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OK, so I just bought the SM Codex, and am looking to start playing Marines for the first time. I've played SW before as a first army and Crons since.
With all of the changes to marines, and tactics I really have no idea where to go.

I'm looking to participate in a month long 1000pt tournament with a group of guys at the local GW store but really don't know what to play!

I like so many pieces of the codex, and love the idea of a balanced list which I think the Marines do best, but don't know what to play.


What are your suggestions?
Bikes? MSU? Tank heavy? Termies? HELPP!

Read Below. Don't ask people to choose your army. Tell us what YOU like and we can help. On a different note, Bikes are the most competitive SM army but take skill. Drop Pod lists are the second most competitive (In My Opinion) however you need to make a very good list for them to be great. Tank Heavy isn't very good now unless you want to spam Land Raiders with the Iron Hands Chapter Tactic. Terminators are bleh. I don't like them at all in any fashion other than 5x TH/SS Terminators in a LRC.

It first depends on what you like. Are there any specific chapters that you find interesting? From there you can build some strong lists once you know what you want to play.

Like Feasible said bikes with WS chapter tactics are probably the most competitive this edition. But there are also strong lists elsewhere. 40k is very rock, papers, scissors.

I'm not asking someone to choose an army, I've already chosen Marines. I like the idea of a TAC list and wanted to know what units(models) everyone else likes to take in their lists. I really love the idea of bikes but don't want to run a spam list. Did that with cron air force and it is a bland play. Really looking to be semi-competitive not a WAAC. I like Black Templars Tactics but don't know which models to even use.

I would say White Scars or Iron Hands.
For White Scars you can have scouting dedicated transports, H&R on most your army, and great bikes. Sure it would be more 'efficient' to run a full bike list, but having H&R and scout on most your army sounds pretty damn good for a TAC list.

As for Iron Hands, whatever you take is a little harder to kill. Also really useful for a TAC list if you ask me.

Like others have said, tell us what units/tactics/models you like and we can help you from there.
You should have your own reason to like your army, we just help with the list.

White Scar Bike spam is generally considered the current "best."

Other semi-competitive builds include Drop Pods (generally Salamanders and Imperial Fists, though Space Wolves are usually considered better), and the Space Marine Airforce (Iron Hands usually, though Ultramarines figure in here too).

The Airforce can't really be played at lower points levels, but you can squeak a drop pod list in.

I'd really like range to play kinda reckless. Not where I can go off and do just anything but an army that is forgiving in the movement phase and isn't dependent on one unit for victory.

I really like Assault Marines, Storm Talons, might want to try a centurion or two. I also like all of the heavy support section, Predators, Stalker/Hunter, Whirlwind. I know most of these units are kinda soft but they look fun.

Don’t think of TAC as what units to take, but what roles to fill.

Get scoring units to objectives and keep them there at the end of the game
Kill a few heavy armored targets (AV 13-14)
Pop a reasonable amount of light/med armor/transports
Shoot down flyers
Deal with MCs
Thin hordes out to something manageable

Many units can do multiple things at once (TML/HB speeders can drop a pair of krack missiles into the side of a medium tank, or frags and HB into a wave of gribbles) or be equipped for different roles (Swap the guns on that speeder for a pair of MMs and go hunting big crunchy things) There is more then enough room to take what you like, just as long as you cover all your bases. Particularly if you aren’t going for a hyper competitive list. If you like dreads, a TLLC/ML dread can put fire down range; I’d take a auto/las pred for the same job, but that doesn’t mean the dread can’t pop stuff.

You like tanks? Take the three you mentioned. Take the LC sponsons on the pred, TLLC in the turret if points allow. This gives you some AA, AV, and anti infantry. Not a bad backbone for an army. Take the talon, I like skyhammers for the secondary weapon. While people are down of assault, a 5 man squad with a pair of flamers and a power sword is a nice monkey wrench to toss is someone’s backfield. Add HQ and troops to taste, and go forth and smite in the Emperor’s name.