Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine (Anniversary Edition): Complete Guide

A player's guide to Relic's 2011 third-person action game as sold on Steam in the Anniversary Edition: how combat and healing actually work, the full arsenal, a campaign roadmap with collectible tips, achievement hunting, and the multiplayer and co-op modes.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the Anniversary Edition (2021 re-release, all DLC included); the separate Master Crafted Edition remaster launched 10 June 2025. Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Which Version Should You Play?

Both play the same way. Everything below applies to either, but menus and some options may differ in Master Crafted.

What the Anniversary Edition includes: the full game, the Chaos Unleashed Map Pack, Dreadnought Assault, the Iron Hand Veteran and Death Guard Champion chapter packs, the Golden Relic Bolter, Golden Relic Chainsword, Power Sword, several armor sets (Blood Angels Veteran, Salamanders Veteran, Alpha Legion Champion, Legion of the Damned), the Emperor's Elite and Traitor Legions packs, plus the soundtrack, the original manual, the official strategy guide, the art book and wallpapers as files.

Quick Start

1. Your health doesn't regenerate. Only your shield does. The Iron Halo shield recharges when you avoid damage. Real health comes back through executions and Fury.
2. Executions heal you. Stun an enemy (heavy attacks and some weapon hits stagger them), then execute. You're healed during the animation. When you're low, dive into melee for an execution. Don't hide.
3. Fury is your panic button. Fill the meter by fighting, then activate it for rapid healing and stronger attacks. It's the best way out of a bad fight.
4. Mix melee and ranged. Shoot what's far, cut what's close. The game punishes playing it like a cover shooter.
5. You don't use cover. Titus is a seven-foot power-armored giant. Keep moving and keep killing.
6. Grab ammo and weapon racks. Weapon swap stations let you change loadouts. Check them before big fights.
7. Collect Servo Skulls. They're audio-log collectibles tied to two achievements (Lexicanum for 10, Librarian of Macragge for all).
8. Play on Normal first, then Hard. There's an achievement for beating the whole game on Hard (None Can Stand Before You).

Combat Systems

Health, shield and executions

• Iron Halo shield absorbs damage and regenerates after a short delay out of combat.
• Health only drops once the shield is gone, and only comes back through executions or active Fury.
• Executions: Stun a target, then execute with the execution input. You're healed for the duration. Executing a big enemy (Ork Nob, Chaos Marine) is spectacular but slower, so be careful in crowds.
• Stun sources: heavy melee attacks, charges, ground pounds (jump pack) and some weapons.

Fury

• The Fury meter fills as you deal damage.
• Melee Fury: Activate it for big melee damage and rapid healing. It's the default and your survival tool.
• Ranged Fury: Aim (zoom) while Fury is active for slow-motion precision shooting and chained headshots (the Emperor's Marksman achievement needs 10 consecutive kills in one Ranged Fury).
• Fury gets stronger through the campaign as upgrades unlock.

Movement

• Roll to dodge big attacks and gunfire. Rolling out of a gang of Orks is often better than fighting in it.
• Jump pack (in certain sections) lets you jump high and slam down with an area-damage Ground Pound. Death from Above needs 25 ground-pound kills.

Weapons

You carry a pistol, a melee weapon and a limited number of other guns. Swap at weapon racks.

Relic cosmetic variants (Golden Relic Bolter, Golden Relic Chainsword, Power Sword) come with the Anniversary Edition's DLC.

Campaign Roadmap (Light Spoilers)

The campaign runs roughly 7–10 hours and is split into chapters grouped into parts.

1. Landing on Graia: Captain Titus, Sergeant Sidonus and Brother Leandros drop into the Ork-invaded forge world. You'll learn shooting, melee and executions against Orks here.
2. Forge world and the Titan: You work with the Imperial Guard and push through manufactorums to reach the Titan Invictus and the mysterious "power source."
3. Jump-pack sections: Several levels give you a jump pack for aerial play against Ork hordes and Warboss Grimskull's forces.
4. The Chaos turn: The real threat arrives as Chaos forces led by Chaos Lord Nemeroth spill out of a Warp rift.
5. Finale: Take down Nemeroth and close the Warp portal. The ending sets up the Inquisition's suspicion of Titus, which pays off in Space Marine 2.

