Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team (HoR)/Tactics/Space Marines
They're the Space Marines. By now you should know how they run, even if it's just by word of mouth. They're easy to build, easy to make, they're tough, and yet have a great deal of flexibility available to them, allowing for a big variety of armies. While not as grand as Deathwatch in diversity, this is nothing to scoff at, even in such a small scale like HoR.
Rules
- Chapter Tactics: Same as the codes, though there are a few tweaks...
- Black Templars: While you can run them as listed here, they also have their own expansion list for HoR.
- Ultramarines: For sake of convenience, Sternguard and Tac marines with Heavy Weapons count for both Tactical and Devastator doctrines. Otherwise, each model counts as a squad (Tacs are Tactical, Bikes and Vanguards are assault).
- Teleporting Terminators: Termies can Deep-Strike on the field. Surprise, surprise.
Wargear
- Team Standard: A single Veteran, Honour Guard, or non-core Termie can grab this standard to help with combat and grant anyone within 12" re-rolls on morale. A good alternative to the Sergeant's Sacred Standard, if you really need to take another leader.
- Master-Crafted Weapon: It's an MC weapon. Grab another for free with Salamanders.
- Overcharged Weapon: Gives a single gun +1S but also Gets Hot, which makes it a bit risky. It's especially worse on Plasma weapons, as they now explode on a 1 or 2.
- Suspensors: A rather nice upgrade, this allows a Heavy weapon to fire at full BS even if the model moved, but only at half-range.
- Smoke Grenade: A harmless grenade that gives you a Large Blast worth of temporary 5+ cover until the next turn. If you ever felt like playing Cyrus, roll it.
- Auxiliary Grenade Launcher: Allows a gun to fire a grenade as well as fire, this won't get much use unless you have a strict idea.
- Auspex: See codex; spend a shooting turn to drop an enemy's cover save by 1.
- Bionics: A cheap way to grab a 6+ FNP if you don't run Iron Hands.
Leaders Only
- Armour of Alacrity: Surprisingly from the multiplayer Force Commander from Dawn of War II, this Power Armour gives a re-rollable 3+ save. Pretty handy.
- Purity Seal: Increases the Leader's Inspiring Presence range to 12", which is a good help.
- Marksman's Honour: Re-rolls 1's to-hit. Not a bad item, especially if you don't run Fists.
- Oath of the Tireless Crusader: A tool from Last Stand, this grants your model Zealot. Nice to add on Templars and other assaulty leaders.
Sergeant Only
- Sacred Standard: A Banner that boosts a Sarge's Inspiring Presence to 12". If he dies, all models within this range gain Preferred Enemy. A good insurance plan, if not a bit pricy.
- Plasma Blaster: The bastard child of a Plasma Gun and a Storm Bolter, it's an 18" Plasma Gun with Assault 2 instead of Rapid Fire. A little better, but not by much unless you plan to go full shooty. Perhaps the Dark Angels would fare better from this...
- Teeth of Legion: An opportunistic man's Teeth of Terra, it's an S+1 AP4 MC Chainsword that forces anyone that takes an unsaved wound to test T or die, this baby is hella fierce in a different way.
- Larraman's Blessing: An item lifted from Last Stand, this gives a Sergeant FNP. Neato.
- Imperial Laurel: Gives models within 6" a re-roll on morale. If you're debating between using either this or the Purity Seal, take this. It's cheaper, and a bit more reliable.
- Signum: Like from the codex, but it gives a model within 6" BS5 for a turn in exchange for shooty.
Champion Only
- Valour Crest: Gives all models within range of his Inspiring Presence Stubborn. If you're running more Dark Angels, it's generally advised not to use this. It could be useful for other Chapter Traits though.
Lexicanium Only
- Soulstorm Staff: Dawn of War reference aside, this staff can shoot an Assault 1 Template with S4 AP1d6. Curiously, this doesn't count as a power, so you can fire this AND any other powers, meaning you can double-tap this with some free Smites.
Apothecary Only
- Laurel of Endurance: Pricy, but it gives the Apothecary FNP (3+). Just remember that nobody else gets this, so don't try to suicidally charge someone with a whole team and think they'll make it.
- Purification Vials: A one-use grenade that's S1 AP- and Poisoned (2+). Really not an advisable idea unless you're seeing hordes, and even then, you're practically within charging range.
Terminator Only
- Auto-Launcher: Gives a Termie infinite Assault Grenades, but they can't be thrown as weapons.
- Cataphractii-Pattern Terminator Armour: Gives a 4++, but exchanges Relentless with S&P. Beware using this, because you're giving up the option to Overwatch for a better Invul.
- Tartaros-Pattern Terminator Armour: Grants the wearer Sweeping Advances. Definitely a more advisable choice over the Cataphractii, as this is cheaper and offers more mobility.
- Teleporter: A Termie gives up assaulting for a turn and gets a 2d6" shunt wherever he wants. Good for setting up traps.
Techmarine Only
- Photon Beam: If you want an alpha-strike from an unexpected source, this is it. A 36" Assault 1 blinding shot that causes no damage, but blinding opens them up to other assaults.
