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We’ve written at great length about the Space Marines before in terms of what their individual playstyles are, which are the best Space Marine Chapters, and what the original 20 (18) legions of the Space Marines were before the Horus Heresy. But what we haven’t covered is what you need to know about the Space Marines if you’re going to play them in a game: getting started in Warhammer 40k: Space Marines.

Getting started in Warhammer 40k Space Marines is probably the easiest point of entry into the Warhammer 40k universe because Space Marines are the flagship product of Games Workshop, far ahead of Orks or Aeldari or Imperial Guard or anything else. Space Marines beat out all other factions of the Warhammer 40k universe by a factor of ten. This is because of two things: first, they just make so many models for the Space Marines that there is an incredible range to pick from–you really can do whatever you want to do with the Space Marines. And second, the Space Marines are always one of the first factions in Warhammer 40k to get Codex updates, so they always have the newest models and the newest rules. (Also, because they are the biggest army in the franchise we have the economy of scale going for us, meaning that we’re more often going to get less expensive models.)

Getting Started with the Space Marines

What Are the Space Marines?

Space Marines are a superhuman, or transhuman, being that has undergone intense physical and mental conditioning. Any recruit that goes through the conditioning, which includes adding 22 additional organs to their bodies and a year of extreme torturous isolation, is going to come through the process looking virtually unrecognizable to when they entered the program.

They are also going to be mentally reprogrammed so that they literally cannot feel fear. In fact, Space Marines do not have relationships in the way that most humans do, and while they can feel a sort of patriotic duty to protect humans, they do not feel love, certainly not romantic love, and their relationships are anything if not standoffish.

Space Marines are equipped with the best weapons that the Imperium has to offer, each carrying some form of a bolter, anything from a bolt pistol to a heavy bolter (with a few exceptions). Their armor can range from the standard Space Marine power armor to the incredible Terminator armor to the massive Centurion armor and everything in between. In terms of firepower they carry everything from lascannons to meltarifles to plasma cannons, and in close combat they’re ferocious with lighting claws or storm shields and thunderhammers.

Why Would You Want to Play Space Marines?

Space Marines, because of their wealth of options, are one of the easiest armies to get into. They’re durable and hit hard, meaning you can afford to make some mistakes if you’re a new player to the game, and you’ll still have the power to come back from behind. Their rules are (relatively) straightforward–as much as any rules in 9th Edition are straightforward–and if you’ve ever bought a special edition box of Warhammer 40k you’re almost guaranteed to have some Space Marines in your Pile of Shame.

But if you want to play a very shooty army? You can do that with the Space Marines. Want close combat? The Space Marines can take care of you there, too. Fast attack, guerilla attack, siege warfare, pur defense–all of this is possible with Space Marines.

What Do you Need to Play the Space Marines?

In addition to the Core Rulebook, which we talked about earlier, you’ll need:

Codex: Space Marines. When getting started with the Space Marines, this will be the generic book for all Space Marine chapters, and then if you want to delve deeper into one of the supported legions (which we’ll talk about below) then you’ll want to get their supplements. But this book has all of the units and special rules for all the Space Marine units that are available to all Space Marine chapters. (Meaning, it will have rules for Attack Bikes and Assault Centurions and Drop Pods, but it won’t have rules for Deathwing Terminators or for Wulfen.)

If you’re interested in Matched Play and especially tournament play, getting started with the Space Marines means you’ll want the Chapter Approved book which has the current special rules for that.

What Models Are Available to the Space Marines?

SO MANY. But if you’re looking for getting started with the Space Marines, then the Space Marine Combat Patrol is a great place to get started. Coming with a Primaris Lieutenant in Phobos Armor, 10 Primaris Infiltrators, 3 Suppressors, 3 Eliminators, and a Primaris Impulsor, it’s a great Primaris starting force. From there you can go in virtually any direction and find something that you’d like. (Buy from Amazon)

There’s also the Warhammer 40k Starter Set Command Edition (Buy from Amazon), Elite Edition, and the Recruit Edition, which are all good ways of getting started with the Space Marines. All of these are great ways to get started in the game with a good little force of Space Marines, and an opponent for your friend to play. Split the cost of the box and you’ll get a great deal.

And I don’t know how long this link will be good for, but the 2021 Christmas Box is still available on Amazon for getting started with the Space Marines (Buy Here.)

It seems like we’re ALWAYS getting new Space Marine models but some of my favorite models from recent releases are the Primaris Eradicators (who are very heavy anti-tank) (Buy from Amazon), the Bladeguard Veterans (who are an awesome close combat team that can hold objectives for a long time) (Buy from Amazon), and my favorite standby unit, the Incursors. (Buy from Amazon)

Getting Started with the Ultramarines

What Are the Ultramarines?

