Combat Doctrine Tokens

Last week was my first game using the new Codex: Space Marines with my Ultramarines. The list was my standard one (2 Tactical Squads, V. Dread, Sternguard, Devs, Whirlwind and a Land Raider), as I don't have a lot of exotic options for running them. The few new rules were easy enough to keep up with for the most part. Amy and Da Masta Cheef were eager to see their Tau (with a light Eldar support) sup upon more Ultramarine meat, so challenged me upon arriving at the store. Fair enough, the last time I played the Ultramarines was against them and that was with the previous codex, so I was curious to see if the subtle differences would net different results.

Ultramarine deployment.

The game was fun despite our dice begging to be slung-shot out into Boone Lake, and the Ultramarines nearly had a victory, however my dice screwed me on two separate charges. It was the top of turn 5, I was going first and declared that I was using the Assault Combat Doctrine. This was the last of my 3 doctrines, the Tactical one I thought worked well, and the Devastator one simply had no opportunity to perform. At this point the Taudar had 1 VP for offing my suicidal Warlord (it was an awesome death), and that I think about the Stealthsuits were giving them Linebreaker for a total of 2vps, and I was leading by 4 vps (ist Blood and an Objective). After some awesome jet-packing moves the Tau Stealthsuits were now close to the objective in my deployment zone and had to be dealt with. I shot them up pretty good, and charged! I then lost 2 guys to snapfire! Ouch! Then I rolled a 2 for my charge distance! The guys that died were close enough and would have closed that gap had they not died for the Greater Good (so the Cheef's propaganda would have be believe!).

"This is ours Ultramarines! Thanks for watching it for us, awfully cool of you..."

I had few marines left on the other side of the battlefield debris from those two drones that you can see in that pic who also botched their charge roll. Cursing the dice gods, we moved on, the Stealthsuits jumped on top of the Objective, giving the the Tau a 5-1 victory!

It was a good, game and afterwards while talking to the other players, Mac, the other resident Ultramarine player, asked me "How did those Combat Doctrines work for you?" That's when it dawned on me! I had forgotten about the Assault Combat Doctrines! LOL. Right there on the spot I realized what I needed: tokens! Something physical I can keep in my hand or on the table that I can touch and see to remind myself that I have this rule! You got to figure that I have been playing this army off and on, since about 1991 and have never had anything like this that I had to recall in a game. So I made these tokens that I think should remind me during the game that I have 3 one-use only special rules. To make them I used a simple round base, Ultramarine paint and some old decals and presto: Combat Doctrine Tokens!!!

Devastator, Tactical and Assault Ultramarine Combat Tactics: Combat Doctrines tokens. 

 We'll see if they work next time.

Oh, and to answer Mac's question: I will have to play a few more games (specifically ones where I remember to use them) before I can decide if I like these Combat Doctrines. I did like the Tactical one just fine however. :)