ASTRA MILITARUM

Formally known as the Imperial Guard, the Astra Militarum is one army that closest resembles what we know as a military force in the real work. This force relies on large tanks, masses of infantry and the ability of it’s leaders to issues orders that give units a bit of a buff.

The Astra Militarum has the benefit of its detachments allowing the player to play how they want to play. If you wanted to focus on just using tanks, you can do that! You even have options to make a stealthy recon force or a siege force that bombards the battlefield giving buffs to your army or hindering your opponent. Tanks like the Rogal Dorn allow for powerful displays of firepower that can take out large amounts of enemy infantry, and the mighty Leman Russ allows you to customize for about any enemy you come across.

With playing to strong skews, the army does however limit a lot of play. If you go tank heavy, you may miss out on units that can be used to score secondaries. If you go heavily into infantry you miss out on a lot of large firepower to take down heavily armored targets. Both a blessing and a curse, this army also boasts a lot of indirect fire capabilities, but you’ll want to make sure you allocate orders and utilize scouting sentinels to help your rolls.

If you’re looking at jumping into this army there are a huge amount of ways you can get into it. Starting with a Combat Patrol is a great way to grab those Rough Riders which can help with quickly grabbing secondaries and objectives. However, I would start off with grabbing some infantry units such as Cadian Shock Troops, they have the ability to sticky objectives, which helps in the long run, and a couple tanks to start off, preferably the Leman Russ. As for a Warlord for your army I would grab Lord Solar Leontus as he gives you extra CP and the ability to redeploy three units. Which will allow you to see what your opponent has set up and then adjust your army, or even put those units into reserves!

-Scott “Fuzzy” Joseph

ADEPTUS ASTARTES

The Space Marines, or Adeptus Astartes, are at the forefront of the Imperium of Mankind’s defenders. Genetically modified super soldiers clad in power armor that are a true force to be reckoned with. Chances are if you are here, you’ve seen a Space Marine as they are the most represented faction in all of the 40k universe. Despite being the “poster boys” of the setting the Space Marines offer deep lore, high hobby customization, and a great introduction into the world of Warhammer 40k.

The Adeptus Astartes play style is that of a Swiss army knife. They are a considerably flexible force with very solid stat lines that offer a forgiving play style that is welcoming to new players.  Despite being “new player friendly”, the space marines are a faction that have a high skill ceiling and will reward skilled play.  A major strength with the space marine’s playstyle is that they are tactically flexible, being adept in both ranged and melee combat.  This allows marines to fulfill multiple roles in the army, as well as punching up into much more dedicated enemy units. This tactical flexibility creates a very straightforward player experience but can also lead to very epic moments on the tabletop. In game, the “Oath of Moment” army rule brings a massive boost to the army’s damage output, often letting the marine player pick the biggest enemy threats and eliminate them before they are overwhelmed.  Understanding what unit(s) to target with oath and when to are vital to a space marine players success. The Space Marines are not without a few weaknesses though.

While being a jack of all trades type army the Space Marines will typically be less adept as some of the other more focused factions.  While the marines will excel in every phase of the game they will never quite fight as good as the melee-oriented armies and never shoot as good as the more gunline focused armies.  Space marines will need to rely on their tactical flexibility to ensure the battle is going just how they want it to. The Space Marines offer the broadest codex in the game and have a staggering number of datasheets to choose from. This is often seen as a boon to the army. However, due to the nature of this some units will often be overshadowed and find themselves outclassed by other units in the army fulfilling a similar role.

If the Space Marines are your desired faction, you couldn’t have picked a better option.  The sheer number of kits available and the constant updating of the army keep them very fresh, much to other players’ dismay. Depending on which chapter you are interested in, or even creating your own, there are a variety of good starting options between the various combat patrol boxes, the starter sets, and battle force boxes. Always remember to uphold the honor of the chapter, and that your armor is contempt.

-Thomas “Cap” Graham

Dark Angels:

The first legion of the Emperor's Space Marines, the Dark Angels are the strongest amongst the Astartes Chapters and have access to unique weaponry other chapters are not privy to. With heavy Knights of The Round Table inspiration, the Inner Circle of the Dark Angels are feared by all who oppose them… Even others in the Imperium who may or may not have known too much of the Dark Angels secrets, never to be seen again. This faction is super fun to play and has some incredible models in its range. Led by the returned Primarch Lion El'Jonson, and Chapter Master Azrael the chapter has 2 main ‘Wings’, The Deathwing and Ravenwing that help give the Dark Angels a leg up on the other chapters and makes their play style a lot more fluid and dynamic than the other successor chapters.

