We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.

We’ve written before about what are the best Space Marine Chapters, but now we want to dive a little deeper and figure out what are the best Space Marine units? And we’re not going go broadly this time–we’re going to look at the Space Marines chapter-by-chapter to figure out the best unit that each of the nine loyalist chapters bring to bear on the field of battle.

So, we’re going to need to look at the units available to each Space Marine chapter, but also the special rules of each Space Marine chapter, and thus we will figure out what are the best Space Marine units, no matter which loyalist chapter you play.

And we’re going to do it in order of the Space Marine Legions, which means Dark Angels first:

Legion I: Dark Angels

What Are the Best Space Marine Units in the Dark Angels?

I have written before how I believe that the Dark Angels are currently the strongest of all the Space Marine chapters, and it’s not ENTIRELY because of the fact that I absolutely love Terminators, but it’s not not because of that either. And, in fact, I am going to go with the Deathwing Terminators as the best Space Marine unit in the Dark Angels.

The Deathwing Terminators are incredibly hard to kill. These guys are no ordinary Terminators. They have their standard 2+ armor save, but the Storm Shield gives them a 4+ invulnerable. and they can deal out a lot of damage in the meantime with their Thunder Hammers. But what puts the Deathwing Terminators over the top is that they have Objective Secured. When you’re running an army that is heavy on the Deathwing Terminators, who are ridiculously resilient, and they can pop onto an objective–which are far more valuable in 9th Edition–then this just makes the Deathwing terminator the best Space Marine unit in the Dark Angels. (Buy from Amazon | Buy from Element Games)

A close second for the Dark Angels would be, not surprisingly, the Ravenwing Attack Bikes. With one unit of them gettting a pre-game move so they can burn up the battlefield, and their Jink special rule gives them a 5+ Invulnerable which can be boosted to a 4+ if they advance. These are no ordinary attack bikes. (The fact that you can add an Apothecary on a bike, too, really helps.) (Buy from Amazon | Buy from Element Games)

Legion V: White Scars

What Are the Best Space Marines Units in the White Scars?

The White Scars don’t have a lot of their own dedicated units like the Dark Angels’ Deathwing and Ravenwing, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have special rules that can really set them apart. And old school players will be pleased to see that I’m picking a unit of Firstborn Marines as the best unit in the White Scars.

The Vanguard Veterans take the front spot for me when it comes to the White Scars (yes I know that the White Scars should really have someone on a bike, and maybe a Bike Captain would be my second choice). But if you give the White Scars Vanguard Veterans a Stormshields and Lightning Claws. The White Scars are fast, and the Vanguard Veterans can advance and charge to fly across the board to mix it up with the enemy. (You don’t want to waste these guys grabbing objectives unless they’re in a fight, because that’s where they’re so valuable.) Using a couple Command Points they can get AP -3 and Damage 2 on their attacks (and the Lightning Claws already boost their attacks by 1.) (Buy from Amazon | Buy from Element Games)

You could say that the Bladeguard Veterans are in much the same boat with the Vanguard Veterans, where they can advance and charge to move incredibly fast up the board for an otherwise slow melee unit, and the Combat Doctrine gives their swords a Damage of 3. (Buy from Amazon | Buy from Element Games)

Legion VI: Space Wolves

What are the Best Space Marines Units in the Space Wolves?

I know I’m going to sound a bit like a broken record here when I say that my pick for the best unit of the Space Wolves is armed with Stormshields, but here they’re also armed with Thunder Hammers. I’m talking of course about the Wolf Guard, who are extra scary in close combat anyway even before you give them a Thunder Hammer (which, as a reminder, is Strength 8, AP -2, Damage 3) but the Wolf Guard get an additional boost because Space Wolves don’t lose that extra point to hit with a Thunder Hammer, making them all the more dangerous. AND then you add onto this combo the fact that you can put them all in jump packs, and you’ve got a pretty devastating unit. (Buy from Amazon | Buy from Element Games)

Honorable mention for the Space Wolves is going to Bjorn the Fell-Handed, and this is probably just because I love him, but I love him because he is a monster in melee combat. Extremely durable, extremely fighty. Overall one of the best named characters in all the Space Marines, not just the Space Wolves. (Buy from Amazon | Buy from Element Games)

Legion VII: Imperial Fists

What are the Best Space Marines Units in the Imperial Fists?

