Space Marine Horde Army

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**Badablack**

How viable are ork-like horde armies using space marines? Just as many bare bones squads as you can stuff in a list focusing more on staying alive and holding objectives than any damage, footslogging up the field and relying on attrition to outlast enemies.

Black Templars can take 20-man crusader squads for around 250 each, in an average 1850 list you could run 120 bodies for 1500 points with room to spend on force multipliers. They have a FNP/Zealot bubble with their named chaplain HQ but are there any decent allies or formations to increase damage/mobility?

**Nevelon**

The full company gladius.

If you are putting that many bodies on the field, why not get the free transports? Take drop pods and don’t deploy in them, but drop them empty if you want to actually play a footslogging list. They can provide cover, clutter up your foes backfield, etc.

Other thoughts:

Anything that gives you scout/infiltrate.
HQs with bubbles
Librarians have a number of powers that can help.

I don’t have the most recent fortification book, but the bunker slingshot might still be viable. Get a bunker of some sort, with the escape hatch upgrade. Gives you an access point 12” away from the building.

**DoomMouse**

It'd be interesting to see a full battle company in the gladius for once rather than the 5-man squads needed to unlock it. You'd not have much room for upgrades though if playing at 1850pts

Probably the best footslogging horde would be the new world eaters though with their CC buffs and extra movement before turn 1.

**Nevelon**

DoomMouse wrote:
It'd be interesting to see a full battle company in the gladius for once rather than the 5-man squads needed to unlock it. You'd not have much room for upgrades though if playing at 1850pts

Probably the best footslogging horde would be the new world eaters though with their CC buffs and extra movement before turn 1.

Putting a legitimate battle company on the table is on my to-do list. Last time I did it was a few editions ago in a 3k a person apoc game. Every time I try to work out a list, I just cringe at all the cuts I need to make in gear just to get the bodies on the board and still try to cover all my bases. Putting 100+ marines on the table just soaks up soooooo many points that’s not doing much except camping objectives and soaking wounds. And murderizing anything that can be killed with bolters.

Once I get my Guilliman painted I am going to field a blue-tide list. Having the whole command warlord trait list makes for one nice bubble

**DoomMouse**

That does sound fun

**koooaei**

I've once played a full-scout list. Everything had 4+ armor. Just a cad - no formations. Well, it wasn't exactly a horde list but it had 60 scouts and 30 scout bikers in it. Some scouts had mellee loadouts and went in lss - a really solid vehicle. This list won a dropcent list. Mostly cause i got 1-st turn and with full army infiltrate+ scout i killed the backlines and scored a ton of points earlyon. Than i just blinded and eventually downed all the cents.

I think that footslogging and extreme msu is better done with scouts than with tacs.

Other than that you can play black templar + inquisition. They can have more ork-style blobs. Weaker than scouts but look cool.

**Slayer-Fan123**

Yeah Scouts are just so much better than Tactical Marines.

**Munga**

CSM death guard foot sloggers work decently due to their feel no pain. Don't even bother with plague marines, just bring 10 man squads to get access to the heavy weapons. Their army wide buffs of relentless and feel no pain make them quite a pain in the neck to deal with.

**Insectum7**

My most competitive loyalist list is a UM Gladius with Scout Auxiliaries. It comes to 81 models on foot and 11 vehicles. It's been very effective.

**lindsay40k**

Hmm. I've been pondering how I'll approach my Word Bearers formation where you have to take CSM squads. Free Crusader and a couple of Zealot bubbles could make things interesting.

**Slayer-Fan123**

Munga wrote:
CSM death guard foot sloggers work decently due to their feel no pain. Don't even bother with plague marines, just bring 10 man squads to get access to the heavy weapons. Their army wide buffs of relentless and feel no pain make them quite a pain in the neck to deal with.

The Heavy Weapons are bad unless massed though. You still want the second special weapon.

The main point then with Plague Marines vs Vanilla Marines is if you want more special weapons or more bodies.

**CadianGateTroll**

I would spam CSM MoN rather than plague marines. Saving 5 point per marine. Thats not much but it adds up.