Warhammer 40k 10th Edition Space Marine Kits go on Pre-Order

Warhammer 40k 10th Edition Space Marine Kits are here alongside the new codex, but which ones should you buy first to strengthen your Adeptus Astartes Army?

10^th Edition is starting to ramp up with multiple balance changes and the Tyranid Codex and 10^th Edition kits getting released since the switch from 9^th back in June. While the past few months had some rocky parts with the almost 80% win-rate Aeldari, the Towering Imperial and Chaos Knights and the Genestealer Cults who just get back their pocket nukes every time you kill them and they come back, the 10^th Edition of Warhammer 40k is starting to feel like a great tabletop wargame again.

Among the changes of the last period, one of the most interesting was the release of the Tyranid Codex, which brought incredible miniatures such as the Norn Emissary, Neurolictor and new Deathleaper. With the new codex, the forces of the hivemind received some new detachments with new tactics, stratagems and enhancements: one of the detachments introduced a completely new keyword called Harvester, another one focuses on Synapse, while a third one is great for players that use Leapers and Lictors to scout and infiltrate their enemies.

The Space Marine Codex also brings new detachments for the major chapters such as the Salamanders, the Imperial Fists, the Raven Guard, the Iron Hands and the Ultramarines, as well as keeping the Gladius Task Force one introduced with the release of 10^th Edition – even though the detachments won’t be named after the individual chapters.

But the other very exciting part is that the Adeptus Astartes will also get new miniatures, as well as some recent one released separately instead of the box sets they were introduced with. There are 10 new Space Marine kits that can be pre-ordered right now – but which ones are the best bang for your buck?

Contents

1 Warhammer 40k 10th Edition Space Marine Kits – What Should You Get?

Warhammer 40k 10^th Edition Space Marine Kits – What Should You Get?

Before we dive into the best purchases of the new Space Marine releases, let’s take a look at what Games Workshop has in store for us on October 14^th:

The all new Codex: Space Marines with multiple new detachments
The new Space Marine Datasheet Cards
Combat Patrol: Space Marines which contain the Space Marine figures of the Leviathan Box
Company Heroes
The new Terminator Squad
The Chaplain in Terminator Armour
Jump Pack Intercessors
The Captain with Jump Pack
A separate Sternguard Veteran Squad
A new Space Marines Lieutenant model
A separate Desolation Squad
and a separate Brutalis Dreadnought

But which are some of the must buys from these kits?

Sternguard Veteran Squad

Sternguard Veterans have become a staple in many Space Marine lists since they released with the Leviathan Box at the start of 10^th Edition. These Astartes can be taken as either a 5 or a 10 man unit, and they can pack some serious punch in a firefight.

While they are not pre-nerf Desolators or Hellblasters, both their Combi-weapons and their Sternguard bolt rifles pack a punch: the Combi-weapons can mow down infantry thanks to the Anti-Infantry 4+ and Devastating Wounds keywords, even more so when the Sternguard get their extra Rapid Fire shots. The Sternguard Bolt Rifle has both the Assault and the Heavy keyword as well as Dev Wounds with an extra shot, and while their damage might get saved a bit more frequently, they are a great all-rounder for the squad. Don’t forget to take a Sternguard heavy bolter for every 5 models in the unit, as they are the best guns on the datasheet!

Alongside the impressive guns, the Sternguard Veteran Squad has a great ability as well: after they kill a unit in the Shooting phase, they can shoot again, hurting or killing another unit. While this ability needs careful target selection to activate, the keywords on the squad’s guns make it much easier than it first seems.

Sternguard Veterans are £37.50 on Games Workshop’s website, and they can be put on the table for 110 points, which is a very good price for some great Warhammer 40k models.

Terminator Squad

While Space Marine Terminators as a concept are definitely not new, the new, upscaled Terminators were introduced with the Leviathan Box, and they quickly became a favourite among Space Marine players. They can be taken as either a 5 or 10 man unit for 190 and 380 points, and they can Deep Strike, surprising your opponents by popping up in their back lines – even arriving in their turn with a free Rapid Ingress thanks to their Teleport Homer ability.

While Terminator Squads will receive a slight nerf with the Codex as their Fury of the First ability wont let them ignore Ballistic and Weapon Skill modifiers, they will still get +1 to Hit when they target the unit that is under the effect of Oath of Moment.

The Terminator Squad has great melee potential thanks to their various close-combat weapons, but they can also be scary foe in ranged, especially if it’s a 10 man brick with 2 special weapons. The Heavy Flamer let’s them hold objectives with ease as they can overwatch with their Torrent weapons, while their 2+ Save and 4+ Invulnerable Save helps them survive, while the Cyclone missile launcher can put a dent in some tougher targets as well. They can be pre-ordered for £40 on GW’s site, and they are a kit you don’t want to miss.

Jump Pack Intercessors

Terminators can strike fast thanks to their Deep Strike, but the new Jump Pack Intercessors provide a much more flexible approach thanks to their 12” Movement. While we don’t have any official rules just yet, we can take a look at the Vanguard Veteran Squad with Jump Packs datasheet to a get a good idea how the new Jump Pack Intercessors will play.

Going by the datasheets we have, the new Intercessors will be armed with chainswords and bolt pistols with the Sergeant having access to Plasma pistols and Power weapons. They will most likely have a movement ability or something to help them out in the Charge or Fight phase, and should cost somewhere under a 100 points for a 5 man unit, but a bit more than 85, which is the points cost of a regular Intercessor squad.

The Jump Pack Intercessors will cost £35 for a 5-model kit, and depending on their rules, they could be a worthwhile pickup for any Space Marine force, but should be definitely considered for Black Templar, White Scar and Blood Angel players!

New releases are always an interesting time for any tabletop wargame, especially Warhammer 40k. Don’t forget to check out all of the new Space Marine stuff on GW’s site, and look for updates on ESTNN!