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What Is The Best Space Marine Chapter?

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#12. Imperial Fists

Imperial Fists best attribute is that they are known to be solid on defense and siege, and this is reflected in their Chapter Tactic, Siege Masters, which gives them extremely efficient Bolter fire–getting exploding 6s. Unfortunately, this doctrine that had made them very strong in the past is now almost a liability as it has been nerfed repeatedly to the point where it’s only good for certain units and on certain turns (usually the first). They’re good for armies that rely heavily on Intercessors, but they don’t shine as bright with other units.

Other than their Chapter Tactic and Doctrine they don’t have much going for them. They have a Warlord Trait that gives you some free Command Points at the start of the game, The stratagems that are best are Tank Hunters and Bolter Drill, which are great but each cost two Command Points, something you might not feel is worth the cost except in very specific situations.

With the shift in 9th Edition to be very heavy in terms of objective control, it’s essential for the Imperial Fists to move quickly and then hold. The Stratagems Bolter Defenses and Shield Unwavering will help.

A good Imperial Fist list will have its share of armor, and in the current meta the very best Space Marine armor is, sadly, not a tank but a Redemptor Dreadnought. (I say “sadly” because I really like tanks, but the truth is that Redemptors are absolute beasts on the field.

Are they the best Space Marine Chapter? No. And you’ll have to paint an awful lot of yellow, which is a difficult skill to acquire. But if you can make it work, and if you are a loyal son of Dorn, then by all means take the Imperial Fists.

Best Imperial Fists Units: Captain Lysander is good solid Captain choice and is the epitome of a walking tank–as an Imperial Fist should be. With the Fist of Dorn he has Strength 10, 4 Attacks, Ap -3, and Damage 3. And his Terminator armor gives him a 2+ save and a 3+ Invulnerable, making this 6 Wound man a beast on the field. He’s not particularly cheap, but he’s still the best dedicated unit the Imperial Fists have.

#11. Blood Angels

Anyone who knows the Blood Angels know that you want to get them into melee, the chapter’s biggest strength. But surprisingly, you don’t just charge headlong into the fray, but instead you want to keep a bulk of your force in strategic reserve and wait for other powers and tactics to get underway, including Assault Doctrine and Savage Echoes. With these in place your new-to-the-board units will be much more vicious and deadly, being the space vampires that they are.

Their Chapter Tactic gives them a +1 to advance on the charge and +1 to wound on the charge. And their Doctrine gives them an extra attack in the first round of combat.

Their best units are the Sanguinary Guard and Librarian Dreadnought. The Sanguinary Guard got a slight nerf from 30 points to 32 points, but that’s not much to worry about for a 2+ armor save with a jumpack with Strength 5, AP -2, Damage 2. Combine that with the tactic to give them +1 to wound, and the Sanguinary Guard are not just some of the best Space Marine units in the game, but they’re some of the best units in Warhammer 40k, period.

The Librarian Dreadnought is a beast because it’s a dreadnought with a charge range of 26″, which is absolutely ridiculous.

They also have some good stratagems to bring in the Death Company. If you have a Smash Captain (and what Blood Angels army doesn’t have a Smash Captain) then the Gift of Foresight lets them reroll a hit, wound, and save.

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#10. Raven Guard

The Raven Guard, who are best known for being the guerilla tac-ops Space Marine chapter (and also known for being a little Emo, which was reinforced with Kayvaan Shrike’s haircut).

Personally, I get a kick out of their ability to deep strike Centurions because I am a big Centurion fan, but there’s more to them than that. They have a nice flavorful Chapter Tactic that boosts their defensibility at range and when they’re close to cover. Their Doctrine, on the other hand, is one of those things that is super handy when you need it but kind of worthless when you don’t. It gives you boosts to killing enemy characters, meaning that you probably ought to be loading up your lists with Eliminators and Scouts with sniper rifles.

As Chapter Master, Shrike is the Raven Guard’s best unique unit. He’s relatively cheap for a Chapter Master at 135 points, but he has 6 attacks with The Raven’s Talons which are a good melee weapon, plus a good pistol that ignores the Look Out, Sir rule and also does Mortal Wounds on 6+. He also gives rerolls to hit.

