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It is nearing the 1 year mark since the 8th ed and the primaris marines have dropped.

Almost a year later, I still have yet to come to like the primaris line both on the table top and aesthetically. To me, they are the space marines of Warhammer 80k universe, and have no place in 40k in terms of playability (barring a few combos) and visually.

I'd agree they are beautifully sculpted models, but the scale is off, details are off (nearly all primaris line actually lack the classic astartes markings, allowing you to customize them without having them look like they're from another chapter i.e. over abundunce of double headed eagle, blood drop with wings, sword with wings, etc), just everyjing about them feels out of place. I mean, they're at the height of a centurion FFS. And the redemptor? Nearly TWICE the size of the old dreads... Maybe it's cheaper for GW to hire less than best sculptors that can't scult things at old scale anymore...

Primaris still has no love from me. It's a big flip off to old collectors.

Why do you say it is a flip off?

Honestly, they're the space marines I wish I had access to fifteen years ago.

In that time. I've seen marines go from 'basic, yet practical', to being loaded down with more and more greeble and overly ornate and extravagant and unnecessary and over the top embellishments and decor to the point where they look like walking reliquaries ('wingface' the honour guard was my last straw!) that having a new line of marines come out that are to scale, with actual pouches and gear modelled on them sim amazing by compari/son.

Primaris are the best models gw have done since the metal cadian Kasrkin around 2003.

I do like the sculpts of the Intercessors, but not the other ones. I feel like the proportions are better.

However, I also think that they don't look busy enough. There aren't enough skulls, wings, bling etc for me to be interested in them at all from an aesthetic point of view. They are also distinctly lacking chainswords which is a big turn off for me personally. They really need to make them more gothic.

Their statline is more in keeping of how I personally see Space Marines. They should be elite and good at every roll, but not excel at any one thing. They should all be equipped with Bolter, Bolt Pistol and Chainsword standard though as well as having access to special and heavy weapons.

They have no access to any kind of meaningful transport options which really limits them as a unit, not to mention being generally overcosted.

My biggest gripe is the fluff. It basically gaks all over the classic marine story. Ok, so now they are even more better-er and more awesomer-er. They've also eliminated all of the genetic flaws in the original legions. Great, lets get rid of everything that made Marines interesting. Not to mention the irony of the whole thing, in that humanity wasn't good enough to survive on it's own so it had to become post human to save it's self, but ended up damning humanity in the process.

I don't understand why they didn't just re-do the entire line in this new scale rather than gak on years of established back ground.

In that time. I've seen marines go from 'basic, yet practical', to being loaded down with more and more greeble and overly ornate and extravagant and unnecessary and over the top embellishments and decor to the point where they look like walking reliquaries ('wingface' the honour guard was my last straw!) that having a new line of marines come out that are to scale, with actual pouches and gear modelled on them sim amazing by compari/son.

The walking reliquaries are the only part of the Marines that interest me. I hate how flat and ordinary the new marines look. They're so bland.

My two cents.

Model wise: I enjoy them. The throw back to the MK4 Armor in the helm is great, Very practical and I like the scale increase.

Lore wise: This is where GW dropped the ball IMO. Honestly they could have given us Primaris Marines as just a better power armor, that is all end of story. No, instead we got Mary Sue marines that all the fluff and lore state are better then ever just because.

Deadnight wrote:
Honestly, they're the space marines I wish I had access to fifteen years ago.

In that time. I've seen marines go from 'basic, yet practical', to being loaded down with more and more greeble and overly ornate and extravagant and unnecessary and over the top embellishments and decor to the point where they look like walking reliquaries ('wingface' the honour guard was my last straw!) that having a new line of marines come out that are to scale, with actual pouches and gear modelled on them sim amazing by compari/son.

Primaris are the best models gw have done since the metal cadian Kasrkin around 2003.

I mostly agree, I don't mind bling on space marines but I'd much rather the bling be something I can add myself. As opposed to baked on

Lore wise they feel like a dropped ball.
Gameplay wise, they are a dropped ball, but so are all of the Adeptus Astartes so far.
Model wise, they're quite nice.

I vastly prefer the new ones to the old ones. A lot of people were already building true scale marines and getting them the proper size out of the box is nice. They can even take a hit, unlike the old marines.

My only complaint is that you can't field a tactical squad of them without shrinking down to 1W. I'm looking forward to a few years from now when old marines are replaced with the new ones across the board.

I don’t like them at all, aside from the intercessors. They have the same effect that centurions did for me, just looks comical. Nice sculpting technically of course, but .. huh. Fluff, I don’t even know as I haven’t kept up with it.

