If you want to do it the easy way, just roll the weapon bonuses from chest, then your storm bolters, assault cannons, power swords/axes will become godlike. And every chapter can slaughter through the space hulks.
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For chapter I would say Salamanders, Space Wolves , Imperial Fists are better for newb.

Salamanders got double heavy ranged shooters. (edit: though their librarians are not so strong like other chapters, they need a line of sight or close range to use their flame abilities)

Every melee wolves terminator can wield power axe + storm bolter just like a sergeant, making them both good at ranged battles and melee.

Though imperial fists got no librarian, their sergeants got the sentry gun equipment that can shoot 15/20 times, which is a nice and unique compensation (and I believe its shooting never miss). Imperial fists got melee defense buffs too.
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Others:

Blood angels: just the "standard" model. The focus points buff is close to nothing.

Dark angels: plasma cannon is now shared among all chapters and it's just meh. Overall they are just blood angels in the white color with an apothecary .
( Apothecary is more like a ranged brother with buff to add attribute points by 1 and close range gas AOE, not so good as a leader).

Ultramarines: cyclone missiles are just meh, and they have slight melee punishments.

Also, no need to invest in willpower except the librarian.

Despite the descriptions, broodlord in this game do not have a psychic attack.

That is useful to know, come back to the game after some time. Did choose the Dark angels, but if the plasma cannon is meh, then I just started over with the space wolves, and see what I think of them.

Not played the game for a long time, so nice to get back into it.

Thanks for the tips.

Originally posted by Distemper:

If you want to do it the easy way, just roll the weapon bonuses from chest, then your storm bolters, assault cannons, power swords/axes will become godlike. And every chapter can slaughter through the space hulks.
=======================================================
For chapter I would say Salamanders, Space Wolves , Imperial Fists are better for newb.

Salamanders got double heavy ranged shooters.

Every melee wolves terminator can wield power axe + storm bolter just like a sergeant, making them both good at ranged battles and melee.

Though imperial fists got no librarian, their sergeants got the sentry gun equipment that can shoot 15/20 times, which is a nice and unique compensation (and I believe its shooting never miss). Imperial fists got melee defense buffs too.
================================================
Others:

Blood angels: just the "standard" model. The focus points buff is close to nothing.

Dark angels: plasma cannon is now shared among all chapters and it's just meh. Overall they are just blood angels in the white color with an apothecary .
( Apothecary is more like a ranged brother with buff to add attribute points by 1 and close range gas AOE, not so good as a leader).

Ultramarines: cyclone missiles are just meh, and they have slight melee punishments.

Chests?

You'll get them in the flash missions (those marked with a yellow "electric" icon).
Checking the map you will find a shiny chest with an apothecary icon.

The goodies will be randomly rolled from temporary buff (range/melee/xp) for the next mission, to permanent buff for ordinary weapons.

With those buffs you can improve your stormbolter to damage 2-3 and one-shot the broodlord, thus making the game pretty easy (but it also somehow reduces the fun and variety of the game, because the buffs seem not offered to combi-shooters, plasma cannon and cyclone missiles)

BTW the exact values of the permanent buffs are also random and can no longer be rerolled. (But they are already OP by the average)

So basically, if you want an easy experience, get the chests, if you want a far more rewarding experience ignore them.

@Distemper
If one doesn't go for chests, are combi weapons worth using? been a long time since I played the game, so slowly getting back into it. I not reached them yet, so thinking of playing the game without any chest bonuses. so your advice would be welcome.

Originally posted by matthew:

@Distemper
If one doesn't go for chests, are combi weapons worth using?

Definitely for me. The bolters of combi-weapons do not overheat, so they outperform storm bolter if the latter's damage is not buffed.

If a lot of monsters run to a terminator, the storm bolter probably will stop after ~6 shots, while the combi-weapons' bolters could finish the 12 shots they got.

(in fact I think it could be balanced if the devs set the damage of stormbolter to 2, instead of 1 or 3)

So even after their special weaponries run out, combi-weapons still work well. With the skill that doubles damage to broodlords, you can also deal with a broodlord with acceptable efforts (2 shots instead of 3).

Over all the combi-flamers are the most versatile choice, while long-range combi-melta and combi-plasma sometimes help in a narrow corridor.

Thanks, I will give them a go once I unlock them. Not going for chests, so should be a nice rewarding game.

@Distemper
Unrelated to the context of this thread but do certain custimization options become available at higher levels?

Been playing as space wolves, one negative, their range doesn't have combi weapons, only the sarge does. I'm not sure if the power axe is worth getting if the range doesn't have combi weapons? in that respect, the Imperial fist or the Salamanders might be better choices.

The other thing to note, librarians force powers also seem different on each chapter, not all seem to have access to the same force powers. But if you don't use them, then its a minor issue.

Still, I think I will stick with the space wolves, got several missions done. No point restarting. Still having a force axe for up close and personal, might not be a bad idea, depending on the layout. Some maps are cramped.

Originally posted by Cleburne:

@Distemper
do certain custimization options become available at higher levels?

Regrettably, all the available options are those offered at the beginning.

But the terminators do get additional adornments when they reach rank II and rank III.
Like, Ultramarine sergeants will get a fancy cape at rank III .

Originally posted by matthew:

I'm not sure if the power axe is worth getting if the range doesn't have combi weapons? in that respect, the Imperial fist or the Salamanders might be better choices.

librarians force powers also seem different on each chapter, not all seem to have access to the same force powers. But if you don't use them, then its a minor issue.

About the wolves, they actually do not have an ordinary ranged terminator, the third to fifth slots are all melee terminators lol.

And I agree, if you decide to not use the chest buffs, then storm bolter + axe may not be that perfect as described above.

Librarians are different among chapters, and in fact the dark angel/blood angel/ultramarine librarians have the largest psychic AOE, with no requirement to directly see the enemy. So they can decimate the lesser monsters across a wall,

Space wolves rune priests have a smaller AOE with freezing ability, and is also good.

Salamanders librarian is the only guy who needs a line of sight to use his ability, and is perhaps relatively weak among librarians.

Still, brood lords are immune to psychic abilities so every brother should prepare to meet a broodlord by themselves. And I tend to believe some melee buff help to prevent the worst and make life easier in the space hulk.

Ahh, thanks for that. So if I do continue to use the wolves, I do need the chest buffs. OK, I will start looking for flash missions. Still, I'm more tempted now to give the imperial fist a go then, due to the combi weapons. Right now, that might be a better option if I want to ignore the chests.

Thanks, your answers help a lot. I will see what I decide when I start the game.

Originally posted by Distemper:

Originally posted by Cleburne:

@Distemper
do certain custimization options become available at higher levels?

Regrettably, all the available options are those offered at the beginning.

But the terminators do get additional adornments when they reach rank II and rank III.
Like, Ultramarine sergeants will get a fancy cape at rank III .

So do the DA Sergeants get the wings?

Saw it in a post

Also: what's the most efficient way to level terminators? Bouncing around the hulks or just going straight through one at a time?