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So I just got my hands on the new Space Marine Codex, and wanted to try my hand with the Gladius Strike Force

Normaly I run Pedro Kantor and a number of Sternguard Squads in a Drop Pod Based Alpha strike

However, with the changes to the rules in the new codex, I wanted to test out the Steel Rain idea with lots of small units spamming Grav wepons and the chance to get free drop pods

2000pt Crimson Fist Army List

Detatchment - Gladius Strike Force

Elites - 1x Sternguard Squad (8 men)
No Upgrades (counting on re-rolls for special ammo)
Drop Pod

Formation 1 - Battle Demi Company

HQ - Captain
Power Sword and Storm Shield, Designated Warlord

(1) - 6 Man Tactical Squad
Gravcannon and Amp, Sgt with Combi-grav
Drop Pod

(2) - 6 Man Tactical Squad
Gravcannon and Amp, Sgt with Combi-grav
Drop Pod

(3) - 6 Man Tactical Squad
Gravcannon and Amp, Sgt with Combi-grav
Drop Pod

(4) 1x Landspeeder
2x Heavy Flamers

(5) - 7 Man Devestator Squad
4x Gravcannons and Amps, Naked Sgt, Ammo Cherub
Drop Pod

Formation 2 - Battle Demi Company

HQ - Chaplain
No Upgrades

(1) - 6 Man Tactical Squad
Gravcannon and Amp, Sgt with Combi-grav
Drop Pod

(2) - 6 Man Tactical Squad
Gravcannon and Amp, Sgt with Combi-grav
Drop Pod

(3) - 6 Man Tactical Squad
Gravcannon and Amp, Sgt with Combi-grav
Drop Pod

(4) 1x Landspeeder
2x Multi-Meltas

(5) - 7 Man Devestator Squad
4x Gravcannons and Amps, Naked Sgt, Ammo Cherub
Drop Pod

Formation 3 - 10th Company Task Force

(1) - 5 Man Scout Squad
Heavy Bolter w/ Hellfire Shells, Cammo Cloaks, Sgt with Melta Bombs

(2) - 3 Man Scout Bike Squad
Locator Beacon on Sgt

(3) - 3 Man Scout Bike Squad
Locator Beacon on Sgt


From what I can tell on Army Builder, that works out to right about 2000pts once you remove the free vehicles (a bug in the program still lists them at full price).

I've got extra points to shave with the +1 man in each tactical squad if I wind up being over, but overall it looks like it should work.

Tactics for this Force

My basic idea is the classic Steel Rain, droping 5 of my 9 drop pods turn 1, and following up with the remainder on turn 2

This is not quite a null deployment force, as the scouts will be starting on the table

Scout bikes will be infiltrated and use their scout move to possition themselves for the drop-pods, using cover to survive and the locator beacons to guide in the pods for better placement where needed.

Depending on the opponents forces I can mix and max units for maximum effect in the alpha strike.

The combinatinon of the Imperial Fists Chapter Tactics, and the tactical and devestator doctorines, should make it so I have no problem maximizing the effect of my ranged fire from my many small disembarking units

The Captain and the Chaplain can deploy with any of the pods, but will normally go in with the sternguard to anchor the line or clean up problem areas (yay rerolling 1s with special ammo!).

Landspeeders are harasment units, and will probably be used as "fire and forget" units to get rid of things too distant from my marines after they deploy from the pods



This is my fisrt try at this thing, Its been a year since my last game, and I can use all the help and critiques you guys can offer me!

Thanks in advance

What detachment are the Sternguard part of?

Grav is not fantastic on non-relentless platforms. So you drop in do only mediocre damage and then fight out numbered. Gladius is not a good detachment for doing a drop pod army.

Crimson Fists with no Pedro Honourguard bomb makes me sad

 FlingitNow wrote:
What detachment are the Sternguard part of?

Grav is not fantastic on non-relentless platforms. So you drop in do only mediocre damage and then fight out numbered. Gladius is not a good detachment for doing a drop pod army.

Crimson Fists with no Pedro Honourguard bomb makes me sad

The Sternguard are part of the Gladius, not too sure how this works as I just always did combined arms before.

What would you suggest in terms of swapping out the grav? Just figured it would be fun to try as 9 pods is always a blast

Yes, I was sad about no Pedro, but he's not available in the current Army Builder update that I can find, and I figured I'd let him take a holliday, he's in almost every list I build

I agree with Fling, using a Grav Cannon on [i]every[i/] tac squad isn't a good idea unless all you're doing is dropping in and absolutely unloading on your enemy on the first 2 turns. Even still, this will only be effective if you are playing against an army with high armour saves (CSM, Grey Knights, etc).

If i were you, I'd whack Combi-Gravs on the Sternguard and put a Grav Cannon/Amp on the squad as well, and take off a few of the Grav Cannons from the tac squads. This is because, unless you're laying against the aforementioned armies, they really hamper your movement, as they are Salvo, which means if you move all of your tac squads in a turn and then fire, you're missing out on 12 Grav Cannon shots!

In my opinion, it is much better to just run with the Combi-Grav Sergeants and and keep the Grav Cannons on the 2 Dev Squads. Again, ONLY use Gravs against the correct armies. If you use them against IG, then you're wounding on a 5+.

One final point: Consider upgrading the Captain to a Chapter Master for 40 points, as you get the increased Wounds and Attacks, as well as the Orbital Strike (S10 AP1 Ordnance, Orbital, One Use Only).

Apologies for the long post lol.

So what part of a Gladius allows you to take a Sternguard squad on its own? Remember you can only use the formations and options listed in the Gladius.

Pedro got a huge boost in this codex I would look at him. Probably the best combat HQ in the codex now.

The best combat HQ? I love Pedro in the new codex, but how did you come to that conclusion?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also, the only way to take Sternies in the Gladius Strike Force is to run 3-5 units of them to fulfil the '1st Company Task Force'. Something interesting to note is that they can be taken as 5 man 'units', so to use the 1st Company Task Force you only need 15 models.

Because of what he does for a combat army. Ok in a straight fight he loses to Calgar or Lysander (but only those two). But he dishes out as much pain as Calgar for 100 less points and gives everyone around you a super boost. I don't see another HQ that does as much for you in the Assault Phase as Pedro.

Yeah, he really is brutal in the Assault Phase, especially when with the Honour Guard and Emperor Ascendent.

DP army and no melta for anti-tank work? Heresy!

This is a good point, I run a squad of Sternguard half combi-grav, half combi-melta to take out tanks and 2+ save units. Might be an idea to incorporate this or something similar into your list.