You’ll have no doubt seen that when Games Workshop paints Space Marines for their boxes they’re always blue with gold details, and with a white Omega symbol on their shoulder pauldron. These are the Ultramarines, and they are the poster boys for the most dutiful and by-the-book Space Marines there are. Their Primarch, Roboute Guilliman, originally took over the Imperium when the Emperor was injured and led it until he was mortally wounded–but after a thousand years he’s back and better than ever.

It was Roboute Guilliman who wrote the Codex Astartes, which is the code or organizational chart that Space Marines are supposed to live by. Ultramarines stick to this like glue, while others (like the Space Wolves) could care less about living by the Codex Astartes.

What Models are Available to the Ultramarines?

The Ultramarines are often berated as being too vanilla or generic, but they do have some benefits that can’t be said of other Space Marine factions. For starters, the Ultramarines can field Guilliman himself, a Primarch on the battlefield–which is no small thing. (Buy from Amazon)

Other than him and a few other special characters (like Marneus Calgar) the Ultramarines stick (obviously) to the Codex Astartes and don’t have special units. There is an Ultramarine Primaris Upgrades pack so you can specialize them but given than every single pack of Space Marines comes with an Ultramarines transfer sheet, you’re probably not really going to need it.

Getting Started with the Imperial Fists

What Are the Imperial Fists?

The Imperial Fists are a favorite of many players because, primarily, of their extremely loyal Primarch, Rogal Dorn. Experts in siege warfare and defense, it was the Imperial Fists who were tasked with defending the final bastion of the Imperial Palace during the Siege of Terra.

What Books Do You Need For the Imperial Fists?

Aside from the Codex: Space Marines, the Codex Supplement: Imperial Fists has many rules and stratagems that give the Imperial Fists so much of their flavor. They are especially good with the bolter doctrines, which means that the lowly Intercessors are a fairly potent weapon on the battlefield. (Buy from Amazon)

What Models are Available to the Imperial Fists?

The Imperial Fists don’t have a ton of special units, but they do have several named characters that you can field, including Captain Lysander, Captain Garadon, and Chapter Master Pedro Kantor. You can also get the Imperial Fists Primaris Upgrade Sprue, which is the best place to find good symbols as their transfers are hard to get. (For reasons I don’t understand, Forge World makes large gorgeous pages of transfer sheets for Horus Heresy, but not for Warhammer 40k.)

Getting Started with the Black Templars

What Are the Black Templars?

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It’s appropriate to talk about the Black Templars right after we talk about the Imperial Fists, because the Black Templars are a successor chapter to the Imperial Fists. When the Imperial Fists split at the First Founding, the Black Templars were the most devout, most determined and ideological (which is saying a lot for Space Marines), and they went on an eternal crusade on a quest to spread the message that the Emperor is a literal diety. They are honor-bound, will challenge foes to one-on-one combat, and in battle they always have an Emperor’s champion leading them with righteous zeal. They chain their weapons to their wrists so they can never let them go, and annihilate anyone who gets in their way.

What Books Do You Need For the Black Templars?

Aside from the Codex: Space Marines, the Codex Supplement: Black Templars was released in late 2021 and is one of the most up-to-date Space Marine codices.

What Models Are Available to the Black Templars?

With the massive range release in late 2021, the Black Templars have a lot of variety in their model choice. From their gorgeous Emperor’s Champion model (Buy on Amazon) to the Black Templars Castellan (Buy from Amazon) to Chaplain Grimaldus and Retinue (Buy from Amazon | Buy from Element Games).

The Black Tempars also have a Combat Patrol Box that contains a Primaris Marshal, a Primaris Crusader Squad (1 Sword Brother, 5 Initiates, and 4 Neophytes), 5 Intercessors, a Primaris Impulsor, a Black Templar Primaris Upgrade Sprue, and a Black Templars transfer sheet. (Buy from Amazon).

Also, if you’re lucky, you can still get the Black Templar Starter Box, but they’re dwindling fast.

Getting Started with the Dark Angels

What Are the Dark Angels?

The Dark Angels are the first Legion of the Space Marines, and they are remarkable for a few different things. The first is that they have not one but two comepletely different combat doctrines: either an almost-entirely-Terminator army list, or an almost-entirely-bike army list. But the other thing that the Dark Angels have going for them (or against them) is that during the Horus Heresy, some of the Dark Angels joined the forces of Horus, and the loyalist Dark Angels bombed their own homeworld from orbit until it was rubble. Some traitors still exist–the Fallen–and the Dark Angels have been known to neglect important strategic objectives if it means they can go after and kill one of the Fallen. The thing is: no one know one outside of the oldest elders of the Dark Angels know of the traitors–no other Space Marine legions know about them–and it is the Dark Angels’ deep shame.

