Age of Darkness Starter Series Pt 15: Ultramarines

In this ongoing series we present an accessible and thematic starting list for each of the 18 Space Marine Legions. Each list utilizes the Age of Darkness starter set as a foundation from which to build a 2,000 point list using as few additional components as possible from readily available official plastic kits.

To build this force yourself you’ll need:
1 Age of Darkness Starter Set
1 Deimos Pattern Predator Battle Tank

Folks, I have an admission to make. I really like the Ultramarines. I’ve never played them (though I did paint a UM army for a friend a few years back), but in the era of the Horus Heresy they’re one of the few legions I almost never find comically inept. Are they the poster boys in 40k and everyone is a little sick of them for it? Sure. But in 30k they’re reliably doing their jobs while conducting a minimal amount of war crimeing and whining about their daddy issues. They’re also the stars of the best Heresy novel. So, I found myself surprisingly excited to write this starter series blog for them because it might just get me to start my own force of boys in blue.

Typically, Heresy era space marines have some stark differences with their 40k era descendent chapters but the Ultramarines are an in some ways an exception to this narrative conceit. The 30k Ultramarines are interesting to me because they are already starting to shift in their tactics and organization in a way that will inform how they appear and function ten thousand years later in the forty-first millennium. My suggested getting started list leans into this theme and presents a very different force than most of the others in this series.

I’ve chosen to use the XIII Legion’s unique Rite of War, The Logos Lectora. This Rite of War may feel familiar to veteran 40k space marine players, giving you an option each turn for an army-wide buff/debuff. This grants you a high degree of tactical flexibility and showcases the tactics that would one day become standardized in the Code Astartes.

Where most of the lists I’ve suggested for other legions rely on one or two 20-man tactical squads in order to bring overwhelming firepower to bear, these Ultramarines take a different approach, utilizing a set of four ten-man tactical squads (the precursor to the iconic 10-man tactical squad of 40k!). This choice will let you best take advantage of their legion unique ability, The Strength of Wisdom. In short, UM infantry giant +1 to hit on Shooting attacks against targets that have already been targeted by another friendly unit within 6”. Four tactical squads ensures that your squads can support one another and reliably gain this advantage. Further, while your squads may lack the survivability of a 20-man block, having four tactical squads means you have four units with the all-important Line ability, allowing you a degree of tactical flexibility in objective control and capture greater than most of your opponents. You’ll also be in great shape to take advantage of legion’s unique advanced action, The Unity of Purpose.

As is usually the case with these starter series lists, your Line infantry are backed up by a spartan full of cataphractii terminators and a contempt dreadnought armed with a gravis lascannon to give you some extra long range punch. Your two Age of Darkness box set characters become your two HQ slot choices; a praetor armed with a Legatine Axe and the Mantle of Ultramar, while the other will take the role of a Master of Signals (required in this list as part of the Logos Lectora). I’d probably choose to attach the Praetor to the Terminators and add the Master of Signals to a tactical squad, but I could see argument to keep one of them independent and capable of moving between squads to help with your Strength of Wisdom buffing.

A goal of mine with this series has been to keep getting started lists restricted to infantry beyond the Age of Darkness box (support squads and the like) but with these Ultramarines leaning on four somewhat fragile tactical squads and using a theme that has some old school Warhammer 40k aesthetics, I felt I’d make an exception with the addition of a single iconic Deimos Pattern Predator battle tank. I have a deep love of the Predator and I think it’s a functional, relatively affordable, and generally badass addition to this list. It’ll also offer your opponents a challenge to deal with at the 2,000 point level.

Courage and honor!

