Hello everyone and welcome to another Detachment Review for the Space Marines Army, the Vanguard Spearhead.

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.

This Detachment is based loosely on the warfare best suited to the Raven Guard Chapter of Space Marines who specialize in stealth and striking from the shadows.

On with the Review!

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

Vanguard Spearhead

Detachment Rule - Shadow Masters

When a ranged attack targets an Adeptus Astartes unit in your army, unless the attacking model is within 12", subtract 1 from the to Hit roll and the target has Benefit of Cover against the attack.

Review This is basically Stealth when the enemy is more than 12" away.

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.

The Blade Driven Deep - 25pts

Adeptus Astartes Infantry model only. While the bearer is leading a unit, that unit has the Infiltrators Ability.

Review This means that this unit can be set up in No-man's land at the start of the game

Ghostweave Cloak - 15pts

Adeptus Astartes model only. The bearer has the Stealth and Lone Operative abilities.

Review This means the character ALWAYS has the -1 to hit when being shot at and if this model is not in a unit, enemies cannot target the character with a shooting attack unless the shooter is within 12".

Execute and Redeploy - 20pts

Adeptus Astartes Phobos model only. The bearer and his unit can shoot and then move 6", as long as they are not in engagement range of an enemy unit. When they do this, they cannot declare a charge.

Shadow War Veteran - 30pts

Adeptus Astartes Phobos model only. Lord of Deceit aura - 12" (This has become standardized. Enemy units using a Stratagem within 12" of this model must pay 1CP more to use a Strat.

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.

A Deadly Prize - 1 CP

When: Start of the Command Phase
Target: One Adeptus Astartes Infantry or Adeptus Astertes Mounted unit from your army within range of an objective marker you control
Effect: That objective marker is "Sabotaged" and remains under your control even if you do not have models within range of it, until your opponent controls the objective. While Sabotaged, each time an enemy unit ends a Normal, Advance, Fall Back or Charge move within range of that objective marker, roll a D6: On a 2+, that unit suffers D3 Mortal Wounds.

Strike From the Shadows - 1CP

When: Your Shooting Phase
Target: One Adeptus Astartes Infantry unit that has not yet shot or not yet Shot.
Effect: Until the end of the phase, each time a model in the unit shoots at a target more than 12" away, improve your Ballistic Skill and Armor Penetration on that weapon by 1. If one or more enemy models are destroyed as a result of those attacks, the target unit must take a Battle-shock test.

Surgical Strikes - 2CP

When: Fight phase.
Target: One Adeptus Astartes Infantry unit that has not been selected to Fight this phase.
Effect: Until the end of the phase, melee weapons equipped by models in your unit have the Precision ability

Review This means that the entire unit can allocate their melee damage to the Character in the unit instead of the bodyguard. Interestingly enough, the do need to be able to see the target even if they are not within base to base contact with that Character.

Calculated Feint - 1CP

When: Your opponent's Charge phase, just after an enemy unit declares a Charge.
Target: One Adeptus Astartes Infantry unit that was selected as a target for that charge.
Effect: That unit can make a Normal move of up to D6", or 6" of that unit is a Phobos or a Scout Squad unit.

Guerrilla Tactics - 1 CP

When: End of your opponent's Fight phase.
Target: Upt to two Phobos and/or Scout Squad units from your army OR one other Adeptus Astartes Infantry unit from your army.
Effect: Remove those units from the battlefield and place them into Strategic Reserves
Restrictions: Each unit selected for this Stratagem must be more than 3" away from enemy models.

Review Disappearing from the table in your opponent's turn means you come back in your next turn which is right after the enemy Fight phase!

Review

In a nutshell: This army has a defense against damage by being difficult to hit and getting Benefit of Cover even out in the open.

Next, Enhancements.
None of them are game breaking but are very handy.

Stratagems: This is where this Detachment shines where they can react and act out of phase in many cases and be rather tricksy. Strike from the Shadows is the direct damage ability and Surgical Strikes are great for assassinations. The rest is more around movement.

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