Hello everyone and welcome to another Detachment Review for the Space Marines Army, the Firestorm Assault Force.

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.

This post is based on Faction Pack Space Marines that have more Detachments than Codex Space Marines and 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.

The third installment of this series, the Firestorm Assault Force is based on the Salamanders Chapter, who love fire. They have actually received another Detachment, even more closely connected to the Salamanders, but in any case, this Detachment is still for everyone!

On with the Review!

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

Anvil Siege Force

Detachment Rule - Close-Range Eradication

Ranged weapons equipped by Adeptus Astartes models from your army have the Assault ability, and each time an attack is made by this weapon against a target within 12", add +1 to the Strength characteristic of that weapon.

Review Note that Assault gives the weapons the ability to shoot even though the bearer has Advanced. This makes it possible for Flamers with a 12" range to get into targeting range AND get that +1 Strength.

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.

Champion of Humanity - 10pts

Tacticus model only. While leading a unit, models in that unit can ignore any or all modifiers to their characteristics and/or to any roll or test made for them (excluding saving throws).

Adamantine Mantle - 20pts

Adeptus Astartes model only. Each time an attack is allocated to the bearer, subtract 1 from the Damage of that attack. If that attack was made with a Melta or Torrent weapon, change the Damage characteristic of that attack to 1 instead.

Forged in Battle - 15pts

Adeptus Astartes model only. While the bearer is leading a unit, once per turn, after making a Hit roll or Saving throw for a model in that unit, you can change the result to an unmodified 6.

** Review** An unmodified 6 is important since this means you can trigger either or both Sustained Hits and Lethal Hits with that.

War-tempered Artifice - 25pts

Adeptus Astartes infantry model only. Add 3 to the Strength characteristic of the bearer's melee weapons.

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.

Review Note that most Space Marine Detachments have this Stratagem as one of their 6 Stratagems, it is not an error that they and the Gladius have Armour of Contempt.

Immolation Protocols

When: Your Shooting Phase
Target: One Adeptus Astartes unit from your army that has not shot yet.
Effect: Until the end of the phase, Torrent Weapons equipped by models in that unit have the Devastating Wounds Ability.

Review This measn any 6's rolled to Wound causes Mortal Wounds and cuts right through both Armour and Invulnerable saves!

Crucible of Battle - 1CP

When: Your Shooting Phase or the Fight Phase
Target: One Adeptus Astartes unit that has not yet shot or not yet fought this phase.
Effect: Until the end of the phase, each time a model in this unit attacks targets within 6" of this unit, add 1 to the Wound roll

Rapid Embarkation - 1CP

When: End of the Fight Phase.
Target: One Adeptus Astartes Transport unit with no models embarked within it and one Adeptus Astartes Infantry unit wholly within 6" that Transport.
Effect: Your infantry unit selected can embark within the transport.
Restrictions: Cannot be used to target an infantry unit that is in Engagement range of the enemy and cannot be used on a unit that cannot embark onto this transport.

Review You could use this at the end of your own Fight phase to put them back into a transport to protect them, or in your opponent's Fight Phase so you can then move normally with a transport full of infantry. You have more options.

Burning Vengeance - 1CP

When: Opponent's Shooting phase, right after an enemy has respolved an attack.
Target: One Adeptus Astartes Transport that was selected as a target of one of those shooting attacks.
Effect: One unit Embarked within the targeted Transport disembarks and shoots as though it is your Shooting Phase, but they must only target the unit that shot at the transport and only if they are eligible to shoot at.

Onslaught of Fire

When: Your Shooting Phase
Target: One Adeptus Astartes unit that has disembarked from a transport this turn but has not yet been selected to shoot.
Effect: Until the end of the phase, each time a model in your unit makes a ranged attack that targets the closest eligible target, add 1 to the Hit roll. If one or more models were destroyed as a result of this attack, that enemy uni must take a Battle-Shock test.

Review

In a nutshell: This army can move far and shoot all the time. This means either constantly getting better firing angles or getting weapons into range that would not usually do so. Even better if the target is within 12"

Supporting this is a bunch of rules supporting the use of transports, getting out and getting a bonus or getting back in again.

Next, Enhancements.
Champion of Humanity is cheap and rather good in the meta when everything in the enemy army has a debuff these days.
Adamantine Mantle make a character super tough!
Forged in Battle can sneak in an Auto-crit.
And War-tempered Artifice... for Power Firsts and Thunder hammer!

I have never played this Detachment myself, but I would have to spec and army around the rules.

Thank you for reading this review!

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With my hobby posts, I generate a hobby fund. 50% of the income goes to Hive account@zakl.hobbyfund. What is interesting on that Hive account is my Grand Imperial army! The last post of which was the Warhammer 40k - Grand Imperial Army Post 23 - 2,855pts