For my Space Marines, the Legio Draconis, there really isn't one choice that I *absolutely* always field, though there are a couple that I regularly stick in. One of those is the Chapter Librarian, Necronomicus.
He stands on the battlefield with his eyes closed, his jaw set like it was cut from granite. He inhales, his nostrils flaring, picking out the scents of sweat and blood. His psychic hood crackles and those marines standing nearby take a step back as they feel their hair on the backs of their necks begin to rise. Those loyal marines always feel a moment of unease at the start of the battle--it is not fear of their enemy that taunts them, nor fear of death, but fear of the unknown. For each of the hardened battle brothers know that when Necronomicus opens his eyes, when that terrible light shines forth from his mouth, that they are about to be sucked through the Warp, a place meant for no man. Each battle brother says a prayer to the god-emperor, putting his faith momentarily into the god-emperor's noble servant, this keeper of secrets, this Librarian.
Kitted out with The Avenger, Gate of Infinity, and the Epistolary upgrade, he transforms an ordinary tactical squad into a surgical instrument. I often employ a beacon-equipped drop pod to establish a spearhead against my opponent, and being able to teleport the librarian and a tactical squad to the front lines of the battle on the second turn can be crippling to my opponent. The tac squad gives the unit the numbers to take a few casualties, while the Librarian's Avenger power, backed up by a flamer in the tac squad and a hail of bolter fire, can decimate most infantry units.
As an alternate option, I sometimes give the Librarian terminator armor and embed him with a Terminator squad. In this case I will replace Gate of Infinity with Might of Ancients. The termy squad usually packs a Heavy Flamer, giving this squad a decimating pair of template weapons. The ability to boost the Librarian's strength and initiative with Might of Ancients combined with his Force Weapon turns him into a MC/IC killer.
The Librarian may not be the most effective or reliable choice in the Space Marines 'dex, but it is one of the most fun. Being able to teleport 24" per turn, escape from assaults, lay down an AP3 template, counter other psychic powers, and having a free power weapon makes him a fun choice for me and a major headache for my opponent.
Okay, okay, so it's a bit of vanity, too. My Librarian model is the nicest-looking model in my army and made First Cut at Games Day Baltimore 2008. I'm no crazy Golden Demon painter, but I think it came out pretty well, and I just like showcasing it on the tabletop. Here's a pic:
What are your must-have units?
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