Inceptor

An Inceptor Squad of Primaris Space Marines of the Ultramarines Chapter armed with Assault Bolters

An Inceptor, who is usually part of an Inceptor Squad, is the standard Jump Pack-equipped heavy assault unit of the Primaris Space Marines who wear the Gravis variant of Mark X Power Armour and wield twin Assault Bolters into combat. Inceptors are similar in combat function to an Assault Squad of standard Astartes or a Legion Assault Squad of ancient Astartes Legionaries.

In the Codex Astartes, Roboute Guilliman has been very clear about the role and importance of Astartes close support squads. A well-coordinated and perfectly timed assault can break the back of any foe, cracking open their lines and sending the remnants of their army fleeing. To make such breakthrough attacks, the designated troops must be fast, aggressive and hard-hitting.

The swiftest of the Primaris Battle-Brothers, Inceptors fill the role of spearhead troops. They hit the enemy in one sudden and overwhelming blow, leaving them reeling as follow-up waves of Space Marines drive home the attack.

Equipped with heavy Jump Packs and reinforced Mark X Gravis Power Armour, Inceptors can be dropped from the very edge of a planet’s atmospheric envelope. Leaping from the assault bays of low-orbiting Attack Craft, these daring warriors brave the fury of re-entry before locking their drop coordinates and jetting towards their objective like missiles. If the enemy detects their approach at all, they will often do so under the misapprehension that the Inceptors are stray warheads, or cast-off debris from orbital combat. Some squads intentionally make planetfall amidst such falling detritus, weaving through the blazing, tumbling storm of wreckage before breaking away as it flares to nothing, and plunging down into the enemy’s midst. By the time the foe realises that they are under attack, the Inceptors are already upon them.

Despite the ground-shattering force with which they land, Inceptors touch down with absolute control, opening fire immediately with the bulky but rapid-firing Assault Bolters that form their primary armaments. Servo-equipped boot-plates allow Inceptor Squads to survive landing at intense speeds, and provide extra boost when they jump from the ground. Often paired with squads attacking by Drop Pod, Inceptors are the perfect troops to blast out a beachhead and then provide fire support to keep it clear. The tornado of firepower generated by an Inceptor Squad is more than enough to sweep away horrified enemy infantry, slaughter crucial command assets or silence flak batteries before the main Space Marine attack descends.

Unit Composition

• 2 Inceptors
• 1 Inceptor Sergeant
• Up to 3 additional Inceptors

Wargear

• Mark X Gravis Power Armour
• 2 Assault Bolters
• 2 Plasma Exterminators (Optional replacements for Assault Bolters)

See Also

• Assault Marine
• Chaos Space Marine Raptor

Sources

• Codex Adeptus Astartes - Space Marines (8th Edition), pp. 70, 171
• Dark Imperium (Novel) by Guy Haley
• Warhammer Community - Primaris Space Marines: Gaming
• Warhammer Community - A New Breed of Hero
• Warhammer Community - Primaris Space Marines: FAQ.
• Codex: Space Marines Primaris Edition

Gallery

An Inceptor of the Ultramarines Chapter wielding twin Plasma Exterminators