Space Marines

The Space Marines — the Adeptus Astartes — are the Emperor's angels of death. Each begins as a mortal aspirant and is remade: nineteen gene-wrought organs, a lifetime of hypno-indoctrination and the finest wargear humanity can forge, all bound to the genetic legacy of one of the twenty Primarchs. The result is a warrior who knows no fear — stronger, faster and far harder to kill than any baseline human.

Since the Horus Heresy tore the Imperium in half, the Astartes have fought in roughly a thousand Chapters of a thousand battle-brothers, each with its own home world, colours and battle-cult, most following the Codex Astartes of Roboute Guilliman. From Ultramar's disciplined legions to the savage packs of Fenris, they are humanity's sharpest blade — too few to hold the line everywhere, and far too proud to stop trying.

On the tabletop, Space Marines are the great all-rounders of Warhammer 40,000: a tough, forgiving statline, excellent leaders, and an answer to every problem — shooting, melee, armour, speed. Their rules reward combined arms, and their detachments let the same collection play as anything from a patient gunline to an all-in assault force.

That flexibility makes them the classic first army: easy to learn, deep to master, and the stars of the 11th Edition Armageddon box. Pick a Chapter below to see how each one bends the Codex to its own way of war — every Chapter has its own page with lore, a playstyle guide and its full kit list.