Are you a Space Marine fan? How do you prefer to play them on the tabletop? Do you like them to be the damsels in distress or hearty men?
Space Marines are an immortal faction that will always be apart of 30k and 40k. So the question stands…How do you like your Marines?
Marines Hard Boiled (AKA Heresy)
Do you think Marines should be the bulwark of the Imperium? Do you think they should match their fluff? Then you might want to give Horus Heresy a try. In Heresy, the AP system wasn’t gutted and runs off a “all or nothing” mechanic. You either get your 3+ power armor save or you don’t. It’s essentially like a pseudo 3++ invulnerable. Really what this results in is your Marines feeling like ACTUAL Marines.
Marines Over Easy (AKA 40k)
Do you prefer your Marines to be the damsels in distress waiting for the Imperial Guard to sweep them off their feet? Then play 40k! It’s obvious that GW has Marines right where they want them. While Marines are a bit better off now from the start of 8th edition, they are still nowhere near where they need to be.
If you want to play Marines in 40k, prepare to not cover any ground and pick them up almost immediately. Really, they are an easy kill point for the enemy and a liability to you.
With the AP mechanic in 40k being “modifiable”, it’s not uncommon to see Marines have a consistent 5+ save all game. That means that they essentially fall like Orks or GSC. The only difference is that each Marine costs an arm and a leg to field even after Chapter Approved.
But 30k is Only Marine on Marine & Boring
You might know someone who has 00:00 playtime in Horus Heresy and says it’s a bad game just because it’s Marine on Marine. That is not even half true. Horus Heresy has all of the Legions you know and love as well as Custodes, Sisters of Silence, Mechanicum, Dark Mechanicum, Daemons, and solar Auxilia. Essentially, it cuts out Tau, Orks, Necrons, and Eldar. That’s four factions that are lacking between 30k and 40k.
With most of the factions in 30k being Marines, however, the Legions are LOADED with unique rules. 40k Marines are completely gutted when compared to the Legions in the Horus Heresy.
What do you think about the difference in power of Marines from 30k to 40k? Have you decided to switch over and play Horus Heresy with your Marines? What Legion do you play? Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group.
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.
