The Adeptus Astartes fleet in Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2 plays unlike any other. Their focus on boarding actions, morale suppression, and close-quarters combat makes them one of the most aggressive and fearsome factions in the game. If you’ve been struggling with how to properly play Space Marines, this guide will walk you through the best tactics, ship loadouts, and battle strategies to ensure victory.

Why Play the Adeptus Astartes Fleet?

Space Marines excel in boarding-focused combat. Unlike other factions that rely on long-range engagements or massive firepower, Astartes fleets dominate the battlefield by getting up close and personal, overwhelming enemy ships with elite troops, and rendering them into drifting hulks before they can retaliate.

The Imperial Fists are arguably the strongest chapter to play in the game due to their enhanced durability and boarding potential. If you’re not playing Imperial Fists, you’re missing out on key advantages!

Core Upgrades & Skills for Success

To maximize the strengths of the Astartes fleet, selecting the right upgrades and skills is crucial. Here are two highly effective choices:

• Emission Dissipation: This upgrade allows your ships to maneuver while staying in Running Silent mode. This is essential for closing the distance undetected, enabling surprise attacks.
• First Company Terminators: This flagship-exclusive upgrade increases Lightning Strike’s critical damage chance by 45%, making it a devastating tool against enemy ships.

Recommended Skills

• Augur Probe: A must-have against stealth-heavy factions like the Drukhari, revealing enemy ships so you can target them effectively.
• Disruption Bomb: This skill instantly removes enemy shields, allowing you to maximize your boarding actions and hull damage.

The Adeptus Astartes Combat Strategy

Phase 1: Stealth & Positioning

The key to Space Marine dominance is getting into melee range without being detected.

• Activate Running Silent before engagements to mask your fleet’s movement.
• Use boosters to quickly close the distance while remaining hidden.
• Position your fleet aggressively to force your opponent into an uncomfortable defensive stance.

Phase 2: Initial Engagement & Shield Removal

Once you’re within striking range, it’s time to start dismantling your opponent’s fleet:

1. Drop the Disruption Bomb: This immediately removes enemy shields, making their ships vulnerable to boarding actions.
2. Launch Boarding Torpedoes and Thunderhawk Squadrons: These will begin whittling down their crew and reducing their effectiveness.
3. Use Lightning Strikes on the Admiral Ship: The 45% increased critical damage ensures their command ship takes maximum morale damage early.

Phase 3: Full-On Boarding Assault

At this point, the enemy fleet should be in disarray. The goal is to systematically disable their ships:

• Prioritize boarding actions over raw firepower. Your fleet excels in troop damage, so rely on your Thunderhawks, boarding torpedoes, and assault actions to cripple their crew.
• Target the Admiral first: Removing their leader will send the rest of their fleet into chaos.
• Use ship ramming aggressively: The Adeptus Astartes have durable hulls, making ramming a viable secondary tactic.

Phase 4: Mopping Up & Map Control

Once the enemy fleet is full of drifting hulks, securing the battlefield is easy:

• Engage remaining ships methodically while maintaining control over objectives.
• Use Thunderhawks to finish off weakened targets.
• Keep your fleet mobile in case reinforcements arrive.

Fleet Composition – The Vanguard Mark 1 Approach

One of the best fleet compositions for the Adeptus Astartes is the Vanguard Mark 1 setup. This fleet does not use escorts and instead relies purely on aggressive light cruisers equipped with:

• Stormhawk Interceptors for air superiority.
• Thunderhawk Annihilators for relentless boarding actions.
• Boarding Torpedoes to weaken enemy ships before close-range combat.
• Torpedoes for additional burst damage.

Why No Escorts?

Escorts are often redundant in a Vanguard Mark 1 spam fleet. The goal is to overwhelm the enemy with boarding and direct aggression, making dedicated scouting ships unnecessary.

Tactical Example: Battle Against the T’au Empire

In a real match against the T’au Empire, the following tactics were used successfully:

1. Initial Stealth Approach: The fleet remained in Running Silent, closing in on the unsuspecting enemy.
2. Disruption Bomb Deployment: Before engaging, a disruption bomb was dropped to nullify their shields.
3. Full Fleet Assault: Boarding actions were focused on the enemy admiral ship, quickly reducing its crew and morale.
4. Enemy Fleet Collapse: With their command ship out of action, the remaining fleet crumbled under concentrated boarding assaults.
5. Final Cleanup: Smaller enemy ships were picked off systematically, ensuring total victory.

Key Takeaways for Astartes Fleet Dominance

• Use stealth to approach your target undetected.
• Always prioritize boarding actions over traditional firepower.
• Target the enemy flagship early to demoralize their fleet.
• Employ Disruption Bombs to nullify shields before attacking.
• Run an all-Vanguard Mark 1 fleet for maximum aggression.
• Master maneuvering techniques to stay unpredictable.

Conclusion: The Emperor’s Wrath Unleashed

The Adeptus Astartes fleet is one of the most aggressive factions in Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2, excelling in close-range boarding combat and enemy disruption. By embracing stealth, executing flawless boarding maneuvers, and prioritizing enemy morale destruction, you can purge the heretics and secure victory for the Imperium.

If you have any further questions, feel free to drop them in the comments below. Now go forth and wreak havoc in the Emperor’s name!

Glory to the Imperium!