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Hey all. Been here a while. I bought AOBR since my GF seems interested in trying the game. I am trying to decide on a chapter for them. I have a bunch of random older marines too (from early 1990's) and was wondering if there is any marine army that is worth foot slogging anymore, or if it is all about the mech. I was thinking of making some of the DIY drop pods to drop my dreads in, but just don't know if I want to get completely vehicled-up. Does foot slogging work? All I ever see is vehicle, vehicle, vehicle etc.

So, my questions...
Are Ultramarines just completely passe?
Does foot slogging work?

I am reading army lists to help determine as well, but I want to know from other players.

Thanks all, and look out Chapel Hill, in April the SOULESS Necrons are coming to mess with the 40k players there.

In it's current incarnation the rules really don't promote a competitive foot-slogging marine list at the tournament level.

Casually, however, they are as viable as any other list out there. I play a very fluffy marine list and I win quite often against casual players. I wouldn't dare take that list to a tournament.

So, if you have no tourney plans in your future I think you could do it and be a happy camper.

Black Templars can still field competitive semi-foot lists with foot terminators and lasplas squads supporting objective grabbers and drop podding things.

I reckon ultrasmurfs are alright, they've got decent characters if nothing else; but transports are a necessity (some at least) for capturing enemy objectives on the far side of the board etc, walking there just won't do, you'll have two or three marines by the end of it!

MY marines are largely based on foot. and it works great.

the key is not using a tank but simply having mobility. a bike squad makes up for marines on foot and provides mobility needed to:

1 contest objectives
2 kill tanks (melta guns)
3 intercept possible close combat units
4 Catch faster opponents
5 out maneuver the opponent

not to mention they can get cover fairly easy.

don't forget psychic powers like Gate.

Thanks for the suggestions. I have seen a few lists that look interesting. Thanks for the advice and keep it coming. Last time I played, the Goffic Rockers were working their magic, and my "Red ones go faster" really moved a LOT faster. Harlequins were almost unstoppable, and there were rhinos... Maybe a Leman Russ... MAYBE.

I have a ton of melea rines but have 2 land raider

Uhlan wrote:In it's current incarnation the rules really don't promote a competitive foot-slogging marine list at the tournament level.
Casually, however, they are as viable as any other list out there. I play a very fluffy marine list and I win quite often against casual players. I wouldn't dare take that list to a tournament.
So, if you have no tourney plans in your future I think you could do it and be a happy camper

Yeh i think this hits the nail right on the head.
Most everyone online fancies themself for a pro-gamer so you will get shouted down as a newb if you have any ideas contrary to the cookie cutters out there.
The thing is... most 40K players don't play in tournaments - at least not every day. What you need to think about is the types of armies you will actually be playing against in reality.
Does your local group of gamers play heavily mechanised internet lists or is there still some imagination and hobby-craft amongst them?

Yeh i think this hits the nail right on the head.
Most everyone online fancies themself for a pro-gamer so you will get shouted down as a newb if you have any ideas contrary to the cookie cutters out there.
The thing is... most 40K players don't play in tournaments - at least not every day. What you need to think about is the types of armies you will actually be playing against in reality.
Does your local group of gamers play heavily mechanised internet lists or is there still some imagination and hobby-craft amongst them?

I don't know what the local people play. We are moving to Chapel hill in 2 weeks (so soon already??) and once we get there, I have enough crons to find a FLGS and play some pickup games. I would love to have enough Ultramarines painted by then, but where we are now, there is no place to spray prime.

Thanks for the advice. I need to just get some games played. I have not played since rogue trader, but I sure want to.

Question, are RT models still allowed in tournaments? Some of the weapons etc have changed dramatically.

'Rogue Trader' was essentially the 1st edition of Warhammer 40K.
AFAIK - Necros didn't exist until very late on the scene in 2nd Ed, so unless you mean something different by 'Rogue Trader' I'm sure your models are recent enough to be OK.

Oh, unless you mean your Ultramarines? Some of the weaponry on Rogue Trader era space marines is very different from the models today... but I still don't think it's enough to be a problem.
Actually I think most people would enjoy the novelty

Yeah, I meant the Marines and the Orks. Some of the Kustom Kombi Shootahs I had were pretty cool. Love that the Shokk Attack gun is still in, and wish they would put the Squig Catapult back in.

I play foot slogging marines. Its funny how well they do sometimes, considering everyone focuses on anti-tank these days. For example, I played one of the most competitive players in my games workshop a few weeks ago. He had a slowed AV13/razorspam list (2x shield+fear libbys, 4x razorback, 3x baal, 3x predators), and I had my deathstar+mech list (Lysander, TH/SS in redeemer, 3x Vindi, 4x Typhoon, 2x full rhino squads). By turn 2, 8 out of my 10 vehicles were destroyed, but I ended up winning the game 9 KP to 14KP, because he just couldnt deal with my infantry in the long run (especially the Terminators). My 1000pt all-foot list almost never loses, even against competitive guard players with plas/melta mechvets.

Imperial Fists can make a nice defensive foot list (Lysander and shooty terminators in the front, Tacticals and Devs holding 3+ bolstered ruins, some scouts outflanking ect), and Raven Guard can make a very fast and offensive foot list (Shrike, jump marines, Assault Terminators, Turn 1 assaulting scouts, all fleet). All foot can definatly be fun to play.

One piece of advice I can give if you are doing an all foot army is to utilise scouts. Marines on foot are extremly slow, and it can be difficult to reach out and grab those objectives in your opponents deployment zone, and can disrupt backfield units including tanks and infantry.