"Though I have slumbered, you will find my performance undiminished. I am an Angel of Death, and war never changes."
Primaris Space Marine Intercessor of the Ultramarines Chapter in Mark X Tacticus Power Armour wielding a Mark II Cawl Pattern Bolt Rifle.
An Intercessor, who can be part of a battleline Intercessor Squad, is the standard, multirole heavy infantry unit of the Primaris Space Marines. Intercessors are similar in combat function to a Tactical Squad of Firstborn Astartes or a Legion Tactical Squad of the ancient Space Marine Legionaries.
Intercessor Squads form the beating heart of the Primaris Space Marine forces. Harking back to the single-armament squad tactics employed by the Space Marine Legions during the Great Crusade, every Intercessor is armed with one of several marks of Bolt Rifle. These weapons boast superior range and stopping power to even the holy boltgun, allowing Intercessor Squads to level withering storms of firepower that annihilate many enemies before they can even bring their own guns into range.
Against those few foes who survive the concentrated fire of their bolt weapons and the detonations of their Frag and Krak Grenades, the Intercessors' physical strength and resilience is so formidable that they can withstand the most horrific wounds without falling, and punch clean through steel plating to rend the flesh and bone beneath. Amongst most Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes, Intercessors form part of the main battleline. They are relied upon to hold their ground against onrushing foes, secure key objectives and wear down the enemy's strength with sheer weight of fire.
Role[]
An Ultramarines Chapter Intercessor Squad of Primaris Space Marines
The most numerous and strategically versatile warriors in a Codex Astartes-compliant Space Marine Chapter form battleline squads. They are flexible enough to press home an attack, or hold a position with withering firepower. Whatever the strategic challenge, the battleline squads are equal to the task.
A Deathwatch Primaris Marine Intercessor in combat against the alien foe.
A strong core of reliable and adaptable warriors that can lay down fire while advancing or holding terrain is an invaluable aid to any tactician. In the case of strike forces bolstered by Primaris battle-brothers, this role is filled by the Intercessor Squads.
Capable of levelling overlapping salvoes of firepower, Intercessor Squads often form the flexible fighting core of newly-founded Primaris Chapters. Many already established Chapters have taken to fielding them alongside their Firstborn Tactical Squads.
Well does Roboute Guilliman recall the success of single-armament Space Marine Legion squads from the era of the Great Crusade -- the combination of the focused firepower of the Intercessor Squads and the adaptability of the Tactical Squads has proven all but unstoppable.
Recently Primaris-reinforced Chapters such as the Crimson Fists or Scythes of the Emperor have found these new warriors fit for a multitude of tasks. More Codex-divergent Chapters have found their own roles for Intercessor Squads, from the stern dropsite defenders of the Raven Guard to the breach-suppressors of the Imperial Fists.
Each member of an Intercessor Squad carries some variant of a Bolt Rifle, the standard Mark II Cawl Pattern version of which has a longer range and greater armour penetration than the older pattern bolter. Additionally, each Intercessor also bears a Bolt Pistol and Frag and Krak Grenades.
This load-out allows Intercessor Squads to dominate any firefight, laying down punishing fire to eliminate all but the most resilient of foes. But Intercessor Squads are not purely ranged specialists. They are capable of punching clean through ferrocrete walls, enduring the heat of raging infernos, and ripping apart xenos horrors with their gauntleted hands.
Unit Composition[]
- 4-9 Intercessors
- 1 Intercessor Sergeant
Wargear[]
- Mark II Cawl Pattern Bolt Rifle
- Auto Bolt Rifle (Optional)
- Stalker Bolt Rifle (Optional)
- Power Sword (Intercessor Sergeant Only)
- Grenade Launcher (For every 5 Primaris Astartes in unit)
See Also[]
Sources[]
- Codex Adeptus Astartes - Deathwatch (8th Edition), pg. 36
- Codex Adeptus Astartes - Space Marines (8th Edition), pp. 68, 148
- Codex: Space Marines (8th Edition) (Revised Codex), pp. 68, 120
- Dark Imperium (Novel) by Guy Haley
- Wrath & Glory: Rulebook (RPG) (Cubicle 7 Revised Edition 2020), pg. 117
- Warhammer Community - Primaris Space Marines: Gaming
- Warhammer Community - A New Breed of Hero
- Warhammer Community - Primaris Space Marines: FAQ.
- Codex: Space Marines Primaris Edition