Space Marines | Warhammer 40,000 Tactical Guide

Oh how the mighty have (rightfully) fallen, now a hefty points upgrade and only affects a single CORE or CHARACTER unit. Rerolling hits is still very powerful if used on the right unit, and the plethora of CORE units Marines have means you’ll always have uses for this, it’s just not the be all and end all of an entire meta now. DEATHWATCH can’t use them though, as that’s what Watch Masters are for.

Warlord Trait

Master of the Codex- Get a CP on a 4+ in each of your Command Phases. Decent, though far from the most reliable source of CP. Certainly not a terrible choice if no other traits fit your Character’s playstyle

Relic

Angel Artifice- A pretty tasty survivability booster, increase their Sv to 2+, as well as T and W by +1. Can make for exceptionally beefy Characters, if that’s your thing.

Getting an extra Litany and being able to use two of them in a turn provides a nice range of options for the Chaplain to become a solid buffing unit.

Warlord Trait

Wise Orator- Litanies on a 2+ makes the Chaplain super reliable, and the cheaper Commanding Orator Stratagem is icing on the cake for when you don’t want to take the chance at all.

Relic

The Emperor’s Judgement- An odd item with a slew of benefits, preventing rerolls of any Hit, Wound or Damage rolls against the bearer, as well as forcing enemies in 6” to roll two and use the highest for Morale. Quirky bonuses, though it does nothing against modifiers. Might be a fun pick, perhaps not a go to choice however.

Healing a flat 3 Wounds to a damaged vehicle is good, and can cause your opponents to decide if leaving a crippled vehicle alive to focus on other targets is really worth it if you can reliably heal it up, most likely a bracket to boot.

Warlord Trait

Warden of the Ancients- +1 Strength and Attack for all Dreads in 6” is very cool, though obviously only if you have a bunch of Dreadnoughts that want to be fighting in combat.

Relic

Mortis Machina- A super power axe that does additional Mortal Wounds against Vehicles when you wound them. Cool, but you don’t want your Master in combat if you can help it.

Knowing and Denying an additional power is nice, though sadly still being limited to casting two means while you have options, you won’t have access to all of them at the same time.

Warlord Trait

Psychic Mastery- +1 to manifest Psychic Powers. A decent buff, and as many Marine powers are already reasonably low to cast this helps ensure they go through.

Relic

Neural Shroud- 24” range on your Psychic Hood, which translates to +1 to Deny at all times. It’s ok, and you’re denying two powers remember, but there’s better Relics that aren’t as niche.

Healing 2 different units a turn is pretty nice if your opponent is spreading the damage around your army.

Warlord Trait

Selfless Healer- This combined with the above is why you’re taking him however, flat 3 on healing is solid as it brings virtually anything back from the brink to full health (or near enough), but being able to use Combat Revival every turn for free tips it over the edge. The nonsense of reviving exploded ATVs is gone, but it was generally more viable for its use on your specialist Infantry that will likely be nearer him anyway. One revive pays for the cost of the upgrade and then some. 2 revives is basically paying for the Apothecary as well. Read this as a CP upgrade to make him an extra Warlord, that will save you around 4 CP over the course of the game, as well as give yourself anywhere between 100-300 extra points per game, depending on what you revive. 

Relic

Acquittal- A super Bolt Pistol that is almost a pocket Lascannon against non-VEHICLE/MONSTER models. Fun, but you won’t be taking it outside of the novelty factor.

Now gets a nifty ability to pick a CORE unit and give them +1 to hit in melee. Nice if you build around it, and always handy for even normal Marines thanks to Shock Assault and Doctrines. BLOOD ANGELS have the Sanguinary Ancient instead, so can’t use this.

Warlord Trait

Steadfast Example- CORE units within 6” get Objective Secured, or count as two models if they already have it. Great for the spearhead to force the opponents off objectives, or to ensure then when you hold an Objective, it’s even harder to steal. Combine with the Rites of Battle Warlord Trait for ultimate objective holding – who needs Troops!

Relic

Pennant of the Fallen- Models can attack twice not just once in melee with this banner. Actually pretty neat for a melee focused army, though remember it’s only improving models that are now dead, and only 50% of the time.

Makes the Champion even more capable in melee with an extra Attack, a -1 to Hit him in melee, rerolling wounds vs enemy CHARACTERS, and a Leadership boost as well…because why not. BLACK TEMPLARS don’t get these as they have the Emperor’s Champion instead.

Warlord Trait

Martial Exemplar- A 6” Aura of reroll charges. Fantastic if you’re going melee marines

Relic

Blade of Triumph- A super power sword with 3s in all it’s stats. A mighty fine melee booster, though remember he’s rerolling wounds against Characters and likely doing that at 3s, and already AP -3 base. The Dmg boost is why you’d take this though. Makes him all but certain to kill other Characters outside of the “Big Boys” – Primarchs, Ghaz, C’tan etc-. Just remember he was already decent at doing that anyways, so it’s questionable if it’s worth the Relic slot.

• Death to the Traitors!- Reroll the hit roll against HERETIC ASTARTES in Melee. Niche, but brutal when it comes up on certain units. 

• Honour the Chapter- An ASSAULT INTERCESSOR unit fights again at the end of the Phase. Obviously useful if you need to chew through the last remnants of a squad, or use the additional Pile In and Consolidate to tie up stuff, but always remember you must be within Engagement Range already to be able to use this, even if you Charged this turn, so no cheeky extra Pile Ins to other units if you’ve wiped the first unit.

• Fury of the First- +1 to Hit for a TERMINATOR unit for a Shooting or Fight Phase. Great to ensure maximised destruction, or offset minuses that might apply like with a Thunder Hammer.

• Transhuman Physiology- A PRIMARIS unit can only be wounded on an unmodified 4, 5 or 6. Very powerful when there are strong weapons that would normally be wounding on 2s or 3s, or to counteract any bonuses to wound via special rules or Stratagems. If there’s a key unit that needs to live, this goes a long way to ensuring that. Costs 2 CP if there are more than 5 models in the unit.

• Rapid Fire- An INTERCESSOR SQUAD or VETERAN INTERCESSOR SQUAD shoot again at the end of the Shooting Phase. With rerolls nearby you can almost guarantee a crippled if not outright destroyed enemy Infantry unit, and even a hefty dent in their more elite stuff. Note this isn’t INTERCESSORS, so no double tapping with Assault or Heavy Intercessor variants

• Gene-wrought Might- A PRIMARIS unit auto wounds in Melee on an unmodified 6 to Hit. Can be handy against high toughness units, and in general to just remove chances of wound failures against other units. Goes without saying it’s even better if you’ve got Shock Assault or other bonuses active to maximise the number of attacks. 
• Unyielding in the Face of the Foe- A MK X GRAVIS unit gets +1 to Armour Saves vs Damage 1 Weapons for a Phase. These units were already beefy, and this makes them all but immune to small arms fire.

• Only In Death Does Duty End- Fight back with a CHARACTER when they are slain, provided they’ve not already attacked this turn. Can tilt a battle back in your favour if they take a pound of flesh before they’re removed.

• Armour of Contempt- Granting a 5+++ vs Mortal Wounds for a VEHICLE when they suffer them and for the rest of the phase is niche but handy to ensure a key tank doesn’t get Smited off the board, or keep one alive from an errant explosion. 

• Power of the Machine Spirit- A MACHINE SPIRIT unit acts on their top profile until your next turn. Done in the Command Phase so before Movement, helpful to get them into position as well as hit better. Pricy but these are usually units with lots of guns so can be worth it if your opponent has neglected to finish them off. 

• Wisdom of the Ancients- Make a DREADNOUGHT a Captain or a Lieutenant for a phase, letting CORE units in 6” reroll 1s to Hit or 1s to Wound respectively . Useful when needed, and can let you spread out your forces if there’s a Dread nearby to support units out of a character’s Aura. 

• Commanding Oratory- A CHAPLAIN auto passes a Litany at the start of any Phase (except the Command Phase), provided they haven’t recited a Litany already, and the Litany in question has not been recited elsewhere. Expensive, but if your battle plan hinges on a Litany the cost outweighs the risk. Also can be used to make Chaplains able to use Litanies from Reinforcements, not something they’d normally be able to do, and can be heavily crucial in some stratagems. 2CP is a small price to pay for a 6” bubble of +2” to Charges from Reinforcements.
• Combat Revival- An APOTHECARY brings back an INFANTRY or non-ATV BIKER model back to life from a unit below Starting Strength within 3” at the end of the Movement Phase. Obviously he needs to be nearby, which can limit your maneuverability for a bit, but bringing someone back can tip the scales in battle, especially if it is model from a powerful unit like Eradicators or Bladeguard.

• Relic of the Chapter- Marines have a lot of nice Relics so being able to get multiples is a good thing. Limited by your game size, but generally taking more than 3 Relics was unnecessary anyways.
• Hero of the Chapter- A non-Warlord CHARACTER in your army gets a Warlord Trait. Much like the Relics, Marines have a number of good Warlord traits across all their books, so this will pretty much be used at least once. As with Relics, you can take this more than once depending on game size, and there is potential for a lot of powerful combos and synergies by spreading Warlord Traits around.

• Hit-and-Run Warfare- A BIKER, LAND SPEEDER or STORM SPEEDER unit gets to Fall Back and Shoot normally this turn. A powerful Stratagem to have as these units often can unload a lot of shooting and don’t like being tied up. 

• Hammer of Wrath- For each model in a JUMP PACK unit that finishes within Engagement Range of a single enemy unit, roll D6 and inflict a Mortal Wound for each result that equals or exceeds that enemy unit’s Toughness. Obviously not so helpful against high Toughness units, but great at softening up lighter units, or even Characters

• Skilled Riders- Grant a -1 to Hit for a Shooting Phase on a BIKER, LAND SPEEDER or STORM SPEEDER unit that Advanced last turn. A solid defensive buff to make sure these units that got into position stay there. 

• Uncompromising Fire- An INFANTRY unit can Shoot without causing any Action they are doing to fail. A niche Stratagem but very helpful if you have taken Action based Secondaries and want or need to add more firepower on an enemy unit. 

• Steady Advance- An INFANTRY unit that made a Normal Move counts as Remaining Stationary. Being able to move and still double tap for Bolter Discipline at long range is a great tool to have to maximise shots, or allowing Heavy weapon equipped units to move into position without sacrificing accuracy. 

• Adaptive Strategy- A CORE unit counts all three Combat Doctrines as active for this Battle Round. Whilst this needs your WARLORD to be on the Battlefield, this is an incredibly strong ability that can allow units to make use of mixed weaponry more effectively, shift into a more beneficial Doctrine, or activate a Super Doctrine. Whilst the requirements are reasonably high, the usefulness is just as great.

• Suppression Fire- The Blast weapons on a WHIRLWIND prevent Overwatch and Set to Defend being activated by a unit hit by it, and they must strike after all units from your army to boot. A strong stratagem when used correctly, able to deny potent Overwatch or dug in units, as well as dictating combat order.

• Terror Troops- A REIVER unit turns off Objective Secured of any unit within 3” of it for a Battle Round, and also causes Actions to fail if they finish a Normal, Advance or Charge Move within 3” of an enemy, provided you roll over their Leadership on 2D6. Certainly an interesting Stratagem, and definitely has its uses, though they might be few and far between, and neither of these abilities help Reivers with their other issues. 

• Guerilla Tactics- A PHOBOS unit goes into Strategic Reserves if they are more than 6” away from enemy models before they move. Tricksy, this can be useful for late game objective grabs via charging from the board edges, useful for Secondaries like Engage on All Fronts or Deploy Scramblers, or for pulling a unit out of potential danger. Don’t do it turn 5 though, or they’re dead. 
• Orbital Bombardment- A once per game, expensive Stratagem that requires your WARLORD to be on the Battlefield. Place a marker anywhere on the battlefield, and in your next Command Phase it essentially explodes doing D3 Mortal Wounds to all units within 6” on a 4+ (with a -1 for CHARACTERS) or D6 Mortal Wounds if you roll a 6+ (so not vs those CHARACTERS). That’s a fair few bits of requirements and randomness involved, however what it is great at doing is dictating your opponents movement, forcing them to abandon an area with smaller units or risk taking a bunch of damage, especially if you’ve softened them up prior to the bomb being dropped. There will be times when it does nothing, and times when it nukes an entire portion of the battlefield. Certainly fun, certainly has uses, but perhaps not every game.

• Auspex Scan- Shooting at Reinforcements when they arrive within 12” with one of your INFANTRY units can be a strong deterrent for combat oriented or short ranged enemy reinforcements, and can heavily cripple the enemy’s battleplans, be it in their own abilities or curbing any ideas of using Strategic Reserve to outflank you. Note this is specifically done in the Reinforcement Step, so anything that happens outside of that such as Da Jump or Veil of Darkness, circumnavigates this. 

• Tremor Shells- A THUNDERFIRE CANNON suffers a -1 to Wound, but provided you Hit a unit without FLY or TITANIC, they half their Movement, and take a -2 to any Advance and Charge rolls. This can utterly cripple key enemy units, not just melee units, by restricting their board presence or ability to move onto Objectives.

• Shock and Awe- A SHOCK GRENADE or LAND SPEEDER STORM unit selects a unit within 6”. Until the start of your next turn that unit cannot Overwatch, Set to Defend and also incurs a -1 to hit. Whilst the range is short and the users limited the range of debuffs here are pretty significant and definitely worth keeping in mind if you have any eligible units to use this.

• Assault Launchers- An ASSAULT LAUNCHERS unit picks a non-VEHICLE/MONSTER unit within 9”, and that unit chooses to either take D3 Mortal Wounds, or be unable to Overwatch, Set to Defend and suffer -1 to their Attacks until the end of the turn. Flexible, though with the choice being your opponents and the users of the Stratagem limited, this might not be as useful as it could be.

• Melta Bomb- A MELTA BOMB unit (seeing a theme here with some of these Wargear type Stratagems?) makes a single melee Attack with one of their models vs a VEHICLE unit, but if it hits they take 2D3 Mortal Wounds. Useful to degrade or even finish off a tough Vehicle these units might not otherwise be capable of dealing with. Not something you might build around, but something useful to remember.

• Grav Pulse- A REPULSOR FIELD unit can Fall Back and Shoot normally, or subtract 2 from Charge Rolls against them. Flexible and cheap, this will generally see a lot of use for these units. 

• Hellfire Shells- An INFANTRY model with a Heavy Bolter (or one of its Heavy Intercessor variants) can make a single shot that inflicts D3 Mortal Wounds if it hits, or flat 3 against MONSTERS. Another somewhat limited Wargear Stratagem though a little more accessible than others as Heavy Bolters are cheap and generally able to be taken on a fair few units. 

• Flakk Missile- An INFANTRY model with a Missile Launcher can inflict 2D3 Mortal Wounds on a AIRCRAFT unit instead of shooting normally, with a +1 to Hit to boot. Quite limited in scope, but handy if you’re running Missiles on your infantry and come up against a plane or two.
• Smokescreen- A SMOKESCREEN unit imposes a -1 to Hit against enemy units that target it for a Shooting Phase. A nice defense buff for a wide variety of units.

1. Fear Made Manifest- A 6” Aura of -1 Ld and -1 to Combat Attrition tests for enemy units is ok, as Attrition can cause havoc and another minus can really punish those failures. Could be built around with other minuses to really ensure the failure.
2. The Imperium’s Sword- Rerolling the charge is nice, the +1 Strength and Attack on the Charge or Intervene is even nicer. Great melee boost if you want a general combat character, and works nicely against any unit type with only minor restrictions. 
3. Iron Resolve- An extra wound and a 6+++ is handy for survivability, as it roughly translates to 2 extra wounds over the course of the game. Won’t help them against high power units or character killers though, don’t expect to survive one on one with a Knight for example. 
4. Champion of Humanity- When within Engagement Range of an enemy CHARACTER you get +1 Attack, and +1 To Hit and Wound when fighting a CHARACTER means you’re built for destroying enemy heroes. Combined with a Fist, Hammer or a melee Relic, you’ll generally be hitting and wounding most Characters on 2s often with around 6 attacks, usually enough to reduce most enemy leaders to a fine red mist. 
5. Storm of Fire- Ranged Weapons within 6” get an extra AP on a 6 to Wound. Useful for weapons that are outside of their particular Doctrine as it doesn’t stack, and one of the more all round useful generalist traits.
6. Rites of War- All CORE and CHARACTER units within 6” gain Objective Secured. Obviously useful for your non-Troops (who receive no benefit), and making your Warlord able to stand and steal Objectives from other Characters or elite units is great in a variety of situations.

