Warhammer 40K: Unlocking The Power of the Ultramarines
Today let’s talk about getting the most out of your Ultramarines.
Marines, long relegated to bottom tier army status, look to be making a big come back. They’ve got a new Codex, new units, and two new power Codex Supplements, with more on the way. Though all to Codex Supplements promise to bring something cool to the table, today I want to talk about the one that is clearly the Supplement to beat right now. I am of course talking about Codex Supplement Ultramarines, the book that gives extra life to the good old Blue Boys. No longer to Ultramarines just represented your bog-standard Marines, but they are their own special brand of kickass. So today let’s take a look at what makes them so good.
Scions of Guilliman
Right off the bat Ultramarines are hitting hard. Scions of Guilliman means that when the Tactical Doctrine is active, which can be started on turn two, your units don’t count as moving when they shoot. This is a pretty potent ability as it not only means you can move and fire heavy weapons with no downside, but also that your infantry will always be getting the benefits of Bolter Discipline. This ability is one of the strongest in the book and something to built your army around.
A Large Roster of Heroes
Ultramarines have access to a large number of unique heroes, some of which are quite powerful. While Guilliman got nerfed, he still remains quite powerful and can give you an extra three command points. His nerf also means that you’re not a fool if you chose to leave him home. Calgar and an LT. will cost you about 90 points less and give you the same primary aura effect, and will still get you two CP. Chronos remains unchanged, and is still a good buy at 30 pts, upping the accuracy of a tank. I’d take him if you are already taking a Land Raider, Predator or the new, improved Vindicator, but wouldn’t take any of those options just to use him.
In my book, the two big winners here are Tigurius (now known as Prime Time Tiggy) and Chaplain Cassius. Tigurius got a large power boost and access to a wider variety of powers to cast. He can also now ride in an Impulsor which lets him jump across the table to deliver his powers where needed. Cassius though gets the award for most improved. Chaplains, in general, got a huge bost in the new Codex with their improved Litanies, but even among improved Chaplains, Cassius stands out. At 85 points he’s a mere 5 points more than a regular Chaplain with a combi-flamer. For those 5 points he gets a better close combat weapon, a better bolter, an extra point of toughness, the special rule “Inspired Retribution” (which lets him deal out mortal wounds) and the ability to use TWO Litanies a turn. That’s a pretty insane deal for 5 pts, and if you are taking a Chaplain, it should always be Cassius.
Solid Warlord Traits
Ultramarines get to rock some pretty great warlord traits – three big ones stand out to me. Adept of the Codex remains from the last book and still lets you get back CP. Combining this with extra CPs given by Gman or Calgar means Ultramarines have access to more CP’s than any other Space Marine faction. Master of Strategy is also pretty solid, letting a unit each turn count as if the Tactical Doctrine is active. This allows them to use a lot of extra abilities and get the Scions of Guillimna rule to work. The only downside here is I think most Ultramarine armies are going to live in Tactical Doctrine, and so this might only help you a bit one turn one. Lastly, Calm Under Fire lets nearby Ultramarines fall back from combat and fire without the -1. That’s just solid and makes the Blue Boys really hard to tie down.
Relics of Legend
Guilliman’s kids have access to some great relics. They’ve got a few that make the bearer a lot harder to kill and can come in handy. The Tarentian Cloak seems pretty solid to me, not for the 5++ save (most people you’d give it to have better) but for the healing d3 wounds a turn. Throw that on a Captain with 6-7 wounds and they are going to be a pain to take down. The Standard of Macragge Inviolate is also a real stand out, giving Ultramarines an extra attack and letting you auto-pass morale. I’m a huge fan of extra attack auras, and it’s only made better by the fact that you can combo it with the Reliquary of Vengenace. Using these together will give any model in both auras +2 attacks. Combine that with Shock Assault and its +3 attacks, a Veteran Intercessor Sergeant, maybe with a thunderhammer (can thus get up to 7 attacks), and it’s nothing to sneer at. Lastly, Master-crafted is a must take and I think every army will use it since it allows you to pick a weapon and increase its damage.
Key Stratagems
The Blue Boys have access to some great stratagems, but four stand out to me:
- “Martial Precision” – one CP to let any single shooting attack hit. A great way to bypass negative to hit modifiers or just ensure that much needed las-cannon hits its target. Let’s all practice together using this on the tabletop. “You are struck.”
- “Defensive Focus” – for two CP you can activate a mini version of the Tau’s for the greater good. This lets you pick three extra units to fire overwatch when one of your units is charged. Just the presence of this stratagem can deter the enemy from charging you because taking overwatch from 4 units isn’t a lot of fun. It can also let you use a centrally placed unit of Aggressors or an Invictor to shoot targets even if they aren’t charged. It also makes charging that block of 3 Invictors people are talking about really scary.
- “Exemplar of the Chapter”- one CP to get an extra warlord trait, giving your warlord two traits and access to some crazy combos? I’m likely going to use this every time.
- “Honored Sergeant”- one CP to give a Sergeant a relic, from a limited list? That sounds kind of meh until you realize one of those relics is Master-Crafted, which suddenly opens up some real possibles. Master-Crafted Flamestorm Gauntlets on an Aggressor? An Intercessor Sergeant with a Thunderhammer that does 4D and has seven attacks? Centurion Sergeants? There is potential here.
Powers of The Mind
Fianlly, Ultramarines have access to a bunch of great physic powers. They’ve got a couple of direct damage spells that are really good. They’ve got the ability to buff another caster’s roll, great for smiting. Scryer’s Gaze is the stand out one to me – giving Ultramarines access to even more CPs or a free re-roll. Have the Blue Boys been worshiping a certain god of Change in their spare time? Overall they’ve got solid powers that round a book full of exceptional abilities.
Let us know what you think about the new, improved Ultramarines, down in the comments!
