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.

I've always been rather confused as to why they have 2 codexes .. I don't play space marines myself, but I'm wondering why they have a "codex: space marines" and yet there are other space marine codexes (ie blood angels, dark angels, space wolves, black templars).

Can one use both the space marine codex and say the blood angel in conjunction with eachother, and use upgrades from one on the others marines or what ? Or is the codex: space marines only for ultramarines, and just simply gives references to the other armies ?

Money. Space Marines are about a quarter of all of GW's sales. So five codexes is better for the bottom line.

Each Marine codex is a separate entity. The lone exception is the Space Wolf dex which is still a 3rd ed. mini-dex and requires the main marine codex to work.

Two reasons I guess. The first is, like Crimson Devil mentioned, money. GW makes a lot of money on marines and putting out different flavors of marines meanse that people invest more money into getting several flavors.

The other thing is the screaming fan boys. Anyone who plays the sub lists start screaming at the top of their lungs at the very thought of having just one marine codex. They don't want to play red marines or green marines or black marines, they want all kinds of special rules and different things to make them feel special. So since it is profitable, GW gives it to them...often at the cost of revising other armies that need it much much more (dark eldar, IG...both of which didn't get a codex in 4th editon).

5 SM codices allow GW to sell you, the gaming public, the same product over and over and over again. In effect GW gets to re-release the same space marine tac squad box every time they put out another marine codex. This is a lot easier than sculpting an ork.

I am new to WH40K and was mulling over which chapter is good. I had some questions I needed help or advice on though.....

I am trying to balance out units with a mix of heavier weapons and then have my leaders do the CCW and pistol. Since I am trying to put a flamer, plasma or missile in each group, that cuts back on my close combat ability (or does it- like I said, I am a newbie). I see a lot of chapters like the close combat thing. I want to fit in okay.

Secondly, I always liked the idea of a gloss black and flat black armor scheme. Different colors for the shoulder or some part, for designating different sections, sub units, etc. Can Space Marines be colored like that? If so, what chapter would I be affiliated with?

Sorry if these are dumb questions- I can't find anyone around here to get answers from.

Thanks!

If you are going for close combat based squads, you might want to invest in some Assault squads as they are kitted out nicely for it. Tactical squads aren't the best possible at CC as they have a large amount of bolters, which are rapid fire weapons and can't shoot on the way into an assault.

Regarding painting, you can paint your marines however you want. You can paint them in your own scheme, come up with a name and make them a successor chapter of a well-known chapter (ultras, dark angels, blood angels, space wolves, etc) and use the rules for that chapter.

In the new Marine codex (coming soon) you have even more flexibility with the plethora of unique characters that I hear you can take no matter the chapter....

The best advice is to make your own chapter, or even a crusading army with different units from different chapters.

So you can use any SM chapter codex you want at any game and your not hammered having to purchase more and more marines and their vehicles each time you do an army...