1. Shoot and Fade- A single PHOBOS per Shooting Phase within 6” can Move or Advance after Shooting, at the expense of Charging that turn. Great for repositioning and getting units out of danger. Must have been able to actually Shoot though, so no point using it on a unit that Advanced earlier or otherwise isn’t able to shoot
2. Lord of Deceit- Redeploy up to three PHOBOS units before the first turn begins, and can put them into Strategic Reserves for free to boot. Incredibly useful as you can do this after you know who has the first turn, you can deploy aggressively regardless and should you not get the first turn pull the Phobos units back. Contentious whether you can use Concealed Positions alongside this redeploy, as there is no wording saying you can’t, but the Trait states redeploy, whilst Concealed Positions says during Deployment (which is a clearly defined Mission Step). Still pending an FAQ, as whilst there is precedent with other abilities, it hasn’t been confirmed for Marines. If you are able to do this it becomes a phenomenal trait, to the point of auto-taking if you’re using Phobos, though still great if you can’t.
3. Master of the Vanguard- 6” Aura of +1” to Movement, Advancing, Fall Back and Charge for PHOBOS units. A great trait if you have plenty of Phobos units to benefit from the even bigger board presence they can give you. 
4. Stealth Adept- The Warlord cannot be shot at all unless they are the closest unit. Handy if you find yourself out of position, though you shouldn’t really, and there are better traits.       
5. Target Priority- Give a PHOBOS unit within 3” +1 to Hit with Shooting. A nice buff to a big unit of Phobos marines, though due to their slightly higher cost you’re more likely to be running smaller units so this might not always be an efficient choice.
6. Marksmen’s Honours- +1 Damage to any non-Relic, non-Grenade ranged weapons used by the Warlord. On a Phobos Captain makes for a nice D4 Sniper Boltgun, kind of wasted on anyone else.

PHOBOS LIBRARIANS only. Powers marked with a * last until the start of your next Psychic Phase.

1. Shrouding* (WC 6)- A PHOBOS unit in 18” can only be shot at if they are the closest unit or it is from Overwatch. A strong ability to protect key units from retaliation (such as Eliminators) or units that are holding an Objective and have intervening units between them and the enemy.
2. Soul Sight* (WC 6)- A PHOBOS unit in 18” can reroll hits when Shooting and ignores cover save boosts. An all round good power, though loses strength on smaller units that Phobos units are usually used in, or if you already have one of these rules (like via Chapter Master or Imperial Fist). Certainly useful on a unit of Eliminators despite their small size making it not “seem” efficient.
3. Mind Raid* (WC 6)- An enemy unit in 18” takes a Mortal Wound. If it was a Character roll equal or greater than their Leadership on 3D6 and you gain a CP. Great combination power to weaken enemy leaders and fuel your Stratagems. Of course if there is a key unit that a single Mortal Wound would be significant against (eg degrading a Monster) don’t be afraid to sacrifice the chance for a CP and just do the targeted wound.
4. Hallucination* (WC 6)- An enemy unit within 18” suffers -1 to their Ld and -1 to Hit. A solid debuff power. 
5. Tenebrous Curse* (WC 7)- A non-FLY enemy within 18” takes a Mortal Wound and must then half their Movement and take a -2” on any Advance or Charge rolls. A great tool to shut down a multitude of powerful combat units as well as any unit that might be in a position to grab an Objective in the coming turn. 
6. Temporal Corridor* (WC 5)- A PHOBOS unit within 6” cannot shoot or fight, and if they aren’t in Engagement Range they can Move or Advance with an automatic 6”. Obviously useful for movement, but don’t overlook the cannot fight aspect- there may be times you want to Charge but not kill something, and this enables this. Also nothing prevents you from Charging with this power, so can be used to tie stuff up or slingshot insanely fast across the battlefield with White Scars especially.

The four standard Special-issue Wargear options are here to save them being repeated half a dozen times. 

• Adamantine Mantle- A 5+++. Handy for a Warlord to keep them around a little longer.

• • Artificer Armour- A 2+/5++. Good survivability boost for Librarians, Lieutenants or anyone else without an Invulnerable built in.

• Digital Weapons- An extra melee attack that does a Mortal Wound if it hits. There’s better relics if you’re looking at going melee.
• Master-Crafted Weapon- Give a non-Master-Crafted, non-Relic weapon +1 Dmg. Solid offensive boost, though remember most Relic weapons already have higher damage outputs than most normal weapons in addition to other stat boosts, so try to use them first.

1. Adept of the Codex- Every time you spend a CP, roll a D6 to refund it on a 5+. Capped at 1 per Round of course, but more CP is always a good thing. Will always be useful. Calgar has this, further boosting his CP generating rules.
2. Master of Strategy- Once per Battle Round, a unit in 6” counts as being in the Tactical Doctrine. There is no timer on this, so this can be done whenever it is most beneficial in a Battle Round, and remember this will of course activate Scions of Guilliman, so it’s always good to do it on a unit that will benefit the most from counting as standing still. Tigurius and Telion have this as your Warlord, reinforcing their “pick a unit” buffing abilities.
3. Calm Under Fire- 6” Aura of “Ignore the -1 to Shoot when you Fall Back”. Situational, and obviously useless if you don’t have the Ultramarines Chapter Tactic, but can have its use as a secondary Warlord Trait to maximise your inability to be pinned down. Chronus has this if your Warlord, so any tanks under his control are never going to worry about being tagged.
4. Paragon of War- Any unmodified 6s to Wound do a Mortal Wound in addition. Works at range and in melee, so don’t forget any guns or Grenades they might have! Sicarius has this, bumping up his Mortal Wound potential even higher
5. Nobility Made Manifest- Infantry and Bikes within 6” can Heroically Intervene. Makes your battleline pretty scary for anyone as that’ll be a lot of attacks coming at them, as well potentially blocking any Pile In/Consolidation tricks they may want to do. And then you fall back and shoot them anyways! Situational, but powerful against some armies. Combos very nicely with Calm Under Fire. Bobby G runs this as your Warlord, making charging near him even scarier as all his warriors effectively countercharge you.
6. Warden of Macragge- 6” Heroic Intervene for the Character. It’s ok, but there’s better ones. Cassius has this, cos he just wants to smash face.

Anything marked with an * is Special-issue Wargear, meaning a Successor can take these Relics without needing to use the Honoured by Macragge Stratagem. You know, if you play by the rules.

• Armour of Konor- Terminator upgrade, giving a 4++, which is handy for a Librarian and that’s it, but more importantly halves all Damage (rounding up), which is a pretty potent defensive buff.

• Helm of Censure- The bearer rerolls 1s to Hit and Wound, and adds +1 to Hit and Wound against HERETIC ASTARTES. Rerolls are solid given the changes to Auras, though the bonuses against Chaos Marines are quite niche,

• Soldier’s Blade- A buffed up power sword that also can be taken in place of a Combat Knife (handy for the Phobos Lieutenant). Decent, though the Burning Blade is better if you really want a Sword upgrade.

• Tarentian Cloak- A 5++ and healing D3 wounds in your Movement Phase makes this pretty good for a Librarian to give them an Invulnerable and offset any potential Perils damage. 

• The Sanctic Halo- Captain or Chapter Master only. A 3++ that also lets you deny a power? Great.

• • The Standard of Macragge Inviolate- Super banner that gives you +1 Attack for CORE units in 6”, and auto pass Morale in 12”. Actually pretty good as not only are you already not too concerned about being tagged, you can punish the enemy with more attacks should they try.

• Vengeance of Ultramar- A Storm Bolter with double shots and reroll Wounds vs non-Vehicles. That’s a lot of reliable dakka in Tactical Doctrine (remember Bolter Discipline!)

• Hellfury Bolts*- A bolt weapon can use these to do a single shot that does a Mortal Wound if it hits. Handy to plink off a wound, but won’t be a go to choice.

• Reliquary of Vengeance*- A once per game 6” Aura that gives +1 Attack to CORE and CHARACTERS for a Fight phase. It’s ok, though if you want melee Ultramarines take the Standard Inviolate to have the +1 Attack all the time.

• Seal of Oath*- First Battle Round, pick an enemy unit, and the bearer gets a 6” Aura of reroll Hits and Wounds for CORE and CHARACTERS vs that unit. Amazing if your opponent has a key unit that just needs to die, be it a melee mob, a Knight, a Primarch, Terminator blob, whatever. Less useful if there isn’t a priority target, but still a great flexible choice.
• Sunwrath Pistol*– An always overcharged Plasma Pistol that doesn’t kill you and makes an extra shot. Quite tasty actually, especially if you’re expecting to get stuck in and use it often.

• Martial Precision- One attack in the Shooting Phase automatically hits. Handy when you just want that Lascannon to hit. 

• Vengeance for Calth- Reroll hits and wounds vs Word Bearers in melee. Fluffy but stupidly niche, and it’s not like Word Bearers needed even more help in being rubbish.

• Inspiring Leader- Increase the range of CAPTAIN, CHAPTER MASTER or LIEUTENANT Auras by 3” for a phase to a maximum of 9” (so no stacking with The Vox Espiritum). Great if you’ve spread out your forces, needs to forward plan it but effective to maximise board control. 

• Cycle of War- Provided your Warlord is alive, and the Assault Doctrine was active in the previous Battle Round, you revert back to Devastator. Basically this allows you to go back to Devastator Doctrine in Turn 4 at the earliest, thus letting you get another turn of Tactical Doctrine (and so Scions of Guilliman) in the final turn of the game. Niche, but handy if you can plan ahead for it.

• Rapid Redeployment- Before First Turn begins, redeploy up to three Ultramarines units. Anything to allow redeploys is a powerful tactical ability, allowing you to correct a mistake in deployment, bait an enemies deployment, to get better line of sight, or just to play mind games. 

• Sons of Guilliman- An INFANTRY or BIKER unit can reroll 1s when Shooting or Fighting for that Phase. If they’re Troops they get to reroll all hits instead. Handy tool if you have a unit out of reroll range.

• Avenge the Fallen- If an Ultramarine unit is destroyed, your entire army can reroll 1s to hit against the unit that killed it. Pretty powerful, though you’ve already got access to a bunch of rerolls, but can help out if your forces are spread and your opponent gets the killing blow with a powerful unit of theirs. 

• Courage and Honour!- Your army gets +1 Leadership for a Morale Phase. If you’ve got multiple morale checks to make this can be useful, but it’s pretty niche.

• Fall Back and Re-engage- Lets a unit Fall Back, Shoot and Charge without penalty. Cheaper CP cost if you’ve got the Ultramarine Tactic, and removes the inbuilt penalty. Powerful ability, as means a key unit will always be able to do something and is difficult to pin down.

• Defensive Focus- When an Ultramarines unit is charged, three other units within 6” can Overwatch the charger (though not the target, you’ll need to use Fire Overwatch for them). For when you just can’t be bothered to deal with a horde of Boyz in melee. Makes assaulting an Ultramarine battleline even more tricky than it already was. 

• Squad Doctrines- An Infantry or Biker unit can choose any of the Doctrines to be active at the start of their Movement Phase instead of the current one. Great tool if you know a charge is about to happen, you want to have Scions active on a unit, or need the extra AP on a Devastator unit.

• Tactical Expertise- Tactical Doctrine gets an extra AP on an unmodified 6 to Wound. As it’s army wide, if you’ve built around Rapid Fire and Assault weapons this can stack the AP up to ludicrous levels, though it’s matchup dependent as you won’t even need it against some armies. 

• Exemplar of the Chapter- Non-named Warlord gets a second Warlord Trait that must be an Ultramarines Trait. Pretty good actually as the Ultramarines have a good spread of army buffing Warlord traits, meaning you can double down on the support element, have a nicely balanced one of personal buffing and army buffing, or make a melee powerhouse with something like Paragon of War and Champion of Humanity.

• Honoured Sergeant- Lets a unit ‘Sergeant’ have a Master-crafted Weapon, Digital Weapons, Hellfury Bolts or a Sunwrath Pistol. None of these are amazing choices for a Sergeant that won’t better benefit a Character, so you can probably not worry about this one.
• Honoured by Macragge- A Successor Chapter can take a single non-Special-issue Relic. Remember all this does is give you the option to take it, it doesn’t give you another Relic included in its CP cost.

A good spread of utility powers and some potentially devastating offensive powers, if you roll lucky. 

Powers marked with a * last until the start of your next Psychic Phase.

1. Precognition*(WC 5)- The Librarian gets a 5++ and is -1 to Hit him. A good defensive power, though really you want the Librarian to be doing other effects.
2. Scryer’s  (WC 7)- Straight up gain a CP. Fantastic. Alternatively, one Ultramarines unit within 18” can reroll a single Hit, wound or Damage roll this turn. Also pretty good, as it’s basically a second Command Reroll this turn for a unit.
3. Telepathic Assault (WC7)- A visible enemy unit within 24” takes Mortal Wounds equal to 2D6+2 minus their Ld. If you roll real high this has the potential to oneshot a lot of supporting Characters. If you roll average you might do a Mortal Wound to a unit. Generally you’re looking at doing about 2 Mortal Wounds to a unit, on average. It’s ok, though pricey to cast and it’s already pretty unreliable. 
4. Storm of the Emperor’s Wrath (WC 6)- Roll a D6 for each model in the nearest visible enemy unit within 18”, and they take a Mortal Wound for each 6. Powerful if a horde is the closest, next to useless if its a small unit or something like a Monster.
5. Psychic Shackles (WC 6)*- A visible enemy unit within 18” halves their Move and is -1 to their Advance and Charge Rolls. Doesn’t stack with Tenebrous Curse but does affect FLY units, and can hamper a melee unit pretty significantly. An all round useful utility spell.
6. Empyric Channelling (WC 5)- Another Ultramarines Librarian within 12” gets +2 to their manifesting Powers and can’t peril on a double 1 or 6 (though can via other means like enemy abilities). If you’re running two Librarians there could be some use in this, though you’ll have to weigh up if sacrificing another power might be worth to maybe cast this and then maybe cast another power (and no you can’t cast it on yourself).

1. Deadly Hunter- A single enemy unit takes a single Mortal Wound on a 2+ when you finish a charge within 1”. It’s ok if you can ensure it’s continuously activated, though might not be a go to choice.
2. Chogorian Storm- +D3 Attacks when you Charge or Heroically Intervene. Get even more choppy when combined with Devastating Charge, obviously you’re gonna want a combat load out with this but can build up to a ludicrous amount of attacks with other Attack bonuses. Compare with Imperium’s Sword, where you’re sacrificing the reroll charges and +1 Strength for the chance of extra attacks, so it’s up to you if you like consistency or to gamble.
3. Trophy Taker- A permanent +1 Attack for every CHARACTER the Warlord slays. It’s cool, but most armies tend to have around 2-3 Characters, of which your Warlord might get to 1, maybe 2. At that point that Chogarian Storm does the same at minimum, or if you’re set on character hunting go for Champion of Humanity. Unless you’re Kor’sarro Khan, who has to have this.
4. Master Rider- BIKER only, they get reroll charges as well as -1 to Hit them provided they Advanced in the preceding Movement Phase. The reroll charge is always nice, and the -1 applies to both Shooting and Combat and lasts until your next Movement Phase so provides a solid defensive buff. A weird blend, but a good one. 
5. Hunter’s Instincts- +1 to Hit and +1 to Wound vs MONSTERS and VEHICLES. Works with shooting too which is kind of nifty, though as Marine Characters generally have access to stronger melee than shooting that’s where you’ll be better off utilising it. Does make a Scars Captain with a decent melee weapon a proper can-opener once the Assault Doctrine is active and you can get charges off
6. Master of Snares- Units without a minimum move (ie pretty much any AIRCRAFT) cannot Fall Back on a 4+ if in Engagement Range of the Warlord. An amazing trait, despite it being 50/50, as if he’s in the thick of fighting it means he and any of his buddies can potentially be safe from shooting this turn, only to Fall Back and Charge in again on your next turn. Has the potential to utterly cripple an opponent’s gameplan.

Anything marked with an * is Special-issue Wargear, meaning a Successor can take these Relics without needing to use the Gift of the Khans Stratagem. You know, if you’re following the rules.

• Banner of the Eagle- Your ANCIENT now gives +1 Strength to CORE units in 6”. Solid combat buff, means you’ll be wounding most other infantry on 3s if you weren’t already, and helps your Characters edge out in combat if they aren’t already rocking high Strength weapons.

• Glaive of Vengeance- Only for a Kahn on Bike, a mighty x2 Str with Ap -3 and Dmg D3. A decent offensive buff, though sadly limited to one unit (that can’t be taken by Successors either). There’s generally better and easier to obtain weapons, and D3 Damage can be swingy at the worst times.

• Mantle of the Stormseer- +1 to cast Stormspeaking powers. Given those powers are really good and some strategies can utterly hinge on them going off, a +1 is great.

• Plume of the Plainsrunner- +1 to Advance and Charge rolls for INFANTRY 6” near you. Fantastic speed buff, the Charge bonus is key here but the Advance is nice too for positioning. Also if running pure White Scars read this as +3” to your Charge rolls (minimum +2” on due to Advancing and +1” on the Charge itself).

• Scimitar of the Great Khan- Replacing a Power Sword (normal or Master-crafted) or a Relic Blade, you essentially get a Master-crafted Power Sword that becomes Dmg 4 on an unmodified 6 to Wound. So yes Dmg 5 with Devastating Charge. A great offensive boost for a bog standard character (just replace a Power Sword as its the cheapest option)

• • The Hunter’s Eye- In the Shooting Phase pick a unit within 6”, they ignore cover save bonuses this turn. It’s ok, obviously use this on a unit with lots of dakka, can be useful if your opponent has dug in units, but the limit of one friendly unit a turn is a downside. 

