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Okay! It's the big one! We've got a ton of datasheets to cover, so let's get started!
ARMY RULES
We already know these army rules pretty well at this point. You get to pick a single target, regardless of game size, and you get full rerolls to Hit and Wound against it. It's a deceptively simple rule. On the one had, that basically covers everything about how it works. On the other, which target you pick will be the army's primary skill check. You want to pick something that you need to bring down, but that your opponent won't want to hide from your wrath.
We also already had revealed that Chapters will be additional Faction Keywords on Datasheets. You can only have units from one Chapter in your army. We've also seen that successor Chapters (except Black Templars) will have their founding Chapters Keyword. So all the sons of Guilliman, Sanguinius, The Lion, and Dorn can all be fielded in their respective armies together.
Combat Doctrines have also been well picked over at this point. They're all fantastic. You only get each one once per game, but they'll definitely make an impact when you pick them.
STRATAGEMS
We've had one or two of these revealed, but now let's see the full kit Astartes currently has to play with.
Only in Death Does Duty End
It's full Fight on Death for 2CP. We already had this one revealed and it's still awesome. It will be hard to spend below 2CP while you have this available.
Honour the Chapter
We haven't seen a lot of the lance Keyword, and this is an interesting place to find it. This is basically 1CP for +1 to Wound on the charge. You'll likely use it in its chosen doctrine too, and grab the improved AP as well.
Armour of Contempt
Another one previously revealed, Armour of Contempt is not going away. At 1CP this is a pretty good buff to give power armour, especially with the newly reduced AP of weapons.
Adaptive Strategy
Of course you still get to spend CP to put units in the Doctrine they need to be in. This is especially great now that Doctrines are once per game. I can easily see this being used every turn you don't have a Doctrine active, and many when you already do.
Storm of Fire
Another Doctrine specific Stratagem, this one grants IGNORES COVER for 1CP. Like Honour the Chapter, you also get the AP improvement in its respective Doctrine. I guess this is how they're bringing back the Doctrine specific AP buff.
Squad Tactics
A free move in your opponent's Movement is great! Unlike the other Doctrine specific Stratagems, this one doesn't buff your AP. Instead you get better movement when you activate it.
I'm about 50/50 on these. Half of them are powerful but relatively boring buffs. The other half are fantastic plays to keep in your pocket for the right time. Either way, Space Marines will not be joke in this Edition.
ENHANCEMENTS
Artificer Armour
We've already seen this one, and it's still an absolute chef's kiss. We've already got an auto-include territory enhancement and we're only on A.
The Honour Vehement
This Honour grants the character +1 Attacks and +1 Strength, doubled in Assault Doctrine. Some more AP would be nice, but they do want saves to mean something. Good for a character you want to get stuck in with.
Adept of the Codex
A free extra Tactical Doctrine for the Captain's unit is nice. It's not the best Doctrine Marines have, but it's still incredibly useful.
Bolter Discipline
Oh wow! The SUSTAINED HITS 1 buff is great, but the real prize is Criticals on 5s. If you take this, you'll always want to spend the CP to keep this unit in Devastator Doctrine.
Space Marines are going to be units lead by Characters, and these feel like they play into that quite a bit. Two of these enhancements buff the unit a Character is leading. The other two are both great buffs, though I feel like Artificer Armour slightly wins out. But maybe Body Guard units will be tough enough to make it unnecessary.
DATASHEETS
Oh boy! Here we go!
Primaris Captain
Rites of Battle is fantastic, and Finest Hour makes him a great duelist. I think you'll probably still use the Terminator Captain most times though. This one is much more versatile though, with six units it can lead. Well, there's no longer a rule against two Captains.
Captain in Gravis Armour
Oh wow! Halve the damage of an attack that wounds him! There's some potential staying power! If you're going to run a solo Captain, this guy with Artificer Armour could be genuinely hard to put down! You'll probably still want him to lead some Aggressors though.
Captain in Phobos Armour
Oh fun! This one gets to redeploy 3 Space Marine vanguard units. The selection is limited, but if you're running a Phobos heavy army he's your man.
Captain in Terminator Armour
Still our best Captain I think. They're all good, but if you decide to only run one Captain, the Imperium's Sword is a good unit wide buff.
