Ultramarines

What better way to begin than with the purveyors of purity and Imperial justice. The Ultramarines' primarch, Roboute Guilliman, created and implemented the Codex Astartes, detailing a complex and extremely structured method for the Adeptus Astartes to follow as they wage everlasting war against the enemies of the Emperor. I began creating the army around a few key core units, chosen specifically for their stature within the Ultramarines chapter.

Here's the list:

HQ:

Marneus Calgar (in Artificer Armor) - 550
Honor Guard (7)
Chapter Champion
Ancient

Chief Librarian Tigurius - 419
Command Squad (5 with Infiltrate)
Epistolary (Might of Heroes and Fury of the Ancients)

Elite:

Tyranid Hunters Squad (10) - 221
Veteran with Lightning Claws
Flamer

Venerable Dreadnought - 130
Assault Cannon
Extra Armor

Troops:

Tactical Squad #1 (5) - 90
Lascannon

Tactical Squad #2 (5) - 90
Lascannon

Fast Attack:

Land Speeder #1 - 80
Assault Cannon
Heavy Bolter

Land Speeder #2 - 75
Multi-melta
Heavy Flamer

Land Speeder #3 - 85
Multi-melta
Typhoon Missile Launcher

Heavy Support:

Devastator Squad (8) - 260
4 Plasma Cannons

Honestly this army is based on a very high level of story involvement. I wanted an Ultramarines army that said "Hey we're the Ultramarines," and "Look, we can prove it because Calgar and Tigurius are right there!" And of course, I had to use those wacky Tyranid Hunters because nothing says Ultramarines like a healthy feud with an alien race that just doesn't care about said feud.

Due to the expensive cost of these core elements, and the debatable value of a 500+ point Honor Guard, I had to raise the power level of the army's other units to compensate. I included the three separate units of speeders and two 5-man lascannon squads, all backed up by some long-range big guns. However, the most powerful element to the force is Tigurius leading an infiltrating command squad. If facing an army that isn't fearless, he's most likely to use his Fear of the Darkness special ability to chase multiple units from the battle on the first or second turn.