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.

So, I've been thinking of re-jigging my Marines. I have a huge White Scar army and still quite a few marines left over and I was trying to think of a way of creating a Space Marine chapter which could be used as ANY codex without offending my own sensibilities. I'm one of those people who gets really annoyed when someone changes their Marines to use the newest codex - when someone's Vanilla Marines suddenly become Space Wolves overnight when the codex is released, then switches to Blood Angels a year later.

So I was thinking - how can i build an army that can CONVINCINGLY be any chapter? My plan was as follows...

- Build a load of generic marines with bolters, cc weapons, all special and heavy options.
- Paint them in a uniform colour scheme, but with very few codex markings, and no chapter badge.
- Paint up all your vehicles in the same colour scheme, but with magnetised weapon options.
- Any 'veteran' squads get their own, different colour scheme, such as Terminators, Vanguard Squads, etc. So, if my army is red and grey with white details, all the veteran elements are white with red and grey details.

- Make a separate 'sergeant and character' set for each 'chapter'. Make heavy use of banners, chapter-specific model parts etc., to make the characters really LOOK like the chosen chapter.
- Make a separate magnetised weapon set for each 'chapter'

I came up with this as a basic colour scheme....



So, for example, you basic force might consist of...

- Two Dreadnoughts, painted in the main colour scheme
- Two Rhinos, painted in the main colour scheme
- Two Predators, painted in the main colour scheme
- Enough Bolter, Special Weapon, Heavy Weapon and Assault marines to make a load of different squad configurations, painted in the main colour scheme
- Five Terminators, painted in their special 'Veteran' scheme
- Some Vanguard Vets, painted in their special 'Veteran' scheme

Then, for your Blood Angels list

- A load of Tactical and a couple of Assault sergeants, with BA-style shoulder pads and accessories, and back banners with a prominent blood-style image.
- Some magnetic Librarian Dreadnought arms and magnetic Baal Predator turrets
- The specially-painted Vets could be your Sanguinary Guard
- A Death Company
- A Captain, Librarian, Chaplain, and some Sanguinary Priests.

Then, for your Space Wolves list

- A load of Tactical and a couple of Assault sergeants, with SW-style shoulder pads and accessories, and back banners with a prominent feral-style image.
- LOTS of feral-looking Independent Characters, maybe with some animal friends, including a Rune Priest, Wolf Priest etc.
- The Specially-painted Vets become your Wolf Guard
- Some thunderwolf cavalry conversions.

Then, for your Dark Angels list

- A load of Tactical and a couple of Assault sergeants, with robes on, and back banners with a prominent winged image.
- Your specially-painted Vets and Termies look perfect
- A Captain, Librarian and Interrogator Chaplain, all in robes.

etc etc etc for whoever you feel like...

What do people think? Is this an acceptable way to 'theme' the same basic army so that it can be played as multiple things without looking 'forced'?

Sound plausible to me. If you have some spare troops lying about to add or subtract certain styles it would really work well.

I like the Idea of a 'one size fits all' army. Your color scheme could prove to be the toughest part, as we all know its never easy to paint white or light tones of grey. The color scheme reminds me of paramedics personally, but go with, its unique. Best of luck

Cool, all I need now is a hilarious name.

I was thinking WolfAngelScar Templars, but it doesn't exactly roll of the tongue.

What short, punchy words are a bit like 'chameleon'. How about 'Interchangeable Marines', or 'Generic Marines'.

The banners coudl say 'Generic Blood Marines' or 'Generic Knight Marines'

hmm. not sure...

Proteus angels, meaning "first" so...

Go back to the greek..

Chameleon comes from - chamai "on the ground" and leon "lion"

So.. something Lion.. relating to ground or earth..

Terran Lions..
Lomass Lions..

howabout the Piltdown Lions..

I'm thinking of some sort of 'pile of books' theme for a chapter symbol.

The regular guys could have a rather large amount of books, and then, say, the 'BloodAngel' characters have books with blood drops on them, the 'SpaceWolves' characters have books with wolf symbols on them.

Maybe that could inform my name. I'm rather fond of having a stupid comedy name, just need to think of something better than 'Interchangeable'...

Spamalot Marines

Forgive a non-tourney player's limited knowledge, but to what degree do you have to paint your minis according to fluff colours? Can't you just settle with any colour that you like, magnetize all sorts of different options from the chapters you want to play and then play?

How about:

1. "Tome Lords"

2. "Librium Bearers"

3."Tome Wardens"

4. "Script Brethren"

etc.

Lars wrote:Forgive a non-tourney player's limited knowledge, but to what degree do you have to paint your minis according to fluff colours? Can't you just settle with any colour that you like, magnetize all sorts of different options from the chapters you want to play and then play?

You could, but the intention with this was that, when I'm playing is as Blood Angels, the army should really look and feel like a Blood Angels Successor - not just 'these regular marines are now Blood Angels'.

