Let's Talk About Oath of Moment

I've been meaning to start this back up again, and with Warhammer Day and the release of the Space Marine Codex tomorrow, this seems like a good time.  I'm still struggling with my health, and I'm still trying to put as much time and energy as I can into my big project, but this hiatus has gone on long enough.  Plus I made a new Tumblr and it's time that got some love.

So let's talk about Oath of Moment.

When Oath was first unveiled in the previews leading up to 10th Edition, there was more than a little gnashing of teeth from the community.  GW had claimed they wanted the game to be less lethal and have fewer re-rolls.  But then they dropped Oath of Moment giving Space Marines full re-rolls to hit and wound.  More astute players weren't as phased by the unveiling, seeing the limits behind the rule and room to play around it.  But many people couldn't see past the apparent power on display.

As things have been, Oath has definitely been powerful.  It essentially lets the Space Marine player delete one unit off the board each turn.  It's particularly powerful when combined with Indirect Fire platforms such as Desolators and Whirlwinds.  But Space Marines have plenty of ways to get around the board and secure good firing angles.  So unless a player is really reaching they'll almost certainly kill their Oath target.

But while I think you'd be hard pressed to call Oath of Moment a weak rule, or even say that Space Marines lack good rules period, none of this made the faction overpowered.  Space Marines kicked off 10th Edition pretty close to a 50% win rate and only fell from there.  While they never approached the kind of levels that armies like Votann and Death Guard suffered, they struggled to hang with the more potent armies in the game.

Now unlike those other armies, this was almost certainly a pure points issue.  Space Marines definitely have rules, of which Oath of Moment is only one.  But this does seem to suggest that Oath of Moment really wasn't overpowered.

So why did GW change it?

If you somehow haven't heard, do I have a spoiler for the Codex release tomorrow!

Oath of Moment is no longer granting re-rolls to Wound against your chosen target.  This may be the most significant single nerf a faction has ever received.  Losing the re-rolls to Wound is definitely losing the better half of Oath of Moment.  Space Marines normally hit on 3s.  So while re-rolling Hits is definitely a buff, Space Marines still hit decently well without it.  But in a world where Plasma and Melta are wounding big targets on 5s, re-rolling Wounds is huge.  Add in abilities like Dev Wounds, and it becomes really big.

Chances are that well built Space Marine lists will still be able to eliminate their Oath target each turn, but harder targets are now going to take a lot more work.  This also shifts weapon priorities in Space Marine lists.  Combi-weapons have suddenly dropped in value while weapons with Lethal Hits or Twin-linked really matter.

Do you hear that?  That's the sound of thousands of players snapping off arms and guns.

Unlike other rules changes, GW has been pretty quiet about this one.  Because of this, we can only really guess why they decided the rule needed to be nerfed.  While I know there are some people seeing nefarious intentions here, I'm pretty sure the goal is to make the game easier to balance.

When GW is writing rules for units or deciding what their points value will be, they need to take Army and Detachment Rules into account.  The more powerful these rules are, the harder the unit is to balance.  We can see this illustrated plainly with Aeldari, the faction that arguably has the best rules in the game.

Even before we get to the new rules in the new Codex, Space Marines already have two good sets of rules.  Not only is Oath of Moment a good rule, but so are Combat Doctrines.  So when balancing Space Marine units, GW has to add in these rules.

But to make matters worse, both of these rules spike a Space Marine unit's power.  If the rules were bonuses that applied consistently, the design team could just lump them in with what the unit can do.  But not only does Oath of Moment apply to a single enemy unit each turn, each Combat Doctrine is also only once per game.  So when balancing something like the new Jump Intercessors, they have to not just consider what the unit can do on a turn by turn basis, but also what happens the turn they have Assault Doctrine and an Oath target.

By removing the re-roll Wounds, it becomes much easier to balance Space Marines.  Now their units will still spike occasionally, but it won't be as huge a spike.  This also helps internal balance as well.  Units that GW wanted to make good at killing certain targets with re-roll Wounds now matter more.  Why take a unit that gets re-roll Wounds against Monster and Vehicles when you're probably going to get it from Oath of Moment?  Now that unit has a definitive purpose in the army.

But let's not sugar coat it.

Regardless of why GW made the decision to nerf Space Marines, this is still a nerf and they're going to feel it.  There are some interesting rules to play with coming in the new Codex, though Gladius is probably still going to be the Detachment to beat.  But none of these rules are going to make up for the change to Oath of Moment.

Space Marines have gotten further points changes, and there are some significant buffs, but they weren't looking like an A Tier army after the last balanced pass.  While it remains to be seen just how bad this is going to be, I feel like Space Marine players have a bumpy road ahead of them.

Well That Just Happened!

Wow!!!

Space Marine Range Update

I'm seriously stunned, and honestly cursing out loud about this!  This is both unbelievable and shocking news, and I know that there are fans who are going to be extremely upset over it.

The Space Marine codex is a behemoth.  After constantly receiving new miniatures throughout 10 Editions of this game, there is just an incredible number of Datasheets that need to be rewritten each edition and then balanced as people play.  Yet Space Marines are the game's most popular faction.  It's seriously not even close.  Now there are things GW could and should do to bring other factions up, but the simple fact is that Space Marines sell.  To not make new Space Marine kits is to leave money on the table.  But there eventually comes a point where you can't feasibly add more to the game.

