# Most Overused Chapter In Current 40K?



## D-A-C (Sep 21, 2010)

Hey everyone.

As a none Space Marine player (Chaos Daemons here) I was just wondering which Space Marine army you feel is over represented in the current game of 40k?

This can be both in terms of your local gaming scene and any tournaments you have attended.

Now, I'm not asking which Chapter is the most over-powered, although that usually has something to do with its popularity, instead I'm asking which one you most often face on the tabletop, to the point were you wonder if the Imperium is now solely defended by that particular chapter.

I'll get the ball rolling with a controversial opinion.

I don't think the answer is one of the seperate codices i.e. Black Templars, Blood Angels, Space Wolves etc. 

Instead I think the most overused Chapter has to be the *Salamanders*.

Why is that you ask?

Well, the Blood Angels, Space Wolves Dark Angels and even the Ultramarines have always had their cult followings, but I never saw a single Salamanders player until the arrival of Mr. Vulkan He'Stan.

Suddenly tabletops everywhere were a sea of green Thunder Hammer Terminators, Land Raider Redeemers, Multi-Melta's and Flamers.

In proportion to before and after Vulkan I can honestly say that IMO the Salamanders are the most overused Chapter because people love to use his buffs to make and entire army of awesomeness (in their opinion anyway).

But, I could be wrong, so what do you think? Who is the most overused Space Marine Chapter in 40k?


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## Jace of Ultramar (Aug 2, 2011)

In my gaming scene the most used chapter is Blood Angels. Considering player an factions.s my local breakdown is:

BA: 4
Crimson Fists: 1
Space Wolves: 2
Black Templars: 0
Dark Angels: 2

This doesn't include the other armies the players listed here have.


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## D-A-C (Sep 21, 2010)

Jace of Ultramar said:


> In my gaming scene the most used chapter is Blood Angels. Considering player an factions.s my local breakdown is:
> 
> BA: 4
> Crimson Fists: 1
> ...


That's actually a pretty good mix though, at least its not just the one Chapter over and over and you actually get a pretty good variety.


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## Serpion5 (Mar 19, 2010)

I know six BA players. 

I know Two DA players. 

I know one waac cunt who uses his DA as BA. 

I know two Black Templar players. Two Space Wolves players.

One Crimson Fists, One Imperial Fists, Three Ultramarines players.



So the answer is Blood Angels in my case. Most of them are dedicated fans from way back, so I don't blame them for being competitive gamers now. There are however a couple of bandwagoners there.


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## Icarsun (Dec 14, 2011)

My local scene has 2 BA, and 1 Salamander. Most of the guys around me play either Eldar, Tau or Chaos or Fantasy. That and I tend to work on gaming days/nights so I don't get to see the majority of armies.


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## HOBO (Dec 7, 2007)

From my gaming group of 15 there are (all have multiple SM armies) -

8 vanilla (custom second founding Chapters)
4 UM
1 Deathwatch
7 DA (incl. DW/RW)
4 SW
5 BA
5 BT
1 Salamanders
2 Imperial Fists
1 Crimson Fists
2 GK

damn fine mix of armies really...our games aren't boring:victory: There are a lot of Chaos SM armies as well.


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## the-ad-man (Jan 22, 2010)

space marines in general are thin on the ground round my club i feel, but if one chapter was more popular than others, it would be blood angels.


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## Silens (Dec 26, 2010)

Oddly enough Tau are the most commonly used army in my club. But I've said Ultramarines as they are GW's poster boys and all the little kids joining the game try to play them.


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## TheKingElessar (Mar 31, 2009)

Most overused? Dark Angels.

As the weakest of all Space Marine armies, why would anyone still use Jervis' half-aborted brainchild?


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## MidnightSun (Feb 10, 2009)

I'd say Salamanders, sick of seeing them around (not particularly at my store, but just in general). At my store, however... I don't know. We've got, let me think... 2 GK, 2 Eldar, 3 Chaos (me included), 1 Ultramarines, 3 Necrons, 1 Deathwing (but he doesn't play, despite being 'awesome' and 'winning tournaments'), 2 Imperial Guards, a Tau, a Blood Angel, a Dark Eldar, and 2 Space Wolves. A fairly even spread, I'd say.

Midnight


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## Khorne's Fist (Jul 18, 2008)

I've only recently got back into gaming with a group, and most of the others seem to have a SW army in one form or another. I've only seen 1 BA, 1 Salamander, 1 GK and 1 smurf army.


