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I have a boatload of Space Marines, and I want to make an Imperial Fists army. But I don't know how to build my guys or my army! All these kits are unbuilt so far, so you have free reign of loadouts and everything else... Would love some help! Suggest builds, tell me what I have, what I need... Fire away helpful dakka! Also, if the BaC parts can be made 30k compatible that would be a cool bonus. Magnetizing would be fine.

The following kits are in my shelf

(BaC = Betrayal at Calth)

2x BaC Dark Apostle
2x BaC Terminator Captain

6x10 BaC Marines
2x10 2015 Tactical Marines

1x5 2015 Devastators
2x5 Sternguard
1x10 Deathwatch (was thinking Sternguard counts-as)
1x3 Centurions
2x5 BaC Terminators

1x Razorback
1x Thunderfire Cannon
2x BaC Contemptor Dreadnought

And already built, I have these guys I was thinking of allying:
15 Tempestus Scions w/ 8 Plasma Guns
1 Vindicare Assassin

your lack of mobility is going to hurt you, but you could try to put together a large space marine gunline, though not too sure how effective it will be. Could do something like....

(HQ) Captain w/ terminator armor

(T) Tactical Squad (10) w/ plasma gun, plasma cannon
(T) Tactical Squad (10) w/ plasma gun, plasma cannon
(T) Tactical Squad (10) w/ plasma gun, lascannon
(T) Tactical Squad (10) w/ plasma gun, lascannon

(E) Sternguard (6) w/ (6) combi-melta, razorback w/ assault cannon
(E) Mortis Contemptor Dread w/ (2) kheres assault cannon
(E) Terminator Squad (5) w/ whatever you want to outfit them with

(HS) Centurion Devastator Squad (3) w/ grav cannons and hurricane bolters
(HS) Thunderfire Cannon

This is somewhere around the 1800-1900 area. I don't have my book with me so I'm just guessing at rough point estimates. I would combat squad all the tac squads and form a gunline. anchor that with the dreadnought, centurions, and thunderfire cannon. Send the sternguard up in the razorback and DS the termies in with the captain. Honestly, there isn't much you can do in the way of a really competative list with this. You lack mobility. If you pick up some drop pods, you can drop 2 stern guard squads in at the very least to take out enemy armor or MC's. Maybe convert the Captain to a Libby and stick him with the cents for added mobility/protection. Could also keep just one sternguard squad and instead roll with 2 dreads and spit out 24 str 6 rending shots per turn between the two of them If you do go with this static gunline, invest in some sort of fortification to help them survive longer

120

As Perkins said, you need some mobility badly, some Rhinos/Razorbacks would serve you well. Other than that Perkin's list is pretty decent

 War Kitten wrote:
As Perkins said, you need some mobility badly, some Rhinos/Razorbacks would serve you well. Other than that Perkin's list is pretty decent

Yep. The days of the static gunline are long over. Even if you just pick up 4 razorbacks, you can put the plasma gun combat squads in them and use them to advance up the field/take objectives.

Thanks a lot for the tips guys! If you guys think I need some transports, I'll get them eventually... I'm not looking to build a gunline! I do have the Scions though, 8 deep striking Plasma Guns there already, should be cool. Since I'm running Imperial Fists, would there be any point to doing some Heavy Bolters?

How competitive do you want to be?

HBs are good at a very niche roll: killing light troops in the open. The problem is that most light troops with their 4+ cover save are prone to cowering on cover. And if you need horde thinning firepower, something like a WW or a TFC is a much better investment in points.

That said, if you are running 10 man tac squads they are not a lot of points. And they look awesome. I take them out periodically, but I’m an Ultramarine, The Codex says to take both the special and the heavy in a 10 man squad. I’m traditional like that. YMMV.

Whatever you do, you need transports.

I’d start by looking at a battle company. You have the warm bodies for it. And not just the minimal “gimme free transports” one, but 100 men on the field. OK, that’s a slight exaggeration, you have next to no FA options. But you should be able to squeeze a few out of what you have. A 5 man assault squad on foot, power sword on the sarge, 2 flamers. Ideally in a drop pod or with jump packs. What’s holding you back is the chainswords. Seeing that every kit has one for the sarge, you can repurpose those here. At the very least enough for 2 minimal squads.

Build yourself a Gladius. Start with the demi co and a 1st company TF. Eventually I’d aim for a full drop pod list.

Tac squads I’d go 10 men (traditional) Give the sarge a combi to match the squad’s special, try to keep all the guns shooting the same thing. Grav/grav, HB/F, MM/M, LC/P. When footslogging, I’m not sure about things like the melta, but when you get some transports they work well.

Assault marines I’d take a 5 man squad as described above. Put them in your razorback, either alone if you go for a TDA captain, or as an ad-hoc bodyguard for a chaplain.

I’d like a 4xLC dev squad, but you only have two. 2xML will fill the empty slots. Alternatively, take the cents.

(dread points allowing. Without a pod, take the AsC)

You have options for the 1st company. Those options are Sternguard, Sternguard, more Sternguard, and a dash of terminators to taste. Bolter drill + special ammo is a match made in heaven. Ideally stepping out of pods. I’d avoid the combi spam philosophy for now. That only works when you can ensure the alpha strike via pods. But you can get a good number of boots on the ground just hosing out the magic bullets. The only thing I’d give up the bolter for is a HF, and I’m not sure that’s worth it on foot. Between the BaC, sternguard boxes, and extra tac squads you should be able to make a lot of these guys. Spread the best looking bits out and paint appropriately. With the deathwatch, you should be able to make 3x10 man squads.

If you want to field the terminators, go with the shooty ones. Probably with the HF, as that’s the option you get in the box. On the bright side, low-ish cost and bolter drill on the storm bolters. On thedown side, fragile for their points and kinda meh. Fun though, in a friendly environment. DS them in as a disruption unit. I’d not take more then a 5 man squad. While assault terminators are generally though to be better then tactical ones, that’s mostly the work of the TH/SS guys, which you lack the bits for.

One thing to consider when building is you might want to make a counts-as Cantor. He can be fun in sternguard heavy lists.