Captain
Wait! Can't forget our First Born! Strangely, this Captain just gets Finest Hour. It looks like they've really begun blurring the line between First Born and Primaris. The units he can lead are still only First Born units.
Captain with Jump Pack
Hey! He's still here despite lack of official model support! Maybe that means something is in the pipeline! He grants his unit a nice buff with +1 to Strength. If you give him The Honour Vehement, that means he could be swinging that thunder hammer at Strength 11.
Captain on Bike
Another good unit wide buff! I stand corrected that the Captain in Terminator Armour is the obvious pick! This one gives a bike unit ASSAULT on all their weapons.
Primaris Lieutenant
From Captains to Lieutenants, the model we have enough of to field a full army! LETHAL HITS is a fantastic unit buff, and Fall Back and Shoot and Charge is always good! Oh wow! You can stack him with a Captain too!
Lieutenant in Reiver Armour
This one can only lead Rievers, but he improves their Terror Troops ability. We'll have to see what that does though.
Lieutenant in Phobos Armour
It's fire and fade! This rule is awesome, and will make any unit this Lieutenant leads quite difficult to deal with.
Lieutenant
Again, our First Born gets the same ability that his Primaris brother has.
Primaris Librarian
Alright! Let's see if they give each one different Psychic abilities. In this case, he grants a flat 4+ Invuln! That's awesome!
Librarian in Phobos Armour
Fittingly this model grants its unit Stealth. I wonder if any of the Phobos units have it already, though.
Librarian in Terminator Armour
Our new awesome Librarian model grants a unit SUSTAINED HITS 1, which is a great offensive buff for Terminators.
Librarian
Again, our First Born gets the same power.
Primaris Chaplain
Oh nice! Not only does this Chaplain grant +1 to Wound, he can just undo Battle-shock once per game. I wonder which of these will be shared between them.
Chaplain in Terminator Armour
And the answer is Litany of Hate! Here's another amazing defensive buff though: this Chaplain grants a 4+ FNP! You can really make your Marines tanky if you want to play defensively.
Chaplain on Bike
This chaplain grants DEVASTATING WOUNDS to his unit, but only against one enemy. This is a great way to make sure your Oath of Moment target goes down.
Chaplain
Second verse, same as the first. Although in this case I guess it would be the First verse?
Chaplain with Jump Pack
Another missing model, and I know Space Marine fans have been itching for some new Jump Pack models. This one gets Exhortation of Rage, doing a few mortals to a target he's fighting.
Primaris Techmarine
Well there's a few abilities there. But first, look at the Strength on that servo-arm! The first ability is just to gain Lone Operative, allowing him to work on your vehicles in peace. The second heals and buffs a nearby vehicle, but you can only do it once per vehicle per turn. I'm guessing this ability will be shared by all Techmarines. And he also gets angry if you blow up one of the Omnissiah's children, increasing the Strength on his axe to 7.
Techmarine
I guess we don't have as many armour options for Techmarines, but that might change. Other than wargear and a lost wound, the First Born is again identical to his Primaris Brother.
Astartes Servitor
From the most high ranking and noble champions of the chapter, to the lowly servitor. They still get Space Marine Toughness and an Invuln, plus they have +1 to Ballistic Skill and Weapon Skill if lead by a Techmarine.
Intercessor Squad
The Primaris version of Tactical Marines get sticky objectives by default.
Infernus Squad
Already revealed, these are amazing for Overwatch as well as inflicting Battle-shock.
Assault Intercessor Squad
With everything else going down in AP, the continued -1 AP on the Astartes Chainsword already makes them great in melee. But they get Veterans, which will probably get called Shock Assault by the community now, making them pretty good combatants.
Librarian with Jump Pack
I guess they missed a Librarian variant above. Again, lots of hints jump pack models are on the way. His might of heroes ability gives the now very potent improve AP by 1.
Lieutenant with Comb-weapon
Our new Lieutenant that screams unique character without having Epic Hero. He honestly looks pretty badass.
Heavy Intercessor Squad
The Gravis armoured Intercessors get improved Armour saves when attacked with Damage 1 weapons. With that Gravis Toughness of 6, you'll definitely need some heavy firepower to shift these guys.