Their best rule is to be able to deep strike any unit, including Eradicators and Centurions. Master of Ambush can let you drop Aggressors or Assault Intercessors right into the face of the enemy immediately.

But, as a whole I have a hard time seeing them as one of the best Space Marine Chapters.

#9. Deathwatch

The elite of the elite, the Chapter Tactic of the Deathwatch gives you some more rerolls, and they all get the Special Issue ammunition which can be very useful all throughout the game. Their Tactical Doctrine is weird–they don’t get one of their own, but they get to choose a doctrine with each turn, which makes them slightly less reliable, but it does stay true to the flavor that the Deathwatch are bringing the best there is of all their individual Space Marine chapters.

The best unit in a Deathwatch army–well, there aren’t many to choose from–but they’re the Deathwatch Veterans, who are incredibly good at both range and melee as you can pick from an enormous list of options to mix and match what you want your Deathwatch to be.

They have some good additional stratagems, such as the Dominius Aegis which gives them a 5+ Invulnerable save, and there’s a psychic Feel 5+ Feel No Pain, both of which make these Space Marines very tough in a scrap. Being able to deep strike with the Teleportarium is very powerful, too.

They’re not my cup of tea, as I prefer my big armies to be big armies and not small bands of elite kill teams, but if that’s your bag, more power to you.

Deathwatch Combat Patrol (Buy from Amazon | Buy from Element Games)

#8. White Scars

The White Scars, who had been a little unloved, got a big boost in 9th Edition Warhammer 40k, starting with the Chapter Tactic which lets them advance and charge, fall back and charge and advance and assault. Their Super Doctrine gives them some big damage buffs–after Turn Three all White Scars units get +1 Damage on a charge.

You can definitely see why this is the army that favors bikes–but don’t think that only bikes are the ones that can make use of all this advancing and charging. It’s just as good for slow units like Terminators.

The only dedicated unit you can take for the White Scars is Kor’sarro Khan, who can be taken either on or off a bike. He’s a good addition to either, giving some good buffs especially to charges, and could just as easily be taken leading a squad of Outriders as he could leading a squad of Bladeguard Veterans.

All of their stratagems are based around this kind of advance and charge type of play, including the one that lets them roll 3D6 to charge and drop the lowest die, along with some great buffs for making bikes harder to hit after they advanced. Combine Stormspeaking and Plume of the Plainsrunner and you can negate the opponent’s overwatch and add +1 to wound on the charge.

#7. Salamanders

The Salamanders, who are known for their penchant for Flamers and Melta Guns, take the next spot. The Salamanders are extremely defensible, especially when it comes to charges made against them. Not only can they use Forged in Battle, which allows them to reroll a Wound roll when on Overwatch, but their Promethean Cult gives their Flamers and Meltas a +1 to wound. In other words, you really don’t want to charge a squad of Salamanders. Because of all this, Eliminators are a must-have for Salamanders, and combi-weapons with Flamers and Melta are great choices when you can get them, in units like the Bladeguard Veterans.

The best unique Salamander character is Adrax, who is one of the single best fighters in the Space Marines entirety, not just the Salamanders. In melee he uses his Malleus Nocturn which gives him 5 Attacks, Strength 8, AP -3, 4 Damage. AND he can subtract one from the hit roll, which is especially impressive because he has a WS of 2+.

One thing I find slightly odd, given the nature of the Salamaders, is that they’re so good on bikes, as characters can get up to a Toughness 7 on a bike.

Add in some good psychic abilities, and you’ve got one of the best Space Marine chapters around.

#6. Iron Hands

The Iron Hands were certainly considered the best Space Marine Chapter in 8th Edition Warhammer 40k, they have dropped a little in stature in 9th Edition, but they’re still a very solid Space Marine Chapter.

Their Chapter Tactic gives them good defense and is great for vehicles–if you’re looking to field a vehicle-heavy army, then the Iron Hands should absolutely be your first choice. Rules like Calculated Fury, which allow you to move and fire heavy weapons without penalties, and Blessing of the Machine God, which make your vehicles very much better in their work, and Psysteel Armor makes your vehicles durable and gives opponents penalties to hit.