I believe the main issue with them is that GW is awkwardly trying to develop them without making the old marine players feel replaced, which they are obviously meant to be just that. I wish it would just happen, so they can grow into a full army without having to not accidentally fill the role that SM unit already does.

I love the models, but am very disappointed by their crunch.

Deadnight wrote:
Honestly, they're the space marines I wish I had access to fifteen years ago.

In that time. I've seen marines go from 'basic, yet practical', to being loaded down with more and more greeble and overly ornate and extravagant and unnecessary and over the top embellishments and decor to the point where they look like walking reliquaries ('wingface' the honour guard was my last straw!) that having a new line of marines come out that are to scale, with actual pouches and gear modelled on them sim amazing by compari/son.

Primaris are the best models gw have done since the metal cadian Kasrkin around 2003.

I don't know what you're talking about.

I like the basic Mark X armour, but I'm indifferent at best if not actively dislike the reivers/aggressors/inceptors. Then there's the oversized dread with the beer gut and the abomination of a grav tank that looks like a hyperactive 5-year-old's idea of cool. Even the basic Mark X that I like the look of is lacking the gothic touch, though I suspect that will creep back into the range in time.

The less said about the lore, the better.

I wish they had just truescaled the classic marine units, keeping their established aesthetic but improving the proportions and improving the poses (less taking-a-poop-standing-up). It's the classic marine units and the lore that surround them that I like in my marines, and thus far even though the models are squat and stunty in comparison I'll still take them ahead of Primaris. I don't care about aggressors, I want terminators... etc.

At the same time, I can understand why they introduced Primaris the way they did. If they'd just said "We're updating the scaling of marines, they're just all going to be taller now," people would have been fuming at the thought that their collections were obsolete. I know at the time I was one who didn't want that to happen - I had recently bought a few hundred quid worth of old school marines and I didn't want to feel that they were immediately obsolete. So at the time I was pleased that Primaris were a new alternative unit and not a replacement. I suspect others thought the same.

But now that the range has had the time to sink in, I wish they'd just truescaled the classics instead.

I think on the whole the two ranges don't work very well together aesthetically, as much as GW try to present them as options in the same army. I'm a collector/painter more than a gamer, so since I feel they don't work together I'm not going to force them together. My Salamanders are going to remain old-school. I have the Primaris from Dark Imperium. If and when I build and paint them, I'm going to pick a new chapter.

That Chaplain Mini is absolutely glorious. I wish all marines looked that good.

I've only got the one model that came with the White Dwarf mag, but I had fun painting that. Rules-wise I like the stat-line, but dislike the "options". Same with the models really too. I love that with oldmarines I can buy 5 different boxes and make at least as many guys as intended all with whatever looks I want pretty much. I haven't actually gotten around to doing that yet, because I've been busy tarting up old models and working on other stuff, but my BA will be seeing a whole lot of pick and mix going on when I get around to fully developing them as my main army with options for everything that takes my fancy.

The plastic tactical marine plastics has at times made me frustrated with stuff like the squatting poses and the hip firing. However the most recent tactical squad box replaced the leg options with more reasonable poses, which gives the impression of better scale. Also there was finally a pose where the marine is aiming down sights. The weapon options and mix of armour marks are generous too.

Then comes the primaris marines. Had the primaris box come long time ago I would have been more hyped, but to me it just can't measure against the tactical marines in any way. The lack of personality, weird scale and no transports kills the primaris for me. I just view them as marine ogryn units that I don't think I will ever want to buy.

Gravis armor should have added a wound for sure.

Since I started back up when 8th dropped, other than the primaris side of DI, Redemptor and a combat squad of Hellblasters, everything else I've bought has been regular marines(no interest in repulsor). I might buy another squad of DI Inceptors but more regular marines are on the purchase horizon.

Model wise, I love the sculpts and scale.
Rules wise, I love the 2 wounds(what tacs should've been)
Lore wise, much left to be desired. but I can get over that and am looking forward to how they develop the story going forward.

Glad that GW has started to do things right. we'll see what they release for new models.

Since I have skipped most of 6th ed and 7th entirely and am currently trying to catch up, I cannot make a statement for either lore nor gameplay.

What I can say is that my first reaction model wise, was very positive. "Finally, true scale Space Marines." Was my first thought. But the more I examined the flashy new marines the more I am convinced that I vastly prefer the aesthetics of the old range.

The proportions on the Primaris are clearly superior and the little details like useful pouches and gear make things like the new bolt rifle just seem even more out of place.

Ultimately I do love the more gothic style around the Mk7. There was a fine line between the great pieces like the chaplain Hatachi posted and Deadnight's mentioned honour guard. They were truly atrocious. But they all had more character, depth and conflict than the Primaris and it remains to be seen whether GW can fill their new poster boys with life.

