Special Characters : Love 'em or hate 'em?

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**Typeline**

H.B.M.C. wrote:

Ok, even if you do the 'Counts As' thing, it changes nothing. You're still having to bring (as in you have no choice) a specific unit entry to every game in order to play with a certain subset of rules. It doesn't matter whether he's Vulcan He'stan or you're calling him High Lord Google, if you want to play with Sallies rules, you can't just do that, you have to bring a character. Aside from Polonius' valid balance question, would there be anything wrong with allowing someone replace Chapter Tactics with, say, the Raven Guard rules Shrike gives without the need to actually bring Shrike (or whatever you want to 'Counts As' him as).

It's not about what the character is named, his statline, the fluff of that particular character, or what you want to call him for your army. My issue is the need to bring this character - using that as an abstract construct for a second - to every game you play. Compare it to, say, the Chaos Legions from the previous (ie. REAL) Chaos Codex. If I wanted to play Night Lords, I just played Night Lords. I lost all my Marked units other then the MoCU, but gained more Raptors and got a cool Stealth Skill I could buy. I didn't have to bring Dreadlord Whateverface to each battle (whether I renamed him or not) in order to play an army. Last Dark Angel Codex a Deathwing player could simply play Deathwing. He could be really heavily into the original Deathwing fuff and want a Librarian to lead his force. Now he can't, as he has to bring Belial to every game (or a 'Counts As' Belial). I don't see what gets broken by just allowing that Deathwing player to just bring whatever character he wants as his leader. Why must he bring a special character? Why must a Ravenwing player bring a guy on a Jetbike or Speeder to every battle he plays? Why can an Ultramarine army take Bikes as Troops if the Captain is on a Bike, yet a Dark Angel player can only do that if he brings a special character? Is every Ravenwing formation led by the Master? The Company's Chaplain never leads the men into combat? Why can't he do a Ravenwing army led by a Chaplain? Why do Sallies stop benefiting from what makes Sallies unique whenever He'stan isn't around? Why do Sternguard suddenly become scoring when Kantor is nearby?

'Counts As' is about as relevent as Willy's posts. It's not about who the character is specifically it's just the fact that you have to bring him in the first place. I don't see why it's necessary when you could just cut out the need for a character and just allow players to play their chosen Chapters and use them as they want. The special characters could still exist to add flavour/punch to an army - which is what special characters should do - but if someone wants to give up Chapter Tactics for something more fitting their chosen Chapter, why should they be forced into taking some character in every game?

Well three things,

One: Every army needs an HQ unit, why not let him grant the effects that belong to specific armies?

Two: The thing about Chaplain's never leading, other marine codexes operating differently and Sternguard suddenly becoming scoring is more of a meta-thinking issue rather than an actual game issue. It's just something that is, kind of like why is the ocean clear in some places and not in others? There is an ultimate answer to it, but will knowing the answer change anything? No.

Three: I kind of like a single unit on the table representing the force as one with specific abilities.

It'd be nice if one could just build a deathwing army but I think GW is compromising in a way. It doesn't want to spin off any more marine armies. Because before you know it, salamanders will have their own codex... then deathwing will have their own codex. Then you won't see a Xeno codex released.... ever.

That could be fun though. They could call it chapter wars as each chapter devolves into combat with one another after the death of the emperor.

**Hialmar**

H.B.M.C. wrote: 'Counts As' is about as relevent as Willy's posts. It's not about who the character is specifically it's just the fact that you have to bring him in the first place. I don't see why it's necessary when you could just cut out the need for a character and just allow players to play their chosen Chapters and use them as they want. The special characters could still exist to add flavour/punch to an army - which is what special characters should do - but if someone wants to give up Chapter Tactics for something more fitting their chosen Chapter, why should they be forced into taking some character in every game?

This argument would only be worthwhile if the character was the only HQ you are allowed to take. As you can take other HQ choices to supplement your list this is less than an important point. For the most part I do not even agree that some of the special characters accomplish what you seem to be implying in granting the army list you take them with, the feel of the Chapter they represent. I think the failure is not in the Special Characters but in the fact that GW has set things up so that most Chapters/Clans/Tribes/Legions are the same. I also do nto think this is a mistake on GW's part as it is much cheaper to try and balance a few characters into the game rather than an entirely different chapter. The only differences that truly remain for SM are in older codices such as the Black Templar and Space Wolves. The Blood Angels and Dark Angels codices were nothing short of a joke and I discount them as being irrelevant to this discussion. The BT and SW for the most part do represent their Chapters well, and we will see if that direction will hold once the SW coodex comes out and not before. If they priamrily just reference the main rulebook and SM codex then you will know that GW's intent is to not have any truely unique chapters in the near future.

Regardless of how that plays out, I fail to see the importance of your argument regarding people being "forced" to take certain special characters if they wish to play a certain chapter. Do you not want to take Kantor, Lysander, Calgar or Khan because of how they are equipped, or because you would rather a Librarian or Chaplain lead your force? Could you not take a second HQ and while applying the rules from the special character to your army, have the army general be your second character?

I would also think that in a "friendly" game if someone wanted to play and take "Pedro Kantor" so he could use Sternguard as a scoring unit but he wanted him to be a Chaplain for some unknown reason then I am sure we could figure out how to do that without it becoming a major issue.

**djphranq**

I like em.... I'm afraid to love them... I've been hurt by special characters... *sniff*

I have yet to play with one. I've made some lists with them but have never gotten around to fielding them in actual play. They seem like they add and interesting twist to normal vanilla play. I just hope they don't supersaturate the game with them to the point where everything played is a special character/unit... Thats what Warmachine/Hordes and Star Wars Miniatures are for...

**Emperors Faithful**

Actually there are few speical charachters that give any bonus's to the army as a whole.

Really it's only in the Spehz Mahrinz codex that that happens. And it is definitely a way to give a theme to your army.

Important Note: THEY ARE NOT COMPULSORY!!!!!!!!!
Take 'em if you want, leave 'em if you don't.