There's a recurring argument that pops up about Marine players switching Codex as soon as a more powerful one is released - 'these Nova Marines are actually Space Wolves'. There's another argument about what constitutes counts-as and how playing with counts-as models can be confusing for your opponent in a tourney. This was my idea of a way to have a Marine army that can use any codex, but be convincing to look at on the tabletop.

EDIT - actually - just re-read your post. Yes! I could magnetise different options to give the same effect, but there possibly comes a point where I'm doing so much magnetising work on one squad, I might as well just buy four squads!

Ian, this is a killer idea. I too get irritated playing a blue, U-symboled "Space Wolf" army. The idea of (perhaps) magnetising different styles of bolter, shoulderpad or details onto marines is a killer idea. You can really change the dynamic of the army quickly and keep up WYSIWYG in a truly real sense.

This may be cheesy, but have you considered "Codex Marines" as your chapter name? Codex does mean book. Well actually Codex means "block of wood", but that practicallly describes a book.

This is EXACTLY how to do it right!
Seems well thought out and (most importantly) non-confusing.
The scheme makes sense and should look fine on the tabletop, now get painting and post pics!

You could sculpt a pair of generic shoulder pads, make a mould, and mould as many pairs are you need to paint in different colours and symbols to change the chapter ID. Then magnetise, etc.

I like the concept of Codex Marines -- a codex being a book, and a book contains many chapters. Your SMs can change from one chapter to another.

I think most players would be confused, though, since the phrase Codex Marines is normally used to refer to vanilla SM.

Codex Marines sounds good to be. Anyone know where I can get a load of good 'book' icons and transfers?

I could magnetise heads and weapons, but there possibly comes a point where I'm doing so much magnetising work on one squad, I might as well just buy four squads!

Plus, there's a very good chance I'll be starting this army with the old 2ed one-piece marines. I'm going to have a rummage through the model box now and see what marines are lying around - I've just gone to Bits&Kits and ordered a load of Blood Angels parts for the first 'chapter'.

Project underway - someone change this to the P&M Blog section please!

This sounds like a very interesting project! I'll follow your progress. About magnetizing, I'd say that the interest for magnetizing starts with an illusion of 'I can save money by magnetizing all my options' and ends with 'weehaa! I wanna magnetize everything, because it's fun! Let's order more magnets!' ;-) At least that's what happened to me, hehe.

i'd personally go with the Dark Bloodwolf Knights and have them be a space based chapter with your particular company launching off of and jumping back onto the mighty battlebarge called "The Bandwagon". that way, you can have fluff to "justify" your decision and let no one have the right to question your "creativity".

Paint them up normally and just order a TON of the drop pod bits with chapter symbols and place magnets recessed into each vehicle in multiple spots and then magnetize the chapter symbols so you can switch them out as needed based on the newest codex or even your opponent's army.

for the squads, i'd resurrect the 2nd edition tradition of a back banner for the sergeants incorporating your own custom chapter marking... a small winged hair tail capped with a blood drop on top of a knightly cross.

How about a Renegade Chapter that's been fragmented and over the course of time, the different companies have assumed different characteristics?

I know this ain't the fluff forum but I thought it might be a useful idea

edit: added to previous post... was ninja'd by an intervening one which stopped my "automatically amended".

I think you should call the chapter; Dark blood Templars of the Wolf.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
With the fluff that the chapter has sent companies to fight alongside Wolves, on a Templar crusade, against 'Nids in Ultramar etc.

The CM has then blended the various Astartes tactics to form his own unique capter choosing whichever fighting style as the the battle/terrain permits...

@rinkydink - you missed an "Angels" in there somewhere

Dark Cherublood Wolfemplars.

Ultra Dark Blood Templars of the Angel Wolf.

A "Book" transfer doesn't immediately spring to mind.

It may be necessary to print your own on transfer paper.

If books are a theme, go with something library related.
"Dewy Decimates"
"Book Wyrms"

Oh my GOD. The Dewy Decimators!

Dewy Decimal? You bet your ass we do.

For a chapter name, if you're still looking, I'd suggest Chimeras, if they weren't already a vehicle.

You could just pick a simple word to illustrate the fact that they are, by their lack of distinguishing marks, all-encompassing; such as Pan- or Omni- Marines.

At the risk of making them sound airheaded, you could call attention to their inherent blank/emptiness, e.g. Fraternitus Vacuus/Alveus (empty/hollow brotherhood respectively).

Fraternitus Vacuus gets my vote, can imagine John Cleese saying it. They are also going to spend time in the vacuum of space - see, multiple levels?!

As for the books, http://www.dollshouse.com/dhe/product-browse.aspx?dhecode=BOOK1 might be of help.

I love the idea. Since everyone is tossing out potential chapter names, I'll offer "Angels Ambiguous."

Last one from me; Legion of the five books.

You could call them "War and peace" ..........

too many chapters to read

and there is my awful joke for the day.

On a serious note, +1 to legion of the 5 books