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Basically what it says on the tin. I'm going to be throwing together a Space Marine custom chapter that will be using Ultramarines tactics - mostly for their character roster. I haven't played SM since my very first couple games learning 40k, right at the beginning of 6th. I've read the 1d4Chan tactica, but I haven't decided what to make of it. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

How do I A) make the most out of the SM 6th edition Codex, and B) get the most out of the Ultramarine tactics in particular?

I think lots of Ultra tactis relies on their special characters If you think using special characters then Iwould suggest Tigurius(Divination) with Cato Sicarious and an Aegis. Lots of deva lascannons and tacticals with plasmagun and plasmacannons.

I'd build around a StormRaven, 2 Talons, Tigurius, Chapter Master, 9 Honour Guard in a DP, 2 Tactical squads in DP, Sternguard in a DP, and Centurion Devastators. Get all that and you'll be able to solve most problems.

 Lobukia wrote:
I'd build around a StormRaven, 2 Talons, Tigurius, Chapter Master, 9 Honour Guard in a DP, 2 Tactical squads in DP, Sternguard in a DP, and Centurion Devastators. Get all that and you'll be able to solve most problems.

Don't you get the feeling you've basically given him a 2k list and said "build your army around that"?

I'm not going t launch into you because you use Quartermaster too.

Start small. 2 tactical squads, a Power armour HQ. The great bit about a power-armour HQ is that he can represent any special character in PA and any normal HQ (save for those in terminator armour).

Then build out from there. Do you want your army to revolve around the combat doctrines? Marneus Calgar is your man. Do you want to make one really good tactical marine squad, that can sit on an objective behind an ADL and protect warlordie?

Go Sicarius.

Do you want an army that can provide good synergy to the rest of the army?

Go tigurius.

Do you want an all-round badass who sings songs while he slaughters 'nids all around him?

Go cassius with a tooled out vanguard veteran squad.

What do you want out of your army? SM, and Ultramarines more then most, are jack-of-all-trades and can be built a LOT of different ways. Be wary of advice and tactics on the internet. It tends to deal in absolutes and hyperbole. I.E. something either sucks and is useless, or is the only way to go. Keep the salt handy.

Everything in the codex has a use, and if it has flaws, they can be shored up by the rest of your list. So my advice is to sit down with the codex and see what sings to you. What drew you to the Ultras? Any units stand out? Any themes or imagery strike your fancy? Take those and build around them. In the long run you will be better off with an army that you love, even if it's win ratio is not 100%.

I'm a firm believer is a take-all-comers style of play. Build a flexible army, take something from every FOC slot. As a UM player, look at the three different chapter tactics, and include something to take advantage of all of them. Make sure you have a way to get troops onto objectives and have them survive until the end of the game. Have a way of dealing with both heavy and light armor, flyers, MCs, and hordes. Cover all your bases.

I've found that UM's tend to make a fairly strong drop pod army.

Dropping Tacs in pods, and popping the tac doctrine makes some nasty boltercide on hordes.
Being able to re-roll charge distance on your bikes is good,
Being able to reroll 1's on plasma sternguard makes sure your expensive models don't commit sudoku before making the enemy feel the pain.

Ultramarines otherwise, seem to make a good balanced army, using armor, assault, and shooting in equal measure.

Don't you get the feeling you've basically given him a 2k list and said "build your army around that"?

Fair enough, let's go with "build towards". And it's under 1750 before you start getting fancy (and that's assuming grav cannon centurions).

He wants a TAC list, that uses the best of the dex in an UM style. I'm also trying to accommodate the new advantages of formations. All the PA in my shopping list translates well as something else. He'll also get good use of chapter tactics.

@OP if you're going budget, hold off on honour guard (which you should convert yourself) and all the flyers. I use ten man squads of this list (other than the centurions, which I shove in the Raven) and add in a barebones devastator squad and/or scouts with a quad ADL. In club play, this is a fairly flexible list, but you need to use it for board control and be careful engaging Death Stars. What is your local meta and how competitive is it's atmosphere? Do you plan to go to tourneys? What is the size of a typical game?


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Sorry if my list seems a little large, I have almost 2 fully painted companies of Crimson Fists/Ultramarines, so I occasionally lose perspective.


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Somewhere there's a good build using Sicarius and Cypher to infiltrate a bunch of marines in a drop zone and then bring in drop pods too.