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Played WFB for a bit now, going to try my hand at 40k since local store and friends is mostly a 40k crowd. Average point value is 1500 pts in these parts so looking for a list that is 1500 but maybe some pointers to expand to 1750-2000 in the future. Basically what I am looking for is a list that is able to be fairly competitive (not OP tier 1 I just don't want to get cheesed every game cause my army is bad in general), is not a huge $$$$, and doesn't require a lot of tactical prowess with the 40k rules since I am new. Example was I ran a mounted WoC list in WFB before expanding out to block infantry and eventually to HE and Brets.

I am torn between SM and IG at the moment. I like both of their fluff, the models, and both are capable of winning a game. I had a good decision maker for SM in the form of an ebay auction for 2 battleforce + 1 megaforce for 230...but damn 3G let me down and I missed bid by 10 sec ><. So back to still deciding. I am interested in Dark Angels, Blood Angels, and reg SM (prob do salamanders) but only the Cadian IG (maybe a few forgeworld Death Korps models for weapons teams or Vet squad). I also wanted to avoid stacking the same army at our store, but it appears there is only 1 SM player and 1 IG player at the moment...so that doesn't help me. I am assuming it is cheaper to build space marines because of their lower model count and the black reach starter saving money on both models and the rule book (not to mention the tactical squads on ebay for $10-15 being parted out of it). So with $$ in mind I am leaning just a tad toward SM.

In terms of play style, I have a small fear that SM maybe too straightforward, though I am sure there are ways to run creative and unique lists. This is where I begin to lean back to IG who seem to have a huge array of options between troops and vehicles to customize an army with. That being said just glancing at the IG armory list and all the variations made my head spin....along with the order and chain of command system I worry will give me problems early on as I am trying to learn not only the general 40k ins and outs but how to use all of the IG special rules.

Anyway, thanks in advance for the lists, pointers, and any arguments as to which army you would suggest.

If you are just starting 40k i would recommend SM, they are a bit simpler to manage and the AoBR set is a hell of a buy, just in SM alone you make it worth it. trade the orks to someone else for more SM and there you go. there are creative ways to make SM even vanalilla wise.

Once you get Started with SM and get a good feel for the game, you can expand into IG. what i like about IG is the amount of ways you can make them. foot slogging infantry, lots of tanks (like holy damn amounts). mechvets. air calvery. IG can basically fit any tactic and style you wanna play

The IG is more complicated definately.

Space Marines are a general "noob" army since most people play space marines or their equivalent. But they're really fun and strong as heck as well.

IG armys are pretty easy to make one dimensional. and you'll probably lose big or win big. Space Marines are a little bit more of an all-comers list. Or easier to make that way.


It just comes down to "Do you want to buy and paint loads of infantry and tanks, or buy and paint a handful of super human soldiers and their tricked out rides?"

Are you the Hammer of the Emperor, or the Spear?

you had me at a handful of super human soldiers and their tricked out rides lol.

But yeah some offers I have for my fantasy stuff are making me lean to SM, plus comments have both been helpful. Also have an ork player I might be able to get some trading done with also.

So settling on SM, should I stick to vanilla SM or look into Angels or Wolves? From what I hear angels are very melee oriented which might not be as noob friendly as I want.

Also any list ideas? So I can start deciding what to trade/buy for.


Thanks!

Well, coming from someone whose group of friends started collecting 40k basically from the Assault on the Black Reach and worked from there...

Space Marines are one helluva fun army to both collect, paint and play. I play Eldar myself, but vanilla SM(or Ultramarines, instead of other chapters) would probably be my second choice. They're dynamic, flexible and user-friendly. That said, AotBR is pretty meh when it comes to options on how to build your army. My friend that played Marines who bought the set only ever uses Tactical squads from it, and that's with the weapon options from separate buys.

But personally, I'd still buy the Black Reach box and decide after which SM army to collect, because I think everything SM in that box is usable in all SM codexes, as tact squads/terminators/dreadnoughts are universal to all armies.

Read through the different codexes, decide which army type you like best(foot/mech/drop pod/etc) and work on your list based on that. I'm pretty new myself, so I wish I had more to tell you, but I hope you find your place in the 40k universe and have lots of fun collecting, painting and playing your mini-soldiers of the Imperium, whichever army they belong too.

BA are very noob friendly

you can pretty much give your entire infantry army FNP!

