Games Workshop recently released a mini wave of new Ultramarines models; updated models for Chapter Master Marneus Calgar, meme-infamous Cato Sicarius, and the Victrix Honour Guard. The points costs for the new boys in blue dropped on Wednesday along with the rules, and now that we have the full picture, it looks like they could be one of the most pushed units in Warhammer 40k right now - let's break down why.
Comparing units between different Warhammer 40k factions is always a bit dicey - the context that a unit sits in is very important, and often this provides vital information that the stats and points cost alone don't represent. For example, T'au and Astra Militarum units can have superior range output both armies lack strong melee capability.
But the Space Marine chapters have the broadest selection of units and detachments in all of Warhammer 40k: the only thing they can't really field is horde infantry. If a Space Marine unit is super-competent, it isn't compensating for gaps in other parts of the range - it's just good.
Victrix Honour Guard vital statistics
The Victrix Honour Guard are elite melee infantry. They're equipped with master-crafted bolters and master-crafted power-weapons which are both specced to mince light infantry, put big dents in elite infantry, and chip down walkers and vehicles. Defensively, they've got a 2+ save, four Wounds, and - when led by a Captain or Chapter Master - their 'Ultramarines Honour Guard' ability means any attacks against them suffer -1 to wound.
Though their movement is fairly normal, they do have an out-of-turn movement ability, Glory of Ultramar. This is a carbon copy of the World Eaters' Blood Surge, which allows them to move D6 inches towards the nearest enemy when they suffer a casualty in the shooting phase. This movement can even pull them into melee. This is particularly effective at dissuading enemies from shooting them from the opposite side of an objectives.
The unit has three or six models, with two optional upgrades that can each be taken once per army: a Champion, who swaps his bolter for even better melee weapons; and an Ancient, who trades the gun for a banner and a once-per-game ability to increase the Strength and Attacks of every model in the unit by one, for when you absolutely, positively have to blend everything in your way. Whichever way you spec the unit, six models costs 210 points.
Victrix Honour Guard unit can be led by any hero who can lead a unit of Company Heroes, but they should always be led by a Captain or Chapter Master to make use of their Ultramarines Honour Guard ability. The most OTT way to field then unit would be to put them with the original three-model Marneus Calgar unit (who comes with two Victrix Guard already), and add in a Lieutenant.
Victrix Honour Guard reliable buffs
Space Marines have access to some very reliable army-wide abilities and Stratagems which it's worth evaluating as part of the Victrix' toolset. First the Victrix can re-roll hit rolls and get +1 to wound against the army's Oath of Moment target.
Second, every Space Marines detachment has the Armor of Contempt stratagem, which reduces the AP of enemy attacks. Third, in both the Gladius Task Force detachment (the most popular Marines detachment at the recent World Championships) and the new Blades of Ultramar detachment, there are Stratagems to give a unit Lance, for an additional +1 to wound in melee on the charge.
Defensive comparison - Custodian Wardens
Custodian Wardens are reckoned one of the tankiest infantry units in the game right now, and like the Victrix there's an option to get a unit for 210 points. They have a different faction context but their maneuvrability and melee competence are similar.
Wardens have a baseline 2+ save, 4+ invulnerable save, three Wounds, and Toughness six, and you only get four models for 210 points. On top of that they have Resolute Will, which means attacks with a higher Strength than their Toughness suffer -1 to wound; and they have a once-per-game ability to gain a 4+ Feel No Pain for a turn.
With more bodies and more wounds each, the Honour Guard have twice as many wounds as the Wardens do - with skewy dice a one-turn 4+ Feel No Pain could make up for this, but it's likely to fall a little short. Critically, on turns when the Wardens aren't protected by their Feel No Pain, a fresh Honour Guard can survive an unsaved Damage 3 attack and a Warden can't.
The Wardens' higher Toughness is also not quite the advantage it seems, since both units have abilities that penalise incoming To Wound rolls, but the Custodes' ability doesn't trigger against attacks with Strength six or less. Account for this, and the Honour Guard are only more vulnerable to being wounded by attacks with Strength five, or Strength eight to 11.
The Warden's invulnerable save provides less flexible protection than the Honour Guard's access to Armour of Contempt. Against AP-1 and AP-2 attacks, Armor of Contempt can provide superior protection; and against AP-3 attacks, using Armor of Contempt will match the Wardens' 4+ Invulnerable save.
Considered in the round, against small arms fire the Honour Guard are as survivable or more survivable than the Custodes. Against strength five weaponry they're easier to wound but are likely to have the option to use Armor of Contempt for a better armor save; against Strength eight to 11 weapons they're easier to wound, but may again have the Armor of Contempt advantage and are better placed to weather damage three attacks. So Wardens are only definitively more survivable than the Victrix against attacks from AP-4 weapons, which are rare.
The result is a unit that is more survivable than the Wardens. It's also an extremely competent melee blender; while it's not specced specifically to destroy tanks, it has access to enough buffs that it will only truly choke on targets that reduce the damage of incoming attacks. And while it's not fast, it has access to movement tricks from Detachments and characters - include Uriel Ventris in your list and you can even Deep Strike the Victrix.
These are units you can trust to take objectives, hold objectives, kill a vast majority of things they get into melee with, and only die when your opponent massively overcommits to taking them out. Three max units led by characters will eat up half an army's points budget - but it's very tempting. A wave of Victrix-first Ultramarines melee armies may be on the horizon.
What do you think? Are we overestimating the Victrix Honour Guard's capabilities? Or have we undersold just how much of a pain they're going to be? What would you do to change them? Let us know in the Wargamer Discord community!