If there’s one thing Warhammer 40,000 is known for, it’s its pumped-up Space Marines. These superhuman warriors are bigger, stronger and tougher than any other soldier in the Empire. But which of them are the best of the best? MeinMMO editor and Warhammer expert Benedict Grothaus dares to do a ranking.
Who is ranked here? There are 1,000 or more Space Marine Chapters in the world of Warhammer 40,000, with over 200 known to exist. In order to keep the list clear, you will only find the strongest of the nine orders of the Second Founding here and without their successor orders.
The second founding took place immediately after the Great Brotherhood War and limited the Chapter to 1,000 Space Marines through the Codex Astartes. These new orders are all loyal to the Empire of Mankind. This makes it easier to compare the fighters with each other.
This is how the ranking came about: Each order has its own specializations, strengths and weaknesses. Their versatility is one of the reasons why the Empire is currently the second strongest faction in Warhammer 40,000.
For the ranking, I assume an open battle between the orders against each other to test their strength, tactical skills and logistical abilities. Since they are all the same size, the following is taken into account in the evaluation:
The last point in particular is intended to reflect how disciplined and ordered the order actually is. Ultimately, administration is also important in the fight against great dangers over thousands of years. With this information I come up with the following ranking.
For the sake of completeness, you can find the remaining four orders in the ranking here
5th place: Iron Hands
Warhammer 40,000: The Army of the Iron Hands on the tabletop
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Although their Primarch Ferrus Manus has fallen, the Iron Hands represent some of the strongest warriors in the galaxy. The reason for this is their affinity for augmenting their bodies. Translated, this means: The Iron Hands stuff themselves full of bionic implants – even though they are already genetically improved.
Brothers of the Order believe that flesh is a weakness and there are even rumors of Iron Hands Space Marines who have now been completely transformed into machines. Imagine Arnie’s Terminator, only bigger and with futuristic super-weapons.
In terms of strength, the Iron Hands are actually on a par with the Imperial Fists, who specialize in sieges. But what sets the Cyber Order apart is their special war doctrine.
Their leaders, the Iron Council, evaluate the data from the battles and turn them into bare, raw numbers. The council then uses these to calculate completely rationally whether an operation is worthwhile or not (the Calculus Rationale).
So the Iron Fists then develop plans that they carry out with ice-cold calculation. They decide not to deploy, or to do so with full strength – even without regard to losses, if they think it is necessary. These casualties even include other Space Marines. So the Iron Fists use roughly the same methods as the Tyranids, who are the galaxy’s greatest threat for good reason.