They don’t have a lot of dedicated units, but the one who they do have, Iron Father Feirros, is a super durable machine (haha) in the front lines. Harrowhand does 7 Strength, AP -2, Damage 2, while the Servo-Arm does Strength 8, AP -2, Damage 3, both of these with five attacks. And he’s super tough–Toughness 5, 7 Wounds, 2+ Save–plus, when he suffers a wound on a 5+ he doesn’t lose that wound because of his bionics. Definitely a force to be reckoned with in this Space Marine Chapter. AND he gives everyone around him a 5+ invulnerable save.

Other useful rules are the Ironstone which is great for vehicles. March of the Ancients is a kind of awesome power that you can put on Character Dreadnoughts which will make it impossible to target them, so you can give it to a dreadnought way in the back with some long-range guns and he can fight all game and never be shot at unless someone manages to break the line and get right up and assault him.

And, there are a whole host of good stratagems that make them truly one of the best Space Marine Chapters and someone you don’t want on the other side of the table.

#5. Space Wolves

The Space Wolves are a getting up there in terms of best Space Marine Chapters, though still lower on the list (we need to recognize that low on the list of Space Marines is still Space Marines).

Their Chapter Tactic gives them a buff to combat, and their heroic intervention allows them to defend objectives well. And their Doctrine gives them even a bigger boost to their melee attack, which is nice to see that an army that is styled so strongly on wolves and Vikings is living up to their reputation.

The Space Wolves have a lot of unique units, more than almost any other Space Marine Chapter. From Grey Hunters to Blood Claws to Long Fangs, they all play against the Codex Astartes in ways that are suitably rebellious and incredibly thematic (no one can deduct points from the Space Wolves for not being the most flavorful Space Marine Chapter.)

Some of their best unique units are the Thunderwolves (giant wolves being ridden by Space Marines) very fast with a movement of 10″, combined with Strength 4 Toughness 5 and being able to fight both with the rider’s chainsword and boltgun and the wolves’ Crushing Teeth and Claws–or you can step things up a GREAT deal and give them all Thunder Hammers and Storm Shields, making them one of the most hard-hitting fast attack units in an Space Marine Chapter.

It was hard for me to pick my favorite between Bjorn the Fell-Handed and Ragnar Blackmane, but, well, no it wasn’t. I’ll always default to venerable dreadnoughts, especially special characters who have been around longer than perhaps any other venerable dreadnought in the lore. Whether you give him the Plasma Cannon or the Helfrost Cannon, the whole point is to get him into close combat where he will tear his opponents apart with his Trueclaw (Strength 12, AP -4, Damage D6, 5 Attacks).

As far as stratagems go, they get +1 on the charge, which makes those Thunderwolves even more deadly, and they have Bestial Nature which will get them into assault early.

With a good batch of Relics, the Space Wolves are definite contenders for best Space Marine Chapter.

Space Wolves Combat Patrol (Buy from Amazon | Buy from Element Games)

#4. Ultramarines

Ultramarines are the Space Marine chapter that we love to hate, but the truth is that they are one of the best Space Marine chapters there is–at least in terms of performance on the tabletop. Make all the jokes you want about Robute Guilliman, but the Ultramarines are good at getting it done.

This is partly because the Ultramarines are so incredibly flexible, and we mean they’re flexible not just in terms of unit choice, but they’re also very flexible tactically, able to move freely on the tabletop, seizing objectives and adapting to problems. This is especially seen with their Rapid Redeployment which allows them to rearrange their units after they’ve seen how the enemy is deployed.

The Chapter Doctrine of Scion of Guilliman is a massive benefit to heavy weapons like Devastators, Eliminators, Eradicators and Suppressors, giving them the ability to fire and advance. They’re able to fall back and shoot, which is good for Inceptors who would much rather be shooting than throwing fists. And the good bolter discipline makes the bog-standard Intercessors all the better.

