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Well im getting back into ultramarines and ive bought 2 boxes of devastators. Whats my best bet for combos on the weapons they have? Ive never used them before.

UPDATE:

For marine models this is what I have if I remember correctly. If that helps determine how I build my devastators?

Marneus Calgar
Commander with powerfist
Commander with powerfist

30 Tac marines, 1 heavy bolter, 1 las cannon, few missile launchers, few meltas, 1 plasma I think
10 assault marines
10 terminators
5 assault terminators
15 or so scouts, 3 sniper, few shotgun, few heavy bolters


2 dreadnaughts (cant remember loadouts off the top of my head)
10 Devastators
1 thunderfire cannon

1 land raider
1 razor back
1 whirlwind
1 rhino
1 predator

It really depends on their role. Missile Launchers are great for flexibility, Las-cannons for dedicated Anti-tank, Plasma Cannons for AP2.

If it were me, I'd do either 4 Missile Launchers (I like to combat squad them for two units with 2 each) or 2 Missile and 2 Lascannons for the same effect.

Combo? None.
Use the same weapon for a squad. What you need is dependent on the rest of your army.
4 las cannons or 4 HBs is very popular. With Ultramarines, 4 MM in a transport and the Chapter Tactic thing with moving and still firing is a killer.

In terms of army list building modelling them with missile launchers will allow you to fill more tactical roles, even if not optimally.

Ya I haven't really played marines in a few years. Been playing orks and necrons.

For marine models this is what I have if I remember correctly. If that helps determine how I build my devastators?

Marneus Calgar
Commander with powerfist
Commander with powerfist

30 Tac marines, 1 heavy bolter, 1 las cannon, few missile launchers
10 assault marines
10 terminators
5 assault terminators
15 or so scouts, 3 sniper, few shotgun, few heavy bolters


2 dreadnaughts (cant remember loadouts off the top of my head)
10 Devastators
1 thunderfire cannon

1 land raider
1 razor back
1 whirlwind
1 rhino
1 predator

What does the rest of your army look like? Are you planning on using them purely as dev squads, or are some going to move over to the tactical squads?

I’d suggest buying a tactical squad, or just dipping into your bitz box, and building them all. It’s nice to have the options on your swap shelf for list building.

I think one of the stronger build for devs these days is 4xLC.

I’m not that fond of MLs these days. The price went up, and while flexible, they don’t work as well as they used to.

4xHB is better for ‘Fists, but can work for us as well.

PCs have a place, but being blasts they are focused on ground targets. One nice thing about the Dev doctrine is not just the relentless, but the re-rolling snap-fireing. If you pop that off and aim most weapons skyward, you should land some hits. And most flyers you are shooting at will not enjoy the experience. Plasma cannons lack this feature.

MMs belong on tac squads. If you don’t already have some there, build one or two. HBs are another heavy I think works well on the tacs.

 Nevelon wrote:
I’d suggest buying a tactical squad, or just dipping into your bitz box, and building them all. It’s nice to have the options on your swap shelf for list building.

Either this, or magnetise/pin them.
You can mix and match them as you please. If your list changes, you can just change the Devs to match.

Missile launchers are pointless because all their ammo is subpar. Being able to do a little bit of everything, but good at none of it is not worth it in 40K.

Well there is 1 combo with Coteaz and a bunch of plasma cannons being useful as a DS deterrent. but its not that special

Martel its not good when you play warhammer 40kserpents.

Its fine in casual.

I personally like the 4 las cannons but i play imp fists for tank hunting.

Missile Launcher ammo isn't good even against BA or DA.

Its cheap enough to be used as clutch anti tank. at ST8 it will hurt something. or pen some thing some of the times. (you cannot underestimate a good immobilize or stun/shaken.)
At bs4 it will probably hit something.
They will punk Canopthic wraiths all day and other T4 multi wounds.
The small blasts can be nice against deep striking units.
They dont appear as threatening.
Its a near guaranteed 1 dead marine per turn. so its paid for it self.

Flakk is terrabad though :/

Ironically, I think the flak ammo is the best ammo they have, since most flyers are AV 11. Only the helldrake is truly not threatened by flak ammo. But there is no way I'm paying for it.

And MLs quit being cheap. Lascannons don't cost much more and are so much better.

Its also harder to get your hands on them IRL wise.
compared to how available ML are.

