40k - Faction Pack - Space Marines - Detachment 1 -Gladius Task Force

8 days ago

Hello everyone and welcome to the first Detachment Review of the first new Faction Packs of Warhammer 40k!

As explained in the post The Future of Warhammer 40k Datasheet Reviews on Hive - Faction Pack orientated we are now going to be doing reviews based on the new Faction Packs.

Faction Pack Space Marines have more Detachments than Codex Space Marines and that is why it replaces everything that happened prior. There are small changes and these changes are based on what can be found online at www.warhammer-community.com.

Space Marines have a whopping 11 Detachments! We may as well begin with the baseline, the "vanilla", the Gladius Task Force. Well, calling it vanilla is a bit of an insult, but it IS strongly related to the Ultramarines Chapter and Chapters of Space Marines that closely follow the edicts of the Codex Astartes. Even factions of Space Marines who do not USUALLY conform to the Codex Astartes can put together formations of soldiers that create a Gladius Task Force and can use the Enhancements and Stratagems that it employs.

So, on with the Review!

Note that this Detachment makes use of the Space Marine Army Rule, Oath of Moment.

Gladius Task Force

Detachment Rule - Combat Doctrines

At the start of your Command Phase, you can select one of three Combat Doctrines. You can only use each of these Doctrines once per game and they apply to all Adeptus Astartes units from your army.

Devastator Doctrine

Units are eligible to shoot in a turn in which they Advance.

Tactical Doctrine

Units are eligible to shoot and declare a charge in a turn in which they Fell Back.

Assault Doctrine

Units are eligible to declare a charge in a turn in which it Advanced.

Enhancements

Most Detachments have 4 Enhancements. These can only be given to Characters that qualify and never to Epic Heroes. You may only select up to three Enhancements to field at the same time. The Points indicated nect to these Enhancements are stated as they are at the time of writing this article. They may change in the latest Minutorum Field Manual.

Artificer Armor - 10pts

Adeptus Astartes model only. The bearer has a Save characteristic of 2+ and the Feel No Pain 5+ ability.

The Honour Vehment - 15pts

Adeptus Astartes model only. Add 1 to the Attacks and Strength characteristics of the bearer's melee weapons. While the bearer is under the effects of the Assault Doctrine, add 2 to the Attacks and Strength characteristics of the bearer's melee weapons instead.

Adept of the Codex - 20pts

Captain model only. At the start of your Command phase, if the bearer is on the battlefield, instead of selecting a Combat Doctrine, select the Tactical Doctrine to be active for the bearer's unit only. This can be done even if you have already used the Tactical Doctrine for your army this battle.

Fire Discipline - 25pts

Adeptus Astartes model only. While the bearer is leading a unit, ranged weapons equipped by models in this unit have the Sustained Hits 1 ability. In addition, while the bearer's unit is under the effects of the Devastator Doctrine, you can re-roll Advance rolls made for that unit.

Stratagems

Armour of Contempt - 1 CP

When: Your opponent's Shoot or Fight phase, after an enemy has selected its targets.
Target: One Adeptus Astartes unit from your army that was selected by one or more of those attacks.
Effect: Until the attacking unit has finished making its attacks, each attack they make is at -1 Armour Penetration Characteristic.

Storm of Fire - 1 CP

When: You Shooting Phase
Target: One Adeptus Astartes unit from your army that has not yet shot this phase.
Effect: Until end of phase, ranged weapons in his unit gain the Ignores Cover ability. Additionally, if the unit is under the effects of the Devastator Doctrine, they get +1 AP as well.

Squad Tactics - 1 CP

When: Your opponent's movement phase, just after an enemy unit has made a Move, Advance or Fall Back.
Target: One Adeptus Astartes Infantry or Adeptus Astartes Mounted unit within 9" of that enemy unit.
Effect: Your unit can make a D6" move or a 6" move if the unit is under the effects of the Tactical Doctrine.
Restriction: You cannot select a unit in Engagement range of enemies.

Adaptive Strategy - 1 CP

When: Your Command Phase.
Target: One Adeptus Astartes unit from your army.
Effect: Select a Doctrine, that Doctrine is active for this unit instead of any other Doctrine that may be selected. You may use a Doctrine your army has already used this Battle.

Only in Death Does Duty End - 2 CP

When: Any Fight phase, after the enemy has selected its targets.
Target: One Adeptus Astartes unit from your army that has been selected by an enemy's attacks.
Effect: Until the end of the phase, models that have been destroyed in this unit, that have not yet fought are not removed. Instead, they get to make their attacks first before they are removed from the battlefield.

Honour the Chapter - 1 CP

When: The Fight Phase
Target: One Adeptus Astartes unit.
Effect: Until the end of the phase, melee weapons equipped by this unit has the Lance ability. If your target unit is under the effects of the Assault Doctrine, increase the Armour Penetration of those weapons by 1.

Review

In a nutshell: Loads of synergies, powerful bonuses right when you need them!

Firstly, Doctrines. Usually Turn 1 is Devastator Doctrine. Move, Advance and shoot means you can take up good firing positions.
Turn 2 is often the Assault Doctrine where the combat specialists want to move, advance and charge into the enemy.
This leaves the Tactical Doctrine, used for a re-position after getting stuck in engagement.

Next, Enhancements. You can build large chunks of your army around what one of these enhancements does. The 25pts Fire Discipline rule is one of those Enhancements.
The Honour Vehement is amazing for a Close Combat specialist hero and his group.
Atrificer Armour is OK and Adept of the Codex is like getting a Adaptive Stratagey for free but only for Tactical Doctrine. Good for the redeploy.

Beyond that, there is a lot of synergy of Stratagems that work better when a certain Doctrine is active. When you are able to conduct a battle and have an overview of where your units need to be and what they need to do and combine that with Doctrines and Stratagems at the right timing then you will get really powerful combinations with this Detachment.

Even if you do not know what you are doing, there is a good chance that you will see some benefit out of this Detachment from the first time that you use it.

Thank you for reading this review!

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