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The codex's are inevitably incomplete, and some insane bonus's are sometimes only available in armies you can't or would rather not ally with (Baron Sathonyx and Creed come to mind).

Wouldn't it be *better* if we could simply create new characters with a background and similar capabilities with points costs and restrictions ?

I would very much like an Eldar Warlord with two rerollable traits like Creed, I can see how every other army than IG would love that too, and I don't see it happening any time soon.

I think it would help with balance as well, as many "generic" attributes could be obtained in any army.

Some attributes could remain specific though, but those would be more about fluff and less about raw power.

Was there ever a system like that ?

Since unbound is a thing now, you can just use an eldar HQ model as a proxy for creed, and use his rules.

Yeah ... I'm not quite sure unbound really is a thing though...

Wasn't it possible to create such characters in WHFB ?

Not really, no.

In Fantasy, the special characters have unique rules and items as well. Perhaps moreso because there were no such common things as terminator armor and master-crafted stuff.

I'm pretty sure it was WHFB tbh... you started with a crappy dwarf lord around a hundred points, and then stacked gak on top of it so it would become badass and comparable to the special characters that were way more expensive... back when there were those magic item cards.

Anyway, that magic item card system was broken, but the point is: making your own characters would be awesome wouldn't it ?

Again, that is the case now, it is just that Fantasy armies have a deeper pool of special items and gear than 40k ones. So there is more customization, but there is nothing like you are calling it where you are buying from a pool of special rules. Each army has its own lists and limitations.

As for the matter at hand, yes and no. Customization is nice (I do what I can to avoid named characters in my lists) but at the same time, if you just throw the gates open without any kind of thought other than "customization!", you create even more generic characters. If every pulls from the same bucket, the best rules will always come up and every character regardless of faction will run the same.

 curran12 wrote:
Again, that is the case now, it is just that Fantasy armies have a deeper pool of special items and gear than 40k ones. So there is more customization, but there is nothing like you are calling it where you are buying from a pool of special rules. Each army has its own lists and limitations.

As for the matter at hand, yes and no. Customization is nice (I do what I can to avoid named characters in my lists) but at the same time, if you just throw the gates open without any kind of thought other than "customization!", you create even more generic characters. If every pulls from the same bucket, the best rules will always come up and every character regardless of faction will run the same.

I see what you mean, but would that be better or worse than everyone sporting Baron Sathonyx ?

It'd be the same. There might be potential for more customization, but the less effective rules would be quickly filtered out and all of the custom characters would begin to look the same. And presumably increase the level of broken and OP things if you start combining. After all, you wouldn't be getting rid of the Baron so much as filtering out everything that is not needed from the Baron and putting it in something else. Baron rules with an even faster Eldar jetbike? Sure why not. Baron rules on a big powerful psyker? Nothing stopping me there.

I agree fully that there needs to be a greater impetus for personalized characters. But at the same time, I disagree that throwing the gates open to allow everyone to pick and choose what they want would not change anything for the better. It may break things further as you start combining rules from characters that were never meant to be combined. Instead of that, I think the better way to do it is to focus on doing it how WFB does it.

In WFB, the special characters have special rules appropriate for being the unique and major elements. However, the non-special characters have vastly more access to magic weapons, armor, talismans, mounts and artifacts that the named characters do not have. 40k, on the other hand, a non-named HQ characters a list from generic guns, a list of generic melee weapons, a slightly more unique list of the other equipment and maybe a couple picks from a "relics" list if their codex is new enough.

I believe 40k should do more like WFB and increase the amount of items to build non-special characters with. Special characters can keep special and unique rules, but the non-named guys should have a bigger toolbox to pick from.

The only big difference right now is that only some have access to some broken combos, instead of all.

I agree it would turn a lot to sameness which is not a good thing, but right now, if you can't field the baron and a farseer, you know.

In a sense, a bigger toolbox is the same as what I meant more or less - depending on what's in that toolbox

Everyone would just take the same stuff. We already have some customisation in the form of wargear, armour and special gear. Space Marine Chapter Masters have the option to go into battle armed with two plasma pistols and a jump pack. Do you see any? Of course not, you see generic Master McHammer with artificer armour, Shield Eternal and bike. The same would happen here.

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