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With the rampant usage of Mech these days, I wanted to try something different.

No AV in the army (no droppods, no battle taxis, no dreads even).

So far I'm up to 5 full tac squads
#1) serg w pwr fist, meltagun, HB
#2) serg w pwr fist, meltagun, HB
#3) serg w pwr fist, Plasmagun, Plasma cannon
#4) serg w pwr fist, Plasmagun, Plasma cannon
#5) serg w pwr fist, flamer, missle launcher

In addition, there is also a 10 man assault squad (serg w lgt claws, 2 flamers), a 5 Termie squad (with 2 cyclones.....dang codex shift), and a 5 man Deathwatch team (serg w PF again, fielded as Sternguard)

I'm fine for command (Multiple captains and libbys).

I was thinking best purchase would be AoBR for the other 5 termies and 6th tac squad.

Does anyone think that a flood of Marines on the model count would work?

And if it is fun to play, what marine force in the fiction would field a force like this?

Khan might be fun to make them *all* outflank.....after all, isn't their an old belief about Quantity being a Quality of it's own?

Well. I say no. As it would be better to get the Battle force... Because now the black reach costs 90$ dollars. I do not want to buy it right now kinda expensive. I would really suggest buying a battleforce as it will give you more.
And your not the only one who has gone all marines.
I have 350 marines.

If you going to try this your gunna need the ability to level the playing field and what I mean by that is you need to get you opponent footslogging also. So I would re-think your list in those terms. Those meltagun are not gunna be good enuff because no ones gunna get close enuff for you to use them.

I would say this would be fun to play probably, but it would run out quickly. An "SM flood" is definitely not what the SM are built for. They are more of an elite force using quality over quantity...

I think any force would be able to hold your marines back and pummel them with HS and then mop up with assault.

Also, if you are footslogging, the HS in those tactical squads are going to be close to useless, unless you are combat squading them out....

MadMaverick76 wrote:
Also, if you are footslogging, the HS in those tactical squads are going to be close to useless, unless you are combat squading them out....

Absolutely was planning on Combat Squading the weapons. Got more Hvy weapons not used yet, Lascannons mainly.

I guess what would help if is anyone has built 1500-1850 footslogging Marines unber the new 'dex and how did they do it.

Could be I just don't want to play the same way everyone else seems to be doing it (vrooom/crash from orbit.....get in your face.....assault for the rest of the game). I would love to show the other side of the Mech coin by not using any, and prove it a viable alternative.

I played against a list like this that was tac marines and dev squads with a single 2-model assault bike squad. No vehicles, everything combat squaded, filled his deployment zone and made it a little tough to tell what unit was what. He did pretty good, we tied on objectives (I played hybrid mech/jetbike eldar) and the list was pretty killy.

Playing the gunline with marines is possible as long as you have enough decent long-range heavy weapons that can immobilize transports and stun heavy guns. Having a MotF is nice for fortifying ruins to help with cover saves and adds another heavy weapon with the conversion beamer. You'll kill just about anything that gets within 12-18" from mass bolter fire, but you'll be effectively immobile and lose a lot of your ability to reach objectives upfield. It's a tradeoff that can be difficult to compensate for. My highly mobile eldar gave the guy a run for his money, but he was able to consistently get shots on my vehicles with his ML's, LC's, and PC's.

Used to play mine very similiar to this list, Librarian and a Jump pack armed captain to command then a single 10 man ass squad to counter attack/maul gun emplacements backed up by 40+ tactical marines... if i was feeling a little saucy i might throw in a dread or tech marine to taste.

It works, its ripped several mobile armies to pieces... sure they are a pain in the ass but marines are tough enough to take the charge and you'll have other squads to counter charge with... ok so tactical squads aren't zerkers or banshees but ten of them on the charge still hurts.

This list inst scaring any balanced list. Decent Gun lines are going to shoot you off the board any assault/hoard armies are going to mulch you. Marines have a lot of strengths but hoard troops aren't one of them. People don't load up on vehicles just for the armor value they also do it for stable weapons platforms which you lack the mobility which is far more important the other two things put together of which your army does not possess either.

