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It’s been a week or two since I last issued a Tactica and I threatened I would do this one, so here it is!

Tactica: Tactical Marines

Intro:
Tactical Squads are by far the most (shock) tactically versatile unit in the Space Marine arsenal. Able to arrive in all manner of ways, pack weapons suitable for any situation and deal with some of the toughest monsters or vehicles in the galaxy all by them selves, they really are awe-inspiring and truly epic, yet as with every other unit available to a Space Marine Commander, Tactical Squads can fail, and often do, due to poor planning, inappropriate war gear and worst of all, lack of backup!


Tactical Marines: Pro's and Con's

Pro's
-Value-
Tactical squads start at a very reasonable 90points for 5marines, and increase rapidly as the upgrades pile on, yet for a single supporting unit, 90points is very little in the grand scheme of things.

-Versatility-
With the right weapons applied to the right target, there is nothing a Tactical squad cannot achieve. Tactical Marines are similar to Scouts in their versatility yet able to execute their task with greater skill and ease than their younger brethren.

-Tactical Deployment-
With a myriad of deployment options, Tactical Marines are able to arrive in style and still be 90% effective, regardless of how they are deployed.

-Weapon Variety-
With the exception of a hand-full of weapons, Tactical Marines can field pretty much any weapon available, giving them the option to be properly tooled up for the job.

-Tough-
Most people consider Space Marines to be 'average' in physical toughness and armour, yet in reality the majority of units in the galaxy are weaker, softer and less armoured than Space Marines. It is this very reason why Space Marines are able to kill two or three times their number before falling.

-Anvil-
If the Assault Squad or Vanguard Veteran Squad can be considered the 'hammer' of the army, the Tactical squad is certainly the anvil. The squad is able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the enemy and give far more than they receive while allowing the 'hammer' unit to corner and crush the enemy with ease.

-Teleport Homer-
Just like the Scout Squad, Tactical Marine Sergeants can now field a Teleport Homer along with the rest of their war gear, allowing Terminator units to arrive exactly where the situation requires!

Con's
-Expense-
Although a small unit is quite cheap, in order to make the best of the Tactical Marine Squad a commander really needs to pay a lot. The most expensive equipment costing upwards of 230points without transport!

-Potential Priority Target-
A Tactical Combat Squad with a Las-Cannon quickly becomes a priority target for enemy commanders, knowing full well the potential of the weapon and the ease in which the unit can be over-whelmed.

-Mobility-
Although Tactical Marines have every possible transport option at their disposal, they still rely on foot-slogging in order to get into the enemy and with that comes the potential for being shot to pieces before they ever make it to the enemy.

-Limited Close Combat Ability-
Unlike Scouts, Tactical Marines do not have the option to switch their Bolter for a close-combat weapon, meaning a potential 9 close-combat attacks are not available to a Tactical Marine unit. That’s a lot of attacks, no matter which way you look at it!

Summary
With only two potential options for the required two Troop choices in each army, Tactical Marines provide a high-quality, highly able option that can be tailored to the battle, but at a price. With a basic 10Marine unit coming in 30points more than 10 Scouts, they may not be the cheapest option, but they certainly are the most cost-effective.


Tactics & Employment

Battle Roles
Tactical Marines are one of the most flexible units in a Marine army, able to excel at any job required of them on the battle field. Their effective use isn't limited to their weapons or war gear, however the right equipment really makes a difference.

Tactical Marines are far from a 'Specialised' unit, however weapons and war-gear upgrades can give a Tactical Marine squad the option to focus on targets they are better suited at taking down.

Because of the flexibility in deployment and wargear, the Battle Role for any Tactical Marine unit is quite closely related to how they are deployed and highlights that there is no single or 'best' Battle Role for Tactical Marine squads.

