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I was thinking, with the current glut of Space Marine Codexes (I play Blood Angels and I still think it's getting to be a problem) it might be interesting to discuss what it takes to make a new chapter mechanically interesting. I've written game material for RPGs before, so I think I've got a good idea of how many pages it would take to portray the fluff (hint: still not an entire codex, IMHO), but I'm new enough to the game that I'm not as comfortable mouthing off when it comes to the mechanics.

From what I've seen so far, each chapter needs two or three of the following:

A) One or Two Special Elite Units: ie. Sanguinary Guard, Death Company, and the various two-handed (Furioso) Dreadnought varieties for Blood Angels.
B) One or Two Special Rules: ie. Descent of Angels and the Red Thirst, or Black Templar vows.
C) One or Two Advanages: ie. Fast vehicles for Blood Angels, re-rolls with flame, heat, and hammer weapons for Salamanders, tactical withdrawal for Ultramarines.
D) Force Organization Shenanigans: ie. Assault Marines as troops for Blood Angels.
E) Special Characters: Some of which might carry their own special rules from the above (Sanguinary Guard or Terminators as troops, for example).

It's easy to see how some chapters (Blood Angels) have too many and others (Salamanders, Dark Angels) don't have enough.

But wouldn't it also be easy to pare some down and beef up others? I think that the Blood Angels would survive very well all they had was A) Sanguinary Guard, Death Company, and Furiosos, B) Descent of Angels and the Red Thirst, and D) Assault Marine troops. Maybe a special character or two. It would also be easy to beef up a chapter like the Salamanders. Give them, I don't know... D) Devestators as a Troops choice and A) some kind of elite melta-toting (or flamers, or both) Artificer-armor wearing unit in addition to what they've already got (C and E).

It just seems like the way we're doing it now is way to complicated, requires too many books, and leads to giving some variant chapters too much of an advantage, or too many advantages, such that their central theme gets diluted.

What do you think?

You might be able to use this for inspiration, but I'd ask first just to not be rude. http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/384339.page;jsessionid=C0594E8BE49744DF5E7D816EB8D89EE6

I weep, because this is exactly what I'm talking about, and beautiful.