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I am new to 40K, just so you know.

What's the thoughts in the community about custom (non existent in GW lore) successor chapters?

I'm making my first space marine army (my first army of anything tbh) and I'm torn between going with something in the lore and inventing something myself.

I'm leaning towards the second thing - a successor probably of the Iron Hands not that I guess it matters so mcuh, but I don't know how it's generally regarded in the community. I know it doesn't matter for friendly home games, but if I got into this and one day wanted to play something more "official" like a tournament or just at my local games store against some guy who was really into the rules/lore, for example ... ?

It's in the rules, so I guess it should be a non-issue. But being new I have no idea.

Thoughts?

There is no issue with custom chapters, lots of people do it. Have fun coming up with your dudes.

Just remember rules wise the restrictions on characters and some special units.

 VictorVonTzeentch wrote:
There is no issue with custom chapters, lots of people do it. Have fun coming up with your dudes.

Just remember rules wise the restrictions on characters and some special units.

Rules for custom successor chapters?

I don't remember seeing any ...

Thanks for the reply.

Well, in a few months there won't be any custom Chapter rules, but right now the Codex lets you pick from a few traits to make your own.

Or you can just use an existing one and have your own custom Chapter use those rules.

Honestly the hardest thing about custom Chapters is coming up with a Chapter good name.

In the current SM Codex, there were rules that allowed you to pick traits for your Chapter. The first step was choosing a Founder and the second was selecting from a wide range of options to represent your Chapter's character and fighting style. Whether that will continue into 10th Ed is unclear.

From a background perspective, as long as you remember to keep a cool head when writing your Chapter's background you'll be A-Ok. For example, if your Chapter has a potent Librarius perhaps have them distrusted by many within the Imperium for their reliance on Psykers. You want to balance out the good with the bad.

I would 100% make your own chapter. You get to paint your models the way you want to paint them, and you're more free to experiment with rules down the line. I've never seen it frowned upon.

Personally I run "White Ultramarines". It's my own chapter, but I follow the Ultramarine rules because they're the ones I prefer. I have a few of my own stand-ins for the Special Characters too, in case I want to use them. Nobody's batted an eye when I deploy "White Sicarius", but likewise I wouldn't experience any issue playing "White Vulkan-He'stan" using Salamanders rules either.

DO IT!

Yea go for it! Never seen anyone have a problem with running your own chapter.

In fact a different paint scheme and lore snippet is usually better recieved than the same old famous chapters!

GW encourages the idea and I'm fairly certain this was always the case. People did it in Dawn of War see: https://www.dawnofwar.com/article/army-customization-spotlight and then there's the mods too. Not sure how many other WH games feature customization, but go for it.

It is one of my greatest attractions to the verse in the first place. Plus as I understand it (not a competitive player) no one cares about your lore as long your army plays by the codices.

Youtube is a great jump point for "how to", if you search up creating custom chapters 40k or something of that order.

I would say Iron Hands should be a great first founding chapter to start with. They are calculated heavy hitters with a reverence for their war engines which they maintain and pass down in tradition. They have several successors with which you can splinter off your own from or from the Iron Hands themselves.

The Iron Hands codex supplement will give you some back story on their lore, their chapter organization which is maintained by the Medusan clan companies, their strategic make up, special characters, what their homeworld is like, how they recruit, a name generator, stratagems and tactics.

If you go with Iron Hands as a direct successor then you inherit their chapter tactic, same if you chose one of their successor chapters, you inherit it from them. You are all Sons of the Gorgon.