So GW has apparently decided that 10th Edition will come with the sunsetting of many Space Marine kits.  And some of the ones they've chosen are jaw dropping.

Now I'd normally guess in many cases these are kits that are getting a refresh.  Some of these are extremely old and in desperate need of an update.  But why would they announce the kits are being retired before they announce the new models?  That doesn't make a lot of sense to me.  So this really makes me wonder if these units are just going away to make room for new models and units.  Even then, the fact they announced this before revealing the new miniatures is flabbergasting!

Some of these units make perfect sense.

The Iron Clad Dreadnought.  I did not even know this thing existed.  I think it looks ridiculous.  I know I'm not going to miss it.

The Stalker and Hunters.  Again, I'd never even seen these, though I've at least heard of them.

The Thunderfire Cannon.  This one I knew and have even faced across the table.  But slow moving heavy weapons don't have much of a roll in a faction with so many fast assets.

Even the Company Command Squad makes at least some sense in a game that's become more about single heroes.

I'm sure there is probably a player out there that really loves one or more of these.  But at the end of the day, I don't think many players will complain about GW no longer selling them, save for generic complaints about fewer options.

But those are only a few models on this list!

Let's start with the ones that at least have some obvious reasons behind them: the Scouts and Techmarine.  

These are ancient kits in desperate need of a refresh.  But I'm sure everyone was expecting a refresh; everyone was expecting to see the new Space Marine Scouts when the new model reveals come in.  I guarantee, no one was expecting either of these to be consigned to Legends.  And they're both integral parts of Space Marine lore.  It's hard to imagine not being able to field them in your army.

But from there the choices just get eye watering.

Bikes could use a refresh; they're both pretty old kits too.  But they still hold up pretty well.  And Space Marines on bikes are still a very popular theme.  Hell!  Arguably there's an entire Chapter dedicated to them!  I know we have the Primaris bikes, but they have a pretty different feel from the older ones.  I know there are going to be people who are really upset to see these go!

The Librarian!  This is actually a really cool model!  It's even a plastic kit!  But it looks like it'll only be Primaris Libbies from now on.

But by far the ones that have my jaw on the floor are the Land Speeders and the Assault Squad.  Like, I seriously don't have words.  How can I even explain how iconic these two units are?  And I know they're popular!  Space Marine players love their Land Speeders!  Maybe we don't need multiple variants of them, but I just can't imagine Space Marines without them.

And the Assault Squad?  The most requested new Space Marine unit has to be a proper Primaris jump pack unit.  People love the concept of a force of fully armoured Space Marines slamming down on the enemy from on high!  Assault Marines are extremely beloved!  Even if there are new Primaris versions coming, I know people are going to be upset to see the old ones go.

But I guess that's where we are.  All and all fourteen kits leaving the store and becoming either Legends or "counts as."

This is gonna be a rough week.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marines Imperial Armour

Today we start going over the Imperial Armour Datasheets I missed for the factions I'd already covered before they were released.  I'll be doing each one in turn, using the order on the WarCom article like I usually do.  I'll be skipping Tyranids though, as they'll be getting some special treatment soon.  It's a quick one today, which is good as I'll be spending a chunk of the weekend with family.  We're doing a long overdue Birthday celebration for my Brother From Another Mother and I.  We're hoping to check out the Oppenheimer-Barbie double feature, though we might have to settle for one or the other.  I might pause to air my thoughts on whichever we see.

You've probably already heard that Space Marines are doing very well.  While they're not the powerhouses that Aeldari, Knights, and Genestealer Cults are, they're still incredibly potent.  Both Oath of Moment and Combat Doctrines are potent rules that allow them to easily punch above their weight, and their massive list of Datasheets is filled with synergies and combos.  And, of course, Desolation Marines are continuing to be a nightmare to deal with.  With the many threats that are already in the Index, we haven't heard much from the Imperial Armour options.

But then, it is only two sheets.

The Astraeus - 525 pts

Right off the bat, it's hard not to compare the Space Marine Super-heavy tank to the Repulsor Executioner.  For 230 pts, the Executioner is absolutely bristling with guns, packing an answer to basically anything it might run into.  Now the Executioner is likely too cheap at its current cost, but that's the competition we're working with.  The Astraeus is more than double the cost, and while it has more big guns, those guns aren't as good as the heavy laser destroyer.  

It is significantly tougher, sporting a 2+ Sv and a 5+ Invuln against shooting.  Additionally, while the las-ripper pales in comparison to the laser destroyer, the macro-accelerator cannon is a hell of a gun.  While it's missing AP, the sheer number of shots it puts out at range more than make up for it.  And it suppresses its target, handing out a -1 to Hit.

Still, when you combine the fact that this is a massive model you're going to struggle to move around a board with its massive cost, I think you have to give this one a pass.

Thunderhaw Gunship - 840 pts

Everyone's most requested plastic kit comes with a pts cost that's almost as much as its real dollar cost.  Models this big are always hard to judge, but this gets even tougher for flyers and transports.  