Infiltrator Squad
Oh wow! I was wondering if this was coming back, and it most definitely is. Infiltrators continue to block Reinforcements with 12". I'm guessing it's the sergeant that can take the Helix gauntlet for a bit of FNP, and one model can take a Comms Array to potentially regenerate CP.
Incursor Squad
Incursors can now mark targets to aid in the rest of your shooting, and they can take a haywire mine for a little anti-vehicle action.
Tactical Squad
I was a little worried the First Born would again just be mirrors of their Primaris Brothers. But appropriately enough, Tactical Squads just always get the Tactical Doctrine buff of Fall Back and Shoot and Charge.
Scout Squad
The First Born recon unit gets both Infiltrators and Scout over its two Primaris equivalents. You can also just put this unit into Strategic Reserves, providing their far enough away from the enemy, to come back later.
Scout Sniper Squad
Coming packed with Stealth instead of Scout, the entire unit basically has Lone Operative. Their sniper rifles don't have a lot of punch, but they do have some decent AP.
Primaris Company Champion
Wielding a master-crafted power weapon with great skill and decent power, they also get PRECISION to challenge enemy Leaders. Additionally, they grant +1 to Advance and Charge to the unit they Lead while also getting them Heroic Intervention for free. And should the Leader they're after not be the target of their Oath of Moment, they still get full re-rolls to Hit and Wound on them.
Primaris Apothecary
We've already seen the primary ability of Apothecaries, the Narthecium's ability to just bring back a slain model. But one interesting rule is that if your unit gets destroyed, you gain a CP on a 2+. I don't really like rules like this, as I feel like planning for important units to die is a poor strategy. But you can also use this model to double up Leaders on a unit.
Apothecary Biologis
Previously revealed, the granted LETHAL HITS and ability to gain massive amounts of OC make this a devastating leader for a Gravis unit. And again, he can be a second leader.
Primaris Ancient
We now know that modifiers occur after setting a value, so the banner will allow a unit suffering from Battle-shock to hold and take objectives. The model himself also has a 4+ FNP so long as he's holding either an objective or the center of the battlefield. Like Apothecaries, he can also be a second Leader for unit.
Bladeguard Ancient
This Ancient, of course, keeps the banner rules. But once per battle he can Fight with +1 Attacks.
Ancient in Terminator Armour
This variant grants a +1 to Hit if the unit is currently below Starting Strength, and +1 to Wound if the unit is below Half Strength. Again, it feels poor to plan for models, especially Terminators, to die. There are so many buffs in this army and you can only have up to two Leaders.
Bladeguard Veteran Squad
An entire unit of fighters wielding master-crafted weapons is a tough model to shift in combat. But each Fight Phase you also get to decide if they're going to get re-roll Hits of 1 or re-roll Saves of 1.
Command Squad
The big First born Chapter Command unit is still pretty impressive and versatile. It just gets to stack three potent Leader rules on itself, giving it a way to feel like it's a unit of characters without having more than two Leaders.
Vanguard Veteran Squad
Another possible new model teaser? The Vanguard Vets still have a nice assortment of wargear, and they get LETHAL HITS on the Charge.
Vanguard Veteran Squad with Jump Packs
Hey! It's a Jump Pack unit we have models for! They still get the same rule as their brethren stuck hoofing it.
Sternguard Veteran Squad
Our new Leviathan Sternguard have already been revealed, and their potential once per battle ability to fire twice will be tricky to pull off but potent when you do.
Judiciar
The potent melee chaplain hits on Strength 7 with both DEVASTATING WOUNDS and PRECISION, making them your go to Character killer. If that wasn't enough, he gives the unit he's Leading Fights First, and stacks extra attacks for every character he can kill. Put him in your favorite melee Primaris unit and watch him go to work!
Riever Squad
Another anti-character unit, Rievers also inflict Battle-shock while inflicting a penalty on tests for nearby units. A potential glimpse of what Night Lords may one day be capable of.
Aggressor Squad
My favorite stocky boys come with a bunch of TWIN-LINKED attacks, with a slight ability to improve their AP if they focus on the targets in front of them.
Terminator Assault Squad
Soon we'll have a new kit for you. In the mean time, they get Teleport Homer just like the previously seen Terminators, and they force a Battle-shock test on anything they Charge.
