The Ultramarines OP Combo for 11th Edition: Calgar, 10 Terminators and Two Unstoppable Tanks

Ten Terminators led by Marneus Calgar, teleporting wherever they're needed, while two grav-tanks that can't be slowed down delete everything from the backline. This is my Ultramarines core, and I consider it one of the most powerful combos in Warhammer 40,000 right now. I haven't lost a single game with it in 11th edition. Here's every piece, every stratagem and exactly why it works.

Published November 4, 2026. Based on my own games with the current Codex: Space Marines and the New Recruit app (v2.8.1, data v995). Rules are summarised in my own words; points and rules change with balance updates, so always check the latest before you play.

Related: Battle Report: Ultramarines vs T'au, Calgar and Ten Terminators Deep Strike Into Their Home Zone · Khazalite Holds Battletome: What's Inside, Release Date, Limited Edition and What to Buy First

The core list (1,050 points)

Detachments: Ironstorm Spearhead and Terminator Storm Force (2 Detachment Points), Strike Force game with the Purge the Foe mission. A 2,000-point army has 3 Detachment Points, so you still have one free for the rest of your army (see Part 4).

This is the core. You can build on it, and I'll show you how below, but it doesn't need anything else to work.

Part 1: Calgar and the ten Terminators

In the lore, the Ultramarines First Company died to the last man holding Macragge against the Tyranids, and Calgar bled beside them. On the table, this unit lets you relive it, except this time they win.

Teleport anywhere

Terminators arrive by teleport, and with Calgar leading them the whole block becomes a missile you can point at any part of the table. Thanks to Terminator Storm Force, they also get +1 to charge, so the charge out of deep strike goes in far more often than it should.

Then teleport out again

This is the trick most opponents don't see coming. The Gunship Extraction stratagem (1CP) lets you pick up the squad at the end of your opponent's Fight phase, as long as it isn't locked in combat, and put it back into reserves. Next turn it arrives on the completely opposite side of the map. Your opponent builds their whole turn around stopping it, and it's simply gone.

Calgar himself: the Gauntlets of Ultramar

Calgar isn't just there to lead. His Gauntlets of Ultramar hit on 2s and are twin-linked, so he re-rolls his wounds too. That means he easily wipes almost anything he fights. And when something big gets in his way, he has the button every Ultramarines player loves: the Overhead Smash. It's one single, enormous blow with even more strength and 4 to 6 damage, still twin-linked, so it almost always lands and almost always wounds. Tanks, monsters, enemy warlords: one smash and they're in serious trouble. Even his shooting is twin-linked and works at close quarters. Whatever the Terminators don't kill, Calgar finishes.

Calgar the Master Tactician

Space Marines use Combat Doctrines: normally you pick one per turn for the whole army, and each one only once per battle. Assault lets units advance and still charge, Devastator gives ranged attacks Assault, and Tactical lets units fall back and still shoot and charge. Calgar breaks those limits:

• Codex Adept: all three doctrines are always active for Calgar himself.
• Master Tactician: in your Movement phase he picks one friendly unit within 9" and gives it any doctrine you want until your next Command phase, on top of the army-wide one.
• Thunderhawk Insertion: before the battle, one Gravis, Phobos or Tacticus unit gets Deep Strike, perfect for the add-ons in Part 4.

And then there's Transhuman Strategist: as long as Calgar is your Warlord, you gain an extra Command point at the start of every battle round. With Fortitude, Merciless Veterans, Gunship Extraction and Might of the Machine Spirit all wanting CP, that extra point every turn is insane. You always have something to do.

Almost impossible to kill

Terminator armour already gives them high Toughness and great saves. On top of that, Tactical Dreadnought Fortitude (2CP) gives every attack against them -1 Damage. Lascannons, power fists and big monsters suddenly do a fraction of what they should. Save your 2CP for the turn they're in the open.

Fists for everything

I split the squad 5 and 5:

• 5 chainfists: these destroy any vehicle. Five chainfists charging into a tank is just bonkers; there's almost nothing they can't cut open.
• 5 power fists: the cherry on top against infantry and elite units.

Whatever the squad charges, it has the right tool for it.