Potential Battle Roles for Tactical Marines are:
1. As part of a static firing line. This is quite common, however the slightly limited range of the boltgun means they only really get one or two turns of shooting to be effective.
2. To hold an objective. Often this role is given to a Tactical Marine Combat squad, the squad sees little action until turns 5 or 6, really minimising the risks to the squad while also minimising their potential against the enemy.
3. Tactical Support. The squad is equipped with weapons capable against a range of targets. The squad travels in a Rhino to where the fight needs them, either launching a ranged attack on the enemy before another arrives, or supporting a unit already locked in combat.
4. As a distraction. A combat squad travelling in a Razorback is a big and easy target and when moved into the right position at the right time, could distract the enemy commander and give a much needed opportunity to strike.
5. Assault Backbone. One Tactical Marine squad arriving in the midst of the enemy in a Drop Pod via Deep strike is a distraction, Three such squads is a threat to which very little can react adequately. When several Tactical Marine squads are deployed together via Deep strike, they can cut off sections of the enemy army and systematically destroy the enemy. When used with other fast-moving units such as Vanguard / Assault Marine squads or LandSpeeders, a capable commander can herd the enemy like sheep, cutting at their ranks until nothing remains but a solid victory!
6. Target Hunting. A Tactical Marine squad with the correct equipment can be dedicated to dealing with a particular foe, be it a Bloodthirster, LandRaider or enemy HQ unit. The squad can then focus entirely on taking down their target which, when combined with their skills and prowess, should take little time and allow the rest of the army to advance unhindered.
7. Crowd Control. A Tactical Marine squad equipped with anti-infantry weaponry excels at taking down masses of soft targets or small units of tougher infantry. When strategically positioned, they can not only deter enemy progress, but also advance into the enemy when the moment presents its self, slaughtering hordes with flame and holy bolter fire.


Deployment
As mentioned before, the battle-role is directly linked to the method of Deployment. Tactical Marines are able to be deployed like a typical Marine unit either on foot or in a transport, or arrive via Deep-Strike in a Drop-Pod. The final and least used method is to be infiltrated into position with Shrike, however many people prefer to use this ability to different ends. They can also be kept in reserve however they ultimately need to arrive within the deployment area when they are deployed.

Tactical Marines place emphasis on flexibility after deployment, and so their deployment methods are not the most exotic, however when combined with other units deployed in the right way, no matter how the Tactical Marine squad arrives, they will always excel.

Raven Guard Captains often make ample use of the Drop-Pod assault, bringing Tactical Marines in on top of the enemy and unleashing on the unsuspecting targets, cutting them down before they get a chance to react. This is by far the most exciting and exhilarating method, however Raven Guard Captains always deploy their troops according to the requirements of the battle field, so if that means Tactical Marines are walking to the enemy, then they'll walk.

When deployed as part of a static firing line, Tactical Marines get very little time to use the majority of their weaponry - the Bolter. Typically, static firing lines get one or two turns of shooting the enemy before they are engaged, and so it is essential that, if deploying in this manner, the correct weapons are taken to deal with the challenge. Special weapons able to strike multiple targets are essential, so are Heavy weapons that make use of blast templates, as these help reduce the number of bodies charging forward.

When deployed with a dedicated transport, the general intention is to advance forwards into the enemy, keeping the Marines inside safer for longer than they would be when travelling on foot.

When deployed with a Rhino transport, the entire Tactical Marine squad should travel to a location of strategic importance such as an objective or location in heavy cover, and disembark on a turn where the transport hasn't moved, thus allowing the marines the longest time possible in the safety of the vehicle until they are ready to strike.

When deployed with a Razorback transport, a Tactical Marine squad should be split into combat squads on deployment, with the Sergeant and Special weapon Marine embarking on the vehicle, leaving the Heavy weapon Marine to stay in position in the deployment area and fire his weapon unhindered. The Sergeant and Special weapon Marine should then advance onto the enemy and either assault enemy held objectives, or join the main assault on the enemy.

When deployed in a Drop-Pod via Deep strike, the turn in which the unit arrives is essential to its use. When arriving in turn 1, the squad should disembark into a position of good cover while firing on crucial targets in range. Tactical Marines that arrive via Deep strike on the first turn will be the target of a lot of enemy fire, and so need adequate backup until the enemy have been broken.
When arriving on a later turn, the Tactical Marine squad's priorities should focus on the highest threat that the enemy has to offer. Landing of the DropPod should be within rapid-fire range of the target, and upon disembarking, the unit should make destroying the target the highest objective for that turn.

After the turn in which a Tactical Marine squad arrives via Deep strike, the squad should move with the flow of battle, favouring targets their weapons are most effective against while not dismissing any target unless the squad has no chance of harming it.

