"And of the Assault Marine so do I decree: He shall descend upon the perfidious foe as an Angel of Judgement from on high. Let the jump pack be his wings, and the roar of its engines a hymn of retribution. Let the chainsword be his sceptre of decree, its harsh voice singing joyfully with each and every blow. With it shall the Assault Marine bring bloody retribution to the heretic, the traitor and all alien aggressors who trespass on the Emperor's domain. So will the Assault Marine be the hunter of warlords and the slayer of kings. His armour shall run slick with the life-blood of the vanquished, and all shall honour his name."
- — The teachings of Primarch Roboute Guilliman, the Apocrypha of Skaros
White Scars Assault Marines during a combat drop.
An Assault Marine is a close support Firstborn Space Marine who is equipped with weapons that are specialised towards melee combat at close quarters and serves as part of an Assault Squad. The term Assault Marine refers to Imperial Space Marines equipped in such a manner; Chaos Space Marines have similar units called Chaos Raptors.
Assault Marines are powerful melee fighters able to best almost any opponent in the bloody close-quarters melee fighting that is such a common feature of warfare in the late 41st Millennium. Each Assault Squad consists of up to 10 battle-brothers of whom one will be the unit leader with the rank of sergeant.
All of the Astartes in the squad excel at close quarters combat, have received additional specialist training and have become highly experienced in melee combat after countless encounters with the Emperor's enemies.
Assault Squads excel at close-quarters fighting. Equipped with Jump Packs, they blaze across the battlefield, charging into the foe with little heed for personal danger. With turbo-engine impetus, Assault Squads slam into the enemy, sending foes sprawling from the skull-crunching force of their impact.
An Assault Marine of the Ultramarines Chapter cuts a bloody swathe through the Aeldari Guardians of Craftworld Iyanden.
The Codex Astartes dictates that Assault Squads should be unleashed in the first wave of an attack, to strike hard and fast at weak points in the foe's formation. Opposing infantry are shredded with Chainsword and Bolt Pistol, enemy tanks with Krak Grenades.
Such is the way of the Space Marines -- to crush the enemy without mercy before moving on to the next target. Such tactics are far from subtle, but effective nonetheless -- though a foe who perceives this to be the extent of an Assault Squad's capability is woefully mistaken.
The Jump Pack is easily as dangerous as any weapon the Assault Marine carries, propelling its bearer into the heart of combat with the force of a hurtling meteorite. More importantly though, with a Jump Pack comes mobility, allowing the Assault Squad to redeploy quickly in a series of hard-hitting attacks, or even perform controlled low-altitude descents from Thunderhawk gunships.
Assault Squads draw some of the most brutal of all battle assignments. Often operating ahead of the rest of the Astartes army, Assault Marines are ever in danger of being outflanked, cut off, or simply overwhelmed by the enemy every time they deploy. Even if an Assault Squad is knee-deep in corpses and fighting for their lives, its Sergeant must be aware not only of his current situation, but also any imminent or potential developments that will leave his battle-brothers stranded in a sea of bloodthirsty foes.
Should this occur, only raw might and iron resolve will allow the Assault Marines to hack their way clear of the foe and claim victory. Likewise, should an enemy break and flee, it is the Assault Squad that is often tasked with following up and ensuring that none escape the Emperor's Judgement.
History
"Only when your hearts have beat to the same pulse of clashing weapons as your enemy's, only when his blood anoints you, and you glimpse the blackness waiting for us all in his dying eyes -- only then have you known battle."
- — Brother-Captain Furio of the Blood Angels Chapter
Ultramarines Legion Assault Marine during the Horus Heresy in the early 31st Millennium
Modern Assault Marines can trace their origins to over ten thousand standard years ago during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy eras in the late 30th and early 31st Millennia. Legion Assault Squads were the rapid attack formations of the ancient Space Marine Legions. These Jump Pack-equipped Legion Assault Squads were rapid attack forces whose wargear was optimised towards close-quarters fighting and hit-and-run tactics.
The use of Jump Packs allowed Legion Assault Squads to move with greater speed across the battlefield and impact the enemy line with savage force, leaping past intervening terrain and open defences to engage their adversaries in bloody melee. The needs of even such limited flight systems, however, precluded the use of heavy weaponry or extensive munitions supplies.
Jump Pack-equipped Assault Squads were not embraced to the same extent by all of the Legions for reasons of combat doctrine, temperament or simple resource difficulties. The Legion Assault Squad was the precursor of the modern Assault Squads of the Adeptus Astartes still utilised in the late 41st Millennium.
