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Hi guys,

My local gaming club is starting up a 30k escalation Campaign. With no new hobby project planned, i'm thinking of jumping in.

At the moment, i'm contemplating starting up Ultramarines - I like their iconography, and they seem no-where near as bland as their 40k counterparts. By all accounts they have some solid rules all around rules.

So...what will I need to get started? Which books includes the rules for this Legion? Are all the rules I'll need in Book 5? Is there a base-rulebook, or does it just use the 40k book?

Aside from that, I wanted to order my first batch of models at the same time. The beginning restrictions on forces are 150pts on HQ, 200 points elsewhere. So pretty much just a skirmish.

I'm not too worried about power-gaming etc, I'd just like some fun and fluffy models to use. Firstly, can I use a command squad as my compulsory HQ choice? Can I get them decent kitted out for 150 points?

Then I was thinking of getting a Recon Squad, 10 man Tactical Squad, 5 man Tactical Support Squad and a Rhino. This should give me enough models to form a decent base to build from, right?


Thanks for the help guys.

Book-wise you'll need Book 5, the Crusade Army List and the main 40k rulebook.

Command Squads cannot be taken as a compulsory HQ choice.

Also I really have to recommend Betrayal at Calth for you models. Though it contains way more than 350 pts you can very easily just start by choosing to build and paint a small number of models from the box for your first 350 pts. You can easily build a tactical squad and support squad without any conversion work (you'd just need 2 more guns for the support squad, assuming you are equipping them with flamers, meltaguns or plasma guns) and with some effort you could probably convert a recon squad from some of the marines in the box. You'd have to buy the rhino separately, though.

30k uses the basic 40k rulebook plus the Age of Darkness FOC/Missions with the Legion Crusade Army list. You can get the most recent version of the Crusade Army List in the redbook from Forgeworld but you'll need to pick up Book 5:Tempest for the Ultramarines rules(or be willing to wait for the reprint of the Legiones Astartes compilation which should include the Ultras.).

I'm not at all certain that the Crusade Army List is at all suited to small skirmishes, but if that's your clubs call and you are all on the same page I'm sure you can muddle through.

The trouble with your selection of models is that only the tactical squad can fill a compulsory troops slot which is fine for a non standard FOC skirmish but a poor base for a standard 2 minimum troops game. I'd personally recommend either picking up Calth and then blowing your Forgeworld budget on the more exciting Legion specific stuff/vehicles or if you must have Resin then going for one of the big tactical squad bundles gives you more than enough for your present points limit and 2 of the best and most fluffy troops choices.

Hate to point it out but BaC will give you two vet squads and a 10 man tactical or 3 ten man tacs, or one 20 man and a ten man Tac squad. Plus some cataphract termies. I would hold off buying any new minis until you get the red book and the book with UM rules in it and then figure out your big order from FW. There is no one way to play and it will keep you from spending a lot of money for units that you find useless down the road.

350 points? That would be tough for me, my favorite HQ is 325. 30k is meant to be played at 2000-2500 so I hope your league escalates fairly quickly.

 Toofast wrote:
350 points? That would be tough for me, my favorite HQ is 325. 30k is meant to be played at 2000-2500 so I hope your league escalates fairly quickly.

Yeah, we've got a modified skirmish battle-system for the first few rounds (till about 500 points).

Then things pick up, final rounds will be at 2,500 in many months time.

I played 500 point modified games pretty successfully with my legion lists. We were only required to have 1+ troop, 0-1 hq, fa,hs, el,with one floater slot no vehicles with a modified facing of greater than 12, no models with 2+ saves or more than 3 wounds, the exception being nid warriors. None of that cheesy crap about fielding a knight at such low points. Also played on a 4x4. At such low point games there has to be force org rules to limit what people can bring especially in a group that is fairly large and diverse.

If I remember right, I fielded a blob with a apothecary and a heavy support squad with volkite. I think. Night Lords legion rules.

Works great because pretty much no one expects a 20 man PA blob at 500 points, especially with FNP then with fire support from the volkite you can glance anything on the board.

Belly wrote:

 Toofast wrote:
350 points? That would be tough for me, my favorite HQ is 325. 30k is meant to be played at 2000-2500 so I hope your league escalates fairly quickly.

Yeah, we've got a modified skirmish battle-system for the first few rounds (till about 500 points).

Then things pick up, final rounds will be at 2,500 in many months time.

I wish I could do a league that lasted longer than a month. In the past year we've started several leagues and it seems like interest drops off at a certain point and people just stopped showing.

 Toofast wrote:

Belly wrote:

 Toofast wrote:
350 points? That would be tough for me, my favorite HQ is 325. 30k is meant to be played at 2000-2500 so I hope your league escalates fairly quickly.

Yeah, we've got a modified skirmish battle-system for the first few rounds (till about 500 points).

Then things pick up, final rounds will be at 2,500 in many months time.

I wish I could do a league that lasted longer than a month. In the past year we've started several leagues and it seems like interest drops off at a certain point and people just stopped showing.

Well, we'll see how this one goes.

It's escalation, and there's a game every month. I imagine most of the regulars will be having pick up games with their growing forces in the off weeks.