Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Hey guys
Im just wondering what is the best all rounder chapter tactics?

I think Ultras for general use, seconded by Iron Hands, and White Scars for bike lists obviously.

Also some clout with Imperial Fists.

Assuming non-Gladius, Ultramarines.

Their benefit effects all weapons, all attacks, all strategies. Compared to other chapters like Imp Fist, or Sallys, they have benefits to all attacks, not just from specific units or weapons. Offensive benefits generally trump defensive benefits [Scars and Iron Hands] in an all-rounder sense. Templars and Raven Guard [codex] got boned.

If you're going Gladius, then White Scars.

Ultramarines really don't need 7 turns worth of boosts. You only really need them on two or three critical turns, so having more uses of Doctrines is not as good as gaining a defensive benefit IN ADDITION to the offensive benefits. Hit and Run for the Scars helps with the Dual Battle Company's key weakness in assault, and the Khan's free scout move to anything in a transport is golden. It allows you to freely focus your efforts on boosting your shooting power with every intention of fleeing from combat. Unless you're going for going for "single" BDC, in which case you'd probably have the points to make a decent assault squad or two in your list... and then can benefit from the Assault Doctrine the turn they charge, or something.

A "poor" FNP save from the Iron Hands is just lame, in my eyes, and tends to be negated by the things you'd actually want the save for. Everyone else is doubling up on offensive benefits that their chapter tactics already provide.

I normally use fists tactics but im.finding them rather lacking lol

I found Iron Hands Chapter Tactics to fit my play style pretty well over time. I like the universality of the Chapter Tactics and how everything in the army gets something, while with other Chapter Tactics certain units or models would not get anything.

In particular, my list consisted of the Biker Chapter Master with Shield Eternal, Scout Snipers, Biker troops, Dreadnoughts, and Thunderfire Cannons; every model there gets some form of buff from Iron Hands Chapter Tactics. Sure, it might not have been the best overall Chapter Tactic, but it is easier for me to remember two blanket rules for my army.

I've had a well placed Drop Pod get back 3 Hull Points in a game thanks to IWND on all the vehicles, and that 6+ FNP can be really handy on T5 Bikers or Scouts with their 4+ Armor Save. And now that the FNP buff increases the FNP from other sources, particularly Apothecaries and Command Squads, I could see it being really handy for more players.

I lthink the Red Scorpions chapter tactics are the most well rounded, you get:
All Sergeants can buy a Narcethicum for Free (meaning you get 5+ FnP Tacticals) and Immunity from Pinning, However Scout Squads cannot take camo cloaks (but why are you taking scouts when you have FnP tacticals?)

 greatbigtree wrote:

Ultramarines really don't need 7 turns worth of boosts. You only really need them on two or three critical turns, so having more uses of Doctrines is not as good as gaining a defensive benefit IN ADDITION to the offensive benefits. Hit and Run for the Scars helps with the Dual Battle Company's key weakness in assault, and the Khan's free scout move to anything in a transport is golden. It allows you to freely focus your efforts on boosting your shooting power with every intention of fleeing from combat. Unless you're going for going for "single" BDC, in which case you'd probably have the points to make a decent assault squad or two in your list... and then can benefit from the Assault Doctrine the turn they charge, or something.

As someone who's played the WS Gladius quite a bit now, I'd nuance the above a little bit. Hit and Run is a great rule, but given that the top shelf armies are all mostly shooty, you're unlikely to make much use of it. Case in point: last tournament I attended, I used Hit and Run ONCE over the course of 4 games.

I haven't tried Ultras doctrine yet, but in theory, getting 5 turns of rerolls (7 technicaly, but who cares about Assault doctrine in reality) would help maintain the lethality momentum even as the army starts taking serious casualties.

In fairness, I haven't used WS Gladius... but I play UM CAD all the time, and you really don't need the boosts for very many turns. First turn or two, things are seldom lined up for much damage anyhow. Last turn or two, there's not much left to boost... it's usually turns 2-4 or 3 and 4 that need the boosts, otherwise you're just picking a Doctrine to enact because you might as well... you can't double up.

I don't know your meta, but assault is still alive and kicking around here. Knights love their stomps. It could be that no-one assaulted you because you could have hit and run away. Something to consider, anyhow. Charging an enemy you can tie up is often worth the risk, while charging an enemy that can scoot away and leave you exposed is not often worth the risk.

It was really more a factor of the armies I played having minimal assault elements, or when they did have them, my 5-man squads dieing to a man so never getting to H&R.

Cheers guys if it helps my marine collection currently consists of
The DA side of DV minus the captain
The start collecting marines box
2 more tactical squads (one of which im going to turn into a devastator squad)
A sniper scout squad
A attack bike
2 drop pods
1 razor back
I also have a dakka pred a tri las pred a non chapsified rhino and a bog standard raider which i can transfer to my marines. I just dont know which tactics would work best for me haha

Hmmm.... How high-end competitive are you looking to be?

You've got models to make a mix of foot based infantry. Depending on your modelling preferences, a "Tactical" marine can be a Tac, Dev, Command Squad or even Sternguard. If you use your Sargeants' BP and CCW's, you can make some "Assault" squads on foot. If you cluster up some power weapons, you could make some Honour Guard.

Take the plasma pistols, cut off the bottoms, shave the top of a bolter flat, glue them together and BAM! Combi-Plasma for your Sergeants.

I'd strongly suggest starting off with UM tactics. The hardest part is remembering to declare the doctrines!

From there, you can see if you like that... I do just fine... but you might find you need to be a little tougher, so try Iron Hands. Or you use a lot of Melta and Flamers, so you try Sallies. Or you're rocking a lot of Sternguard, and Devs... try Iron Fists.

You're steamrolling your opponents completely and utterly? Use Black Templar tactics. Sort you right out.


If painting's the issue... My models are "mostly traditional" Blood Angels scheme, played as UM as of this codex.