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## the-ad-man (Jan 22, 2010)

im quite surprised to see the general sickness of salamanders here, 
why is that? poorly executed armies, poor generals, tired of flat green? same lists everywhere?


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## AAAAAAAAARRRGGHH (Apr 17, 2009)

Likely because the vast majority of Salamander players only play it because it's good. As already mentioned, back before Vulkan pretty much noone played them. The colourscheme is also not the most inspired so when you add everything together they start to seem just as lame as the smurfs.
It's just the general attitude that stems from Salamander players. They think the Salamanders are awesome because of Vulkan just as newbies think UM are cool just because they are GW's posterboys.

On topic, I can't say what is the most overused SM army as we have something akin to one of each (except SW).
The most common army in our club is by far IG.


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## DaveTheBeginner (Jan 16, 2012)

Hello all i think the most used chapters are the ones with the most characters available to buy as not everyone is keen on painting certain characters in an unusual chapter colour and renaming them. there isnt a single character for the montor legion who i will be playing in future, so if i want a terminator captain i have to convert either the ultramarines or imperial fist captain and then painting him in my own colours. If all the chapters had an equal amount of characters and fluff you would see a much better spread of chapters.


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## Fire Tempered (Dec 16, 2010)

Well, Salamanders are one of most interesting 1st founding chapters fluffwise, I at least had no idea of how game actually works when I started collecting them. I just liked their philosophy and doctrine. But they seem to be quite popular, right after Blood Angels and Space wolves.


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## D-A-C (Sep 21, 2010)

the-ad-man said:


> im quite surprised to see the general sickness of salamanders here,
> why is that? poorly executed armies, poor generals, tired of flat green? same lists everywhere?


The problem is no-one played them or mentioned them before Vulkan. Then all of a sudden they were everywhere. All tournaments (well the few I read about online) has a maxed out Flamer/Melta/Thunder Hammer Vulkan list.

So going from zero to even half as much as Blood Angels, Space Wolves, which were always popular is one heck of a leap.

I mean, you don't see Iron Hands ever. But if GW suddenly released an awesome IW character and people started bandwagoning, they could be considered overused.

In saying that I'm surprised Ultramarines are getting so many votes as I've never actually seen a full 1000pts+ one in real life!!


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## TheKingElessar (Mar 31, 2009)

Actually D-A-C, that's not true, at least not on a macro level. Salamanders were given their own army list in Codex:Armageddon, and since then have had a reasonably large following, helped in no small part by how good Chaplains, and therefore Xavier, were in the last edition and the last Marine Codex.

Taking Melta weapons where available is simply being smart - they are the most reliable and devastating anti-tank weapons available to any army with the option.


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## GeneralSturnn (Feb 20, 2011)

at my club I have:

2 Orks player's including me(so 3)
1 Tyranid player
2 Dark Eldar Player's
1 Tau player
1 Eldar Player
as for Marines, most are of custom chapter's I had the only Ultramarine army, but I got bored of blue, now I run Iron Marauder's.

for Guard, well, there's about 6 of us.


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## Scythes (Dec 30, 2011)

Back home when I play I would say I see Blood Angels the most. Even though Ultramarines are GW's poster child, I don't see a lot of blue and yellow armies, I think because GW hypes them so much a lot of people want to use their own colors or just something else.


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## experiment 626 (Apr 26, 2007)

Well, when we still had our local GW store, Ultras were easily the most played space marine army because that's what all the kiddies would paint their marines as! (nothing wrong with it - we all know those ultrasmurfs are just there for photo-shoots and to do the PR stuff while the *real* chapters go to work!:biggrin

With our GW closing though, there's only 1 store left in the city that has gaming tables, and sadly it's populated by a large crowd of waac's d-bags, so the 'most popular' chapter is basically tied to 'what marine codex is the most powerfull this month?'
Currently it's grey-plastic-grey-Knights as the most popular, with grey-plastic-space-wolves coming in second, followed my Mephiston-grey-plastic-blood-angels in 3rd place.
God forbid you fight the one guy who's primed all his marine black and left them at that!

Things have gotten so bad that the local store has been forced to dedicate a secondary weeknight for 40k so the kiddies have their own 'beginners nights', instead of being forced to either get curbstomped by jerks or be relegated to simply watching boring spam list vs spam list games.

I'm sure when 6th hits and the meta is re-evaluated and the small list of ''what's hot/what sucks now" is decided on, the most popular army will become grey plastic 'X' chapter.


