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My friends say that space marines suck. one doesn't even collect yet. The other collects necrons.
They say space marines are:
bad
hive minded
stupid
bad because they only have bullet firing guns
the worst race
slaughtering innocent tyranids
etc
etc
help meeeeeeeeeee.

Well, they're wrong on several counts.

Marines also have lascannons, plasma weapons, melta weapons, flamethrowers, rocket launchers... so not just 'bullet firing guns'.

Even their guns that do fire bullets fire the most awesome bullets ever. They're explosive mini-rockets. How badass is that?

As for 'hive minded', and 'innocent tyranids', it sounds like your friends are very, very confused.

 megatombuscus wrote:
My friends say that space marines suck. one doesn't even collect yet. The other collects necrons.
They say space marines are:
bad
hive minded
stupid
bad because they only have bullet firing guns
the worst race
slaughtering innocent tyranids
etc
etc
help meeeeeeeeeee.

Bad? Debatable it depends on which chapters
hive minded? Not sure what that really means
stupid? Yes, instead of inovating their technology they are doing the opposite
only bullet firing guns? No there are other races that fire solid projectiles (eldar, DE, Nids, Soul Grinders for Daemons, IG, CSM, AS, all the other human races, tau missles, orks, etc.)
The worste race? Well currently orks are the worste right now
slaughtering innocent tyranids? Hey they started it!
Etc.
etc.

From a game play perspective, marines are a solid, middle of the road army. They lack the “cheese” builds that tend to dominate competitive play, and tend the be the army everyone plans to beat. But that does not make them bad. They define “average"

They are fanatical, indoctrinated, zealous warrior-monks; but not hive minded.

It sounds like your friends have been spending a little too long in the dark corners of the internet. They tend to spawn echo chambers, where it becomes cool to hate something, and that feeds back on itself to gain a life of its own.

"It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing"

Their morality is certainly questionable, and their foreign policy is a touch off-centre.

Space marine canon is chocka with examples of whole chapters buggering off and doing their own thing.

They are only as interesting as you make them, however - have a read of some gw fiction and you'll get the idea.

They may be jealous that marines are inexpensive, can handle any threat with the right list, and very efficient at what they do. Their cheapest unit is the equal of many army's elites. And those bullets - actually tiny explosive shells. Just as effective at putting down a filthy xeno as any shiny laser beam.

Your mates sound absolutely terrible at trash talking.

 A GumyBear wrote:

 megatombuscus wrote:
My friends say that space marines suck. one doesn't even collect yet. The other collects necrons.
They say space marines are:
bad
hive minded
stupid
bad because they only have bullet firing guns
the worst race
slaughtering innocent tyranids
etc
etc
help meeeeeeeeeee.

Bad? Debatable it depends on which chapters
hive minded? Not sure what that really means
stupid? Yes, instead of inovating their technology they are doing the opposite
only bullet firing guns? No there are other races that fire solid projectiles (eldar, DE, Nids, Soul Grinders for Daemons, IG, CSM, AS, all the other human races, tau missles, orks, etc.)
The worste race? Well currently orks are the worste right now
slaughtering innocent tyranids? Hey they started it!
Etc.
etc.

Blood angels are the worst...

 megatombuscus wrote:
1: bad
2: hive minded
3: stupid
4: bad because they only have bullet firing guns
5: the worst race
6: slaughtering innocent tyranids

1: Be more specific. Are they saying marines aren't very good in tabletop or something?
2: No, that's Tyranids.
3: Some marines are pretty unintelligent, yes. Not necessarily all of them.
4: Actually they don't fire bullets. They fire two-stage shells. The first stage is much like a shotgun slug, the second stage is like a rocket, and activates immediately after leaving the barrel. The rocket propulsion ensures maximum penetration power and also ensures accuracy over longer distances. Finally, even if you consider that a "bullet", I'd like to point out that these "bullets" (shells, really) are designed to explode an instant after penetration, so that they blow open a hole within the enemy's body, causing massive wounds. In the modern world, such a design is unnecessary and overly expensive and complex. But in 40k, it is necessary and works because we need the extra firepower and killing power against creatures like Orks.
5: Homo Sapiens Astartes is a species, not a race.
6: Pfft... ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah... haaaaaa... you said "innocent" Tyranids. Hee.

I think if you want a serious answer The Horus Heresy will give you the most in depth response about conflicting morals.

Bad is a very situational word, remember there are no good guys in 40k, just points of view

 FinecastPraisesNurgle wrote:


...and their foreign policy is a touch off-centre.

I actually did a LOL

If they're talking you out of collecting them, maybe it's a good idea they started this
Either they want them, and want you to get an army other than SM.
Or, they're belittling them, hoping you'll 'see the light' and grab some.

Or, there's the chance they've been mislead or heard wrong themselves.

On the table, SM armies are the most diverse, if you stick to Power Armoured (ignoring scouts) way of playing.

