Marines - which chapter?

[Ph1ltheee]

Hi all,

So, I've finally given up on my son taking up 40k, and broken into the shrink wrapped models I bought him a few years ago.

My first stumbling block is - which chapter should I go for? As a relative noob, should I stick with Ultramarines? Wait for the Wolves? Or go for one of the lesser used chapters?

Advice welcome!!

Ph1ltheee

[ThePov]

Well, it depends on what you want out of the army. Ultramarines aregenerally thought to be pretty bland by everyone except Ultramarines players, so the best way to tell if you are one or not is if you think they're bland. If you want a fast army, the Raven Gaurd and White Scars both have good stock characters and focus heavily on jump packs and bikes, respectively. If you want slower but more killy, Salamanders, Imperial Fists, or Crimson Fists are good.

Frankly though, I'd only suggest going with one of the chapters in the Codex if you either don't want to bother with backstory or are enamored with the idea of a first or second founding chapter. They're good, but most of them have kind of been done to death. There are plenty of less famous but well-established shapters out there you could pick up. I highly suggest one of the Chapters in the Badab War mini-dex so kindly created by the Fly Lords of this fine establisment, they all have a good amount of background, but not so much that you're boxed in by the fact that every battle your chapter has ever fought is already set in stone, they have some cool house rules if your gaming group likes that sort of stuff, and there's all manner of color schemes, from the basic (Mantis Warriors, Space Sharks) to the advanced (Minotaurs, Executioners) and everything in between (often within the same chapter with some of the camo schemes).

Alternatively, you could either create your own chapter or elaborate on one of the many which exist officially in name only. Here is a good list of lesser known Chapters, if you want to go this route. (http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/List_of_Space_Marine_Chapters) This takes a lot of creativity but can be very rewarding if you pull it off, since everything from the backstory to the characters to the paintscheme will be yours.

So yeah, sorry for the wall of text, but you got me started on a topic close to my heart, so :p

[TheKingElessar]

Blood Ravens. Of Blood.

[keithsilva]

I have a Ultramarine 2nd company, I love there back story, most people laugh ultramarines they are a bland chapter, reason being alot of kids do them. I dont care i love the ultramarines back story, I mean they are bad ***, they will spare others when fighting tyrands, and also there 1st company is mostly tyrand hunters.
If you do ultramarines just do them justice when painting;)

[Chumbalaya]

Ultramarines aren't bland, people are just trying to look cool by dissing on the something popular (I'm so alternative and unique!)

Stick with the basic marine Codex for now, it has a lot of variety, multiple competitive builds, and can be used to represent any chapter.

[Gavvin]

I play Ultramarines because I kind of inherited the army from my son, who chose Ultramarines for the sole reason of the Tyranid Hunters of last Codex, since his twin brother played Tyranids. I don't think they (or any codex chapter) is particularly bland, but they ARE over-represented. I have always like the color scheme of the Brazon Claws and i am considering re-painting them once I feel I can do them justice.

If you like the basic Marine codex, I suggest looking for a little-used chapter whose color scheme strikes your fancy and paint them up as that chapter. If you want to use the named chars of another chapter, feel free to draft them into your army under an assumed name.

[Emperorsmercy]

I would honestly love to do a White Scars all biker army, but so little glue, too little paint...

No, but unless you really want a challenge, do a fairly ordinary, established Chapter.

Or do a White Scars Biker Army. Or a Salamanders Thunderfire cannon heavy army. Or a massive Termiantor Assault Imperial Fist army. Or... Or... Or... ;)

[Slaanesh]

Alpha Legion!!!

[VinceBlack]

I've played Ultramarines from the beginning and have never questioned that decision. I love the regal paint scheme and the fluff that back them up. Personally I say read some of the stories and look at the artwork, decide what chapter really resonates with you. Play the army you want to play, not the one that you think you will have a tactical advantage with...

[VinceBlack]

I've played Ultramarines from the beginning and have never questioned that decision. I love the regal paint scheme and the fluff that back them up. Personally I say read some of the stories and look at the artwork, decide what chapter really resonates with you. Play the army you want to play, not the one that you think you will have a tactical advantage with...

[Dan-e]

I am quit taken by Raven Guard personally if i was to do a chapter force...


Also, VinceBlack, how did you double post a half hour apart?