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## Samules (Oct 13, 2010)

Why is it that every time I check a poll a few times and two options are always close then I hear a racing announcer's voice in my head? Am I going crazy?

"And here come the Ultramarines from behind, now going neck in neck with the Blood Angels! Space wolves are catching up but they still have a ways to go. With a sudden burst of speed Blood angels take the lead again but can they hold it? Ultramarines aren't far behind so they still have a chance at the prize..." (add excited racing announcer voice yourself)


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## TheKingElessar (Mar 31, 2009)

""And here come the Ultramarines from behind" - that's more the Dark Angels' style... :wink:


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## gen.ahab (Dec 22, 2009)

TheKingElessar said:


> ""And here come the Ultramarines from behind" - that's more the Dark Angels' style... :wink:


Actually it is more the Emperor's Children's style.

I would say the pretty marines are the most overused, at least in my experience.


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## Samules (Oct 13, 2010)

gen.ahab said:


> I would say the pretty marines are the most overused, at least in my experience.


Their very existence is overuse.


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## TheKingElessar (Mar 31, 2009)

No, Fulgrim's Legion would more likely come in your face.


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## Jace of Ultramar (Aug 2, 2011)

Wow, all things considered I'm glad I'm the only Crimson Fists player. Not to mention the only Ultramarines player on the low point games.


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## High_Seraph (Aug 28, 2009)

This thread got dirty very quickly.

There is a nice mix of armies among those I game with the we have two ork players, Dark Angels(me), Tyranids, Black Templars, Space Wolves, Necrons, Crimson Fists and Eldar.


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## Rems (Jun 20, 2011)

It's Space Wolves. 

The number of Long fang and Grey Hunter spamming armies is astounding. They make up a healthy proportion of tournaments.


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## thefallen (Sep 21, 2011)

At my lgs there are...
6 BA players (including me)
4 DA players (also including me)
1 UM
2 salamanders
1 SW
2 BT ( I may pick them up when the new dex is reliesed)
5 GK 
2 Chaos
And 10 tau ???


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## Silens (Dec 26, 2010)

Samules has inspired an auctioneer voice in my head.


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## humakt (Jan 2, 2008)

The only trouble with this poll is it has left out the most abused Marine list, Grey Knights. In a tournament I went to last year around 20% of the entrants where Grey Knights.

The reason for Salamanders being more popular than normal is likly that its one of the best ways to make Marines even remotly competative since the release fo more recent codexes.


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## Dicrel Seijin (Apr 2, 2011)

Where I am I've seen:

3 UM
1 BA
1 DA (for display)
1 Salamanders (me)
1 SW (commission sale)
1 White Scars.

At the tournaments that I've been to, I've seen more Dark Eldar and Necrons than any other armies.


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## D-A-C (Sep 21, 2010)

humakt said:


> The only trouble with this poll is it has left out the most abused Marine list, Grey Knights. In a tournament I went to last year around 20% of the entrants where Grey Knights.



To be honest I hadn't considered it.

I was just wondering which Space Marine Chapter people were sick of seeing most, as the majority of those who enter the game start with Space Marines, and for the majority of players as well it seems to stick.

Sure they may move on the Dark Eldar, Orks, Tyranids, but they always keep those first space marines they got.

I for one started with Chaos Space Marines.

But I think (at least in my case) there is a justifiable kind of snobbery with the 'poster boys' of 40k.

But based on alot of the responses, it would seem that Grey Knights AND Imperial Guard are quite problematic.

All I can say as a Chaos Daemon player is thank god no-one I know plays Grey Knights, otherwise I think I would be pretty p*ssed off.


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## experiment 626 (Apr 26, 2007)

D-A-C said:


> ...All I can say as a Chaos Daemon player is thank god no-one I know plays Grey Knights, otherwise I think I would be pretty p*ssed off.


Yep, always a fun & highly tactical game when GK's warp quake the entire board and you can't even deploy your first wave and instead they all auto-mishap.

Scary thing is, GK's don't need alot of units to do that either.:angry:

Consider yourself lucky my friend! 'Round my area, GK's are still all the rage sadly.


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## TheKingElessar (Mar 31, 2009)

I started with Blood Angels myself, and now, 18 years later, I'm making an army of them to be my main force once again.


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## mynameisgrax (Sep 25, 2009)

Definitely the Blood Angels. They're seen as the new 'standard marines' for most competitive players these days. Can't entirely blame them, as unless you're using Khan or Vulcan, the Blood Angels can do anything regular marines can, and have more special abilities to boot. Hard to turn down assault marines as troops.