But I would go vanilla. Great customization (even without chapter traits)

yeah so definitely deciding on SM, and I think I will start vanilla though I am looking to branch to SW since I might be getting some models.

Can I get some 1500 pt lists now that would suite a new players ability, but still be capable of producing a win? Obviously I am not completely new to tabletop so I can deal with have to use some tactics, just trying to get a feel of the exact SM units to buy now.

Definitely going to get a AoBR or at least the marines out of it + book. So expanding on that what would I need?

mch21689 wrote:yeah so definitely deciding on SM, and I think I will start vanilla though I am looking to branch to SW since I might be getting some models.

Can I get some 1500 pt lists now that would suite a new players ability, but still be capable of producing a win? Obviously I am not completely new to tabletop so I can deal with have to use some tactics, just trying to get a feel of the exact SM units to buy now.

Definitely going to get a AoBR or at least the marines out of it + book. So expanding on that what would I need?

Well I'm not too tactically sound but heres a 1500 semi Gunline List. More whimsicle though with 3 Thunder Fires but you'll have plenty of buffed cover for your troops. Combat squad tacs and make them aim for objectives with the lascannon guy in the back (you could swap him out for missile launcher/whatever I suppose). Bikes rush around aiming for their preference (HB on troops, MM on tanks). Everyone else is on gunline duty. Might have some issues with lots of deep strikers though

155-Master of the Forge: Conversion Beamer, Bike
125-Dreadnought: 2 Twinlinked Autocannons
145-Dreadnought: Twinlinked Lascannon, Missile Launcher
190-Tactical Squad (10): Sergeant Combi Plasma, Flamer, Lascannon
75-Razorback: Twinlinked Lascannon
190-Tactical Squad (10): Sergeant Combi Plasma, Flamer, Lascannon
75-Razorback: Twinlinked Lascannon
150-Scout Squad (10): Sniper Rifles, Heavy Bolter
50-Attack Bike Squad (1): Multi Melta
40-Attack Bike Squad (1)
100-Thunderfire Cannon
100-Thunderfire Cannon
100-Thunderfire Cannon

1495

kenshin620 wrote:

mch21689 wrote:yeah so definitely deciding on SM, and I think I will start vanilla though I am looking to branch to SW since I might be getting some models.

Can I get some 1500 pt lists now that would suite a new players ability, but still be capable of producing a win? Obviously I am not completely new to tabletop so I can deal with have to use some tactics, just trying to get a feel of the exact SM units to buy now.

Definitely going to get a AoBR or at least the marines out of it + book. So expanding on that what would I need?

Well I'm not too tactically sound but heres a 1500 semi Gunline List. More whimsicle though with 3 Thunder Fires but you'll have plenty of buffed cover for your troops. Combat squad tacs and make them aim for objectives with the lascannon guy in the back (you could swap him out for missile launcher/whatever I suppose). Bikes rush around aiming for their preference (HB on troops, MM on tanks). Everyone else is on gunline duty. Might have some issues with lots of deep strikers though

155-Master of the Forge: Conversion Beamer, Bike
125-Dreadnought: 2 Twinlinked Autocannons
145-Dreadnought: Twinlinked Lascannon, Missile Launcher
190-Tactical Squad (10): Sergeant Combi Plasma, Flamer, Lascannon
75-Razorback: Twinlinked Lascannon
190-Tactical Squad (10): Sergeant Combi Plasma, Flamer, Lascannon
75-Razorback: Twinlinked Lascannon
150-Scout Squad (10): Sniper Rifles, Heavy Bolter
50-Attack Bike Squad (1): Multi Melta
40-Attack Bike Squad (1)
100-Thunderfire Cannon
100-Thunderfire Cannon
100-Thunderfire Cannon

1495

Awesome start, thanks. Glad my initial thoughts of the razorbacks was true so definitely will get some of them, and tact squads are a gimme I assume. Only concern is the Thunderfires, are they really good? Trying to avoid costly metal models / having to paint metal if I can is only reason I ask. Anyway to replace them with different arty or shock troops?

mch21689 wrote:

kenshin620 wrote:

mch21689 wrote:yeah so definitely deciding on SM, and I think I will start vanilla though I am looking to branch to SW since I might be getting some models.

Can I get some 1500 pt lists now that would suite a new players ability, but still be capable of producing a win? Obviously I am not completely new to tabletop so I can deal with have to use some tactics, just trying to get a feel of the exact SM units to buy now.

