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So I've got my hands on a space marine strike force and a box of sternguard, I don't have the codex yet.

How should i equip everything ,what tactics would you use and what should i add to it going forward to make it an awesome army.

when you say "Awesome", how do you mean?

Visually? Game play - if so, purely for having fun or Win every single game? Fluff wise?

It all depends on what you're going for, I like a mix of visual and fluff personally.

I play BA, I collect some units purely just to paint and model, and they probably see the table in less than 1% of the games I play! I play more for the social aspect, meeting up with friends, have a beer or two, rather than to win all the time. If you win all the time, you will never learn the pros and cons of each army!

Wait... So you dont want to make any decisions at all for yourself? I think you're playing the wrong game.

Edit:

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/544898.page#5925226

For reference.

First a word: Magnets!

The strike force is a good start point, but where do you want to go? Do you have a chapter in mind? There are as many ways to build a marine list as there are players. How large an army you looking to collect, and what kind of budget you working with?

Some general advice:

Get and read the codex. This way you can make your own informed decisions, rather then taking the word of strangers on the internet.

Don't glue the top hatch on the razorback. This way you can field it as a rhino with no effort.

While I've magnetized my drop pods so I could field the death wind launcher, I never have. Glueing the SB in is not a big deal.

You might consider diluting the sternguard kit with some tactical marines. A 10 man sternguard is a lot better then a 5 man, and the kit is so ornate, that even cut 50/50 with normal marines, they are still over the top. If I was building a sternguard squad today, I'd probably go with a HF and a pair of c-meltas. YMMV.

You probably want to pick up a devastator box. Adding more heavy options besides just MLs is worth the price. If you like the drop pod, you will want at least two more. You'll also probably want a pair of rhinos/razorbacks as well. Depending if you want to go drop/mech/or hybrid.

First post here. Had to speak up because I was in nearly the same position with my Salamanders army year ago.

The advice given above is quite sound: first, find what you want from this hobby. I read the 40k wiki and lexicanum for 6 months before I bought my first model. Get to know what you like and what you don't and paint your first model.

Keep this model for as long as you can. It will show you how you progress as a painter.

Completely agree with combining multiple kits for variety and unique poses to give your army flavor.

Grab a used copy of the big rule Book and read the thing. Same goes for the codex. Play a game with someone willing to share their love of table gaming. Ask Questions!

Your army should be awesome to you #1. Make a statement with it, and play for fun. Tournaments are great, but hell I've only played a total of 3 games and had a blast every time because I play for me, not some silly cheese list.

You may also want to grab an HQ and spend a ton of time on it. It'll develop your patience and painting skills immensely.

Lastly. THIN YO PAINTS! Seriously though, thinned acrylic paints, and some dark washes can be mighty helpful in making an army pop.


Good luck and don't get discouraged this is a pretty fun hobby. It just takes some start up research.

FM Argos

TurquoisePilot wrote:
So I've got my hands on a space marine strike force and a box of sternguard.

If I had your models here's what I'd do, specifically:

Tactical squads:
Missile Launchers. You'll want the anti-Flier option flakk gives you. Or the LasCan (for 2nd squad)
Plasma gun for one and a Meltagun for the other squad.
For sarge: Power Swords are okay. PFists & Axes are too slow, so they die too easily in Challenges (which you'll read about) so sell that those on ebay. You might make a couple bucks.

Assault/Jumpers: Power Ax for sarge, despite what I wrote above. 'Tis more likely, you can have your 5 jumpers nail an enemy transport, before it delivers its filthy contents to your line.

Cmd Squad- What are the guns there? Plasmagun, meltagun ... grav gun? If you have a Storm Shield, then put that on a guy with a Power Sword, and he can be your Chapter Master (beatstick, bad ass) or your cheaper, but useful Librarian, sorta beat stick. - - Most players don't use the Cmd. Squad models as Cmd Squad dudes. They are nicer looking, more bling models, and so they end up being sergeants, or other HQ representatives.

Sternguard - my guess is that there are several combi-looking guns on the sprue. Put 'em on your boyz. I would not put on h2h power toys though, if available. Sternguard are for shooting, focus them on that.

What are the guns available to the Dreadnaught?

Power Weapons for Tactical Sergeants? I'll pass.
A combi-gun will suit well.

Some good advice here in the thread, but I would add on other thing.

Find a player in your area who you respect as both a good player and a decent person and ask them for a bit of mentoring in playing the game.

Play as many games as possible, with different lists - and be open from feedback from mature people*. Always try to improve your game and your habits - the answers you want to find will come out in the process.

Best of luck and have fun!

*(Mature does not always equal age ).

Combi Weapons for Tac Sergeants, Plasma Gun + Combi Plasma + ML for the squad that's gonna ride in the Rhino (since Razorbacks are meh) and give the Command Squad the Drop Pod.

Outfit a few of the Command Squad guys with Melta Guns, including the ones from the Sternguard Box. Heck, just give all 5 melta guns, who needs Apothecaries and Champions?

Have the Captain ride with them using a combi-melta and a Power Fist, and Artificer Armor. He'll be badass enough to deal with most things that strike faster than him, and 6 meltas will ruin the day of anything that might give him trouble.

There, now you have anti-tank, some anti-infantry, and a character that can do some damage. Either get more Drop Pods for the Dread/tac squads, or get more Rhinos. Outfit Squads with weapons accordingly.

I've been playing the game for little over a year now. All I can say is play the game in a friendly way...I find my friends and I have more fun when we make fun lists rather than the best lists. After all...it is a game right?

I would get one or two more tactical squads. Then i would make all ofthe heavy and special weapon options. Maybe even get a dev squad or two and do the same.
that way, you will have plenty to trade in and out of squad without having to but the metal extra ones.
For the sarges, I would get my hands on magnets do magnetize the arms. that way, you could also trade off those options.
If you really wanted to go crazy, Get an extra couple packs of jump packs and magnetize the backpacks of some of the sarges and special weapons carriers to be able to trade them in and out among the assault marines.

Of course, you would need bigger magnets for the dread and be sure to keep and paint the top doors for the razorback (don't glue the gun onto the top of it), so you can alternate it between a rhino and a razorback.

Malik_Raynor wrote:
I've been playing the game for little over a year now. All I can say is play the game in a friendly way...I find my friends and I have more fun when we make fun lists rather than the best lists. After all...it is a game right?

The problem is you cannot assume that strangers can be trusted to do this. Even some friends can't be trusted to do this. So unless you only want to play with friends you can trust, which means you won't be playing very much at all, this isn't always possible.

The players I respect the most are the ones who build fun lists but ALSO don't whine about losing to WAAC lists.