Warhammer 40,000/Tactics/Militarum Tempestus(7E)

This is not a codex supplement. This is its own Codex. It would have been nice if it were a supplement, but no, instead you are stuck with your five unit choices, no relics, no named characters and not even any Forgeworld goodies. (Actually, according to FW emails, they consider MT to be the same as AM, so they do get the goodies, kinda, maybe....)

What you'll find here is a mini-force of Storm Troopers, because that's what they are. You can also notice that, again, GW recycled the Allies Matrix from the Inquisition/LoTD/Knights. Also, in a more surprising show of laziness, there are no special relics for this force, forcing you to use what you have, but lose the use of anything else besides the Troopers, Commissars, Tauroxes, and Valkyries.

Also curious is that, unlike the aforementioned other e-dexes, this one lacks the ability to be a unique detachment, meaning you're wasting your allies slot if you take them. Just make sure you actually need these stormies before placing them as allies. As you can now have an unlimited amount of Allied Detachments (if you so desire), you can bring them alongside whatever else you want.

Why Play Militarum Tempestus

Storm troopers/ Scions are one of the most powerful infantry units in the game, able to take on MEQs in a shoot out. Also you are sick of humans being nothing more than cannon fodder and want to prove that we can be awesome too, plus you like the saying "this will be our moment of glory" and telling space marines off! Not to mention that despite what some people may think, you can create a competitive list and are able of taking on marine armies of the same size.

Warlord Traits

• 1: Dauntless Commander - Warlord gets Fearless. With your limited numbers, the ability to remain in the fight becomes even more valuable (and perhaps a lot worse without the option to go to ground).
• 2: Grenadier - Any frag and krak grenades the Warlord throws get twin-linked. Meltabombs and krak genades used in combat get Tank Hunters. If you're willing to throw down for meltabombs, you might as well see how much luck you'll get out of them. Twin-linked Kraks also sound rather nice against light armor.
• 3: Intrepid Leader - All Tempestus units within 12" of Warlord gain Stubborn. Alright for a trait.
• 4: Grav-Chute Commandos - All deep-striking units can re-roll reserves. Also, the warlord and his detatchment only roll d6" when deep-striking. If playing deep strike heavy, you want this.
• 5: Drill Chief - Any Tempestus units firing Hot-Shot Lasguns/Laspistols within 6" of the Warlord gain 6" extra range provided they didn't move in the last movement phase. If using an army smothered with deep striking and transports it's utterly useless.
• 6: Inspired Commander - Warlord gets +1 Leadership. Um....yay? (It's utterly wasted if you use a Lord Commissar, actually not bad considering it adds to the Clarion vox array rule, 18" LD10 bubble is nothing to sniff at)

Equipment

Ranged

Tempestors, Tempestor Primes, and Commissars can take from these.

• Bolt Pistol: Tried and true. 1 Shot at S4 AP5. However, the Hot shot laspistol's AP3. Weigh carefully: better AP and less range, or better strength and more range? At least it's a free option this time around. Commissars start out with this by default.
• Boltgun: Commissar (Lord) only. While you lose the extra attack in CC, you get 2 S4 AP5 shots at BS4-5. Adding to a unit's ranged dakka is never a bad idea, especially when it's free!
• Plasma Pistol: Sure a 4+ will save better against Gets Hot! But is it worth the risk paying the full price of a Plasma Gun for 1 shot at 12"? No. This thing is badly overcosted for what it does. Skip, unless you're in a suicide melta command squad: the extra shot will be useful then, the range will be a problem, and you'll probably die before overheating becomes a problem.

Special Weapons

Your Scions can take 2 of these and the Command Squad can take up to 4 of these.