• Wrath of the Heavens- Super Bike with a 16” move and the ability to jump over units and terrain in the Movement Phase only (so no sick jumps when Charging). Good to get into position or hopping over screens, though being able to do that by himself will of course leave him by his lonesome so don’t throw him away just because you can. 

• Equis-Pattern Bolt Pistol*- A revolver Bolt Pistol with 5 shots and an extra AP. Decent enough.

• Cyber-Eagle Helm*- A 6” Aura that lets CORE units hit on 5+ to Hit when Overwatching. Obviously only one of those units can do it, so it’s pretty niche.

• Headtaker’s Trophies*- Enemies within 6” are -1 Ld. Fine, if you’re going for that but as with Leadership debuffs mentioned previously if you’re within 6” chances are you’re about to inflict a bunch of casualties anyways that a -1 probably won’t make much difference.
• Stormwrath Bolts*-A bolt weapon you choose becomes 1 shot but also Str 7 -1 AP. Also becomes Damage D6 against MONSTERS. Can be hilarious if you come up against Tyranids or Daemon Princes a lot, but generally this can be passed.

• • Born in the Saddle- A BIKER unit can shoot normally after Advancing, letting you not only close the gap or get round Line of Sight blocking to get the shot. Even better for pure Scars as then you can Charge afterwards as well.

• Butchered Quarry- When someone Falls Back from one of your INFANTRY or BIKER units, provided your unit isn’t within 1” of another enemy unit, each model within 1” they can make a single melee attack before the Fall Back is completed. If they get away your unit then gets to move 3” closer to them (but not into 1” of any enemy units). A pretty solid ability to make a damaged unit think twice about falling back, especially with one of your melee units. Fun to combine with Cut Them Down for two ‘attacks’ on Fall Back (just do that one first due to order of operations in the wording of the Stratagems)

• Wind-swift- One of your units can make an Advance Move after making a Normal Move or Falls Back, and you cannot Shoot, Charge or cast powers. Expensive but can be useful to get into position, onto Objectives, or get a Transport in super close to unleash it’s cargo next turn

• Ride Hard, Ride Fast- After Advancing, one of your units gets -1 to Hit vs ranged attacks. Cheap and great survivability buff, useful on any of your units when you need to use it.

• Lightning Debarkation- A Non-Flyer Battlefield Role TRANSPORT can let units inside it disembark after it has moved, though those units cannot charge that turn. Can still move, cast and shoot though, so great to get into position, round terrain, threaten screened units or set up other such combos such as Null Zone.

• Hunter’s Fusillade- After a unit Advances, any Heavy and Rapid Fire Weapons count as Assault instead. If running White Scars or Rapid Assault Successors to ignore the -1 Penalty on Advance, this makes any of your units able to get in range, ignore LoS blockers, or bypass Look Out Sir restrictions, but even without shooting with a minus can be better than not shooting at all. 

• Chogarian Thunderbolts- After a BIKER unit finishes a charge, roll a D6 for each model within 1” of an enemy unit, and that enemy unit takes a Mortal Wound on a 6. Weirdly the giant ceramite war machine is less likely to do a Mortal Wound on impact compared to a Jump Pack. It’s ok, and there’s usually better uses of a CP.

• A Mighty Trophy- If the enemy Warlord is slain in melee, all your units auto pass morale for the rest of the game. Pretty niche, though if you get it off early enough can be helpful to just not worry about morale all game. Overall meh though. 

• Fierce Rivalries- At the start of your Charge Phase, the first unit that declares a Charge rolls 3D6 and discards one. Great for ensuring a unit makes the Charge, be it normally or from Reinforcements

• Strike for the Heart- Consolidate 3+D3” or 6+D6” if your Mv is 10”+. Amazing utility with this, letting you encircle a foe to stop them from fleeing (or force them to use Desperate Breakout), use it to tie up more units, or just in general to increase the pressure on the opponent’s battlelines. Remember the core Consolidation rules still apply so you’ll still have to end closer to the nearest enemy models.

• Feinting Withdrawal- Fall Back and Shoot. Speaks for itself in how useful it can be. If you aren’t a pure White Scar you won’t be able to charge afterwards as well, but even without that this is a great thing to have in your toolkit.

• Encirclement- A unit can outflank instead of deploying normal, arriving from Reinforcements wholly within 6” of any battlefield edge. Better than normal Strategic Reserves by nature of its CP cost per unit rather than combined Power Level, and no restrictions on which board edge you arrive from.

• The Eternal Hunt- Assault Doctrine gets an extra AP on an unmodified 6 to Wound. Army wide so always useful as everyone can fight in melee to some degree, though as always it’s matchup dependent (you likely won’t need it vs Orks, but it’s great against other Marines for example)

• Tempered by Wisdom- Non-named Warlord gets a second Warlord Trait that must be a White Scar Trait. Allows you to make some frightening combat Characters. Why choose between Champion of Humanity and Chogarian Storm when you can just have both? Or give Master of Snares to someone leading the charge on top of whatever else they have. 

• Khan’s Champion-  Lets a unit ‘Sergeant’ have a Master-crafted Weapon, Digital Weapons, Headtaker’s Trophies or Stormwrath Bolts. Generally these are better on a Character, though any Sergeant with a Master-crafted Thunder Hammer and Assault Doctrine can be a terrible surprise on the charge.
• Gift of the Khan- A Successor Chapter can take a single non-Special-issue Relic. Remember all this does is give you the option to take it, it doesn’t give you another Relic included in its CP cost.

Whilst the offensive powers are fun, if a little unreliable, the rest of the powers are fantastic, with a great selection of both buffing and debuffing powers that helps dictate the flow of charges and combat, vital for a White Scars army. 

Powers marked with a * last until the start of your next Psychic Phase.

1. Blasting Gale (WC 7)*- A visible enemy unit within 18” cannot Advance and rolls a D6 less when they charge. A powerful ability that all but guarantees you, not your foe, gets the charge when it comes to their melee units. 
2. Lightning Call (WC 7)- The closest enemy unit in 18” takes D3 Mortal Wounds, then if not destroyed you roll a D6, doing another Mortal Wound on a 4+, then if still not killed roll again and do another on a 5+, then once more if not killed they take a final one on a 6. A potentially devastating power, but quite limited. It’s a high casting value, quite random, and as it’s closest enemy unit, not closest visible, a canny opponent can have a sacrificial unit out of line of sight to absorb the lightning (though vice versa you can use it to “Smite” over terrain).
3. Ride the Winds* (WC 6)- A White Scars unit within 12” gets +2 to Advance and Charge Rolls. More useful for the Charging as you effectively need to wait a turn to get the bonus to the Advance, but useful if you want to plan ahead. The Charge bonus alone is well worth it though.
4. Storm-wreathed* (WC 6)- A friendly unit within 12” can’t be Overwatched, and when they finish a Charge roll a D6 for each model that is within 1” of the enemy unit, doing a Mortal Wound to the enemy on a 6. The Overwatch prevention alone is good to ensure they make the lines unscathed against certain units, the Mortal Wound chance is just a neat bonus on top. Not as much of a go to power as it was, but useful to have as a spare if running multiple Librarians.
5. Spirits of Chogoris* (WC 6)- A visible enemy unit within 18” is at -1 Ld and -1 to Hit. Great power for a cheap casting cost. Almost a must take due to the general strength of negative modifiers.
6. Eye of the Storm (WC 6)- All enemy units within 12” take a Mortal Wound on a 4+ (3+ if they FLY). Fun, but overall not nearly as good as the buffing powers.

1. Shadowmaster- Although not as amazing as it once was, not being Overwatched is handy to ensure he survives units that have particularly nasty overwatch, or if the character is leading the charge of his friends, though best hope he makes it in. Shrike is the sneakiest boy, and so this is his Trait.
2. Master of Ambush- An INFANTRY Warlord and another INFANTRY unit (not CENTURIONS) can redeploy more than 9” away from the enemy deployment zone and enemy models. This is done before the first turn begins so this is great for getting into an alpha strike position, baiting out the enemy, refusing a flank and other such strategies. This will generally always be useful regardless of match up.
3. Swift and Deadly- A 6” Aura of Advance and Charge for CORE and CHARACTERS, great for getting into position or catching a unit by surprise. If you build around combat Raven Guard this just makes them all the better at it.
4. Master of Vigilance- Unmodified rolls of 6 to Hit in melee do a Mortal Wound in addition to normal damage. Worse than the Ultramarines version as you don’t get to shoot and do it. Still decent, but there’s better combat buffs (such as the three above that help you get there quicker or unharmed).
5. Feigned Flight- The Warlord can Fall Back, Shoot and Charge, and move over all models and terrain when they do so. Pretty decent for an assassin type Character to dictate who they go after.
6. Echo of the Ravenspire- Once per game, provided they are more than 6” away from enemy models at the end of your Movement Phase, the Warlord can disappear from the board, reappearing more than 9” at the end of your following Movement Phase. Could be useful, but as it is the following turn your opponent can counter fairly easily to save characters or key units, or screen out any objectives you might want to nab. There’s generally more useful traits. 

Anything marked with an * is Special-issue Wargear, meaning a Successor can take these Relics without needing to use the Token of Brotherhood Stratagem. Because who needs rules.

• Ex Tenebris- A super sniper bolt gun that replaces the various sniper boltguns (Instigator, Stalker or Occulus). Lots of shots, decent AP and Damage, ignoring Look Out Sir!, cover save bonuses, +1 to Hit – an all round amazing shooting Relic. Put on any Character you can and go to town on any enemy Characters that show their heads.

• Oppressor’s End- Do you like +1 Strength? +1 Attack? -2 AP and Dmg 3 vs CHARACTERS?! Then you’ll love this! Unless you are literally any Character other than a Phobos Captain or Reiver Lieutenant, in which case you can’t take this because apparently everyone else forgot how to bring a knife with them to battle. Having said that, this is pretty great on a Phobos Captain as it offsets their main weakness of having no combat punch.

• Raven’s Fury- Super Jump Pack that lets you Advance and Charge, reroll Charges and give a 50/50 chance of doing a Mortal Wound on the way in. Great

• The Armour of Shadows- Ignore -1 AP weapons, and never be hit on better than a 4+. Solid defensive relic.

• The Ebonclaws- A super Pair of Lightning Claws with -3 AP and D3 Damage. Nice.

• • The Raven Skull of Korvaad- Once per turn (so that’s yours and your opponents remember) the bearer can reroll a single hit, wound or damage roll. On top of that, if they’re destroyed your entire army gets +1 to Hit against the unit that did the deed for the rest of the game. Whilst not the most flashy of relics, this is essentially a free CP reroll every turn for the Character, so provided you put it on someone that can make the most of it, this can stack up nicely. The death thing is obviously not something you want to have to utilise, but it’s a fun little “how dare you” if it happens.

• Korvidari Bolts*-  A bolt weapon can use these to do a single shot with +6” Range and ignoring line of sight. Good on a Phobos Captain who only has one shot anyways, and now no one can hide from him!

• Shadowmaster Cloak*- A 3++ if you’re wholly on/in a terrain feature (remember not Hills or Buildings). Nice, provided you stick to the shadows. Like a Raven Guard would!

• Shard of Isstvan*- A flat +1 Attack to the wielder is good. Auto passing Morale in 6” is a nice bonus on top.

• Silentus Pistol*- One of the better Special-issue Pistols, with 2 shots at Strength 5 -2 AP and Dmg 2. Targeting Characters and +1 to Hit just make it even nicer. 

• Infiltrators- At the start of the first Battle Round, but before the first turn, an INFANTRY unit can Move as if it were your Movement Phase (so feel free to Advance), you just have to end the move more than 9” away from enemy units. Useful for pressing the attack if you have the first turn, or pulling out of an exposed position if you don’t. Always useful, though not CP efficient to redeploy many units so don’t overextend.

• The Raven’s Blade- At the start of your Charge phase, pick an enemy unit. If a unit declares a charge on that selected unit only, you can reroll the dice. Great for a key target and many of your own, especially if arriving from Reinforcements, though be wary of staggered battlelines- if it’s impossible to make a charge on a unit without having to declare on one of their friends next to them, this will be wasted.

• Stranglehold- Before turn 1 begins, provided you have any SCOUTS or PHOBOS units, you can use this to force any Stratagems your opponent uses in the first Battle Round to cost +1 CP or not be used at all on a D6 of 5+ (roll each time a Stratagem is used). Might not come up at all, might be utterly crippling. The threat of it alone can be a potent tool, potentially making opponents think twice about using Stratagems, especially if they are lower due to pregame expenses.

• False Flight- Fall Back Shoot and Charge. Expensive but powerful, especially on a unit that can do both equally well like Terminators or Dreadnoughts.

• Lay Low the Tyrants- In the Fight Phase an INFANTRY or BIKER unit gets +1 to Wound vs non-VEHICLE CHARACTERS or units with any models with 4+ Wounds. A strong option to have, though limited to the elitist of units, characters and monsters. 

• See, But Remain Unseen- At the end of your turn, a unit that didn’t make any attacks this turn are -1 to Hit by Ranged weapons. Helpful if you aren’t already getting one, or want to counter any of your opponents +1s, though the restriction makes it a bit limited to use.

• Strike From the Shadows- An INFANTRY unit can arrive from Reinforcements more than 9” away from enemy units. Better than Strategic Reserves as it’s on a per unit basis rather than combined Power Levels, and aren’t bound by board edges as well. 

• Vengeance for Isstvan V- Select a unit in the Fight phase, you can reroll hits against Word Bearers, Iron Warriors, Night Lords or Alpha Legion units. Niche already, and you likely won’t need it when it does come up. Poor Chaos. 

• Decapitating Blow- When the enemy Warlord is slain you can force a -1 Ld to the entire enemy army for the rest of the game. Pricey and may not always be useful, but could be handy if you have other things to capitalize on this (other stacking modifiers for example).

• A Deadly Prize- An INFANTRY unit can booby trap an Objective Marker within 3” (provided no enemies are within 3” of the marker). The next time an enemy moves within 3”, they take D3 Mortal Wounds on a 2-4, or a flat 3 on a 5+. Can be used to dissuade units from moving into certain areas of the battlefield, soften units that might be close to going to them, or outright killing the final members of a unit making a last-gasp objective nab. May not always be useful, and needs careful planning, but a useful tool nonetheless.

• Strike from the Skies- A JUMP PACK unit can Advance and Charge, and gets +1 to their Charge roll as well. A solid CP investment, especially if you’re using a beefed up Vanguard Squad, or for a Smash Captain who you’re enemy thought they were safe from. 

• • Ambushing Fire- Beef up your Tactical Doctrine, letting your Rapid Fire and Assault weapons do an extra AP on an unmodified Wound roll of 6. As before, useful in some instances, not in others.

• Master of the Trifold Path- Non-named Warlord gets a second Warlord Trait that must be a Raven Guard Trait. There’s some interesting combinations possible here, be it a melee focused warlord with Master of Vigilance and another buffing power, a Phobos Warlord with multiple redeploy type abilities, or other such possibilities. 

• Favour of the Ravenspire- Lets a unit ‘Sergeant’ have a Master-crafted Weapon, Digital Weapons, Silentus Pistol or Korvidari Bolts. Generally these are better on a Character, though the Silentus Pistol could prove a nasty surprise for unsuspecting Characters.
• Token of Brotherhood- A Successor Chapter can take a single non-Special-issue Relic. Remember all this does is give you the option to take it, it doesn’t give you another Relic included in its CP cost.

One great power and a useful utility power sit alongside two Librarian buffing powers and some ok-ish offensive powers. But that one good power is worth its weight in gold.

Powers marked with a * last until the start of your next Psychic Phase.

1. Umbral Form* (WC 5)- The Librarian gets a 4++ Invulnerable. Decent, though as with all of the Librarian buffing powers there are generally better powers that benefit your army more widely.
2. Enveloping Darkness* (WC 7)- A visible enemy unit within 18” cannot Overwatch and is -1 to Hit. A great power with two fantastic benefits, offset slightly by being one of the more difficult powers to cast but almost a must take due to the advantages and safety this can bring.
3. Spectral Blade* (WC 5)- The Librarians Strength becomes equal to their Leadership (so 9 generally) and if their Leadership is higher than the unit they’re fighting their melee goes up to -4 AP. It’s ok, remember Leadership modifiers will affect your Strength (so both minuses and pluses), but there’s better powers.
4. Shadowstep (WC 7)- A CHARACTER within 18” redeploys anywhere on the battlefield more than 9” away from enemies. High cast to move a single Character, though can be useful to get out of combat without Falling Back, nabbing objectives, threatening lone Characters or units, or repositioning Auras (especially for Reinforcements). A solid utility power to have. 
5. The Abyss (WC 6)- A visible enemy unit within 18” takes a Mortal Wound for each 4+ on a 3D6 roll, and a -1 to Leadership if anyone is killed. Reasonable, useful to snipe characters or finish off a wounded model. Handy to have if you want an alternative to Smite.
6. The Darkness Within (WC 6)- Up to three visible units within 18” take a Mortal Wound on a 4+ (roll a separate D6 for each), or a 3+ if you cast this on a 10+. Spreading Mortal Wounds can work, but generally you want to focus your efforts. You’re unlikely to use this over just casting a Smite.

