With the New Space Marines Codex shaking up 9th Edition 40k, here’s our picks for the top three new characters and what you can do with them.
First, it was Indomitus, and then came the tanks and speeders. There are a ton of new units for the Space Marines, and we’re going to take a closer look at our picks for the top 3 characters models in the codex.
Top 3 Characters In The New Space Marine Codex
TL;DR If you want to check out the rest of the Codex rules in full we got you covered below:
- Warlord Traits & Stratagems
- Relics, Litanies, Psychics, & Secondary Objectives
- Chapter Tactics Rules
- New Unit Datasheets
Primaris Chaplain on Bike
He is exactly as you would expect, however, he does get a solid 2 more wounds and his bike movement of course. Other than that he’s pretty much the same as his on-foot counterpart. He seems effective especially when you take into account the flexibility found in the ability to take litanies.
One definitely worth considering most of the time is Canticile of Hate, it allows units within 6 inches of the Chaplain to add 2 inches to charge rolls and also pile in an additional 3 inches. Pair this up with some strong melee units like terminators or the newer Bladeguard veterans and their effectiveness will shoot up even more.
You can also upgrade him up to a Master of Sanctity for 25 points, allowing him to take an extra litany and recite an extra one per turn. On top of that, you can use Commanding Oratory at a single CP instead of 2 allowing you to auto-cast your first litany.
Primaris Techmarine
With the signature axe and backpack, there’s no mistaking this character on the field. Not to mention the awesome “Doc Ock” arms that they each come with as well.
His Forge bolter is essentially an Assault heavy bolter, with 2 damage and can still shoot his pistol or throw a grenade. He also has his standard Omnissian power axe like his firstborn counterparts. At only 10 more points the jump to primaris not only seems worth it, it seems pushed! (not unlike most primaris options)
Awaken the Machine Spirits is simple in that it lets you add 1 to hit rolls for a vehicle unit within 3 inches. When you take into account Blessing of the Omnissiah which heals a nearby vehicle d3 at the end of every movement phase, you’ve got a neat little vehicle support package that not only buffs your vehicles but also heals and keeps them in the top bracket.
Pair this guy with a heavy-hitting vehicle such as one of the new gladiator variants and watch it wreak havoc all game long.
You can pay 20 points to upgrade this guy to a Master of the Forge making him heal for flat 3 instead of d3 and also giving him access to Warden of the Ancients, a warlord strat giving +1S and +1A to dreads within 6 inches.
Captain with Master-Crafted Heavy Bolt Rifle
Other than the normal captain stats, he has a master-crafted heavy bolt rifle, master-crafted power sword, and he’s T5 with a bonus wound over the other captain. So he’ll be a bit harder to take down with small arms fire. Rites of Battle are still strong offering hit re-rolls of 1 to models within 6 inches.
Unfortunately, however, it only affects units with the new Core tag, this means no more re-rolls for vehicles or a majority of elites and characters.
We saw this back in July that there would be a limit on captains. So whichever captain variant you take, you can only have one.
On the bright side, this character on his own does pack quite the punch. When comparing him to a Captian in Gravis armor, the only difference is the loadout, so let’s look at just that. Master-crafted power sword got a +1 Strength buff, which is a nice bonus bringing melee up to S5. The Master-crafted Boltor on the other hand, is a major improvement over the other captain, as he only had a pistol. 36-inch range with rapid firing at 18 is good.
The shots being S5 is sweet, 2 damage a pop is tasty, but -1 AP leaves a little more to be wanted.
If you want two Captain auras, you can pay 40 points to upgrade one to a Chapter Master, giving him the new targeted buff, which lets him pick a single Core or Character unit within 6” to get full re-rolls to hit. The chapter Master buff isn’t as good as old editions since its only single target, but it’s still worth noting as an option since you do keep the 1s to hit re-roll aura for Core.
What do you think about our pics for the top Characters for Space Marines now?
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About the Author: Andrew Schrank
Andrew Schrank
Job Title: Miniatures & Warhammer Hobby Staff Writer
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About Andrew Schrank: Over the past 15 years, Andrew has played all the games, including tabletop and video games, and immersed himself in the associated lore. Andrew joined the Spikey Bits team in 2018 and covers the Warhammer hobby and tournament scene, along with the latest in tabletop miniatures, each week.
Aspiring diplomat, Lord of Fluff, and Master of Ice Hammer, He loves Star Wars, Chaos Undivided, and Gundam. During his free time, he hunts Platinum trophies on PS5 and reads international news. On weekends, Andrew plays commander and cEDH games, often with unique strategies that push the limits.
He believes each day presents a new opportunity to grow and be challenged.
