My new 2000 point Ultramarine army

[General Strike]

Alright, so I just picked up 2000 points of Ultramarines in preparation for the new supplement.

What I bought is:

Marneus Calgar and Vitrix Guard

Roboute Guilliman

Primaris Librarian

30x Intercessors

10x Hellblasters

1x Redemptor

1x Repulsor

6x Inceptors

7x Upgrade Sprues

 

I have built 5 of the Intercessors with Bolt Rifles, and 5 Hellblasters with Standard Plasma Incinerators. What should I build the rest of my stuff with? I was thinking a total of 20 Intercessors with Bolt Rifles, and 10 with Stalkers. Then I was going to wait on the other 5 Hellblasters to see if the Heavy Incinerator gets a boost.

My thoughts for the redemptor are Plasma with Gatling and Storm Bolters, and for the Repulsor Twin Las and the rest as Dakka. But I don't know if I should do Plasma for the Inceptors or not.

I also have about $150 USD to spend on models(my codex and supplement are already paid for), what else should I get for my army?

[Tamiel]

You should get a standard bearer if you can. Space marines have a relic standard that makes your units immune to morale, and on 3+ every model makes one final attack before dying, and it gives -1 leadership to enemies (while still giving your units +1 leadership). This relic standard is really strong, and allows you to take 10man squads without fear of morale issues.

10 man squads synergize better with stratagems, especially the ones from the indomitus crusaders special detachment. It's from the Vigilus Ablaze book. 10 man squads are also a lot harder for the enemy to get kill points from, and reduce the number of units you're putting down on the table (so you get an increased chance of +1 to the initiative roll). Everyone talks about marines being an MSU army, but I think maximum squads are better.

Finally, your Intercessor sergeants are secretly really good in melee. On charge, they get 4 melee attacks. For 4 points, you can give them power swords, and you definitely should for a couple of them.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

The relic standard works on 4+ now but has 9" aura.

[General Strike]

Okay, have made some progress. I built 20x Intercessors, 2x Sgts with Bolt Rifles and Power Swords, 2x Sgts with Bolt Rifles and Thunder Hammers, 16x Intercessors with Bolt Rifles. I figure I will just hide the second Sgts in the Squad when I run them as 10x man squads. I also built 3x Inceptors with Assault Bolters, and my repulsor and redemptor. All my HQs are built, but I need to pick up a regular captain.

 

I'm still not sure what company to paint them as, since it appears the supplement doesn't really clear up how Primaris companies work. I was thinking first company, since I will most likely make my Intercessors into Veterans anyway.

 

I am hoping to get my last 10x Intercessors and 3x Inceptors built before the 31st, I am going to a local hobby event and really want to test these guys out.

Edited August 19, 2019 by General Strike

[mel_danes]

Running them all as veterans will eat all of your CP.

However doing one squad will give you a hard hitting troop, and some cool street cred.

Do you have pics?

[Toxichobbit]

I wouldn't go 1st Company until it's confirmed that there are actually Primaris in the 1st Company. At the moment, it's just Terminators, Sternguard and Vanguard Veterans. Unless there's some new info in the Codex or Supplement. I wouldn't know because mine still hasn't arrived.

[mel_danes]

Toxichobbit there is a reference in the Ultra supplement to Veteran First company Interssesors. Also in the painted section they have white shoulder trim, helmets, and veteran cross on the knees.

[Stickeh]

I wouldn't go 1st Company until it's confirmed that there are actually Primaris in the 1st Company. At the moment, it's just Terminators, Sternguard and Vanguard Veterans. Unless there's some new info in the Codex or Supplement. I wouldn't know because mine still hasn't arrived.

There’s a few references within the new supplement to primaris joining the 1st Company; page 12 (the 1st Company dedicated lore page) details how veteran intercessors use Repulsors to deploy as part of strike force ultra, and also mentions inceptors as being part of the formation too, necessitating that they’re in the 1st Company.

 

There’s also another lore snippet (can’t find it atm for the page ref) about a redemptor dreadnought being promoted to the 1st Company, having been interred by mortarion himself, and another part about veterans deploying in Phobos armour. This codex fully justifies primaris being included in 1st Company lists now.

[Toxichobbit]

That's cool then. It makes it much easier to identify Veteran Intercessor models. I think I'll be doing a squad with extra bling and the white of the 1st.

[General Strike]

I will post up some pictures tonight, work as been crazy this week, and I haven't had the chance since sunday to do any 40k stuff. I think my next purchases will be 2x sets of aggressors and another Repulsor. That will kind of round out my list. Question on armor markings, would Veteran Inceptors, Aggressors, and the like have their close support markings replaced with Veteran ones? I plan to do a big order to shape ways for veteran shoulder pad markers, or maybe order some terminator bits.

[General Strike]

I had my first game with the new codex and supplement, and boy is this stuff great! I played against a well known great player and his Grey Knights at 1000 points. Mind you this is only my fourth game of 8th, I nearly won the game. I brought purely Primaris, Ultramarines proper. If I had deployed my heavy weapons in the rear I would have won. One thing I realized is I should have equipped at least one of my Intercessor squads with Autoboltguns so that they could still shoot while advancing. With them running up the field, it would have helped to be able to pump out some shots. It made me decide to pick up at least 20x more Intercessors. I got Scryers Gaze off three rounds in a row, and the new stratagem to let your nearby units overwatch is wonderful. I pinged two wounds off Kaldor Draigo with that alone.

[Malakithe]

Im not sold on Auto Bolt Rifles as much as normal Bolt Rifles. With Ultras the entire point is to chill in the Tactical Doctrine to get that sweet bonus which means no advancing. The Intercessors will be acting as if they didnt move so the Bolter Drill rule kicks in and suddenly your Bolt Rifle boyz are doubling their Rapid Fire shots at a full range of 30". And they would be AP-2 as well.