[VinceBlack]

Lol im at work, I posted and backed up... was back on the input screen and forgot that I posted. My bad :p

[Majorcrash]

Several years ago I went rummaging thru my minature collection and realized that I had a huge number of marines. Like alot of players I got into 40k after playing space hulk 1st ed. Marines were my first army, but there were so many others playing that I looked for something different. ALong 2nd Ed Eldar. At the time the most broken army to exist except Space wolves. If you dont believe it find someone who played back then that remembers "Popup attacks on overwatch" Solitares with vortex grenades that got bigger. Or my all time fav, destruction derby wave serpents whoes shield could be penetrated! Anyway I digress, i finally found my love of IG. But all these marines were painted in different colors for space hulk. So last 40K ed i did a crusade Marine army. Made up of many different squads of different chapters, using the standard vanilla marine rules. It looks good on the table, lets you paint different versions. But uses rules and if you like special character in a way that makes sense.:rolleyes:

[Drunkencorgimaster]

I have to agree with Gavin (I like how he inherited an army from his son!). You might want to just invent a chapter.

When I first started playing I went with Space Wolves b/c I grew up in Minnesota with Scandenavian ancestors and I liked the whole Viking theme. After a few years I got sick of all the pre-written Space Wolf fluff and the fact that there were so many fellow Wolf-lords out there.

A couple of years ago GW had a "space marine painter" program on their website. I played around with it until I found a really cool color scheme. Then "Dawn of War" came out on the PC and I replicated the same look with that game. A bit later I wound up getting a good deal on another starter army and decided to create a new tabletop force based on the same style.

I then came up with a storyline and even wrote several pages of supporting fluff. My chapter is called the "Galactic Watch" and they are reactionary Calvinistic, Oliver Cromwell-type Crusader lunatics. It is really fun having a completely unique force.

Having said that, Ultramarines might also be a good way to start. You could play them for a few years and then repaint your army if you decide to create your own chapter.

I also think basic "vanilla" marines are the way to go. They are pretty easy to play and plenty tough enough.

[Asymmetrical Xeno]

I recomend using your imagination and make your own chapter up, far more interesting than a template chapter.

[Aldramelech]

I am going to start my Space Marines when Ive finished my Guard army. I would recommend GW's excellent "How to paint Space Marines" for inspiration. I would also pick a chapter that is within your painting ability, if you fancy something exotic you can always do another one when your more experienced. Ive decided to do the "Eagle Warriors" just because I was inspired by the pic of the veteran in the Space Marine codex.

[wittdooley]

I'll second the idea to just have fun with it. The GW Codex chapters give you a nice variety of ethnic backgrounds for the Marines, from Roman (Ultramarines) to Mongols (White Scars) and pretty much everything in between. If you want to go with a codex chapter, I'd check out the novel Heroes of the Space Marines, as it has some short stories about 4-5 different space marine chapters to whet your appetite. Also, the warhammer lexicanum will give you some good info too.

[Magos]

I am a rather big fan of the Death Spectres. Rather unknown chapter, cool paint job, stationed beyond the bounds of the Imperiumn....

[blueshift]

The angels of vengeance get NO LOVE these days. Be the anti-pop player! Slam your fists down on you desk in rage as you cannot create competitive lists!

Codex chapters are still great. Ultramarine, imho, would be incredibly fun for just a big cluster-**** of point sinks like chronus in a land raider crusader, marneus calgar, and tiberius all in a 2000 pt game (leaving about 4 marines standing around lol).

I personally started playing Salamanders in third edition because they were one of the worst armies in the game. Oh, how time has served me well. :)

[Lord Anubis]

The Relictors. Just too much fun to model and play. And the paint job is simple enough you won't go mad. :)

[crazyredpraetorian]

There really are only two choices Space Wolves.........or sissy marines.:D

[gwensdad]

I have this strange urge once the new Space Wolf figures come out to form a small force of them and make them on successor chapter called something like "The Knights of Spa-Ham" with a battlecry of "Spam, Spam, Spam, LOVELY SPAM!" and then an inquisitor yells "SHUTUP! (blood vikings)"

Maybe for a Rogue Trader or Witch Hunters army...

[Gir]

Blood Angels! Blood Angels!

Or do what I did, and make a hybrid Blood Angel/Standard marine chapter so you can use the redeemer and decent point values.

[Culven]

I agree with all who have said that you need to find a chapter that you really love, whether it is a GW chapter or your own creation. Without love for the army, one risks becoming bored with it too quickly. I find this especially true when painting the army.