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## TheKingElessar (Mar 31, 2009)

That's not really true, BA's access to MMs and shooty Dreads is much more limited, and they don't get Bikes as Troops, something that not only doesn't require the Khan, but is kinda better without.


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## MetalHandkerchief (Aug 3, 2009)

For me, living in Norway, it's definitely those damned Space Wolves.

Kids buy them and go "look at me I'm a Viking"! And then I respond "No, you aren't, and your plastic space mans couldn't be any less viking." Then they play with someone else and I let out a sigh of relief :laugh:

No but really, there are a lot of historically ignorant (almost as ignorant as GW's designers) people who want to identify themselves with Space Wolves because they are TOUGH NORWEGIAN VIKINGSSSS ROAR!

It's more comical than annoying though! Plus I don't have to play as much against shitty Ultramarines or those fugly Dark Angels.


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## mynameisgrax (Sep 25, 2009)

TheKingElessar said:


> That's not really true, BA's access to MMs and shooty Dreads is much more limited, and they don't get Bikes as Troops, something that not only doesn't require the Khan, but is kinda better without.


I only see a solid advantage to choosing a bike captain over Khan at very high point levels, when you're using another special character HQ. Otherwise, you're losing the versatility of Khan's outflanking ability, but that's just my opinion. 

You're right though, I really should have said 'bike' instead of 'Khan'. BA don't do bike marine armies well at all. 

The only difference with shooty dreads is the BA have to take them as heavy support. Heavy support isn't really a highly sought after slot though, unless they're playing a lot of Storm Ravens, but that's an option the vanilla marines don't get at all.


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## TheKingElessar (Mar 31, 2009)

mynameisgrax said:


> I only see a solid advantage to choosing a bike captain over Khan at very high point levels, when you're using another special character HQ. Otherwise, you're losing the versatility of Khan's outflanking ability, but that's just my opinion.
> 
> You're right though, I really should have said 'bike' instead of 'Khan'. BA don't do bike marine armies well at all.
> 
> The only difference with shooty dreads is the BA have to take them as heavy support. Heavy support isn't really a highly sought after slot though, unless they're playing a lot of Storm Ravens, but that's an option the vanilla marines don't get at all.


Only reason I'd use 2HQs in a SM Bike army is if I felt I needed two Command Squads (which, to be fair, is a LOT better than just having one) and it was therefore a requirement. I'd never use a Special Character in one, I think the Khan simply costs too much relative to a Captain with Relic Blade.

As for BA, they get cheaper Devs and Fast Predators and Vindicators... Heavy Slot is one of the more competitive for a place.


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## mynameisgrax (Sep 25, 2009)

TheKingElessar said:


> Only reason I'd use 2HQs in a SM Bike army is if I felt I needed two Command Squads (which, to be fair, is a LOT better than just having one) and it was therefore a requirement. I'd never use a Special Character in one, I think the Khan simply costs too much relative to a Captain with Relic Blade.
> 
> As for BA, they get cheaper Devs and Fast Predators and Vindicators... Heavy Slot is one of the more competitive for a place.


Hmm...most players I know shun Vindicators, and prefer Baal Predators in Fast slots, so I guess it comes down to your playstyle.

Personally, in a large bike army I'd rather have Vulcan, so the biker's flamers and meltas are twin-linked, but I can see how command squads would be useful. Again, I guess it comes down to how you play.


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## D-A-C (Sep 21, 2010)

Nice to see someone taking the piss or hitting the wrong button and voting for the Iron Hands as the most overused chapter in current 40k lol.


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## arizonajirt (Apr 5, 2011)

In the group of people I play/model with this is what we have:
Black Templar: 1
Blood Angels: 1
Space Wolves: 4
Raven Guard: 1
Chaos: 1
Necrons: 2
Cadians: 2
Death Korps of Krieg: 1
Elysian Drop Troops: 1
Grey Knights: 1


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## Iraqiel (May 21, 2008)

Having played across several cities and clubs in this country, the most common marines I see are homebrew chapters, which is pretty cool. I don't really stay long enough to play against the same army too often though...


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## Azkaellon (Jun 23, 2009)

I would love to say ultramarines however we all know it is really blood angels right now...I really do hate that my favorite chapter is being played by people who care nothing for the fluff and just power game....


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## TheKingElessar (Mar 31, 2009)

Azkaellon said:


> I would love to say ultramarines however we all know it is really blood angels right now...I really do hate that my favorite chapter is being played by people who care nothing for the fluff and just power game....


