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As the title suggests, if you could modify your legion's special rules, how would you change them?

For the Salamanders, I would modify the following:

Strength of Will: No change.
Promethean Gift: No change.
Nocturne Born: Modify to -1 to sweeping, charging, and running.
Disdain of the Dark Age: No change.

Nocturne Born is incredibly limiting as a special rule, as it makes most non-cataphractii or dreadnought assault troops garbage. Comparing the Salamanders to the Deathguard, who have similar rules, the Salamanders come out hosed. Their leadership rule is better, while their movement penalty is far worse. Furthermore, Deathguard get a flamer special rule that on the offense is statistically stronger (re-rolling wounds vs. +1 strength). Salamanders also get saddled with another rule, Disdain of the Dark Ages, which denies them access to one of the most overpowered weapons in 30k, phosphex, while gaining nothing in return. Ironically, deathguard are one of the legions that specialize in phosphex.

I've deliberated changes to firedrakes after seeing the OP ridiculousness that are 1ksons Sehkmet terminators, but arguably it's more a question of the sehkmet needing a healthy nerfing.

It's almost like they wanted each legion to have a uniqueness to each of them.

Ultramarines

Courage and Honour - Ultramarines units gain +1BS on all overwatch shots

Interlocking Tactics - When more than one Ultramarines unit is engaged in the same combat all Ultramarines gain +1 to hit

Know no Fear - Ultramarines have counter attack

Rite of War - Testudo

All Ultramarine Breacher Squads in unit coherency that do not run gain plus 1 toughness.

Disadvantages - Legion Assault and Tacticals become support. Must contain more infantry than vehicles.


Personally I really hope they revise the Ultra rules. Just looking at the likes of World Eaters and Sons of Horus its not even comparable. Easily one of the weakest armies in terms of legion special rules.

I would replace the Iron Warriors wrecker on all grenades with anything else, it pretty much never gets used ever in my experience. It's pointless with Krak grenades, and with Melta bombs is nearly always overkill.

I would love an Iron Warriors breacher specialist unit, some kind of combat engineer type squad

Would also love a legion specific weapon like a power pick (similar to the one in the genestealer cult book?)

For space wolves I would reduce the cost of varagyr terminators as they have an extra 50pts tacked on which in return gets a meh at best special rule and an second wound for the sergeant, that or I would give them all an extra wound. I would also change their rites of war so that the one that removes use of drop pods no longer does so and the one that reduces your heavy support slots to one also no longer does so as they are both rather unfluffy limitations.

For raven guard I would change their rite of war that limits heavy support to one slot so that it gives extra fast attack slots in return so that the size of the army you can play with is not so greatly reduced.

For Dark Angels, I would remove Covenant of Death. Because... really?

For Death Guard.
Equipped Power Scythes allows Independent/Char's to buy 3 Rad grenades for 10pts, or 1 Phosphix grenade for 10 pts.

Al-Chem Munitions (Flamers, Hand/Combi/Heavy Flamers) have poison rule (6+)
"If Alchem Flamers fail the Gets Hot test , they can roll the 4+ FnP, if they pass the FnP the weapon counts as Weapon Destroyed, and they continue fighting on with other available weapons/gear.
(If these tough bastards can survive the Istvan III party , then they can survive a chem-flamer blowing up just fine.)

Heavy Flamers for Grave Wardens (not death cloud) have Str5, Fleshbane, ignores cover, Gets hot, 10 points
If a Grave Warden Heavy Flamer fail gets hot test, use a blast template on the Grave Warden and suffer Str5/AP2 damage

Death Guard Destroyer Squad can have two Rad-Missle Launchers in a Squad of 5

Calas Typhon, is able to modify the blast radius of his Chem Bombardment (7inches for 20 pts) Lingering Death 4+ poison
Grenade Harness fires Rad-Grenades+Radphage

The Reaping could allow double the Heavies/Veterans at the expense of removing all fast attack options.

I have a few other ideas about modifying Typhon and Morty, but Overkill reasons keep my mouth shut.

Space Wolves:

HQ units have Warriors Mettle.
Frost Axes lose specialist weapon

Varagyr Terminators have the option to take Frost Swords, Axes, and Great Frost Blades and receive a cost drop more in line with single wound terminators that have a minor extra ability.

Thousand Sons:
Cost increases for Sekmet, Khenetai, and Ammitara.
Magnus can't D-Nova.
Guard of the Crimson King no longer allows Magnus as a non LoW.

For Iron Hands, I'd give gorgon terminators 2 wounds instead of 1 and Ferrus Manus would give 6+ feel no pain or add 1 to feel no pain if the unit already has it from another source.

Raven Guard:

Any model firing a Bolter that has not moved in the previous phase gains Precision Shot. This applies to Specialist Ammunition, but cannot be used when making a Fury of the Legion attack.

Would also be nice for Mor Deythan snipers to be a realistic option, as they are horrifically overpriced at present. Perhaps something like 'Precision shot on a 4+ to Hit, Fleshbane against Infantry, and Rend on a 5+.'
Along with a suitable price hike of course. I think that Combi-Flamers could also use some reining in as they are both absurdly dangerous, and not anything I would associate with the unit fluffwise.

Finally, the dependence on going first can straight-jacket lists into picking the same Rites. I am not sure what the solution would be here; I don't think the Legion Astartes rule needs so drastic a buff as +1 to first turn. At the same time, it needs to be something that can't just be combined with Decap/Recon for auto-first turn.