For 840 pts you get:

• 30 T12 Wounds with 2+ Sv (no Invuln)
• Hover
• Either D6+6 S10, AP-2, Dmg3 shots or D3+1 S20, AP-4, DmgD6+6 shots (both with Blast!)
• 2 lascannons
• 4 twin-linked heavy bolters
• Either an anti-fly gun or a mortal wound bomb for an average of 4 mortals
• The ability to transport up to 30 Space Marines

Obviously I think it's the last one you're paying the premium for.  Additionally, if you load any Marines with Deep Strike, such as Terminators, they can disembark after you fly them up the board and still Charge.  The Thunderhawk is also the only Space Marine transport that can carry Mounted units like bikes.

It should also be pointed out that Aircraft get the same benefit as Towering, allowing them to shoot (and be shot at) regardless of any ruins in the way.  And with a 96" range gun, you can basically put those shots anywhere.

Unfortunately, you're not going to get much use out of this.  Unless you're facing something like a Knight player, there's not gonna be space on the board to drop even the 15 Terminators that would make the most use of this.  And while you'll be able to do some nice damage if you go first, this will not survive your opponent's shooting phase.  I'd give this two battle rounds at most, at which point you've lost nearly half your army.  It's just too much to pay for the potential of getting some Turn 1 charges off with some heavy hitters.

FINAL THOUGHTS

While both of these are absolutely amazing models, if you can deal with the Forge World resin, they're just too expensive (in game and out) for what they do.  This honestly isn't too big a loss to Space Marine players.  They have plenty of extremely good Datasheets with lots of tools to make up for what these would bring.  If you're lucky enough to have one of these beautiful models, enjoy them in some friendly games with your crew.  But keep them off the meaner tables and leave them displayed proudly on the shelf.

Warhammer 40,000 - Indexes for Space Marine Chapters

Free Space Marines Index Cards - Dark Angels, Blood Angels, Space Wolves, Black Templars, and Deathwatch

Our third set of Datasheets continues the love for Space Marine players.  I'm gonna go ahead and just binge off these in one go.  While some of these Chapters have lots of Datasheets, this should still be far less than what we saw on Friday.

DARK ANGELS

The Dark Angels saw a significant change in their special rules with the reveal on WarCom.  Let's see how their signature units will support the Chapter.

Here we see our first Detachment with a Restriction in place.  This one is simple, you can't include any units from another Chapter.  I think maybe they should have worded this to mention the Faction Keyword, just so you're not referencing the rules in the Space Marine Index to understand how this Restriction works.  But most player probably know the intention here.

Grim Resolve

The new Detachment rule allows Dark Angels to maintain OC 1 when Battle-shocked, potentially keeping them in control of objectives.  While I think most would agree that this is not as powerful as Combat Doctrines, Battle-shock is legitimately looking like a thing.  The big issue I think most players will have is this rule is just kinda boring.

Unforgiven Fury

Oh wow!  This is awesome!  Looks like they're going to be playing up that Battle-shock thing for the Unforgiven.  First, this 1CP strat grants LETHAL HITS to a unit, an ability that combos well with Oath of Moment, but if any units in your army are currently Battle-shocked, you crit on 5s.  This will be particularly nasty on any units with SUSTAINED HITS.

Armour of Contempt

Looks like not every strat in specific detachments will be new.  This makes sense, honestly, since just because you're playing a specialized force doesn't mean that force wouldn't know the most important strategies of the faction.  Imagine a detachment based around Hive Fleet Hydra not having access to Endless Swarm.

Intractable

Fall Back and Shoot and Charge for 1CP.  We've seen strats like this already, but that make them less awesome.

Fire Discipline

Holy!  For 1CP you're unit gets ASSAULT, HEAVY, and IGNORES COVER?  Obviously ASSAULT and HEAVY are mutually exclusive, but it does mean this strat is exceptionally flexible!

Grim Retribution

For 1CP you get to shoot back at an attacking unit that destroyed one of your models.  We've seen that Overwatch is still powerful, and I imagine that strats like this will be too.  Your opponent will need to watch out that they either attack with tough units, or overwhelming force.

Unbreakable Lines

Oh wow!  We've seen strats like this in a few factions such as Guard and Death Guard, but they've been 2CP.  This 1CP strat reduces damage by 1 for the rest of the turn!  Again, there doesn't appear to be limit to this, potentially causing all damage on the unit to bounce.

Shroud of Heroes

This is such a weird synergy, but it does help keep Dark Angels effective against Battle-shock heavy armies like Tyranids and Chaos Knights.  This is similar to the Phoenix Gem we saw for Aeldari, but it only brings back the unit with 3 Wounds, unless the unit is Battle-shocked.  Then it brings them back with full wounds.

Stubborn Tenacity

+1 to Hit if the Character is leading a unit below Starting Strength, +1 to Wound if that unit is also Battle-shocked.  While again, these rules help maintain effectiveness for damaged units, I prefer to plan around dealing damage.

Heavenfall Blade

Like this enhancement!  +1 to Attacks, Strengths, and Damage!  And its doubled when the unit is Battle-shocked.

Pennant of Remembrance

This is the first enhancement we've seen that is really restrictive, requiring it to be used for a Bladeguard Ancient, Primaris Ancient, or Terminator Ancient.  This gives the lead unit a 6+ FNP, with a 4+ FNP while Battle-shocked.  That is an impressive jump in durability.

