Space Marines are going to be a powerhouse in Apocalypse games. Here is a preview of their rules.
via the Warhammer Community
https://www.warhammer-community.com/2019/06/17/apocalypse-faction-focus-space-marinesgw-homepage-post-2/
Welcome to the first in our shiny new Apocalypse Faction Focus series! To prepare you for your biggest battles ever, we’re running through the different factions with an in-depth look at tactics, top units and play style. We’re kicking off with a look at none other than the Adeptus Astartes…
Play Style
At Apocalypse scale, a Space Marine army can flex its muscles at full Battle Company strength (or beyond), combining hard-as-nails, super-versatile infantry with a vast host of deadly Characters and versatile war machines. If you’re looking for a traditional army, battalions of Intercessors and Tactical Marines are capable of tackling most anything the game can throw at you. What’s more, Adeptus Astartes armies are more resilient to morale than most thanks to their And They Shall Know No Fear Faction ability, awarded to Detachments made purely of these superhuman guardians.
If you’re looking for something a little more unusual, however, the massive roster available to Space Marines opens up all sorts of armies never before possible in standard Warhammer 40,000. Ever wanted to field a lore-accurate Battle Company in full strength? A crusading force of Iron Hands Dreadnoughts? An Air Wing of Stormravens, Stormhawk Interceptors and Thunderhawks? Whatever kind of army you want and however you want to play, Space Marines have you covered.
Top Units
Intercessors
Troops are just as useful in Apocalypse as they are Warhammer 40,000. After all, destroying the enemy is one thing, but you’ll need to capture objectives and hold ground to win! Intercessors are incredibly useful for their durability and versatility. Against infantry, they’re capable of scything down squads with bolt rifle fire and respectable close-combat attacks, and they can even threaten tanks in a pinch. When the dust settles after the battle’s ended, you’ll thank yourself for having taken a few of these.
Roboute Guilliman
Commander, bastion of inspiration and close-combat beast – you can’t go wrong with Roboute Guilliman. Even on the vast battlefields of Apocalypse, the Ultramarines Primarch makes for a terrifying force. Thanks to the Destroyer trait – which doubles the blast markers placed on units you wound – and excellent SAP (Strength Against Personnel) and SAT (Strength Against Tanks) stats. You can learn more about how these work in our rules preview, but it’s fair to say that the Emperor’s Sword will make light work of pretty much anything in your way…
Meanwhile, Guilliman possesses a suite of invaluable tactical abilities. Author of the Codex Astartes gives you more Command Assets to choose from, while Master of Battle gives you the ability to change which Order has been issued to an Imperium Detachment, allowing you to react to your opponent’s plans.
In short, Apocalypse gives Guilliman a battlefield worthy of his (well-deserved) reputation.
Repulsor Executioner
Arriving just in time for Apocalypse, this new battle tank offers the Space Marines truly terrifying firepower. Both the heavy laser destroyer and the macro plasma incinerator boast superb stats to match their awesome names…
…and each can fire twice provided the Repulsor Executioner moves less than half of its full allowance. The only question is – which will you pick?
With Knights, Baneblades, Lords of Skulls and even Titans running around, you’re going to want at least one of these onside to deal with them.
Top Command Assets
In Apocalypse, every army has access to Command Assets – tactical plays that represent your grand strategy that can change the tide of battle. Each Faction can use universal Command Assets, or Faction-specific choices that represent their distinctive abilities and the character of their sub-factions. Flamecraft, for example, lets you unleash devastating fusillades of Small Arms (a weapon category in Apocalypse) and is perfect for the Salamanders’ mastery of short-range warfare.
In Apocalypse, Psychic Powers take effect on a much larger scale. Taking the form of Psyker-specific Command Assets, each has devastating effect. Null Zone is an excellent Adeptus Astartes option that can strip swathes of the enemy army of their saves, allowing you to unleash some devastatingly effective attacks.
We’ll be looking into how Command Assets work in more detail on Wednesday, so stay tuned.
