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I'm running a campaign where I'm planning to let my Renegade Fists (Imperial Fists successor chapter) step by step become corrupted by Chaos and become more "demonic". But I'm not quite sure how to do this. I don't want to buy new models, so the whole process will be one of slowly (limb by limb, literally) transforming models over the course of a few games. The question is how to handle this rules wise. How close is the Chaos Space Marines Codex to the "ordinary" SM Codex? One option is to let the Space Marines become Chaos Marines unit by unit. Another option is to just transform the models and continue playing them as vanilla marines (exchanging heads, replacing a power fist for a gruesome tentacle but playing it as a power fist, putting on wings instead of jump packs, and so on). This would however not be quite so interesting ...

So, any good suggestions of how to go about doing this ...?

(Underlying reason 1: Cool campaign. If anyone cares I can share the campaign outline at some point ... Underlying reason 2: Vanilla marines are just not as fun to paint ...)

It isn't entirely impossible. Just skim over the codices and you can see some similarities.

- Both have tac squads, devastators (havocs in CSM book), bikers and terminators.
- Rhino's, predators, land raiders and vindicators are all in both books.

There are also units that are kind of the same but still slightly different:
- Terminators can become mutilators and obliterators
- Captains and such become chaos lords
- Librarians become sorcerers
- Jump pack marines become raptors and warp talons
- Tech marine = warpsmith
- Dreadnoughts become Helbrutes

And finally, there's a lost of things just about any marine can turn into:
- Chaos spawn
- Daemon prince
- Chosen
- Possessed
- Khorne berserkers, plague marines and noise marines.

Really the only models I can't see being used from CSM are forgefiends, maulerfiends, Heldrakes and thousand sons.

How a chapter becomes corrupted varies from chapter to chapter.

They could throw in their lot with chaos worship right from the start, their leaders replaced by warlocks or warlords and quickly fall into a muddle of chaotic warbands represented by the CSM codex.

They could have small mutations appear among champions and heros while the general organisation remains intact, resulting in a slow decline represented by using the SM codex.

There could be a takeover by a small sect possessed, swayed by a chapter master/ chaos lord that has been corrupted, or any of the other ways of falling into chaos.

Generally though, I would suggest continuing to use the SM codex.

I would suggest running something alpha legion style.

If you notice they are the least "demonic" chapter of chaos because they are undivided. Also because they are secretly still loyal to the emperor (partly) and are trying to swing things into favorable circumstances from inside the warp.

Things can stay the same more or less, but have a handful of units turn demonic to maintain the impression of corruption.

As far as rulewise, add in cultists, stay away from any specific chaos diety, and limit demonic units to maybe a group of possessed marines.

Cheers good luck!

If you want to read about a chapter falling look for the souldrinkers books only technically become a chaos chapter while still loyal to the emperor

Are you trying to do full on mutations?
or just renegade type chaos.

Honestly, just changing the heads for the iconic horns is usually enough. Did this for my Dark Vengeance Marines and they look friggin good. Don't get me wrong, it's a hack job but it works well enough for my own Astral Claws/Red Corsairs If you want to take it a step farther, Tyranid bits have really nice spikes that fit over arms and shoulder pads very for that corrupted armor. Wings instead of Jump Packs is going to be very difficult to do though. I think the only winged pack comes from Possessed, and they have on,y one or two per five really not cheap models. But, that also comes with the Tentacles and other Chaosy bits you might like to spread around

Rules wise, there has to be a tipping point where you stop using vanilla. Things like Centurions, Stormtalons and Ravens, Vanguard Veterans and fancy Land Raiders are just not in CSM. But you can use Tacticals, ASM, Devastators, Sternguard as Chosen and the basic tanks in Chaos very easily. Some tweaks to weapons. There's no Plasma Cannons at all for normal Infantry, or Grav.

But it's really not hard to have an in between force. A decent paint scheme makes a hell of a difference too. Loyalist armor patterns in chaos colors is at home on either side of the scale.

Once a chapter goes rogue assigned ranks become meaningless.

Aspiring champions will kill any leaders they feel are undeserving of their position and old squad organisation disintegrates as the space marines will follow whoever they feel will bring them the most glory.

This sounds like a really interesting project!

A few ideas came to mind when I read your post. If you are playing with friends or have someone organizing things then you can simply go with an Unbound list. A unit of Tac Marines becomes a unit of Chaos Marines... etc.... As has been mentioned, there are many analogous units between CSM and SM codex's.

However what might be really cool is to approach the armies transition to Chaos in a more organic way. For example, as you re-model units, when you have done about 50% of them, make the switch to Chaos for that unit. So you're working on a unit of 10 Tac Marines, you get 4-6 re-modeled; that's when you switch them to Chaos. Set a benchmark for the army wide transition too; 50% or units or all Troops and HQ plus one Elite; to represent the army commanders leading the change. Perhaps even tie it in with certain milestones in the campaign. As for what to do with any units that don't have parallels, I guess they could become spawn or just purged from the ranks. Or play a battle between the last of the Loyalists and your newly turned renegades.

Another suggestion is make notes on what units do over the course of a game and the campaign. If you find a unit of Tac Marines are regularly getting into close combat, maybe turn them towards becoming Khorne berzerkers. A unit that tends to hold up against lots of enemy fire may end up with a Mark Of Nurgle or become fully fledged Plague Marines. Centurions become Oblitorators....

As a bonus, your Loyalist and Chaos units in an Unbound army would obviously be somewhat unfriendly towards each other, represented by the Allies matrix. Tensions building as the corruption spreads.

You really have a lot of different ways to approach this project. Not only does it sound like it would be cool to play in a campaign, but cool to do hobby wise. I'd be interested in knowing how it progresses.

SpookyRuben wrote:
However what might be really cool is to approach the armies transition to Chaos in a more organic way. For example, as you re-model units, when you have done about 50% of them, make the switch to Chaos for that unit. So you're working on a unit of 10 Tac Marines, you get 4-6 re-modeled; that's when you switch them to Chaos. Set a benchmark for the army wide transition too; 50% or units or all Troops and HQ plus one Elite; to represent the army commanders leading the change. Perhaps even tie it in with certain milestones in the campaign. As for what to do with any units that don't have parallels, I guess they could become spawn or just purged from the ranks. Or play a battle between the last of the Loyalists and your newly turned renegades.

Another suggestion is make notes on what units do over the course of a game and the campaign. If you find a unit of Tac Marines are regularly getting into close combat, maybe turn them towards becoming Khorne berzerkers. A unit that tends to hold up against lots of enemy fire may end up with a Mark Of Nurgle or become fully fledged Plague Marines. Centurions become Oblitorators....

[...]

You really have a lot of different ways to approach this project. Not only does it sound like it would be cool to play in a campaign, but cool to do hobby wise. I'd be interested in knowing how it progresses.

It was something along these lines I've been thinking about. The chapter is trying to recover a relic long lost and will, as they progress in the campaign, start to transmutate. First they think the biohazardous environment is to blame for some corruption in the geneseed. But it progresses with increasing speed as they come closer to the relic ... All narratives need characters, so the Chapter Master will play the core role in this. How I'm not sure yet.

I really like the idea of letting battle outcomes determine the progression of the transmutation ... As for the narrative, this is something I'm playing with my kids so the way the story line develops is very much up to me, so also how it'll work rules-wise as the competitive element is close to 0.

As for the models, I'll use parts from e.g. maximini.eu (they have some cool wings and mutation parts), basics.eu and Pig Iron Productions. (Still looking for cool things ... Ideas welcome)