Azrael

Wow!  Lion's Wrath is no joke!  He is absolutely going to shred Infantry!  This definitely makes his unit a prime target for Unforgiven Fury.  He also just grants 1CP in your Command Phase, a 4+ Invuln, and a once per game 4+ FNP against Mortals.  Oh!  And he can join Hellblasters!

Belial

The master of the Death Wing looks like he's been crafted to be an assassin style character.  Not only do all of his weapons come with PRECISION, but he grants PRECISION to his unit on Crits.  He also just gets to strike back with Mortals when his unit gets attacked in Melee.

Sammael

Oo!  I really like The Raven Sword!  He grants Advance and Shoot and Charge to the Ravenwing unit he's leading.  He also has Greyfax's rule for forcing Desperate Escape tests on the enemy.

Ezekiel

The Chief Librarian is also setup to kill Characters, though his sword is ANTI-CHAOS.  He comes with the Psychic Hood all Librarians do, can force Battle-shock on an enemy, and he grants +1 Attacks in melee to his unit.  And if you're actually trying to Battle-shock your own units so that you can get access to the strange buffs the Dark Angels have, he forces a Battle-shock test on nearby units when he dies.

Asmodai

Fitting a Chapter dedicated to hunting down traitors, the Chief Interrogator Chaplain also has plenty of PRECISION, forces Battle-shock on enemy Characters, and grants a CP if he kills one.  He also grants full re-rolls to Hit in melee for his unit.

Ravenwing Talonmaster

Thanks to the special Talonmaster rule, you're free to leave this special Character speeder independent.  He also has an aura style ability that grants IGNORE COVER to nearby mounted and flying units, buffing before they start marking targets.  Finally he gets that free move when an enemy gets close to him.

Lazarus

While a bit more mixed in theme than the previous Epic Heroes, Lazarus is still potent with both a whopping 3+ FNP against Pyschic and Mortals and a 4+ Fight on Death.

Deathwing Strikemaster

Besides access to all the fun Terminator melee weapons, the Strikemaster also grants LETHAL HITS, with an additional +1 to Hit and Wound on units Below Half-Strength.

Deathwing Command Squad

It feels like this unit is slightly more restrictive than it used to be, the wargear more closely echoing core Terminator units.  Unfortunately, this might mean players will have to change out some of their models in existing builds.

Deathwing Terminator Squad

Strangely, this unit gets the same rule as core Terminators, just under a different name.

Deathwing Knights

Inner Circle returns!  Well, at least for Deathwing Knights . . .  It's now -1 to Damage, again with no limit.  Does this literally mean this unit is immune to Damage 1 weaponry?

Ravenwing Command Squad

The bike version of the Command Squad gets the same special rules as the Terminators do.  So which you bring is going to be determined by if you want speed or durability.

Ravenwing Black Knights

Black Knights are positioned as an ANTI-MONSTER/VEHICLE unit, fitting their ancestry.

Ravenwing Darkshroud

Interesting!  Though the weaponry on this speeder is underwhelming, it grants an AURA of both Stealth and the Benefit of Cover.

Ravenwing Landspeeder Vengeance

Similar to the Invicta, this Land Speeder gets to make a retributive strike to punish an enemy that manages to destroy one of your units.

Ravenwing Dark Talon

Oh wow!  That rift cannon is a thing!  Plus not only can this unit strafe with some mortal wounds, it can seriously pin an enemy unit in place.

Nephilim Jetfighter

Many people have noted the lack of -1 to Hit against Aircraft.  But not only does the Nephilim come with it, it gets -1 to wound against models with Fly too.

Lion El'Johnson

We've already previewed The Lion, and he's an absolute beast!  I just can't imagine playing Dark Angels and not bringing this beautiful model.

BLOOD ANGELS

We've already seen Red Thirst, which looks generically strong.  In many ways you're trading the consistent damage it brings for the incredible flexibility of Doctrines.  But lets see if their rules make up for it.

Angels Sacrifice

Did the enemy manage to kill one of your combat hungry Characters?  You now get re-roll Hits against that unit.

Aggressive Onslaught

Is your unit just outside of the newer, more restrictive rules for Consolidation?  For 1CP you can get another 3" to get to grips with your next target.

Armour of Contempt

I'm guessing nearly all Chapters will get this.

Red Rampage

Is +1 Attack and Strength not enough to bring down your charge target?  How 'bout LANCE and LETHAL HITS too?

Only In Death Does Duty End

Of course the Sons of Sanguinius get the Fight on Death stratagem.  I feel like these Stratagems could be used consecutive for one hell of a round of combat.

Relentless Assault

While Blood Angels don't get a Fall Back and Shoot and Charge strat, they do still get to Fall Back and Charge.

Artisan of War

Improved AP and Save are generically good, especially with how hard it is to get high AP.

Visage of Death

So this is proving to be an interesting way to depict models as scary, or in the case of Rippers a nuisance.  Halving OC might legitimately be pretty good, though not as good as actually inflicting Battle-shock.

Archangel's Shard

LANCE is very nice, though I feel they could have gone ahead and made this ANTI-CHAOS 4+ instead of 5.

Icon of the Angel

Blood Angels are all about tearing things up in melee.  Trapping units with them is definitely good.

Astorath

Man he needs a new model!  Maybe this will be the Edition the Sons of the Angel get love.  We've already got new Dante.  The Exectuioner's Axe looks pretty good, but granting Fight on Death and a once per game DEVASTATING wounds is awesome!

