Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

So I have some Space Marines and have painted them as a custom chapter. I don't even really have a name or any lore around them yet. I may do that for fun at a later date.

Anyway, I can essentially say that they are any chapter, right? So if I wanted to play them as Ravenguard, or even Dark Angels (if I bought that Codex and adhered to the rules and allowable models) I could, right? This just seems like a no brainer to me if I don't want to collect Space Marines multiple times and paint them again.

I'm also just wondering if people will get tired of that and think, "Here he comes again with the same damn marines. I wonder who they'll be played as this time."

Asking all of this as I am actually thinking of picking up the DA codex and giving that a swing.

By the rules there are no painting requirements so you can change chapters every game. You must still abide by each chapter's special rules.

As to other people you'll have to judge that for yourself.

Yes, you can use any chapter's set of rules. There's actually no rule that says you have to use the rules that match a paintjob anyway - so there's no reason why you couldn't paint your minis as, say, Imperial Fists and then run them with the Raven Guard tactic - unless you're playing against people who think that chapters should always use the 'right' rules and get angry with you for taking your pick.

With a DIY chapter (or canon chapters where it isn't clear which rules they should use) you've got a pretty blank slate to pick whichever one you like best. Some people may get a little irritated if you keep swapping around from game to game, but most won't be bothered.

If you want, you can even run different chapter tactics on different detachments (e.g. my Battalion is Salamanders and my Vanguard is Blood Angels...). The only thing to consider there is to make sure that it's clear which models are in which detachment. You could paint them as different companies (depending on your chapter markings), or some people change the rim of the base.

Only Issue you might have would be any special units or specific weapon restrictions that alternate chapters may have. Specifically the separate SM codexes, Wolves, blood and dark angles. Otherwise you can jump between the chapter tactics in the base SM codex.

SPE825 wrote:
So I have some Space Marines and have painted them as a custom chapter. I don't even really have a name or any lore around them yet. I may do that for fun at a later date.

Anyway, I can essentially say that they are any chapter, right? So if I wanted to play them as Ravenguard, or even Dark Angels (if I bought that Codex and adhered to the rules and allowable models) I could, right? This just seems like a no brainer to me if I don't want to collect Space Marines multiple times and paint them again.

I'm also just wondering if people will get tired of that and think, "Here he comes again with the same damn marines. I wonder who they'll be played as this time."

Asking all of this as I am actually thinking of picking up the DA codex and giving that a swing.

As long as you stay compliant with the codex rules etc go for it. The colour of the marines shouldn't matter, and if the opponent makes a fuss because your dark blue marines are using BA rules... well they will probably be an unenjoyable game regardless.

Just don't be that guy and look at the opponents list and say "cool, let me just go through my bag and put away this BA list and find my DA list to counter"

paint them any colour you want. use any symbols you want just make sure your opponent knows which rules you are using for your chapter each time you play.