• Flamer: You should know what this does. A S4 AP5 Template which shits on Hordes.
• Grenade Launcher: You should know what this does too. Possibly the worst option given how other weapons can do its job better.
• Hotshot Volley Gun: Salvo 2/4. Good for a defensive fire base. Actually quite awesome when you make a command squad with 2 guys with these and the other 2 holding a Voxcaster and Medi-pack. Some believe that it is merely a variant of the old Hellguns.
• Meltagun: Same old dedicated anti-tank. Take 2 five-man Suicide Scions squads with 2 of these each and watch that Landraider or Baneblade weep bloody tears.
• Plasma Gun: With 4+ armor, you'll save better against this. Gets even better with the Twin-linking or Preferred Enemy orders. Former because re-roll all to hit rolls while the latter not only works around Gets Hot! but also makes up for rolling 1s to wound.

Melee Weapons

Unlike the standard Guardsmen who can combine these with weight of numbers, your squishy Scions don't have that kind of staying power so the Assault phase is usually a big no-no. Still, if you think it's worth it, take a look.

• Power Weapons: Comes in standard Sword, Maul, Axe and Lance forms. Honestly, if you're looking here, you should probably grab an axe. At I3, you're probably striking last already (Except against Tau, Non-Mark of Slaanesh Cultists, Imperial Guard or Sisters of Battle) and having S4 and AP2 will serve you well. Power Mauls on Tempestor Primes work well due to I4)
• Power Fist: More expensive at 10 points more than the other power weapons, this doubles your Strength and gives you AP2. An ideal buy to be honest, since striking at I3 wasn't doing you any favors in the first place, and at least wounding MEQ on 2s and ignoring armor is a godsend. However, compare to the Power Axe. Do you want 1 less attack but wound on 2s, or 1 more attack for cheaper?

Special Issue Wargear

Only available to Lord Commissars. Really limited options that challenge the Commissar's abilities.

• Meltabombs: S8 AP1 Unwieldy close combat grenades that have armorbane. Works surprisingly well on overconfident vehicle commanders.
• Carapace Armor: A step up from the Lord Commissar's shitty 5+ save. Puts you in line with your big toy soldiers with a 4+. Even if it's expensive, you need this on your Lord Commissar.
• Platoon Standard: Counts as special issue wargear, but is limited to the Tempestus Command Squad. All it does is add +1 to Combat Res. You won't be winning combats reliably, even with the aid of 2 full-man Scion squads with Power weapon-Sergeants and Commissar. Largely useless.
• Medi-pack: Also limited to the Command Squad. 5+ Feel No Pain. Would be great...if you weren't doubled out by S6 or higher (Insta-Death ignores FnP). Perhaps the 1 use for it is a max plasma holding squad (3 Plasma Guns, Tempestor Prime with Plasma Pistol, and Commissar with Plasma Pistol and 1 guy holding the medi-pack) with the Directed Firestorm (Twin-linked) or Autonomous Fire (Preferred Enemy) orders so you can rain TEQ-killing hell on your opponents. It is however considered mandatory if a command squad is your warlord, to avoid giving a Kill the Warlord victory point too easily and to protect your valuable source of orders. The counterargument to this is that the dude with the medipack is not using a special weapon to smite the ennemies of the emperor, and is thus weakening your alpha-strike and diminishing your armie's precious direct firebase.

Vehicle Equipment

Your stormies get access to the same vehicle equipment their fellow guardsmen get, alongside the Extra Armor, Stormbolter, Hunter-Killer, Searchlight, and Smoke Launcher options.

• Recovery gear: If your vehicle gets immobilized, roll a D6 at the end of your movement phase. On a 6, your vehicle is no longer immobilized which is amazing. Interestingly it doesn't restore a hull point but who can complain about a slight chance to get your Taurox Prime moving again?
• Relic Plating: Why? Even against a Telekinetic opponent with Objuration mechanicum, it'd be slightly useful at best.
• Fire Barrels: The first unit charging your GLAHSS BAWKSES take D6 S4 AP5 auto-hits. Pretty much a 1-use flamer for your Tauroxes. Never disappoints.
• Augur Array: No scatter for friendly Deepstriking units within 6" of the vehicle equipped with this. Useful if you have scions without metal boxes or have a deepstrike heavy allied detachment (Grey Knights, Dark Angels, Blood Angels, Drop Pods). Now if only we could get these on Valkyries...