FOC
- 1 Leader
- 1-20 Core
- 0-3 Special
Leaders
- Sergeant: Your utility HQ with options for almost anything he desires. If he takes a bike, then grab more bikes to join him. If he has a Jump Pack, grab more Assault Marines to fly with him. Spending 10 Points makes him a Veteran, giving him +1A/Ld, access to Sternguard ammo and a Storm Shield, as well as access to Termie Armor.
- Terminator Sergeant: If you fork over 16 more points, you can make a Veteran Sarge into a Temrie Sarge. He's got the armaments available to basic Termies and can make more Termies Core choices.
- Company Champion: Take the Champion from your Command Squad, give him another wound, and you'll be pretty much what he is. He's the challenge-based HQ that can re-roll to-hit and to-wound, but he can benefit a bit from BT tactics. He can buy a Storm Shield, a bike, and Artificer Armor if you want extra protection, and he can get a Relic Blade or a Thunder Hammer.
- Centurion Sergeant: A very expensive leader, but absolutely tough with a solid shot depending on what he gets. His stock load out gives him some devastating melee weapons and a TL flamer for some basic horde-wiping. 20 points can make him a Devastator Centurion (or just get him a TL Heavy Bolter, which is utterly weak outside of light infantry killing and costs you any melee use). His grand weakness comes from S&P. Any unit can kite him with hilarious ease and then lure him to his shooty doom, or they can just charge his ass and waste him because he can't overwatch and unless anyone can do it for him, he's useless.
- Lexicanium: A ML1 Librarian (with a Vet's statline plus a Wound) with the option to be more like a Librarian for 20 points. He has to buy a Psychic Hood in order to protect his men, which means take it against a good deal of the armies besides Necrons, DEldar, and Tau. He can get either Smite, Flame Breath, Assail, and Psychic Shriek, which makes him a decent combat psyker.
- Warden: A Veteran aspirant to Chaplain, they can spend 20 to become a full-fledged Chaplain with reflecting statline. They give all units within 6" Zealot and must buy a Rosarius for a hefty 25 points. He can also buy Termie Armour, but doing so locks him only to a cheaper Rosarius, Combi-Weapons, and basic wargear. Take if you plan on charging him with assault forces.
- Scout Sergeant: About the same as the basic Sergeant, but as a Scout. He can grab a CCW or Shotty if he needs to make a stand, a sniper to pair with the Camo Cloak for proper snipery, and basic special-issue gear. If he grabs a bike, then he has to take Scout Bikes as troops. Spending 10 points also gives him +1 A/Ld.
Core
- Tactical Marine: The basic marine with access to a rather broad set of weapons of any sort for 1 out of 5.
- Scout: They're Scouts. Keep them out of the line of fire. They can grab whatever they normally can, meaning that cover-snipers are in.
- Assault Marine: These guys are rather confined, hardcapped at 0-5 and only 1 out of the 5 cab grab a Flamer or Plasma pistol. When you take a Jump Pack sarge, it's still advisable to take some shooty units to keep them distracted while you tie them up.
- Scout Biker: They're Scouts. On Bikes. Hardcapped at 0-3. Only thing of note is that one of them can grab a Grenade Launcher (and another one if you take 3+ models), but that's it. If you're taking a biking Scout Sarge, then they can get some use freeing up slots, and go infiltrating without risk.
- Space Marine Biker: These guys are always welcome (especially among the White Scars), but are limited to 0-3 without a biking Sarge. Each 1 out of 3 can grab a new gun for their bike. Paying 24 whopping points turns one bike into an Attack Bike with a Heavy Bolter, which can be replaced with a Multi-Melta for 10. This bike has to be kept from the front lines, since this is a big investment.
Special
- Honour Guard: They can buy a relic blade and....the same stuff as vets. Besides that, they're pretty threatening as they got the 2+ (though no Invuls) and can be kitted out with any power weapons for the occasion. They're meant for taking combat, but there are cheaper models for that goal, though not as easily able to tank it.
- Sternguard Veteran: Good solid shooty units, though they will end up pricy to kit out. With the limits in this category, you need to make sure you're picking the smartest weapons for the job.
- Vanguard Veteran: A solid model that will cost as much as a Sternguard when kitted with a Jump Pack. While he can't Deep Strike unlike his Blood Angels variant, he can be just as effective in combat. With a shield, he becomes even tougher.
- Centurion: A Space Marine inside a Space Marine, this guy is basically the same as the sarge, but 10 points cheaper and with less options for Wargear. Otherwise, he's a very big cost, and when hardcapped at 0-2, there are better options for the same purposes.
- Terminator: Your fave super-armored kill-tanks, these guys have a good lot of versatility to them, and can be kitted to fit most of your needs, especially with the special wargear. Even if you grab a Termie Sarge to make them core, make sure you bring other support units to at least keep from draining all the points.
- Apothecary: The standard unique Apothecary, though he now has the option to grab a jump pack to keep up with assault marines.
- Techmarine: Unique character, though virtually identical. Keep him towards cover with some scouts unless you grabbed a transport, where he should be.