Relics marked with a ^ is for Imperial Fists only, and Relics marked with† is for Crimson Fists only. Anything marked with an * is Special-issue Wargear, meaning a Successor can take these Relics without needing to use the Champion of Blades Stratagem. Because the Imperial Fists and their kin are known for lacking honour.

• The Banner of Staganda^– ANCIENTS get a 6” Aura of +1 to Hit for CORE and CHARACTERS in Melee weapons. Pretty decent, making your Fists potent in both melee and shooting. 

• The Bones of Osrak^– You can reroll Psychic Tests for Geokinesis powers. Most of them are pretty low casting anyways, or just not too vital to your gameplan if they don’t go off. Safely pass.

• The Eye of Hypnoth^– 6” Aura of reroll 1s to Wound with ranged weapons for CORE units. Great if you want to skip on a Lieutenant and aren’t too worried about losing the buff for melee. 

• The Spartean^– A longer range, character targeting Bolt Pistol with an extra shot as well as Ap-3 and Dmg 2. Decent if you’re adamant on having a Pistol relic for someone.

• Duty’s Burden†– Replaces Stalker or Auto Rifles only, giving them a tasty relic Bolt Rifle instead, with +1 Shot, Strength, AP and Damage. A solid upgrade for a shooty Captain.

• Fist of Vengeance†– A relic Power Fist with extra damage and without the -1 to Hit. Fantastic Melee upgrade.

• Auric Aquila*- A 4++ as well as a 5+++ vs Mortal Wounds caused in the Psychic Phase. Amazing on a Librarian not just for the 4++, but note it’s not Mortal Wounds inflicted by Psychic Powers, just wounds suffered in that phase. So Perils? Yup you can ignore them. A Vehicle explodes in the Psychic Phase? Right that one might be pushing it, but RAW…

• Fist of Terra*- A Power Fist that loses its -1 to Hit is already good. That same Power Fist also getting +1 Attack? Amazing. 

• Gatebreaker Bolts*- A bolt weapon you choose makes a single shot, but if it hits you roll to Wound D3 times instead of once, and at AP -5 Damage 1. Certainly funny, though you’re still limited by the Strength of the bolt weapon you fire (so likely 4).
• Warden’s Cuirass*– +1 to Wound. It’s nice, and can make for hilariously tough Characters when combined with certain Warlord Traits (A 9 Wound Gravis Captain with permanent Transhuman and a 3+/4++/6+++ comes to mind).

Stratagems marked with a * are for Crimson Fists only.

• Bitter Enmity- In the Fight phase one of your units can reroll hits against Iron Warriors. As with many of these, fluffy but niche, and likely unnecessary. Just…just leave Chaos alone.

• Bolster Defences- At the start of your Movement phase, select one of your INFANTRY units that is entirely on or within a terrain feature. They get +1 to their saving throw on top of anything else the terrain gives them until they move. Powerful for a dug in unit, though you have to make sure they’re in a good position from the start. 

• Sappers- A unit gets +1 to Hit and +1 Wound vs a BUILDING. Would be amazing were it not for that pesky BUILDING keyword.

• Pain is a Lesson- A non-VEHICLE, non-SERVITOR unit gets a 6+++ for a phase after they’ve been selected as the target for an attack. Not bad as it’s pretty flexible and any chance to shrug damage is useful. Can’t be used in the Psychic Phase however as powers are not technically attacks. 

• Close-range Bolter Fire- Change a CORE or CHARACTERS units Bolt weapons into Pistols. Thought those Aggressors were only punching you in their next turn? Think again. Also surprisingly handy in the Assault phase for the extra AP if your happy to lose shots on Rapid Fire Weapons (less of a concern for Assault or Heavy bolt weapons)

• Bolter Drill- A CORE or CHARACTER unit’s Bolt weapons score an extra hit on an unmodified hit roll of 6. Nice if you’re a Successor, even better if you’re Imperial or Crimson as it stacks, causing a tasty 3 hits! Intercessors or Aggressors are prime targets for this. 

• Tank Hunters- Strangely limited when compared to other Wound-boosting stratagems, giving one of your units +1 to Wound vs one specific enemy VEHICLE, so no splitting fire or such like. Having said that, on the right unit and against the right target it is very good, especially if you have Legacy of Dorn up.

• Clearance Protocols- Up to 10 models in a unit can chuck a Grenade. A decent option to have, though limited by their range.

• The Shield Unwavering- An INFANTRY unit within 3” of an Objective at the end of your Morale phase gets +1 Attack and +1 to Armour Saves until the start of your next turn. Note you don’t have to be controlling said Objective so this can be useful on the defense and the attack.

• Praetorian’s Wrath- Your Heavy and Grenade weapons get an extra AP on unmodified 6s to Wound when in Devastator Doctrine. A bit more limited than other Stratagems of its type, given the first turn limit, but still useful to have in those games where it might come up.

• Sentinel of Terra – Non-named Warlord gets a second Warlord Trait that must be a Imperial Fist Trait. Strangely this is also the case for Crimson Fists too. Can be used to make some nice defensible Characters, or grant some utility to one.

• Gift of The Phalanx- Lets a unit ‘Sergeant’ have a Master-crafted Weapon, Digital Weapons, Fist of Terra or Gatebreaker Bolts. Generally better on a Character, though the Fist of Terra is certainly a decent choice on an Intercessor Sergeant should you not want your Characters near the fighting. 

• Champion of Blades- A Successor Chapter can take a single non-Special-issue Relic. Remember all this does is give you the option to take it, it doesn’t give you another Relic included in its CP cost. 

• Slay the Tyrant*- A unit gets +1 to Hit for a phase vs CHARACTERS. Useful if you can target enemy Characters such as Knights or Daemons, or if you have a unit that wants to tear them down in combat.
• A Hated Foe*- One of your units gets to reroll Wounds vs Orks for the phase. Obviously situational, but a powerful one given it works on Shooting and Melee, giving you flexibility.

A strange mix of powers, with a surprising amount of offensive powers for a defensive minded army. A few of the powers are decent enough though, and might see more use than you’d think. 

Powers marked with a * last until the start of your next Psychic Phase.

1. Tectonic Purge* (WC 6)- Enemy units within 12” when they Charge are at -2 to the roll. A good defensive power, though remember the Librarian is likely not going to be quite as close to the enemy unit as the targeted unit, so careful positioning is required.
2. Wrack and Ruin (WC 6)- A visible BUILDING, or a visible enemy unit that is wholly on/within an Area Terrain feature, within 18” takes a Mortal Wound for each 5+ (4+ for a BUILDING) rolled out of 9 D6 . Could be quite potent, but a lot of hoops to jump through, and easy to counter by simply having a single model out of the terrain. Or by not being a BUILDING, which is 100% 99.99% of models used in the game. Meh.
3. Iron Inferno (WC 6)- Roll a dice for each enemy unit within 6” of a visible point of the battlefield that is within 18” of the Librarian, taking a Mortal Wound on a 4+. Ok, can do a decent spread of Mortal Wounds as well as “snipe” units out of Line of Sight, though its low chance of damage per unit.
4. Fortify (WC 4)- A INFANTRY or BIKER unit within 12” heals D3 Wounds. Handy to keep Characters or high wound models (see Centurions) alive a little longer. 
5. Aspect of Stone* (WC 5)- The Librarian gets +2 Strength and Toughness. Good if you know combat is coming up or your Librarian is in danger of being shot, though other powers might be more useful to the army overall.
6. Chasm (WC 6)- A visible enemy unit within 18” that cannot FLY takes Mortal Wounds depending on the lowest Movement value in the unit, and a 2D6 roll you make. They take 1 Mortal Wound if you roll less than the lowest Movement in the unit, D3 if you roll equal, or 3 if you roll higher. Not shabby, especially as you can target specific units or Characters, and a 7 on average, which is higher than most units Movements, means a solid 3 Mortal Wounds.

1. Anvil of Strength- +2 Strength. Nice and simple melee buff, can generally mean the warlord doesn’t need a Power Fist (they can use a Relic Blade instead for example), though doesn’t help with unreliable damage, and only really useful on a Fist/Hammer to wound T8/9 on a 3+. Vulkan gets this, cos he’s gotta fix things at the forge.
2. Miraculous Constitution- A 6+++ and you heal a wound at the start of your Movement Phase. A decent survivability trait, comparable to Iron resolve.
3. Never Give Up- In your Command Phases, select a unit a CORE or CHARACTER unit within 6” to get Objective Secured. Handy to have, though need to plan ahead with it, and can always use it on a unit that’s heading towards an Objective anyways.
4. Forge Master- +2 Toughness. Great defensive buff, generally means most comparable units will be wounding him on 4s or 5s even after weapons. Can be stacked with various powers and wargear (Bike or Gravis) for supreme tankiness.
5. Lord of Fire- Units in 6” can reroll the number of shots made with flamer weapons. If you build around it, awesome. Otherwise it can be virtually worthless. Agatone uses this, appropriate given his company is all about BURNING.
6. Patient and Determined- Once per Shooting and Fight Phase, one of your attacks auto hits. Pretty useful all told, though there are better traits for offense.

Anything marked with an * is Special-issue Wargear, meaning a Successor can take these Relics without needing to use the Trust of Prometheus Stratagem. Because the Salamanders share all their forging secrets easily when it comes to their ancient relics.

• Drakesmiter- An even heavier Thunder Hammer with an extra pip of AP, and +3 Damage on Unmodified 6s to wound. Being able to one shot most characters is super satisfying, though chances are you were killing them anyways with a Hammer.  A decent upgrade regardless.

• Helm of Draklos- A PRIMARIS gets +1 Wound and a 6” Aura of -1 Leadership to enemies. Decent though there are better relics in general.

• Nocturne’s Vengeance- A buffed up combi-flamer with -1 AP and 2 Damage, as well as a 12” range on the Flamer. A tasty shooting relic for a standard Marine

• The Salamander’s Mantle- -1 to Wound the bearer. Great defensive relic, can get hilarious with the high Toughness Salamander Characters can get up to. 

• The Tome of Vel’Cona- A LIBRARIAN now knows an extra Promethean Power, and gets +1 to cast Promethean Powers as well. A solid buff for the Librarian, especially if you want to mix and match powers.

• • Vulkan’s Sigil- The bearer has +1 Attack, and once per game at the start of the Fight Phase gets an extra +1 and gives an +1 Attack to friendly CORE units within 6”. Great combat buff that can certainly tilt the odds further in your favour for melee when used at the right time. 

• Wrath of Prometheus- A beefed up Boltgun with +6” Range, Strength 5 -2 AP and Damage 3! Shame it’s still only Rapid Fire 1 but a potent gun nonetheless.

• Dragon Rage Bolts*- A bolt weapon can use these to do a single shot that if it hits, explodes into D6 separate wound rolls at -1 AP Damage 1 that ignores cover. Not shabby, one of the better bolt shell relics, though a basic relic gun is still probably better. 

• Drakeblade*- A Power Sword (normal or master-crafted) or a Combat Knife upgrades to AP -4 and Damage 2, as well as doing an additional Mortal Wound on unmodified 6s to Wound. Nice little melee boost, though if you’re just eyeing up the AP and Damage just use the Burning Blade instead.

• Obsidian Aquila*- CORE units within 6” get a 6+++. Become a pseudo Apothecary that also works on Dreads, a great defensive boost for your army.
• Promethean Plate*– Unmodified wounds of 1-3 always fail, so constant Transhuman. Great ability to have, so even better when permanent.

• Flamecraft- A unit gets the maximum number of hits with their flame weapons. Great on units that have lots of flamers, obviously, but useful on heavier variants too like Invictors or Redeemers.

• The Crucible of Battle- A CORE or CHARACTER unit gets +1 to Wound for a phase. Cheap and powerful, you’ll likely be using it every turn.

• Strength of the Primarch- A unit gets +1 Strength and does double Damage on unmodified 6s to Wound. Would be good just with +1 Strength, the double Damage makes it even nicer. Fantastic on your heavy combat units, but even on a unit of Marines it can add up nicely. 

• The Fires of Battle – A unit’s flame and melta weapons cause an additional Mortal Wound (to a maximum of 3 per phase regardless of source of the weapon) on unmodified Wound rolls of 4+. A decent offensive boost even with the cap, be it on enemy armour or infantry.

• Immolation Protocols- A unit’s flame weapons become Pistols for a turn. Powerful on units with plenty of them, though remember that making them Pistols whilst in the Tactical Doctrine will remove their AP boost. Still, better than not shooting at all.

• Self Sacrifice- An INFANTRY unit of 5+ models not within 1” of enemies can absorb the shooting for another INFANTRY unit that’s wholly within 6” of it, preventing the second unit from being shot at whilst the first unit is alive, unless they are the closest visible unit. Decent if you have a key unit you want to protect, though the cost and limitations make it a bit restrictive to use too often so careful planning is required. 

• Rise from the Ashes- Bring one of your CHARACTERS back to life on a 4+ with 1 Wound remaining after they’ve been destroyed. Done at the end of the phase so they’ll be safe from further attacks or possible piles in that phase, and you have to be as close as possible to your previous position and more than an 1” from the enemy. Great if you stand up at the end of an opponent’s turn and can fall back to safety, not so good if it happens and they charge you or shoot you the following turn anyways.

• Vengeance for Isstvan V- Select a unit in the Fight phase, you can reroll hits against Word Bearers, Iron Warriors, Night Lords or Alpha Legion units. Niche as it is, and you likely won’t need it when it does come up. Poor Chaos. 

• Stand Your Ground- An INFANTRY unit that hasn’t Advanced in this or it’s previous Movement Phase gets +1 Armour Save vs Damage 1 attacks. Handy to keep a unit alive against small arms fire.

• Born Protectors- A unit assists another unit that gets charged with both Overwatch and a 2D6” Heroic Intervention. Makes charging your units pretty dangerous if you’ve pairs of units working in conjunction.   

• Relentless Determination- A unit that didn’t Advance or Fall Back counts as Remaining Stationary, and counts as double its wounds for any Vehicle damage tables. Whilst the first part is useless for Vehicles, and the second part is useless for anyone that isn’t a VEHICLE, both are nice benefits so it’s useful to have in your toolkit.

• • Rites of Vulkan- Tactical Doctrine booster, as with others granting you extra AP on unmodified 6s to Wound for your Rapid Fire and Assault weapons. As always, might be useful, might not, handy to have regardless.

• Exemplar of the Promethean Creed- Non-named Warlord gets a second Warlord Trait that must be a Salamanders Trait. Can result in some ridiculously tough or smashy Characters thanks to either of the stat boosting Traits.

• Masterful Artisans- Lets a unit ‘Sergeant’ have a Master-crafted Weapon, Digital Weapons, Drakeblade or Dragon Rage Bolts. As with most of these a Character would probably benefit better if you’re looking at any of these.
• Trust of Prometheus- A Successor Chapter can take a single non-Special-issue Relic. Remember all this does is give you the option to take it, it doesn’t give you another Relic included in its CP cost.

A few average offensive and utility powers, but the defensive ones are very good, and will generally go to choices if you only have the one Librarian. 

Powers marked with a * last until the start of your next Psychic Phase.

1. Flaming Blast (WC 6)- Roll a D6 for each enemy unit within 3” of a point on the battlefield that is visible and within 24” of the Librarian. On a 4+ they take a Mortal Wound. Low range on the impact on top of the 50/50 chance of actually doing any damage makes this a low priority choice.
2. Fire Shield* (WC 6)- A Salamander within 18” are -1 to Hit when shot at, and charging them is at -1 to the charge roll. A great spread of defensive buffs for a cheap cast. The -1 to hit alone is useful to keep a Vehicle or key unit alive a little longer.
3. Burning Hands* (WC 6)- The Librarian does a single Mortal Wound in melee for each hit instead of their normal damage. Kinda cool, though limited by Attacks and their WS 3+.
4. Drakeskin* (WC 6)- A Salamander unit within 12” gets +1 Toughness. A great survivability tool to make a unit tougher to shift, or make a Vehicle more resistant to anti-tank firepower.
5. Fury of Nocturne (WC 6)- A visible enemy unit within 18” takes D3 Mortal Wounds if you roll higher than the highest Toughness in the unit on a 2D6. Decent enough due to you selecting the target (ie Characters) and against all but the toughest of units you’ll be doing those Mortal Wounds.
6. Draconic Aspect* (WC 6)- Enemy units within 12” are at -2 Leadership. A decent debuff, if you want to spread some danger and force a bunch of Morale checks, though given the close proximity this could be risky.

