Warhammer 40K Fall 2023 Space Marines Review - Strike Hard!

Space Marines. Whether we've covering them in the Warhammer 40K Leviathan launch box, or drooling at their gorgeous Joy Toy action figure treatment, we're always all-in on the poster children of the 41st millennium. This week, Games Workshop provided me with a batch of brand new, upcoming Warhammer 40K Fall 2023 Space Marines, and I've put everything together and have thoughts on each, so read on to learn a bit about what these new units do on the field.

Warhammer 40K Fall 2023 Space Marines - Company Heroes

The Company Heroes are an exciting new addition to the Space Marines line, as they’re specifically built to add support and protection to your leaders/characters on the field. 

Armed with some serious firepower (masterwork weaponry abounds), they cannot be fielded without either a captain or chapter master. And if they’re lead by a Character unit, you subtract 1 from all wound rolls of each attack that targets them. That can quickly turn into some serious defense for your most vulnerable (or powerful) leaders, making this amply armed group the perfect shield.

Warhammer 40K Fall 2023 Space Marines - Captain With Jump Pack

The Captain with Jump Pack literally leaps into battle with an impressive 12” move speed and the Fly keyword. As a leader, he can go it alone or be attached either to an Assault Intercessors with Jump Packs group, or a Vanguard Veteran Squad with Jump Packs.

With a powerful kit of the usual weapons available to Space Marines (power fist, relic weapon, heavy bolt pistol, etc.), where this model really shines, and where its leadership really matters, is in its Angels Wrath ability. This ability says that while this model is leading a unit, each time that unit ends a Charge move, until the end of the turn, you can add 1 to the Strength characteristic of melee weapons equipped by models in that unit.

In other words, attach him to a group of Jump Pack Intercessors (which we’ll cover next), clear the gap with their killer 12” movement speed, and start chopping up your enemies.

Warhammer 40K Fall 2023 Space Marines - Jump Pack Intercessors

Let’s talk about those Assault Intercessors with Jump Packs, which can be lead by the Captain with Jump Pack. Jump Packs are, as you can see from the above, all about getting into the fray and causing quick, hard-hitting carnage.

Combo-ing really nicely with the Captain with Jump Pack leader’s ability to add 1 to Strength rolls when charging, the Jump Pack Intercessors slam into their foes when charging. With a special ability, each time they end a charge move in engagement range of an enemy unit, they roll a d6 per model in the enemy unit and deal 1 mortal wound per 4+ roll.

Along with chainswords and bolt pistols, these Intercessors are nothing short of a serious threat!

Warhammer 40K Fall 2023 Space Marines - Chaplain In Terminator Armour

The Chaplain in Terminator Armour keeps the morale of his men high through the recitation of litanies, and when you doll a Chaplain up in Terminator Armour it just means he can get in the thick of it with his comrades. 

This Chaplain, who serves as a Leader that can be attached to a Terminator Squad or an Assault Terminator Squad, really shines when leading, as he offers the Feel No Pain +4 ability against mortal wounds, and adds 1 to the wound rolls for melee attacks from the unit he leads. So, when you’re adding 1 to melee wound roles with a bunch of Terminators… you’ll truly be delivering the good word.

Warhammer 40K Fall 2023 Space Marines - Sternguard Veteran Squad and Terminator Squad

Finally, let’s chat briefly about the Sternguard Veteran Squad and the Terminator Squad. Both of these units are kitted out with an extensive array of weapon options, and both offer some unique benefits. The Sternguard Veteran Squad, for instance, gets to re-roll Wound rolls of 1 against your Oath of Moment target.

Meanwhile the Terminator Squad comes absolutely armed to the teeth with extreme firepower, can teleport once per battle with their teleportation homing beacon, and can add 1 to the hit rolls of your Oath of Moment targets. Crisp, clean, and classic!

Warhammer 40K Fall 2023 Space Marines - Building New Models

As for building these new Fall 2023 Space Marines, these are some seriously straightforward kits. Nothing here was too complicated or confusing, nothing really reinventing the wheel when it comes to building Space Marines. These definitely are not as simple as building the marines that came in the Leviathan box set (which were all push-fit, whereas these need glue), but this was still a very streamlined build process.

Warhammer 40K Fall 2023 Space Marines - Final Thoughts

Of all these units I'm most intrigued, believe it or not, by the models that look the coolest: the Company Heroes and the Chaplain in Terminator Armour. It just so happens that their abilities also really make them shine. But I don't think it's fair to say that any models in this new batch are overpowered, or are game-breaking in any way. They coalesce together quite nicely thanks to the new 10th edition rules on Leaders being attached to units, but they feel balanced by how bulky they are on the table.

All in all, this is a slew of fun, dynamically posed new models for the Space Marines, and when paired with the Codex (which also goes up for preorder alongside these models), it's clear that Space Marines are going to maintain their dominant hold on both the collective imaginations of Warhammer 40K gamers both casual and competitive.

The models and Codex: Space Marines used in the creation of this review were provided by Games Workshop. The author built these models and studied up on their rules over the course of a week. All photos courtesy of the author.