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Okay, I just bought two Space Marine Battle Barges. I want to build a 1500 point fleet, so after the cost of the BBs and a Master of the Fleet, I have 600 points left to play with. Here are some options I'm toying with:

1) 3 SM Strike Cruisers and some rerolls

2) 2 SM Strike Cruisers and 4 Nova Frigates (because of their lance weapons) and rerolls

3) 8 Nova Frigates and spend the rest on Terminator attack and rerolls

4) 4 SM Strike Cruisers

5) 12 escorts (Nova, Gladius, Hunter, or a mixture)

What is the best option to expand my fleet?

Depends on what fleet list you are using...if you are using the Codex Astartes list, you can only field 1 BB in a 1500 pt game.

That being said, I'd say option 2.

Take the strike cruisers exclusively. SM pay for their 6+ armour, you pay more and get less turrets and shields incompensation. So you muyst exploit rthat ansd make sure your enemy has to use lances or roll 6's. If you take escorts you dilute this benefit and give enemy weapons batteries something to aim at.

Furthermore you dont need the firepower of ecorts, bombarment cannon are as good as lances, you dont need the mobility of escorts, strike cruisers are agile.

Field_Mouse wrote:Depends on what fleet list you are using...if you are using the Codex Astartes list, you can only field 1 BB in a 1500 pt game.

Actually, for the Codex Astartes list it says, "You may include one Space Marine battle barge for every 1,000 points or part thereof in your fleet", so two BBs would be legal as soon as you're over a 1000 points.

DeathwingCrusader wrote:

Field_Mouse wrote:Depends on what fleet list you are using...if you are using the Codex Astartes list, you can only field 1 BB in a 1500 pt game.

Actually, for the Codex Astartes list it says, "You may include one Space Marine battle barge for every 1,000 points or part thereof in your fleet", so two BBs would be legal as soon as you're over a 1000 points.

QFT. You might be getting this confused with the rules for the Eldar Void Stalker; there, you do have to have a full 2,000 points to bring two of them.

Anyway, back to the OP; If it were me, I would go for the SC's if I were trying to keep the whole fleet SM only. Squadroned in pairs, they can be pretty effective, especially since their T-hawks will go a long way towards helping you win the ordnance war. If you do get escorts, I think the Gladius is probably the best of the lot to take. They are basically a faster Sword, although they do pay for that ability.

One other option to consider is to use the Armageddon list and bring along some IN cruisers; 600 points could buy you 3 easily. There are pluses and minuses to this; on the one hand, IN cruisers are a bit more durable than the strike cruisers are, despite not having all-around 6+ armor (their extra shield and hit points make up for that). They can also give you access to weapons a SM player doesn't ordinarily have, like Nova Cannons, bombers, and lances. On the other hand, their leadership will be poorer, and since they are a softer target than the battle barges they will be in the enemy's cross-hairs from the start of the game (SCs have the same problem, actually). It depends what you would like in your fleet, I suppose. One other problem with the Armageddon list to consider is that you will probably not be able to fit 2 battle barges into 1,500 points as you need to have 3 cruisers per battleship; since you have those models already, I can see how this would be unattractive.

Powergamers will go for 2 Barges and escorts (Hunters, Firestorm RSV's).

Fluffy gamers will go for a 3/3/3 approach meaning that points are divided by 3. For 1500 thus having 3 times 500. One slot for a battleship, the other for Strike Cruisers, the last for escorts.

DeathwingCrusader wrote:

Field_Mouse wrote:Depends on what fleet list you are using...if you are using the Codex Astartes list, you can only field 1 BB in a 1500 pt game.

Actually, for the Codex Astartes list it says, "You may include one Space Marine battle barge for every 1,000 points or part thereof in your fleet", so two BBs would be legal as soon as you're over a 1000 points.

Ah my mistake...read that wrong. LOL.

Thanks for everyone's input. I think I'm going to go with option #4 - the four Strike Cruisers.

I think it will look good fleetwise - two Battle Barges and four Strike Cruisers - and give me good ordnance options, great firepower, and great defence.

Great firepower? Well it ain't bad but do not rely on it with Marines. Make use of thunderhawks, teleporting and boarding as that is the strenght of Marines.

Battle Barges are great ships. If you want them try an Ultramar fleet. Ultramarines have a flagship which IIRC for 50pts extra replaces the broadside with lances, it now costs just shy of a tombship but is really brutal. It also makes for a modelling opprtunity and a change in your fleet if you have two Battle Barges.

That's only in the unofficial SM fleets supplement though, right? Not usable in any event that only uses "official" lists, correct?

THAT BARGE THE SEDITIO OPRIMERE IS HERESY!

Unofficial, bad, does not fit is description (batteries is better then lances vs Nids).

This ship is exterminated at any sight.

Strike cruisers, strike cruisers, strike cruisers. These things should form the backbone of your marine fleet. And if you want something more, then battle barge! So yeah... go for the cruisers

Not really. Strike Cruisers are easily surpressed and destroyed.

FAQ2010 makes them a tad batter due simultaneous shooting from bombardment cannons and weapon batteries.


But do not download the draft for Space Marines at yahoo or specialist games (forum) by the HA.... just don't...