Email in: 'A Call to Arms'!

"Hey Kirby,

So, my FLGS runs this thing called 'A Call to Arms'; you have a certain amount of time to buy, build and paint a certain-sized force, and you get slightly more store credit than the cost of entry, with a tournament at the end and a pot divvied up between those who successfully complete the challenge. At the moment they're launching the 40K challenge, which requires a 1250 point army in two months. So I was thinking, how would a Marine army like this handle?


Librarian w/Jump Pack

Dreadnought

Dreadnought

Sternguard Veteran Squad w/ +1 Sternguard Veteran, 2 x Combi-Melta, 2 x Combi-Plasma, 2 x Combi-Flamer

Tactical Squad w/Combi-Melta, Razorback, Twin-Linked Assault Cannon

Tactical Squad w/Combi-Melta, Razorback, Twin-Linked Assault Cannon

Vanguard Veteran Squad w/ 5 x jump packs, 4 x Power Weapons

Devastator Squad w/4 x Missile Launcher

27 Marines, two tanks, two dreadnoughts. It should be dead easy to paint over the course of two months, and it seems versatile enough to me; the Libby and Vanguard to tear things up in close combat, the Devestators to suppress light armour and deal with dangerous 3+ save models (I'm looking at you, insta-killable Crisis suits), Dreadnoughts to deal with heavy army, and Sternguards to handle any wildcards with their varied combi-weapons. Oh, and some Tac marines and Razorbacks to hold objectives, of course. What do you think, Kirby, am I on the right track?

Thanks,
Garnet"

This is another one of those armies where I'd say you're going tobe better off with another Marine codex - in this case, Blood Angels. Assbacks are really only useful with Blood Angels (where they can move 12" and shoot) or Grey Knights (where they become S7) but are always going to be vulnerable to weapon destroyed and immobilised results. So, if you're set on using them, you need to run them with a different book. Add in you can get a proper MSU squad (Assault Marines) in Blood Angels and this configuration is miles better.

Vanguard Vets are another unit which is eh in Space Marines but passable in Blood Angels. I would recommend not going with them at all (for their price you can have a TH/SS squad for example) but if you do want to use them, Blood Angels are aagain the better option (though remember the Librarian cannot DS with them and Heoric Intervention).

Otherwise dropping the Sternguard is going to free up some points - particularly if you go for the Blood Angel route (i.e. Sanguinary Priests) and allow some other options like Land Speeders. As they are now, they have too much yet not enough. You've spread your combi-weapons around when you should really focus on one or maybe two. Since you're running a small squad focusing the combi-weapons on one option is probably best but without a transport, they aren't going to be able to get where they need to be - hence the recommendation of dropping them.

If you want to run the list as a Marine list though - well Assbacks need to be replaced with LasPlas. Vanguard Vets need to go. Devs should be replaced by Dakka Preds and then expand the Tactical squads so they can combat squad with backfield missile launhers and again drop the Sternguard (or run them instead in a transport instead of the larger Tacticals).