Terminator Squad
Our new Terminator models look awesome, and both from their datasheet and the reports starting to come in, they play awesome too.
Relic Terminator Squad
Not everything Heresy is going away. The older patter Terminators don't get Teleport Homer, but they still get Fury of the First and plenty of wargear options.
Centurion Assault Squad
Centurions are now T7! Unfortunately they lack the Invuln that Terminator plate grants. But they also strike at S10, AP-2, D3 in combat, getting SUSTAINED HITS 2 against Monsters, Vehicles, and Fortifications. Are Centurions good now?
Centurion Devastator Squad
With the ability to bring TWIN-LINKED lascannons to the fight, and re-roll 1s to hit, these might finally bring the Devastation they were meant to.
Invictor Tactical Warsuit
The Invictor fist packs a wallop, but the rest of this model will be based on how it and its wargear are priced. The Iron Hail does at least look like a decent anti-infantry gun. It does have a cool ability to shoot back at the enemy when it or nearby phobos get attacked. Phobos units are going to be genuinely hard to get to grips with.
Dreadnought
Whether its a more recent kit or the old boxy boy, older Dreadnoughts use this profile now. In addition to being a versatile kit, it brings a re-roll 1s aura.
Contemptor Dreadnought
Did you recently by a Horus Heresy Contemptor kit? Well don't worry, you've still got rules for it. Although more limited than the more well known kit, it comes with 2 more wounds and can stand up on death on a 2+.
Ironclad Dreadnought
What is this thing? How the hell is this not a meme? Did I somehow miss it? Is that just 6 bolters shoved into a Dreadnought arm? And what are those missiles? Man no wonder Space Marines just keep becoming memes. Oh well, at least it's good against Vehicles and Fortifications.
Redemptor Dreadnought
Coming in at T10 and W12, this is the monster of all dreadnoughts. Unlike its smaller counterparts, this one still gets -1 Damage.
Brutalis Dreanought
Our new melee dread is TWIN-LINKED everything, and it gets mortal wounds on charges. Man, my Carnifexes are going to miss that . . . Honestly though, this thing looks like a beast.
Ballistus Dreadnought
Our new boy, straight out of Leviathan, and seemingly designed to replace the older kits eventually. The sooner it replaces the Ironclad the better.
Assault Squad
Standard First Born Assault Marines are definitely still a thing. While the sergeant gets to enjoy one or more potent melee weapons, the rest of the Marines can select from SUSTAINED HITS 1, LETHAL HITS, or LANCE every time they fight.
Assault Squad with Jump Packs
This unit also gets Hammer of Wrath, getting to smash a mortal down on their opponents before the fight even starts.
Outrider Squad
The fast, tough Primaris bikes get an auto-advance of 6". In Devastator Doctrine this will really let you unleash those multi-meltas at point blank range.
Invader ATV
If fielded by itself, the ATV now gets to fire back if an enemy unit shoots other Mounted units.
Bike Squad
And we're back to Pimaris/First Born mirrors. Other than fewer wounds and different weapon options, this is the same as the Outriders.
Scout Bike Squad
The scout equivalent can either Scout move at the beginning of the game or use Strategic Reserves to arrive in your opponent's deployment zone.
Attack Bike Squad
Again we have a mirror. This is a worse Invader ATV.
Suppressor Squad
The interesting combination of a high Movement speed, Fly, and Heavy. The idea here is to strike these out into a key board position, then rain death, hopefully from atop a ruin, on your opponent. The accelerator autocannon looks like a pretty good gun for such mobile firepower. In addition, hit units gain a -1 to Hit until the start of your next turn.
Inceptor Squad
The more assault focused Primaris Jump Infantry, Plasma Exterminators look like they could rip some things apart. Incredibly, you can bring this squad down within 3" of an opponent, and only give up your charge. So you can easily Deep Strike them in to rain death on your chosen Oath of Moment target.
Storm Speeder Hailstrike
This thing is pretty tough for a speeder. This unit can use its multiple weapons to mark a target for you, giving you improved AP for the rest of your army. An honestly potent buff in the current edition.
Storm Speeder Thunderstrike
If you want to do damage with your speeder, this one can put out some pretty impressive Strength and AP on one or two targets. This one also brings a buff, giving +1 to wound for anything else that fires on the marked target.