1. Adept of the Omnissiah- Heal 1 Wound to a friendly VEHICLE within 1” at the end of your Movement Phase, or heal d3+1 instead of D3 if you’re a Techpriest. Decent enough, especially as your Vehicles are plenty tough already, but weirdly useless on a Master of the Forge (cos the wording is contradictory).
2. Will of Iron- You get to Deny the Witch once per turn, or an additional time if a Librarian. Obviously useful against Psykers, but could likewise be worthless in certain matchups. 
3. All Flesh is Weakness- Get a 5+++ instead of a 6+++. Helps make a pretty beefy Warlord. 
4. Student of History- The Warlord can Consolidate 6” and doesn’t have to end closer to enemy units. Tactically powerful and useful ability, use it to get out of combat, move towards objectives, get into more favourable positions for Auras or just reposition in combat to attack better targets next turn. Feirros has this, further exemplifying his ultimate support bot role. 
5. Merciless Logic- Unmodified 6s to Hit generate an extra attack. Useful in both Shooting and Melee, though you’ll still need to hit with those extra attacks.
6. Target Protocols- At the start of your Shooting Phase a friendly unit in 6” can reroll a Hit roll, a Wound roll and a Damage roll. Solid offensive buff, obviously great on units that will make the most of all three rerolls.

Anything marked with an * is Special-issue Wargear, meaning a Successor can take these Relics without needing to use the Bequeathed by the Iron Council Stratagem. I mean, I guess you’re using the most logically efficient thing by not using the Successors rules.

• Betrayer’s Bane- A Combi-melta that fires two melta shots. It’s ok, though you’ve access to better longer range anti tank.

• The Aegis Ferrum- A PRIMARIS model gets +1 Toughness and reduces all Damage taken by 1 (to minimum of 1). Amazing defensive relic, the only limit being Primaris.

• The Axe of Medusa- Power Axe with +3 Strength, -3 AP and Damage 3. Great melee weapon, on par with a Hammer and cheaper, though “only” Strength 7 is a downside.

• The Gorgon’s Chain- A 4++ and -1 to wound vs Ranged weapons. Decent, though if you’re being shot at you’re likely already in danger. Handy vs snipers though. 

• The Ironstone- At the start of each Battle Round a single friendly VEHICLE within 3” can reduce damage by 1 (to minimum of 1, and doesn’t stack with other rules like Duty Eternal) so long as they remain within 3”. Not as potent broken as it was, but still great for your key tanks.

• • The Mindforge- Upgrades a Force weapon (so Sword, Axe or Staff) to be x2 Strength. Decent, though as your Librarians ideally won’t be in combat in the first place, this can probably be passed. 

• The Tempered Helm- 5+ CP regen for each CP you’ve spent. Decent enough, though how much you need CP regen in 9th is down to your personal preference and Stratagem use. 

• Auto-medicae Bionics*- Heal D3 wounds at the start of each of your turns. Handy, though there are better defensive relics to stop you from getting wounded in the first place.

• Fortis-pattern Data Spike*- A Techmarine gets to roll 2 dice and pick one for healing with their Blessing of the Omnissiah. Decent, though you’re probably better just spending a few extra points to make them a Master of the Forge and heal a flat 3 anyways.

• Haywire Bolts*- A bolt weapon fires off a single shot that when used on VEHICLES also does D3 additional Mortal wounds on a 4-5 to Wound, or 3 Mortal Wounds on an unmodified 6. One of the better bolt weapons, pretty good on a Phobos Captain due to their single, high damage shot anyway.
• Teeth of Mars*– A Chainsword becomes -2 AP and Damage 2, which is nice in itself, but against VEHICLES it becomes Strength x2. Not a bad choice, though you’ll need to weigh up if the double strength in niche circumstances is worth the lower all round strength and attacks of the Teeth of Terra.

• Mercy is Weakness- Pick an enemy unit and one of your units. You must make every attack against that enemy, but unmodified 6s do two wounds instead of one. Pretty decent if you were going to be focus firing with a unit anyway. Remember its two separate wounds, so that’s two separate saves to be made.

• Methodical Firepower- At the start of your Movement Phase a unit goes into Devastator Doctrine in addition to whatever Doctrine is active currently. Great on units with mixed weapon loadouts, or for that unit that just needs to get reroll 1s to hit or ignore the moving with Heavy penalty. A solid ability to have in your pocket.

• March of the Ancients- Make a Dreadnought a CHARACTER, and give them +1 Attack and Ld. The attack is nice, the Ld is meh, but being a CHARACTER now means being eligible for Look Out sir for a bunch of Dreads, as well as being eligible for Warlord Traits, some of which are pretty great on Dreads (like Merciless Logic to fish for more shots)

• Vengeance for Isstvan V- Select a unit in the Fight phase, you can reroll hits against Word Bearers, Iron Warriors, Night Lords or Alpha Legion units. Niche already, and you likely won’t need it when it does come up. Poor Chaos. 

• Wrathful Machine Spirit- Reroll hit rolls with a VEHICLE. Good, though pricey, but some Vehicles will love the reliability. 

• Souls of Iron- Deny a Psychic power within 24” on a 4+. Always handy, especially when a high cast happens or it would be a power that would cause significant issues.

• Reject the Flesh, Embrace the Machine- An INFANTRY unit gets a 5+++ for a phase, or 4+++ if you have the All Flesh is Weakness Warlord Trait. Great survivability booster for a key unit.

• The Gorgon’s Rage- +1 to hit in melee is a decent buff, and +1 to wound if it’s against Emperor’s Children is niche but potent when it comes up. They’re still bitter about something.

• Cogitated Martyrdom- An INFANTRY unit dives in front of shooting attacks for a non-VEHICLE CHARACTER within 3” for the phase, transferring any wounds lost (before any +++ to ignore them), taking a Mortal Wound on a 2+ in their place. Though you can still use your own 6+++ on that. Not the pure cheddar it once was (thankfully), but still a decent ability if you have a vital character out of position or against snipers. 

• Machine Empathy- A TECHMARINE can use their Blessing of the Omnissiah ability again. Remember you can’t heal the same Vehicle twice, but this is great if you have wounds spread across your tanks.

• Optimal Repulsion Doctrines- Overwatch on a 5+, or 4+ if you are a pure Iron Hand (or Inheritor). Given you have to pay for Overwatch on top of the 2CP here, makes for an extraordinarily expensive ability. Probably won’t see the light of day right now, but when you desperately need to ensure something doesn’t charge you, at least you have it to blunt them.

• Engine Purge- Make your Heavy and Grenades do an extra AP on unmodified 6s to Wound in the Devastator Doctrine. Bit more limited than before but still useful to have if you are able to make the most of it turn 1. 

• Paragon of Iron- Non-named Warlord gets a second Warlord Trait that must be a Iron Hand Trait. Their traits have a good mix in them with something for everyone, be it defensive, offensive or supporting so this is an all round solid pick to further enhance your lines. 

• Scion of the Forge- Lets a unit ‘Sergeant’ have a Master-crafted Weapon, Digital Weapons, Teeth of Mars or Haywire Bolts. Haywire Bolts aren’t a bad choice for an Eliminator to give him a dual role, but as with the others there’s probably better uses of the CP or the Wargear themselves.
• Bequeathed by the Iron Council- A Successor Chapter can take a single non-Special-issue Relic. Remember all this does is give you the option to take it, it doesn’t give you another Relic included in its CP cost.

A good mix of offensive and buffing powers, though you’re most likely to see the buffing powers to make your Vehicles even more obnoxious. 

Powers marked with a * last until the start of your next Psychic Phase.

1. Blessing of the Machine God (WC 5)*- A Iron Hands VEHICLE within 12” gets +1 to Hit. Your Iron Hands, you have Vehicles. And this just makes them super reliable. Anything with lots of guns is a great target. You can only target TITANIC (ie Forge World) models if you cast this on an 8+
2. Objuration Mechanicum (WC 7)*- A visible enemy unit within 18” takes a Mortal Wound for each unmodified Hit roll of 1 they make when they Shoot. Not so helpful if there are plentiful rerolls in your opponents armies, but fantastic when there’s none available, or on units with large amounts of dakka and you want to try your luck. 
3. Fury of Medusa (WC 6)- A visible enemy model within 18” becomes the end point for a straight 1mm wide line between you and them. Roll a D6 for that model’s unit and any enemy other unit under the line(with +2 if they’re a VEHICLE), and they take a Mortal Wound on a 4-5, or D3 on a 6+. A less guaranteed but potentially more damaging Fury of the Ancients, and decent if you get a couple of Vehicles under the line. 
4. Psysteel Armour (WC 6)*- A unit within 12” gets +1 to their Armour Saves. Great on a big unit of Marines, or on units with a 2+, or a Vehicle. All round solid buffing power.
5. Reforge (WC 5)- A visible VEHICLE within 3” heals D3 wounds. Can’t heal a Vehicle already healed this turn (ie by a Techpriest) but handy to spread the healing, or as a backup in case your priest is dead.
6. Machine Flense (WC 6)- A visible enemy VEHICLE within 18” takes D3 Mortal Wounds, then picks another enemy unit with 6” of it. For each Mortal Wound the Vehicle took, roll a D6, the newly selected unit takes a Mortal Wound for each 3+. Unlike other “spread the damage” powers this one is actually pretty good. Straight up damage to a Vehicle is always helpful, and the better than average chance to do more Mortal Wounds to another unit within 6” (soooo that Character giving them a buff) is a useful side-effect.

Relics marked with† are for Flesh Tearers only. Anything marked with an * is Special-issue Wargear, meaning a Successor can take these Relics without needing to use the Honoured by The Arx Angelicum Stratagem. Which despite the comradery of the Blood Angels, technically you should be. 

• Wrath of Baal- A SANGUINARY ANCIENT grants +2” Movement to JUMP PACKS when you make a Normal, Advance or Fall Back Move (which is weird wording, but it means their Mv is still 12”, in case there are things that come later that target the Mv Characteristic I guess?). It’s ok, though chances are you were deep striking them anyways, or using the Icon of the Angel for more reliable charges. 
• Icon of the Angel- Units (not just CORE) within 6” can reroll Charge rolls. A brilliant all round Relic to help you get into what you want to blend.
• Visage of Death- The Character is -1 to Hit (both Ranged and Shooting), and they get a 3” Aura of no ObSec for enemy units in range. This is a powerful ability, and whilst it may not always come up, it can be clutch when used in conjunction with one of your Elite units that wants to drive an enemy away from an Objective. Combine with the Rite of War Warlord Trait to all but guarantee that any Objective your Character is on belongs to them
• Hammer of Baal- Thunder Hammer without the -1 to Hit and AP-3. A good alternative to the standard Master-crafted Hammer, especially given the changes to rerolls and AP.
• Gallian’s Staff- A Force Stave with extra AP, and a +1 to cast Sanguinary Powers. It’s decent if you’re running a Firstborn Librarian and no other Relics are wanted, but the Sanguinary Powers are easy enough to cast without the +1 so this is unlikely to be used often.
• Quake Bolts*- A Bolt Weapon makes a single shot that if it hits grants a +1 to Hit with your Melee weapons until the end of the turn. Actually pretty useful as its army wide, be it from range to support your speartip, or on a Pistol for a Character that’s among the frontlines.
• Archangel’s Shard*- A buffed up Power Sword (be it normal or Master-crafted), granting extra Strength, AP and Damage, as well as further Damage boosts vs CHAOS and CHAOS MONSTERS. Good by itself, but really horrific when going to eat Daemon Princes.
• Fleshrender Grenades*- Relic Frag Grenades was a thing that was warranted I guess? D3 shots but higher Strength, AP and Damage, with ignoring Light Cover to boot. They’re fun, but they’re also Grenades, you’ll likely use them once a game. Pass
• Gleaming Pinions*- A super Jump Pack that grants you Fall Back and Charge and reroll charges. A solid upgrade for a Smash Captain for both reliable charges and flexibility on his targets in case he bounces or gets tied up.
• The Crimson Plate†– A TERMINATOR gains +1” Mv, +1” to Pile In and Consolidation, as well as Advance and Charge. A fun pick, but there are better ones to help you get there, or pile on the damage when you do.
• Severer of Threads†– A +2 Strength, AP -2 Damage 2 Chainsword that trades the extra attack for doing an additional Mortal Wound on unmodified 5+ to Wound. It’s pretty decent, and you can pile on a decent amount of damage before saves are even made if you roll decently. 

Stratagems marked with a * are for Flesh Tearers only.

• Descent of Angels- A CORE JUMP PACK is selected at the end of the Movement Phase, after arriving from Reinforcements. That unit can ignore any Charge roll modifiers that turn, as well as getting +1 to Hit. The +1 to Hit works for both Shooting and Melee, so it’s useful for all manner of units (Plasma Inceptors, Sanguinary Guard, Death Company etc). Can be combined with Upon Wings of Fire below to use it on a unit effectively twice per game if necessary.
• Vengeance for Sanguinius- Reroll Hits and Wounds vs BLACK LEGION. One of those fluffy Stratagems that is literally worthless in most match ups, but potentially game winning in the one where it can be done. You don’t exactly need the help against them at the moment either.
• Refusal to Die- A DEATH COMPANY unit gets a 5+++ for a Phase. Cheap, but can only be done once per turn so no double dipping across multiple phases. Choose when to do it wisely. Also this is triggered by being targeted by an Attack, so specifically Shooting and Melee- this won’t help you against Smites etc. Costs 2CP if there are 6+ models in the unit. 
• Aggressive Onslaught*- An INFANTRY unit can Pile In and Consolidate 6” this Fight Phase. A powerful tool to engage more models, and tag more units. Use liberally when you can.
• Angel’s Sacrifice- A CHARACTER performs a video game Taunt on enemy models, forcing those models in Engagement Range to have to attack them. Whilst a bit limited, this can hamper your opponent’s plans by protecting your other units. Just be sure to way up the potential cost of losing a Character, especially if against a powerful combat unit. Also the enemy model must be Engagement Range, so within 1” Horizontally/5” Vertically of the Character (thus fighting “in ranks” can bypass this and attack normally).
• Spiritual Might- A PSYKER can attempt to manifest an extra power at the end of the Psychic Phase. Useful if you need to get off an extra Smite, or have decided that another Discipline Power could tip the scales. Won’t always come up, but nice to have in the back pocket.
• Visions of Sanguinius- One of your DEATH COMPANY CHARACTERS can either use a second Death Vision, or use two in one phase provided they have not used any this game. Whilst you can’t use a Vision already used (so no double use of On the Bridge of the Vengeful Spirit for example), it does allow them a bit more flexibility such as getting the 3++ and going for the Mortal Wounds in the same phase. Note that On the Bridge of the Vengeful Spirit and To Slay the Warmaster won’t stack in the same phase, so don’t waste it on trying.
• Angel Exemplar- Standard “give your Warlord another Supplement Trait”. There’s some nice combinations that can be done both internally and with the core SM Dex, most of which revolve around being a weapon in combat. Foresight is a great pick due to the reliability it can grant. 
• Angel Ascendant- Give a Sergeant a Master-crafted Weapon, Digital Weapon, Fleshrender Grenades or Quake Bolts. Pretty standard, the MC Weapon is probably a good choice if you are going for this, though there could be use of Quake Bolts on a Bladeguard for example.
• Lucifer-Pattern Engines- Pick a non-DREADNOUGHT, non-FLY VEHICLE pregame, they can auto advance 6” for the battle. It’s ok, but unlikely to be done often, and as it’s pregame you need to anticipate who might need it. It’ll probably be a Transport as they’re the ones most likely to be Advancing to nab Objectives.
• Honoured by the Arx Angelicum- A Successor Chapter can take a single non-Special-issue Relic. Remember all this does is give you the option to take it, it doesn’t give you another Relic included in its CP cost. 
• Red Rampage- The usual army wide 6s to Wound boost the AP of your associated Combat Doctrine, with the oddity of only being 1CP here compared to everyone else’s 2CP. Given how cheap it is it can be worth using to really pile on the wounds that go through armour. Means Flesh Tearers get AP-3 punches on 6’s to Wound when using this, cos they’re just that angry.
• Unbridled Ardour- Let a unit of SANGUINARY GUARD Heroically Intervene 6”. Makes going too close to them a dangerous prospect, and it’s cheap enough that it’s something you can generally have ready to go.
• Forlorn Fury- A pre-game Stratagem that lets you make a Normal Move up to 12” (note if you only have a 6” Mv you can still only move 6”) DEATH COMPANY. As it’s done after determining the first turn you get great flexibility. Get turn 1, Forlorn Fury then move again for those turn 1 charges. Get turn 2, Forlorn them bravely back into hiding. All for the paltry sum of 1CP, or 2CP if you have 6+ models in a unit. If you’re using DC, you’re probably using this as well. 
• Upon Wings of Fire- A JUMP PACK CORE unit is removed from the battlefield, and comes back down in the following turn. More limited than it was, but great to redeploy a unit for Objectives or Secondaries in later turns, or you are needing to put pressure on another section of the board in a later stage of the battle. Just don’t do it on turn 5, as they count as destroyed. 
• Savage Destruction*- An enemy unit that fails Morale in Engagement Range takes a further -1 to their Combat Attrition checks. Niche, but can be potent when it comes up, especially if the unit is below Half Strength.
• Chalice Overflowing- A SANGUINARY PRIEST can use their Blood Chalice ability twice this Command Phase. If you’re looking to have the Priest support multiple melee units in turns 1 and 2 this is obviously useful to have.

A good mix of buffing powers with a smattering of offensive ones, though ways to boost your offense via the buffs will be far more likely to be used over the occasional Mortal Wounds that can be done.

