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So I'm going to be starting an Iron Hands themed space marine army. My only question is, what SM codex should I use? I'm thinking of just using vanilla marines but what would be more appropriate/better?

Vanilla SM or CSM

Considering they're a codex chapter? Codex: Space Marines. There are rules for a Master of the Forge who is a Techmarine HQ similar to the old Iron Father that Iron Hands could take. He lets you take more dreadnoughts as well.

You're right mybad

I got the Iron Hands mixed up with the Iron Warriors somehow...

They aren't that codex really, each Company is its own organisation so there's no usual 1st or 10th, each Company has its own vets and scouts. They also don't have much TDA and like to give it to sgts rather than deploy it in squads.

You could use C:SW if you want your sgts in TDA and a venerable dreadnought as a HQ , otherwise C:SM is a reasonably good fit as you can take a MotF and TFCs.

Try being original and use the Grey Knights Codex . If originality isn't your thing then I'd say the Vanilla SM Codex generic enough for Iron Hands.

Woah woah woah.

Iron Hands are not Vanilla Marines. First of all, I have no idea where the "they have lots of dreadnoughts" comes from, because they have almost none, and almost no Terminator suits either.

The best army for the Iron Hands, that truly reflects their access to uncommon wargear and their absolute HATRED of the Enemy is the Black Templars.

1) Army-wide Preferred Enemy = Hatred of EVERYTHING
2) Fearless in assault = steadfast in the face of the enemy
3) 2-wound Techmarines with many upgraded stats = better Scions of Mars
4) Access to the Armory for more commonly distributed wargear
5) Power of the Machine Spirit on every vehicle

these are just some reasons why the BT work the best for Iron Hands.

You know this topic pops up at least once a month over at B&C

I say stick with C:SM cause the said fact is the retconned them with the 5th Edition codex away from the 3rd Edition IA article we all love to quote about the IH. I need to read the new IH novel to see what tidbits are released about them. And the no terminator armor fluff is counter to what is established now with the arming and rearming of chapters.
That piece of fluff in based on that fact that their entire roster of veterans were killing in the HH, now a new chapter will steady get new TDA from the AdMech over a course of years and if your cool with the High Lords like the Minotaurs then you get an entire companies worth. So its well within reason that in the 10,000 years since the HH and the Admech would have resupplied the IH, especially seeing as they have a strong relation ship with each other.

One thing that popped up from IA 10 is the IH have the capability to manufacture Mark 4 PA.

NuclearMessiah wrote:You know this topic pops up at least once a month over at B&C

I say stick with C:SM cause the said fact is the retconned them with the 5th Edition codex away from the 3rd Edition IA article we all love to quote about the IH. I need to read the new IH novel to see what tidbits are released about them. And the no terminator armor fluff is counter to what is established now with the arming and rearming of chapters.
That piece of fluff in based on that fact that their entire roster of veterans were killing in the HH, now a new chapter will steady get new TDA from the AdMech over a course of years and if your cool with the High Lords like the Minotaurs then you get an entire companies worth. So its well within reason that in the 10,000 years since the HH and the Admech would have resupplied the IH, especially seeing as they have a strong relation ship with each other.

One thing that popped up from IA 10 is the IH have the capability to manufacture Mark 4 PA.

I don't think the Codex retconned anything. Lack of fluff != overwriting of earlier fluff. There's like two mentions of the Iron Hands in C:SM, including the IA article "Purging of the Contqual Sector" and one quote from a Chapter Master, which the IH don't even HAVE.

In the model section there's also a single picture of a sternguard.

The only possible retcon I see here is that the IH have a Chapter Master.

Black templars, Space wolves and codex marines all fit the bill.

Black templars have better techmarines and army wide hatred rules

Space wolves can take terminator armor sargents

Codex marines can spam dreads, have masters of the forge and thunderfire cannons

Though in truth I'd say go vanilla marines, cause the new codex is on the horizon. Maybe it will feature iron hands character and/or rules?

juraigamer wrote:
Though in truth I'd say go vanilla marines, cause the new codex is on the horizon. Maybe it will feature iron hands character and/or rules?

We've . . . we've been saying that for every edition since third . . . *cries* Don't lose hope!

Unit1126PLL wrote:

NuclearMessiah wrote:You know this topic pops up at least once a month over at B&C

I say stick with C:SM cause the said fact is the retconned them with the 5th Edition codex away from the 3rd Edition IA article we all love to quote about the IH. I need to read the new IH novel to see what tidbits are released about them. And the no terminator armor fluff is counter to what is established now with the arming and rearming of chapters.
That piece of fluff in based on that fact that their entire roster of veterans were killing in the HH, now a new chapter will steady get new TDA from the AdMech over a course of years and if your cool with the High Lords like the Minotaurs then you get an entire companies worth. So its well within reason that in the 10,000 years since the HH and the Admech would have resupplied the IH, especially seeing as they have a strong relation ship with each other.

One thing that popped up from IA 10 is the IH have the capability to manufacture Mark 4 PA.

I don't think the Codex retconned anything. Lack of fluff != overwriting of earlier fluff. There's like two mentions of the Iron Hands in C:SM, including the IA article "Purging of the Contqual Sector" and one quote from a Chapter Master, which the IH don't even HAVE.

In the model section there's also a single picture of a sternguard.

The only possible retcon I see here is that the IH have a Chapter Master.

Their mere inclusion in the book says a lot, since all chapter featured follow the codex "fairly" closely, where as the older fluff portrays them as fairly divergent from the codex ( They don't have dedicated Scout companies or centralized recruitment, they don't have reserve companies or as far as we know a vet company). Not to mention they somehow have avoided being rearmed with TDA in 10,000 years yet can manufacture the most advanced form of PA now


Now of course the caveat that its your Army do what you want As long as of course if you proxy with an alternate codex that you clearly explain whats what to your opponent.

Brother SRM wrote:Considering they're a codex chapter? Codex: Space Marines. There are rules for a Master of the Forge who is a Techmarine HQ similar to the old Iron Father that Iron Hands could take. He lets you take more dreadnoughts as well.

Ah yes, a six dreadnought army.

Now that I am thinking about it "Fairely" divergent may be to strong for the IH.

I love their fluff, but the whole doesn't have TDA thing doesn't add up anymore under the weight of the years of added fluff for Space Marines since 3rd edition when their IA article was wrote.

And Id wager to say since they just got a new novel that we may learn more about them in 6e.

There's a cool Sons of Medusa character in one of the Badab War books, he can give Devastators bionics(FNP), and swaps Combat Tactics for Fearless.

I'm hoping for a venerable dreadnought HQ.

Please let dead threads rest in peace.