Anyone else smell bullshit?
If someone "cares nothing for the fluff and just power game" then why the fuck would they not play a cheaper and/or more competitive game?

Especially since BA are neither the bestest or easiest army to use - so 'power gamers' (if they actually even exist) would likely choose Grey Knights, as the mot recent Marine book.


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## MetalHandkerchief (Aug 3, 2009)

TheKingElessar said:


> Anyone else smell bullshit?
> If someone "cares nothing for the fluff and just power game" then why the fuck would they not play a cheaper and/or more competitive game?
> 
> Especially since BA are neither the bestest or easiest army to use - so 'power gamers' (if they actually even exist) would likely choose Grey Knights, as the mot recent Marine book.


Grey Knights = Inquisition. They look like muhreens, but they're not. Just equally boring.

They're not in the poll, so that guy is right. People who give fuck all about fluff and just power game will choose either SW or BA.


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## TheKingElessar (Mar 31, 2009)

Again, why would anyone with NO interest in fluff even play this game?

Would you spend 2-3 hours of your life every time you wanted to play if you'd no emotional attachment? Doubt it.


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## MetalHandkerchief (Aug 3, 2009)

TheKingElessar said:


> Again, why would anyone with NO interest in fluff even play this game?
> 
> Would you spend 2-3 hours of your life every time you wanted to play if you'd no emotional attachment? Doubt it.


Narcissistic power gaming douche bags DO get an emotional attachement... TO WINNING.

It's an actual mental illness/ symptom.

So yes, they don't have to enjoy or care about the universe at all, just addicted to winning and receiving the illusion of envy from their peers (which is non-existant but not in their heads)

There are surprisingly a lot of them.


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## TheKingElessar (Mar 31, 2009)

I understand the concept, thanks. Supersized text unnecessary.

I have an addictive personality myself.

Regardless, I've never met such a player, and don't actually believe "There are surprisingly a lot of them" when, again THERE ARE MOAR LOGICAL WAYS TO RECEIVE THIS FEELING.


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## D-A-C (Sep 21, 2010)

TheKingElessar said:


> Again, why would anyone with NO interest in fluff even play this game?
> 
> Would you spend 2-3 hours of your life every time you wanted to play if you'd no emotional attachment? Doubt it.





TheKingElessar said:


> I understand the concept, thanks. Supersized text unnecessary.
> 
> I have an addictive personality myself.
> 
> Regardless, I've never met such a player, and don't actually believe "There are surprisingly a lot of them" when, again THERE ARE MOAR LOGICAL WAYS TO RECEIVE THIS FEELING.



Here is a good discussion about that topic : http://www.heresy-online.net/forums/showthread.php?t=75008

I'd bump it, cause I thought it was an interesting conversation and seems to be pretty relevant ATM, but I've already been accused of Threadromancy twice this week.



MetalHandkerchief said:


> Narcissistic power gaming douche bags DO get an emotional attachement... TO WINNING.
> 
> It's an actual mental illness/ symptom.
> 
> ...


Excellent, excellent point. I completely agree.


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## TheKingElessar (Mar 31, 2009)

I'm not recursing a thread that's a year and a half old.

I think I read it at the time, and maybe even posted... End of the day, I challenge either of you to show me a confirmed example of this type of player.


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## D-A-C (Sep 21, 2010)

I am genuinely surprised how close this was between Blood Angels and Ultramarines.

I actually like the boys in blue when they are well painted, but I never really see them.

Most new people you see in GW stores actually make up there own colours alot of the time because they can't really be bothered sticking to one of the 'established' ones.

As for Blood Angels, as an army I really like them, both rules wise and fluff wise they are really interesting. Their characters are some of the coolest around, and I have always toyed around with doing a heavy Death Company Flesh Tearers army led by Seth.

But, in saying that, you do see alot of min-maxing with them specifically because of their very unique codex structure. Predators as Fast Attack? Vindicators that can move and fire? Mephiston? Razorspam?

Alot of really deadly builds, means its no wonder they are so popular.


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## shufflingeveryday (Feb 5, 2012)

*Chapters*

Man! I don't see how the most used cant be the ultramarines! Thats all i see nowadays, but maybe its me just being picky!


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## Skari (Dec 20, 2011)

Def blood angels. I swear 2 out of every in my area.


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## Vrykolas2k (Jun 10, 2008)

Blood Angels, followed by Grey Knights.


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