The Dark Angels are a lethal combined arms army who specializes in their elite units who are ready for any situation. The Deathwing are veteran’s clad in terminator armour, and made even stronger with the Watchers in the Dark to help protect them from Mortal Wounds. The Deathwing are the go to ground takers, and damage dealers with almost all of their units able to Deep Strike and Rapid Ingress to catch their foes off guard, or reinforce to take down larger more powerful foes. The Deathwings stand out unit is by far the Deathwing Knights, a very tanky and hard-hitting unit they strike fear into any enemy unit they come in contact with, and is the most used unit in any Dark Angels list. The Ravenwing are the Cavalry units of the Dark Angels having everything from Outrider ATV’s and Black Knights, to Jet fighters and Stormspeeders. The Ravenwing help control the board and keep the enemy busy while the rest of the army claims the objectives, all while dishing out their fair share of damage with their solid melee, and close quarters weapon strength. The Ravenwing benefit most from Charging into enemies and forcing them to fight while making it harder for enemies to fall back out of combat

With the incredible range this army has, the Dark Angels run into issues against armies that can out run units such as Deathwing Knights or kill your elite units quickly. This army leans heavily into their elite units and their high points cost makes losing a unit or having them not contribute to certain engagements be painful. Character buffs and enhancements can help make this issue more tolerable especially when using Azrael, or the Lion. However, the rest of the Dark Angels characters suffer from having rules that don’t give them a reason to be fielded over a Captain, Chaplain, or Librarian units. Other than Azrael other Character units such as Belial suffer from lackluster rules and abilities, from not giving their units their best abilities, to abilities being good in concept but lack in execution rarely triggering or assisting in rolls. Generic characters can do better for leading units and can be enhanced so are more enticing.

If this faction sounds awesome to you, then welcome to the Inner Circle brother, the Lion is happy to have you here.The best part about starting Dark Angels is with their wide range of units you can always build heavier into any Wing you like the most and or would have the most fun in ! The combat patrol is always a good place to start. However, I'd recommend grabbing some Inner Circle Companions, or Deathwing Knights to start your heavy hitting Deathwing and Sammael with some Outriders, or Ravenwing Black Knights to begin your zone controlling Ravenwing. For Characters I can’t recommend Azrael enough, gaining 1 CP every turn and giving his led unit a 4+ Invulnerable save, and sustained hits on all weapons is very good, and of course I couldn’t talk about Warlords without recommending The Lion himself. An absolute dominating force on the table giving all units around him buffs and hindering your opponent with his Primarch abilities he can help turn the tide in a fight or make your opponent rethink their tactics. The Lion makes short work of any unit he’s faced with with his massive damage of flat 2 on a sweep and 4 on a strike as well as, a 2+ normal save and 3+ invul save profiles, as well as his fights first ability even his fallen brothers stand no chance against his might.

-Gold Too Rust

Space Wolves:

The Space Wolves are different from their cousins within the Adeptus Astartes in their traditions and customs. In the real world they could be compared to the Nordic Vikings of Denmark,Norway,and Sweden. This chapter of Space Marines just like the name entails is reliant on wolves but also the leader abilities and uses of those to get those units as close as possible to enact the perfect charge to scrap tooth and claw into your enemies in the name of the Allfather.

The Space Wolves will soon be getting a new codex, so stay tuned for that, in the current landscape they currently have two detachments. One being the Champions of Russ and the Champions Of Fenris. Champions of Russ has sagas that you complete throughout the game and completions of these sagas grant you buffs for all units with your detachment. For example, let’s say big ole grumpy Lion is in the middle of the board and you got plenty of the tanky things that could kill him on this turn. You could call during your command phase that you want to enact Saga of The Beastslayer which if you kill the Lion will grant your entire army the “Lethal Hits” ability.