Baal Predator

Assault cannons with TWIN LINKED are already pretty awesome.  But this Predator variant can Advance and still fire all its guns at Infantry.

Brother Crobulo

A 5+ FNP and his unit gets another +1 to attacks?  Freaking awesome!

Captain Tycho

Blood Song has some odd stats, but MELTA 2 and DEVASTATING WOUNDS are going to absolutely destroy Infantry.  He also comes with three powerful weapon rules to give his unit.  His ability to go berserk when he gets hit is gravy.

Chief Librarian Mephiston

Mephiston is a beast!  Not only is Vitarus one of the better melee weapons we've seen, but his Psychic powers all function in combat.  Fights First is awesome, and while Transfixing Gaze can perils, -1 WS and potentially -1 Attack is brutal.

Command Dante

+1 to Charge and Hit is great!  And not only does he force Battle-shock on enemies, he does so at -1!

Death Company Dreadnought

While sharing Black Rage with the rest of the Death Company, the Death Dread also gets to shoot and fight back for each attack that targets it!

Death Company Intercessors

We got to see Cawl's failure in the preview.  While not the most impressive, they're ability to Overwatch or Heroic Intervention for free is still good.

Death Company Marines

The First Born that succumb to the Rage get SUSTAINED HITS 1 if below Starting Strength and SUSTAINED HITS 2 if below half strength.  I've said my peace here.

Death Company Marines with Jump Packs

Assault Marines with re-roll Charges is always nice.

Furioso Dreadnought

The blood angels melee Dread looks like it can definitely tear things up.  Additionally, it gets one of those rules that lets it just hand out mortals in combat.

Gabriel Seth

We saw him in the reveal too, and he definitely looks like he can destroy most Infantry.

Lemartes

Lemartes grants -1 Damage!  What's up dude!  I thought you were trying to give your fallen brothers honorable deaths not make them immortal!  He also grants LETHAL HITS in melee.

Librarian Dreadnought

Nice!  He just gets EXTRA ATTACKS with the Halberd.  Additionally, Blood Lance is amazing Pychic power for trying to break through some enemy armour.  He grants an Aura of 5+ FNP to everything around him.  But the real kicker is he can attempt to teleport a unit once per turn.

Sanguinary Guard

Been waiting to see what they did here.  San Guard were absolute terrors in 9th!  Encarmine blades look like they've got the same stats as master-crafted power weapons though.  The interesting thing here is that they've had their defenses buffed with -1 to Hit and -1 to Wound if your Warlord is in this unit.

Sanguinary Priest

Alright!  Another way to get improved AP!  This is crucial for assault armies.

The Sanguinor

I'd really like to see a new model for this too.  He grants re-roll Battle-shock and Leadership, which on Marines is huge.  He can also just jump into Engagement Range with an enemy from Reserves.  Now why can't the Mawloc have that?

Tycho the Lost

They decided to let you field Tycho as either a regular Captain or after he succumbed to the Black Rage.  In addition to giving a unit Advance and Charge, he gets a special Deadly Demise that's extra effective when fighting a Warlord.

Sanguinary Priest with Jump Pack

Another "Sir Not Appearing in this Picture", and hopefully more hints we've got jump packs coming.  He's identical to his walking counterpart.

SPACE WOLVES

Sagas were probably the rule I was most interested in from the Faction Focus.  They have potential to be one of the strongest or weakest Detachment rules we've seen.  Each one is a stacking Army Wide buff.  But to get them, you need to have certain things happen.  The nice thing is that you don't have to pick a Saga ahead of time.  So if you were trying to get Saga of the Bear, but ended up scoring Beastslayer, you can pick it instead.

Champions of Russ is our first Detachment that really includes some restrictions in it. This is mostly to make room for the Space Wolves unique units.  But the loss of the Apothecary is kinda big.

Armour of Contempt

Yep, the Rout get it too.  'Nuff said.

Go for the Throat

Oh neat!  We get strats that combo off of Sagas.  So by default this is improved AP, but can also grant LANCE.

Runic Wards

A 5+ FNP against mortals and psychic attacks (4+ with Bear) feels more useful as a strat than a character ability.

Death Howl

Not only does this let you Consolidate further, but if you've completed Majesty this forces a Battle-shock test.

Warrior Pride

There you go!  I really like Sagas now!  For 1CP you just count as having completed a Saga for a turn.

Relentless Assault

A flat Fall Back and Shoot and Charge would have been better, but this is still nice.

The Pelt of Balewolf

Another means for the Vlka Fenryka to inflict Battle-shock.  GW wants Wolves to be scary!

Black Death

Do you want Saga of the Beastslayer?  This how you get Saga of the Beastslayer!

Wolf Tail Talisman

Okay, we really need to see if this can reduce damage to 0.  I'm starting to see just a few of these rules . . .

Frost Weapon

And here's one for if you want a character to try and grab Warrior Born.

Logan Grimnar

We're just starting with the big man himself (at least until Russ returns.)  The Axe of Morkai looks okay, as does the 1CP.  But that once per game army-wide re-roll Charges and Hits in melee is awesome!

Logan Grimnar on Stormrider

He actually doesn't change between profiles.  Just one can join Terminators and the other can join Thunderwolf Cavalry.

