Summary
The words “Space Marine” conjure up images of big guys with even bigger weaponry. The genetically augmented warriors of theWarhammer 40,000universe are synonymous with huge strength, fearsome armor, and the ability to lay waste to hordes of enemies, leaving utter annihilation in their wake. Their reputation precedes them as a devastating fighting force almost without equal.
But if a player were to pause their copy ofSpace Marine 2for a few short moments, they could ponder who else might be equal to the Imperium’s finest. Much likeFantasy Football, only with blot throwers, it can be entertaining to picture other galactic fighting forces from popular science fiction going up against Space Marines. Here, then, is a selection of the best candidates.
The Terran Marines are an obvious choice, not least because they most closely resemble theirWarhammer 40Kcounterparts. In theStarcraftuniverse, they are intended as a means of protecting humanity against either the massive insectoid scourge that isThe Zergor the otherworldly threat of the Protoss. Whereas Space Marines are bred from birth to don the armor and fight, Terrans provide either convicts or volunteers for the front lines.
Terran Marines are in with a fighting chance as, while not necessarily as elite, they boast heavy-duty firepower and huge numbers. AnyStarcraftplayer will be familiar with their formidable fleet of combat vehicles, including Siege Tanks and Battlecruisers. A decent tactician will know that strategy goes a very long way, and the Terrans' ability to coordinate their efforts, whether attacking or defending, could givethe Space Marines tactical aspectsa serious run for their money.
The United Nations Space Command was facing overwhelming odds when it confronted The Covenant. The only solution was to conceive a dedicated military response that would be able to overpower the alien threat, and the Spartan 2 program was born. Like the Space Marines, the Spartan 2 units were raised from early life to fight and created via a mixture of cybernetic upgrades with genetic enhancements.
The Spartan 2 army seen intheHalogamesis a huge asset in its toughness and military focus. They fight with tenacity, precision, and agility, and are equally capable in ground and space combat. They also have a devastating arsenal, whether it’s handled weaponry like plasma rifles and energy swords or tactical nukes. Although Space Marines have power armor, the Spartan 2 has Mjolnir armor, which means they are a fierce adversary for any warring power.
3The Covenant
These Alien Soldiers Are No Pushover
The Covenant would fit very comfortably into theWarhammer 40,000universe, as they share many qualities with the Space Marines and their numerous foes; advanced technology, theocratic alliance, and dogmatic hierarchy are just some of their attributes. Their reach stretches far across space, and they see humanity as a heretical threat that must be stamped out. Of all the entries on this list, they are the most likely to present a genuine threat to Imperium forces.
Their arsenal includes gargantuan spaceships and devastating weaponry like energy projectors, not to mention nimble, high-powered craft like Wraiths and Banshees. Covenant Elites and Brutes possess the sort of strength, weaponry, and dexterity in combat, meaning they can go toe-to-toe with Space Marines, who they also share an ideological drive with, which fuels their ability to wage war.
One of the more cold-blooded entries, the Cylons ofBattlestar Galacticawere created by humanity as an AI intended to make life easier for humans. As is so often the case in science fiction, Artificial Intelligence questioned its creator before deciding it could do a better job. It ended up waging a deadly war on humanity, to the point where the human race was almost completely wiped out and had to resort to gathering aboard its Battlestar warships and looking for a new home.
The Cylons' greatest strength is their near-immortality and their ability to resurrect into new bodies once they are killed. This, combined with their fearsome intelligence and command of technology, makes them an especially durable enemy and almost undefeatable. They can also convincingly pass for humans, enabling them to infiltrate aspects of human society, which could include those of the Imperium.