What Books Do you Need to Play the Dark Angels?

Aside from the Codex: Space Marines, you’ll need the Codex Supplement: Dark Angels. It includes the datasheets for 23 units that are specific to the Dark Angels.

What Models Are Available to the Dark Angels?

The most well known are the Deathwing Terminators (Buy from Amazon) and the Ravenwing Bikes (Buy from Amazon), but there are also other units like the Master Lazarus and Primaris Lieutenant Zakariah. There is a Primaris Upgrade Sprue, and the Dark Angels have their own Combat Patrol Box which contains a Primaris Chaplain, 3 Inceptors, 1 Redemptor Dreadnought, 5 Primaris Intercessors, 2 Upgrade sprues, and 1 Dark Angels transfer sheet. (Buy from Amazon)

Getting Started with the Blood Angels

What Are the Blood Angels?

The Sons of Sanguinious, it was Sanguinious who was the last martyr of the Horus Heresy, killed by Horus just before Horus fought the Emperor in single combat. Many have suggested that Sanguinious was the best of the Space Marines, best of the Primarchs, and that he was destined to lead after the Emperor, but he fell. (A fallen angel, no less, as he had literal angel wings.) The Blood Angels are unique because they hide a secret: when they get into combat they can fall to the Black Rage, and all-consuming ferocity that overtakes the mind, and eventually to the Red Thirst, making them almost vampiric. All Blood Angels know of this flaw in their DNA and all fear it, which makes them all the more willing to die in combat rather than live in the knowledge that they’re going to have to eventually succumb to the Black Rage. Those who do join the Death Companies, squads of Blood Angels who are bloodthirsty (literally) and ravenous to kill.

What Books Do You Need to Play the Blood Angels?

The Blood Angels require the Codex: Space Marines and the Codex Supplement: Blood Angels. The Blood Angels supplement has 18 unique datasheets for Blood Angels armies.

What Models Are Available to the Blood Angels?

The Blood Angels have quite a few unique and terrific models, even though some of them are aging. The Sanguinary Guard are, in my view, one of the best units not just in the Space Marines but in all of Warhammer 40k. (Buy from Amazon) And you need to play some Death Company just for flavor. (Buy from Amazon). Other unique models include Mephiston and Dante. The Blood Angels also have a Combat Patrol Box which contains a Primaris Librarian, a Primaris Impulsor, 5 Primaris Intercessors, 5 Primaris Incursors, 3 Primaris Aggressors, and 2 Blood Angels Primaris Upgrade Sprues. (Buy from Amazon )

Getting Started with the Salamanders

What are the Salamanders?

Okay, so everyone in Warhammer 40k are the Bad Guys, but the Salamanders are kinda almost not the Bad Guys. The Salamanders actually make an effort at trying to keep collateral damage to a minimum and to protect civilians during wartime. They are known for their emerald green armor and their black skin (like charcoal black).

What Books Do you Need For the Salamanders?

In addition to the Codex: Space Marines, there is a Codex Supplement for the Salamanders. They do have some special rules which emphasize their use of flamers and meltas, as they come from a volcanic homeworld, but that’s about all that we get for the Salamanders.

What Models Are Available to the Salamanders?

There is a Salamanders Upgrade Sprue and a few special characters, including Vulkan He’Stan and Captain Adrax Agatone. But overall, despite being a personal favorite chapter of mine, they don’t have a whole lot going for them.

Getting Started with the Iron Hands

What are the Iron Hands?

The Iron Hands are the antithesis of the Iron Warriors. They are clad in black and covered with cybernetics and mechanical implants. They are best known for being especially good with vehicles and dreadnoughts and all things mechanical, and if you want to run a vehicle-heavy army then making them the Iron Hands will give you the best synergy of abilities.

What Books Do You Need for the Iron Hands?

Aside from the Codex: Space Marines, you’ll need the Codex Supplement: Iron Hands. It doesn’t give a ton of new units to them–their only main new unit is Iron Father Fierros–but they do get a ton of mechanical-oriented rules that will help them to roll across the battlefield spreading death.

What Models Are Available to the Iron Hands?

There is an Iron Hands Upgrade Sprue, and the aforementioned Iron Father Fierros (a truly cool model) (Buy from Amazon). But that’s about it.

