Starting Space Marines

[bladeofdeath3]

So having played gothic for a year or so now, i've decided to start a second fleet!  Ive realized my terrible timing with GW ending support for bfg, but I really want to start a SM fleet.  I managed to get a nib battle barge for a decent price ($30 from a friend considering how outrageous ebay prices are right now), but I was wondering what models I should get to proxy for strike cruisers and escorts.  I saw the grimdark strike cruisers and might go with those, but I wanted to see if there were any other options out there (I refuse to pay $45 for a used gw strike cruiser).  I was also wondering what minis would work novas, hnters, and gladius'.  I have a few swords from my imperial fleet, but I wanted to try those out.  Finally, I was wondering if there were any articles discussing space marine fleet tacitcs?  I'm getting the feeling that space marines use a lot of hit and run.  Any other intersting articles to read?

Thanks

[Islacrusez]

I'm currently working on a corvette with a variant that might do nicely for a Hunter proxy, with the rest of the SM escorts and the strike cruisers planned to get an equivalent in due course. They are as yet unavailable, and are unlikely to be available any time in the next month or so. However, feel free to take a look in my thread ([BFG] Corvette) and see if you like the shape, and share your opinion.

[horizon]

Hey,
as for proxies: check out the Swabian League from Ground Zero games:
http://shop.groundzerogames.net/index.php?_a=viewCat&catId=52

Keep in mind: their dreadnaughts are battleships in BFG, their battleships are cruiser sized and their cruisers are escort sized.

[bladeofdeath3]

Thanks for the ship advice.  I was now a little more curious about ship builds and tactics.  Any good articles to start at?

[Jimmy Zimms]

Swabian League ships are looking better and better the more I look at them. I personally think they have a slight semblance to the AdMech ships which would lend them to use with an idea I had about starting some Iron Hands flotilla (I'm keeping with GDB preheresy ships for my blood angels however). Pretty good prices as well. I would love it if some pictures could be posted provided they are purchased.

[bladeofdeath3]

I was looking at another person's post on starting space marines and they said to see if blind has proxies for escorts.  I was wondering who blind is and what kind of proxies he has.

[horizon]

More like cruisers:
http://www.forum.specialist-arms.com/index.php?topic=5510.60
 

[bladeofdeath3]

Oh, those look really cool.  I'm digging the night lord paint scheme.  I'm guessing those are around dauntless sized?

[Seahawk]

Brigade Models has a nice selection to choose from, and prices are good.

As for tactics, there are a couple ways to play Space Marines in BFG. One way is via the Hit and Run, swarming your opponent with Thunderhawks to the point his ships are completely neutered, leaving them as easy pickings for your guns or boarding actions.

The other main way is with BOMBARDMENT. This is my preferred way to play, and it works tremendously well against all races and ships (provided you know what you're doing) but struggles at long range, perhaps more so than other Marine fleets.

[bladeofdeath3]

I was looking over the escorts and I think I like the hunters the best.  The fact that they can launch boarding torps make them a really good value for their points.  I was thinking of playing a hit and run style with the escorts, battle barge and strike cruisers launching boarding torpedoes at the start of the game and dictating where the opponent can move.  After the torps and thunderhawks are out, use the strike cruisers to slowly but surely pick apart the enemies cruiser pickets and escorts while the battle barge dukes it out with enemy battle ships.

Here's what I was thinking for a 1500 list

Master of the Fleet 50
Terminator boarding party 50
Battle Barge 425
Strike Cruiser with Extra Shield and torpedo tubes 160
Strike Cruiser with Extra Shield 160
Strike Cruiser with Extra Shield 160
Strike Cruiser with Extra Shield 160
4 Hunter Squadron 160
4 Hunter Squadron 160
1485 points

This way, I can spam torpedoes and thunderhawks to swarm the enemy fleet then send my strike cruisers in to mop up.  I can launch 9 thunderhawks and 28 torpedoes of both kinds in the opening salvo.  I figure this should be enough to break up formations and allow me to pick the enemy fleet apart.  Any feedback?
4 Hunter Squadron 160

[Islacrusez]

I think you're going to be making a lot of reload ordnance rolls...

[Cneo]

I usually play a similar fleet with two variants:

The T-Hawk fleet:

A Venerable Despoiler BB and all SC with T-Hawks.

The Assault-Boarding fleet:

A Venerable Seditio Oppimere BB and two squadrons of SC, one with Torps. and the other with extra Bombardment cannons.

The escorts are more or less the same but sometimes I mix a Gladius with the Hunters to provide them extra firepower.

For the reload rolls I trust in the high SM leadership.

[bladeofdeath3]

That would be a lot of reload ordinance rolls indeed.  I probably wouldn't launch everything the first turn.  How does the venerable BB play compared to the standard one?

[horizon]

Depends on which ship you take as a VBB.
Most people take a ship with lances as that is something the Marines naturally don't have. My vbb is build in a way how I liked the model (mainly batteries + few bays).

Reloading: squadron your strike cruisers. Means lesser reload orders.

Shape Hunters up in 3 & 5 instead of 4 & 4.

[bladeofdeath3]

I suppose if I wanted to be super cheesy, I could take the planet killer as my VBB lol.  I was also considering the despoiler as my VBB, but I was thinking of exchanging the prow lances for torps.  Is that a good idea?  The Emperor and oberon class also didn't seem like a bad choices either.