Unit Analysis

HQ

• Commissar/Lord Commissar - You've dealt with these guys before in the standard AM, they won't be too different here. Just remember that his effectiveness will seriously be put to the test since the Scions lack the raw manpower of the rank-and-file. This means that *BLAM*ming a goon costs much more than it normally would. The fact that the Command-Vox Net provides excellent morale to most of the Scion army means that these guys' morale-boosting abilities are not really needed, and the fact that they cannot give orders means that they are a very inferior choice to Tempestus Command Squads: take them only if you really have to because of formation rules, or are masochhistic and insane.

• Tempestus Command Squad - They run like a basic command squad, with the need to buy stuff in exchange for their ability to shoot. However, their power is marred by the lack of advisers for use, though the ones that can fire gain the good stuff.
  • A good option for them is to run them with the Hot-shot volley guns, the 2/4 salvo gun allows the squad to punch above what its number alone would suggest, and allow the squad a decent amount of fire power even if you go with a vox caster and medi-pack (the squad is too small to benefit from a banner). 4 Hot-Shot volley guns hidden in a fortification are an excellent warlord option and will statistically kill entire squads of marines each turn, usually making their points back by turn 2, 3 at the latest.
  • The fact that these guys can run 4 meltaguns and twin-link them reliably makes them an excellent unit for murdering those large super-heavy vehicles that will mow through your puny 4+ saves en masse. This loadout usually also comes with a Tempestor with a plasma pistol, because if you're doing this kind of suicidally risky attack Gets Hot is no longer your main problem - return fire is. MOAR FIREPOWER!!!
  • Another good option is to take the med-pack and outfit the 3 special weapons as plasma guns. The feel no pain means these men are more likely to survive a gets hot than another squad of scions.

Troops

• Tempestus Scions - Unlike the basic Militarum Codex, these guys are incapable of platooning it up, making each one a LOT more valuable. They are equipped with Hotshot Lasguns which AP3 but at only S3, you are better off getting your special weapons guy do the talking. They still get to run the options they normally do though, but is this really all you want when this is your only choice for troops?

Dedicated Transports

• Taurox Prime - The Troopers gain the neater Taurox, with the Russ cannon (nope, Autocannon stat blast)/ TL punisher gatling minus a strength OR a missile launcher in standard frag and krak. Also, don't forget the twin-linked side Hotshot Volleygun which can be swapped with a TL Autocannon for free. Its great weakness still stands, as it's still as flimsy as papier mache. Note that if it's not taken as a Dedicated Transport, it counts as Fast Attack - allied battle brothers may utilize.

Fast Attack

• Valkyrie Squadron - Because of the decreased volume of troops, transport becomes more valuable. TAKE ONE NOW. Non-dedicated transport, so allied battle brothers may utilize.

Tactics

Hey, do you like Dark Eldar? Ever wanted to go Imperium for some odd reason? Then the Militarium Tempestus is for you, son!

On paper, the Militarium Tempestus has the ability to strike hard and fast, and with AP3 shooting at BS4, anything short of Space Marine Terminators need to beware them, and their ability to Deep Strike is just icing on the cake. However, Tempestus armies depend upon having a plan and executing it successfully (Which is very fluffy)- and if the plan works, you'll have cut the enemy off at the head. If it fails, then a 4+ Armour save and a squishy Toughness of 3 will mean the enemy's retaliation will cripple you - and you do not have the numbers of the IG or the reliable saving throws of the Space Marines to balance this out.

Playing these guys in short is like playing as Dark Eldar - if you can strike hard and fast enough, you will cripple your opponent. However, if you screw up anywhere, it is you who will screw yourself over, so be careful.

On a side note, team up with Inquisition or Grey Knights for Inquisitorial Stormtroopers, or Sisters of Battle and Inquisition if you remember Witch Hunters.

Orders

Unlike the ordinary Astra Militarum, the Tempestus forces have their own unique orders.