Storm Speeder Hammerstrike
And if it's entrenched heavy armour you're dealing with, you can use this model to breakthrough and then remove The Benefit of Cover from its target.
Land Speeder
This classic multi-melta delivery system is nowhere near as tough as its larger cousins, and comes with a strange buff against its marked target. This time it's IGNORES COVER, but only for Blast weapons.
Land Speeder Tornado
The more classic damage dealing Land Speeder can perform strafing runs now, potentially inflicting mortal wounds.
Land Speeder Typhoon
And finally, the missile boat Land Speeder gets Fire and Fade. Why does this rule feel more common this edition.
Hellblaster Squad
One of the terrors of 9th Edition, this unit is one of the reasons the new Toughness scale was called for. Unlike other rules in these Datasheets, this is a death rule I can get behind. Supercharged plasma can easily destroy multiple models in this squad, so the fact those models will get to shoot one last time is awesome.
Eliminator Squad
The premiere Space Marine snipers look like they'll be plenty effective. This model can Fire and Fade if you give it an Instigator bolt carbine. The cool part is, you can have this unit Remain Stationary, get its DEVASTATING WOUNDS ability, then move it.
Eradicator Squad
The other terror of 9th Edition, this unit now gets full re-rolls against Monsters and Vehicles. Even against tougher targets, that's going to be potent.
Devastator Squad
The classic Swiss Army Knife heavy weapons team returns, now with IGNORES COVER and an Armorium Cherub to give it a guaranteed 6 to Hit.
Desolation Squad
And now the new terrors of 9th Edition! Although reduced, that is still a lot of shots to send into something. This unit can also ignore all the penalties for INDIRECT FIRE, meaning you can hide them and reign missiles with impunity.
Thunderfire Cannon
The more classic INDIRECT FIRE model, this one gets the same ability of Barb Gaunts to severely reduce the movement of enemy models. It does, however, still have to deal with INDIRECT FIRE penalties.
Firestrike Servo-Turrets
The strange, slow moving weapon platforms return. They actually punch pretty hard with their TWIN-LINKED weaponry, providing you can get them a good firing angle. Additionally, they can hold ground well with 4s to hit in Overwatch.
Hunter
If aircraft become a thing in this edition, this is the go to. Even without them, this unit always Hits on 2s against Monsters and Vehicles. And if S10 AP-3 isn't enough, it also has DEVASTATING WOUNDS.
Stalker
If instead of Aircraft, it's basic flyers, this is the vehicle to take them down. Its special Overwatch ability lets it target up three units.
Whirlwind
The classic Space Marine missile platform can once again pin enemy targets, this time using the Battle-shock rules.
Predator Destructor
It looks like T10 might be our standard tank toughness now. This variant has been setup for anti-infantry, with improved AP against them.
Predator Annihilator
While I'm sure the anti-vehicle variant would have preferred some extra AP, re-roll 1s for Damage is great for a lascannon.
Gladiator Lancer
I was honestly expecting these to be tougher, but they do still get an extra wound. The laser destroyer is the premiere anti-tank weapon of the Marine range so far. It gets one re-roll for Hit, Wound, and damage each time you fire. If a vehicle meta starts, this is where you'll want to look first.
Gladiator Reaper
The anti-infantry Gladiator variant is the bane of light infantry to the Predator's heavy infantry.
Gladiator Valiant
This is the anti-armour variant, though I'm not sure why you'd take this over the Lancer. If you're regularly going after your Oath of Moment target, I guess the +1 to Hit is more useful.
Vindicator
I still remember when this beast came out. Facing was still a thing then, meaning getting that Demolisher shot off was a challenge. The newly buffed Demolisher profile is pretty mean, and it's tougher than a Lancer. It has a cool ability to fire into Engagement Range with Blast weapons at no penalty.
Land Raider
Ah, the Land Raider! For too long have these been collecting dust on Space Marine players' shelves. With its new profile and the return of Assault Ramps, I think we'll finally see them again.
Land Raider Crusader
I've never liked this variant, though arguably it's more useful for delivering troops into melee. It looks like all Land Raiders will just have Assault Ramp.
Land Raider Redeemer
See if I want anti-infantry, this is the variant I'm gonna use.