Now, I got some flak recently for saying that the Imperial Fists were down at the bottom of my list of the Best Space Marine Chapters, but I stand by it. That said, there are Imperial Fist units that you don’t want to mess with.

I’m going to mix things up this time and not go with a melee unit, and not even go with anything with a heavy weapon. I’m picking the humble Intercessor with bolt rifles. The Imperial Fists bolter buff is great for the Intercessors (especially because it doesn’t add to their cost) when it gives them Ignore Cover and Exploding 6s. They can also use the Rapid Fire stratagem when they really need it, and the Intercessors don’t look too bad at all. (Buy from Amazon | Buy from Element Games)

By that same token, the Inceptors with their Assault Bolters and their ability to drop down in turn two makes them better in the Imperial Fists than they are any standard Space Marine chapter. (Buy from Amazon | Buy from Element Games)

Legion IX: Blood Angels

What are the best Space Marine Units in the Blood Angels?

If you’re new to the site you won’t notice the many times that I’ve said this, but the Sanguinary Guard are hands down one of the best units in the game–and not just in the Space Marines, but I think the Sanguinary Guard are one of the best units in Warhammer 40k. Extremely durable with 2 Wounds at a 2+ save, plus with 3 Attacks with an Encarmine Sword (Strength 5, AP -3, Damage 2–but Damage boosted to 3 with the Blood Angels special rule.) They have jump packs, get buffed when they’re nearby the warlord, and they have heroic intervention. And you get all of this for only 30 points. (Buy from Amazon | Buy from Element Games)

And it’s hard to argue that Smash Captains aren’t one of the best units in the Blood Angels, to the point where Smash Captains have just become a meme. (Buy from Amazon | Buy from Element Games)

Legion X: Iron Hands

What are the best Space Marine Units in the Iron Hands?

Well, it’s the Iron Hands, so it should go without saying that I’m going to pick a vehicle for them, and the vehicle which I think is best for the Iron Hands is the Relic Contemptor Dreadnought. When you make him a character with the March of the Ancients stratagem, it gives him the protection where the opponent can’t directly target him. Load him up with long range weapons like Lascannons and and missile launchers, and you’ve got a heavy piece of armament that can sit in the back and deliver whopping blows to your enemy while completely protected. (Buy from Games Workshop | Buy from Element Games)

Following up I’d say that Redemptor Dreadnoughts are one of the best units in the Warhammer 40k meta right now, and with the Iron Hands add-ons they’re even better.

Legion XIII: Ultramarines

What are the best Space Marine Units in the Ultramarines?

The Ultramarines are often thought of for being kind of vanilla and the Everyman of Warhammer 40k, and to some extent that’s true, but there’s definitely some units here that are better than others, and while I’m tempted to go with more Intercessors, because there are so many buffs on them available, I’m actually going to go with the Inceptors.

Inceptors with plasma weapons can be crazy, especially if you use them with a Lieutenant who has Seal of Oath that gives them full rerolls against one target–essentially making these guys be able to pop onto the board from wherever they want, mass a ton of plasma firepower without missing a shot destroying whatever they’re aiming at, and then when you try to go after them they can fall back and shoot. (Buy from Amazon | Buy from Element Games)

Legion XVIII: Salamanders

What are the best Space Marine Units in the Salamanders?

There’s no question here about which unit to take. The Salamanders are so melta and flamer heavy that it has to be one of them, but combine that with one of my favorite new (relatively) units for the Space Marines, the Eradicators, and you’ve got some serious firepower. The Eradicators are already powerhouses with the melta weapons–the Heavy Melta Rifles give them Strength 8, Ap -4, Damage D6+2 (or D6+4 if they’re within 12″) but the tactical doctrines of the Salamanders give them +1 to wound AND they can reroll to wound. These are the perfect units for punching through tanks. (Buy from Amazon | Buy from Element Games)

Legion XIX: Raven Guard

What are the best Space Marine Units in the Raven Guard?

Now we’re going to see my bias coming through because it’s very rare that I get to say this: I think that the Assault Centurions are the best unit in the Raven Guard. No hear me out. The Raven Guard can put the Assault Centurions into Deep Strike for one Command Point, and then have them coordinate with a Chaplain to allow them to charge. It’s not a sure thing, but I love Centurions SO MUCH and they never make Best Of lists, so I had to put them on here. (Buy from Amazon | Buy from Element Games)

What do you think? Do you agree with our picks?