• Directed Firestorm Sanctioned! (Otherwise known as First Rank, Fire! Second Rank, Fire!) - When shooting, the ordered unit gets twin-linked. For the wins. FRFSRF is still the better command because volume of fire, but this does effects things First rank fire does not like Melta guns or the new Hotshot Volley gun. So while your lasguns put out less shots, your special weapons get that much better, whatever gets the job done, eh?
• Autonomous Fire Sanctioned! - Ordered Unit gets Preferred Enemy when shooting a target. Nice enough. This is your go-to order in plasma-heavy lists.
• Close Assault Doctrine Sanctioned!(Otherwise known as Forwards, for the Emperor!) - Ordered unit gets Crusader for the rest of the turn. I guess if you need some goons to die, then let them die in style!
• Advance on Target! (Otherwise known as Move! Move! Move!) - Ordered unit gets Fleet for the rest of the turn.
• Suppression Doctrine Sanctioned! (Otherwise known as Suppressive Fire!) - Ordered units firing Hot-Shot Laspistols/Lasguns can only fire one shot, but that shot gets Sniper and Pinning. Also, the scions cannot charge in the assault phase. Weapons retain AP3 and are not heavy, so you can deep strike, issue the order, and wound on 4s with your ap3 unit. Amazing against Eldar Wraith units. Hear the cry of Manbarbies and rejoice!
• Elimination Protocol Sanctioned! (Otherwise known as Bring It Down!) - Ordered unit gets Rending against an enemy MC/Vehicle. it's better against the monsters since even with rending, hot shot lasguns have trouble against even rhinos - wrong, order applies to special weapons too, so this means that your plasma guns can pen/glance land raiders. It is notable that the rending rule is added to the "entire shooting attack," not just the intended target, in the case of flamer or frag grenade throwing/launching. Use this instead of Supression doctorine if you have loads of special weapons instead of hot-shots and you need to take down MC like riptide or wraithknight (although the Wraithknight is a GMC now so sniper will only wound on 6+).

Allies

Battle Brothers As a rule, either though mass number like the Militarum, or good saves like marines or sisters have, The battle brothers of the Tempestus are the "Anvil" to the somewhat glassy Tempestus's hammer

• Astra Militarum - If you run AM as your primary detachment and aren't taking other allies, a good way to get Scions as scoring troops (as opposed to their elite role within the AM codex) NOT ANYMORE, 7th EDITION. Now that you don't need Troops to hold your Objectives, the only need for Scion Troops is for them to have Objective Secured, or because you have filled out your Elite slots with Scions and want even more of them. If Scions are your main detachment, the AM can provide the numbers and heavy artillery that the Scions lack.
• Adepta Sororitas - They don't have anything better than you besides their AoF and power armor, so if you're expecting something effective out of this, don't waste your breath. I mean, giving you power-armored, mid-range anti-infantry shooting serving as an anchor so you don't get tabled before your reserves arrive is entirely useless. Its not like your fast Taurox Primes with 2 fire points on either side could benefit from four rending heavy flamers either considering the relatively small size of the Taurox model. You couldn't possibly make any use of long-range, AP1 shooting or cover-ignoring AP1 shooting, either.
• Blood Angels - More Deep Strike with your Deep Strike. Supplements the Blood Angels' Assaults with AP3 mid-range shooting and MOAR special weapons.
• Dark Angels - Decent if they're allies, Deathwing Knights are great deep striking in and soaking up fire while smashing shit, especially if an Interrogator Chaplain is with the squad. Vise versa, MT as allies brings them the fliers they need, and cheap scoring units (When put aside with Deathwing) makes their job easier in hunting the Fallen Angels of the chapter CypherTHE ENEMY OF THE EMPEROR THAT HAS NO RELATIONS WITH THE DARK ANGELS!! (Or Cypher...)
• Imperial Knights - Taking these things can take a fuckton of heat from you. Just make sure the Knight can actually survive whatever you throw it at.
• Inquisition - Do take them. With the limited number of orders you can give, Divination buffs can really help what you have stretch a lot further. Plus they can give you some actually sturdy transports. Plus, you get a free allies slot! Also, cheap servo-skulls reduce your deepstrike scatter to avoid any mishaps. The Henchmen selection is mental and incredibly varied, allowing for a warband to make up for your lack of close combat effectiveness (Death Cult Assassins with high initiative Power Swords, Crusaders with Storm Shields, Arco-Flagellants).
  • Officio Assassinorum - Not an official army, but you can take one of the 4 assassins for a specialized killer in your army. The Vindicare takes care of ranged threats, the Callidus pops out and kills the HVI of the enemy, the Culexus for anti-psyker killing, and the Eversor for just plain killing. If that's not enough, take the Execution Force Formation to get all 4. It's a big points sink, but each Assassin is a huge threat on its own.
• Grey Knights - "I never created anything called Grey Knights." Emperor Text to Speach jokes aside, they are similar to the Inqusition. They make up their lack of ability to be a free allies detachment and being the Warlord with lots of psykers and being great in close combat with close range dakka.
• Legion of the Damned - They might have some good armor, but don't trust on them to be there for you unless you made them warlord and rolled Never Too Late, Never Too Early. Don't forget to nab another ally, though.
• Space Marines - Can take quite a few locator beacons to drop your guys where you want. A few drop pods and a scout bike squad can keep the enemy penned up and ready for the scions to drop in.
• Space Wolves - Grey Hunters, Thunderwolf Cavalry, Long Fangs and Wolf Guards? Oh my, the Wolf chapter have a lot of options to take indeed. Their flyers are a really helpful way to deliver more forces to the field with the massive capacity of the Stormwolf or the devastating power of the Stormfang. They're also capable of bringing some big firepower if you opt to take all the free Lone Wolves you can get.