In battles where Captain Shrike is present, the FLEET special rule grants the Tactical Marine squad greater flexibility than normal, able to outrun some of the fastest armies they are likely to fight against. A Tactical Marine squad moving and fleeting into a retreating unit not only forces the target to stop their retreat, but also allows the Marine squad to land a lot more hits than they would have by shooting the target. Against shooty-armies, the enemy must get into range for their weapons to be effective, and when in that range they can often be within fleet-assault range, giving the enemy commander a shock as he watches his men get caught up in a melee he never saw coming.


Handy Tips
1. Staying within assault range of the enemy but not assaulting is often the best method of culling masses of enemy infantry. Able to cut down entire squads with rapid-firing bolters, flamers and other heavy weapons, the enemy will quickly learn to fear Tactical Marines when they get too close.

2. Tactical Marines can bring a Teleport Homer onto the battle field as well as Scouts and is best used when infiltrated or dropped in via Deep Strike, presenting the best opportunity to get Terminators into the thick of the action.

3. Tactical Marine Sergeants can take a Combi-Weapon, giving a second special weapon for one turn!

4. Tactical Squads are best used in rapid-fire range but this means the enemy can easily assault them. Given the option of shoot a small squad or assault it, really consider the assault but fire bolt pistols first. Every model in a Tactical Marine squad has a free bolt pistol, so make use of it!

5. Take weapons that are effective against the enemy. Taking a Melta-gun against a Green-Tide army would have the same impact as a single Flamer against Terminators - almost none.

6. Taking 10Tactical Marines in a single squad is the norm and increases their effectiveness dramatically on the field. By taking a full 10Marine squad, Commanders can equip a Flamer and Missile Launcher, Heavy Bolter or Multi-Melta for free! Free weapons always work better than those paid for!

7. Combat Squad! Splitting a Tactical Marine unit into Combat Squads increases flexibility by allowing each Combat Squad to fire at different targets or allow one to move while the other controls an objective. This also gets the most out of the free heavy weapon while moving the special weapon into range.

8. If the situation requires a Tactical Marine unit to launch an assault, give them backup! Too many squads of Tactical Marines get cut down after destroying one unit by another waiting behind it. If possible, assault into multiple units, but still get support in there!

9. Tactical Marines may be slightly better at shooting than assaulting, but that is only due to their weapons. When a Tactical Marine unit launches an assault on the enemy, it is still a punishing blow, especially when the Marines have the initiative!



Builds

With all the war-gear available to Tactical Marine squads, there are dozens of potential build options.
I will detail the more typical weapon load-outs, detailing strengths and weaknesses of each where possible.

A. Anti-MEQ
10Tactical Marines, Plasma Gun and Plasma Cannon, Plasma Pistol and Power Weapon on Sergeant
Cost: 215points

MEQ stands for Marine EQuivalent, so as you would expect, this build is designed to take down Space Marines, Chaos Marines, Necrons and other units with similar stats to a Marine (S4, T4)
This unit is expensive, with a lot of points spent on the Sergeant. Removing the Plasma Pistol is the fastest way to bring this build to 200points.
This unit should be deployed with a transport, the Plasma Cannon and 4 Tactical Marines left on an objective or in a strategic location while 3 Tactical Marines, the Plasma Gun and Sergeant go out and pull a drive-by on a target unit. Very effective against Terminators/etc, and can take down enemy MCs with a bit of luck.
This build will not do so well against hordes of weaker infantry such as Orks.

B. Anti-Armour
10Tactical Marines, Melta Gun, Las-Cannon, Combi-Melta on Sergeant
Cost: 195points

Designed to pop vehicles at both close and long range, the Anti-Armour build is very effective and able to turn two vehicles inside-out each turn. This unit is very good against the infamous IG-Russ Spam or similar armies.
This unit is at a reasonable price, where switching the Las-Cannon for a Multi-Melta would reduce the cost, and removing the Combi-Melta from the Sergeant would reduce costs further.
This unit should be deployed with a transport, with the Las-Cannon and 4 Tactical Marines holding down an objective or staying in heavy cover while 3 Tactical Marines, Melta Gun and Sergeant go hunting vehicles. The Melta Gun and Sergeant are a small unit and susceptible to enemy fire, so require adequate support both before and after assaulting enemy vehicles.
When deployed via DropPod, similar tactics should be employed. The Las-Cannon should be deployed independantly of the pod in a combat squad, while the Melta Gun and Sergeant arrive via deep srike, popping a tank or two on turn 1, then moving on to other targets.