Powers marked with a * last until the start of your next Psychic Phase.

1. Quickening (WC 6)*- The Psyker gets +D3 Attacks, and can reroll Advance and Charge rolls. Useful for a beatstick like Mephiston or a Librarian Dreadnought. 
2. Unleash Rage (WC 6)*- A CORE unit within 12” gets an extra hit on unmodified 6s to Hit. Can combine with the Whirlwind of Rage Successor Chapter, so 6s do 3 Hits, which is as ridiculous as it is powerful on units like Death Company or Sanguinary Guard.
3. Shield of Sanguinius(WC 6)*- A friendly unit in 18” gets a 5++, which is nice. If you’re running a murder ball type army that bundles around a Librarian, just use Psychic Fortress to give it to those multiple units, but this at least allows a unit to go off by themselves.
4. Blood Boil (WC 6)- Pick an enemy within 18” and roll 2D6. They take D3 Mortal Wounds if you roll over the highest Toughness in the unit, or a flat 3 if you roll more than double. Good for chipping away at units, but don’t rely on the flat 3 Mortal Wounds as you need more than double, so a 7 for T3 or 9 for T4. 
5. Blood Lance (WC 6)- Draw a line between the Psyker and a visible enemy unit within 18”. Every model the centre of the line goes over takes a mortal wound on a 5+. A decent power if your opponent is kind enough to line up lots of models.   
6. Wings of Sanguinius (WC 6)- The Psyker can make a Normal or Fall Back move as if they had a 12” Mv and FLY. Useful to get out of dodge, move onto an objective, or threaten a unit that thought themselves safe.

Provided every model in your Army is a BLOOD ANGEL (sans AGENTS OF THE IMPERIUM and UNALIGNED) and your Warlord is a BLOOD ANGEL, you can use one of these Secondaries, following all the normal rules for choosing Secondaries, so no duplicate categories etc. As mentioned in the main Space Marine Secondaries section, you can technically select one Space Marine one and one Blood Angel one, but check with your opponents/TO beforehand. 

Relics with a ˣ can be equipped by a TALONMASTER, who normally would not be eligible to take a Relic (they can also take Digital Weapons). Anything marked with an * is Special-issue Wargear, meaning a Successor can take these Relics unless you use Honoured by the Rock, which if they’re not green, black or beige, should be the rules…

• Mace of Redemption- Turns a Power Maul or Crozius into a Power Fist without the -1 to Hit, that also does 2 Mortal Wounds instead of normal damage when wounding FALLEN or HERETIC ASTARTES on a 4+. The stat boosts alone are great, the mortal wounds are decent when fighting Chaos. You’ll never fight Fallen though let’s be fair.
• Pennant of Remembrance- A DEATHWING ANCIENT model gets to pick a DEATHWING INFANTRY CORE unit within 6” in your Command Phase, to give them -1 Damage for the round. A very powerful defensive buff on top of their existing abilities, makes a unit incredibly tough to shift. 
• Shroud of Heroes- Attacks against the bearer are -1 to Hit. A simple but effective defensive relic. 
• Reliquary of the Repentant- A RAVENWING BIKER gets a 3” Aura (effectively, it doesn’t have the Aura keyword so can’t ever be increased, decreased or turned off) that makes 4+ or better Invulnerable Saves only work on a 5+. A potent ability, albeit one that puts the bearer in the danger zone. Good on a character hunter who is likely to go after these sorts of heroes, or a support character to zip around and shut down tough units.
• Foe-smiter- A mega Storm Bolter with Assault 4, Str 5, Ap -1 and Dmg 2. A great shooting relic for a backline commander
• Eye of the Unseenˣ– The bearer gets a 6” Aura of -1 Ld (meh), and also forces enemy CHARACTERS to strike last. Both benefits are fairly niche, and there are more widely useful and applicable relics. 
• Cup of Retribution– A CHAPLAIN gets a once per game Litany that auto inspires, granting +1A to all CORE units within 6”. A decent pick if you’re running melee Dark Angels and a Chaplain already
• Heavenfall Blade*ˣ- Replacing pretty much any sword type weapon, getting +2 Str, -4AP 2Dmg and +1A to boot. A great all-round combat booster.
• Arbiter’s Gaze*ˣ- Always hit on a 2+ with Shooting, including Overwatch, and ignore all cover to boot. Pretty scary on the Talonmaster, especially when combined with Devastator Doctrine to make them hit harder and also trigger Speed of the Raven.
• Atonement*- A Plasma Pistol that is always overcharged, never overheats, and gets +6” Range, and +1 Str, AP and Dmg. A decent pistol relic, but it’s still just a Pistol.
• Bolts of Judgement*ˣ- A Bolt Weapon makes a single shot at AP -2 and Damage 3, that also wounds on a 2+ against anything non-MONSTER and non-VEHICLE (which are wounded on 6s). A decent upgrade for a Pistol or an Eliminator Sergeant, though probably not at the top of your list of choices. 

• Wrath of the Lion- Your standard army wide ‘6s to Wound do extra AP’ Stratagem, with the unique ability to be used in any Doctrine, boosting those associated weapons. Still once per game, but the flexibility is pretty strong to have.
• Intractable- Fall back and Shoot, as well as ignoring the Inner Circle restrictions. It’s a solid Stratagem, especially since it’s not locked behind any Keywords other than DARK ANGELS, just remember no Charging afterwards.
• Deathwing Assault- If a DEATHWING unit teleported onto the battlefield, or used their Teleport Homer, they get +1 to Wound with Shooting. A powerful stratagem, though the limits make it a bit trickier to use than others of its kind. Still one that should be considered every game if you’re using Terminators though.   
• Full Throttle- A RAVENWING unit makes another 12” Normal Move after Advancing, at the expense of Shooting and Charging that turn. Not something you may need to do every turn given your inherent speed already, however for setting up for the following turn, or last minute Objectives grabbing this is useful to have in the tool kit. Costs 2CP if used on a 6+ man squad.
• Line Unbreakable- An INFANTRY unit can only be targeted in melee by models that are in Engagement Range. This sounds weird, but effectively means that there’s no ‘fighting in ranks’ – if a model wants to attack, they must physically be in Engagement Range. This can play havoc with big units, as well as throw a spanner in the works of any Pile IN/Consolidation shenanigans that the opponent may have had in mind, as it can limit their options and attacks, should they wanted to do damage prior to the movement.
• High-speed Focus- A RAVENWING VEHICLE unit gets a 4++ vs Shooting for a phase. Whilst not as necessary as before due to the changes of Jink, a 4++ is still amazing on a lynchpin unit, and this can be used on a unit that Remained Stationary (and thus wouldn’t be getting Jink). 
• No Foe Too Great to Subdue- DEATHWING KNIGHTS get +1 AP and +1 to Wound with their Maces of Absolution when fighting a MONSTER or VEHICLE. A potent offensive buff to an already strong melee unit, gives them a great edge over these targets.
• Marked for Command- Your usual ‘give a Sergeant some Special Issue Wargear’ Stratagem, letting them take a Master-crafted Weapon, Digital Weapon, Atonement or Bolts of Judgement. As with all the other Chapters, this is likely at the bottom of your priority list, but you’ve got it if you want it. 
• Paragon of the Chapter- Give your Warlord a second Dark Angel Trait. There’s some nice combinations you can do with this, either for a line buffer with things like Fury of the Lion or Brilliant Strategist, or a beatstick Character hunter with Master of Manoeuvre and Champion of Humanity. 
• Honoured by the Rock- Give a Successor a non-Special Issue Relic, should you be running a Successor and following those rules.
• Tactical Appraisal- A friendly unit within 6” of your Warlord changes to a Doctrine of your choice. Whilst limited to being in range of your Warlord, it’s cheap, not limited to the unit that can benefit, and another way to chop and change Doctrines around to what’s most useful for you.
• The Hunt- A pricy Stratagem at 2CP, or a whopping 3CP if used on a unit of 6+, but a mighty one, letting a unit of RAVENWING make a Normal Move at the start of the first Battle Round. As with all these types of redeploys, this can be used in a number of offensive and defensive ways. Note it is specifically a Normal Move so no 4++ Jinking if you go second. Also this can be done multiple times so you could burn a lot of CP early on, but consider that Forlorn Fury got FAQd to being once per game, so don’t expect it to stick around. 
• Targeting Guidance- An enemy unit within 18” of a RAVENWING LAND SPEEDER or RAVENWING STORM SPEEDER becomes targeted, granting your whole army +1 to Hit with shooting against them. Great to offset a multitude of minuses, be it Dense Cover or built in rules, or offset moving with Grim Resolve. A useful and potent buff, despite it’s slightly limited range and 2 CP cost.
• Swift Strike- Another costly RAVENWING Stratagem, again at 2CP or 3CP for a unit of 6+, but once again another powerful benefit. Once the selected unit has finished fighting, you immediately can Fall Back if in Engagement Range, or make a Normal Move otherwise. Don’t want to get hit back if you bounce off an enemy? Get out of there. Caught flatfooted by a charger, but interrupted, now use this and make them waste their charge. Wiped the enemy unit but now exposed or unable to tag anyone? Use this to get across the board or into safer areas. Pricey, but a powerful tool for the units that can use it.
• Secret Agenda- Use this after choosing your Secondaries (or Agendas in Crusade), and you can keep one of them a secret from your Opponent, until you score VP on it the first time in the game. Fun, and could have uses if there’s end game Objectives you want to keep hidden (as remember you wont technically score them until the end game even if the prerequisites are done in game), though comparatively poor for a lot of Objectives that are Progressive, or any that require Actions as you have to declare them. 
• Stasis Shell- 2CP lets a RAVENWING model use this in place of a normal shot with an Astartes Grenade Launcher, which should it hit does no wounds but prevents any non-MONSTER or non-VEHICLE unit from Falling Back until the start of your next turn. Useful for setting up a big or tough unit that you won’t kill in your turn to act as a shield for your chargers, or just prevent them from escaping to safety in their turn.
• Weapons from the Dark Age- +1 Damage to Plasma Weapons in a unit. Simple but brutally effective, helping offset overcharging without sacrificing much in the way of damage output, or for when you want to ensure a tank or big gribbly goes away.

A great set of powers, with a good selection of debuffs, a smattering of damage dealers, and an incredible melee booster, though with above average casting costs for half of them.

Powers marked with a * last until the start of your next Psychic Phase.

1. Mind Worm* (WC 6)- An enemy unit within 18” takes a Mortal Wound, but more importantly must fight last. The debuff is much more useful than the single wound, and combos nicely with some of the Stratagems you have available. Use this, then some Ravenwing with Swift Strike without needing to worry about being interrupted for example.
2. Aversion* (WC 6)- An enemy unit within 24” is at -1 Attack and -1 to Hit. A ludicrously good debuff which is cheaper than it should be for what it does- compare to similar powers that inflict -1 to Hit are often shorter range, or higher cost, and all without the -1 Attack. A solid go to power.
3. Righteous Repugnance* (WC 7)- A friendly unit within 12” gets reroll Hits and Wounds in melee. A fantastic boost for a wide range of units, only offset by the reasonably high Warp Charge.
4. Trephination (WC 5)- Essentially a Smite that does a flat 3 Mortal Wounds if you cast it on greater than the target’s Leadership. It’s decent and a great alternative to Smites as you have a great chance of doing the flat 3 vs many units (9+ to cast for the most part. For the most part though, the other powers are far more interesting or potent despite not being about raw mortal wounds. 
5. Engulfing Fear* (WC 7)- Another high cast power, but with some great debuffs. -1 Ld is fine but not the meat of the power, instead turning off Objective Secured is a potential game changer. Should you cast it on equal or greater than their Ld (note this is before the -1 Ld applied above), then they can’t do Actions and any Actions immediately fail. With a 24” range, this can turn a game on its head if you have units nearby to capitalize on the Objective, or on a juicy roll can utterly ruin an opponent’s Secondary plans. Remember you manifest then select the targets, so you always have the freedom to turn off an Action somewhere if you would roll high enough, or choose something else if you don’t.
6. Mind Wipe* (WC 7)- A unit within 18” loses one of its Auras. A hugely potent ability that can cripple a battleline, or wreck the support needed. Note the unit in question must have the Aura at the time, so no pre-empting turning things off like a Psychic Power, a Litany or certain once per game abilities. 

Provided every model in your Army is a DARK ANGEL (barring AGENTS OF THE IMPERIUM and UNALIGNED) and you have a DARK ANGEL Warlord, you can use one of these Secondaries, following all the normal rules for choosing Secondaries, so no duplicate categories etc. As mentioned in the main Space Marine Secondaries section, you can technically select one Space Marine one and a Dark Angel one, but check with your opponents/TO beforehand. 

Anything marked with an * is Special-issue Wargear, meaning a Successor can take these Relics without needing to use the A Trophy Bestowed Stratagem. Well known for their Successor Chapters as well as sharing are the Space Wolves…

• The Armour of Russ– Grants a 2+/4++, as well as the ability to select one enemy unit at the start of the Fight Phase and force them to attack after everyone else. A decent stat boost alongside a potent ability that can dictate the flow of combat makes this a solid pick. 

• The Wulfen Stone– Grants a 6” Aura of reroll Charge rolls to CORE (so annoyingly not the Character themselves…), as well as once per game ability to let a friendly unit within 6” activate Savage Fury on a 5+. When used on a full sized unit, or one with high quality attacks, this can result in utter destruction.

• Fireheart- A relic Plasma Pistol with 18” Range Str 9 AP -4 Dmg 3. Never gets hot, but it’s just a Pistol. 

• Black Death- A Power Axe (or Master-crafted one) gets +D6 Attacks, but only Dmg 1. Can make a nice light infantry blender, but D6 is unreliable and with no ways to increase the damage makes it poor against most other targets. 

• Mountain-breaker Helm- An INFANTRY model does D3 Mortal Wounds on a 2+ before they Consolidate. Useful to finish someone off, though often a SW Character is doing that anyways. Still handy in a pinch, and as its done before Consolidates can remove the last models from a unit allowing them to Consolidate into fresh prey

• The Storm’s Eye- Once per turn, after resolving a Tempestas Psychic Power a LIBRARIAN casts does some splash damage, with enemy units within 12” taking a Mortal Wound on a 4+. Note this happens after the power is resolved, so it still needs to be successfully cast and not denied, but likewise if you whiff the first power you still have the chance to activate this on your second power.

• The Pelt of Balewolf- Melee attacks vs the bearer are -1 to Hit and Wound. A tasty defensive buff, which whilst melee only is likely where a Space Wolves Character is going to be.

• Morkai’s Teeth Bolts*- A Bolt Weapons fires a single round that doesn’t do any damage if it hits, but causes your entire army to reroll 1s to wound that unit. Actually pretty good, as you can use this on a Character at the rear to mark up units for destruction from your VEHICLES as well as units not in Lieutenant range. 

• Wolf Tail Talisman*- The bearer gets a 4+++ against Mortal Wounds in the Psychic Phase. Hyper niche, and would be better if it could be given to a Sergeant (say on Thunderwolves), so this can likely be passed unless you’re expecting a lot of Psykers.

• Frost Weapon*- A better Master-crafted Weapon giving +1 Str as well as +1 Dmg, albeit only on Lightning Claws, Power Swords and Power Axes. Incidentally can be used on an already master-crafted Sword or Axe, making them Damage 3. A worthwhile upgrade, likely over other normal melee Relics to boot.
• Runic Weapon*- An upgrade for a LIBRARIAN, granting their Force weapon +1 Strength, as well as a +1 to Deny. It’s ok, but there’s better relics to be looking at.

• Go for the Throat- You’re standard “6s to Wound do extra AP” in your chosen Doctrine, so Assault Doctrine. As with the other ones, it’s fine, but probably won’t be used all that often. 

• Cunning of the Wolf- Grant a Space Wolves INFANTRY Outflank. Better than Strategic Reserves for any Infantry you might be thinking about reserving due to the less restrictive board edge deployment.

• The Emperor’s Executioners- Reroll Hits and Wounds vs THOUSAND SONS in melee. Another super niche but borderline broken in that niche. Haven’t you done enough to them?!

• Savage Strike- +1 to Wound for a unit that charged this turn. A more limited wound booster Stratagem, requiring both melee and the charge, but brutal when used on the right unit. Costs 2 CP if there’s 6+ models in a unit.

• Healing Balms- An INFANTRY, BIKER or CAVALRY unit heals D3 wounds at the end of the Movement phase if within 3” of a WOLF PRIEST model (so Chaplains essentially). Fine, you can’t take Apothecarys so this is the best you’re allowed. The downsides of being special apparently.

• Pack Hunters- Gives BEASTS and CAVALRY a 3D6 picking the highest charge move, as well as reroll wounds with their bites and claws, though with the caveat of it is on a unit already in Engagement Range of a friendly Space Wolves unit, and with a hefty 2CP price tag. However given this will affect all of those units charging and attacking that enemy, it can be useful to ensure longer charges with Thunderwolves, or use them as the second wave and help pile on the hurt. 

• Relentless Assault- Consolidate +3” for a unit. A great cheap Stratagem that is useful for both wrapping as well as tagging. Use liberally when you can.

