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Going for a tournament viable Ultramarines build. One area I'm looking for feedback on is psychic powers on the librarian, I know telepathy is common, giving him, calgar, and the sternguard invisibility would of course be amazing, however, you need to roll that 5 on two dice...the other powers out of telepathy seem lackluster. Biomancy on the other hand seems really nice for this unit. Auto-getting Smite for 4 str 4 ap 2 shots in the psychic phase, followed up with 3/5 str 4 ap 4 master-crafted shredding shots from primarch's wrath makes the Librarian a truly dakka edition to the already very shooty unit for what seems like meager points investment; then rolling 2, 3, 4, or 5 seems really solid, enfeeble, life leech, and endurance are all really sick, with endurance on the unit just being bonkers; I mentioned warp speed in there as well because even though it's the weakest of the 4, giving him 5 force axe attacks isn't nothing. Beyond the Librarian I think the army really lends itself to Calgars/Ultramarines force multipliers, puts a decent model count on the ground, provides anti-air, anti-teq (grav squads), and two dedicated anti-AV14 units (melta squads). Two other areas I wanted to mention were Drop Pods, should they stay as is or become rhinos? And originally I had two TFC's with Calgar/Librarian joining a TAC unit, giving it some thought I considered that a TAC unit didn't properly compliment the power level of Calgar plus the Librarian, so I dropped the one TFC to upgrade the unit to a fairly decked out sternguard squad kitted for anti-elites. Does that change make sense? Or would Calgar/Librarian be fine with a TAC squad while gaining a second TFC? I think I like the current configuration, as Sternguard are among the best things space marines can be doing, and the power level of the unit compliments the power level of the HQ's.


HQ - Marneus Calgar (Sternguard)

HQ – Epistolary Librarian w/ Force Axe & Primarch’s Wrath (Biomancy, Sternguard)

Elites - 8x Sternguard Veterans w/ 5x Combi-Grav, 2x Heavy Flamer
Transport - Drop Pod

Elites - 10x Sternguard Veterans w/ 5x Combi-Melta, 2x Heavy Flamer
Transport - Drop Pod

Troops - 10x Tactical Squad, Combat Squads, w/ 2x Grav Guns, Combi-Grav
Transport - Drop Pod

Troops - 10x Tactical Squad, Combat Squads, w/ 2x Grav Guns, Combi-Grav
Transport - Drop Pod

Troops - 10x Tactical Squad, Combat Squads, w/ 2x Melta Guns, Combi-Melta, Melta Bomb
Transport - Drop Pod

Fast Attack - Stormtalon w/ TL-Assault Cannon & Skyhammer Missile Launcher

Fast Attack - Stormtalon w/ TL-Assault Cannon & Skyhammer Missile Launcher

Heavy Support - Thunderfire Cannon

Biomancy lends itself very well to an Assault based unit. The Salvo guns of the Sternguard squad make Assault kinda the thing to avoid. They look like a very good 'hold this line' squad but not the type to charge forward since they can't shoot and assault (if I'm not mistaken).

Honestly, I'd just take the Primaris powers for Telepathy and Biomancy in that squad. The Sternguard don't need buffs except the 5 of either discipline so I would suggest rolling on Telepathy for the five, if you don't get it or a similar good power, swap for the Primaris and then do the same in Biomancy for the possibility of FNP or Life Leech. That gives you the chance of Invisibility but a back up shooty power just in case.

Agreed, you're really looking for a 5 either way, and when considering biomancy, I was really focused on the four ap 2 shots for free (sternguardy), and the eternal warrior plus 4+ FnP (sternguard need survivability). You kinda get the same scenario with telepathy, a shooting attack for free or great defense with invisibility; I just think smite is a clear winner over psychic shriek. But In the end I can certainly see an argument for rolling on both hoping for a 5.

It's a tough call on drop pods vs rhinos for something like sternguard. On the one hand, pods put them right where they need to be so that they usually pop whatever there first target is, but then they are footslogging or just generally exposed, which for a shooty unit isn't the end of the world. Rhinos provide the sternguard mobility throughout the game, but you don't get that great alphastrike.

Yeah, that's my basic dilemma, I want to give them the mobility and survivability, but I don't want to lose that alpha strike potential either...

Not seeing how you are getting 2 grav-guns or 2 Melta guns in each tac squad. You can only take one Special Weapon and one Heavy, not 2 specials. So your probably need to fix that first.

Other than that I would either stay 5 pods for the 3/2 drop or go one Tac and one Stern in Rhinos to provide some target options if you go second.

Yeah, made a mistake there, here are the changes: Three pods total now to ensure the sternguard come down turn 1, one anti-teq the other anti-tank, the third pod is also anti-tank and will come down eventually and do some cleanup on armor. The other two Tac squads are plasma'd out and put in rhinos to hold backfield objectives.


HQ - Marneus Calgar (Sternguard)
HQ – Epistolary Librarian w/ Force Axe & Primarch’s Wrath (Biomancy, Sternguard)
Elites - 8x Sternguard Veterans w/ 6x Combi-Grav, 2x Heavy Flamer
Transport - Drop Pod

Elites - 10x Sternguard Veterans w/ 6x Combi-Melta
Transport - Drop Pod

Troops - 10x Tactical Squad w/ Multi-Melta, Melta Gun, Combi-Melta, Melta Bomb
Transport - Drop Pod

Troops - 10x Tactical Squad w/ Plasma Cannon, Plasma Gun, Combi-Plasma
Transport – Rhino

Troops - 10x Tactical Squad w/ Plasma Cannon, Plasma Gun, Combi-Plasma
Transport – Rhino

Fast Attack - Stormtalon w/ TL-Assault Cannon & Skyhammer Missile Launcher

Fast Attack - Stormtalon w/ TL-Assault Cannon & Skyhammer Missile Launcher

Heavy Support - Thunderfire Cannon

Calgar is not bringing a lot to the list that I can see. How are you planning to use this?

I mean calgar is a force multiplier that benefits any basic marine, especially tacticals, which the list has. I'm not sure what needs to be in an ultramarines list to make it suited for calgar other than infantry.

I dont like combi grav on sternguards.
Grav cents on the other hand are really devastating.

I agree, but with them being such an expensive unit, and needing a transport, you really need to build the entire army around the unit, imo.