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As the title suggests, I'm attempting to develop a Marine list to beat all comers at a local tournament. The first tournament in the series is 1500 points, so that's my build limit. I have no knowledge of the local metagame, which makes this slightly difficult, but I've done a lot of thinking on it and came up with the following list:

HQ: Terminator Librarian with Storm Shield. Likely to carry the Gate and Vortex powers.
T: Tactical 10 man with Flamer, Missile Launcher, HB Razorback
T: Tactical 10 man with Flamer, Missile Launcher, HB Razorback
T: Tactical 10 man with Flamer, Plasma Cannon
FA: Assault Squad 10 man with Power Fist Sergeant, No Jump Packs, Free Rhino
FA: Attack Bike (single) with Multi-Melta
HS: Land Raider (std. pattern)
HS: Land Raider (std. pattern)

It's designed to be a counts as Marine list designed around Space Wolves, thus the Assault squad dumped its jump packs to pretend to be Blood Claws. I feel like it has some decently fluid tactics, for example: against killy CC armies, I can avoid combat squadding, sit back, and shoot using the razorbacks as fire support instead of transport. Then around turn 4 or so, I can hop any survivng squads into what survivng transports they'll fit into and haul ass for an objective. Meanwhile, the Libby can yank squads out of CC if they survive long enough, letting me dump more fire into those targets. Or, against shooty armies, I can combat squad up the two tacticals with transports and drive for their line with the Land Raiders carrying the foot slogger squad and the Assault Squad with Libby.

I'm now considering this list tho.

HQ: Terminator Librarian with Storm Shield
T: Tactical 10 man with Flamer, Missile, Power Fist Serg, HB Razorback
T: Tactical 10 man with Flamer, Missile, HB Razorback
T: Tactical 10 man with Flamer, Missile
E: Assault Terminator 5 man
FA: Attack Bike with Heavy Bolter
HS: Land Raider
HS: Land Raider Redeemer with pintle MM

It would give me more CC counter punch.

Thoughts?

Since you don't know the local Metagame I would go with the first list as it has something to answer close combat threats. While the Assault squad might not be Chaplin led for maximum efficiency they will still do the job so long as you use them carefully and don't move them without support.

It really is a hard call because of the unknown metagame

I know I wish I knew more about the folks that show up to the tourneys around here. Sadly, I've been taking a break from 40k for the last year and a half.

So the first list is preferred due to its CC element. Speaking of that element, do you think I should run Assault Marines or Assault Terminators? The former lasts longer in CC and has more wounds (and attacks to force combat resolution wounds) but the latter has more powered, high strength attacks with superior saves across the board (Looking at TH+SS termies for their 3+i svs)

If I do switch to A Terms, should I consider a Redeemer with MM? I worry about its short range.

I would run the second because, assult marines currently suck do to the fact that the metagame changed with 5th ed. and assult marines are now a sub par assult unit. Unless their BA assult marines.

If you don't know the local meta builds you can always go with the national meta builds to play the math hammer analysis. While nob bikers are really rough I don't think you will see that many of those if any. Or hordes and lash spam seem to be par for the course. If your army is very shooty and has some mech element I think you could give ork hordes a game. Lash spam is going to be tough if you have a significant portion of your army that sets up with infantry unprotected from lash. The librarian has the hood and if he is deployed to keep the rest of your infantry within his sphere of influence that will provide some counter to lash.

I like the assault Marines in a transport since they are protected by the armor and are a good counter assault unit. The termies are good too and you could keep them inside a LR.

Probably if you ask around you can find out what type armies are having the most success in your area.

G

yermom wrote:... the metagame changed with 5th ed...

In which way? I recognize the reliance on movement and troops in 5th, but weakening assault marines? What'd I miss?

I don't think I'll be too worried about Lash. Psychic Hood to protect my foot slogger firebase marines and everything else has a transport. I worry that I don't have enough shots/turn to take care of horde anything, and Biker nobs are rough without a Redeemer.

Hmm. Maybe I'll grab that Melta Redeemer after all.

That's an ambitious issue.
I'd include a large Terminator squad, either shooty with two cyclones or geared towards cc with 10 thunder hammers.

Meta game update
Caught some guys playing in the store. Multiple eldar, chaos and marines. One oddball Daemonhunter. Small sample size, but better than no info at all. Metropolitan area so players are likely to come out of the woodwork. Any other recommendations?