Your in a loose loose situation with a hoard of tac squads. If you stay in 10 man units to take points its going to several turns before you do anything giving your opponent time to control the board and engage you on his terms. If you combat squad so you can actually use those heavy weapons your unsupported tac squads are even easier prey to you opponents main force and the heavy weapon guys are very vulnerable to deepstrikers and outflankers.

Vanilla marines properly built can be awesome because every unit can have a bag of tools to take on any enemy and every unit can work together or apart. You need to use your other FOC options to support your troops. Tac squads are decent for what they do which is hold objectives but they can only do that if they are supported with the rest of the codex because they have a lot of built in limitations that you are not addressing. There is a point where adding more tac squads actually makes you easier to beat.

This is one of my lists that I have been using lately:

1500 pts


HQ

Librarian 100 pts
Null Zone, Avenger,


ELITES

10 Terminators 470 pts
2 Cyclone MLs, 2 Chainfists

Rifleman Dreadnought 160 pts
TL Autocannon, TL Lascannon, extra armor


TROOPS

10 Tacs 190 pts
Plasma Cannon, Flamer, combi-flamer, Melta Bombs

10 Tacs 190 pts
Plasma Cannon, Flamer, combi-flamer, Melta Bombs

10 Tacs 190 pts
Plasma Cannon, Flamer, combi-flamer, Melta Bombs

10 Tacs 200 pts
Laser Cannon, Melta, combi-melta, Melta Bombs


It does well enough vs. most lists, but is hardly optimized. I use it to practice the basic tactics of movement, and fire. How to fight with limited mobility and basic units. Expanded Blackreach... I try to streach thier abilities to the max.

Basicly, I try to go 2nd and setup based on what my opponent did. It takes a different mind set to play this list vs. your usual mech list. Setup is critical, because you can't move fast. I try to overwhelm a section of line with full squads when assaulting, or combat squad in depth when defending. It does pretty well in objective missions, as it's hard to blow that much power armor away quickly. Kill point missions are the hardest. Without mobility, it's hard to get everything where it should be.

The Termies (and dread) pop vehicles, while the plasma cannons and flamers hit the passengers, (also works vs pods.) They are constant Star Players, firing every turn. They manuver to counter any super assaulty units, and usually survive enough to blunt the attack, if they don't win on thier own. On the attack, they support or lead the attack, popping vehicles if possible with cyclones and fist. They are 3 times harder to destroy as one large group vs two combat squadded ones. The dread works will in any configuration, usually I try to keep the points low on it.

I have been thinking of switching a Tac squad out for a Scout squad, and giving one of the Tac squads a Drop Pod to add some mobility and whatnot. Maybe adding Lysander...

Thanks for the suggestions so far.

I did find a Dreadnought and 3 rhino/razorbacks, but I think only the dread would fit theme-wise (legs and feet).

General consensus though: Which character would lead something like this? I'm leaning towards Khan still for the outflank, but Shrike for Fleet could be funny as well.

Tejinashi wrote:General consensus though: Which character would lead something like this? I'm leaning towards Khan still for the outflank, but Shrike for Fleet could be funny as well.

I generally like Pedro Kantor myself, but that is from an assault stand point.

Any character you use is going to make your list even weaker without combat tactics since space marines, sternguard vets, assault marines and shooty terminators are all horrid in assault. They need combat tactics to fall back and do what they're good at which is shoot. If you pick a CC monster your opponent is just going to avoid/tarpit you and you wont be able to catch them even if you outflank. Stubborn marines are dead marines in assault prey you never get assaulted by a dreadnought.

Personally, I like it. It probably won't win you a GT or anything, but it'll be fun to play.

One rthing I'd highly recommend you add is a Command Squad with a Company Banner. That 12" buble of Morale rerolls will be pure gold. Sure, Marines have decent Ld, but you will be testing a LOT with 5-man combat squads all over the board. The reroll helps you stay on-target. Even a single Marine can win you a game by claiming or contesting an objective.

