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Iam sorry if this is the wrong forum to ask about this, but cant see any other that would fit better.

Iam atm building a Sons of Horus 1st company army Horus Heresy era (not pre-Heresy, so they will be bad guys). And ofc they will be major converted, and probably look more like HH era loyalists than post-Heresy Chaos.
Now, there is a few things I would like opinions in, as Iam not the best in knowledge of pre-Heresy and HH lore, although Iam trying to read as much as possible.

As there are no official gw rules for pre-Heresy armies, I have little choice but to use thoose of the post-Heresy, and I have been thinking over and over again if I should use the Chaos Space Marine rules or the regular Space Marine rules (I know some of you probably instantly would call me a moron, but let me finnish ;> ).
To me it doesn´t really matter what rules I will use, as the converting, painting and lore are my real intrests in the game.  Nor do I think that many players would protest more to let me play with normal Space Marine rules than to let me play at all with me HH era army, as they (cone again) will remind much more of pre-Heresy Space Marines than post-Heresy Chaos Space Marines. However, so far I have come up with a few reasons to why and why not I should and shouldn´t play with one or the other rules.

Space Marines:
- As the traitor legions just recently turned to Chaos during the Horus Heresy I would believe that they still would use pretty much the same arsenal, tactics, formations, and so on as the normal Space Marines.
- As they just recently turned to Chaos the traitor legions has not yet been as physically transformed or possesed as they are post-Heresy.
- They are not yet in great use of deamons and other Chaos spawns as they are post-Heresy.

When it comes to Space Marine rules, like "And they shall know no fear" this could easily(?) be explained with the Sons of Horus seeing Horus as thier new Emperor and God. And Iam easly convinced that he could influence his chapter, and especially the 1st company in the same way the emperor does to the loyalist, as he his thier primarch, former imperial Warmaster and blessed by all the Chaos gods.

However
- They are traitors and they are worshiping the Chaos gods.  And in some way or another this have greatly affected them (even if I think they will become more affected in the future (?)).

Chaos Space Marines
- These are the present rules for the traitor legions, and the Sons of Horus are a traitor legion HH era.

However
- There are many, many rules that does not fit any HH era traitor legion, like using many deamons, having deamon princes and such. Not even the Primarchs became deamon princes untill after the HH.
- There are also plenty of units wich was not used by the traitor legions, like Oblitirators and Defilers.

Also if I use the Space Marine rules I could always much more easily choose not to play with certain units that would most definatly only be used by loyalists.

The main reason to why I give this much fought to wich rules to use is because of balance, as I will not use post-Heresy Chaos Space Marine units like the Defiler, Oblitirators, Greater Deamons or Deamons, as I think this will destroy much of the HH era feeling to them.

So what do you think? All thoughts are welcome.

It seems like you are assuming technology didnt change between pre-hersey and post hersy. From the way GW tries to explain it. Psyckers, Vindicators (per white dwarf, these were invented later on and stolen), razorbacks, venerable dreds, assault terms, assault cannons, land speeders, and biker sides were all invented after the split and hardly any of it was stolen over.

If you are willing to go through each codex and take out the units that don't fit the fluff, then either army will work. If you do that want to stay remotely competative, go with SM as the new chaos dex wont allow you to win much.

You won't have to worry too much about it, now. The new codex has done the thinking for you, and you will have the option of playing this army.
You basicly want to play Space Marines with spikes, and the new Codex is definately for you.

Be careful what you wish for, you just may get it.

Vero: I know that much in the post-Heresy Space Marine arsenal wasn´t invented back in the HH era, BUT still, my point wich I maybe explained very bad is that the tratior legions during HH era still was very much more like the loyalists than the Chaos Space Marines are post-Heresy. The big question is probably if the HH era traitors reminds more of Space Marines or Chaos Space Marines.

Grot 6: Aye, thats pretty much it, Space Marines with spikes, symbolically speaking ;>

I would still say go with the SM. It fits what you want to do more.