• Cloaked by the Storm- Burn 2 CP after casting a Tempestas power, but gain a 6” aura of -1 to Hit for Shooting attacks. A great defensive power that isn’t restricted to Core or Characters, so can be used to assist your Transports as you trundle up the field, as well as generally being a strong ability to have in your pocket.

• Deed Worthy of a Saga- When a non-VEHICLE CHARACTER without a Warlord Trait fulfils a Saga, they get that Saga at the end of the Phase. Whilst this won’t give them the Trait itself, it helps them buff other units around them. Has some uses especially with things like Hunter or Wolfkin, but not something to anticipate, and at 2CP could stretch your CP thin when/if it happens. 

• A Trophy Bestowed- A Successor Chapter can take a single non-Special-issue Relic. Remember all this does is give you the option to take it, it doesn’t give you another Relic included in its CP cost.  

• Thane of the Retinue-  Lets a unit ‘Sergeant’ have a Master-crafted Weapon, Digital Weapons, Frost Weapon, or Morkai’s Teeth Bolts. Generally these are better on a Character, though the Morkai’s Teeth could be useful on a longer ranged support Sergeant to set up rerolls elsewhere.

• Warrior of Legend- Standard ‘get a second Chapter Warlord Trait’ Stratagem. Nice for making a particularly nasty combat beast, especially as they get the ability to activate each Saga if they have two Wolves traits, making them an effective force multiplier as well. Wolfkin and Hunter are two particularly nice traits to have together due to their potent buffs and easy Sagas.

• Bestial Nature- In the Command Phase, turn on the Assault Doctrine for the round instead of the active Doctrine, for a INFANTRY, BIKE or CAVALRY unit. Thanks to the FAQ this now does activate Savage Fury (finally), making this a go to choice in the first few turns for things like Bladeguard, Terminators and Thunderwolves.

• Counter Charge- Grants a 6” Heroic Intervention to a unit, costing 0CPif used on a Character! A handy little tool, especially as some opponents will cannily be avoiding your army wide Intervention and this can ensure they daren’t come too close.

• Keen Senses- In your Shooting Phase, an INFANTRY, BIKE or CAVALRY unit can ignore any and all modifiers and to their WS, BS and hit rolls, as well as any Charge modifiers, for the rest of the turn. Obvious uses include Long Fangs and Thunder Hammer equipped units after your first round of combat bonus has gone. Don’t neglect the charge modifier ignoring though, especially if a unit needs to make it over a crater into a key target. Just remember the timing is in the Shooting Phase, so make sure to plan ahead, even on a unit that may not be shooting that turn.
• Runic Wards- A unit gets a 12” Deny chance. Useful in a pinch to deny a key Smite or debuff power, though obviously limited by range it’s always handy to have especially if you’re in the thick of fighting.

A few offensive powers surrounded by some excellent buffing and debuffing powers. An all round good discipline with a power for most occasions. 

Powers marked with a * last until the start of your next Psychic Phase.

1. Living Lightning (WC 6)- A Smite that then bounces to the closest enemy unit within 6”, doing a Mortal Wound on a 2-4, or D3 on a 5+. Whilst won’t stack the damage on the primary target, good for spreading hurt around, especially if elite or character units are bunched up.
2. Murderous Hurricane* (WC 6)- An enemy unit within 18” (doesn’t need line of sight) has to fight last, and can’t Overwatch unless they were wholly on or within a terrain feature. A decent debuff that can be useful if you’re expecting a unit to charge you next turn, or has an ability that would let them strike before you. Also gives you breathing room from any combat interrupts your opponent may have been planning. Shutting down Overwatch is just a nice bonus.
3. Tempest’s Wrath* (WC 6)- An enemy unit within 24”(again doesn’t need line of sight) gets -1 to hit. Cheap, good range and applicable to most units be they combat or shooting. A solid go to power.
4. Instincts Awoken* (WC 6)- A friendly unit within 18” goes into the Assault Doctrine instead of the current one. If it’s already the Assault Doctrine, 6s to Wound grant a bonus -1 AP. Great to shift into Savage Fury early, and still has use in the later phases of the game, though much more useful in the early stages during any Turn 1 or 2 charges.
5. Storm Caller* (WC 6)- Friendly units within 6” gain Light Cover. A great defensive power for a cheap casting cost, the short range the only real downside here. Enjoy your 2+ Sv Marines, or even 0+ Sv Storm Shield Terminators. Combos very nicely with the Cloaked by the Storm Stratagem for even greater defense.
6. Jaws of the World Wolf (WC 7)- Roll a D6 for each model in a visible enemy unit within 18”, taking a Mortal Wound for each 6. If you cast this on an unmodified 9+ however, it takes Mortal Wounds for each 5+ instead. A very strong power against hordes, and whilst it may not be applicable against smaller units, getting the 9+ casting off can mean a dead Marine or two if you roll well.

Provided every model in your Army is a SPACE WOLF (barring AGENTS OF THE IMPERIUM and UNALIGNED) and you have a SPACE WOLF Warlord, you can use one of these Secondaries, following all the normal rules for choosing Secondaries, so no duplicate categories etc. As mentioned in the main Space Marine Secondaries section, you can technically select one Space Marine one and a Space Wolves one, but check with your opponents/TO beforehand.

1. Vigilance Incarnate- In the Command Phase, select a CORE unit within 6” and a Battlefield Role. The unit gets to reroll 1s to Wound against that chosen Role. Note this stacks with the Chapter Tactic, giving you flexibility on your targets. A decent trait, but nothing special. Artemis has this.
2. Paragon of their Chapter- You may select one of the Chapter Warlord Traits from the main Space Marine Codex, replacing any CHAPTER Keywords with DEATHWATCH. Note this must be from the main book, no Supplements, and you have to take the Warlord Trait of the Chapter of the model if it has one (so don’t paint them with a White Scars Shoulderpad for example). There’s some nice combos, particularly with ways to get nice defensive buffs or CP regen. 
3. Nowhere to Hide- In your Command Phase, select an enemy unit. You get a 6” aura for CORE units to ignore save bonuses from cover on that unit. Works for both Light and Heavy cover, so has uses for a variety of units to ensure a key target’s destruction. Doesn’t ignore Dense though, so bear that in mind. Natorian gets this. 
4. Optimised Priority– CORE and CHARACTERS in 6” can still shoot whilst performing Actions. Niche, but can be handy if you are anticipating any Action based Secondaries every turn and don’t want to sacrifice firepower. Note that this just allows you to shoot, not do anything else, so if this Warlord does an Action he turns off his own aura, meaning he couldn’t shoot anyways. Cassius gets this.
5. Castellan of the Black Vault- Get a free Master-crafted Weapon, Adamantine Mantle, Artificer Armour or Digital Weapon on this Warlord, in addition to any other Relic they carry. Good for making beefier characters, or spreading some relics around the army.
6. The Ties That Bind- All CORE units within 6” reroll failed Morale, and you grant Objective Secured to a single CORE unit each Command Phase for the Round. If they already have ObSec, they count as an extra model. A good all round trait, especially if you are running large squads of Veterans, and want to ensure you hold any Objectives you come across.

• The Beacon Angelis- Provided the bearer didn’t arrive from Reinforcements this turn, the bearer can teleport an INFANTRY or BIKER unit that is on the battlefield (and also didn’t arrive from Reinforcements), is in a teleportarium (so Terminators), or in Strategic Reserves, to arrive wholly within 6” of them and more than 9” away from enemy models. Has its uses, particularly on a Bike Captain who might have hooned up the field to bring a unit of tooled up Veterans with him, but being once per game means you need to make its impact felt.
• Dominus Aegis- Replacing a Shield of some type (Storm, Relic or Combat), the bearer keeps the +1 to Armour Saving Throws, and trades out the other rules for a 6” Aura of a 5++ for all CORE and CHARACTERS. A potent defensive upgrade, especially on Captains who won’t miss the loss of the 4++ thanks to their Iron Halo, and well worth the swap out if you have plentiful units to protect and aren’t running Shields on those units.
• Osseus Key- A WATCH MASTER gets a 12” aura of -1 Attack and -1 to Hit for enemy VEHICLES. A nasty surprise for any melee VEHICLES, and even against other tanks the -1 to Hit can be crippling if the Watch Master gets too close.
• The Thief of Secrets- A Power Sword (normal or Master-crafted) or Xenophase Blade is swapped out for a Xenophase Blade that does Dmg 2 vs Xenos. Cute sidegrade, but there are better and more widely applicable melee relics.
• The Tome of Ectoclades- In your Command Phase you can select a Datasheet in your opponents army (so “Necron Warriors” or “Blightlord Terminators”, for example), and CORE units within 6” can reroll Wound rolls against that chosen Datasheet for the battle round. A powerful effect, albeit once per game, this can turn the tide against particularly powerful units, or units of which there are multiple of and you can get a large swathe of rerolls. 
• The Blackweave Shroud- The bearer gets +1T and a 4+++ vs Mortal Wounds. A decent defensive buff, especially if combined with other survivability boosting wargear or rules.
• Spear of the First Vigil- A WATCH MASTER gets a melee weapon worth talking about, gaining an extra shot, +1Str and the always tasty flat 3 Dmg. A worthwhile melee upgrade if the Watch Master is expected to be in the thick of the fighting. 
• The Soul Fortress- A LIBRARIAN gets a 24” range Psychic Hood (so read as +1 to Deny all the time), and ignores any and all modifiers to Psychic Tests. It’s fine, but there’s better relics. 
• Banebolts of Eryxia- A single bolt shot with Str 6, AP -2 and Dmg 3. Can’t be used with Special Issue Ammo, and is otherwise a bolt relic (ie its ok, but there’s better uses of the relic slot).
• Vhorkan-pattern Auspicator- CORE units in 6” get +1 to Hit when shooting units with FLY. A niche ability, but there’s a lot of units out there with FLY, so this can come up a lot more than you’d expect, and is a potent force multiplier if you have no other Relics that you’d prefer.
• Artificer Bolt Cache- The bearer gets to use Special-issue Ammunition on their Bolt Weapons. Why a Veteran of the Watch doesn’t already carry them is beyond me, but this can be used to grant the useful buffs they bring to a shooty captain. Probably not the first pick of a relic though.
• Eye of Abiding- The bearer ignores all WS, BS, Hit and Wound modifiers when they attack, and 6s to Wound ignore Invulnerable saves. Can be quite potent for reliability as well as surprising tough opponents that rely on invulnerables. Combine with a powerful weapon like a Thunder Hammer for best effect.

• Death to the Alien!- +1 Attack for models fighting Xenos. Simple but effective combat booster for any unit.
• Prognosticating Volley- A unit ignores any BS and Hit modifiers when Shooting an AELDARI unit. Great to avoid things like Lightning Fast Reactions, Night Shields or even Dense Cover. 
• Synaptic Severance- 6s to Hit vs TYRANID SYNAPSE units automatically Wound. Can be used in both the Shooting and Fight Phase, handy to bypass the usually high Toughness of these models.
• Adaptive Tactics- A once per game Stratagem that needs a WATCH MASTER on the Battlefield, that lets you change your chosen Battlefield Role for the Xenos Hunters Tactic. Pricey at 2CP and needs the Watch Master alive, but useful to swap out to another role for those reroll 1s to Wound when needed. 
• Atonement Through Honour- A unit with a Black Shield can Heroically Intervene. Useful to have in our pocket, though of course you need a Black Shield to be in a unit, so this restricts it to Veterans and Proteus Kill Teams only.
• Sanction of the Black Vault- Standard ‘Give a Sergeant some Special-issue Wargear’ Stratagem, giving them Artificer Armour, Master-crafted Weapon, Digital Weapons, Banebolts of Eryxia or Artificer Bolt Cache. The Artificer Bolt Cache could be quite interesting on a Sergeant with high rate of fire bolt weapons (Outrider or Aggressor Sergeants), or high quality Bolt Weapons (Eliminators), but the CP use might not be necessarily worth it.
• A Vigil Unmatched- Your usual 2nd Warlord Trait Stratagem, can offer some nice secondary auras and abilities, though you won’t be making some of the horrific beatsticks the other Chapters are capable of doing. 
• Stem the Green Tide- Lets you overwatch against an ORK unit, with the added benefit of reducing their Charge by -2” if you destroy any models when doing so. Gives you the now rare ability to Overwatch with multiple units a turn now, though it will cost a chunk of CP to do so. 
• Priority Doctrine Adoption- In your Command Phase, select a unit and put them into a different Combat Doctrine. You can only use this if your whole army is DEATHWATCH (outside of AGENTS OF THE IMPERIUM and UNALIGNED), but this gives you yet another way to mix Doctrines away, giving you great flexibility on your various units. 
• Targeting Scramblers- After a T’AU EMPIRE unit resolves it’s attacks in their Shooting Phase, remove all Markerlights from one of the units they resolved attacks against. Great to use this on a unit that has just finished putting Markerlights on a unit, forcing them to overinvest in more Markerlights or change targets completely.
• Overkill- After attacking a NECRONS unit, be it Shooting or Fight, that NECRONS unit must -1 from any Reanimation Protocols they do from those attacks. Given this makes this generally a 6+, this is great against the elite units, all but guaranteeing none stand back up, and can be useful in punching through the 1 Wound hordes you can come up across. 
• Brotherhood of Veterans- 2CP is a high price, but swapping out the niche Xeno Hunter Chapter Tactic for any of the other Chapter Tactics for your turn can be incredibly powerful. Tagged in combat with a shooting unit, go Ultramarines. Want your rapid firing special issue boltguns to get exploding hits at that unit cowering in ruins, switch to Imperial Fists. Combat unit just slightly out of charge range if you moved normally, now you’re a White Scar advancing and charging. There’s lots of options, just remember you’ll give up your reroll 1s for the turn so make sure you’ve got character support nearby if you want to keep those.
• Disruptive Launch- A unit with JUMP PACKS, including Kill Teams with Inceptors or Vanguard, can Fall Back and Shoot. Cheap and always useful Stratagem, though it does require the specific models in there to make use of it. 
• Teleportarium- Give an INFANTRY, BIKE or DREADNOUGHT the Teleport Strike rule. You can use it once per game, twice in a Strike Force or three times if an Onslaught game. Useful if you’ve a unit that wants to get in close but you don’t want to risk them starting on the board, or just want the hilarious image of a teleporting Redemptor or Leviathan. 
• Relentless Assault- A unit with BIKERS, including Kill Teams with Veteran Bikes or Outriders, can Fall Back and Charge. As with the above this is a useful toolkit Stratagem to have, provide you have the units able to use it. 
• Shroud Field- At the start of the first Battle Round, a CORVUS BLACKSTAR cannot be shot unless it is the closest. Hilarious if you go second, meaning you can safely load up expensive squads into the plane without fear of it being a paperweight. 
• Clavis- An enemy VEHICLE within 1” of a WATCH MASTER at the start of the Fight Phase, takes D3 Mortal Wounds, and that VEHICLE attacks after everyone else. Very niche, and the fight last is only really relevant if they’re a tank that can actually fight, but the Mortal Wounds could be useful to help finish off or outright kill a damaged tank that is trying to tie you up. Probably won’t come up in every game, but something in the kit nonetheless. 
• Special-issue Loadout- An INFANTRY unit gets to use Special-issue Ammunition (except for Bolt Sniper Rifles), with the trade off of becoming Heavy 1. A steep ask at 2CP, with a big trade off for most units, though could see some uses on Intercessors with Stalker Rifles.

A good mix of powers, with a mix of debuffs, offensive and defensive powers. None are really bad choices, though some will lend themselves to certain playstyles better than others.

Powers marked with a * last until the start of your next Psychic Phase.

1. Premorphic Resonance* (WC 6)- A cheap combat buffer, granting a friendly unit within 18” +1 to Hit in melee, always striking first, as well as Overwatching on 5s. The first two benefits are great for a melee oriented unit, or even a unit likely to get charged as it could cause issues with your opponent’s activation priority. The third benefit is handy, though you’ll still need to spend CP to actually use Overwatch.
2. Fortified with Contempt* (WC 6)- An INFANTRY or BIKER unit within 18” gets a 5+++. A great defensive buff that will always be useful to have in your arsenal. 
3. Neural Void* (WC 7)- A great debuffing power on an enemy unit within 18”, inflict a -1 Attack as well as forcing them to only charge the closest unit, which can cause mayhem with a melee unit that wants to go past a Rhino and now can’t.
4. Psychic Cleanse (WC 6)- Roll a D6 for every enemy model within 9” of the Psyker, inflicting a Mortal Wound on that model’s unit on a 6. If you can get the Librarian right in the thick of it this can cause utter devastation on multiple units, but the odds of that perfect storm happening aren’t great, and honestly other powers are better due to the effectiveness of buffs or debuffs.
5. Mantle of Shadow* (WC 6)- An INFANTRY unit within 12”cannot be shot unless that unit is within 12” of the enemy, or are the closest eligible target. The downside is they themselves cannot shoot or charge should they want the benefit. The defence against shooting is generally good, but you’ll have to weigh up if losing that unit’s offense is worth it. If they’re sat on a vital objective or a pure melee squad that you know won’t be charging that turn, sure.
6. Severance* (WC 7)- An enemy CHARACTER within 18” takes a Mortal Wound, but more importantly their Aura’s are reduced by 3”, or outright turned off if the Psychic Test was higher than the enemy Character’s Leadership. Whilst some abilities won’t be affected, and sometimes you’re banking on turning them off entirely, even reducing the range can be useful as it will force your opponent to bunch up giving you slightly better freedom and board control, or will continue with their plan but without auras giving you an advantage on defence. 

