The Star Phantoms were a fleet based Chapter that was essential to the final battles of the Badab War. Specialists in orbital assaults, it was the Star Phantoms that struck the final blow against Lugft Huron.
Orbital Wave Attackrepresents this specialty, Star Phantoms may re-roll any reserve rolls of 1 for units entering play via Deep Strike. Since reserves arrive on a 3+, this will double the reliability of your arrivals. It will be most useful for an army deploying by Drop Pods. Fortunately, their other rule, Hail of Destruction, pairs well with a Drop Pod list. Once per game, all Star Phantoms count their rapid-fire, assault, salvo, and heavy weapons as twin-linked. This ability is used at the beginning of any of your shooting phase and lasts until the beginning of your next shooting phase. This allows you to make an extremely effective alpha strike when your forces land. It also protects you from some reprisal by granting re-rolls on your Overwatch.
Combined, this makes the Star Phantoms the best Chapter at launching Drop Pod assaults. They arrive more reliably and can do a tremendous amount of damage on a chosen turn. It works similarly to Drop Pod Ultramarines using their Tactical Doctrine, but provides a bigger benefit for non-Tactical marines and more reliable reserves in exchange for the loss of the other two Doctines. If you’re planning a Drop Pod army, this would be a very strong Chapter Tactic for you to choose.
Captain Zhrukhal Androcles
Zhrukhal Androcles is the Captain of the Star Phantoms 9thCompany. He is a very standard Captain armed with a power fist and combi-melta. Androcles has a single unique special rule, Master of the Devasator Company. This allows his army to take Devastators as Elites as well as Heavy Support. While this doesn’t match the Star Phantoms standard modus operandi, a Devastator heavy army does pair well with Hail of Destruction. When used early in the game, twin-linked fire from six Devastator squads could inflict massive damage on the enemy before they have the opportunity to close with and take out your heavy weapons.
Androcles provides the ability to take a very static, heavy firepower army. While I’m not sure this is the best strategy in the current incarnation of the game, Androcles allows you to do it better than any other Space Marine force.