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So if you got to define a new codex, one that has never been done before, what would it be?  Lets assume you could get some mini sculpting support too, a couple plastic kits and general lead support to round out the army... while we are asking for the moon on a platter...

Throw in some details of the general troop types the army would use, and a little fluff if you want...

As starters:

Jokaero?

Demiurg?

Slaan?

Genestealer Cult?

Kroot Homeworlds?

A totally new idea?

I would totally do a Space Marines codex.

Just joking... Demiurg would be interesting.

If I had to start a race, I would totally go with the Demiurg. 40k just isn't complete without a dwarf-ish race and it would be an excuse to finally have some big 'ole hunkin robot type things.


But I wouldn't personally go with a new race. I want to do a theme codex.


I've mentioned this before, but I would do: 'Codex: Legends'.

Basically, it would be a codex detailing the timeline of the 40k universe. Essentially it would contain maybe 20-30 new special characters (representing all the races) and some units that are no longer available in the 'current' 40k universe (like SM jetbikes from the Horus Heresy, etc).

Basically the codex would allow players to pick a 'time' they were fighting their battles in, and depending on whatever time it was, certain special characters and/or units would be available or restricted for each army.


This obviously wouldn't be a 'tournament style' codex, but more of something for players who want to have fun playing in the rich past of the 40k universe. It would also be a great place to introduce some models and rules for the SM Primarchs without having them suddenly spring up in every SM tournament army.

Sensei.

And NO ONE has reviled the Pan Fo yet? Wow.

I would do another themed Codex. Codex: Rogue Trader. Covering all kinds of seedy, illicit combinations of races and army lists. Rogue Traders--both those with imperial dictate and those operating outside the law-- with former space marine merc bodyguards and techno-techno martian adepts. Blood Axe Ork Kommandos willing to sell their services to fight along side Eldar pirates and scouts, kroot carnivores, demiurg engineers and hrud snipers. Ex-imperials working alongside Tau water caste agents for coin and glory, strange new races for the rogue traders to encounter, etc.

Heh, I was wondering how long it was going to take to have Pan Fo mentioned.

I always thought that it'd be cool to have a race based on cold-technologies, ie: freeze-guns and such as opposed to meltaguns, etal.

Codex: Virus Outbreak.

The theme would be that a rogue inquisitor dug up a bunch of antique wargear.
The game begins with almost every non-power armored model in the enemy army dying from the virus.  Then the inquisitor throw vortex grenades at the survivors.  All attempts to fight back bounce off his displacer field.

I've been toying with a mini-dex idea for a while, and have recently become semi-resolved to begin work on it.

Codex: Servitus

Tentative title. The general theme of this list would be a stand-alone faction, albeit with close ties to the Imperium (sort of in a similar way to how Space Marine chapters operate). Most of their units would be mechanically augmented, although their group as a whole would not be bound to the slowed mockery of technological R&D practiced by techpriests and the Imperial 'mechanics' on Mars. Their technology would obviously not be the stuff of the Golden Age, but it would definitely be reminiscient of such advanced machinery, with sleeker, more effective mechanical devices and weapons than the rest of the Imperium. There base soldiers would be 'upgraded' with additional equipment to be considered anything but Troops choices, and would need to take specific upgrades in order to be considered Fast Attack, Elites, or even HQ or Heavy Support. I imagine their standard soldiers will be MEQ sans the 3+ save and the staying power in a firefight, showing that while they're tough soldiers, they're not invincible.

I'll take a more serious look at my collected thoughts on this list over the weekend.

CK

Posted By yakface on 02/16/2007 1:04 AM

If I had to start a race, I would totally go with the Demiurg. 40k just isn't complete without a dwarf-ish race and it would be an excuse to finally have some big 'ole hunkin robot type things.

^^^^^^^ This! We need space dwarfs again! Especially if they can completely cleave away the celtic fantasy elements and make them a true sci-fi race. Like high tech space midgets with all sorts of giant robots and stuff. Such an army would be if done right. Like ugnaughts, just not as ugly (or the ones that look like ugnaughts could just be chaos or corrupted demiurg). I think I even wrote up a rough draft of these guys once for some post here many moons ago, I'll see if I can dig it up.

