Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Preface: One of the things I really love about Orks is flexibility. There are so many ways to play the army and keep them fun. I've been thinking about what I would want to do with a secondary army. I'd like to work on something a little bit shootier than Orks (BS 2 gets old). I've thought about Tau and DE, but it sounds like those armies are more pigeon holed and less flexible. I really like flexibility (i.e. variety), which gets me to the point of my post.

I've been thinking about Space Marines. I've looked at all of the chapters and I was drawn towards the Mortifactor color scheme. What would you think about an opponent that had a Mortifactor theme army that played them as a random codex chapter. One day I might play them with DA rules, the next Vanilla, and maybe even as BA or SW when I want to mix it up. The potential variety this would enable seems really appealing. As long as my Mortifactors are WYSIWYG according to whatever codex I want to play them as that day, there is no problem with that, right?

Thoughts?

Having your [Color] Marines play as [Color] Wolf Marines, [Color] Robe Marines or [Color] Knight Marines is pretty much par for the course, as far as I know. As long as your army is WYSIWYG, there's no issue. Hence the joy of Space Marines. Don't like your book? Pick another one...

That is as I had hoped. My group is friendly enough. If anyone doesn't approve, they are in the vast minority (we don't even require WYSIWYG as long as you tell your opponent what is what). I was just worried about the tournament scene. Now I have to keep talking myself down from the cash register until I'm done painting my orks and 6th drops. Thanks for the response

I would be happy playing them. It's something different that you don't see very often.

I've used my Black Templars as Crimson Fists before. Sometimes, I just want to play something different.

As my models are all WYSIWYG, it hasn't been an issue.

Marines moving around codex's works fairly well, its Orks as Necrons that pushes the limit.

Idk I have seen some conversions of IG and necron bit swap. Kinda fiiting for that one IG hq who can use "reanimation protocols." lol

I don't really like it. IMO, an army choice should be about aesthetic and theme, and swapping lists smacks of powergaming to me.

Angry Marines might be best represented right now with Blood Angels (Rage and all that). What if something comes out in the new SM book that represents it better?

The only issue with "Counts As" you might want to keep in mind is that some people may see it as simply jumping from one power list to an other. Like "Oh I heard Space Wolves were really good so now they are wolves, now I heard blood angels were good so now I'm them!". Through the most important thing is to talk with your friends and fellow players about it first as thats the most important part of things.

i don't mind playing against 'counts as' armies when it's done to better represent a given theme.

For example, a friend of mine uses the BA codex for his Ultramarines so he can play his 8th 'assault' company army. It would be utterly impossible for him to do so under the smurf codex, but BA's give him access to Assault Squads as troops, and leaves his fast slots open for bikes & speeders.
When he wants to play his 1st company Ultras, he'll use the DA codex to get termies as troops and leave the elites slot open for the company veterans.

Same deal if someone wants to play say an Ad Mech army and use Necron or Chaos Marine rules, or someone using Dark Eldar to play an Exodite army.

I don't like it as much when it seems to be done simply for the purposes of, "well marine codex 'Y' is roflstomping everyone right now so my chapter 'Z' is really codex 'Y'." I get seriously peeved when I see badly basecoated ultramarine tac squads suddenly 'counting as' GK purifyers!

Kaldor wrote:I don't really like it. IMO, an army choice should be about aesthetic and theme, and swapping lists smacks of powergaming to me.

SirRouga wrote:The only issue with "Counts As" you might want to keep in mind is that some people may see it as simply jumping from one power list to an other.

Experiment 626 wrote:
I don't like it as much when it seems to be done simply for the purposes of, "well marine codex 'Y' is roflstomping everyone right now so my chapter 'Z' is really codex 'Y'." I get seriously peeved when I see badly basecoated ultramarine tac squads suddenly 'counting as' GK purifyers!

Opponents will have their opinions and there isn't much I can do about that. I know what my motives are, but they can only assume and some will probably assume the worst (power hoping). The truth is just a personal need for variety in play style to stave off boredom with a particular army.

Edit: I'm also planning to do it with a chapter that does not have a unique codex. There will be no red blood angels parading around as space wolfs.

I'm planning on doing something similar - again, because I like variety. I was already planning on running my C:SMs with this paint job:
http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Scythes_of_the_Emperor
Then I realized I also wanted to try Dark Angels, Blood Angels, and maybe Space Wolves... As long as I don't mix and match codexes I figure it's fine.

I like that scheme rigeld2. Somewhat similar to the Mortifactors I had in mind.

I spent some time looking over the various SM chapter codices and found myself thinking: "Wow I'd love to try a Descent of Angels army but red is not my favorite color." Then I find myself thinking "An elite deathwing army could be fun too." Ultimately, I want to be able to play both force orgs and maybe others, in different games of course, with the same "chapter" of mine.