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So currently trying to put together a space marine force. Thing is, I want to use one of the lesser used Chapters, like Iron Hands. But since most chapters don't have any named characters do we just live without unless we want to play Ultramarines, or whatever? I'd like to use Sgt Chronos on a squad of Iron Hands tanks, but do I just have to make one of them blue and say they're Ultramarines? Or can we simply say that various chapters have their own Lysanders, Telions, etc...? If I have to play a specific chapter to use Characters like that or go without it's not a deal breaker or anything, but does seem a bit confining. Thanks.

Rules-wise, the named characters are stuck as-is, in their own chapters. Lysander only affects his in-game chapter.

If you have an opponent that's willing to let you, though, you can really do anything - it's just nonstandard, so I wouldn't build a plan around it unless your group is already okay with it.

If you're okay using Ultramarines tactics with Iron Hands paintjob, though, that's perfectly legal. Paint isn't rules. Just depends on how you define "Iron Hands" in your head - rules or paint. Hope that makes sense!

Basically, you can paint your guys however you want. If you want to keep them all in Iron Hands colours, you do that.

However, the Chapter rules are not as forgiving. If you want to use the Ultramarine characters, you need to use the <Ultramarines> keyword. Chronus can't have the <Iron Hands> keyword, so you'd need to proxy your Iron Hands as in game Ultramarines.

IIRC back in 3ed you were allowed to use a named character in your house chapter and you were allowed to mix and match the characters. However, there were no chapter tactics back then only special units for the various chapters that were exclusive to that unit and (maybe) the sub chapters.

Leo_the_Rat wrote:
IIRC back in 3ed you were allowed to use a named character in your house chapter and you were allowed to mix and match the characters. However, there were no chapter tactics back then only special units for the various chapters that were exclusive to that unit and (maybe) the sub chapters.

Not that I recall. You could do much as described above; paint your dudes whatever and play as a specific Named Chapter but only one. So you could have red Ultramarines or what have you. They’ve always been pretty down on mixing chapters/characters to get benefits you wouldn’t expect to be allowed if they were all separate codices.

Thanks for the replies, they are helpful. Looks like I'm settling on Raven Guard, so Kayvann is it if I want a Character. Too bad, was hoping for some extra named guys for fluff with some oomph as well, but life is full of little heartbreaks

Gwarok wrote:
Thanks for the replies, they are helpful. Looks like I'm settling on Raven Guard, so Kayvann is it if I want a Character. Too bad, was hoping for some extra named guys for fluff with some oomph as well, but life is full of little heartbreaks

If you want Raven Guard tactics but a different character, you could always use the Raptors Chapter. Their Chapter Master is a named character.

Check of sons of Medusa in forgeworld characters the chapter master is nasty, OH and their Iron hands successor.

 Steel Angel wrote:
Check of sons of Medusa in forgeworld characters the chapter master is nasty, OH and their Iron hands successor.

Where do I find that?

Gwarok wrote:

 Steel Angel wrote:
Check of sons of Medusa in forgeworld characters the chapter master is nasty, OH and their Iron hands successor.

Where do I find that?

They would be in the Imperial Armour indexes, expensive books that were made in a smoke break, so heavily laden with errors the errata is almost longer than the books themselves.

Gwarok wrote:

 Steel Angel wrote:
Check of sons of Medusa in forgeworld characters the chapter master is nasty, OH and their Iron hands successor.

Where do I find that?

https://www.forgeworld.co.uk/en-US/Imperial-Armour-Index-Adeptus-astartes-2017

 Mr_Rose wrote:

Leo_the_Rat wrote:
IIRC back in 3ed you were allowed to use a named character in your house chapter and you were allowed to mix and match the characters. However, there were no chapter tactics back then only special units for the various chapters that were exclusive to that unit and (maybe) the sub chapters.

Not that I recall. You could do much as described above; paint your dudes whatever and play as a specific Named Chapter but only one. So you could have red Ultramarines or what have you. They’ve always been pretty down on mixing chapters/characters to get benefits you wouldn’t expect to be allowed if they were all separate codices.

It was in the 5th ed. SM codex where they specifically called out you could use the special character's stats for your own chapters. Around the same time a lot of converted Vulkan He'stan models suddenly showed up too....