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Hi guys,

I used to play 40k a little over a year ago. I was a Vanilla Marine player and enjoyed it (till everyone in my gaming group stomped the ever loving piss out of me)...I got pretty frustrated having dropped $400+ on all kinds of units and still got smashed by IG, GK, Nids, CSM, Necrons, SW, and BA players. The only guy I had good fights with was a dude who played Orks. But after getting frustrated and losing my job my Marines had to go.

Now I wanna start up again. But i'm torn between Van Marines and IG. I love the look of IG and I especially love the look of the Valk, IMO it's the best looking unit in 40k. But I've also heard SM's are getting a new codex. I did like my Marines, they were just so underpowered against everything I fought in 5th ed it was annoying. So i'm wanting to know the current pro's and con's for both IG and Vanilla SM. I know a bit about SM's but don't know how much they've changed in my almost 2 year absence from the game.

Sorry if this is a question that's been asked before. I just wanna put in some research this time around un-like I did before.

Thanks

If you're looking for the most powerful army that will most easily win you games, then neither SM nor guard is your best choice at the moment. The guard codex is written for the wrong rules edition at the moment, an I wouldn't rely too heavily on codex creep making the new SM book overpowered, especially with how DA and CSM have fared.

Sounds like what you want is a tau gunline.

Not really looking for an easy win codex. Looking for a fun and very expandable codex. Like lots of ways to make armies that can win. Not just a single bread and butter build

Then in that case, you've picked the two right armies, as looking at the rumours for the new SM dex it looks very customisable, and IG is one of the most varied codexes in the game. Personally I'd say if you want an army you can really make your own from the ground up, then go IG, as pretty much every type of list you can think of can be made with it.

Nah go Blood Angels!! Deepstrike some Land Raiders!!!

You will have to look at playing styles here - these two armies are on opposite ends of the scale. As you probably know already, SM are elite, but every one of their units is strong when operating by itself. Tac marines are some of the most flexible troop choices in the game, being tough, strong and dependable.

Guard on the other hand tend to have rather poor infantry choices. Not saying they are a no go, but Guard squads naturally are weaker compared to almost every other standard troop choice in the game. It's in tanks that the IG come alive, and the Valkyrie of course. They undeniably have the strongest armour in the game, and in support with waves of Guardsman they overwhelm the enemy. As described in the codex, while space marines are like a sword of precision, the IG "are akin to a mighty hammer that is cumbersome, yet sweeps all its foes aside"

something along the lines of that

so it depends on how you want to play it. Both codex's are still very much playable in this edition, it's just how you want to do it - the emperor's sword or the emperor's hammer?

I guess IG it is then! Yeah SM bored me after awhile I'm thinking hordes of infantry backed up by wonderful flying machines is the way to go for me. I don't really like the look of their tanks (look super cartoony) but they are amazing. I didn't really like losing a squad or 2 of tactical marines and feeling like that was the game. I'd prefer lots of weaker troops over a few elite troops.