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So one thing a lot of people (myself included) recommend Chaos Space Marines players to do is to use the Chaos Space Marines models to represent the Loyalist Space Marines rules. In effect, it solves a lot of the issues that Chaos Space Marines have with their subpar rules. And there are a lot of parallels between the two anyway. So here is a quick and dirty guide I have made up. Unfortunately, I don't have a good way to deal with Cult Marines. I would definitely appreciate some input on that if anyone has any. There are a few other units that just don't have a comparable unit, such as the Defiler, Maulerfiend, or Forgefiend. I will start with Legions that use Codex: Space Marines. I will try to work on subsequent books as best I can from there.

Chapter Tactics:

Black Legion - Ultramarines or Dark Angels
Iron Warriors - Imperial Fists
Death Guard - Iron Hands
Emperor's Children - White Scars
Night Lords - Raven Guard
Word Bearers - Black Templars
World Eaters - Use Space Wolves
Alpha Legion - Dark Angels or Ultramarines
Thousand Sons - this one is tough, but Blood Angels would work, but Grey Knights might be an option as well (though neither really gets you Rubrics)

Units:

HQ
Chaos Lord - Captain or Chapter Master
Chaos Sorcerer - Librarian
Warpsmith - Techmarine
Dark Apostle - Chaplain

Troops
Chaos Space Marines - Tactical Squads
Cultists - Scouts (Autoguns=Boltguns, Shotguns, or Sniper Rifles, Heavy Stubber=Heavy Bolter)

Dedicated Transport:
Chaos Rhino - Rhino
Chaos Rhino with Havoc Launcher - Razorback

Elites:
Chosen Chaos Space Marines - Command Squad or Sternguard
Chaos Terminators - Terminator Squad
Helbrute - Dreadnought or Venerable Dreadnought
Possessed Marines - Honour Guard
Mutilators - Assault Centurions

Fast Attack:
Chaos Bikers - Bike Squad
Chaos Raptors - Assault Squad
Warp Talons - Vanguard Veterans (Move to Elites)
Heldrake - Stormtalon Gunship (TL AsC=Baleflamer, Skyhammer ML=Hades Autocannon)

Heavy Support:
Chaos Havos - Devastator Squad
Chaos Land Raider - Land Raider
Obliterators - Devastators Centurions
Chaos Predators - Predator
Chaos Vindicator - Vindicator

As of right now, unavailable upgrades (at least until I can figure out a good way to fit them in):
Grav - Gravguns, Grav Pistols, Grav Cannons, and Combi-Gravs
Storm Shields
Thunder Hammers

Seriously, if you have any input, I would love to hear it.

Not sure of how the Grav weapons are distributed amongst squads but how would sonic weapons fit? So A Grav gun would be a Sonic Blaster? I guess if you are trying to get specific Legions represented then it gets pretty tricky. But an allied contingent of EC is pretty explainable.

 Pilau Rice wrote:
Not sure of how the Grav weapons are distributed amongst squads but how would sonic weapons fit? So A Grav gun would be a Sonic Blaster?

So that was one thought I had. Use a Command Squad to represent the Noise Marines and have Gravguns be Sonic Blasters and Grav Cannons be Blastmaster. Only one problem with that. There is no way to get a squad loaded up with both short of a Tactical Squad with one Gravgun/Sonic Blaster and one Grav Cannon/Blast Master. Command Squads can load up on Gravguns, Devastator Squads can load up on Grav Cannons, and Sternguard can take one of each, but there is no way to achieve a squad full of Sonic Blasters and one Blastmaster.

For grav howabout simply convert some chaos marines with grav. Not like fluffwise they couldn't have them.

I guess if you want to play Chaos Marines without any of the Chaos specific wargear, marks, ally options etc. it might work, but then you might as well not be even trying to play Chaos Marines.

I use a mix of CSM & SM models for my renegades, using the SM codex. Chaos fluff can pretty much cover most angles, so thematically I think it works fine.

The only two I wouldn't really agree upon imo, is the Cultists=scouts & Heldrake=Stormtalon. I think that is pushing it a bit, although converted cultists would make great scouts I guess! The cultists don't have much armour on their models, whilst scouts have a 4+.

Ideally, at a glance, people should be able to guess what is what.

I might be missing the point here , but wouldn't it be better to use the 30k legions if you want to use alternative rules for csm? They even have the beginnings of the cult troops. I understand why people do this and have been long before the HH books came around, but now that we have those I don't see the appeal to use C:SM over the HH legions. Is it because it's balanced for a different kind of game?

Iron Warriors would be Iron Hands.

There would be no direct relation for Death Guard at all (they use primarily mechanized infantry, not Armored columns, and FnP is a flimsey excuse). Same goes for Emperor's Children, as no space marines fit their criteria.

World Eaters are Space Wolves without Rune Priests

Alpha Legion and Black Legion would be any chapter. Black Legion because they have members from so many factions that any sort of tactic would be conceivable for them, while Alpha Legion are known to impersonate enemy troops (which is actually a rule they have in Horus Heresy). Alternatively, Alpha Legion would be Deathwatch, where they operate as cells of specialists.

Thousand Sons would be Grey Knights backed by Legion of the Damned (yes, they still have a standalone codex!)

How about dark angels for deathguard? Deathwing knights are basically nurgle terminators. Mantis Warriors or raptors for alpha legion. Deathwatch would work well, but they'd make more sense as allies to an IG main army fluffwise I think. Maybe red scorpions for death guard. (are nartheciums still a thing?).