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So I recently got into Warhammer 40k and I bought a bunch of Space Marine models. I'm finally getting around to painting them and the thing I would like to do is paint each specialized group differently. Example: TH/SS terminators painted as Salamanders, Sternguard painted as Crimson Fists, LC terminators as Carcharodons, and Assault marines as either Blood Angels or Raven guard. The more general/all-purpose units, like Tactical marines, dreadnoughts, and vehicles, I will probably pick one chapter color to do them all in. I know some people are pretty picky about painted armies, so I want to know if my idea be frowned upon. My local GW store is pretty laid back but I wouldn't mind trying a tournament eventually. I don't want to be turned away at the door because my army isn't acceptably painted.

frowned upon? perhaps. illegal? no.

You've just got to make sure that your opponent knows what codex you're running your army from, and what special characters, etc.

The different capabilities of space marines are really determined by their color scheme, so having a motley scheme will certainly be confusing. Just make sure to clear it up and you'll be fine.

As long as you are clear as to how you are playing them, ie using the vanilla codex, sure, why not, they're your models.

The thing is, this kind of combined force is pretty common. Even if fluff nutters have a go at it, they should know chapters often combine forces. Maybe not to the point of only tacticals from one chapter, only terminators from another, but multiple chapters fighting together in the same theatre is not uncommon at all.

As people said, colour shceme often denotes what codex you're using. Just make sure your opponents know what codex the force uses, and you should be fine.

Why not make a Deathwatch army? Every marine is recruited from a different chapter, and keeps their original heraldry, except for one shoulder pad that carries the Deathwatch heraldry.

That way you could keep your idea of different units from different armies, and never have to worry about anyone frowning at it.

Didn't think of the Deathwatch angle. Instead of being a small kill team, it could be what happns in the rare event that a lot of Deathwatch is rolled out en masse...

I thought deathwatch went the other way, entirely black with the silver arm, and one shoulderpad retaining the heraldy of their original chapter?

But on topic, I like the idea, it'd be a nice army to look at, and I don't think it'd be confusing, you guys are saying 'the colour scheme denotes who is who', well isn't the unit with dark blue armour and red hands easier to distinguish from the other units than the unit with white helmets but otherwise basically the same?

motyak wrote:I thought deathwatch went the other way, entirely black with the silver arm, and one shoulderpad retaining the heraldy of their original chapter?

You are correct !

Kaldor wrote:Why not make a Deathwatch army? Every marine is recruited from a different chapter, and keeps their original heraldry, except for one shoulder pad that carries the Deathwatch heraldry.

That way you could keep your idea of different units from different armies, and never have to worry about anyone frowning at it.

I would so do a DW army.

But I dont have those fancy shoulder pads ;_;

Not only will this be frowned upon, but you will be regarded as a man who kicks puppies and eats babies.

(I kid, go nuts)

Kaldor wrote:Why not make a Deathwatch army? Every marine is recruited from a different chapter, and keeps their original heraldry, except for one shoulder pad that carries the Deathwatch heraldry.

That way you could keep your idea of different units from different armies, and never have to worry about anyone frowning at it.

Decent idea except deathwatch armor is painted entirely black (with the exception of the pauldrons and the left arm) so it takes a lot of fun out of the idea of painting up a bunch of different chapters.


I'd stay away from Blood Angels, Space Wolves, Black Templars and Dark Angels. Everyone else is represented in C:SM and anyone giving you grief over having different chapters probably isn't worth playing with.

Oakenshield wrote:[I'd stay away from Blood Angels, Space Wolves, Black Templars and Dark Angels.

I wouldn't

It sounds like a cool idea to have a bunch of different chapters represented.

Its like there is this massive battle on this Agri-World and the tabletop is a snapshot of the different Adeptus Astartes working together in a remote location, exactly where they are needed at that exact moment, frozen in time for all to see.

I have an all terminator DA army in which every single terminator is from a different chapter and is painted accordingly. Few people seem to mind and I don't think anyone really ever formally complained, so I guess if you get a fluff justification you should be fine.
Although I think I remember some rule that requires all units of an army to be coherently painted to count as an army... but with a bit of fluff, yours should be more than fine.
Plus of course, the better your army is painted and the more impressive it looks, the lower the chance that anyone complains

Frowned upon? Quite the opposite. There's an ancient White Dwarf article (197 to be precise) that talks about Space Marine crusade armies. The basic gist is that a crusade is called against a target and the nearby Space Marine chapters supply forces for it, with an overall Space Marine commander appointed. What you end up with is a bunch of Marines with different heraldry's taking the field. I think there was even a story to go with it.

Edit:

Annnd here's a link to the issue on gamehobby - pages 22-29.

