Don’t miss this full rules breakdown for Salamanders as they are bringing the heat (pun intended) with their new Space Marine codex supplement.
We knew Vukan’s sons were getting support. Between a new named character and a codex supplement, we’ve been waiting to see the new rules.
Coming from Glacial Geek on Youtube, we’ve got another closer look at the Salamanders Codex Supplement. Don’t miss what they’re getting and let us know of any crazy combos you see.
Adrax Agatone Hotness
Jumping into the latest Primaris character to the faction firs, we’ve got Adrax Agatone.
Rocking a special suit of power armor that the Intercessors wear, this Salamander is tricked out with Chapter-specific iconography showing off the pride of Nocturne.
Looking at Adrax’s stat sheet, he’s a T4 character with what you’d expect (WS, BS, Sv 2+). But what makes this guy especially unique are his named weapons. He’s got a S4 -1 AP flamer with a 12″ range which is nice. But Malleus Noctum brings a new meaning to melee potential.
Warhammer Community also gave us an early look at his in-game potential.
With 6 attacks base and a 4-damage melee weapon, he’ll be able to devastate things in close combat. But wait, he gets better.
The Drakehide Cloak also makes him take 1 less damage than normal when he gets hit! As for the rest of his rules, he’s got a 4++ invuln save and can reroll 1’s to everyone from Nocturne within 6″.
Unto the Anvil lets him add 1 to the wound rolls (BA Chapter Tactic) to himself and any friendly units within 6″ after they charge, were charged, or heroically intervened.
Vulkan He’stan & Named Character Points
Of course, Vulkan is in the book and NOT Primarisized. While he hasn’t crossed the Rubicon Primaris, he at least got a new battle brother to help.
As far as points go, Vulkan is sitting at 130 pts and Adrax at 140.
Tactical Doctrine Bonus
We’ve seen certain Chapters specialize in different Doctrines getting bonus rules while a certain one is active. For Salamanders, when the Tactical Doctrine is active, they’ll have Promethian Cult. This gives flamer and melta weapons +1 to their wound rolls. You’ll be wounding most screens and enemy armor on 2’s and 3’s across the board with this one!
Nocturne Warlord Traits
- Anvil of Strength: +2 Strength to the model.
- Never Give Up: Gives Defenders of Humanity rule (Objective Secured) to a non-Troop unit.
- Miraculous Constitution: Warlord gets a 6+++ FNP and regens a wound each turn.
- Lord of Fire: Everyone within 6″ can reroll number of hits for flame weapons.
- Patient and Determined: Once per shooting/fight phase, one attack auto-hits for the Warlord.
- Forge Master: Warlord gets +2 toughness. (Imagine this on Ashmantle. He could be T11!).
Salamanders Promethean Psychic Table
Be sure to read these over yourself. As for the in-game uses for each power, we can see these being solid in:
- Flaming Blast: You’ll want to put this point where a bunch of different units converge. The best would be a character blob. It’s nice because there’s no negative to roll for the characters either. But at only 1 mortal wound per unit, you’ll probably just end up ticking them off.
- Drakeskin: Drakeskin is pretty cool because it’s got some decent range and you can make things like Redemptors T8 or even Ashmantle T10!
- Fire Shield: This is mainly a protective psychic power that might be paired perfectly with a unit that’s already sticking their neck out. A unit like Infiltrators would benefit greatly from having this cast on them. Or really, any unit trying to hold an objective for a turn.
- Fury of Nocturne: This is essentially a smite v2. You just have to beat their toughness on 2D6. It’s a bit gamier, but it’s a great way besides smite to do mortal wounds.
- Burning Hands: Burning hands turns your Psyker’s melee weapon into a mortal wound engine. You can give him a chain sword for an extra attack and any hit automatically transforms into a mortal wound.
- Draconic Aspect: This is a 12″ bubble of a -2 Ld aura. This is incredibly useful against things like Cultists or even Gaunts that might find themselves out of synapse.
Salamanders Relics
Looking onto the Salamanders-Specific relics we’ve got:
- Tome of Velcona: Librarian model only- They get to know 1 more psychic power from the Promethean discipline. They also get +1 to casts for powers in Prometheum Discipline.