One cannot capture the essence of Pan Fo in a mere codex. The written word cannot convey the essence of Pan Fo. One cannot play Pan-Fo. One must become Pan Fo.

All your secrets are reviled. All your secrets are belong to us.


I?d do a Codex Mercenary Wars. The codex would be similar to inquisitor codexes in style. It would have a base ?race? with other races being added or subtracted depending on that race. For example Tau and Orks could not exist in the same list. It would include

Human mercs (troops, heavy weapon guys, maybe an elite death brigade type)
Loxatl
Rogue psykers, inquisitors, eldar pirate and war leaders
Kroot
Several Vespid choices
Tau
Orks
Eldar/DE pirate types or exodites.
Several other races.

In addition it would have some ?build an alien? rules where you have a couple of template aliens and you can add or subtract traits for points. Nothing spectacular, just some interesting optimization (along the lines of the Kroot merc optimization for points).

I would love to be in charge of the Ordo xenos codex.

@ jfrazell: After reading what you wrote about the Vespid, you reminded me of my effort to flesh out these buggers a while back. I'll revisit them too this weekend.

CK

As an after thought i would love to see a true ROGUE TRADER. One that allows you to be a rebel in charge of all sort of fallen marines, eldar, you name it. One of there special rules would be animosity towards each other.
The other would be an adeptus mechanicus dex.

Tried making a Halo codex, but ultimately failed. Now working on a wild west style version and a more "Aliens" version.

P.S. And no, its no Space Hulk. IG with Ork weapons to start...

Denziens of the Warp maybe?

Enslavers, whatever it is that appears with Perils of the Warp, stuff like that.

I highly agree about space dwarves... I thought squats were rad when I was just starting to play.  I would really like to do a fluffy codex, something to really envelope people into the story deeply... Maybe something for like a create a hero type idea.  Give a special abilities/faults chart and you must balance based off of the number of points given to buy cool features and stuff.  I know you can kinda already do stuff like that, but a book that let's you get real nitty gritty with your own created army... be it eldar, marines, orks, whatever.  Something that would let you style what rules and disadvantages you wanted without letting people make god armies.  I just feel like alotta fluffy things have gone away... especially since the new eldar codex.  Either that or a codex based on the rise of the emperor and the heresy something to give you scenarios for the epic battles of the past, or a codex with possible paths for the future, after alotta stuff has changed cause frankly I feel like its SSDD anymore.
Aztralwolf

Don't know about these Demiurg but bring back the Squats. A force that can stand alone or be mixed in with the Imperial Guard.

I think a Space Hulk type codex, similar to Cities of Death, could work. Instead of trying to take control of a city, you're trying to take control of a space ship, maybe a derelict, or one boarded in a battle.

I'd have different sections on the construction and form of each race's space ships, with each race's ships having different room/building features (Ork ships are poorly maintained, dont miss with a heavy weapon in here), different structures (Necron ships have strange devices that behave unexpectedly around intruders),conditions (a damaged ship wouldn't have an atmosphere, the ship is in a battle and is taking fire, ship has no power and no lights), etc. Some of the race's ships could still have crew who object to the two armies currently fighting on their ship.

There would be restrictions on the types of units that could be fielded (Basilisks wouldn't be much use), but additional options for some units (ie: troops armed with breaching charges could 'deep strike'). I think I could make a list of strategies for each race, marines could use teleporters, Tyranids could have seeded part of the ship with spore mines, IG could have a 2 squad firing discipline that gave the squad in the front some form of defensive bonus, etc.

You could have different scenarios, from straight up 'Kick them off the ship' to 'Find me that device' to 'Plant the charges and run'.

Like the terrain that came out with with Cities of Death, you could have different sets of walls used to define corridors and rooms, and sets of structures for each race.

