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I run Dark Angels, so I was thinking about deep striking assault marines making use of the homing beacons to have an extremely mobile army that could shore up weakness with reserved assault marines where I need them.

I was thinking RW command squad, with Sammael, and RW bike squads, MSU combat squadded.

Some camping dev squads with ML or Las to camp back objectives and deal with armor that the TL Plasma can't deal with,

And throwing 3-4x flamer squads to deep strike where I need the extra support.


Any idea how this would fair against popular lists?



Edit/updatE:

Now I've got to thinking about it, one of my issues is I suck at deployment strategy....

So why not make a super mobile bike list, and take ally Scions to get done what you need to... Would allow for a really dynamics list, no?

I was debating how to use assault marines effectively given this new change. I think, first, they REALLY benefit from Raven Guard Tactics from the current Space Marine Codex.

For deep strike, I worry that they face the "Shoot it off" problem. They're fragile and easily destroyed, and they don't put out much dakka on arrival. I think they have to be on the board, probably, to be effective.

ALOT of Assault marines might be able to do something, but they still lack alot of the punch they had before. As skirmishing side units (particularly for maelstrom of war). They can be really effective at controlling the flanks (especially if you go very strong in the middle of the board).

That being said, I still think they're a little too squishy to accomplish much on their own, and even 3 bikes is cheaper and likely covers objectives better (and can get two grav guns, plasma guns, etc., and they're still sub-par in such a small squad).

For low point value raven guard lists, I think you'll get the best bang for your buck with Assault Marines.

If by "viable" you mean comparable to even semi-competitive lists of better codices, the short answer is that you can't. The game isn't balanced well enough to do that IMO (cue Ailaros's indignation about Berzerkers if he shows up in this thread )

I'm not even trying to soapbox and be butthurt because my army sucks, I just see it as objective fact and I still have fun losing every Saturday because my friends make the game fun. Any assault marine list that you could come up with, I could think up a way to blow it out of the water with a superior, non-assault list from another codex to the point where you never even had a chance. Even the CSM semi-shooty monolist could wreck an assault marine list.

Not trying to be Debby Downer, just saiyan.

Assault Marines face the continuing problem of not being very good at assault, in a game that favours shooting over assault anyway.

BA players take them at the moment sans jump packs to get objective secured Land Raiders. That's about the best use for them.

I think splashing a squad of assault marines into a list is fine for most levels of play. I would not focus a whole list around them though.

They are a good way to boost your drop pod count.
They work as a fast moving bully unit, and paired flamers can burn a lot of irritating things out of cover.
With a chaplain boosting them, they can actually take down moderately strong things.

The big problem is that bikes are just better in almost every way. And that’s a big hurdle to overcome if you are putting together a competitive army. It’s not the cost of taking assault marines, but the opportunity cost of not taking more bikes.

The only way assault marines can hold a candle to bikes is if you're playing with lots of impassable terrain for them to hide behind and leap over.

-Matt

 HawaiiMatt wrote:
The only way assault marines can hold a candle to bikes is if you're playing with lots of impassable terrain for them to hide behind and leap over.

-Matt

This. A 1000x this. If your board is just made up of hills, ruins, and forests don't bother. Put some wide LOS blocking walls on the table and you'll start seeing their value. Otherwise bikes are just better.

I still use Veteran assault squads. I found that loading them into a Stromraven is the best way to go. It gives me the best chance of getting them to the fight i choose at 100%. All other methods of use to me seem to end in my assault troops taking casualties before then get to charge. Add a Dreadnought to take the overwatch shots and the Assaulters have a clear run up.

Assault marines, nay assault units just aren't that strong. But they still have a plaxe in a list. Why? They certainly aren't efficient, but they do their job fast. For example, although assault marines do less damage on a turn by turn basis then rapid firing marines, they also do damage on your opponents turn. So they can be useful - but never try to make a whole army centered on them. They just aren't efficient enough.