- Helm of Draklos: Primaris model only- Bearer gets +1 wound and puts off a -1Ld aura within 6″.
- The Salamander’s Mantle: The Bearer is -1 for enemy wound rolls.
- Nocturne’s Vengeance: Model with a combi-flamer only- This has two profiles at S4 AP-1 D-2 just at different ranges.
- Wrath of Prometheus: Replaces a boltgun or master-crafted boltgun. 30″ S5 -AP D3 damage bolter.
- Drake-Smiter: Thunder Hammer replacement- S X2 AP-4 3 flat damage. (Bearer is -1 to hit but wounds of 6+ do 6 damage flat).
- Vulkan’s Sigil: Add 1 to the attacks for the bearer. Gives +1 attack to everyone within 6″ if they hold the banner high in the fight phase. (once per game aura buff).
Special-Issue Wargear
As far as special-issue wargear goes, some of the things were ported over from supplement to supplement. However, taking a look into the specifics to Salamanders and their successors, they’ve got:
- Obsidian Aquila: Gives a 6+++ FNP aura within 6″.
- Promethean Plate: The bearer can’t be wounded on anything better than a 4+.
- Dragonrage Bolts: You get one attack but if it hits, it turns into D6 wounds at -1 AP and 1 damage.
- Drakeblade: replaces power sword, master-crafted power sword, or combat knife- This is a S user AP-4 2-damage blade that can proc a mortal wound on a wound of 6+.
Salamander Stratagems
This is a bit blurry, however, everything is transcribed for you here:
- Flamecraft (2CP): An entire unit’s flamers get the max auto hits. You don’t have to rolls. (D6 becomes 6 hits).
- Crucible of Battle (1CP): Add 1 to the wounds for a unit when selected to shoot or fight.
- Strength of the Primarch (1CP): An entire unit adds +1 to their Strength and wound rolls of a 6+ are double damage.
- The Fires of Battle (1CP): Use only in your shooting phase or Opponent’s charge phase. Wounds of a 4+ for flamer weapons do 1 mortal wound in addition to normal damage.
- Rites of Vulkan (2CP): Use only when the Tactical Doctrine is active. Rapid Fire and Assault weapons are treated as an additional -1 AP for wounds of a 6+. Once per battle only.
- Despite the Odds (1CP): If you didn’t score any tactical objective points, you can generate a new one.
- Immolation Protocols (1CP): Flame weapons become Pistol weapons until the end of the phase. This just lets you shoot your flamers while you’re tied up in combat. (Assault D6 becomes pistol D6).
- Self Sacrifice (2CP): You can select one infantry unit to jump in front of all other shots of friendly units within 6″. The opponent can not shoot at any other infantry unit within 6″ of the selected unit. (They basically have to wipe that one selected unit off the table before they kill anything else nearby).
- From the Ashes (2CP): Character can revive on a 4+ with 1 wound remaining.
- Vengeance for Isstvan V (1CP): Reroll hits against Chaos Legions that betrayed the Chapter in the Horus Hersey (WB, IW, NL, AL).
- Stand Your Ground (1CP): Select an Infantry unit that is not a Servitor. Damage 1 weapons that target the unit procs +1 to the saving throw.
- Born Protectors (2CP): One unit can For the Greater Good overwatch for a friendly unit within 12″. The selected unit of this stratagem can also heroically intervene like a Character up to 2D6″.
- Relentless Determination (1CP): One unit counts as have not been moved as long as they didn’t advance. (This is useful for things like Devastator Squads that need to cover ground). Units with a damage table count as having double their wounds.
- Exemplar of the Promethean Creed (1CP): Get a 2nd Warlord Trait.
- Master Artisans (1CP): A Sergeant can take a special-issue wargear with some restrictions.
- Trust of Prometheus (1CP): A Salamanders Successor Chapter can select a relic from the Salamander Relic table.
And there you have it! Just by going off of what we’ve seen, Aggressors with Flamers might be the backbone unit across all Salamanders forces. What combinations will you be trying when you get your hands on this book?
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About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
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About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.
Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls.
Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at Las Vegas Open, which attracts over 350 players from around the world.
Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the Adepticon 40k Team Tournament.
With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