Njal Stormcaller

Did I miss Njal getting a new model?  He looks so freaking awesome now!  He gets an interesting set of powers.  SUSTAINED HITS 2 is so thematic for his attacks.  But Stormcaller grants Stealth, and Runic Armour strangely only gives -1 to Wound for Psychic attacks.

Bjorn the Fell-handed

I was kinda hoping the Trueclaw would have a bit more punch.  It's good Strength and Damage but I feel it could use at least -3 AP.  He gets to halve damage which is really nice, and strangely he gets a Vect ability.  He's still a great model, I was just expecting something a little different.

Arjac Rockfist

Does your opponent have monsters?  Well they probably still do because there's not anything to easily pair with his ANIT-MONSTER keywords.  Might have to mine the Space Marine Index if there isn't something here.  Still Wounding on 2s is nice, and he's pretty good for taking out Characters.

Ulrik the Slayer

Ulrik's ability basically lets him issue his own Oath of Moment, though he doesn't get full re-rolls unless he targets a Character, Vehicle, or Monster.  Also if you hate Battle-shock, he can grant units around him Ld5+.

Ragnar Blackmane

Okay, between Frostfang, Advance and Charge, and +2 Attacks and Strength on the Charge, Ragnar will reliably end things.

Krom Dragongaze

In addition to having a below Strength ability, Krom can force a unit to take a Battle-shock test.

Harald Deathwolf

He grants DEVASTATING WOUNDS to Thunderwolves.  The fact he can shrug off a failed save once per Phase is just icing.

Canis Wolfborn

If your in an Infantry meta, you can use Canis Instead.  Unlike Harald, his rule applies to all weapons.  And he also has a rule for dishing out mortals on the Charge.

Wolf Guard Battle Leader in Terminator Armour

Oh wow!  Caught an error!  I'm sure there have been others but this is the first one I remember seeing.  LETHAL HITS is nice, but giving Terminators a 4+ FNP is crazy!

Wolf Lord on Thunderwolf

The generic Wolf Lord on Thunderwolf gets a nice set of abilities with a free Stratagem once per battle round for any unit and +1 to Advance and Charge for his unit.  You'll probably want to include him alongside other heroes.

Wolf Guard Battle Leader on Thunderwolf

This version of the Wolf Guard keeps Tactical Precision, but instead of extra durability gets to make a once per game move in response to being shot at.

Blood Claws

+1 Attack and Strength on a Charge is good for any assault unit.

Grey Hunters

Fall Back or Advance and Shoot is a lot of tactical flexibility for any Battleline unit.

Wolf Guard

The standard bodyguard unit for Space Wolf Leaders gets +1 to Hit while being lead.

Lukas the Trickster

Lukas gets -1 to Hit, which is a generically useful defensive buff.  But his real trick is a chance to inflict some mortals and Battle-shock if the enemy kills him.

Wolf Guard Terminators

Another Terminator unit that has lost a little bit of flexibility in Wargear, Wolf Guard are still a fantastic unit.  And their Battle Leader makes them oppressive!

Hounds of Morkai

We saw these in the faction focus.  They're good at what they do, though you'll probably want a Character to kill a Psyker whenever you can.

Wulfen

The Space Wolves fallen brethren come with a 4+ Fight on Death making them a potentially good distraction unit.

Wulfen Dreadnought

The great wolf claw gets to be AP -3!  Why not the Trueclaw?  Either way, the Space Wolves melee 'Nought gets mortals on the Charge to help them really break enemy units apart.

Murderfang

Murderfang also gets surprisingly reduced AP.  But he at least gets TWIN-LINKED and the ability to fight back when targeted.

Thunderwolf Cavalry

Oh wow!  The Ferocious Charge rule will really pair well with Harald's DEVASTATING WOUNDS.  Now if we can just get them better Crits.

Fenrisian Wolves

Often taken as cheap screeners, wolves are OC 0 now.  So you can screen with them and try to tie up units, but they're not holding objectives.

Skyclaws

Re-roll charges and +1 to Hit on the charge is a nice pair of rules for assault marines.

Long Fangs

The literally long in the tooth Heavy Weapons team not only gets an Armorium Cherub, but can re-roll 1s if it Remains Stationary.  This is a nice set of rules for anything with a Lascannon.

Stormfang Gunship

Not only is the Helfrost a brutal weapon, but it gets to apply a movement debuff too.  Strangely, the wording on this rule marks the target specifically as Frozen.  Maybe there might be interaction for that later?

Stormwolf

There's an interesting rule for a Transport.  If the Transport hasn't moved yet, a disembarking unit gets Advance and Charge!  Given how Aircraft move, I'm not sure how useful that will be, unfortunately.

Wolf Guard Pack Leader

A nice attachment to any unit, this Character gives the unit a once per battle re-roll Battle-shock.  Useful, but incredibly points dependent.

Wolf Guard Pack Leader with Jump Pack

Identical to the foot leader, but meant for your Skyclaws.

Wolf Guard Pack Leader in Terminator Armour

Okay, his ability is pretty useful.  But you've got better options for leading your Terminators.