C. Crowd Control
10Tactical Marines, Flamer, Missile Launcher, Combi-Flamer or Power Weapon on Sergeant
Cost: 185points

This build is designed to deal with masses of infantry very quickly, with the Flamer and Combi-Flamer able to take down several enemy models each.
This unit is quite cheap in comparison to others, and it should stay that way, as this unit is more likely to take enemy fire than the others.
This unit requires a transport, typically a Drop Pod, and to arrive early in the game as to cause the most damage to massed infantry. The unit should travel together (not split into combat squads!) and strike as a single, large unit.
When this unit has nothing left to shoot in close range, unleash the missile launcher on distant targets for extra bang-for-buck!
The down side to this unit is its lack of kick against MC's or HQ units, though with enough rapid-firing bolters anything is possible.

D. Tank-Chaser
5Tactical Marines, Power Fist and Melta bombs on Sergeant
Cost: 120points

This build is designed to quickly hunt down enemy vehicles and pop them quickly. The 4 Tactical Marines all have Krak grenades as standard, while the Sergeant can chose to either Melta bomb the target, or punch holes in it with his Fist.
To bring the cost in under 100points, drop the Power Fist, the Melta bombs should work well enough against most stationary vehicles anyway.
This build requires babysitting with another, more specialised unit, or a Razorback to bring it up close to the target vehicles. After the target is turned inside-out, this unit really needs support in order to get it back into the action, else it could find its self being torn to shreds after hitting its mark.
Although cheap enough to be disposable, this unit really can destroy vehicles two or three times its worth, it just needs help to get there.

E. Hidden Fist
10Tactical Marines, Flamer, Missile Launcher, Power Fist on Sergeant
Cost: 195points

This build is very similar to the Crowd Control unit, however it should be highlighted that the primary reason for this squad is to put the Power Fist to good use by shielding it long enough to knock enemy HQ units or MC's off their feet. The Flamer helps thin the attached squad -if any, while bolt pistols from the rest try to add another wound to the target. The Missile Launcher is almost redundant, only being usable after the target HQ or MC has been taken down by the Sergeant.
This unit is quite expensive, with most of the Marines being considered expendable in the ultimate goal of taking down the target. This is certainly the worst way to use Tactical Marines, and should only be used as a last resort.
This unit can also be used as a general all-rounder, able to hit vehicles and troops with similar ability. It should be noted that firing the missile launcher on targets in rapid-fire range can lead to injuring your own squad with scatter!


Conclusion

Tactical Marines really are a powerful force in any Space Marine army, able to tackle any job and excel at it, while also being able to be tactically flexible in both deployment and battle role. The whole reason behind Tactical Marines is flexibility, and their abilities boast this to no end on the battle field.

Tactical Marines should be looked upon for support when things go wrong, a pillar of strength against an enemy assault and the bedrock of any Space Marine army.

With the right weapons, Tactical Marines not only act swiftly and with great strength, but are able to take down units twice their value on the field and still stand strong against the oncoming might of the enemy!

With the firepower of a tank, the survivability of super-humans and the tactical flexibility of the Gods, there is little wonder why over half of every Chapter in the Imperium consists of Tactical Marines!



Once again, thanks for reading. C&C is very welcome.
I personally feel there is so much more I could put into this Tactica, yet at around 7 pages, I just wonder how much more I should put in?!

Cheers again,

CR

Very good article CR! Since I'm a new player I found a lot of valuable info.

I think you should put in 2-3 additional pages

Missing:

- tacs and multimelta
- tacs and heavy bolter
- tacs and their option for free weapons, possible to exchange weapons without touching the points-cost.

Otherwise, fine.

i think this is a great article, and will be very, very useful to help new players with their builds

Fine job CR! Tacs are very flexi so it would take pages and pages to cover everything.

I like your style and picked up a few new tricks, Top stuff.

I think there is scope for a few changes in there, such as the ones Fhadhq mentioned. I'll see if i can get them sorted out later today.