Are lascannon devs out of production?

Martel732 wrote:
Are lascannon devs out of production?

Na just 1 per box and generally fetch a high price on the bits market.

Obviously if you can afford 4 boxes to make 1 squad then you wont have any issues at all.

Interestingly, I have like 8 lascannon devs that never get used anymore. The heavy slot is really the Stormraven and fast tri-las pred slot for BA.

Oh Snap i was wrong its 2 las cannons and 2 heavy bolters
Well ether way its a lot easier to get missile lauchers for those that dont have thaaaat much disposable income.

Yes, RL limitations are a very serious consideration.

Martel732 wrote:
Yes, RL limitations are a very serious consideration.

im not sure if this is sarcasm.

It's not. Lacking $$ has prevented many builds in my play group.

On the flip side, we’ve been getting a free ML with every tactical box since the dawn of time. I’ve got a couple sitting unbuilt in my bits box, and still the ML marines outnumber the other heavy weapons by a large margin on the shelf.

Flack misiles are not only comically overpriced, but kind of meh for what they do. The only time it’s worth it to even think about them is is you have a dedicated AA unit. So a full Dev squad of them, or with a 5 man stick of troops manning the quad gun. Tossing one up into the air is not a terribly effective way to bring down a flyer. If you hit, you probably have a 4+ at best to take a HP off, assuming no jinking or other shenanigans. AP4 is not doing you any favors on the damage table is you do get a pen, and probably bouncing off of any FMCs in the sky.

I regret every frag missile I send downrange. Even if I do get a tight cluster of targets (which good players tend not to offer) I scatter. Or they make all their saves. So I tend to view MLs only for their krack missiles. When the price gap between MLs and LCs was larger, I could forgive the lesser effectiveness. But now that the price is closer, and the AP2 of the LC is more relevant, I find it hard to justify the ML in my list. I still usually field one in a tac squad for reasons of pure tradition, but would not recommend them as heavily as I used to.

Only one missile, 2 laser,2 bolter, 2 plasma.
Well that was what I remember off my kit

Frag missiles have been worthless going back to 2nd ed.

 jhe90 wrote:
Only one missile, 2 laser,2 bolter, 2 plasma.
Well that was what I remember off my kit

Forgot the MM.

And the bits to make a sarge, for what they are worth. The kit also comes with 6 legs (5 standing, 1 kneeling) so if you can grab a spare torso from your bits box, it’s easy to get a 6th marine from the box.

 Nevelon wrote:

 jhe90 wrote:
Only one missile, 2 laser,2 bolter, 2 plasma.
Well that was what I remember off my kit

Forgot the MM.

And the bits to make a sarge, for what they are worth. The kit also comes with 6 legs (5 standing, 1 kneeling) so if you can grab a spare torso from your bits box, it’s easy to get a 6th marine from the box.

IIRC its the only kit that has boltguns that dont have hands on them already which is nice.

Then the final option is to just get FW ones. those looks awesome too though the backpack gets super wonky on the las cannons.

For Space Marines in general I like Plasma-Cannons and as long as you are willing to take the risk and understand the weaknesses they are a good TAC Choice.
Pros: 36", S7, AP2. They work on most things out there from MCs, Lighter Vehicles, and Infantry
Cons: No Snap Fire, Gets Hot and AV13/14
On Gets Hot: This can be mitigated by a Divination Librarian or taking a Fortification with an Ammo Dump. Or like me just not worry about it.

You I di not list the fact that it is Blast Weapon: With 4 Blast you should hit your target at least once or twice with an average 3" Scatter, this is what makes it good for Anti-Infantry, Vehicles and Large MCs.
Infantry: Even if they are scattered out at 2" you will still probably hit two [Twice an many as a Las-Cannon or Krak-Missile]. If you are firing at large mobs like Nids, Guard Blobs or Orks, you will hit something if you just place it in the center.
>As a "Sniper Weapon": You want that Character/Weapon taken out focus all four shots in it and the chance is one or two will hit it.
Vehicles: If you focus on AV10/11/12 You can inflict a lot of Glances and have a chance of a Very good Pen, especially vs open Top. Also with their Large "Foot Print" Most should impact or at lest clip it.
MCs With its S7 it can wound most things easily and even larger ones it can threaten to Wounds. The AP2 will then force them to make their Invulnerable Save.