There are a lot of good unique units to the Ultramarines, but when the choice is to take a Primarch or not take a Primarch, you’ve got to take a Primarch. Guilliman’s Emperor’s Sword is a Strength 8, Ap -4, Damage 3 weapon–with 6 attacks–and when you roll 6’s to Wound you cause D3 Mortal Wounds. Or his Hand of Dominion gives him Strength 12, AP -3, Damage 4. And he’s almost unkillable–even after he’s down (which is tough for a 9 Wound 2+ Save, 3+ Invulnerable Save unit), his Armor of Fate means that he just might come back from the grave with extra Wounds. Master of Battle and XIII Primarch give some good buffs to the units nearby him.

#3. Black Templars

Coming in as the third best Space Marine chapter, The Black Templars are new enough that they haven’t been entirely evaluated in tournament play, but they have been winning their share of games.

The Black Templars excel with special rules, and they make great use of Chaplains, and even better when those Chaplains are on bikes. Give an army two Chaplains on bikes, kitted out the Divine Protection, Fires of Devotion, Master of Sanctity, and Ancient Breviary, or Exhortation of Rage, Rites of War, and Tannhaueser’s Bones, and you’ve got some powerful abilities moving at lightning speed. It is buffs upon buffs.

The Black Templars have plenty of special relics to make use of as well, including giving Assault Intercessors the Fist of Balthus, and giving Bladeguard Veterans the Sword of Judgement and Icon of Heinmann. And, of course, you can’t forget the Holy Orb–give it to someone on an Attack Bike and you’ve got a potent one-shot weapon for very little points.

There are a lot of great units to choose from for the Black Templars, but High Marshal Helbrecht is our choice. Well armed with both Ferocity and the Sword of the High Marshals (which can be swung two-handed doing 6 Attacks, Strength 8, AP -3, Damage 3 OR swung single-handed doing 12 Attacks, Strength 6, AP -3, Damage 1). Crusades of Wrath and Rites of Battle give him area effects that buff those around him. (Plus he has two little thralls who fight with their fists in close combat!)

Black Templars Combat Patrol (Buy from Element Games)

#2. Grey Knights

Grey Knights, who are among the elite of the elite, are one of the best Space Marine Chapters performing in tournament play right now. As is fitting for the Space Marines that are meant to hunt daemons, they’re really great in the psychic phase, and currently there aren’t a lot of armies that can go toe-to-toe with them because of it. (Other big psyker armies like the Thousand Sons aren’t nearly as good right now.)

They’re very good in close combat and with short-range firepower. Their melee combat is buffed with psychic abilities.

Their best unit is the Paladin Terminators, who are really tough with their Incinerators (Heavy D6, Strength 6, AP -1, Damage 1, automatically hits targets), and the close combat weapons of the the Nemesis Daemon Hammer, the Nemesis Force Halberd, Nemesis Warding Stave, and the Nemesis Force Sword are all great in melee.

And the Nemesis Dreadknight deserves a special mention even though it is one of the most made-fun-of units in the game (because it looks silly). Point for point, the Dreadknight is an absolute beast. It only costs 120 points, and comes with 13 Wounds, a 2+ Save, and can be arrayed with a lot of excellent weapon choices for both melee and range.

#1. Dark Angels

The Dark Angels are a personal favorite of mine, for the fact that you can have all-Terminator armies with the Deathwing, or all bike armies with the Ravenwing. The Chapter Tactics are great for both of these units. Deathwing have the amazing ability with Inner Circle that they can’t be wounded on anything with a 4+. Ravenwing get Jink which gives them better ability to manuever as well as they have boosts to move.

For best units of the Dark Angels, I would have to go with the Deathwing Terminators, which, if you give them Thunder Hammers and Storm Sheilds hit on 2s and can take an intense amount of pummeling before they die (including the Inner Circle tactic mentioned above). They also have a good Deny the Witch ability. And if you want to make them even BETTER, then get the Relic Pennant of Remembrance which gives them a 5+ Feel No Pain.

One common tactic in the Ravenwing is to put an Apothecary on the Invader ATV to follow the Ravenwing around and bring them back when they die.

All of this makes the Dark Angels our pick as the best Space Marine chapter.

Dark Angels Combat Patrol (Buy from Amazon | Buy from Element Games)

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