Alongside my sizeable Imperial Guard army, I also have several Space Marine armies, so was very keen to get my hands on this new book as soon as I could. Having now had a good look at it, I've put together a review for anyone looking to pick one up for themselves.
The first thing you notice about this codex is the frankly exceptional production quality. The hardback cover features a full-colour spot-varnished illustration of an Ultramarine captain, which is a great piece of artwork in and of itself. It also feels sturdy, especially compared to its paperback predecessor. The next thing you will notice is the page count. Codex: Space Marines is around 70 pages longer than the other 6th edition Codices, and upon opening it, it becomes clear why.
Each of the First Founding Chapters/Legions and the Black Templars have their own sections in the book, detailing their history, combat doctrines and Successor Chapters, and each one features the artwork from their respective Limited Edition versions, covering a full page, as well as a great combination of new, old and remastered and recoloured art. Stand-out pieces include the full-page painting of a Raven Guard air force of Thunderhawks, Stormtalons and Storm Eagles doing battle with a selection of Chaos fighters, including Heldrakes and Hellblades, and a smaller picture of a Salamanders Captain or Chapter Master wielding a burning blade against an Ork warboss.
There is a wealth of background contained in the book, covering the origins of the Space Marines in even more detail than previous editions, and information on more than 30 Chapters. The gallery is as impressive, featuring dozens of paint schemes and poses, and showcasing some great models. The new Sternguard and Vanguard Veterans are shown in the colours of several Chapters, and the new Tactical Squad models are prevalent in almost any Chapter scheme displayed.
The rules sections themselves are also well laid-out, with every unit entry featuring a full-colour piece of art, some of which is brand new, including new versions of several of the Special Characters. The armoury is simple and easy to use, the army list is set out in the traditional way (it isn't broken, no need to fix it), and there is a handy fold-out reference page at the back, featuring weapon profiles, special rules and unit profiles for everything in the book.
I cannot yet comment much on the gameplay side of it, as I haven't tested it on the table yet, but points-drops across the board for most infantry and HQ choices bodes well for smaller games, and the new Chapter Tactics rules all seem flavourful and useful, while nothing screams of being overpowered. It looks, much like its spectacular predecessor (gone but not forgotten), to be a very balanced codex, and now even more varied.
In short, this is a great book, easily worth the few pounds more than the other Codices, and I can't wait to see how it performs on the table.
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