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I am looking to pick a Space Marine chapter that doesn't have a known parent chapter, so that I may choose any chapter tactics and it be legally binding. The Exorcists chapter is one for example. If I painted them as said chapter, can I give them, say, Ultramarine chapter tactics? If so, they are essentially Ultramarines? Which brings me to my next question: can I include Marneus Calgar, Roboute Guilliman, etc. in the list?

Yes to using UM tactics, no to using UM characters.

Thank you for the clarification. I appreciate your help!

Bare in mind there are no rules for how you paint your models.

So it is perfectly legal to use the entire rules for Ultramarines (and therefore be able to take Guilliman) but just paint them as another chapter.

Because of this it is basically never worth using the actual successor rules in the book, as all it does is stops you accessing things for no real reason.

 Stux wrote:
Bare in mind there are no rules for how you paint your models.

So it is perfectly legal to use the entire rules for Ultramarines (and therefore be able to take Guilliman) but just paint them as another chapter.

Because of this it is basically never worth using the actual successor rules in the book, as all it does is stops you accessing things for no real reason.

This times a thousand. The only reason to not use one of the keywords in the codex is if you want to use some other set of rules (e.g. Blood Ravens) or (pretending they work correctly) Forge World Characters (like Tyberos).

 Stux wrote:
Bare in mind there are no rules for how you paint your models.

So it is perfectly legal to use the entire rules for Ultramarines (and therefore be able to take Guilliman) but just paint them as another chapter.

Because of this it is basically never worth using the actual successor rules in the book, as all it does is stops you accessing things for no real reason.

It is worth noting that although there are no rules for how you paint your minis, in some organised events and tournaments there may be rules on this. In the GW Grand tournaments it is a requirement that if you paint your models in an official colour scheme, then you have to use the rules associated with that colour scheme. eg. you can't paint your space marines in Ultramarines colours and use the Raven Guard rules etc. but as I said, this is a tournament requirement and not a rule of the game.

Also, it can be worth using successors rather than named chapters, because the named chapters lock you in to which warlord trait you have to use. A successor chapter can use whichever combination of chapter trait and warlord trait you prefer.

Aash wrote:
Also, it can be worth using successors rather than named chapters, because the named chapters lock you in to which warlord trait you have to use. A successor chapter can use whichever combination of chapter trait and warlord trait you prefer.

Sorry but this is not true in the slightest. Successors only have access to their Parent Chapter's stratagems. Successors have no access to any of the Chapter specific Warlord Traits, only the actual chapter can use the Chapter Warlord Trait. Furthermore, only Named Characters are locked into a warlord trait, not chapters.

 BaconCatBug wrote:

Aash wrote:
Also, it can be worth using successors rather than named chapters, because the named chapters lock you in to which warlord trait you have to use. A successor chapter can use whichever combination of chapter trait and warlord trait you prefer.

Sorry but this is not true in the slightest. Successors only have access to their Parent Chapter's stratagems. Successors have no access to any of the Chapter specific Warlord Traits, only the actual chapter can use the Chapter Warlord Trait. Furthermore, only Named Characters are locked into a warlord trait, not chapters.

My mistake, I don't have my book in front of me and misremembered. It does mean that If you want to use a Chapter specific warlord trait then you are locked into using the associated chapter tactics though, so this would need to be weighed up when deciding which chapter to run. And of course there may be fluff reasons to want to use a successor chapter as opposed to a named chapter.

Nonetheless, my point regarding paint schemes in organized events is worth bearing in mind.

Aash wrote:

Nonetheless, my point regarding paint schemes in organized events is worth bearing in mind.

This is true, though it's extremely rare outside of events directly run by GW. Even in store events usually don't follow this, we're talking big tournaments at Warhammer World being pretty much the only time it's followed.

The best thing to do, if you are planning to make a successor chapter regardless, is to use the Parent chapter's rules when you can, and in the rare instances where there are rules about paint schemes then you may be forced to use the successor rules.

 Stux wrote:

Aash wrote:

Nonetheless, my point regarding paint schemes in organized events is worth bearing in mind.

This is true, though it's extremely rare outside of events directly run by GW. Even in store events usually don't follow this, we're talking big tournaments at Warhammer World being pretty much the only time it's followed.

The best thing to do, if you are planning to make a successor chapter regardless, is to use the Parent chapter's rules when you can, and in the rare instances where there are rules about paint schemes then you may be forced to use the successor rules.

It's not just rare, GW's own personal GT is the only one I've ever heard with that rule.