Repulsor
The Primaris heavy tank is absolutely bristling with guns and is almost as tough as a Land Raider. Where as the Land Raider helps get your unit into combat, the Repulsor helps keep them out of it with the ability to Embark a unit in the Charge phase.
Repulsor Executioner
If you need to get into a tank duel, this is the vehicle to bring. It also pairs nicely with the Ballistus Dreadnaught, putting down whatever it walker partner strikes.
Rhino
The humble Rhino looks like it will be a good all 'round transport this edition.
Razorback
If you're planning on delivering a squad into some heat, and don't want to bring a Land Raider, this is the vehicle for you. It features the Fire Support rule we've seen on many transports so far.
Impulsor
While not as good at delivering units into combat, the Impulsor is faster than its First Born cousin, Advancing and still allowing units to Disembark. It also can grant an aura of CP regen and can be equipped with an Invuln.
Drop Pod
The ability to grant a Turn 1 Deep Strike is fantastic, but this model still has the liability in that it's a helpless charge target. At least now you have to base with it if you can, and once based those models can't move until the Drop Pod is destroyed. Still, I foresee shenanigans.
Land Speeder Storm
Just when you thought you were done with Land Speeder Datasheets, the Storm comes charging in! This fast moving transport may not be tough, but is still comes with an Assault Ramp style ability.
Stormhawk Interceptor
The Space Marine anti-aircraft fighter is pretty tough and has some decent weaponry. I'm still curious if aircraft will be a thing, and if they are, will units like this be able to function properly with the new movement rules. You can definitely try to keep them in hover to intercept aircraft when they come onto the board. Or you can try to keep them in a circling patrol to wait them out.
Stormtalon Gunship
Though not as tough as the Stormhawk, this one can bring twin lascannons to perform some general purpose anti-vehicle work.
Stormraven Gunship
The Astartes air transport is pretty tough, even before that -1 Damage. This vehicle will probably do a pretty good job of delivering its troops safely. And as in prior editions, it can still drop off a Dreadnaught.
Hammerfall Bunker
We haven't seen any special rules for Fortifications that restricts their deployment or anything, though those might come later. For now, we get some rules that allow you to shoot at enemy units in engagement range of Fortifications and prevents enemy units from needing to take Desperate Escape tests when Falling Back from one. Additionally, the Hammerfall provides the Benefits of Cover to nearby models.
EPIC HEROES
So. Many. Datasheets. I honestly wonder how Space Marine players put up with this. I'll comment more, but, I'm not done! After a break for an Armoury sheet, detailing out some common weapons they probably didn't always include, we get some special characters. Let's see what's included for now.
I, Cato Sicarius!
The meme of the Ultramarines beats Calgar to the first Datasheet. He looks like he hits decently in melee, but his abilities are all about flexibility. He grants the unit he leads Scout 6 and ASSAULT on their ranged weapons. And with his Lightning Assault rule you're almost certainly going to get to pick your fights, letting you make a normal move when the enemy closes.
Chaplain Cassius
Cassius grants DEVASTATING WOUNDS to his unit, a fantastic ability to pair with many Space Marine rules such as Oath of Moment. He also grants a 4+ Fight on Death to his entire unit.
Chief Librarian Tigurius
Packing plenty of Psychic might, Tigerius also shields his unit from both Psychic Attacks and Mortals. He also makes his unit a blanket -1 to Hit and grants them a free Stratagem once per battle.
Marneus Calgar
Oh how he can cast Fist now! His Gauntlets are now TWIN-LINKED, meaning that they'll reliably wound even tough targets. He grants permanent Advance and Fall Back and Shoot and Charge, basically putting his unit in all three doctrines at once. He also comes with free CP generation and a 4+ FNP. Calgar is just awesome!
Sergeant Chronus
Chronus has special rules to allow him to Embark on a set list of vehicles, drastically improving its shooting. So he's basically a vehicle upgrade. Depending on his price point, he'll be great.
Sergeant Telion
The famous Scout Sergeant drastically improves the usefulness of his Bodyguard Unit, with both additional OC and flexible weapon options.
Tyrannic War Veterans
The most on theme unit for the start of this Edition, Tyrannic War Veterans have ANTI-TYRANID 4+ on all their weapons and DEVASTATING WOUNDS against Tyranids.
