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Hi everyone! I'm a bit of a novice with 40k but I've had a few games with different armies with friends and have a bit of a feel for the game now.

So I've decided to start an Imperial Fists force, purely because I love the paint scheme (much to other's distaste, I know) and the chapter tactics are pretty awesome too. I've got the codex and having worked out roughly what I wanted to use I have bought the following models:

3x tactical marines boxes
1x combat squad box
2x devastator squad box
1x rhino
1x scouts squad
1x captain model (the free one with power fist and storm bolter)

My question is, how should I kit this lot out to make a small playable and fun army? Which special and heavy weapons should I go with?

Thanks in advance!

This is gonna be long... but I enjoy helping people save time and money as they first get into the hobby

First of all, you should start with a small force (1000 points), and tune it to your play-style. I would recommend that you invest in some additional transports as you determine what troops you prefer to field. If you like how the scouts perform, pick up a land speeder storm. If you like the Tacticals better, add another Rhino, etc.

Anyway, as for the models you have, here's some things that Imperial Fists can make good use of:

Scouts - All bolters, all day long. You get Bolter Drill (and "Close Range Bolter Drill" if you're playing as the 3rd Co. in the Sentinels of Terra supplement) which helps counter the fact that they are BS3. You can probably salvage some bolters from the other kits if you're a few short (I think they might only give you 4 because they also include shotguns?) I think very quickly you will like how they do and will be investing in a Land Speeder Storm. (If you do, and you're creative with your basing/modeling you can take the scouts that are supposed to sit inside the transport, and put them on bases to add another 5 bodies to your army! haha Just sit them on some rocks or crates or something). Don't forget that for 55 points though, 5 of them can outflank giving you line breaker and steal an objective fairly easily.

Devastators - Unfortunately I think you only get 2 lascannons in each box... but since you have 2 boxes you'll have 4. I would take lascannons all the time; 4 tank-hunter lascannon shots are great... almost a guaranteed kill on something. Save the rest of the bits honestly until you figure out how you like to run your Tactical Squads, and use them to fill in for a heavy weapon there.

Rhino - As for the rhino, just make sure to leave the top magnetized or just not glued down so that you can swap it with the razorback top at will (allows you to make both models in that kit). Also, I'd attach the smoke launchers and searchlight to it so that you don't forget it has them for free lol! Also, build the little gunner with the storm bolter to put on top (don't glue the hatch on) so that if you run it as a Rhino you'll remember that it has that too for free (but not the razorback).

Tactical Squad - So this is where play-testing is going to determine what you build... leave a few without their special weapon (proxy them) until you find what you prefer. The main thing to think about is dedicating the squad to accomplishing a set task... pairing a special weapon and it's respective combi together, not including a heavy weapon on a unit in a rhino that has to be constantly moving, etc. Here are some load-outs I like:

* Plasma, Combi-Plasma, Rhino (10 marines) - good for always moving and getting into a position to shoot armor 2+ models or MCs. Keep them back far enough from assault units, but remember they can move and rapid fire both plasma guns from the hatch. Don't bog them down with a heavy weapon. Melta bombs aren't necessary seeing as your objective is to keep them mobile and out of combat. Ringing in at a solid 200 points, it's my favorite option.

* Melta, Combi-Melta, Melta bombs, Rhino (10 marines) - Drive up close to another transport, prepare to get wrecked and then charged by the contents of the vehicle you explode (and possibly a MC).

* Lascannon (5 marines) - For just 90 points, this unit sits back in cover (scores) on an objective and just annoys the enemy. Not a bad way to spend some leftover points. I wouldn't do this with any other special weapon though. The reason it works is the lascannon is just deadly enough to be a threat; other special weapons will be ignored.

* Avoid grav guns on Tactical Squads... they look great on paper, but you're probably going to always be moving... so you'll only get 2 shots and the range is worse than plasma.

* It's probably safe to assemble some marines with melta and combi-melta weapons, as you can always pick up a drop pod and use them as Sternguard (a great "alpha strike" unit is 5 in a drop pod with melta/combi-meltas).

HQ - This is the tough one... I'd say since you're just starting, use this guy as-is and give him some artificer armor. Until you define the real style of the army you're going for, picking an HQ can be a challenge. Also, if this guy is a Captain, he unlocks the command squad... which is a great way to get 5 special weapons in one unit!

Hope that helps!

On a side note, if you haven't opened everything, maybe consider building the things above and return some unused things to a local GW store for store credit and pick up some different things?



Automatically Appended Next Post:
A decent starting list would be something like this:

HQ (140 points)
Captain - artificer armor, storm bolter, power fist

Troops (555 points)
Tactical Squad (10) - combi-plasma, plasma, rhino
Tactical Squad (10) - combi-plasma, plasma, rhino
Scout Squad (10) - all bolters, Land Speeder Storm w/heavy flamer (combat squad 5 in the speeder, and 5 outflanking)

Fast (125)
Stormtalon - Skyhammer missiles

Heavy (178 ponts)
Devastator Squad (7) - 4x lascannons, 3x bolters (just there for ablative wounds)

Total: 998 points

You can almost build this from what you have now, if you return a few things (again, not sure if it's an option). You would need to pick up a Stormtalon, Rhino, and Land Speeder Storm. If you returned the Combat Squad box for the Land Speeder Storm and 1 Tactical Squad for the Stormtalon, you would really only be looking at buying another Rhino. Just a thought.

