# Ultramarines Tactics



## maxtangent

Surprisingly, Ultramarine is NOT a new Games Workshop paint color. Go figure. Or is that 'go figures'? Go figurines? Meh, whichever.

This thread is for addressing that 40,000 dollar question, why in the galaxy would anyone choose to collect an Ultramarine army over any other? (Besides having a fun-to-say name).

Please stick to general tactics, strengths and weaknesses of the Ultramarine (go on, say it, you know you want to) Chapter especially compared to the other Chapters.


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## Ubiquitous

Well, you do get to say a fun name, and you get to paint your guys like smurfs, and, and, and, that's it. Just about any DIY chapter will out perform the blue+whites. Now, if we're talking about a tactica for anything in the standard marines codex, we've got a different situation.


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## Silb

From what I know, there are 3 things the ultramarines have that the other chapters don't:

1. Nid Hunters
2. Honour Guard
3. Marneus Calgar, Chief Librarian Tigurius, and Chaplain Cassius

Other than that there is nothing that the ultramarines have that the other chapters don't have an identical/better version of.


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## Galahad

How about their fluff and general playstyle? Is there an archetypal Ultramarines list?

How do you use their unique units and characters effectively? What makes them better/worse/different than just regular marines?


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## Janus Blackheart

I started to collect Ultramarines because I enjoy the way they look. The advantage they have is being well balanced. No advantages means no dissadvanteges. My army does not pump to many points into any one model or unit. I play alot against a friends blood angels and sure i don't have the DC or vet assault squad that can rip stuff up. but while his 300 point unit is taking out a 180 point unit the rest of my Army is taking him out peice mail. The only time its close is when its just kill but my army is much more suited to the various missions. 
As far as tactics go use there strengths. And those are the basic units. My army consists of 4 full tacticals 2-3 dreds 4 land speeders pred tank and whirlwind. You don't need special rules when you learn how to get the most out of the units in the codex.


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## Ubiquitous

If you really want to play codex ultramarines, then you want to try to use a balanced list. You WILL NOT be able to outshoot tau, and there's no way you could beat an ork army in assault, so try to have some of both. Since you don't really have strengths to play to, play to your opponents weaknesses.


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## The Son of Horus

I disagree. The basic, 15-point Tactical Space Marine is a match for all comers. You don't NEED the advantages of Traits if you know what you're doing. Ultramarines offer a few things-- a challenge relative to other Space Marines since they follow the Codex to the letter, an excessive amount of fluff available, and a rather easy color scheme to work with.


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## Katie Drake

The Son of Horus said:


> I disagree. The basic, 15-point Tactical Space Marine is a match for all comers.


Pretty much. The only other infantry model I can think of that's better than a Tactical Marine is a Chaos Space Marine.


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## Ubiquitous

that's what I was saying. tactical marines (although I didn't give them as a specific example) are good at everything, even if they are not exceptional at anything. They won't be able to outshoot a squad of fire warriors, but they can sure as hell stomp them in close combat. They aren't able to out krump a solid squad of ork boyz in close combat, but how many shots from a bolter does it take to kill an ork? Not many. use the versatility of your units to be able to take down different opponents.


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## The Son of Horus

The benefit (if you can call it one...it's really more of a tradeoff) of not using Traits is that your models ultimately cost less per model than their Traited counterparts. That means that rather than issuing squads with abilities like True Grit, Furious Charge, or the like, you get more men on the table. There's a player locally that fields an entire Battle Company of Imperial Fists in 2000 points without using Traits. Sergeants are of the non-Veteran persuasion, and extra equipment on units is rather thin, but the point is that there are a larger number of models that are T4 and in power armour on the table than you'd normally be able to field.


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## Deceiver

it's the basic jack of all trades,master of none.
their stats are better than 1/2 but worse than other 1/2 of armies out there. you need to really execute well. If you can roll a 3+ armor save with regularity, then you can get away with some miscues.
they do have a large number of wpns,vehicles and wargear to select from.


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## Ubiquitous

Another little note that I'd missed about honor guard, is that you can take them in any squad. It does cost 30pts, but it is a way to add an extra power weapon that your opponent wasn't expecting.


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## Galahad

Very much worth it, IMO when you consider the cost of a vet sarge upgrade and power weapon. Costs a little more, but that extra 5 points covers the fact he's above and beyond your vet. Handy in an assault squad (though my strict RAW, he might not get a jump pack...)

Of course, you do have to walk around with a golden chicken stuck to your face, so there's a downside.


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## Truthiness08

Why collect an ultramarine army? The question should be, why not?

1. the ultramarines control and entire section of imperial space, not just one planet or fortress monastery, an entire nebula of space.

2. they have on hand more resources than any other chapter.

3. they can call upon any unit in the codex, on top of having their own list of special units and characters while other chapters only have one or two.

4. they are extremely versatile on the table, you can build a list to fit any situation and have no restrictions on unit count and customization (wargear).

5. they are ultramarines, ultra, ultra meaning the top, the best, in my opinion the only chapter that should matter.

6. they are not revered but respected by the inquisition, meaning inquisitors are more likely to trust an ultramarine than a space wolf(just an example). 

7. they have the purest gene-seed in the galaxy and the most direct link to the emperor himself. 

8. they took on and destroyed an entire hive fleet, with little to no outside help. 

9. in every picture of marines on the GW site, what color do they show them in the most? ultramarine blue.

10. because I play ultramarines, and everyone should too.


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## jman

this may be a little off topic but what are the 1 or 2 best advantages from the same trait


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## Green Knight

Hear, hear Truthiness08 I like alot.


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## Zeranes

When I had first seen Warhammer 40k I was drawn to the Space Marines for some reason, I went about 2 months without knowing what chapter I was gana run. I have been playing as Ultramarines for close to a year now and i love them.


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## Dessel_Ordo

I never really liked the Ultra's, as GW does kinda shove them in your face quite a bit (like when a Red-shirt see's my Codex:*Space Marines*, and says: "Oh, so you play Ultramarines then?", just kinda pisses me off a bit)

But now that the new dex is letting any vnilla marine force take an hohour guard (Unless the rumors a totally wrong) and you can pretty well pull a "counts as" to get the heros (Calgar being the only blatant/Cheesy one to do this with) what sets GW's most holy space-smurfs apart from their DIY and sub-codex bretheren?:shok:


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## Kapeesh

Nothing besides the colours!


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## twinlinked

I play imperial fists

Its true what you all say about the lack of difference now

I kinda feel like i need to include lysander in my army, not a big deal, he kicks ass, but without him the only think that makes my army unique is the fact that they are painted yellow.

A regular codex list, without any special characters is by definition, is by definition an ultra marines list.

Im starting to think that every list i put together from here on out with have either lysander or pedro in it, I figure since the crimson fists is a sub chapter its not much of a stretch

What do you folks think of this,

Will you use a special character from a different chapter in a list?

A.


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## Dessel_Ordo

yes, but only as a 'counts as'. No matter how hard GW tries, I will always use my own scheme, and encourage others to do so.

the increase in options is also a good way to add flavour now as well, I guess, that and house rules/home-made sub 'dexes (I may do one to use with the local gamers)


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## TheJackalMan

Now that the codex has been updated, what makes the codex spacemarines( since now it doesn't matter if they're blue or not) a good army? How do you run your 5th ed. Space Marines?


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## brother-captain dain

i know this is with all space marine chapters but the veterins can be given terminator honours with 10+ but it gives them another attack and increases there leadership so you could upgrade them to that if you are versing a tougher army


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