Assault Marines Organisation
The Lord Executioner serves as the officer who is the master of a Chapter's Assault Company. He is a brutal and direct individual, not so much given to glittering heroics and flamboyant challenges as short, bloody and efficient close combats.
Clutching his favoured master-crafted melee weapon in his hands, he strides purposely forward in battle, the expression of a stone cold killer writ on his face as he heads towards his grim duty. His Artificer Armour is often impressively detailed with embossed skulls, scrollwork and multiple Purity Seals. Of all the Space Marine Captains within a Chapter, the Lord Executioner is the most menacing.
The Sergeant of an Assault Squad is an Astartes who has undergone additional special training in leadership and small unit tactics. He may have fought in enough battles for his Chapter to qualify as a Veteran. Such warriors are often promoted to special command duties or transferred to the elite 1st Company of the Chapter in Codex Astartes-compliant Chapters.
Veteran Sergeants are highly-valued by their company captain as they improve the capabilities of the squads under their command. The Assault Sergeant's badge of rank is a red skull displayed on the left shoulder plate of his armour and he is further distinguished by his red helmet. Veteran-status Sergeants don a red helmet with a white stripe in its centre.
All the members of the Assault Squad fight with a weapon in each hand. Usually this is a pistol and sword combination but it is not uncommon for them to use mauls, axes, Power Fists and other, more exotic close combat melee weapons. Individual Chapters favour particular weapons for their Assault Squads but the majority stick to the classic pairing of Bolt Pistol and Chainsword. The whole squad will also carry Frag Grenades or Krak Grenades. Other grenade types are occasionally used on special missions but are generally restricted to officers and squad leaders.
Some of the Astartes in the squad may have fought in enough battles for their Chapter to earn Veteran status. They may continue to serve with the Assault Squad for a short time but eventually they will be promoted to special duties in a Command Squad or advanced to the 1st Company which is comprised of only Veteran Space Marines. In this way the ranks of the Chapter's most elite company are replenished. In the Ultramarines Chapter, Veterans are distinguished by their white helmets.
The Assault Squad's role in combat is to strike hard and fast at vulnerable points in the enemy's formation and overwhelm their opponents in the ensuing melee. Jump Packs give the squad's Astartes incredible speed and maneuverability and the Assault Marines are experts in using them. However, the Assault Squads can also fight as Assault Bike or Land Speeder squadrons or indeed be deployed from just about any of the standard Space Marines transport or armoured vehicles like a a Rhino or a Razorback. This all-around combat proficiency provides an Astartes Force Commander great flexibility in deciding how, when and where to use the awesome fighting power of his Assault Squads.
Unit Composition
- 1 Space Marine Sergeant or Veteran Sergeant
- 4-9 Space Marines
Dedicated Transport
If an Assault Squad does not take Jump Packs, it may select one of the following as a dedicated transport:
Wargear
Blood Angels Chapter Assault Marine equipped with a Jump Pack, Chainsword and Plasma Pistol
Assault Marines can be equipped with a variety of wargear. Some may carry the weapons with which they most excel, while others carry specialised wargear unique to the mission at hand. Most carry a pistol, either a Bolt Pistol, Plasma Pistol or Grav Pistol, and complement it with a melee weapon such as a Chainsword or Power Sword.
Assault Squad Wargear
Optional Wargear
- Jump Pack
- 2 Space Marines may replace Bolt Pistol with Flamer or Plasma Pistol
- 2 Space Marines may replace Chainsword with an Eviscerator
Optional Wargear, Sergeant Only
- 1 item from Melee Weapons (Including: (Includes: Chainfist, Chainsword, Force Weapon, Lightning Claws, Power Fist, Power Weapon, Relic Blade and Thunder Hammer)
- Grav-pistol
- Plasma Pistol
- Combat Shield and/or Melta Bombs
See Also
Sources
- Codex Adeptus Astartes - Space Marines (8th Edition), pp. 70, 72, 169
- Codex: Space Marines (8th Edition), pp. 72, 143
- Codex: Space Marines (7th Edition) (Digital Edition), pp. 5, 51-53, 69, 84-86, 91, 113, 159, 180, 201, 338-340
- Codex: Space Marines (5th Edition), pg. 60
- Insignium Astartes, pg. 20
- The Horus Heresy - Book One: Betrayal by Alan Bligh, "Legion Assault Squad," pp. 91, 203
- White Dwarf July 2013 (US), "Warhammer 40,000 Apocalypse," pg. 50
Gallery