I've got a partially incomplete Fandex: Hrud floating around on here. I pretty much saw them as an entire army of swarms with a strong Tatooine influence and a Gets Hot! shotgun as their basic weapon. (no, seriously...) "Modular" vehicles that would work a fair bit like Tyranids only made of metal to represent the large variety of scavenged pieces including a "Sand Crawler" type vehicle that would funtion as an AV13 BS2 Land Raider, and Skiff-type skimmers that would include the option of mounting IG-issue Demo Charges for kamikaze charges. The whole army would have T2 and BS2, but gain twin-linked, +6" range and invulnerability to instant death in night fighting to represent their preference to low light conditions. (the swarm spreads out as they can better sense each other in the dark, Hrud plasma mastery manifests itself in effective BS4 double-tap 18" plasma guns that overheat 1/36 instead of 1/6 the time) I couldn't come up with a decent system for "Call Shadows," their key psychic power (like Synapse for Tyranids or Raise Dead for numerous Undead variations) which pretty much would increase the odds of using night-fighting rules. I also recall I tried giving them a retake on the Thudd Gun (or "Hrud Gun" as I called it) as a Heavy D6 36" S3 AP- Rending Blast weapon with the option of indirect fire (representing a salvo of low-caliber monofilament rounds) and though about giving them a plasmortar (IF version of plasma gun - would work underground since the operator could arc the containment field in zig-zags along a tunnel before discharging the plas blast, or above ground with the field tracing the arc of a typical artillery shell) The infantry would get Skaven-style weapons teams played as ICs (to hide behind their more numerous brethren). I was going to ally them with a race of Space Vampires ("Nightbound" - with the justification that only particular factions of Hrud were allied with them) that would deep strike in Daemonhost-style - but only so long as night fighting was in effect - who would have stronger stats but take damage if it became day - pretty much to give them a bit more hand-to-hand bite besides Combat Engineers (pistol, ccw and meltabomb swarms) Someday I'll have to ressurect that thread...

 

edit - In my fantastic universe, they'd get plastic kits for the "Sand Crawlers," Skiffs and Swarms with modular elements (appropriately) in common to allow easy conversion of Engineers, "Junior Officers" and Weapons Teams.

Sweet WW, Hrud. What would they look like? Bugs? Jawas? Something else?

Big bull dog things - saw them In the Xenos art book

How about Codex: Exterminatus.  Set up your whole army, mine is in reserves.  When my army arrives, all your stuff DIES.  I win!

Advantages are no models to paint, quick set up and quick games.  Disadvantages are poor sportsmanship and painting scores.

An encouraging comment...I feel more necromantic by the minute.

Originally, sort of Jawa Borrowers, I guess - smaller and with a more prominent, ratlike tail; substituted by Skaven for the less ambitious.

I never really did buy the bug angle, but thinking about it, with Vespids and the like floating around these days I suppose Tyranids no longer have a monopoly on invertebrates. Hmm - maybe I should include an alternate faction with access to Wasp Riders+ (to rip off Chronopia Swamp Goblins) and/or large beetles* or something like that - say "Tribe of the Sky" for the Vampire-allied and "Tribe of the Soil" for the bug-allied. I could maybe also see a six-limbed dwarf skaven in jawa robes as a Hrud...

*(Monstrous Beasts that get a 3+ save when they move like infantry or a 4+ save when they move as jump infantry) (shell over wings - think a Dark and Gothic (r) version of the beetle character in that Pixar movie with the ants and grasshoppers)
+(or maybe beetle riders - size of beetle determines S, T, and MC status; but they'd be stuck with that rotten Tx(2) (like Krootoxen) so they'd ALL be as tough as paper in daytime - the smallest beetles would be T2 like their riders and work in swarms)

I've gotta chime in for Codex: Star Dogs.

This is a project that's been in my back pocket for a long time now. The basic idea is that the 40k universe is huge, complicated, and in flux -- that means it leaves a turmoil and disorganization in the wake of said flux. The Star Dogs are those who take advantage of that -- floating in the wake of a universe of war.

Star Dogs would cover renegades, pirates, and independent operators in the 40k universe -- human and otherwise. I see it as an "unfolding structure" codex -- a large list of entries, which get reclassified depending on your 0-1 HQ Choice.