Guns for everything

• Assault cannon: the rotary cannon shreds infantry and hordes.
• Cyclone missile launcher: the rocket pack deals with bigger units and vehicles.
• Storm bolters: a wall of shots from everyone else.

Then add Merciless Veterans (1CP): the whole squad's ranged attacks get Lethal Hits and Sustained Hits 1. Ten Terminators firing with both is a horrible amount of damage before they even charge.

Want even more?

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You can add a Terminator Ancient with a banner to make the squad even stronger. I don't include it because I need those points elsewhere, but if you have room, it's a great upgrade.

Part 2: the two tanks that never miss

Every tank gets the Machine Spirit

Both tanks take Redoubtable Machine Spirit. Every tank needs it: a 5+ invulnerable save and heal 1 wound every Command phase. Your opponent has to commit huge firepower to kill one, and if they don't finish it, it heals.

The best stratagem in the game

Might of the Machine Spirit (1CP) is, for me, the best stratagem in the game. (It works on any tank that isn't a transport, flyer or walker.) Use it on a tank and, until your next Command phase, it ignores every modifier to its Move, Ballistic Skill, hit rolls and wound rolls. Nothing can make it worse. -1 to hit? Ignored. Slowed down? Ignored. It only keeps what helps it.

Ironstorm re-rolls

The Ironstorm Spearhead rule lets each tank re-roll one hit roll and one wound roll when it shoots. On big single-shot guns, that's the difference between a dead enemy tank and a lucky survivor.

Repulsor Executioner: hitting on 2s

The Executioner's heavy laser destroyer is a monster of a gun: huge strength, huge damage, and Devastating Wounds, so a critical wound goes straight through saves. On top of that, the tank's own Executioner ability gives it +1 to hit against any unit that isn't below half-strength, so against every fresh enemy unit it's hitting on 2s (and its guns are Heavy, a backup +1 if it stays still). Add Might of the Machine Spirit and nothing can take that away. Then use the Ironstorm re-rolls on the laser: one hit re-roll and one wound re-roll, on the gun that matters. Most of the time, you hit. Most of the time, something big dies. The heavy onslaught gatling cannon and twin heavy bolter clean up the infantry around it.

Gladiator Lancer: the little guy is even nastier

The Lancer gets the same enhancement, but its own Aquilon Optics make it a dedicated tank hunter: against monsters and vehicles it can re-roll one hit roll, one wound roll and one damage roll. Stack that with the Ironstorm re-rolls and the laser destroyer gets two hit re-rolls, two wound re-rolls and a damage re-roll. With only two shots, that means both of them are basically guaranteed. Its laser destroyer is Heavy too, so parked, it's hitting on 2s as well. Against big targets, that gun almost never fails.

Two more tank stratagems to keep in mind

• Headhunter Doctrine (1CP): when a tank shoots, its guns get Lethal Hits against monsters and vehicles. On the Executioner's heavy laser destroyer, every 6 to hit wounds automatically. Enemy tanks just melt.
• Layered Ceramite (1CP): when a tank suffers a mortal wound, it gets a 5+ save against mortal wounds for the rest of that phase. Your answer to psychic attacks and Devastating Wounds aimed at your tanks.

Pro tip: shoot in the right order

With Might of the Machine Spirit active, nothing can make your guns worse, so every gun on the Executioner hits on 2s, not just the big one. That means you don't need your precious re-rolls for the small guns at all. Play it smart:

1. Always shoot the big cannon first. Roll the heavy laser destroyer before anything else.
2. Only re-roll if you need to. If the big shots land, keep your Ironstorm re-rolls.
3. Save them for the next most powerful gun. The Executioner only has one big cannon, so unused re-rolls go to the next strongest gun: the heavy onslaught gatling cannon.
4. Then the weakest guns. Twin heavy bolter and the rest go last; if you still have a re-roll left, spend it there.

Hit hard first, then decide. That's the whole strategy.