Getting Started with the Space Wolves

What are the Space Wolves?

Sometimes called the Space Vikings or the Space Werewolves, the Space Wolves are a very Nordic-looking, clan-like Space Marine chapter that lives on an ice world and is covered in pelts, furs, claws, and runes. They scoff at the very notion of the Codex Astartes and don’t even pretend to follow its dictates. Their units are all different from standard Space Marine fare, organized by packs that grow from wild and young to old and wise. They, like the Blood Angels, hide a secret, which is that they have a DNA flaw wherein someone can erupt werewolf-like into a Wulfen, a kind of berzerker. They also have lots of wolves everywhere in their army, as attack animals, as mounts, and pulling their sleds (yes).

What Books Do You Need for Space Wolves?

Aside from the Codex: Space Marines, you’ll need the Codex Supplement: Space Wolves. Because they have so many units that are specific to the Space Wolves, there are 29 datasheets in the Codex Supplement and a lot of special rules and organization charts.

What Models Are Available to the Space Wolves?

Well, a lot. Starting out, the young Space Marines are formed into a pack called the Blood Claws (Buy on Amazon), but there are oddities like the Thunderwolf Cavalry (Space Marines riding wolves) ( Buy from Amazon). They have Space Wolves Upgrade Packs which are actually different from their Space Wolves Primaris Upgrades. And they have a Combat Patrol Box which consists of a Primaris Lieutenant, 1 Invictor Tactical Warsuit, 10 Primaris Intercessors, 5 Primaris Reivers, and 2 Space Wolves Primaris Upgrades. (Buy from Amazon)

Getting Started with the White Scars

What Are the White Scars?

The White Scars, a sort of sci-fi combination of a biker gang and a Mongol horde, the White Scars are almost entirely on bikes, sporting Mongolion hair and beards, curved swords and they have a penchant for falconry.

What Books Are Available to the White Scars?

Aside from the Codex: Space Marines, they have the Codex Supplement: White Scars. It doesn’t have a whole lot of necessary information–only some special rules and two new datasheets. The White Scars continue to be fairly overlooked by Games Workshop.

What Models Are Available to the White Scars?

In addition to their ever-present bikes (which are available to all Space Marines, but better used by White Scars) (Buy from Amazon ), they have Chapter Master Kor’sarro Khan and of course the White Scars Primaris Upgrades Sprue.

Getting Started in the Raven Guard

What Are the Raven Guard?

Well, sad to say, they’re another Space Marine army that is generally overlooked. They have a very clear dogma and fighting style, which is that they are sneaky guerilla fighters, in fast and out fast, and dressed all in black (and led by Kayvaan Shrike whose haircut gets a lot of “he’s so emo” comments–and deservedly so).

What Books Do I Need to Play Raven Guard?

The Codex: Space Marines, obviously, but the only datasheet that you’ll find in the Codex Supplement: Raven Guard is for Shrike. There are a lot of rules in there, but it’s still kinda slim considering your other options.

What Models Are Available to the Raven Guard?

Well, you’ve got Shrike (Buy from Amazon), and you’ve got the Primaris Raven Guard Upgrade Sprue. And that’s it.

Getting Started in the Deathwatch

What Are the Deathwatch?

The Deathwatch are a unique faction of the Space Marines in the fact that they’re not an actual chapter of the Space Marines–they’re a group of elite kill teams made up from members of other chapters. Each chapter of the Space Marines will send one of their best to join the Deathwatch, whose primary task is killing Xenos, and that Space Marine will serve on the kill team for a given time until he is returned to his chapter as a veteran. All Deathwatch wear black armor with one silver shoulder pauldron, and the other shoulder pauldron is the colors and insignia of their own chapter.

What Books Do you Need to Play Deathwatch?

You’ll need the Codex: Space Marines, and the Codex Supplement: Deathwatch. The Codex has 9 new Datasheets and a lot of new rules (Deathwatch are somewhat special in that they have access to a lot of interesting ammunition).

What Models Are Available For Deathwatch?

An example of the varied nature of the Deathwatch is Kill Team Cassius, which is a ten-man squad with a member from every Space Marine chapter. (Buy from Amazon) Other unique units are the Corvus Blackstar, a flyer (Buy from Amazon) and the Watch Master (Buy from Amazon).

Conclusion

And that’s it for all of the Space Marine Chapters, Legions and Factions. Of course, there are a ton of homebrew and canonical chapters out there. I believe that canonically there are 1000 different chapters of the Space Marines, plenty enough for Black Library writers to talk about and still leave you room to create your own.

Come back next time when we’ll talk about the Armies of the Imperium.