For example, if your 0-1 HQ Choice is an "Independent Human Commander," certain Alien mercenaries would become elite, human militia and marines would become troops, Squats might be heavy support, etc. Other units would be outlawed -- for example, Independent Humans wouldn't be able to work with, say, Ork Pirates or Chaos Renegades.

Along the same lines, if your 0-1 HQ Choice was "Craftworld Eldar Pirate Lord," Exodites and Kroot or Tau mercs might become elite, Eldar Pirates would be troops, etc. Chaos affiliates and Dark Eldar would be off limits, etc.

I love this idea because it develops the 'seamy underside' of the 40k universe. We know the huge empires, the galaxy-spanning campaigns, the religious doctrines, etc...but we see precious little about the backwater worlds who have never heard of the Imperium, Orks out from under the thumb of their Waaghlord, Tau set adrift after the Crusades, and the many interesting cracks of the universe.

Whatcha think?

-Adso

Great idea IMHO - I think it would make an excellent PDF download ala Lost and the Damned. IMHO it would certainly be cool as with marines making up half the armies out there, literally anybody from the other factions could be banded together in some weird Mos Eisley-type cantina deal. (before the guy in the white power armour kicks in the door.)

edit - there's mine: http://www.dakkadakka.com/Forums/tabid/56/forumid/16/postid/96614/view/topic/Default.aspx

I have to agree with a re-introduction of the 40k Dwarf analog. Regardless of what the powers that be at GW are currently saying or what some naysayer fans echo, WH40K IS Warhammer in space. That's what it was created as and it's not complete without Dwarves. The Squats were an abortion and needed to disappear but they need to be revived as the Demiurg. I'm hoping that it happens and that they something like the feel/image that Hasslefree's Grymn line of figures gives to space dwarves.

Another thing that I'd like to see is real Undead in 40K. I know that the Necrons have been expanded into the Undead analog for 40k but it justs doesn't feel right to me. I want zombies, vampires, ghosts, banshees, liches, etc... I developed a codex back in the days of late v2/early v3 (that is in serious need of updating) that our local group did a little playtesting with. It had promise but was a little underpowered with all the substantial firepower that can be put on a 40k battlefield against them. And before anyone says it, watch the last segment of the movie Heavy Metal to see where I got the original inspiration for sci-fi undead. There have been several movies since that time that demonstrate that the modern military might have difficulty with a full blown undead infestation.

At about the same time I was working on a codex for Croneworld Eldar. Basically the Eldar codex with Aspects out and Slaaneshi daemons in. It wasn't very well thought out and had some serious flaws but I love the concept.

There was nothing really wrong with squats, just that GW ran out of ideas to steal. All the other races had an analogy they could plagiarise, when it came to space dwarves they had to think for themselves and came undone. So much for GW 'intellectual property'.

I would like to see a Codex Squat/Demiurg. However my choice for a new race would be a counterpoint human society as opposed to Imperium vs the demonic.

I would be really down for a codex: exodite. If eldar are space fairing high elves, the exodites could be wood elves. Big arse dragon things, harlequins for support, and possiby some 'tough' eldar.

I really like the idea of the Dogs of War in space.  And the Exodite idea.  Biggest problem is the almost stagnancy of 40K.  I think if they ever manage to come to terms with a way to advance the plot in a big way they could really add some new spiced up armies etc. 
I would love a really weird race of like alien parasites.  Not lot the tyranids eating everything, but something more subversive.  Like parasitic mind control, something where you could use different squads from different armies, but they wouldn't be as good, almost like lobotomized.  Imagine all the cool conversions!  So all their balistics skills would drop to a 2, and their initiatives would be a 2 as well.  This would give you an almost zombie 40k feel with the entire miniature range at your disposal.  Wouldn't matter what models you used for yer army as they could all be under the sway of whatever weird alien thing was in control.  And they could have lotsa psykers that fool with Ld checks and target priority.  Make heavy choices just really big things they have zombified.
Aztralwolf

Aztralwolf:

Have you seen the rules Chapter Approved rules for Enslavers (and Enslaver controlled armies)? They are pretty similar to what you're describing.