Part 3: how it plays

1. The tanks set up in the backline and start deleting enemy vehicles and monsters from turn one.
2. The Terminators and Calgar teleport in where the enemy is weakest, shoot with Lethal and Sustained Hits, then charge with +1.
3. When the enemy finally turns to deal with them, Gunship Extraction pulls them out, and they land on the other flank next turn.
4. Fortitude and the Machine Spirit keep everything alive while the tanks keep shooting.

Your opponent has to answer three huge threats at once, and they never know where the biggest one will be next turn. I haven't lost a single game with this core in 11th edition. Right now, I think it's the most broken thing in Warhammer for Ultramarines. Go Ultramarines. Go Calgar.

Part 4: building on the core

How the detachments work: at 2,000 points, every army gets 3 Detachment Points to spend. This core uses 2 of the 3 (Ironstorm Spearhead and Terminator Storm Force). The third one is yours to choose: a Gravis or a Tacticus detachment, depending on how you fill the rest of the army.

What playing Ultramarines gives you is Calgar. The Chapter also has its own Ultramarines detachment, but it costs all 3 Detachment Points, so we don't use it here.

The core is 1,050 points, so you have nearly 1,000 points left in a 2,000-point Strike Force to build whatever you like. Here are the two ways I do it.

Option A: Tacticus infantry

Add Sternguard Veterans and Intercessors. With Tacticus Firestorm Force, their guns stop caring about Rapid Fire range and fire on the move as Assault weapons. Suddenly your whole line advances and shoots at full strength. It gets even more broken.

Option B: Gravis armour

This is even stronger, in my experience:

• An Apothecary Biologis keeps them healing and bringing models back (D3+1 in my games).
• On every objective, enemy shooting with Strength higher than your Toughness gets -1 to wound, so Gravis on objectives are a nightmare to shift.
• You can turn your Heavy weapons into Assault weapons, then use a stratagem to push onto objectives.
• Charge in with 6 Gravis models (like Heavy Intercessors) and a Captain in Gravis armour, and use the stratagem that rolls a dice for every model: each 4+ deals damage before the fight even starts.

Meanwhile, the two tanks behind them destroy everything from the backline. It's simply disgusting.

Why Ultramarines?

Because it feels right. Calgar leading the First Company, Third Company armour rolling forward under the banner of Ultramar: this is the Codex Astartes in action, the way Guilliman wrote it. Read more in our Ultramarines lore guide, or see how the two main detachments compare in Ironstorm Spearhead vs Terminator Storm Force.

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What you need to build it

The core

• Codex: Space Marines: all the detachments, stratagems and enhancements in this article.
• Buy Marneus Calgar on Amazon: your Warlord and the extra CP every round.
• Buy Space Marine Terminators on Amazon (paint them as Ultramarines): you need two boxes for a squad of ten.
• Buy the Repulsor Executioner on Amazon: the backline gun that hits on 2s.
• Buy the Gladiator Lancer on Amazon: the tank hunter with Aquilon Optics.

To build on it

• Terminator Ancient with a banner, if you have the points.
• Tacticus option: Sternguard Veterans and Intercessors.
• Gravis option: Heavy Intercessors, a Captain in Gravis armour and an Apothecary Biologis.
• Starting from zero? Combat Patrol: Space Marines is the cheapest way in.

Paint them as Ultramarines

• Macragge Blue is the classic Ultramarines base colour, with Retributor Armour gold for the trim.
• A good shade set and fine detail brushes make the Terminators pop.
• Carry the army safely to games in a foam carry case; those tank antennas break easily.

Read the lore

Want to know why Calgar fights like this? Read Calgar's Siege and Dark Imperium, then our Marneus Calgar lore page.

FAQ

Is this list legal in matched play?

It was built in the New Recruit app with the current data at the time of writing. Rules and points change with every balance update, so re-check before a tournament.

What's the most important stratagem?

Might of the Machine Spirit for the tanks, and Tactical Dreadnought Fortitude for the Terminators. Keep CP for both.

Can I run it without Calgar?

Yes, a Terminator Captain or Chaplain can lead the squad instead, but Calgar is the Ultramarines way.

What beats it?

Mass mortal wounds and armies that can trap the Terminators in combat so Gunship Extraction can't pull them out. Keep the squad unengaged when you need the escape.