Leaders in the Space Wolves matter, choosing the right ones for your detachment is key to accomplishing what you want on the tabletop. The main leaders that you should start with are Bjorn the Fell-Handed and Ragnar Blackmane. These two are great to start because of their abilities on the tabletop. First Bjorn has some major melee damage, like most Space Wolf units, but his tankiness will help a beginner with those sightlines and things like that. His range is ok, but like most things on the Space Wolves, you want to charge the enemy and kill with his Trueclaw. His ability to cut damage in half that is allocated to him really helps along with his +5 Feel No Pain which helps beginners trying to get a tanky murder machine to hold and kill on objectives. Ragnar Blackmane is a dangerous advance and charge threat that is great to pair with a unit of Bladeguard Veterans since their point totals have gone down. Hitting charges with him will kill most infantry with his Frostfang hitting with insane 8 attacks with sustained hits that makes it that if you roll a +6 you could easily kill a lot of squishy enemies. A unit you need in your army is Thunderwolf Cavalry. They boast a 10 inch movement and have solid objective control. Another is the Grey Hunters if you really need that shooting and to stick objectives. The Grey Hunters can advance and shoot but remember if you run Stormlance Detachment you could also charge with them. Again, rule of cool, Space Wolves have some really cool models and units. It’s up to you and what you want to run but the main goal, no matter what, is to charge and kill with teeth and claws to rip your enemy to shreds.

The Wolves of Fenris are not the greatest when they get counter charged by a better melee army like World Eaters or Dark Angels with the fight first from the Lion. If you can get the attacks off and can get those charges off first, then you will be good to go. One major weakness that the Space Wolves face is range damage. If you can’t get the charges, the range damage will surely kill you before then and if it’s a super long range enemy like T’au or even Aeldari can get you with close range shooting from Flamers and Melta weapons. Range is your biggest enemy with this army and can take out even Bjorn if not careful.

If you are looking into using the Space Wolves, all I can say is to have fun and rule of cool. If you wanna start the Combat Patrol boxset gives some really good units and a decent leader. From there, I would wait for what comes out with the new Codex: Space Wolves release to buy any new units or models. FOR RUSS AND FOR THE ALLFATHER!

-Lucas Rust

ADEPTUS MECHANICUS

ADEPTUS CUSTODES

The Adeptus Custodes are the mightiest warriors that the Imperium possess, forged from the sons of Terran nobility, and enhanced by gene craft known only to the Emperor’s own household, these gene forged demigods stand vigilant against any threat that could harm the Emperor of Man, these legendary warriors fight as paragons on the battlefield. You will always be outnumbered but never outmatched.

The Adeptus Custodes as an army on the table-top capture the fantasy of a small group of special forces soldiers taking on a army. Like Spartans or navy seals, each of your warriors is a master of war, rarely do they miss when they fire their bolters, and your in for a treat once you reach the melee, as your units are unmatched in melee combat! The Custodes have no issue ripping tanks in half and culling hoards of the archenemy as easily as the 300 at Thermopylae.

As I’ve alluded to in my past 2 paragraphs the Custodes biggest strengths as a faction are their elite play style, and the relative cheapness of collecting the army. Breaking that down a little bit, each of your models is the equivalent of the average hero is any other army, the basic Custodes has a stat lines that will make another army’s elite troops blush. You're tougher and you hit harder. This power isn’t without a cost though as your models cost more points than anyone else’s. You’ll need to buy considerably less then other factions to form a full 2,000 point army, and each of your models will do more than any other factions.

The first and most obvious being that since your models cost more points than any other factions, any casualties will hurt your army more then anyone else’s, and any mistakes you make in positioning or actions will be much harder to recover from. The second weakness comes more from the models then the army itself, in a curious decision from Games Workshop, only half the Custodes range is in plastic, the other half, and unfortunately the half to include all Custodes tanks, dreadnoughts, and jump pack units, are on a website called Forgeworld. This makes them much more expensive to purchase, but they also come in resin, which is a incredibly difficult product to work with and is hard to find in stock on the Games Workshop website.

If I was to recommend a way to start this army, the best way is to pick up the Combat Patrol. There are two you can find and either one comes with a Shield Captain, which is a phenomenal leader for your force, some Custodian Guard and Allarus terminators, which form a fantastic backbone of any shield host, and either a unit of custodian wardens, which are even more durable then the average Custodes, or a set of jet bikes. The jet bikes allow a phenomenal amount of range to hunt down those pesky ranged units who thought they could hide from the Emperor’s wrath, all in all the Custodes are a tuff hard hitting melee army that is a great one to start playing with.

-Brightlord

ADEPTA SORORITAS

IMPERIAL KNIGHTS

AGENTS OF THE IMPERIUM