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Hi.

Sooo, after years of abstinence from WH40k (quitted in 4th Ed) I've decided to play again. Space Marines! Again.

Here's my start list for 1500 pts. I haven't played a single game yet, so everything is just theory. Suggestions are welcome

HQ
---------
Captain (drop podded with Sternguards to scare off weaker melees)
Storm Shield, Artificer Armor, Teeth of Terra, Melta Bombs
165 pts

Command Squad
Apothecarius, 4 x Grav Guns (or Plasma?)
Drop Pod
210 pts


ELITES
---------
Sternguard Vets
7 x Vets, 3 x Combi-Melta
Drop Pod
229 pts

Ironclad Dreadnought
Drop Pod, locator beacon
190 pts


TROOPS
--------------
Tactical Squad
10 x Marines, Plasma Gun, Plasma Cannon
Rhino (Combat Squad drop 5 Marines with Plasma Gun, Plasma Cannon stays in Rhino)
205 pts

Tactical Squad
10 x Marines, Melta Gun, Multi Melta
Rhino (Combat Squad drop 5 Marines with Melta Gun, Multi Melta stays in Rhino)
195 pts


FAST ATTACK
---------------------
Assault Squad
5 x Marines, 2 x Flamers
Drop Pod
95 pts


HEAVY SUPPORT
--------------------------
Predator
Tri-Las
140 pts

Hunter
70 pts

==================
Total: 1499 pts

just letting you know the PC and MM in the rhinos cant fire if they move the MM can only snap shot why not take another PG and another Mg ?
other then that looks to be a good list.
also is this for fun, competitive ?

IMO just take 5 man units with melta/combi meltas in drop pods, it beats the rhinos in transportation for the same points.

Other then that just up to smart playing.

Goog luck and welcome back.

Really? Must have missed that point about firing out of vehicles. Thanks.
Also, how could I take another Melta or Plasma Gun? Isn't it only one specialist and one heavy weapon per Tac Squad?

The list should be fun to play, but also kind of competitive.

The strength of using Pod Armies is to keep nothing on the field. I'd run a full Pod list if I were you. If you plan on doing that, just ask for help.

If your going to take tact squads in rhinos then just take 5 mans squads with a special weapon. Also I think that pod lists are the most competitive way to play with marines.

Other than Bike Lists

I think that the captain would actually do better in the srop pod command squad. They are doing more damage per turn, so are a tad more valauble, and the apothecary gives the unit fnp. Paired with the captain thats one nasty unit.

Thanks for the suggestions, guys.
I think I will try out a drop pod list and a mixed list. See what feels like more fun

Drop pods work best when it is an entire drop pod army. As for the individuals of your list starting at the top:

Teeth of Terra generally works best on a solo suicide Captain with a jump pack. You want a beast in the unit to scare off or deal with assaults then take Shield Eternal and a Thunder Hammer. Artificier Armour should always be taken (as you have).

Command squads are for spamming special weapons you've got that right. Though they are at their best on bikes with Gravguns. If not on bikes plasma is the way to go, you need to be relentless or static for Grav to work and due to range the later is rarely viable. So in your list switch to plasma and as other have said this unit is far more threatening than Sternguard so put him here.

Your Sternguard are good. Dreads however need to be used in atleast pairs or not at all. Locator beacons are worthless your drop pods are accurate enough particularly coupled with a 6" disembark. Ironclads need the under slug Heavy Flamer. Find a way to make it 2 dreads or spend the points on a 2nd unit of Sternguard.

You're a little heavy on tactical for my liking at this point value. But if you want them you need to keep them together. That is the only way the 10 man squad can begin to justify its points. It also needs a matched combi-weapon to the special weapon. It doubles the combat effectiveness of a 200+ point unit on the turn that really matters, they are mandatory. Also have squads of 5 marines with an effective range of 12" walking around on foot is not a good idea. I'd swap the Rhinos to Drop pods and consider dropping it down to three 5 man squads. That ups you to 7 Drop pods so all the cool stuff comes down turn 1.

Assault squad is good

Predator and Hunter are a little out of place. Also the Hunter is completely worthless if your opponent hasn't brought a flyer. The Stalker at least has 8 snap shots so should put a S7 hit or 2 on the enemy a turn (exactly as many as a naked Pred statistically) which for me makes it the better tank. However I feel a pair of Storm Talons would do more for you. Firstly they start off the board like the rest of your army should secondly they provide more AA than a solo stalker and thirdly they still provide excellent ground support. Its 40 points more than your 2 vehicles so you have to shift points around a bit. The other option is a Storm Raven which is 10 points less than your 2 vehicles and provides much the same benefits as the 2 Talons.

So, about a pure drop pod list...

What about a Hellfire Cannon? Or not worth it, when the rest of the army is up close?

When I drop the Ironclad, should I take another Sternguard squad or a Vanguard Squad/Assault Squad for some melee counter?

How should I equip the Storm Talons? Default loadout?

Honour guard are the only really worth while assault unit in the codex. So Sternguard is the way forward.

Storm Talons should always have Skyhammer missies.

TFC can still be good in an all DP list due to barrage and you can buy it an empty pod to get more pods down turn 1.

Drop Pod List

Kept the ToT on the Captain, I really like the description of it and just want to try it. Besides, I'm magnetizing most of the army, so I can swap out his weapons later if I'm not satisfied.

HQ
---------
Captain (drop podded with Sternguards or Command Squad)
Storm Shield, Artificer Armor, Teeth of Terra, Melta Bombs
165 pts

Command Squad
Apothecarius, 4 x Plasma Guns
Drop Pod
210 pts


ELITES
---------
Sternguard Vets
6 x Vets, 3 x Combi-Melta
Drop Pod
207 pts

Sternguard Vets
10 x Vets, 3 x Combi-Melta, 2 x Heavy Flamer
(Combat Squad into AI and AT Teams after drop)
Drop Pod
315 pts


TROOPS
--------------
Tactical Squad
5 x Marines, Plasma Gun, Combi-Plasma
Drop Pod
130 pts

Tactical Squad
5 x Marines, Melta Gun, Combi-Melta
Drop Pod
125 pts


FAST ATTACK
---------------------
Assault Squad
5 x Marines, 2 x Flamers
Drop Pod
95 pts

Storm Talon
Skyhammer
125 pts

Storm Talon
Skyhammer
125 pts

Looks fairly solid. Good alphastrike most of your bases covered. What CTs are you using? Iron hands, Salamanders and UMs would all fit the list.

Still not sure about the chapter tactics. I'm going to play a home made chapter, so I think I will cycle through the chapter tactics (with the exclusion of White Scars and Raven Guard) and see what I like best.

Thanks for your help.

My only opinion is switch some points around to make a captain a chapter master for the extra A/W and maybe even the bombardment (it has the potential to be useful).

But he'd lose the command squad...

Troosp are a little skimpy for me but that'll probably be OK.

Ten marines are gonna be super easy to wipe out. Either up them to ten each squad or at least get another scoring unit somehow. With all those sterns Pedro would solve that problem.