The Space Marines are the speartip of the Imperium's armies. Armoured, mobile, and devastating. Organised into chapters that share doctrine, they follow the Codex in terms of battle tactics and force composition, at least some do. We check out how you can create your own Space Marine force in the new edition of 40K, along with some new reinforcements in our 40K 11th Edition Space Marines Codex Review.

We've been covering Warhammer 40K for a while on the site, and you can check out our coverage of the recently released 40K 11th Edition launch box, our guide to getting started with Warhammer 40K with Combat Patrol, or how to get started with the new 40K Starter Sets.

Codex Compliant

If you started playing Space Marines with Armageddon or one of the 40K Starter Sets, then you've started at a great time, as this wave of releases makes your next purchase easy. Space Marines get the second Codex for 11th Edition 40K, just slightly behind the Orks, which updates all their rules for the new edition and provides plenty of ways to build your army, which may include some of the 7 new unit boxes releasing alongside their codex.

Creating The Tip Of The Spear

Space Marines may all look outwardly similar, except for their color schemes, but each chapter is a unique blend of tactics and beliefs. The Primarch Guilliman wrote the codex to organise the Space Marines, and the various chapters adhere to it with different levels of compliance. The 11th Edition Space Marine codex is for those that are Codex compliant, like the Ultramarines, Raven Guard, White Scars, Iron Hands, Salamanders and Imperial Fists. Those less compliant, the Space Wolves, Blood Angels, and Dark Angels, may get their own Codex at a later date, but will get a free digital update alongside this Codex.

The Space Marine Codex contains the rules for playing Space Marines, which includes all the datasheets for their available units. To organise your force, there are 15 detachments, which are a way to divide up your army, giving special rules and options to them. My picks of the detachments, particularly as I'm Raven Guard inclined as a Space Marine player, are the Phobos Shadow Force and Phobos Strike Force, with the Shadow Force's Phobos and Scout units being able to remain hidden after shooting, and the Shadow Force's Phobos units can reroll wound rolls of 1 if they're hidden.

Like the Ork Codex, the Space Marine Codex comes in paperback with a slipcase (unless you opt for 1 of the 2 upgraded Collector's Edition hardbacks), and now includes what is my favorite section, the Collecting Guide, which has details of how to start and what you should consider when building a force, and then some examples of how to start 6 different types of Space Marine forces, the Gladius Task Force, Tacticus Task Force, Gravis Strike Force, Chapter Vanguard, First Company Veterans, and Armoured Spearhead. It also has a quick painting guide and details of some thematic terrain for a Space Marine battlefield (which has a crashed Thunderhawk Gunship in it, so things are going entirely the Space Marine's way). This section is perfect for new 40K players, or players new to Space Marines, or just for some fresh ideas of different ways to build a force.

There are also some big changes to Space Marine stats in the Codex, with most Marines moving to Toughness 5 and Strength 5, and Phobos Marines staying at Toughness 4, but gaining an additional 2 inches of movement. We're expecting points increases to balance this out, so you may have fewer Space Marines on the table than you did with your 10th Edition force, but the ones you do have will be much more capable.

Kaius Konorius

Leading the charge with the new Space Marine reinforcements alongside their Codex is the Ultramarines Champion, Kaius Konorius. Any unit that Kaius is attached to gets an additional 4+ Feel No Pain roll after their normal saving throws. In combat, Kaius uses a dual power-sword and axe that can either have 6 attacks, strength 6, -3 AP, and 2 damage, with Cleave 2, giving him an extra 2 attacks for every 5 models in the target, or 5 attacks, strength 10, -3 AP, and 3 damage, that can target enemy characters in units, and when he does, can reroll hit and wound rolls of 1 with his Calgar's Champion ability.

Space Marine Captain On Bike

If you prefer your commanders mounted and able to rush headfirst into combat, then this wave also gives you a new Captain on Bike with a choice of power sword, thunder hammer, or plasma pistol (and sheathed options for the close combat weapons), along with 5 different heads.

On the tabletop, with a move of 12 and the ability to give the unit they're leading Cleave 1, which adds attacks for every 5 models in the target unit, getting into the fray is their aim. They can have either a Master Crafted Power Weapon, with more attacks, lower strength, and damage, or a lower attacks, less accurate, higher strength, and higher damage Thunder Hammer, which also has devastating wounds, dealing mortal wounds on a critical hit.

Outrider Squad

To support your Captain on Bike, there's an updated squad of Outriders, Space Marines on bikes! They pair perfectly with the Captain on Bike as when they charge, they give the unit Sustained Hits, which generates additional hits on a critical, and if you're rolling more dice due to the Captain's Cleave, it gives you more chances for more crits.