++ 1. Crusade Force Organisation Chart (LA – XIII: Ultramarines) [1,997Pts] ++

+ Allegiance: +

Allegiance: Loyalist

XIII: Ultramarines

+ Rite of War: +

Rite of War: The Logos Lectora (UM)

+ HQ: [292Pts] +

Centurion [112Pts]
. Master of Signals [77Pts]: Artificer Armour, Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Refractor Field
. . Power Weapon [15Pts]: Power Sword
. . Volkite Serpenta [2Pts]
. Master of Signals [35Pts]: Augury Scanner, Cognis-Signum, Nuncio-Vox, Vox Disruptor Array

Praetor [180Pts]: The Aegis of Wisdom, Warlord
. Legion Praetor [180Pts]: Frag Grenades, Iron Halo, Krak Grenades, Mantle of Ultramar [25Pts], Master of the Legion
. . Archaeotech Pistol [15Pts]
. . Power Weapon [20Pts]: Legatine Axe [5Pts]

+ Elites: [1,000Pts] +

Contemptor Dreadnought Talon [205Pts]
. Contemptor Dreadnought [205Pts]: Atomantic Deflector, Combi-Bolter, Gravis Lascannon [20Pts], Gravis Power Fist with in-built ranged weapon, Havoc Launcher [10Pts]

Terminator Cataphractii Squad [795Pts]: Cataphractii Terminator Armour
. Cataphractii [45Pts]: Chainfist [15Pts], Combi-Bolter
. Cataphractii [40Pts]: Combi-Bolter, Power Fist [10Pts]
. Cataphractii [45Pts]: Chainfist [15Pts], Combi-Bolter
. Cataphractii [40Pts]: Combi-Bolter, Power Fist [10Pts]
. Cataphractii Sergeant [5Pts]: Combi-Bolter, Grenade Harness [5Pts]
. . Power Weapon: Power Sword
. Cataphractii w/Heavy Weapon (1 in 5) [35Pts]: Heavy Flamer [5Pts]
. . Power Weapon: Power Sword
. Cataphractii w/Heavy Weapon (1 in 5) [50Pts]: Chainfist [15Pts], Heavy Flamer [5Pts]
. 3x Cataphractii w/Lightning Claws [120Pts]: 3x Pair of Lightning Claws
. Land Raider Spartan [360Pts]
. . Land Raider Spartan [360Pts]: 2x Lascannon Array, Hull (Front) Mounted Hunter-Killer Missile [5Pts], Hull (Front) Mounted Twin-linked Heavy Bolter, Legiones Astartes (X), Searchlights [5Pts], Smoke Launchers

+ Troops: [570Pts] +

Tactical Squad [145Pts]: Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Power Armour
. Legion Tactical Sergeant [15Pts]: Bolt Pistol, Bolter, Power Armour, Power Fist [15Pts]
. 6x Legionary [60Pts]: 6x Bolt Pistol, 6x Bolter
. Legionary w/ Options: [20Pts]: Augury Scanner [10Pts], Bolt Pistol, Bolter
. Legionary w/ Options: [20Pts]: Bolt Pistol, Bolter, Legion Vexilla [10Pts]
. Legionary w/ Options: [20Pts]: Bolt Pistol, Bolter, Nuncio-Vox [10Pts]

Tactical Squad [140Pts]: Frag Grenades, Krak Grenades, Power Armour
. Legion Tactical Sergeant [10Pts]: Bolt Pistol, Bolter, Power Armour
. . Power Weapon [10Pts]: Power Sword
. 6x Legionary [60Pts]: 6x Bolt Pistol, 6x Bolter
. Legionary w/ Options: [20Pts]: Augury Scanner [10Pts], Bolt Pistol, Bolter
. Legionary w/ Options: [20Pts]: Bolt Pistol, Bolter, Legion Vexilla [10Pts]
. Legionary w/ Options: [20Pts]: Bolt Pistol, Bolter, Nuncio-Vox [10Pts]

+ Heavy Support: [135Pts] +

Predator Squadron [135Pts]
. Predator [120Pts]: 2x Heavy Bolters, Dozer Blade [5Pts], One Hull (Front) Mounted hunter-killer missile [5Pts], Predator Cannon, Searchlights [5Pts], Smoke Launchers

++ Total: [1,997Pts] ++