Allies of Convenience

• Eldar - A Psyker-heavy army. There's nothing the Eldar can bring in this respect that the Inquisition can't do better while being able to make the most of Allied Transports and ally at the Battle Brothers level.

Desperate Allies

• Dark Eldar - Why not? Tactically, the Scions play very like dark eldar: get go fast, hit hard and die easily. The Dark eldar could either be used to bring some punch to a deep striking army (with webway portal and/or deep striking vehicles), or to give some more mobile firepower to your army (ravagers are better than Tauroxes). The thing is, a lot of good Dark Eldar builds these days revolve around Haemonculi who don't go that well with Scions except as bullet-soakers and psychic defence (with the new artefact).
• Tau - If all else fails, you can mix the heavier and longer ranged weapons of the Tau to take on Vehicles and heavy targets while the scions would take the lighter targets that are coming at the gun lines. Definitely a pretty nice combination if you deep strike scions before an oncoming horde.

Come the Apocalypse

• Necrons - Pretty good: with your special formation and AirCron tactics, you can totally overload the board in Flyers. Could be fun!
• Chaos Space Marines - Well... I'm sure there is some reason to do this. Maybe to provide a distraction while Maulerfiends run up the field?
• Chaos Daemons - More deepstriking units to a deepstriking army, no thanks. Although some Khorne units for assaults. Or some nurgle units to soak up the heavy fire. (Cough, Beasts of Nurgle Hugs and magic!)

• Orks - Because Orks
• Tyranids - Nope. They bring nothing to MT that someone else wouldn't do better, and MT doesn't bring anything that Tyranids coulnd't do better(AP3?).

Formations

This is the first book to have formations with regular detachments and unit stats in the same book. It is how these guys can be a full army at any point level.

• Airborne Assault Squadron - A Commissar, a Command Squad, and 3 Scions take 4 Valkyries as transport (And the Commissar must join one of the squads). Aside from the normal counts-as-one-unit Reserves rule, the formation also allows re-rolls for Grav-Chute Insertions and all disembarking units (Even by Grav-Chute) gain Split Fire and Twin-Linked. Just don't go thinking that you're gonna impress those Deffwing boys there.

• Ground Assault Formation - The troops are the same as above, but now replace their Valkyries with Taurox Primes. This allows the them to begin on-field, but doing so forces them all to be on-field or force them all to be in Reserves (Which counts them all as one unit). Now any disembarking units gain Pinning and Twin-Linked for spam-happy asses to get shot at.