Definitely going to get a AoBR or at least the marines out of it + book. So expanding on that what would I need?

Well I'm not too tactically sound but heres a 1500 semi Gunline List. More whimsicle though with 3 Thunder Fires but you'll have plenty of buffed cover for your troops. Combat squad tacs and make them aim for objectives with the lascannon guy in the back (you could swap him out for missile launcher/whatever I suppose). Bikes rush around aiming for their preference (HB on troops, MM on tanks). Everyone else is on gunline duty. Might have some issues with lots of deep strikers though

155-Master of the Forge: Conversion Beamer, Bike
125-Dreadnought: 2 Twinlinked Autocannons
145-Dreadnought: Twinlinked Lascannon, Missile Launcher
190-Tactical Squad (10): Sergeant Combi Plasma, Flamer, Lascannon
75-Razorback: Twinlinked Lascannon
190-Tactical Squad (10): Sergeant Combi Plasma, Flamer, Lascannon
75-Razorback: Twinlinked Lascannon
150-Scout Squad (10): Sniper Rifles, Heavy Bolter
50-Attack Bike Squad (1): Multi Melta
40-Attack Bike Squad (1)
100-Thunderfire Cannon
100-Thunderfire Cannon
100-Thunderfire Cannon

1495

Awesome start, thanks. Glad my initial thoughts of the razorbacks was true so definitely will get some of them, and tact squads are a gimme I assume. Only concern is the Thunderfires, are they really good? Trying to avoid costly metal models / having to paint metal if I can is only reason I ask. Anyway to replace them with different arty or shock troops?

Nah not really. I just said this list was more whimsical. (still you do get to buff some terrain with them.

Probably swap 3 of them out for 2 vindis or something. Maybe a whirlwind and some more attack bikes (or some more scouts)

Got enough lists yet?

Its all personal preference whether or not you want to field different chapters. The Space Wolves and the Blood Angels are very versatile and massively Overpowered in some aspects (I believe)

Space Wolves are really tough and full of great special rules. The Blood Angels can field more tanks than any other SM or their equivalent, and all their tanks have the "fast" special rule.

Vanilla normal marines are just good form. They have loads of options and one thick codex that's full of fun good fluff and wargear options.

I'm thinking up a 1500 list, lemme know if you want more potential lists and perhaps what type of army you want to use. (special types, fast attacking, ranged gunline, melee oriented, full of transports/tanks, drop poding)

A0s Space Marines I would stick primarily to one battle tactic since all your squads are a little expensive, and it's be lame to have a "sitting duck" type of squad that doesn't fit in.

Good luck!!!

Thanks koski, still looking for lists. Leaning toward a Tact Squad + Razorback list, just not sure what to take as HQ and as elite/hvy support. Thinking maybe some whirlwind/vinds and a dread or two?

Thought about what you said and tossed up a Codex:Space Marine list for you to enjoy.

HQ:
Master of the forge w/ Space Marine Bike
:1xx points

TRP:
x5 Tacticals, Razorback + TL Lascannon
x5 Tacticals, Razorback + TL Lascannon
x10 Tacticals, Meltagun, Meltabombs, Plasma Cannon, Rhino
x10 Tacticals, Flamer, ML, Rhino
x5 Scouts, Camo Cloaks, Sniper Rifles
:845

ELT:
Ironclad Dreadnought w/ Hurricane Bolters, Drop Pod
Dreadnought w/ MM and DCCW + HF, Drop Pod
:320

HVY:
Dreadnought w/ Plasma Cannon and DCCW
Predator w/ SS Heavy Bolters
:200

TOTAL: 1500 pts


I thought about it for a long time, and the only reasonable way to field Razorbacks w/ Vanilla Marines seemed to take enough AV saturation to make your opponent have to shoot something else. Two drop podding Dreadnoughts always ruins battleplans from time to time.

You still have an elite choice open, a heavy choice open, one troop choice open, and one HQ open

The scout squad is only there to be annoying as hell considering you can bolster defense anywhere in your deployment zone, and toss them there to be a very survivable unit sometimes.

Well overall this list sports 5 rhino chassis vehicles, 3 walkers, a T5 2+ armor save HQ, and 5 troop squads. Not that bad of a list number wise.

Hope you enjoy it and find some sort of inspiration haha.