I'm glad you guys are liking the tactica so far. Indeed, with the flexibility of tacs, I really could rant on for a few more pages, but making the read too long would dilute the focus of the tactica - to help new players =)

I'll leave it a few weeks before I start on another - I wouldnt want half of the Corvus project to have my name on it!

Cheers for the feedback guys, much appreciated.

CR

Well your doing a mghty fine job mate, so feel free to keep adding. There is a whole heap of stuff!

This stuff is good.. but can still be improved. Keep up the good work brother.

Being so used to Berserkers as troops, i found myself at a hard time adjusting to mere Tactical Squad.

About using Tank Hunters Tacticals:
10 man - Meltagun, Combi-Melta, Lasscannon (with Drop Pod)
Split into combat squad,
Deploy lasscannon team on objective,
and drops the Melta team straight to the enemy.

Works almost all the time

Good Job indeed,

I like it, but as LordAK says it's lacking. I say you need to add abit more because the Tactical squad is the backbone of any marine army. Their versatility is their greatest strength.

Something i'd like to add is how effective fleet is with Tactical squads in drop pods.

I've been playing my Drop Pod army quite often these past weeks because of the league and tournament and what I have to say is that they are pure gold.

Fleet allows the Tactical squad to move very quickly across the board. Especially within a small space, fleet allows your men to concentrate their force against one enemy unit. They become truly a terrible force to fight when they are deployed by drop pods.

Why? Simple, the beauty of drop pods is that you get to not only send men straight to the area of fighting, but you also get to cordon off the area and keep fighting roughly confined in that small area. What you'll find is that with tactical squads they can have them bouncing from unit to unit, engaging what needs to be engaged first before moving on to other units together.

The best part is that in an effort to get into range or LOS of engaging my tacticals, the enemy will come closer for my tacticals to reach out and kill them.

What i've found is that my tacticals have been able to keep up with Eldar, and sometimes even out run them. They can traverse the board to engage enemies farther than what opponents expect.

You've done an excellent job so far. Just add abit more and i think it'll be great.

Keep up the good work CR.

Right then guys, thanks for the input.

I've done some updates to this tactica which I hope covers what you guys were trying to say a bit better than before.
I've re-done the deployment and battle roles section, which should be easier to follow now.

If I've missed anything, or you can think of anything else to go in there, feel free to let me know!


CR

(PS. We're about 4 lines short of 9 pages here! hehe.)

Make it even then.. 10..

Yup, squads should always be taken in groups of 10

Granted, groups of 5 do have their merits.

*pokes SyN*
I think he was refering to the number of pages, hehe =)

Oops! Lol, my bad.

Anyway, Good job on this. Keep up the good work CR.

Captain Sicarius really adds alot to one tactical squad in the field. I quite often take him in my 1500+ games as a counts as Captian Sicarius. He gives the ablility to give one tactical squad in your army infiltrate, tank-hunters, scout, or counter-attack. This ability really Improves the raven guard Alot!!

Lets say you come against a full mechanized imperial guard list. You choose tank hunters as your ability and you now have a combat squaded lascannon with strength 10 in the back on an objective and a sergeant with combi melta and a meltagun marine coming down in a drop pod to take down two Leman Russ's with the squadron rule. that single 230 point unit just killed potentially 400+ points worth of tanks without much effort.

Now lets say you draw a dawn of war mission. Choose scout and give your rhino a free move toward the enemy position before the battle begins.

Counter-attack gives you a great advantage vs horde armies. Bolter and flamer the crap outta the enemy then watch them assault and put a potential of 22 attacks back on the enemy.

And lastly lets say you want to place your tactical squad up next to the enemy to sneak a Powerfist up there. choose infiltrate and deploy next to the enemy to start the turn in a great position to put that into the enemy quickly. or to start your multi- melta in range of the enemy on turn one no matter what.

Also forgot to mention with the scout and infiltrate options give the outflank ability. Which is quite useful as most opponents dont expect a tactical squad to come on the small edges.

Sicarius adds alot to the raven guard tactics. And even himself in a razorback with a command squad can be pretty deadly by itself. His instant death causing coup de grace' attack has personally killed many a eldar character for me. Aswell as his ability to have the entire army use his leadership comes in handy. An entire army with ld 10 and he also allows you to reroll to steal initiative. that can be fun too.

Im just saying i think Sicarius must have been raven at some point he is way too smart for the smurfs.