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So I wanted to create a thread for everyone to discuss what they think is the best or most OP Chapter tactic for the new space marines.

Now I know most are situational but explain why you think its the best,

I like Salamanders cause your shooting becomes that much more reliable in a shooting game.

I like salamanders a lot, or the salamanders part successor tactic.

I think it largely depends on what the extra supplement rule they get is. It's effectively part of the chapter tactic so without knowing them all it's hard to say. Secondly it largely depends on the list you want to run. Certain tactics will run certain lists better. Imperial Fists will do very well with a list built around lots of bolters, but less so for one that does not feature them heavily.

The much praised Iron Hand one loses 1/3rd of it's use if you don't use any vehicles, but if you do use vehicles heavily then it's a great tactic. Salamanders synergize very well with low ROF, hard hitting weapons and less so high rof light hitting weapons.

 ph34r wrote:
I like salamanders a lot, or the salamanders part successor tactic.

As do I. It's by far the least situational trait. You don't have to always build for it. Every unit hits and wounds and will tend to fail at least 1 roll per unit, so the trait is basically "active" every single time you do something with a unit.

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I'm tinkering with creating my own chaptet with a samurai type theme. I'm either going full on Salamanders or going successor with Master Artisans and Born Heroes.
Going to wait to see Sally supplement first.

#1 trait - Ironhands is the easier to work with. Every unit in the space marine army loves getting 17% more durable. Overwatching on 5's is great too as space marine units are rarely hitting first in CC unless it is a counter charge. It's really covering your weaknesses the most.

#2 TraitImeprial fist is probably better offensively than salamanders if you include a lot of bolt weapons (which are most of your weapons honestly) I'd take them over salamanders.

#3 Trait Ultramarines... have amazing supplement and super doctrine but their tactic requires CP to really make worthwhile. With 1 cp though it becomes an amazing trait. Lets you act as normal when falling back - this takes it from one of the worst traits to somewhere in the middle.

#4 Trait Crimson fists - best anti horde trait. Imperial fists is way better though.

#5 Trait -Salamanders is just kinda meh. The AP-1 is pretty situational - it's really just other marine armies spamming the ap-1. It is something though. The rerolls are cool and on things like dreads are fantastic...it's just...marines have 0 shortage of rerolls. It allows units to function separate from your main force but I'd rather send a 5 man intercessor on a suicide mission than a dread...

#6 Trait Whitescars is the best CC oriented trait - Works great with fly keyword units because you can fallback shoot and charge.

# 7 Trait Templars...ehhh they need a good super doctrine to even consider over white scars. I guess they are the best deepstrike chargers...That is just super risky. Mortal wound reliance...ehh.

Running a vehicle heavy list Salamanders are great cause of the degrading they can reroll a miss from their heavys if its in a low degrading profile.

ballzonya wrote:
Running a vehicle heavy list Salamanders are great cause of the degrading they can reroll a miss from their heavys if its in a low degrading profile.

Or you just go iron hands and count as double wounds for degrading profiles and need to be effectively killed to be not a threat.

 Xenomancers wrote:
#5 Trait -Salamanders is just kinda meh. The AP-1 is pretty situational - it's really just other marine armies spamming the ap-1. It is something though. The rerolls are cool and on things like dreads are fantastic...it's just...marines have 0 shortage of rerolls. It allows units to function separate from your main force but I'd rather send a 5 man intercessor on a suicide mission than a dread...

My son plays Salamanders and from our experience, even with a Capt & Lt nearby, 2s happen enough that the Trait rerolls make a big difference even then. 5 Intercerssors hitting on 3s with reroll 1s to hit AND reroll a single hit roll (of 2 in this case) makes than just about all of them hit. Same for the wounds.

IMO, what makes the Sallie trait so good is that, unlike other traits, you do no need a specific circumstance to be in play (like being in melee to fall back, or using bolters, or being outnumbered, or using bikes, etc). The trait works for every unit and every weapon type. The net result ends up being better long term than just a few gimmicks that happen occasionally

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I'm torn between starting an army of Ultramarines, Iron Hands, or Imperial Fists...

But the conversation above has me also considering Salamanders.

Decisions decisions...

 Galef wrote:

 Xenomancers wrote:
#5 Trait -Salamanders is just kinda meh. The AP-1 is pretty situational - it's really just other marine armies spamming the ap-1. It is something though. The rerolls are cool and on things like dreads are fantastic...it's just...marines have 0 shortage of rerolls. It allows units to function separate from your main force but I'd rather send a 5 man intercessor on a suicide mission than a dread...

My son plays Salamanders and from our experience, even with a Capt & Lt nearby, 2s happen enough that the Trait rerolls make a big difference even then. 5 Intercerssors hitting on 3s with reroll 1s to hit AND reroll a single hit roll (of 2 in this case) makes than just about all of them hit. Same for the wounds.

IMO, what makes the Sallie trait so good is that, unlike other traits, you do no need a specific circumstance to be in play (like being in melee to fall back, or using bolter, or being outnumbered, or using bikes). The trait works for every unit and every weapon type. The net result ends up being better long term than just a few gimmicks that happen occasionally

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Yeah the trait probably is good enough to say - "I don't even need a chapter master." So that is a big bonus. One of the few traits that does anything for non bolters. (crimson fists can sometimes). The reason I would prefer crimson fists is it gives you additional offense potentially. Where the Salamanders trait can only ever reroll to make 100%. Example. Take 20 shots - get 26 hits. When you are rerolling all your hits you will quite often hit with practically everything.

That's fair. Another reason I really like Salamanders (or Master Artisans) is to mitigate poor dice rolling, which both my sons exaggerate as the thing the get most upset about. My UM son rolls more 1's than I've ever seen.

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I'm hoping there's some serious melee potential in the BT supplement because otherwise we'll remain stuck with a Chapter Tactic that's pretty good without anything worthwhile to use it with.

 AlmightyWalrus wrote:
I'm hoping there's some serious melee potential in the BT supplement because otherwise we'll remain stuck with a Chapter Tactic that's pretty good without anything worthwhile to use it with.

You think? I'm looking at using the BA as successors with Whirlwind of Rage and Hunger for Battle. Seems better than current BA tactics. I'm not that crazy about SG or DC.

Im liking the Iron hands as far as chapter tactics goes.

But painting black is boring.