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With the space marines having the codex astartes and a limited use of military tactics what kind of tactics do they use? Are they just basic ones or a few popular ones from pre heresy and thats it? Just wondering because they seem to either use quick drop pod assaults, heavy artillery or simple defensive maneuvers.

The Codex Astartes provides all the tactical doctrine a Space Marine needs to tackle any situation.

However, it's meant to be a guideline, not an iron-clad rulebook, though some Chapters treat is as the latter, rather than the former.

They like to use lighting raids, decapitating strikes at vital targetd , elite spearheads for assaults, any time heavy infantry is needed and boarding actions. Things they avoid are sieges and protracted wars of attrition. No chapter master wants to waste his small amount of valuable brothers in a war where they would be dying by the hundreds by artillery fire and waves of infantry

Their strategies varies from foe to foe. Like say they might try and assassinate a key ork war boss with the orks. But the general strategy is that they hit hard and fast and don't like to fight a war of attrition because of their small numbers.

the thing about the codex Astartes is that it's NOT just a "book of tactics" and to look at it that way is to fail to understand it, and any codex adherant chapter. including the ultramarines.

The Codex is among other things also a guide to orginization, a Chatper is made up of 10 companies consisting of a vetern 1st, 4 battle companies 2 reserve tatical companies 1 reserve devestator and assault company, and a scout company. Marines when not involved in active conflict, drill with their bolters from 11 am to 12 when they stop for launch, and a chapter like the Ultramarines would be scandalized if they discovered that the Ranbow Warriors Chapter Have THEIR bolter drills as 2 pm,

IMHO the actual tatical part of it proably is a bit like SunTzu's art of war. Very generalist and good reccomendations, adaptable to any enviroment (SunTzu's art of war is STILL taught in military schools to this day.) with then specific examples showing it in action.

Fasct is this is the only waty the codex makes sense. if it was written like some people make it out to be, a precise book of precise military instructions, the Ultramarines would have collapsed into complete confusion when they encountered a foe outside Gulliman's experiance... like the Tyranids.

BrianDavion wrote:


IMHO the actual tatical part of it proably is a bit like SunTzu's art of war. Very generalist and good reccomendations, adaptable to any enviroment (SunTzu's art of war is STILL taught in military schools to this day.) with then specific examples showing it in action.

Fasct is this is the only waty the codex makes sense. if it was written like some people make it out to be, a precise book of precise military instructions, the Ultramarines would have collapsed into complete confusion when they encountered a foe outside Gulliman's experiance... like the Tyranids.

Exactly that. The Codex, as a tactical manual, provides the Space Marines who follow it with the philosophy of warfare, and uses (probably) battles from the Great Crusade and the Heresy as illustrative points/example of the philosophy in action, but is intended to be used in any warzone, against any foe.