Codex: Chaos Space Marines 5th Ed

[Zeruel13]

Well this will be my first post on the Lounge. I've been signed up and lurked around a bit for a while just taking it in but this isn't an introduction thread so to the real subject at hand. I've been working on my own home brewed 5th edition Chaos Marines codex for close to a year now on and off, tweaking it and playing around with rules and options for a while and recently I started play testing it. At this point I'd really love some feedback on it. I emailed it to the BoLS team and they told me about this sub forum and that I should come post it here so that's what I'm doing. Here's the link to the download and please I'd love to hear your thoughts.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=HAYS8WUO

[Herald of Nurgle]

40th Chaos Dex here?

[Zeruel13]

40th Chaos Dex here?

40th one eh? Well appropriate for a 40K forum then wouldn't you say? Sorry if this is a commonly seen topic but as I said I've been working on this for close to a year. I've seen many fan codexes in my day and have been less than impressed with most. I've put a lot of time and effort into this and most of all I always strive to kind of fit in with the patterns and style GW themselves use. Is it too much to ask that you even give it a quick once through and share your thoughts instead of just casually blowing it off? I'm sure you might be pleasantly surprised.

[Zijan]

Not bad, not bad at all. Seems like you took 3.5 and 4 and applied them deftly. I really like how you limited the number of Daemonic Gifts on Lords.

I'm always curious though, what was your thought process when constructing this fandex?

[Zeruel13]

Not bad, not bad at all. Seems like you took 3.5 and 4 and applied them deftly. I really like how you limited the number of Daemonic Gifts on Lords.

I'm always curious though, what was your thought process when constructing this fandex?

What do you mean exactly when you say thought process. Why I chose to do what I did, what my aim was with it etc?

[Zijan]

Yeah. I know that when I constructed my fandex, I wanted to stay true to the history of the Chaos codex, while adapting it for 5th edition. I'm just wondering what other people think and consider when they construct their 'dexes.

[Zeruel13]

Well there are many things I did like more about the current codex than the last one. I like that they split off Cult Troops into their own separate units, I like that it was more streamlined and I really liked Chaos Marines with Uber Grit. What I didn't like was the prevalence of obvious choices where each FOC slot had only 1 or 2 choices that were really worth it, I didn't like how all the years of fluff and Legions were thrown out the window and I didn't like the lack of characterful options we used to have to really tailor our armies to our own style and preferences. Mostly I tried to take what I liked most about the 3.5 codex and the 4th Ed codex and harmonize them while adding it a little of my own little flair here and there. Besides that I just tried to make everything usable in some way and breathe some character back into the book.

First things first was Daemonic Gifts which I really do see as essential to any chaos codex. There are rewards to serving the chaos gods successfully and I didn't like how that was left out in the current book. Next was the Icon mechanic. I liked the idea of God specific Icons that did different things and I even like the idea that a ore or less undivided army or aspiring renegade warband could carry the icon to try and lure that god's favour and attention. I didn't like that it's the only way to dedicate a unit though. It doesn't make sense to have a World Eaters army whose Terminators have been fanatically worshiping Khorne for hundreds of years to forget all that because the guy carrying the pole fell down. So I tried to find a balance between those as well, giving the option to take Icons (even without the Mark) for those wanting to do the former but allowing Legion and dedicated god players to take the mark of their god of choice. It also let me a bit creative to see what a god's particular icon would do or inspire among those carrying it.

By the way do you have a link to your codex Zijan? I'd love to see your take on it.