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Is it just me, or is writing an all-comers list for Codex: Space Marines a real challenge?

id say no but my experience may be different than yours.

What are you using and what are you facing??

I think writing a Take All Comers TAC list is impossible with any codex.

But, I think writing a Take Most Comers list is very doable and SM has so many options to make that happen.

Im pretty happy with my TAC 1500 Vanilla marines.

A specialised list will always tank it though.

Mali wrote:
id say no but my experience may be different than yours.

What are you using and what are you facing??

I play the Minotaurs with Lord Moloc as Warlord, so I have PE: Space Marines throughout. I face CSDs, Rhino rushes, mechanized AM, horde Orks, Eldar Wave Serpents, etc.

The important question is the size of the army when considering a TAC list.

Personally, C:SM has one of the better shots at making a decent one. Pack up a couple of AA guns or a flyer, and double-down on the basics: dudes in power armor with bolters. With Space Marines, taking 40+ bolters (with special weapons here and there) is surprisingly effective. Each model is generally durable against small-arms fire and smart playing can reduce the casualties from stray battle cannon shells. The most appropriate Chapters to work with this would be the smurfs, imperial fists, or iron hands. Drown them in bolter fire.

Necrons and GK can pull the same trick, too. Necrons have the advantage of just taking more Gauss to kill those pesky vehicles.

TAC list as Minautors is tough since you already pigeon-hole yourself with the CT.

As far as TAC is concerned for SM, short of going for a bike list, I'd say UM led by Tigurius or Calgar (or both depending on points) is a nice all-around CT.

My 2 cents.

LoH wrote:
The important question is the size of the army when considering a TAC list.

Personally, C:SM has one of the better shots at making a decent one. Pack up a couple of AA guns or a flyer, and double-down on the basics: dudes in power armor with bolters. With Space Marines, taking 40+ bolters (with special weapons here and there) is surprisingly effective. Each model is generally durable against small-arms fire and smart playing can reduce the casualties from stray battle cannon shells. The most appropriate Chapters to work with this would be the smurfs, imperial fists, or iron hands. Drown them in bolter fire.

I want to second this. Lots of bodies in 3+ armor with something funky for every 5 guys. Start with 6, 5 man tactical squads with heavy weapon dejur (plasma cannon anyone?). That's about 500 points. Now just keep adding bodies. Spread 5 man groups all around and have the additional 5 man combat squads running to objectives. You don't have to worry about low numbers because you know no fear.

From there, make sure you got some AA, and AV 14 killers and you are sitting pretty good

White Scars grav bike spam is pretty functional against just about anything.

Raven Guard lists can work pretty well as TAC - 6 tac squads with rhinos, melta, along with a couple stormtalons and inquisitorial support. The focus here is simply to totally dominate scoring, with enough dudes with Objective Secured in power armor that even very shooty lists can't reliably blow you off all the objectives.

Ultramarines lists with Tiggy work pretty okay. At high point levels (2000 pts and above), Calgar is a good choice (relentless devastators for two turns? Yes please). The nature of the CT sort of forces you to build TAC lists if you wan't to take advantage of it's buffs.

 DanielBeaver wrote:
White Scars grav bike spam is pretty functional against just about anything.

I'd like to caveat this with: a balanced White Scars list with a mix of grav and melta is pretty functional against just about anything. Rolling for "6"s versus vehicles is just too unreliable by itself, especially with wave serpents jinking on a 3+ most of the time now (yay holofields). I like to keep mine at about a 50/50 blend of melta bike squads (2 melta, multi-melta attack bike) and grav bike squads (2 grav, combi-grav on sarge).

I'm hoping that a base of Vindicators and Storm Talons will give me the TAC foundation I need.

I've started using scouts and LSS for three OS units per slot. I add an Ironclad in a pod, a tactical squad in a pod (another OS unit). CM on bike with assorted gear and a couple of Honour guard in a pod. Two las talons, a TFC and a vindi. It's actually quite capable.