 

Im my 2k list im building up ill take a couple 5 man units of Auto Rifles for chaff clearing while the rest are normal Bolt Rilfes

[General Strike]

I agree, I just found that if I had one squad of auto bolt rifles I would have been better off, with it being able to run after objectives and still shoot. We played Burn and Pillage, so I really needed to move up, but his Grey Knights were threatening my objectives.

[General Strike]

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I was thinking this color scheme for my Ultras, I have some fluff for why they are like this. The actually paint I plan to use is Mechanicus Standard Grey with Necron Compound dry brushed over. I plan to paint helmets based on rank as well.

[Guiltysparc]

The strategem that turns bolt rifles into rapid 2 ain't bad either...4 shots a dude at AP -2 puts the hurt on enemy units.

 

For the same points, I could see swapping to stalker rifles if facing a character heavy army and using the strategem to snipe them too.

[Joukernaut]

Good to see you like being an ultra!

[Malakithe]

The strategem that turns bolt rifles into rapid 2 ain't bad either...4 shots a dude at AP -2 puts the hurt on enemy units.

 

For the same points, I could see swapping to stalker rifles if facing a character heavy army and using the strategem to snipe them too.

Eliminators bro...2 units of those bad boys will put fear into any opponent. The psychological effect alone will make them rethink how they deploy their characters. 

 

Take 2 units of Eliminators and you wont ever need Stalker bolters. Keep them at Bolt rifles and have a squad or two with autos.

 

My double battalion list im forming is 4x bolt rifle and 2x auto. All bases covered 

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

We don’t even need a Vindicare any more !!!

[General Strike]

I have 10 Intercessors on the way to build with auto boltrifles. I've begun painting finally. I will post pics tomorrow.

 

In total I own:

 

HQ

Librarian

Marneus Calgar

Tigurius

Lieutenant

Captain

 

Troops

26x Bolt Rifle Intercessors

2x Sergeants with Thunder Hammer

2x Sergeants with Power Sword

10x Intercessors with Auto Bolt Rifles

 

Elites

6x Aggressors with Boltstorm Gauntlets

1x Redemptor Dreadnought with Plasma

1x Ancient

 

Fast Attack

3x Inceptors with Bolters

3x Inceptors with Plasma

 

Heavy Support

10x Hellblasters with Standard Plasma

 

Transport

2x Repulsors with Dakka and Twin Lascannons

 

I do plan to get eliminators for snipers and another 5 Hellblasters, but think I'm set otherwise. Maybe a Squad of infiltrators to stop DS.

[Prot]

Wow. Your don’t mess around. I wonder if you will paint these as quickly as you acquired them! Lol

 

I know it took me a year to get as far as I have on this being my fourth Ultramarines army ( I sold one big one to Miniwargaming.com).

 

Good luck. You’ve got a pretty good collection going. But definitely consider a Chaplain.

[General Strike]

Well, I'm not nearly on your level of painting, and I'm cheating and doing contrast paints for my army.

 

My current plan is

Grey Seer Base

Leviadon Blue

Dry Brush Hoeth Blue

Warp Lightning for Pad Trim

Bascillium Grey for weapons casings

 

I like how it turned out on my tester model, I just need to go over them later with traditional paints for the eyes. My Ultras are closer to a Night Lords color, but that's what I wanted for them. Today, if all goes well, I will get the blue down on all my basic infantry. I will then follow up on that probably on Wednesday, when I have a day off alone. My hope is to get them all to battle ready GW standards in 30 days.

Oh and my plan for painting vehicles with contrast is weird, but I think it will work. I'm going to base coat with the Macragge blue spray, then just run the leviadon blue along the details, then bring it all together with Night Lords Blue. That is kind of a fusion of contrast and traditional.

[Prot]

A painted army is an impressive army. Period. I really believe that. 

 

A lot of talented people paint one guy. One vehicle, or even a squad, but to get an army done, and playable is a whole new level. 

 

If you get the army done, and playable, you'll have reached a point that a lot of people never get to. Getting better at it just takes time. There's nothing wrong with using a 'system' you like that speeds things up even if there is a slight cost in appearance. I do it myself all the time. I can't wait to see what you come up with.

[Joukernaut]

I have to agree with brother Prot here. A fully painted army is always an impressive look.

 

I am fortunate to play in a gaming group where everyone values painted models, so I hardly see any grey models unless I attend the FLGS's tourney where no painting standard is reinforced. 

 

The quality of the paint job is inferior to the completeness of the army. I rather play and look at a fully painted and based army instead of an army that is beautifully painted and has 30% still grey or only primed. Consistency throughout the army pays off.

 

So there is no "cheating", anyway you seem fit for your army works.  And if, like myself, at some time you want to add more details to your models because you became better at painting and really enjoy it, you can always go back to older models to touch them up. Adding details is very rewarding, but not as rewarding as paying an army that is entirely painted.

 

Keep us posted with pictures of your progress, sharing and receiving feedback can be very motivating.

[Captain Idaho]

A painted army looks great on the table regardless of ability.ability. I'm only average myself but when the list is on the table all together it looks solid. I have to echo the learned responses before this one.

 

Please keep us updated with more pictures.

[General Strike]

Will do, I'm terrible at figuring out how to post photos with mobile, so I will have to fire up the PC to upload some tonight. I have gotten 43 infantry based in blue, next step is dry brushing. I should be getting my can of grey seer tomorrow as well, so I can prime my characters and start in on them. But by tomorrow morning I should have pictures up for you guys.