FOR THE EMPORAHH!!!!! So you want to play Space Marines but haven’t decided on a chapter yet? We’re here for you.

I would like to preface this by saying, if you are here because you are new to the game and haven’t decided on what colors to paint your minis, it may be worth considering going with a custom paint scheme, or playing a bit with them unpainted. This is because all of these chapters have particular strengths and weaknesses, and as such, their playstyles will vary.

You may decide that you absolutely love the look of the Space Wolves, but really dislike close range fighting in this game. It would be a bummer to paint an entire army only to wish you had gone with something else instead. With a custom paint job, you have the option of playing as your own chapter of any particular legion, and can switch over to another group as you get a better idea of what you’re into.

Below I have listed all of the major chapters in the game, and will try to give a bite size description of each. If you find something you like, check them out on https://warhammer40k.fandom.com for a more in depth look at their lore. I won’t be ranking them here in terms of the current meta. It changes too often, and picking an army based solely on how strong they are really isn’t my favorite way of playing. Find something you like, whether it be playstyle, looks, or lore, and you’ll be happier with your decision in the long term

Black Templars

Some Space Marines want to hunt down and kill everything that isn’t human. Others REALLY want to hunt down and kill everything that isn’t human. Then there are these guys. They also really like chain swords. If that doesn’t sound fun, move along. I don’t understand, but just go.

The Black Templars, in game, tend to be a close-up, brawler style chapter. Think Crusades style knights in space, charging the enemy in the name of the Emperor, and you have close to the right idea.

Blood Angels

If you’ve played a lot of Dawn of War, I wouldn’t blame you for thinking of these guys as the default option. There’s a reason why those games fanboy so hard over them though. This chapter is great. Incredible lore, a ton of unique figures, and great battle tactics.

This chapter focuses on brutal, relentless tactical assault, specifically with melee combat and jump pack units. You will never be bored with a Blood Angels list.

Dark Angels

If you like dark secrets (and dark green), this group is for you. A highly secretive band of warrior monks, they spend a large portion of their time in the lore hunting down their traitorous brothers from the Horus Heresy, known by them as “The Fallen”. Of course, they wouldn’t want this information to leak to the other Astartes.

There is a TON of support for this chapter, in the form of minis and chapter specific rules and tactics. They are particularly strong altogether, but place a special focus on Terminator and Speeder units.

Deathwatch

These marines are a sort of special ops force, heavily focused on eliminating Xenos (Eldari, Orks, Tyranid, Necrons). Lore wise, they are made up of former members of other chapters, trained for the highly specialized role of tracking, combating, and eliminating anything that isn’t human.

This chapter is comprised primarily of close range infantry, focused on small kill teams. They use specialized ammunition and special tactics to engage the enemy. Go with this team if you like very technical gameplay.

Grey Knights

Similar to the Deathwatch, this chapter is focused on hunting down a particular foe. Rather than xenos, though, this chapter specializes in combating the legions of Chaos (Chaos Space Marines, Demons, etc.).

The Grey Knights are comprised entirely of powerful psykers, using teleport tactics to move in and out of close range. They typically have very powerful melee attacks, as well as psychic powers to use against the enemy. You’ll use less units than the typical force, but the average Grey Knight can be worth several units of another faction.

Imperial Fists

These are the masters of the siege in Warhammer 40k. You may have noticed that most Astartes chapters tend to rank from somewhat-to-heavily close combat focused. The Imperial Fists, on the other had, prefer the long range game. They are unmatched with a bolter.

Note that they also have a very good successor chapter, the Crimson Fists, that are worth a look at as well.

Iron Hands

The flesh is weak. That is the motto of this chapter. They are a crew of cybernetic enhanced warriors that seem to have an affinity for heavy weapons and vehicles.

These marines are very tough, and very firepower focused. Their lore is also quite interesting as well. These marines are cold, callous, and tend to think of their robotics infused selves as more pure than other, weaker, humans.

Raven Guard

This is the covert ops chapter of the Space Marines, relying heavily on stealth and infiltration tactics. They’re also incredibly hard to kill at range. Pair that with a primarily black paint job, and you have an army of brooding Batmen at your disposal.

There aren’t a lot of unique minis out at the moment, but hey, they’re easy to paint, and they’re a lot of fun to play. Lurk in the shadows, sneak up and take the enemy by surprise. If you’re tired of overtly aggressive tactics, bum rushing the enemy or having a long range, drawn out shoot out, give these a try.

Salamanders

A culture of smiths and weapon crafters, the Salamanders have a special affinity with weapons. In particular, they prefer flame weapons, such as Meltas and flamers. They are slower than the typical Space Marines chapter, but are exceedingly tough.

An odd character note for this crew, the Salamanders are known for taking more care to protect the citizens of the Imperium, where other Astartes chapters tend to think of this as beneath them, at best. They also have a very cool design, with jet-black skin and bright green and orange armor.

Space Wolves

We get it, you like vikings!

Really though, these guys are great. Definitely in my top five, at least. Out of all the space marines, they likely have the second most unique models. Pair that with a really cool design (they have marines riding wolves!), these make for a great chapter, even if just for painting and collecting. If you are into wolves and viking/Nordic-inspired art, this may be the clan for you.

In terms of playstyle, they are highly aggressive, and tend to stick to close quarters combat. You will spend most or all of your time focusing on your offense. They have plenty of upgrades to help them hit harder, and come with a standard bonus to hit in melee.

Ultramarines

These are the poster boys of the Warhammer 40k universe. Nothing in this game is quite so iconic as a Space Marine in Ultramarine Blue. Playing Ultramarines is the 40k version of picking Mario in MarioKart. That’s not to say it’s a bad option, though.

With this chapter you will find, by far, the most game support, the most unique figures, the most…everything, really. That and, I would argue, their playstyle is geared toward the beginner player. They specialize in non-specialization. By whatever ability you would like to measure another chapter against, Ultramarines set the bar. This army is incredibly flexible, and can really do, disregarding extremes, whatever you want.

If you don’t prefer any one chapter over another, Ultramarines are always a safe bet.

White Scars

Speed is the name of the game here. This is effectively a biker gang in space. Rush in, assault, rush out, repeat. If you love to control the battlefield with movement, these guys can be great.

They have some incredible unique minis on bikes as well. This a very cool looking chapter, but beware, if you’re new to painting and want to paint them in their standard colors, it can be difficult. These are all nearly all white, which can be very hard to paint well.

Like this article? Did I miss any of your favorite chapters, or do you disagree with any of the descriptions? Let me know in the comments? Additionally, come back soon, as we will be writing posts dedicated to lore and gameplay for each chapter, as well as the other factions of Warhammer 40k.