To be honest, I've lost count of the number of armies half painted and with perhaps a few marines painted in 3 or 4 different chapter colours.

I'm sure many other gamers will have had the same experience. Your challenge will be finding some way to unify the army, and the disparate colour schemes, so that people don't automatically make the same assumption about your force!

There's no reason you can't create a mixed force from different Chapters, so long as you only use the rules from one Codex. You could create your own Deathwatch-style Inquisitorial fighting force, or make it some kind of crusade army or what have you.

If done right, it could look quite awesome, too. Create some kind of binding elements, like shoulderpad trim colours or a design on a kneepad to show that they are part of the same campaign force or something. I've often wanted to do something like that for a Chaos army, with each squad represented by renegades from a certain Chapter. Blood Angel Berzerkers, Iron Hands Bionic Marines (Plague Marines), etc.

In other words, go for your life.

just dont have special rules for everything, but use the SM codex, and as long as you dont mix them up with your opponents pieces, dont worry about it

Deathwatch is a cool idea, but there is nothing wrong with your original idea. Go for it as long as you use one codex, you should be fine.

Here is your answer: "Do the rules say anywhere that i can't have them painted different colors so long as i use this one codex?"

answer "NOPE."

in the words of some guy "Do it."

And if they complain roll your eyes and point out the models they are fielding unpainted.

Go for it. I don't see that there would be any confusion.

As some people have said using DA, BA, SW or BT might make some people think you are mixing codex's, but you can either paint them the same colour without the chapter markings and say "DA are not the only green chapter you know..." or just politly tell them why your doing it.

A multi colourd force is much better than a gray plastic force, and as long as each squad is the same chapter I think it will look realy good (And also make keeping track of who is in what squad a little easyer).

If anyone gets realy stroppy about it tell them to come back when they work out how to shave all the way down there neck and what deoderant dose.

Go for it. In increases your painting skill tremendously.
Know if your combining codex's that is another thing but that is a cool idea.

Rainbow Marines? Cool.

-Loki- wrote:The thing is, this kind of combined force is pretty common.

Eight different marine chapters fighting in the same place? All of them killed down to exactly just a single unit? The units being ordered to fight together, rather than to return with the gene-seeds to help replace and train to make up for the casualties?

This seems unlikely for a lot of reasons. Plus, if I saw it, I'd assume that the person bought a bunch of different units off of ebay and couldn't be bothered to strip them and paint them all up one color.

As people have said, they're your models and you can do whatever you think is best. Won't stop other people from having a different opinion on where your army falls on the cool -> tacky continuum.

captain collius wrote:And if they complain roll your eyes and point out the models they are fielding unpainted.

Approved

Lord Rogukiel wrote:

captain collius wrote:And if they complain roll your eyes and point out the models they are fielding unpainted.

Approved

Seconded

Here is your precedent:
In White Dwarf Issues#302 and #303, there is a campaign called On the Trail of a Tyrant in which a crusade army consisting of space marine units from several chapters go after the tyrant of Badab.

GW did it . You can do it.

As has already been mentioned, just make it clear to your opponent that all units, regardless of paint scheme, are from the vanilla codex.

Chaos Legionnaire wrote:Here is your precedent:
In White Dwarf Issues#302 and #303, there is a campaign called On the Trail of a Tyrant in which a crusade army consisting of space marine units from several chapters go after the tyrant of Badab.

GW did it . You can do it.

As has already been mentioned, just make it clear to your opponent that all units, regardless of paint scheme, are from the vanilla codex.

Or whatever codex you happen to be using.

It might be frowned upon. I wouldn't exactly be a fan of it, I generally don't like armies with many different colours in them. The only time I like it is Eldar Aspect Warriors (I mean, I paint Aspects in their traditional colours) and the various exeptions like Death Company.

But it's not like I would give disapproving comments or refusing games. If you think it would look awesome, then do it. The only painting requirement I'd say exists is the Orks are supposed to be green. If I'm in a bad mood that they I might even refuse the game if the Orks aren't green.

I came here to mention Crusade armies, but see I was beat to it.

Make sure to put a crusade badge on each unit that matches the rest of the force and you will be good to go.

Marzillius wrote:It might be frowned upon. I wouldn't exactly be a fan of it, I generally don't like armies with many different colours in them. The only time I like it is Eldar Aspect Warriors (I mean, I paint Aspects in their traditional colours) and the various exeptions like Death Company.

But it's not like I would give disapproving comments or refusing games. If you think it would look awesome, then do it. The only painting requirement I'd say exists is the Orks are supposed to be green. If I'm in a bad mood that they I might even refuse the game if the Orks aren't green.

They were orginally brown.