The Sergeant in the Outriders can carry a Chainsword, or like the Captain, take a Power Weapon or Thunder Hammer, depending on your target for them. The rest of the Outriders, between 2 and 5, get Heavy Bolt Pistols and Chainswords, along with the bikes' Twin Bolt Rifles. 1 in every 3 models can also replace their Heavy Bolt Pistol with a Plasma Pistol, for some shorter range, higher killing potential.

Veteran Vanguard Squad with Jump Packs

The Jump Pack-equipped Veteran Vanguards from the Armageddon box get a brand new multi-part release in this wave. The Vanguards from the Armageddon box were push-fit and fixed builds, and this new box gives them a choice of either pistols and power weapons, or shields and power weapons, with 5 swords, 3 axes, and the Sergeant's choice of Relic Weapon, Thunder Hammer, or Power Fist in the box.

When the unit charges, their melee weapons get +1 attack, raising all weapon options to 4 attacks, for 20 total attacks from a unit of 5. The only variation in attacks will be from the Sergeant's close combat weapon choice, which ranges from the baseline Power Fist, or a lower strength Relic Weapon with Cleave and Lethal Hits, or a Thunder Hammer that's less accurate, but has higher strength and Devastating Wounds.

The Intercessor Squad also gets more variety in their new boxed set, whereas the Armageddon Intercessors were push-fit with fixed builds, their new box has multiple options, with all the arms and head options fitting all of the bodies in the set for maximum build options.

Intercessors are the objective takers of the Space Marines, with their ranged attacks getting +1 to hit if they are on an objective, or the target unit is on an objective. They all come armed with Bolt Rifles, but in a squad of 10, 2 can also carry an auxiliary grenade launcher with frag for anti-troop and krak for anti-armor capabilities. The only variation in the squad comes from the Sergeant's loadout, with a chainsword, power weapon, power fist, or thunder hammer (the new box includes all but the thunder hammer), and either bolt rifle, hand flamer, or plasma pistol.

The Intercessor's Bolt Rifle also gets a little bit of a glow-up in the new Codex, and now comes with 2 fire modes, Saturation, with assault so they can still advance and shoot, and has 2 attacks at strength 5, or Precision Fire, which has heavy, which limits movement to a maximum of 3 inches, but adds 1 to the hit roll, and has 1 attack at strength 6, with 2 damage. Both fire modes have Rapid Fire 1, so get an extra attack if the target is within 12 inches.

Eradicator Squad

The Eradicator Squad in this wave is the same as those released in the Armageddon Box, now just getting their own separate release.

Eradicators come with 2 armaments options, tank-busting Melta Rifles or horde-ending Heavy Bolters. These are armed with Heavy Bolters, which each have 3 attacks, strength 6, 2 damage, and they gain an additional 2 attacks if the target is within 18 inches. They also gain additional attacks for every 5 models in the target unit for the Blast special rule, and if you roll crits to hit, you get additional hits due to sustained hits, for some a solid ability to sweep away hordes of lighter armoured enemies.

Land Speeder

As with the Eradicators, the Land Speeder in this wave is the same as the one from the Armageddon box, and also the 40K Starter Set and Start Collecting Space Marines set, just released here on its own in case you want to add more to your force.

The Land Speeder is a fast mobile weapons platform, with a move of 14 inches and the ability to move a further D6 inches after it's shot, you should always be in a position to target something. It comes armed with a Multi-Melta and Stormfury Missile Launcher, both with high strength, high damage, and high armor-piercing, but the Stormfury has a massive 48-inch range, and the Multi-Melta has an 18-inch range, but if you're within 9 inches of the Multi-Melta, it gets an additional 3 damage on each hit. 

You also get a choice of Onslaught Gatling Cannon, with 8 attacks and devastating wounds that deal immediate damage on a crit with no save, or a Pyrecannon, which automatically hits within 12 inches with 4 attacks, and gains additional attacks for every 5 models in the target unit.

Warhammer 11th Edition Space Marines Final Thoughts?

It's great to see the upgraded Space Marines here, with the extra toughness and strength. We've yet to see the points to know how this is reflected in units in your army, but it's awesome that even baseline Space Marines will have more of an impact on the battlefield as they do in the lore. The miniatures here are a mix of independent releases away from the Armageddon box, or multi-part kits of those that were push-fit in the Armageddon box. We also get new Outriders and a Captain on Bike to lead them, and the Ultramarines get a brand new hero who's super capable and will be great for hunting down enemy characters. It's actually a good thing to limit the new units to see how the big stat changes affect Space Marines before new units are added in.

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The copies of the Warhammer 40K Space Marines Codex and miniatures used to produce this review were provided by Games Workshop.