For myself, my Space Marine army grew out of my Deathwatch/Alien Hunters army where I was using Allied Space Marines. The fluff of the Red Hunters always being ready to assist the Ordo Xenos just made them a logical choice. In addidion, the lack of a great deal of backstory means that I can do almost anything I want with them as far as composition and organization. Having the Inquisition support also helps explain some of the choices.

[Ph1ltheee]

All,

Overwhelmed at the response - many thanks to all who have replied.

I think I'm going to have to do a bit more research. Keep coming back to the Ultramarines (or variant of) due to my basic lack of knowledge of the rules and wanting to keep it simple.

However, read the first Heresy book last week and am loving the fluff around the Sons of Horus (pre-later story developments) - are they covered at all in the 'How to Paint Space Marines' book? Would love to know what their colours were.

Is using an old Chapter, i.e. pre-turning, acceptable?

Thanks!

[ThePov]

All,

Overwhelmed at the response - many thanks to all who have replied.

I think I'm going to have to do a bit more research. Keep coming back to the Ultramarines (or variant of) due to my basic lack of knowledge of the rules and wanting to keep it simple.

However, read the first Heresy book last week and am loving the fluff around the Sons of Horus (pre-later story developments) - are they covered at all in the 'How to Paint Space Marines' book? Would love to know what their colours were.

Is using an old Chapter, i.e. pre-turning, acceptable?

Thanks!
Yes, Pre-Heresy Armies are relatively common, but don't do it if you want to keep things simple. To keep things in line with fluff, you neeed to really do a lot of research, makes sure you use only the right model of Space Marine Armor, etc... Essentially, it's a very complex process that can be very interesting and rewarding, but is going to be very expensive and Time Consuming. If I recall, BigRed has a massive pre-Heresy Deathguard force, and I don't even want to KNOW how much time that took.

[wittdooley]

All,

Overwhelmed at the response - many thanks to all who have replied.

I think I'm going to have to do a bit more research. Keep coming back to the Ultramarines (or variant of) due to my basic lack of knowledge of the rules and wanting to keep it simple.

However, read the first Heresy book last week and am loving the fluff around the Sons of Horus (pre-later story developments) - are they covered at all in the 'How to Paint Space Marines' book? Would love to know what their colours were.

Is using an old Chapter, i.e. pre-turning, acceptable?

Thanks!

You can find their colors here for Luna Wolves

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/mediawiki/images/thumb/e/e3/LunaWolvesMarine.jpg/150px-LunaWolvesMarine.jpg

or here for Sons of Horus

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/mediawiki/images/a/a0/SonsOfHorusMarine.jpg

Agreed though with POV...doing the Pre-Heresy chapters--if you want to be accurate--can be very hard with all the studding and other differences in the armour.

[SinCollector]

There really are only two choices Space Wolves.........or sissy marines.:D

Ahem. The Black Templars would like to have a word with you.

[Andrew283]

As would the Promethium cannons of the salamanders!

[ThePov]

Frankly, I thing everybody except the Pretty Marines would take offense to that.

[Oldgrue]

ANGRY MARINES!! ALWAYS ANGRY! ALL THE TIME!!!

-this message translated from incoherent rage by Kharn, the Betrayer.

[Shadowseer]

black templars or the dark angels?

[Shadowseer]

GREY KNIGHTS


and for ppl who say they are the inquisition WRONG,
they are the 666 chapter of astartes! they jsut work with the ordomalus

[Zaklifean]

Mine are the Hawk Lords. I chose an existing chapter, but one that didnt have a whole lot of fluff associated with it. That way, I could just create my own hehe.

[winknugget]

Ultamarines catch a bad rap from a lot of people. I understand that GW uses them a lot more than any other chapter, but there is a good reason. They are basic, not weird or altered, they have all the genetic enhancement a marine is supposed to have. This is good for GW as a jumping off point. "Check these guys out. they are badass, a primary color, don't have annoiying extra rules, etc."

I have read the Graham McNeil Ultramarines novels and I really enjoy them.

All that being said, I play Dark Angels.

[Vuron]

I played Ultras.

My favorite in concept is Grey Knights.

The best Black Library space marine stories imho are Space Wolves.

[Sasquatch1916]

I play space wolves and love them for their fluff, unique tank choice, and because my first mini was a SW termie. also, I get to drool over the upcoming codex and new model range, but the Grey Knights have got to be my favorite models from GW