40K: Custom Space Marine Rules – Create A Chapter
Games Workshop is letting folks create their own successor chapters and this time they have rules, too!
I hope you’re ready for a new wave of Space Marines to hit your local tabletops because they are about to get more diverse and customized than ever before. If you’ve always wanted to make your own chapter, you’ll soon be able to thanks to the new Space Marine Codex – and you’ll have lots of rules to pick from to help find that specific flavor you’re looking for.
“…with the new codex, you can now decide how they fight in battle, too, by creating your own custom Chapter Tactics for your newly founded successor Chapter. You do this by picking any combination of two Successor Tactics from the 19 listed in Codex: Space Marines. Each Successor Tactic provides your Chapter with a powerful in-game ability – whether you choose a combination that suits a particular narrative you have in mind or simply your favoured devastating battlefield combo is up to you!”
First up, if you want to run a successor or custom chapter but you like rules of one of the primary chapters, then you can opt for the classics with Inheritors of the Primarch:
This Successor Tactic limits you to your options to the big guys, but hey – those are pretty solid choices. If you want a bit more wiggle room you can opt for successor traits that match some parts of the First Founding Chapters that still allow you to pick a second option, too:
Master Artisans for example mirrors the Salamanders, but it doesn’t have all the same traits. And Stealthy mirrors the Raven Guard – but without ALL the same benefits:
Conversely, you could go full out on the creative mode and pick two traits that are independant of the First Founding influence.
This example chapter has Bolter Fusillades along with Long-Range Marksmen. The combination makes them a deadly chapter with their Bolter weapons!
In this example, GW has opted for a more narrative approach by chosing to recreate the Scythes of the Emperor. Preferred Enemy (Tyranids) and Indomiatble both seem like a great fit for representing a chapter like the Scythes.
We can’t wait to see what all the options end up being for the Successor Chapters. We also are hoping that GW put some limits on some of these options for the sake of balance. With 19 to choose from, there are going to be some clear winners and some clear losers – and if there aren’t then the enemies of the Emperor are going to be in for a shock.
And let’s not forget all these other books on the way too. It’s going to be a great time to bust out the Marines!
What do you think about having 19 options to work with? There are bound to be some pretty nasty combos in that mix…