So finally, I think I can join the camp of those who just wish that GW had upscaled their classic range.

Imagine when primaris line starts getting all the unreleased lines like bikes, centurions, and proper dev squad... I'm sure they'll be getting hoverbikes, contemptor dreadnought sized centurions, and higher powered grav/lascannons within the next year or two, making the old line conpletely obsolete. Not to mention a "new" landraider that fits more gravis armors.

The Intercessors and Hellblasters have really grown on me. I still think the vehicles are moronic.

I also still think the rollout would have been better if GW had just said "this is the "Space Marine" statline/model now" instead of putting out an incomplete and completely different set of bigger Marines to exist alongside the existing stuff and not mesh properly with it. And skipped the beer-gut Dreadnaught and the buzz-lightyear jump packs.

 ChargerIIC wrote:
I vastly prefer the new ones to the old ones. A lot of people were already building true scale marines and getting them the proper size out of the box is nice. They can even take a hit, unlike the old marines.

My only complaint is that you can't field a tactical squad of them without shrinking down to 1W. I'm looking forward to a few years from now when old marines are replaced with the new ones across the board.

Except they aren\t proper size for SPACE MARINES. They might be proper size for the new version which is bigger fluff wise but the bog standard marines aren't supposed to be custodian sized. So they are too big for space marines.

 skchsan wrote:
Imagine when primaris line starts getting all the unreleased lines like bikes, centurions, and proper dev squad... I'm sure they'll be getting hoverbikes, contemptor dreadnought sized centurions, and higher powered grav/lascannons within the next year or two, making the old line conpletely obsolete. Not to mention a "new" landraider that fits more gravis armors.

I always assumed Inceptors WHERE the Primaris Bikes

 Brutus_Apex wrote:
That Chaplain Mini is absolutely glorious. I wish all marines looked that good.

What chaplain? all I see is a heap of scrolls! Is he, is he behind the scrolls or something?

Deadnight wrote:
Honestly, they're the space marines I wish I had access to fifteen years ago.

In that time. I've seen marines go from 'basic, yet practical', to being loaded down with more and more greeble and overly ornate and extravagant and unnecessary and over the top embellishments and decor to the point where they look like walking reliquaries ('wingface' the honour guard was my last straw!) that having a new line of marines come out that are to scale, with actual pouches and gear modelled on them sim amazing by compari/son.

Primaris are the best models gw have done since the metal cadian Kasrkin around 2003.

I agree. They look like super soldiers, rather than super Knights/monks in space.

Their fluff, however......

Love the models since they're what I started with. I also prefer the MK X armor over the Mark VII.
I've recently had a good deal of success with a mostly Primaris Dark Angels force. Will be getting some more to test out Deathwatch and see if the hype is true. The lack of options is pretty annoying. Corvus can carry bikes but not Primaris!?

They're also pretty easy to paint compared to DE so that is always a plus for me.

I like some - others less - I use the very first Space Marine models released alongside the newest so it doesn't bother me that much about scale.

However the most competitive I get these days is local club tourneys so its not an issue.

The tank is too much like the ones I drew when I was 12 - loads of guns with guns that fire guns.... but that might be what they are aiming for.

They're dumb, and prevent me from caring about SM, despite the fact that I only played SM for 3 and a half editions.

They should have just taken them as a new scale for their Space Marines, just like they did it with the Plague Marines, which are also much taller than the old models but noone cares.

If they are meant to replace the old SM line over time I'd like to see them with all the ridiculousness 40K is about. Chainswords, blingbling, power weapons. Right now they're okay for the most boring chapter (Ultramarines) but for a proper representation of the Imperium of Man there has to be more.

 Bellerophon wrote:

I wish they had just truescaled the classic marine units, keeping their established aesthetic but improving the proportions and improving the poses (less taking-a-poop-standing-up). It's the classic marine units and the lore that surround them that I like in my marines, and thus far even though the models are squat and stunty in comparison I'll still take them ahead of Primaris. I don't care about aggressors, I want terminators... etc.

I agree with you here. Have you tried the 'space marine heroes' that were released in Japan? They have really dynamic poses and are a bit taller. I have a few and I am really pleased with them. They are everything Primaris should have been.

BrianDavion wrote:

 skchsan wrote:
Imagine when primaris line starts getting all the unreleased lines like bikes, centurions, and proper dev squad... I'm sure they'll be getting hoverbikes, contemptor dreadnought sized centurions, and higher powered grav/lascannons within the next year or two, making the old line conpletely obsolete. Not to mention a "new" landraider that fits more gravis armors.

I always assumed Inceptors WHERE the Primaris Bikes

Inceptors are the new assault marines with better melee amd moar dakka, no?