Uriel Ventris
While he doesn't make your Stratagems free, he does basically ignore all restrictions for playing them on a unit he's leading. He can also just grant Deep Strike to a unit.
Roboute Guilliman
Finally the big man himself. We've already had his full Datasheet revealed for the most part. While all of his abilities are useful, after looking at the other units in this Index, Master of Battle is definitely what you'll want to use whenever possible. Again, we don't have points, but you'll usually want to bring both him and Calgar.
Darnath Lysander
Holy . . . We're not done! Hello Captain Lysander! In addition to hitting like a train, Lysander grants the new version of Transhuman to his Bodyguards. He can also put up a 2+ Invuln once per game.
Tor Garadon
Wow! Tor Garadon grants both LETHAL HITS and IGNORES COVER! Flavorful and potent! In addition, he can rip apart Monsters, Vehicles, and Fortifications like he's a Primarch.
Pedro Kantor
The Chapter Master of the Crimson Fists grants a once per battle +1 Attacks for a turn and that "buffed while below Starting Strength" ability we keep seeing. Not as impressive as Calgar but still potent. But we also finally see the other shoe on Successor Chapters. On the back of the Datasheet we get a rule that treats Kantor as being an Imperial Fist for all rules purposes, but you can't include him with other Imperial Fist Epic Heroes. Unfortunately, with this wording, if another Crimson Fist character comes out they'll be blocked from being in the same army. Hopefully they'll fix that.
Iron Father Feirros
The famous Iron Father of the Iron Hands grants a unit he's leading a 5+ FNP, but that unfortunately doesn't mean vehicles. He does have a slightly buffed version of Blessing of the Omnissiah, but it also doesn't stack.
Kayvaan Shrike
One of my favorite Space Marine Models, he basically makes his whole unit Lone Operative. If fighting on his own, he can go back into Strategic Reserves while he's not engaged in combat.
Adrax Agatone
There's an interesting ability I've only seen once before, and on an odd datasheet to share with this one. First, he grants his unit re-roll Wounds. Second, like, of all things Ripper Swarms, he halves the OC of models he's fighting. Considering the Strength on that hammer, he'll be pretty good at leading some Assault Intercessors to secure critical positions.
Vulkan He'stan
Salamanders are already supposed to be good with flamers and melta weapons. He makes them better. I'll be curious to see if the Space Marine Codex comes with a Detachment to represent the Salamanders' fighting style. But what's really interesting is that, like Agatone, he's really good at taking Objectives. Securing ground is definitely a Salamanders thing, but I wasn't expecting it to be this potent.
Kor'sarro Khan
I just noticed, on the last Datasheet no less, only Calgar actually got the Chapter Master keyword. I wonder if this is intentional or an oversight. Either way the current Khan is a potent ASSAULT leader and Character assassin. He grants you a CP every time you manage to take out an enemy Character.
FINAL THOUGHTS
That was a lot! Give me a minute.
I honestly did try to process these as best as I could, but there are so many! Seriously, this book needs so much pruning. It was definitely hard when I got to, "And here's the anti-infantry Predator . . ." Let me know if you're a Space Marine main and you enjoy having all these different datasheets, often for basically the same model.
So the first obvious fact about Space Marines that is probably more true than it's ever been, is they support multiple play styles. With so many Datasheets and such flexible base army rules, you can basically field Space Marines nearly however you want. They're never going to be the hordiest of horde armies, but with so many characters and no real limits anymore for them, you can definitely go pure elite. Hell, I think Primaris Lieutenant, The Army is actually legal!
You've definitely got quite the tool box to draw from. No matter what role you need a unit for, you've got a near perfect fit. Players who like planning out how their army will function in great detail will be well served by this Index. Obviously we're still waiting on points, but you really can find an answer for nearly any problem here.
Of course, the big thing that jumped out at me is that Death Stars are back. It's true, you can only have up to two Characters leading a unit. But the sheer versatility of the Character selection you have is overwhelming! And even with that limit, there are so many ways to grant buffs to units! As with Oath of Moment, many of these buffs revolve around marking a target for death with a given unit. But there are still some Auras in there to just flat out buff units in your ball.
There always seems to be a period in any edition where Space Marines are a real threat. I think they'll be starting off this way in 10th.
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