Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Howdy:

Finally got a PC (was a die-hard Mac user for years) and got every itteration of Dawn of War and I'm totally hooked. I was never a big 40K player, but the scale (and price-point of Epic) really intrigues me.

That said, I decided to start my forray into Epic with Space Marines. I haven't scoured every inch of the intertubes yet, but I'm having a hard time finding info on what to do/not to do bar some bare-bones info on BoLS. Here's some questions:

- Are there any big no-no's when playing Space Marines? Is anything either really OMGBBQ! broken or a really bad idea for a beginner?

- How viable is an Assualt Marine heavy force?


Lastly, any Epic players in MA/RI out there wanna show me the ropes?

Cheers!

- McNs

I think you can get the rules still from the Games Workshop site under Epic Resources. Then if you watch on Ebay and other sites you can pick up a good deal once in a while on figures, armor, etc.

The biggest problem with Epic is finding people to play it with you. I'd love to have an epic force and the rules seem head and shoulders above 40k, but I simply don't have anyone to play with.

The trick is buying two Epic forces so that you can play with people without the expectation that they'll have to buy in before playing with you. After the first game they'll buy their own anyways.

Marines. They really need to have a heavy drop capacity to be efficacious. I'd proffer landers/hawks are better than pods as its a big board and you can get dragged around easily, plus the lander adds better in a firefight or can do runs before/after.

Mech marines don't seem to last as well without that component. Infantry heavy without drop capacity? No, just no. Artillery will eat them alive and eldar will play a tune on their skulls.

I find marines quite tricky to use in Epic, but they are more marine like than in 40k. Forming a battle line is a a no no, they will get shot to death. Where marines do well is in assault, so base the core of your marine force around Thunderhawks that will air assault and disgorge assault marines and devies. I've done okay with infantry formations that are heavy on the razorbacks as support, but rhino marines are a no no. I'm a big fan of the Reaver Titan in a marine list, as it gives you some well needed AT shots, but you don't need one, and most other players seem to prefer Warhounds. Whirlwinds are also pretty useful for softening something up before you pounce on it.

All my epic came from ebay. I think I've spent around £30 on my marine army, maybe less, and I have far more than I will ever use.

If you can put two armies together to demo it, people looking for a good wargame will play it. Most 40k players aren't looking for a wargame though.

torgoch wrote:
If you can put two armies together to demo it, people looking for a good wargame will play it. Most 40k players aren't looking for a wargame though.

QFT.

If you put together an Eldar or Ork army (also cheap on ebay),and show your friends how to play, I guarantee one of them will buy it off you.

I find marines quite tricky to use in Epic

torgoch wrote:All my epic came from ebay. I think I've spent around £30 on my marine army, maybe less, and I have far more than I will ever use.

Oh how I wish that were the case for my poor LatD. Daemon Engines are expensive.

I'm glad I don't have to worry about a group, either, there's a growing group at my FLGS.

(2nd Edition/NetEpic 5) Marines seem to lack in long ranged weaponary (75cm max range compared with other races who have 100cm max range), other than that, close the distance by 25cm and your in!

Sent you a PM McNs, I'm in Worcester if you're ever interested in a game.

Yeah finding Epic players can be a big struggle.

Valk

Valk, try posting on http://www.tacticalwargames.net/taccmd/index.php

There's a lot of players in England, there might be a couple near you.

I would suggest for army lists checking out the tourny records on the Epic UK site.
http://epic-uk.co.uk/ukepicachampionship/pax.php?pid=3&tid=30
This gives a lot of army lists from past Space Marine winners of tournaments.

Also tac coms has a lot of space marine strategic advice.
http://www.taccmd.tacticalwargames.net/viewtopic.php?f=95&t=18723

Good topic, my group... 3 (4 of us if we are lucky) have just started into Epic and shortly we will have 2 Marine armies, IG, Orks and Chaos.

In just looking at the list I see marines as being the hardest to use. It seems like even with the ATSKNF rule it is pretty easy to break formations and artillery is their worst nightmare. For what it is worth, Chaos looks even more specialized as they do no benefit from that rule and they are more expensive.