Iron Priest

Showing the strong connections of the Priesthood of Mars, this model is almost identical to a standard Tech Marine

Cyberwolf

Another popular list filler, the Cyberwolf also gets OC 0.  Interestingly, this unit doesn't have Leader but still has to be attached to a unit.  I'm sure we'll get an FAQ on that.

Wolf Scouts

No model here.  Is this another sign new Scouts might be on the way?  Either way, it gets the ability to go in Strategic Reserves if you're outside of 6"  A nice, flexible unit.

Space Wolves Venerable Dreadnought

Yes!  Wolves get to keep their Ven Dread!  And this potent piece brings an Aura of re-roll Hits and Wounds of 1!

We end with an Armoury datasheet for those repeated weapon options that just couldn't fit on the cards.  Space Wolves do have a fair amount of specialty weaponry.

BLACK TEMPLARS

Templars are probably the Chapter I have the least amount of experience with.  After all, when I started there was just the big four.  And I just haven't happened to have had many friends who like these extra fanatical Space Marines.  Still they've had some beautiful models recently, and their Detachment rule is a nice selectable buff.  Let's see what other rules they get.

Again, we get some more restrictions.  The obvious one is that no Psykers can be in your army.  But Templars also seem to have their own Gladiators, Impulsors, and Repulsors.

Fervant Acclamation

Like many armies where you have to pick an option, for 1CP Templars get to give one Unit another option.  The restriction here is that unit must be lead by a Character.

Devout Push

Templars get a D6" move towards an attacking unit for 1CP.  What's interesting is that if they've take the vow "Abhor the Witch", its 6" instead, but it's just an option to move closer to a Psyker.  If they want to move closer to the firing unit, they still can.

No Escape

For 1CP you can potentially trap a unit in combat, or at least force a Desperate Escape test.  Always useful!

Armour of Contempt

Templars were not going to be the Chapter that wasn't getting Armour of Contempt.

Crusader's Wrath

Nice!  They get an improved AP strat too, this time with the bonus if they vowed "Suffer Not the Unclean", they get +1 to Strength.

Vicious Riposte

What's better than 4+ Fight on Death?  Well, obviously just Fight on Death would be better, but getting it on 3s if you're in Honour the Emperor is good too.

Perdition's Edge

Improving Strength and AP by 1 is nice.  But if you know you're in a high Toughness meta, you'll reliably get the +1 attacks too.  And I'm expecting that to be the case to start.

Sigismund's Seal

The buff for if we're in an infantry heavy meta.  I'm honestly not expecting this, so this might be the one left in the Reliquary.

Witchseeker Bolts

It's curious this is for ranged weapons.  Never really thought of Templars as snipers.

Tannhauser's Bones

Even if you never take Honour the Emperor, this is a fantastic survivability buff.

Chaplain Grimaldus

Grimaldus was a popular include in Templar armies in 9th, and with a Commander style ability he'll probably still be popular.  Right off the bat, he always has re-roll hits in melee.  But each battle round he can choose from Advance and Fall Back and Charge, 5+ FNP, or improved AP.  All fantastic buffs!

Crusade Squad

The classic templar unit comes with re-rolls for Advance and Charge.  A very reliable unit for getting stuck in.

High Marshal Helbrecht

Looks like Hellbrecht will be a beast in combat, with high AP on both the sweep and strike.  Additionally, as long as you took one of the special weapon vows, his crits on 5s will destroy things.  If that wasn't enough, he gets mortals on the charge too.

Primaris Crusader Squad

The new hotness with new models gets the same rule as their First Born brethren but can also make a Scout move.

Primaris Sword Brethren

These will reliably let you take "Suffer Not the Unclean" and still have an answer to hordes.  They'll have an answer for nearly anything they fight.

The Emperor's Champion

While the Black Sword isn't as impressive as Hellbrecht's, Skillful Parry is an excellent survivability buff and Sigismund's Heir helps him in those Epic Challenges.

Castellan

Another model that might prove useful backup if you're not taking LETHAL HITS for a game.  As a bonus he also grants Fall Back and Shoot and Charge.

Marshal

Even if you take Hellbrecht, you might want a generic Marshal for both his free strat ability and his version of Finest Hour.

Black Templars Gladiator Lancer/Reaper/Valiant

Hmm . . . I wonder if Templars are getting their own Gladiator when their book drops?  Funny thing is the only difference I can spot is the multi-meltas on the Lancer and Reaper.

Black Templars Impulsor

Again, it's got a multi-melta.  On brand, but did this really need its own Datasheet?

Black Templars Repulsor/Executioner

Same thing here.

We finally end with another Armoury sheet for all the wargear that ran over.  Gotta say, I'm curious about that last set of Datasheets.  Not really sure what's going on there.  Would it really have broken Marines if their hover tanks could have multi-meltas?

DEATHWATCH

Okay!  Now here's something new!

Deathwatch come with a special rule to address their strange Kill Team variants.  One complaint Deathwatch players have had in the past is that Kill Teams like Cassius can be really obnoxious to run.  Let see how they simplified things.

The first simplification is that you normally use the Toughness value that is most common in the Kill Team.  If there's a tie for number of models with a given Toughness, you always use the highest value.  For Transports, Kill Team models that wouldn't normally fit count as 2 models, but can otherwise hop on board just fine.  Finally, all Kill Teams count as Infantry for terrain.

