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Out of all of the Space Marine chapters, including Chaos, which do you guys think is the most versatile? By versatile, I mean that they support the most number of playstyles. One day I may want to go air, or CC, or heavy psyker, or mechanized, or shooty. I was thinking Ultramarines, because they are the most supported, and seem like they don’t excel at any one thing.

I had considered chaos, but it seems with them, you do tend to overly commit to certain units, plus I also don’t like the lore or models (well, some of them anyway) very much.

Salamanders seem to lend them self to anything really - there chapter tactic allowing you to re-roll something for each unit in each phase allows you to attempt to excel at each phase.

 AaronWilson wrote:
Salamanders seem to lend them self to anything really - there chapter tactic allowing you to re-roll something for each unit in each phase allows you to attempt to excel at each phase.

Important distinction: Shooting & Fight Phase only. This doesn't apply to the Psychic Phase or overwatch in the Charge Phase.

But otherwise, yeah, I'd be inclined to agree.

 GangstaMuffin24 wrote:

 AaronWilson wrote:
Salamanders seem to lend them self to anything really - there chapter tactic allowing you to re-roll something for each unit in each phase allows you to attempt to excel at each phase.

Important distinction: Shooting & Fight Phase only. This doesn't apply to the Psychic Phase or overwatch in the Charge Phase.

But otherwise, yeah, I'd be inclined to agree.

You are correct indeed But it's the "main" two phases I guess? I just couldn't quite think of another chapter tactic that is quite as generic.

In the lore, that'd be ultramarines.

In game, yeah probably salamanders.

For Chaos I'd think it would be Black Legion or Alpha Legion. Since most others have chaos mark/model restrictions. Such as Iron Warriors not being able to take daemons or the 4 "mark" legions.

Own chapter. Then you can switch rules based on what models you are fielding

Hmm.. so then I guess the paint scheme I choose wouldnt matter, right? I was thinking that I would have to paint them a certain way, to get the chapter benefits.

I like the Ultramarines Roman style, I just don’t know if I want to paint them blue.

Raptors. The Loyalist kind, not the spiky ones. Raven Guard Second Founding. Basically take a thousand 21st Century Special Forces dudes, slap power armour on them and dose them with growth hormone. Then give them permission to actually adapt both their tactics and camouflage to suit the mission and Bob's your uncle.

Canon Reasonable Marines. They've been described as using all light infantry strike forces, airborne and armoured columns, depending on the conditions and the mission.

You really can't get much more versatile than those guys.

dbecer01 wrote:
Hmm.. so then I guess the paint scheme I choose wouldnt matter, right? I was thinking that I would have to paint them a certain way, to get the chapter benefits.

I like the Ultramarines Roman style, I just don’t know if I want to paint them blue.

Why you think non-official colour schemes for...Well everything...become ever so popular? Precisely to be able to swap codex/chapter. Today ultramarine, tomorrow grey knights(well not these days anymore...)

Thanks guys. I may start by adding some space marines to my current IG army, so I can have a faster playing army.

You'd have a hard time changing SM into GK. The standard weapon load outs are too different. Other than that yeah, one SM chapter pretty much has the same options/weapons as another chapter.

Leo_the_Rat wrote:
You'd have a hard time changing SM into GK. The standard weapon load outs are too different. Other than that yeah, one SM chapter pretty much has the same options/weapons as another chapter.

Some inventive converting. Seen it done in 5th ed

Renegades from the cam book
Can do a decent lust for each god and while it does push getting close to the enemy it can do a decent shooty list.

 AaronWilson wrote:
Salamanders seem to lend them self to anything really - there chapter tactic allowing you to re-roll something for each unit in each phase allows you to attempt to excel at each phase.

That's why I love my Salamanders.

In the fluff they are very versatile, I would like to think that's one of the reasons they were targeted by Horus (same for Raven Guard and Iron Hands).

The re-roll makes them very effective shooting and fighting.

We'll see what happens when the codex drops but Dark Angels have always been pretty versatile. They've had a nice mix of speed, shooting, punching, and psychic attacks since 3rd edition. Their flyers are sub par, but they've got good stuff everywhere else.

Bonus: You get to paint three distinct color schemes instead of every single dude looking the same.

Biggest Bonus: battle robes.

One thing not noted is the flexability you can get from Ultramarines due to their special characters and warlord trait. while their chapter tactics are nothing special, the Ultramarines warlord trait is a good one for command points spending, and Ultramarines can get a truely disgusting number of command points, A Ultramarines battalion led by Gullian is going to have a disgusting 9 CPs. regaining any spent ones on a 5+

this also means that a Ultramarine task force can, if lead by Gulliman or Calgar make use of vanguard or similer detachments without having to suffer a heavy CP sacrifice. This can make for a space marine army with suprising flexability.

BrianDavion wrote:
One thing not noted is the flexability you can get from Ultramarines due to their special characters and warlord trait. while their chapter tactics are nothing special, the Ultramarines warlord trait is a good one for command points spending, and Ultramarines can get a truely disgusting number of command points, A Ultramarines battalion led by Gullian is going to have a disgusting 9 CPs. regaining any spent ones on a 5+

this also means that a Ultramarine task force can, if lead by Gulliman or Calgar make use of vanguard or similer detachments without having to suffer a heavy CP sacrifice. This can make for a space marine army with suprising flexability.

Black legion can be just as flexible with abbadon.

Alpha legion in lore are THE most versatile, every marine trained to do just about anything, need havocs but can do without the bikers? well just tell the bikers to get off their bikes and grab a heavy weapon.
Crunch wise they do better as a shooty army, but can close the gap if they want to quite safely or start some models close up for a sweet first turn charge.

Champion of Slaanesh wrote:

BrianDavion wrote:
One thing not noted is the flexability you can get from Ultramarines due to their special characters and warlord trait. while their chapter tactics are nothing special, the Ultramarines warlord trait is a good one for command points spending, and Ultramarines can get a truely disgusting number of command points, A Ultramarines battalion led by Gullian is going to have a disgusting 9 CPs. regaining any spent ones on a 5+

this also means that a Ultramarine task force can, if lead by Gulliman or Calgar make use of vanguard or similer detachments without having to suffer a heavy CP sacrifice. This can make for a space marine army with suprising flexability.

Black legion can be just as flexible with abbadon.

Not quite, as there is a degree of synergy between the UM warlord trait that the Black Legion does not posess.

the Ultramarine warlord trait has you roll a 1d6 and on a 5+ you get a CP back, the black legion has Death to the false emperor activating on a 5 or 6. this DOES give the UMs a slight edge in use of stratigiums.

It's just a differant way to look at it. TLDR if you wanna use a lot of stratigiums and CP re-rolls play UMs

 GangstaMuffin24 wrote:

 AaronWilson wrote:
Salamanders seem to lend them self to anything really - there chapter tactic allowing you to re-roll something for each unit in each phase allows you to attempt to excel at each phase.

Important distinction: Shooting & Fight Phase only. This doesn't apply to the Psychic Phase or overwatch in the Charge Phase.

But otherwise, yeah, I'd be inclined to agree.

You can re-roll a single failed hit roll and a single failed wound roll made for a Salamanders unit with this tactic each time it shoots or fights.

So no psychic power buffing, but it works on overwatch shots.