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I tried searching for this. Maybe I wasn't using the right keywords...

My friend is starting up a Space Marine army. But, he wants the stats and usefulness of a specific unique character who is a Chapter Master, though he is not playing that chapter. He's playing a chapter he made up himself. I told him that between our little group of players, that no one would care if he just bought the model, painted it differently, paid points to field it, and gave it a different name. But I know once he gets back from Iraq and plays with others, there may be problems.

I doubt there are rules specific for or against this. I've yet to see any. But what is common practice?

Play with any units in the codex you want, paint them however you want, call them whatever you want.
As long as you play by the rules, noone will care (aside from a few jabs about breaking from the fluff) and you're doing nothing wrong.

Gorkamorka wrote:Play with any units in the codex you want, paint them however you want, call them whatever you want.
As long as you play by the rules, noone will care (aside from a few jabs about breaking from the fluff) and you're doing nothing wrong.

Gorkamorka Speaks the truth!

Exactly,

Just choose which character you like the rules for, make a model to match the look you want, and play it as "counts as <insert character name>"

See Codex: Space Marines, p127. It specifically addresses this issue.

This is specifically allowed in the SM codex. I run Pedro Kantor in my Ultramarines army, I just filled down the CF symbols (green stuffed on a few upside down omegas) and painted him in Mordian blue and skull white, bingo he's now an Ultamarine.

Tell him to read page 127 specifically the section labelled Ultramarines and other chapters.

This is what "count's as" is for. (contrary to what some people think it's not for using coke cans as drop pods)

I play a homebrew chapter and I happen to have a powerfist/stormbolter chapter master who inspires his troops to fight harder and likes sternguard squads. (pedro kantor)

He doesn't like the tacos though.

ETA, I wouldn't require the model to be bought (and I'm usually a fiend for WYSISWG) - since it's your own character make your own model. Just make sure that it's got all of the correct wargear.

As long as it's a different coat of paint it's a different character in my eyes.

Hell, I created my loyalist chapter master from a Chaos Terminator Lord and Captain parts combined. Just make sure your leader is pointed up right and you say exactly what he's carrying etc, and you're fine.

As Praxiss stated as along as you you the character as he is listed he can be from any chapter. I am using Kor'sarro Khan models for Ragnar Blackmane. Most people will not care. Good luck.

I'm using A Chaos Teminator Lord as my loyalist Captain/Chapter Master.

He uses the Marneus Calgar profile upgrade, and relic blade, storm shield combo.

Haven't had anyone complain he's a Chaos Terminator yet!

Corennus wrote:I'm using A Chaos Teminator Lord as my loyalist Captain/Chapter Master.

He uses the Marneus Calgar profile upgrade, and relic blade, storm shield combo.

Haven't had anyone complain he's a Chaos Terminator yet!

Uh that's not how Special Characters work. If you're putting Calgar (for example) in your army, everything you get is listed in his entry. You don't get to add additional wargear from similar units.

He uses the Marneus Calgar profile upgrade, and relic blade, storm shield combo.

This is horrendously illegal regardless of what model you are taking. Special Characters have to be equiped exactly as they come only taking options listed in their profile.

I'd love to give Pedro a storm shield and artificer armour...