Deathwatch also has quite a few restrictions.  This makes sense since these are supposed to be veteran Space Marines.  Interestingly, all flavors of Primaris are fine.

Armour of Contempt

Yep.

Teleportarium

You get to choose either two Kill Teams for this strat, or one unit without the Keyword.  Looks like this is a standard feature on all their unique strats.  This one does what you think it would, teleporting those units.

Adaptive Tactics

You can swap out Mission Tactics for up to two Kill Teams for 1CP.  However, this is a swap, so you still only get the one.  Not sure how this works with Tactics you've already chosen.

Hellfire Rounds

Looks like special issue ammunition is back as a collection of Strats.  Don't think this was revealed before.  In this case it's ANTI-INFANTRY 2+ and ANTI-MONSTER 5+.

Kraken Rounds

Improved AP and range is always good!

Dragonfire Rounds

In this case its ASSAULT and IGNORES COVER.  Probably the most situational of these strats.

Thief of Secrets

Wow!  This is improved Strength, Damage, and AP and it gets better as soon as you destroy a model.

Beacon Angelis

Deep Strike and free Rapid Ingress!  If you really like hitting hard and fast, this might be the enhancement for you.

The Tome of Ectoclades

Oh wow!  This is actually better than Guilliman's!  This enhancement gives you Oath of Moment on two enemies for one battle round.  Fantastic!

Osseus Key

This is a nice little debuff to hand out every round.  Since I sincerely think we'll see plenty of Vehicles, this might be auto-include.  Well, after The Tome of Ectoclades.

Watch Master

Although he needs to be your Warlord to get the full benefits, he grants Advance and Fallback and Shoot and Charge and can Vect a stratagem.  Very useful, even if I'm a bit underwhelmed otherwise.

Watch Captain Artemis

This Watch Captain makes sure you can always use a strat on the unit he's leading . . . if you've got the CP.  He also gets back up and stays in the fight on a 2+, though only with 1 Wound.

Kill Team Cassius

And here it is!  The craziest single unit in the game!  Why doesn't Kill Team have bespoke rules for this again?  Either way, this unit gets DEVASTATING WOUNDS and re-roll Battle-shock.  Brutal when combined with Hellfire rounds!

Deathwatch Veterans

We had this unit spoiled before, and I still find the rules interesting.  That's about all I can say there.

Deathwatch Terminator Squad

Another unit eagerly awaiting new Terminator models.  This unit has kept its flexible wargear upgrades.  It also inflicts Battle-shock tests on charges and can use a Teleport Homer.

Veteran Bike Squad

Other than access to Deathwatch weaponry, this is just a Bike squad.

Corvus Blackstar

The Deathwatch fighter can strafe enemy units for mortal wounds on 5s.  Otherwise, it's got decent weapons.

Proteus Kill Team

The Proteus Kill Team comes with +1 to Hit when targeting a unit that isn't Below Half-strength.  This is the more useful half of this bonus in my opinion.

Fortis Kill Team

The unit designed to finish off what the Proteus Kill Team starts.  These two are obviously meant to be fielded in pairs.

Indomitor Kill Team

The Gravis armoured Kill Team can work alongside both, possibly even forming a 1-2-3 punch.  Still, of the three I think the Proteus is most useful.

Spectrus Kill Team

The Deathwatch Infiltrators can return to Strategic Reserves when you need them to.  Considering how deadly some of their ranged weapons are, this could be lethal way to outflank an enemy.

Finally we get another of those overflow armoury pages.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Okay!  That was another binge!  And I'm betting CSM will be pretty bad too.  Space Marines are going to kill me!  Either way, I think I have an image in my head for each of the Chapters.

Dark Angels are weird.  So many of their buffs involve things happening that you don't want to happen.  Otherwise they feel very flexible and able to bring answers to nearly any situation.  They'll be good, I just think they'll likely be best in Gladius.  But maybe some skilled players will prove me wrong.

Blood Angels are definitely vicious.  They have a lot to play up their shock assault angle.  They're going to miss the opportunity for an army wide Advance and Charge, but their detachment rule is at least a constant and consistent buff.

Space Wolves are all about their characters, not all of which are impressive, but enough are to get the point across.  I do think a skilled player will be able to get their Sagas up early and often, but they're definitely not a "blind charge" kind of army.

Templars on the other hand might be.  It would be nice if their Enhancements weren't built around Vows you haven't taken yet.  My guess is that they're going to want LETHAL HITS a lot, so it might be safe to start there.  But of the three melee Marine Chapters, they definitely feel like the most simple and pure "get stuck in" force.

Deathwatch has me a bit stumped.  I really can't tell if they'll be good.  My gut says Doctrines are just better than Tactics.  I do think it's cool that their Kill Teams feel designed to work together.  And though I think having to constantly pay CP for special issue ammunition is a bit rough, Hellfire rounds will likely put in a lot of work.

But this has only just scratched the surface!  I'll be honest, since I'm mostly a Tyranid fanboy, I'm going to be devoting my deep dive to that faction and maybe GSC.  But I feel like there's a lot of depth between these Indexes and their parent Index.  We've likely only seen the barest hints of the potential combos between these forces.

Just wait until the actual books come out!

Warhammer 40,000 - 10th Edition: Space Marine Datasheets

Download Free Space Marines Index Cards and Defend the Imperium from Annihilation

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.