Enemy notes

Servo Skulls

Servo Skulls are hidden throughout the chapters, often in side rooms and behind breakable objects. Check every dead end. Chapter select lets you go back for missed ones, and the included Official Strategy Guide PDF shows their locations.

Achievements Worth Planning

The game has 60 Steam achievements. Plan for these:

• None Can Stand Before You: Complete the campaign on Hard.
• The Emperor Protects: Beat Part 1 on Hard in one session without dying. Do it after you know the levels.
• Master of Sword and Gun, Finesse and Fury, Brute Force...Unleashed, Burn Them All: Weapon-restricted chapter runs. Pick an early, short chapter and replay it via chapter select.
• Librarian of Macragge: All Servo Skulls.
• True Son of the Emperor: Kill 40,000 enemies across all modes. This grind finishes naturally if you play Exterminatus.
• Multiplayer levels (Battle Brother to Chapter Master, levels 10 to 40), Shapeshifter, Jack of All Trades, Warrior of Darkness and Light: These need online matches. Check population before you commit.
• Chaos Invasion achievements (Death to the False Emperor, Blood for the Blood God, Skulls for the Skull Throne, Let the Galaxy Burn, Glory to the Dark Gods!, Let the Heavens Bleed, Heretic, Frugal Spenders): Four-player co-op wave arenas. Heretic specifically needs a public co-op game, and Frugal Spenders needs an arena cleared without your team using any lives. Find a group.
• Sector Cleared: Finish a Space Marine Exterminatus arena (Kalkys Facility Escape or Hab Center Assault).
• Devastation!: A 10:1 kill/death ratio in a single Annihilation match. Easiest in a lopsided lobby.

Multiplayer and Co-op

• Annihilation: 8v8 team deathmatch, Space Marines vs Chaos Space Marines.
• Seize Ground: Capture and hold control points (Defender: kill 25 enemies capturing your point).
• Exterminatus / Chaos Invasion: Four-player co-op wave survival with challenges.
• Dreadnought Assault: Capture points to earn a player-controlled Dreadnought.
• Classes: Tactical (all-round), Assault (jump pack and melee), Devastator (heavy weapons). Leveling unlocks weapons, perks and armor pieces. The "Master Crafted" achievement needs full customization of both a Space Marine and a Chaos Marine.
• Population: More than a decade on, public matches are thin. Evenings and sale weekends are best. Community Discords and Steam groups organize games.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Hiding to regenerate. Only the shield recharges. Execute something instead.
• Executing in the middle of heavy gunfire. Long executions on big enemies leave you exposed to ranged attackers. Clear or break line of sight to shooters first.
• Saving Fury too long. It's meant to be used, and the meter refills quickly.
• Using the Heavy Bolter while surrounded. It slows you down. Swap to melee.
• Ignoring rolls. Big Ork attacks and rockets are much easier to dodge than to tank.
• Skipping side rooms, where the Servo Skulls hide.

Advanced Tips

• Execution chains: Stun several enemies with a Thunder Hammer slam or a charge, then execute them in sequence for big healing.
• Vengeance Launcher traps: Stick grenades on chokepoints ahead of a wave and detonate them together.
• Headshot economy: Stalker Bolter headshots on Shoota Boyz clear ranged threats before you melee the rest.
• Hard mode: The Iron Halo matters more. Break line of sight briefly, let it recharge, then re-engage.
• Weapon-restricted achievements: Use short chapters with lots of weak enemies, and replay them via chapter select.

FAQ

Is the Anniversary Edition different from the original Space Marine? It's the same game with all DLC and bonus extras bundled in. Existing Steam owners received it for free in 2021.

Should I buy the Master Crafted Edition instead? If you want updated visuals and performance on modern hardware, yes. For the same campaign at a lower price, the Anniversary Edition still plays well.

Does multiplayer still work? It exists, but populations are small. Co-op and PvP work best with an organized group.

How long is the campaign? Around 7–10 hours on Normal for a first run.

Do I need to play this before Space Marine 2? It's not required, but Space Marine 2 continues Titus' story, and this game sets up his troubles with the Inquisition.

Can I miss collectibles? Servo Skulls can be missed on a first run, but chapter select lets you return to any chapter to collect them.

Sources

• Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine - Anniversary Edition on Steam
• Steam global achievements for Space Marine
• Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine — Wikipedia
• Steam announcement: Anniversary Edition (Sep 2021)
• Steam announcement: Master Crafted Edition update, refunds and discount (Jun 2025)