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So I need to know what's the best way to get a basic force of Space Marines. Not a huge force maybe two tactical squads, a commander and maybe a rhino or dreadnaught

After that I was thinking of using Raven guard formations.

So whats the best deal to start this army?

GW's: Horus Heres: Betrayal at Calth. Then buy a Razorback. They can be run as either a Razorback or a rhino.

https://www.games-workshop.com/en-US/The-Horus-Heresy-Betrayal-at-Calth-Book

Forget about the board game parts and pieces. You're getting:
- A Captain in Terminator Armour and a Dark Apostle;

- A Contemptor Dreadnought, armed with a choice of multi-melta or twin assault cannon;

- Five Cataphractii Terminators, with weapon options including combi bolters, power fists, lightning claws, chain fists, power swords, heavy flamers and grenade harnesses;

- Thirty Legion Tactical Space Marines in MK4 armour, with a huge selection of weapons and custom features, including bolters, missile launchers, heavy bolters, chainswords, power swords, power fists, plasma pistols, lightning claw blades, combi flamer, melta and plasma guns, a melta bomb and a set of combat blades! These miniatures also include ammo packs, holstered bolt pistols and a selection of frag and krak grenades.



However, that said, The Carcharadon special character from the Badab War FW books, Tyberios the Red Wake, benefits more from running with a Lightning Claw terminator squad.

https://www.forgeworld.co.uk/resources/fw_site/fw_pdfs/Warhammer_40000/Forge_World_Space_Marine_Badab_Characters_V2.pdf

 kronk wrote:
GW's: Horus Heres: Betrayal at Calth. Then buy a Razorback. They can be run as either a Razorback or a rhino.

https://www.games-workshop.com/en-US/The-Horus-Heresy-Betrayal-at-Calth-Book

Forget about the board game parts and pieces. You're getting:
- A Captain in Terminator Armour and a Dark Apostle;

- A Contemptor Dreadnought, armed with a choice of multi-melta or twin assault cannon;

- Five Cataphractii Terminators, with weapon options including combi bolters, power fists, lightning claws, chain fists, power swords, heavy flamers and grenade harnesses;

- Thirty Legion Tactical Space Marines in MK4 armour, with a huge selection of weapons and custom features, including bolters, missile launchers, heavy bolters, chainswords, power swords, power fists, plasma pistols, lightning claw blades, combi flamer, melta and plasma guns, a melta bomb and a set of combat blades! These miniatures also include ammo packs, holstered bolt pistols and a selection of frag and krak grenades

I had only seen forge world variants with the legion upgrades that's actually quite a deal at 150 USD

Your Chapter tactics are found here-> https://www.forgeworld.co.uk/resources/fw_site/fw_pdfs/Warhammer_40000/Forge_World_Space_Marine_Chapter_Tactics_V2.pdf




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Notice that all your tactical marines can exchange their bolter for a close combat weapon. So you will need a ton of assault marine models.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I would start by searching ebay for those.

This is your third or fourth "how to start..." thread, each with a different army. Have you made up your mind yet?

 Elbows wrote:
This is your third or fourth "how to start..." thread, each with a different army. Have you made up your mind yet?

Probably not but it's all helping narrow it down. one day I intend to have all three, I'm trying to figure out which one to get first is all. It's between Carcharodons and Altansar now though


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 oldzoggy wrote:

Notice that all your tactical marines can exchange their bolter for a close combat weapon. So you will need a ton of assault marine models.

I'm not actually sure if that's a benefit though because I need to get them to close combat and I lose there bolter. I'd rather have dedicated assault troops with a transport, like an assault ram

if you hanging on to your bolter this might not be the most ideal chapter tactics for you ; )

You don't want to exchange the bolter for a ccw. Carcharodons can add a ccw to their BP and bolter for cheap. This makes them grey hunters but with fear and possibly rage in place of counter attack. Their official chapter tactics rules are free on forge world's website.

Most carcharodons run mk 5 armor, but their armor is a Mashup of all marks due to repairing and reusing what they have had since the heresy. The BAC set is perfect. Make three squads of marines (they all come with knives too), a dreadnought, five cataphractii terminators with lightning claws, and convert the captain to have claws too (or buy tyberos). Then grab some transports (pods, rhinos, etc), some more heavies (centurions) and you will have a fluffy assault based army.

My army uses many meltas and flames in place of grav too. Grav is better, but less fluffy as the sharks like to assault.