The real hard thing to accomplish with this list will be a Seize Ground mission. Capture and Control isn't super hard for you, as you can concentrate on killing enemy Troops, and keeping yours alive.
Seize Ground gets more coimplicated, especially when you hit the 5 objective mark. You're going to have to advance to multiple objectives, and your defense will be split amongst more than one home field objective. Odd-numbered objectives become harder to take, because they may end up very far from your deployment zone, and you can only reliably cover 30" in a single game with a unit. Far less if you encounter terrain or melees.

A footslogging army with no armour in it at all..

madness.

but fun to try

1500 points gonna be tough.

Librarian
Epistolary
Combi-Plasma
Force Dome & Null Zone
160

Librarian
Epistolary
Combi-Plasma
Force Dome & Null Zone
160

ELITES

Sternguard (10 man)
x 2 Combi-Flamers
x 4 Combi-Meltas
280

Sternguard (10 man)
x 2 Combi-Flamers
x 4 Combi-Meltas
280

TROOPS

Tactical Squad (10 man)
Sergeant: Combi-Melta
Melta Bombs
Plasma Gun
Lascannon
205

Tactical Squad (10 man)
Sergeant: Combi-Melta
Melta Bombs
Plasma Gun
Lascannon
205

Tactical Squad (10 man)
Sergeant: Combi Melta
Melta Bombs
Plasma Gun
Lascannon
205

1495 points

Librarians either go with 2 tactical squads or (my preference) go with sternguard to give them 5+ Inv save and null zone.

Corennus wrote:A footslogging army with no armour in it at all..

madness.

but fun to try

That is one of the primary motivations actually -> the madness factor. I've never been one to play 'normal' armies. Heck, I was playing Shooty Nids in 3rd.

Been thinking though, going to continue on with White Minotaurs paint scheme, will try and post some pics at some point.

"That is one of the primary motivations actually -> the madness factor. I've never been one to play 'normal' armies. Heck, I was playing Shooty Nids in 3rd.

Been thinking though, going to continue on with White Minotaurs paint scheme, will try and post some pics at some point."

You aren't really breaking any molds on this one a hoard of power armor was something that used to be good but got nerfed for 5th ed. It might be fun but don't expect to win. I've been up lists like this before and it isn't fun to win just because your opponent has no ability to control the board whatsoever. Your like necrons with out we'll be back or a monolith.

I was going to say gunline Marines are not anything new or unique but I guess in the rhino lovefest of 5th edition, maybe they are.

A local player uses a list similar to what Corennus posted above with decent results. It really struggles with IG though.

So here's where I stand currently. Been thinking it over, might have to add tanks. <grumble>

Still not too enamered with DP's or Rhinos though. Would rather use LR's, as I am not using my Hvy Support anyway unless someone knows how to field 6 dread's in a Vanilla Marine list.

Still striving to be unusual in application of the army, I was wondering if anyone has tried the following -
Termies with dedicated Redeemer transport, add Khan, Outflank pile into enemy.

Would it work? I like the idea of making someone's eyes pop a little when they ask where the LR is deploying and you tell them it's outflanking.....

Well, a full infantry SM army can eventually tough to beat.
However, I wouldn't go overboard with the Tacticals,
three full Tacticals should suffice up to the 2000 pt level.
You can always combat squad them if necessary.
Then I'd add Termies to take on tougher units and Devs
with missile launchers vs tanks.

http://www.yesthetruthhurts.com/2009/12/critical-mass-ironclad.html this has a list in it for running 5 Ironclad dreadnoughts that looks pretty scary and includes no drop pods or rhinos but uses las/plas razorbacks and land speeder typhoons for support. Its not vehicleless but it is unorthodox and light on tanks (mostly walkers).

If you really don't want to run any vehicles at all using a captain on a bike with nothing but bikers, bike command squads and attack bikes is really the best way to run SM with no armor values and is extremely fun to play IMO.