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Hey all. I've got a bit of a dilemma concering the expansion of my existing 1000 point Marines force. It works pretty well as a 1000 point army, but my friends and I (who are all new to the game) are starting to get itchy about playing at 1500.

As is, the force is a gunline army with lots of AP. The Master deploys with the plasma cannoners and offers a nice counter-charge. The terminators deepstrike, acting as a tarpit mid game or as an unexpected means of flushing out enemy armor. Everything else attempts to control the board with firing lanes.



Ultramarines Heavy Weapons Detachment (996/1000)

HQ
10th Captain Peyton - 138
Master with Power Weapon, Bolt Pistol, Iron Halo, Terminator Honors, Auspex, Teleport Homer

ELITES
Terminator Squad Duro - 240
1 Terminator Sergeant with Power Weapon and Storm Bolter
2 Terminators with Power Fist and Storm Bolter
2 Terminators with Assault Cannons

TROOPS
Tactical Squad Thera - 115
1 Sergeant with Bolt Pistol and Chainsword
3 Tactical Marines with Bolters
1 Tactical Marine with Plasma Gun
1 Tactical Marine with Lascannon

Scout Squad Stygius - 108
1 Scout Sergeant with Bolt Pistol and Close Combat Weapon
4 Scouts with Sniper Rifles
1 Scout with Missile Launcher

HEAVY SUPPORT
Devastator Squad Samos - 200
1 Sergeant with Bolt Pistol and Chainsword
4 Devastators with Missile Launchers
3 Devastator Marines with Bolter

Devastator Squad Amorgos - 195
1 Devastator Sergeant with Bolter
3 Devastator Marines with Plasma Cannons
2 Devastator Marines with Bolter


...and my best paint job so far...

Ok, so that's it, give or take, at 1k. To get to 1500, I've got a couple ideas...

Deathwatch Kill Team – 192
1 Deathwatch Captain with Bolter, Power Weapon, Close Combat Shield, Inferno Bolts
2 Deathwatch Marines with Bolters and Inferno Bolts
2 Deathwatch Marines with Plasma Guns

They deepstrike, they've got plasma, and they'd be a nice color break away from smurf blue. Plus their special ammo is a real boost against MEQs.

Tyranid Veteran Squad – 166
1 Veteran Sergeant with Power Fist and bolt pistol
6 Veterans with Bolter
1 Veteran with Heavy Bolter

A dedicated counter-charge unit that gets to taunt my opponent with specialized heavy weaponry. Also, given that one of my opponents loves his Tomb Spyders, the special rule Tyranid Veterans get when fighting monstrous creatures could be pretty funny, if not necessarily the most useful...

Dreadnaught – 140
Extra Armor, arrives in Drop Pod

Great against everything my opponents play (Orks, Chaos, Necrons). I've yet to field him in a game where he wasn't very useful. Of course, this is actually the most work intensive addition, as I'd need to scratch build a drop pod for him...

One or the other of these builds, involving the dreaded Epistolary Librarian of doom... The second build was suggested to me by another poster, while the first I found online somewhere... Either way, this would be a challenging unit to build and model.

Epistolary Librarian
-[Space Marine Bike]
-[Artificer Armour]
-[Iron Halo]
-[Terminator Honors]
-[Plasma Pistol]
-[Frag Grenades]
-Power: Veil of Time
Cost: 251 Points

Epistolary w/
Space Marine Bike
Admantine Mantle
Familiar
Terminator Honors
Bolt Pistol (or Thunder Hammer; See below)
Frag Grenades
Veil of Time (replaces SotEW for the cheaper price)
Might of Heroes (paid for at the second, Epistolary, price)

Your basic "AAAUGH! RUN! IT'S THE MONOLITH ON A BIKE!" unit.

Inquisitor Lord w/Carapace Armor, Plasma Pistol, Power Weapon
2x Acolyte w/Carapace Armor
3x Heavy Bolter Servitors
2x Chiurgeons

1x Callidus Assassin

Based off the Witch Hunter tactica from Bell of Lost Souls, this retinue costs about 200 points not including assassin. I like the idea of its being very difficult to kill, along with providing dedicated anti-light infantry. The Callidus assassin would also help me ensure that no obnoxious assault oriented units (flayed ones, chaos raptors, etc.) got to hide out in cover.


All right guys, I realize that's a long post, but I'm honestly stumped! Thanks in advance for your help!

(Oh and my eventual goal for the army is 2000 points, but I'd like to try to field a list at 1500 that works pretty well, too!)

All in all your current setup looks nice, but i suggest you take the Missile Laucnchers in your first Devastator Squad and replace them with Las. You've only got one so far and if you end up taking on someone with AV 14 vehicles, your Launchers will have a hard time knocking them out, needing a 6 while a Las only needs a 12. Also, you've got too few men. Any 'nid, ork or guard army will just swamp you. Suggest you get rid of your terminator squad and swap it in for two full sized tac squads in rhinos. Your future plans are an idea, but you critically lack really hard targets. A Predator annihalator with las sponsons costs the same as the dreadnought and will draw and take a lot more fire. The librarian is also a good idea but on a bike instead of hiding in a squad he'll be blown to smithereens in the first turn he's in range. Everyone is afraid of librarians so hiding them in a squad or letting them run around behind your main line until you get into the thick of it might be a better idea

Sorry, the las needs a four ^^ It has the lance rule. My bad

Nice paint job btw

Btw the plasma cannons are too unreliable as AP. You might wanna switch them for HB's and make that squad an AI squad instead. Besides, they can't kill off an AV 14 tank, which if you are against Guard or even necrons will not be a rare occurence