If all the models in your Army are DEATHWATCH (barring AGENTS OF THE IMPERIUM and UNALIGNED) and you have a DEATHWATCH Warlord, you can use one of these Secondaries, following all the normal rules for choosing Secondaries, so no duplicate categories etc. As mentioned in the main Space Marine Secondaries section, you are currently eligible to select one Space Marine one and a Deathwatch one, but check with your opponents/TO beforehand. 

1. Epitome of Piety- Once per turn Deny the Witch, with a +1 to boot. Decent or worthless, it depends entirely on if you’re facing Psykers, and so there’s likely more reliable choices. Grimaldus has this as he really dislikes the witch.
2. Paragon of Fury- Each time the Warlord charges, they get +1 Str (this seems to be permanent as nothing says “until the end of the turn”, so multiple charges means MORE ANGRY), and in addition each model in Engagement Range takes a Mortal Wound on a 5+. Great on units that want to reach good numbers on their strength and are expecting to make multiple charges, as well as those with large bases, making this particularly nasty on a Bike Chaplain, letting him handbrake turn and donut through a unit as he arrives. 
3. Master of Arms- The Warlord always fights first, and gets +1 Attack As a Black Templar you’ll want to be the charger anyways so kind of moot, though helpful if you get caught flat footed, or are in subsequent combat rounds. The +1A is a solid boon however, and given the number of rules that cause Strike Last this helps offer a layer of defense against them as well.
4. Inspirational Fighter- A 6” Aura for CORE, granting Melee Wound rolls of 6 an additional -1 AP. Stacks with the Assault Doctrine, letting you rack up impressive numbers from even basic Infantry. 
5. Front-line Commander- The Warlord gets +1 Advance and Charge, as well as letting CORE units get a +1 to their Charges on any unit he is in Engagement Range with. A good choice, helping you get to the enemy even quicker and more reliably than before, and whilst the second benefit is a bit more situational, it’s still a solid bonus for multi-charging. Helbrecht has this, as if anyone is going to have the honour of first contact with the enemy it’ll be him.
6. Oathkeeper- A 6” Heroic Intervention. It’s ok, though if it’s something you’re looking to utilise, just keep them closer to your battlelines.

• The Crusader’s Helm- +3” to Auras (up to 9”) and in your Command Phase you can pick a single unit in 9” to count as having Assault Doctrine active instead of the current Doctrine. A good all-purpose Relic, just remember unlike other Melee focused Chapters you don’t have a Super Doctrine associated with the Assault Doctrine, so this is effectively “just” an extra point of melee AP. Still a good pick, especially if you have a key melee unit that doesn’t care about Tactical Doctrine.

• Witchseeker Bolts- A bolt weapon fires a single shot, but they can ignore Look Out Sir on PSYKER CHARACTER, and provided you Hit, they take D3 Mortal Wounds in addition to other damage. Whilst you might not always come up against Psykers, this can be great on Phobos Captain or character with a Stalker Bolt Rifle that already has good AP and Damage to begin with, letting you one shot those pesky Psykers with a bit of luck. 

• The Aurelian Shroud- Once per game at the start of either player’s Command Phase, the bearer gains a 3” Aura of a 4++ for CORE INFANTRY until the the start of your next Command Phase. Pretty potent to keep footsloggers on the board for longer, making big blobs particularly tough to shift. The small range however means your character needs to be fairly central. 

• Ancient Breviary – A CHAPLAIN rolls two D6 and picks one for their Litanies. Not a bad pick, especially if you have multiple and only one can be the Master of Sanctity for Wise Orator. 

• Skull of the Cacodominus- All enemy PSYKERS within 12” suffer -1 to Psychic Tests, and also Perils on any double, not just 1s or 6s. In addition, once a game you can get an additional 18” Aura of another -1 to Psychic tests (which stacks) to really put the pressure on Psykers as you close in. Niche, but a good pick if expecting lots of Psykers. Be wary the increased Perils means more chances of Psykers blowing up, especially if you’re close enough to the explosion, but your 5+++ helps a bit with that. 

• Sword of Judgement- A souped up Power Sword (normal or master-crafted) gets Str+3 and Damage 3. A slightly better Master-crafted Sword, simple but effective.

• Aquila Immortalis- Grants the bearer +1A and +1T. Stat boosts are always good, especially for characters that will likely be in the thick of it, and going to T5 helps against a number of weapons. On paper a pretty basic Relic, but a good one given the increases are to two solid stats.

• Perdition’s Edge- A Power Axe or Master-Crafted Power Axe gets +1 Str and Dmg 2, and unmodified 6s to Wound do 2 Mortals instead of normal damage. It’s fine, and helps bypass Invulnerables or get a 2-for-1 kill on 1W models, but generally unreliable and there are better weapons.

• Breath of the Throne- The Flamer part of a Combi or Auto-Flamer becomes 3+D3 Shots at Str 5 -1 Dmg 2. Actually pretty potent, though given the short range you’ll realistically get to use this once or twice, and obviously not so useful on a Character who wants to get stuck into melee. Can be a good secondary Relic on a Lieutenant who is looking to provide support rather than get stuck in.
• Tännhauser’s Bones- The bearer reduces all Damage to 1, making them exceptionally hard to shift, especially on those with a 4++. Mortals can of course bypass this, but you’re a Templar so have that partially covered via your Chapter Tactic. Whilst by no means making you invincible, as sheer weight of attacks can still drag you down, this can lead to obnoxiously tanky models that can throwdown with high damage units and soak up far more than they should.

• Devout Push- At the start of the Fight Phase, a CORE or CHARACTER unit can immediately make a Normal Move of 3”, so long as it ends the move closer to the nearest enemy unit or Objective Marker. If they are in Engagement Range they immediately Pile In instead. A powerful utility tool for only 1CP, useful to close the gap in either players turn, setting you up for charges in your turn or move to a more advantageous position in yours, steal Objectives or even embark out of sequence if positioned well. On the combat side of things, increasing models in fighting range is useful, as it is for aiming to tag more units, and is particularly useful with Canticle of Hate – a 6” Pile In at the start, then another 6” Pile In when selected to Fight, then a 6” Consolidation is a huuuuuge chunk of extra movement. 

• Vicious Riposte- Used in the Fight Phase on a CORE unit, letting destroyed models in that unit that don’t explode make a final “attack” on a 5+, doing a Mortal Wound after the attacker has finished, up to a maximum of 6 Mortal Wounds. Can be nice to try and punish a unit that is likely to carve through one of your units, and isn’t breaking the bank at 1 CP, but it’s not the most reliable of abilities, and anything that relies on a model dying is probably not the best thing to be using. 

• Crusader’s Wrath- Your standard “Bonus AP on 6s to Wound for weapons associated with your favourite Combat Doctrine”. As with the others, it’s pricey at 2 CP, and niche for some small chances of extra AP, even if army wide. Can be useful, but you’ll likely forget it even exists frankly.

• For The Emperor’s Honour- Costly at 2 CP, but forces an enemy CHARACTER you nominate to only be able to attack a friendly CHARACTER you nominate, provided they’re in Engagement Range. As all attacks must be allocated to your chosen champion, this can provide breathing room for an important unit in the same combat, especially if the character in question is loaded with defensive wargear.

• Bombastic Delivery- Lets a CHAPLAIN automatically recite one of their Litanies, as well as letting them recite an additional one this turn, effectively meaning they can always use Litany of Hate for those tasty rerolls. At 2CP it’s expensive, but when you need to get a Litany off and want a chance at doing some more, it’s a great choice for the guarantee. 

• Revered Repositories- A Sergeant (or Sword Brother) can take Witchseeker Bolts, Sword of Judgement, The Skull of the Cacodominus, a Master-crafted Weapon or Digital Weapons. As with other Relic-on-Sergeant stratagems often these are just better on a Character, though can be useful to give the Sword of Judgement and pack a nasty surprise on Sword Brother.

• Heir of Sigismund- The usual “Give your WARLORD an additional Chapter Specific Trait”. Most of the Templars Traits are pretty good but are predominately melee based, letting you get some powerful benefits on a beatstick, making a real powerhouse with stuff like Imperium’s Sword and Master of Arms for example.

• Champion of the Feast- Makes a Sergeant or Sword Brother a pseudo-character, giving them +1 WS, A and W. Fantastic on a Bladeguard or Terminator Sergeant, hilarious on an Assault Centurion, and still pretty good on a general unit soldier, though you’ll of course want to use this on the ones with the best wargear like previously mentioned. 

• Abhor the Witch- Deny a Psychic Power on a 4+ if within 24”. Useful given your lack of Psykers, just remember you have a 5+++ so don’t be too concerned with a normal Smite vs say a potential Doom. 

• Tenacious Assault- A non-FLY INFANTRY or BEAST unit trying to Fall Back from any of your units fails on a 4+. Whilst only a 50/50, this can utterly scupper an opponent’s game plan, preventing a unit from moving onto Objectives, or opening fire on your units. It’s a single roll for a single unit, so use it on the most appropriate if there are multiple units you’d like to keep in combat.

• Strength of Conviction- A CORE unit in your Command Phase gets Objective Secured until your next Command Phase. Making a unit ObSec on tap is very powerful and can swing an engagement by countering your opponent’s ObSec, or letting a unit steal an Objective. Note that Primary Missions are scored at the end of your Command Phase, letting you use this before then to turn Objectives back under your command. A potent ability that can turn games on their head with careful use, and a bargain at 1 CP.

• The Emperor’s Will- An INFANTRY unit can Advance and shoot with Pistol and Rapid Fire weapons normally, as well as ignoring the penalty for Assault weapons. Fairly niche as it will only help certain units and often those are units with lighter firepower. Can be useful if you know a charge isn’t going to happen with a unit this turn, you need them to get further up the field, and don’t want to lose their firepower, but it won’t come up all that often, and the CP is usually better spent elsewhere or saved for more potent Stratagems. 

• Shock and Awe- A LAND RAIDER CRUSADER that made a Normal Move can have it’s units inside Disembark even though it moved, though those units cannot move further that phase. You can shoot and charge as normal however. This really breathes a new lease of life into the iconic CRUSADERS, giving an effective +5” move to units inside (8” Mv over 6”, then a 3” Disembark), though of course you need to make sure your positioning on the disembark is done well to ensure multiple units inside (if applicable) can make their charges. For 1 CP this can be quite impactful on the game, especially as you threaten larger parts of the board by sheer virtue of the Land Raiders chonk. 

• Exemplars of the Crusade- SWORD BRETHREN get exploding 6s in Melee. It’s fine, Sword Brethren aren’t the most killy of units compared to others, but this can give them a slight edge if you need to clear or significantly damage a unit they’re engaged with. Not to be relied on, but handy to have in a pinch.

• Heretic’s Pyre- Gives a CORE unit’s flame weapons Blast, essentially. Costs 2CP on a unit of GRAVIS (cos Aggressors), and 1 CP elsewhere, as their access to flame weapons is a bit more limited. Can be nice on a CRUSADER Squad loaded with Pyreblasters, but generally this is pretty niche.
• Incendiary Shells- Makes a unit’s Astartes Shotguns Dmg 2, which is…fine, I guess. Can be useful, but Neophytes (the main user of Shotguns) are usually better served with melee weapons, though this can have some uses for a more midfield support unit. Not a go to by any means however.

Instead of a Psychic Discipline, CHAPLAINS can choose from these different selections of Litanies. Like Psychic Disciplines, you can only take Litanies from one table, either the normal Litanies of Battle or from the one below. Unfortunately the general Litanies of Battle are all round better, providing generally better combat buffs (+1 Wounds, boosted charges and Pile Ins/Consolidate) or help your ranged support (+1 Hit/Wound). You still keep Litany of Hate regardless, and as with the main Litanies, these only affect CORE and CHARACTER units, unless otherwise noted.

1. Litany of Divine Protection- A single unit within 6” gets their 5+++ against all wounds not just Mortal Wounds. A handy protection upgrade on a big squad or powerhouse unit, and probably the go to choice of 
2. Psalm of Remorseless Persecution- A CORE unit (no Characters with this one) does an additional Mortal Wound on 6s to Wound in melee, to a max of 6. It’s fine, and can help units kill more of a larger horde or punch through Invulnerables a bit more efficiently. 
3. Plea of Deliverance- One unit becomes immune to Psychic powers and any Powers currently on them immediately end. Obviously great if you’re facing Psyker heavy armies, utterly useless if not.
4. Fires of Devotion- A unit within 6” gets +1 Attack in the first round of combat. A strong buff to your already choppy units, though less useful in protracted fights. Great for when you need to ensure your foes slaughter. 
5. Fervent Acclamation- Puts a unit into another Vow, alongside its associated Passion. Can be useful given the flexibility of some of the Vows, be it to grant a unit a 5+++, or +1A for a second round of combat after Shock Assault has worn off, but be wary of the second downside kicking in.
6. Oath of Glory- The Chaplain gets to Fight First, gets exploding 6s for 2 extra Hits in melee and finally +1 Strength. Not quite as “simple” as Mantra of Strength, but serves a similar purpose as making a super choppy Chaplain.

Provided you have a CHAPLAIN in your army, you can spend points to give a pseudo-Relic to a non-CHARACTER INFANTRY or BIKER, letting your units pack a little bonus. Some are pretty situational, or not worth the upgrade cost, but others are very good and well worth trying to get into a list. Obviously goes without saying that these are only in effect for the bearer, and whilst he is alive, and you’ll get more mileage out of putting them on an already tougher Sergeant like a Terminator or Bladeguard Veteran. Also worth noting that yes, you can revive them with an Apothecary…

• Light of the Emperor’s Grace- The bearer grants +1 Ld to the unit, and also has a 12” Aura of -1 to Psychic Tests for enemy PSYKERS. Stacks with The Skull of the Cacodominus if you’re looking for maximum anti psychic trolling, but otherwise fairly niche. At 10pts its not breaking the bank however.

• Sigismund’s Seal- The most expensive Relic at 20pts, but it does grant the unit reroll Hits and Wounds in melee vs a nominated enemy, chosen at the start of Battle Round 1. Melee only and only one unit, so choose accordingly, but this is a huge boost to already strong melee units that are looking to obliterate a key enemy.

• Holy Orb- For 15pts the bearer can take out the Holy Pin, then count to three throw the Orb at an enemy unit within 6” in the Shooting Phase once per game. The enemy unit must Fight Last, and on a 2+ they take D3 Mortal Wounds as well. The Mortals are a nice bonus, though pretty reliable, but it’s the Fight Last which is key here as it happens regardless, and as it is not a Shooting Attack it can be thrown in combat, making it great for ongoing combats, giving you the edge to fight first. Great on any unit, and verges on auto take for the swing it can provide

• The Crux Obsidian- The bearer has -1 Damage (to a min of 1 of course), making them a solid tank, though bear in mind once attacks are allocated to them they must take all the subsequent, so choose wisely if there are heavier weapons still to fire that would negate it, or tons of D1 Weapons which it wouldn’t matter to anyways. At 15pts its not a bad buy, but needs careful usage to ensure it’s not circumnavigated too easily.

• Fist of Balthus- Another 10pts on top of your Power Fist makes it +1 Dmg and removes the Hit penalty. A great upgrade on pretty much anything that can take a Fist, effectively making it a better Thunder Hammer for around the same cost. 

• Beastpyre- A Flamer or Pyreblaster is upgraded to be even more burny, getting Str 6 AP -2 and Blast. At 10pts on top of your existing weapon, it is by no means a bad upgrade, and will make a mess of a good chunk of things, just consider you will generally get to use this once, maybe twice in a game.

• Icon of Heinmann- 15pts makes the bearer outright ignore AP 1 and 2 Weapons. As with the Crux Obsidian, careful allocation is important here, and the tougher the existing chassis the better to maximum use, but this a solid defensive upgrade, especially on a sacrificial member of a squad with Storm Shields who can protect the squad more efficiently.
• Bones of Modred- The wielder does an additional Mortal Wound on 6s to Wound in Melee, making this a nice boost for helping to chew through hordes or punch through heavier armour and invulnerables. Realistically this will net you an extra Mortal Wound maybe ever other combat, which for 10pts is pretty low returns, but the potential is nice, and there will be times the bearer turns the tide of a fight by getting a few cheeky extra wounds through.

Provided every model in your Army is a BLACK TEMPLARS (barring AGENTS OF THE IMPERIUM and UNALIGNED) and you have a BLACK TEMPLARS WARLORD, you can use one of these Secondaries, following all the normal rules for choosing Secondaries, so no duplicate categories etc. As mentioned in the main Space Marine Secondaries section, you can technically select one Space Marine one and a Templar one, but check with your opponents/TO beforehand.