Don’t miss all the new Psychic, Stratagem, Warlord Traits rules reveals for Gulliman’s Ultramarines! The masters of the Codex: Astartes are looking so good now!
Warhammer Community previewed a new wave of rules just around the corner for the Ultramarines. From bonus rules springing off of Doctrines to relics and Psychic Powers, these guys are going to be shaken up!
Special Thanks to the Mob Rules for their review. I love these guys- they are my new favorites mostly cause they know seem to know what they are talking about more than most! They’re funny and they give you the bits you need to know!
If you missed the first post on the new Special Characters and points costs, be sure to check that out here.
Bonus Rules for Doctrines
You might have already seen that the Chapters are getting bonus rules called Doctrines. All Chapters start with the same Doctrine active at the start of the game. However, as the game progresses, they can switch up the rules and pick which Doctrine is best for the stage that turn. That being said, Ultramarines are getting exclusive rules that play off of the Tactical Doctrine because of their tactical mastery.
Specifically for the Tactical Doctrine of the Ultramarines, their units can essentially ignore Heavy keyworded weapons, or even proc rules allowing them to fire twice like the Repulsor Executioner (even if it did fully move).
Ultramarines Strat: Tactical Expertise
In the same vein as the Tactical Doctrine support, Ultramarines are getting a 2CP, once per battle Strat called Tactical Expertise. Essentially this is an army-wide strat that makes your wound rolls of a 6+ from Assault/Rapid Fire guns an additional -1 AP. That means that normal Bolters wounding on a 6+ wound be AP-2!
There are 15 other stratagems on the way for a total of 16 inside the Ultramarines supplement!
Ultramarine Relics
You can now give your mainstay HQs in your army a 3++ invuln (if they didn’t have it already) and also give them the ability to dunk a psychic power out of the sky. The real benefit to this is that your Captain models don’t need points sunk into them for a Storm Shield anymore. You can make an Ultramarine Smash Captain, give him this relic, and load him up with a Thunder Hammer and Chainsword.
If you’re giving your models plasma pistols, you can give them a souped-up version that they probably stole from the Dark Angels. It’s a pistol 2 (essentially always overcharged) gun that never overheats. But the 3++ invuln/deny is probably going to be more competitive.
You can see the rest of them below which are for ULTRAMARINE keyword only. Successor chapters can spend 1cp to get one of these.
Don’t miss that super stormbolter and invulnerable cloak can that can heal you!
Warlord Traits
…to this end, Codex Supplement: Ultramarines includes a set of six Warlord Traits that exemplify the strategic brilliance of the Chapter’s officers. Master of Strategy, for example, enables an accompanying unit to take advantage of the Tactical Doctrine
GW mentioned that out of six Warlord Traits, the Ultramarines are getting one called Master of Strategy. The Tactical Doctrine seems to apply to everyone for the Chapter so we’re not entirely sure how this Warlord Trait is going to work. But hey, GW gave it to us!
Also, note Booby G’s is #5 and Marneus is #6
Indominus Discipline
On top of a new Tigurius model and buff, the Ultramarines are finally getting their own Psychic tree! Check out what power was first previewed
Telepathic Assault is something similar to the Grey Knights’ Purge Soul psychic power. You only need a 7 to cast it and you roll 2D6 +2. For every point you roll above the enemy’s leadership, they take a mortal wound. You can do in the upwards of 10 or more mortal wounds on units like Cultists/Gretchin if you roll hot. This thing is meant for clearing cheap waves of units with lower leadership but on average, you’ll probably only ever scrape up 3-5 mortal wounds. (It’s still nice).
Here are the rest of the new Indomius Discipline:
That’s a great look at the larger changes rules-wise overall for the Ultras!
For more new rules previews, be sure to click play on the video below, and give these guys a sub for sure!
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All in all, Ultramarines are looking to be in an even better position in the meta! We still have to see all of the new Stratagems, Warlord Traits, points cost, etc. for the Chapter. But they could still be the reigning Chapter champ!
What do you think about this rules wave?
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About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X
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.
