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I've got quite a few space marines and really feel as though I should use them but can't make general list/army concept I'm happy with. The key issue I'm finding is the troops choices are useless unless you go white scars and max out bikes. I don't want more than a couple of bike squads. Are there any non bike competitive armies out there? I'm only looking for a competitive army, not a broken one. Can anyone give me some advice?

A few unit I have that I'm particularly attached to and want to run (well painted ones ) are a standard libby, assault terminators, stormtalon and land raider redeemer. Possibly looking at dev centurions as well. I'm open to any chapter or type of marine or allies, I just can't get a list together. Help please!!!

Salamanders or Sentinels of Terra with tac marines in drop pods are considered competitive.

Given what you'd like to include, I'd suggest going with Rhino based tactical squads in a balanced approach. The foundation would be 3x tactical squads in Rhinos, supported by terminators or centurions out of the redeemer and complemented by the storm talon, a thunder fire cannon and maybe some scouts for back field objectives. An 8 man squad with special and matching combi has enough resiliency to survive mid-field and the Rhino can help it get there comfortably. A bike squad or two for fast contesting/scoring can round out a TAC list nicely. This build lets you use IF, Salamander, or UM tactics comfortably. What point level and chapter tactics do you prefer to use?

What size list do you want?

Terminators in LRR
Librarian
Talon

Is going to run you around 750-800 points. Add the Dev Cents and you are over 1k, just with things you want to use.

As you have a giant tank on the field, I’d keep that theme. Armor saturation is going to be key for survival. Two full tac squads in rhinos, or plan on combat squadding and buy razors. What guns to give them depends a lot on the rest of your list. I suspect you are going to be light on anti-armor, so would go with at least one MM/M, c-melta squad. I might go with HB/P, c-plas on the other. This assumes rhinos. If you go with splitting them up, I like LCs holding the backfield.

Depending on how high you go, adding more tanks will help. Also a 5 man sniper scout squad frees up your tacs to rush forward.

Points level would be 1500-1999, probably 1850 most of the time. I have tended to use iron hands but really am open to whatever will serve my list best.


Possible list idea using white scars
HQ
khan - 150
Elites
Assualt terminators - 215
3 th/ss, 2 lc
LRR - 250
multimelta
Troops
5 Bikes - 140 (go with khan)
-2 grav guns, melta bombs
5 Bikes - 135
- 2 meltas, combi melta
Fast Attack
Stormtalon - 125
skyhammer
Stormtalon - 140
tl lascannon
Heavy Support
3 Centurion Devs - 290
missile launchers, 2x grav cannons, sarge with lascannons and omniscope
Whirlwind - 65
Allied dark Angels
Librarian - 130
ML 2, power field generator
Scouts - 70
sniper rifles, camo cloaks
Total -1710

Redeemer scouts or outflanks, libby goes with centurions giving them divination and invul. 2 talons, because 1 talon will always just die instantly
Could add more troops (bikes, rhino/razor tac squad, or land speeder storm with hf scouts)

Possible list 2 using sentinels
HQ
Some hq - 100-150pts
Elites
Assualt terminators - 215
3 th/ss, 2 lc
LRR - 250
multimelta
Troops
tactical squad (10) - 205
meltagun, multimelta, combimelta, Rhino
tactical squad (10) - 210
plasmagun, heavy bolter, combiplas, Rhino
Fast Attack
Stormtalon - 125
skyhammer
Stormtalon - 140
tl lascannon
Heavy Support
3 Centurion Devs - 290
missile launchers, 2x grav cannons, sarge with lascannons and omniscope
Whirlwind - 65
Allied dark Angels
Librarian - 130
ML 2, power field generator
Scouts - 70
sniper rifles, camo cloaks
Total = 1840
Same sort of list but using metal boxes

Any advice on either list being competitive?

With marines i find you have to focus your army on something. Either go all out or go home as i say. If you like bikes, go for a mostly pure bike list. You want an alpha that will cripple some powerhouses? Go for a drop pod list. If you like being driven around and shooting the heck out of things, go with a meched list. If you just have a bunch of jumbled units in your army then its going to be rather hard to play them al without the loses from those units greatly affecting you.

By the way, i run an Iron Hand Drop list does great so rock on with those Iron Hands!

I run imperial fists tactics as a TAC army, the one central theme being lots of bolters (for the re-roll 1's)

I am considering doing a White Scars list as I am adding more bikes in but that will be a while in the making.

I'm running Salamanders with Drop Pods and Stormravens for null deployment. Neither of which fit your models or tactics. But I've found it extremely competitive. Taken a few of the top lists at GTs on too. Very hard to pull off, but very rewarding. It's biggest weakness is Interceptor (Damn you Tau! DAMN YOU!) With proper spacing, Salamanders can still hold their own.

Vulcan
5man Command (Melta OR Grav/Pod)
10man Stern (Melta/Pod)
10man Stern (Melta/Pod)
5man Tactical (Melta/Pod)
5man Tactical (Flamers/Pod)
5man Scouts (in Raven)
5man Scouts (in Raven)
3man Grav Bikes

Edit: Tweaking the list still to add Legion and take out Bikes and shrinking 10man Stern to a 5man.
You can null deploy with the list above. Legion just bring AP2, Ignore Cover, which Space Marines can't get without Allies or Tiggy.

Edit: 1850 List Above