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Choosing Your Tactics - Star Eagles in the New Edition



So, I've been inexorably drawn into a new Star Eagles project thanks to the new edition of Warhammer 40,000. I love these models and couldn't help but stick some together and slather some paint on them. Of course, now I'm wondering what I ought to do with their Chapter Tactics now that the new Space Marines Codex has been released.

Although the 2nd Company has always been the "Codex" face of the Chapter, they're still very much true Star Eagles. They are still engineered from the Yanchi stock in order to correct the Raven Guard geneseed somewhat. For this reason, their Combat Doctrines are much the same as that of other Star Eagles Battle Companies. They are deployed in extreme environments where other Astartes with the Raven Guard geneseed would be unable to operate.

The 2nd Company are also still the followers of the Vita Kunde, the Pulse of Battle. Where the Ravenguard excel in subtlety, the Star Eagles specialize in lightning hit and run tactics backed up by withering infantry fire support. For this reason, in the past, I have used the Ultramarines Chapter Tactic. I don't think that is going to change for the new edition of Warhammer 40k.



The Chapter Tactic of the new Ultramarines allows them to fall back from close combat and still fire their weapons (albeit at a -1 to hit). This very much suits the Star Eagles' uncanny ability to strike at the heart of the enemy, then fade away leaving them exposed for a dangerous barrage of heavy weapons fire. In addition, the +1 Leadership provided by the Ultramarines Chapter Tactic also exemplifies the Star Eagles' levelheaded and calculated approach to executing war.


Of course, what's a Star Eagles force without a Librarian to save their souls? Too bad Mganga Vurugu is trapped on this side of the rift with no one upon whom he can conduct his ministrations.

There are still a lot of holes in my force, however. My army used to feature the drop pods and the fliers necessary for creating the precision hammer to accompany my heavy support anvil. For this purpose, I plan on picking up a pair of Primaris Repulsors for my army. Not only do they serve a lot of the purposes my Drop Pods and Flyers used to, but they also complement the Ultramarines Chapter Tactic with their ability to fall back from combat and shoot.

I also very much like the concept of the Reivers. I've picked up a squad of these guys for the next stage in the Fate of Konor campaign. Their ability to arrive via Grav Chute is really cool. I'm still not sure how I'm going to put them together in order to represent their place in my force. With the Ultramarines Chapter Tactics, I think it may be best to equip them with Bolt Carbines and Combat Squad them in order to spread around the -1 Leadership debuff. This should stack with Mganga Vrugu's favorite Warlord Trait, Angel of Death which also debuffs units to the tune of -1 Leadership.

As you can see, most of my plans involve excessively dangerous and bloody battles. Can you tell my primary army is Orks?


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