Nothing in the Universe is either good or bad, but rather the human mind interprets something as Good or Bad. In reality, all things are just different from other things. Not good or bad, just different. And it's only when we frame this question in terms of whether an action/expression contributes to or detracts from your own individual existence in this life in this form, that you consider something good or bad. Good if it extends it, such as love, food, warmth, feeling good, etc. and bad if it takes away from it, like violence, sickness, hate, stress, anxiety, fear, etc. so within this frame of mind, things can be subjectively good or bad. but in reality even you being sick or dying is just a different manifestion/expression of the Universe, just a different experience. like how you go from a waking state to dream state every day when you sleep and awake. same kind of relevance. therefore, once you realize that death just means the "death" of your form, your expression as such, but that your conciousness, what some call soul, lives on and will express itself in some other form, then you will realize that the whole framework of what defines good and bad to an individual, which depended on the notion that death is unfavorable, is not true. for death is not the end, just a different experience. therefore nothing is good or bad. it just is what it is. and therefore all good.

There's something I really like about the Emperor's finest being challenged and outgunned by the Xenos.

Makes it all the more entertaining when superior tactics and calculated risks win out

Are we talking bad as in bad gameplay, bad as in bad competitively, or bad as in "that man kicked my puppy" morality bad?

 Tigurius wrote:
There's something I really like about the Emperor's finest being challenged and outgunned by the Xenos.

Makes it all the more entertaining when superior tactics and calculated risks win out

Besides, if you didn't want to be outgunned you'd play Imperial guard, where you have far, FAR more guns than is reasonable.

Or Orks, whom have far more guns than is reasonable and whose guns fire far too often to be reasonable.

I have a feeling a lot of people are being successfully trolled...

That sounds like someone is either trolling or afraid of marines and don't want to face them.

"Space marines suck"

Depends on what they would define as "not-suck".

Tau
Eldar
Necrons

In somewhat order can destroy or give big problems to the SM armies at least Codex - wise.

Fluff - they are supposed to be what keeps the Imperium of man alive.

They may want to look at grey knights who are supposed to be the pinnacle of space marines.

I would agree with "Overlord Thraka" that either your opponents have no clue on marines or are afraid you will get them and start caving face...

If it is plain-old "bad" as in evil: it all is pretty much equal all around. Orks are truly mean but they seem to be the only ones having any fun.

 Melissia wrote:

 Tigurius wrote:
There's something I really like about the Emperor's finest being challenged and outgunned by the Xenos.

Makes it all the more entertaining when superior tactics and calculated risks win out

Besides, if you didn't want to be outgunned you'd play Imperial guard, where you have far, FAR more guns than is reasonable.

Or Orks, whom have far more guns than is reasonable and whose guns fire far too often to be reasonable.

How to win at Orks: Throw lootas at the problem until it goes away. And throw PK nobs or boyz at the rest.

There are limits to how many S7 shots something can take. And what can take Lootas (That is, AV14) dies to PKs.

ah jes veri hard army omg

OP:
a space marine list just finished second at the vegas open. I could go om and list reasons the space marine army is good, but meh.
your friends sound like they don't know much about the game, or the setting/fluff.

SMs traditionally are not seen as a powerful army and this derives from a number of factors.

Firstly, the variant SM armies like Space Wolves are often better, which makes vanilla SMs look bad.

Secondly, everyone and their dog has an SM army, so there are lots of them around and at every tournament. (That means they lose a lot of games just because they are in a lot of games.)

Thirdly, because of factor two, everyone has to fight lots of SM armies, so you put plenty of stuff into your army to fight SMs with. That makes the meta-game a bit tougher for SMs than it ought to be.

They aren't so bad, though. They have got some good stuff going for them.

Are your friends also between the ages of 8 and 10 years old?

 Brother SRM wrote:
Are your friends also between the ages of 8 and 10 years old?

sounds like it

 Talizvar wrote:
"Space marines suck"

Depends on what they would define as "not-suck".

Tau
Eldar
Necrons

In somewhat order can destroy or give big problems to the SM armies at least Codex - wise.

Fluff - they are supposed to be what keeps the Imperium of man alive.

They may want to look at grey knights who are supposed to be the pinnacle of space marines.

I would agree with "Overlord Thraka" that either your opponents have no clue on marines or are afraid you will get them and start caving face...

If it is plain-old "bad" as in evil: it all is pretty much equal all around. Orks are truly mean but they seem to be the only ones having any fun.

Daemons are actually ahead of necrons

Marines dodged a bullet on the Tyranid codex. Up until that codex, EVERY Xeno 6th ed codex was better than EVERY meq codex. But the jury is still out. The more games I see C:SM in, the less impressed I become.

I really, really dislike SM bolter porn fanatism... but despite that, I like Astartes Some are zealous, some are fanatical, some intelligent, reserved...GM is painting them too much like knights, but whatever.
In game? Solid. Good. Some nice models. And despite my aversion - they can look and act badass

Try to read Horus Rising, really good book to look at Astartes.

And of course, change your friends (joke)...friendly bantering is one thing, ostracism just because of army choice (especially fluff wise) completely another.

You like Astartes? Go Astartes!

They are saying space marines are bad all round. Especially blood angels (my army).

I actually remember really liked the 5th edition Space Marine codex, as far as rules go.

It was quite possibly the best example of how every codex should have been, in terms of variety, internal balance, and external balance.

Naturally GW went and cocked that up.

 megatombuscus wrote:
They are saying space marines are bad all round. Especially blood angels (my army).

Yeah the BA are having a having a hard time of it rules wise. Fluff wise the are about a middle of the road chapter with a nasty genetic flaw, but there brother chapter Fleshtears make them look almost saintly.

I am guessing your friends have been reading a lot of haters on the internet. Ignore them, I am sure your army is fine.