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.

I'm thinking of making a custom 40K chess set. First decision...which two armies. I don't have DA or CSM, but like several of their models. I also think that the DA fluff works well here as they're going after a Fallen.

Here are some thoughts.

Dark Angels PIECE Chaos SM

Azrael KING Cypher
Belial QUEEN Aspiring Champion
Asmodia / Seraphicus BISHOP CSM Sorcerer
Vanguard Vet Sqd KNIGHT Raptors
Deathwing Terminator w/ hy wps ROOCH Havocs w/ hy wps
Company Veterans Sqd PAWN Chaos SM


Any other good army match ups that fall nicely into 40k fluff? CC welcome.

For the Queen you could have a Daemonette or the Masque for Chaos?

For chess set ideas, I've always thought keeping it simple is the best option. Below are some examples.

Pawn: Troops choice- Tactical Marines, Boyz, Guardsmen, Gaunts, Guardians
Knights: Fast Attack with JP or DS- Assaults, Raptors,Stormboyz, Scions, Swooping Hawks
Rooks: Heavy Weapons- Devs, Havoks, Lootas, Dark Reapers,
Bishops: Elites- Sternguard, Chosen, Nobz, Banshees
Queen: support HQ- Librarian, Sorcerer, Farseer, Mek, Priest
King: Combat HQ- Captain, Lord, Autarch, Warboss, Commissar

Tau would have to brake the format though.

Their "heavy weapons" are too big, their "fast attack" aint that fast, their support HQ are the leaders, etc.

Tau would look probably like:

King-Aun'va?
Queen-Shadowsun
Bishop-Aun'va's bodyguards
Rook-Crisis suit
Knight-Stealth Suit
Pawn-Fire Warrior

Have a look

 Mr Morden wrote:
For the Queen you could have a Daemonette or the Masque for Chaos?

That's a good idea. Thanks!

I think I'd do...

CSM

King - Lord in terminator armor
Queen - Sorcerer in terminator armor
Bishop - Dark Apostle
Knight - Warp Talon
Rook - Havocs
Pawns - either cultists or demons, if the CSM is painted up to represent a certain chaos God.

And then I'd do much the same for the DA - jump packs for knights, devs for rooks, etc.

The most important part is to make the two sides look similar. Having DA rooks be terminators and CSM rooks in power armor won't do.

You know, you could have a cool chess (with recognizable models) set using WHFB miniatures


Also, I think IG for pawns

A mounted unit (flyer or bike) would be great for Knight, but there are very few that would fit or could be modified to be on a small base. Maybe make a marine bike popping a wheelie?

Dark eldar would be a really nice set to use, too. I can think of a model for pretty much everything, and of course, the new succubus is perfect for Queen.

 Ailaros wrote:

The most important part is to make the two sides look similar. Having DA rooks be terminators and CSM rooks in power armor won't do.

Totally agree with Alarios on this. The point is that the black and white pieces look more or less the same.

Based on the OP I'd go with something like this:

Chapter master in power armour : KING : Chaos Lord in power armour
Librarian in power armour : QUEEN : Sorcerer in power armour
Chaplain in power armour : BISHOP : Dark apostle in power armour
Vanguard with jump pack : KNIGHT : Warp talon
Terminator : ROOK : Terminator
Scouts/ bolter marines : PAWN : Cultists/ bolter marines

I think a taller stained/painted wooden base with the normal symbol for the piece painted/engraved/branded would be a good idea.

Cultists make more sense as CSM pawns but vanilla marines would make the sides symmetrical

Id say make the two teams a bit more different. I would probably do either:

Space marines vs eldar
or
Space marines vs Orks.

Otherwise you end up with a board full of lots of spesss mareeeenz


edit:
In fact for the sake of making it a bit different, I'd maybe even do imperial guard vs orks or eldar. Though admittedly, IG would be harder to make the different pieces for, as the vehicles would be unusable.

I think Terminators are too big for Rooks. I think Missile Launcher devastators/havocs would work better. Plus it looks like they are holding a Rook piece on their soldier.

But I would like to see an Ork V. Space marine set

Pawns: Grots
Rooks: Lootas
Knights: Stormboys
Bishop: Burnas
Queen: Mek
King: Nob

This also keeps all the base sizes the same. and doesnt get in to the 40mm bases.

Hmm... seems like fun. Here are my two cents:

Imperial Guard

King: Company Commander (Ideally using Creed's model)
Queen: Lord Commissar
Bishop: Primaris Psyker
Knight: Tempestus Scion
Rook: Ogryn (Alternatively: Ratling)
Pawn: Guardsman


Necron

King: Necron Overlord
Queen: Cryptek
Bishop: Deathmark
Knight: Flayed One
Rook: Canoptek Wraith
Pawn: Necron Warriors


Personally, I think Necrons work really well given their royal court vibe and uniform aesthetic. Which is why I went without suggesting C'tan Shards.


Edit:

Darn it! Now, you've got me thinking about chess! And I can't help but think that the Inquisition would be a really good candidate for chess-ification as well:

King: Inquisitor (any Ordo)
Queen: Assassin (any type)
Bishop: Death Cult Assassin
Knight: Crusader
Rook: Servitor
Pawn: Tempestus Scion

I would probably make the queen the combat HQ. Otherwise you've got a librarian tanking around and a chapter master hiding away for most of the game...

Pawns - guardsmen
Knights - marines
Rook - inquisitor
Bishop - preacher
Queen - emperors personal guard (name escapes me right now!)
King - the emperor

 Slaanesh-Devotee wrote:
I would probably make the queen the combat HQ. Otherwise you've got a librarian tanking around and a chapter master hiding away for most of the game...

It would probably make more sense that whoever is the fluff-wise, generic leader of the faction. So for instance, it would make sense for the Space Marine King to be its Chapter Master; while for the Tau, it would be an Ethereal.

 Slaanesh-Devotee wrote:
I would probably make the queen the combat HQ. Otherwise you've got a librarian tanking around and a chapter master hiding away for most of the game...

Ooh, that's another way to do it. Make the king an army-themed objective marker. Like the queen is a heroic senior officer (the beatiest model on the table), and the king is a regimental standard stuck in the ground. Or for CSM an icon of the appropriate chaos god.

Heh, DA could use that little midget who's holding that one dude's helmet.

Another option that I'm looking at is GK/Daemons

King = skull taker or the changeling
Queen = daemonette
Bishop = Flamers-of-Tzeentch
Knight = furies
Rook = fiend of slaanesh
Pawn = Pink horrors


King = Draigo
Queen = grand master / Coteaz
Bishop = librarian / inquisitor
Knight = interceptors
Rook = paladin
Pawn = strikes / acolytes

Matt Ward should be the queen. On both sides.

One thing I like for marines is to use an apothecary for the white bishop and a chaplain for the black square. Also, small based terminators FTW.

And like I said in the last thread about 40k chess sets: Rack them up people! I know you’ve got the minis and a board, so make it happen.