autocannon/H. Bolter preds, 6x 5 man tac squads in Las/plas razorbacks, librarian on bike & fill in the rest with as many H bolter / typhoon missile speeders as I can)

Yah let's buff the uber transport army into an uber transport army that rapes other uber transport armies! YEAH! WOOOOT!

/sarcasm

I'll agree with you one the CS, but assault marines with multimeltas? thats what you have bike squads for .

Agreed with the Tactical Squad idea. SW/DA/CSM get special weapons at 5 men, it seems reasonable that Space Marines should also get them.

Captain Solon wrote:I'll agree with you one the CS, but assault marines with multimeltas? thats what you have bike squads for .

What's your reasoning behind this? They perform a similar role, but so do lot's of other units. MM Speeders perform a similar role as MM Attack Bikes, does that mean MM Attack Bikes should be removed from the codex? Thunderfire Cannons perform a similar role as a Whirlwind, does that mean Whirlwinds should be removed from the codex? Options are what makes a codex powerful.