It’s happening! Space Marines just got hit with the FAQ NERF bat with adjustments to Stratagems, as well as a huge focus on the way Doctrines work. Check out the latest for ALL Marines.
Warhammer Community dropped a bombshell on the 40k community reigning back Space Marines to what looks to be completely reasonable changes. With a few tweaks to Stratagems and a major rework on the way Doctrines work, Space Marines might actually be back on the same power level as other factions.
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Here’s everything you need to know for ALL Space Marines, and kudos to Games Workshop for being so responsive what was starting to become a major issue in 40k.
Space Marines FAQ: What We’ve All Waited For
This takes a little bit to understand. But the sequencing of Doctrines has shifted. You start in the Devastator Doctrine as normal. In the second round, you’re in the Tactical (Note this is a forced switch. You HAVE to shift Doctrines so no more sitting in the Devastator all game Iron Hands players). On top of that, you have an option in the third round to stay in the Tactical Doctrine, which is a way of balancing out the game for players having to wait for their Doctrine bonus to turn on.
But if you play a Chapter like Blood Angels, you can go ahead and switch to the Assault Doctrine to turn your bonus on if you wish.
On top of that, any other AP modifiers ARE NOT cumulative. That means you can’t pop a Stratagem or have a certain Warlord Trait that will stack with the AP you get from being in a certain Doctrine.
Stratagems also got tweaked with the Adaptive Strategy Strat being completely deleted. Another key tweak is that Duty Eternal looks to not stack with all the silly Iron Hands combos that helped make Dreadnoughts immortal. The Strat is still good, but not busted.
And finally, for Iron Hands, they basically get Drone support for their characters (non-vehicle).
Overall, this has probably been a huge weight lifted for players in the community. Except for maybe Chapters whose bread and butter is in the Devastator Doctrine. But let’s be real…it was silly and needed to be tweaked. We are looking forward to seeing how games look now that Space Marines have been streamlined in this latest update!
What are your thoughts on all the changes? Have Iron Hands and Imperial Fists been knocked down a reasonable peg? Did other Chapters who had to wait for their Doctrine to turn on just get better in the process?
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About the Author: Wesley Floyd
Wesley Floyd
Job Title: Staff Writer
Joined: 2018
Socials: @RealmbrushPainting
About Wesley Floyd: Wes has been in the Warhammer hobby since 2015 and joined the Spikey Bits writing team in 2018. He is known for his satirist takes on trending topics and imaginative yet amazingly affordable hobby solutions to painting Warhammer miniatures.
Imperial fanboy, tabletop fanatic, and the self-proclaimed King of Sprues. He knows for a fact that Mephiston red is the best-tasting paint and is the commission painting equivalent of a Wendy’s 4 for $4. If you like what he writes and want to contact him or have your tabletop minatures painted (to a mostly okayish standard), message him on Instagram.