Thanks for your reply, it was really informative!

As for what kits I have so far I'm not sure that I can return/exchange anything. I was sort of going with the 1000 points theme with what I picked up yeah, I think I can cover that with what I have with some variation?

I was going to set up my devastator squads as one with 4 lascannons, one with 4 missile launchers, using the combat squad box marines as bodies in front to soak up wounds.

I like the idea of plasma guns and combi-plasma over the other special weapons definitely. But would you not recommend using plasma cannons in tactical squads as the heavy weapon choice?

With the Scouts - I was planning on infiltrating them into some cover on the other side of the table with a heavy bolter and having some fun annoying my opponent basically.

I agree I need to get another rhino to put another tac squad into for survivability. That leaves one tac squad to hold backfield objectives possibly combat squading, or footslogging it across the board.

What should I do with the Captain, should I attach him to a tac squad of 9 marines in a rhino, or leave him on his own?

First, Welcome to Dakka.

Solid advice above. I might do things a little differently, but there are as many way to play marines as there are players.

You probably have more marine bodies then you need. This is actually not a bad thing. The Dev boxes have 8 guns, and only 5-6 bodies (depending on if you have spare bits to flesh them out, should be 6 legs, 5 torsos IIRC) So rather then proxying or magnetizing, you can just build them all.

I’d give priority to the HBs and LCs. While heavy bolters have a bad rep, they can put some hurt downrange. With bolter drill and tank hunter, they can cause some havoc. Tank hunting lascannons are pretty self explanatory.

One of my primary tac squads is a Multimelta/meltagun, combi-melta sarge in a pod or rhino. They have served me well.

I also field a missile launcher/flamer one. It’s classic, but probably not the most efficient.

A solid base to a squad is matching the sarge’s combi weapon with the squad special. If/what heavy to pair with them is debatable. If you are planning on combat squadding back, a LC or PC is a safe bet. If you are going to be moving up the table, a HB or MM works. Or taking none, to save points.

With what you have:

Captain

10 man MM/M c-melta tac rhino
10 man PC/P c-plasma tac
Scouts (bolters)

5 man Dev, 4xHB
5 man Dev 4xLC

I don’t have my codex on hand, but if you have more points, getting extra bodies for the dev squads is a place to spend them.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

gunnerff9 wrote:
Thanks for your reply, it was really informative!

As for what kits I have so far I'm not sure that I can return/exchange anything. I was sort of going with the 1000 points theme with what I picked up yeah, I think I can cover that with what I have with some variation?

I was going to set up my devastator squads as one with 4 lascannons, one with 4 missile launchers, using the combat squad box marines as bodies in front to soak up wounds.

I like the idea of plasma guns and combi-plasma over the other special weapons definitely. But would you not recommend using plasma cannons in tactical squads as the heavy weapon choice?

With the Scouts - I was planning on infiltrating them into some cover on the other side of the table with a heavy bolter and having some fun annoying my opponent basically.

I agree I need to get another rhino to put another tac squad into for survivability. That leaves one tac squad to hold backfield objectives possibly combat squading, or footslogging it across the board.

What should I do with the Captain, should I attach him to a tac squad of 9 marines in a rhino, or leave him on his own?

MLs are a good jack of all trades, master of none weapon. I’m falling out of favor with them, but they do have their uses.

The problem with plasma cannons is that you can’t snap fire them on the move. Tactical squads are almost always in motion. They work if you plan on combat squadding in half, leaving the PC and 4 guys back to camp an objective.

That should be a good tactic for the scouts. Just don’t get too overextended, of they might get snuffed.

Buy a razorback over the rhino kit. It’s a few extra bucks, but you can swap between them with minimal fuss. Sticking a captain and half a tactical squad in a razor is not a bad option.

Captains on foot are a little “meh” unfortunately. He’s a close combat character without good backup or way to get into combat. I like full 10 man squads for the options, which makes it hard to stick him in a rhino. A drop pod with sternguard is a pretty good place for him, but that’s in the future.

Thanks to the IF chapter trait, the missile devastators with flakk missiles make decent anti-air (and that's the only reason you should take missile launchers, for other purposes lascannons are much better). I'd leave heavy bolters for tacticals; Devastators should utilise the tank hunter special rule, and that means lascannons or flakk missiles.

One thing you might want to consider is to built some of your tacticals as Sternguard (or just get the Sternguard kit to spice them up, it has a ton of extra bits) and run your Captain as counts-as Pedro Kantor; the model has the right equipment for that.