Hey everyone! Adam, from TFG Radio, here to help you with creating your custom chapter.
One of the great things about playing Warhammer 40,000 is the customization you can have for your armies. The large expanse of the galaxy allows you to come up with a background for your army that is totally unique to the setting. Even if you go with an established army, there is still enough room to let your imagination run wild. This week we will look at some different inspirations you may not have though about for your Space Marine army.
Polish Winged Hussars
If you played the old Fantasy Battle then these guys will look familiar if you looked at the kingdom of Kislev. Their feathered back banners are used by Ravenwing but you can easily create a chapter that could be White Scars Successor. Imagine a horde of models with the feathered back banner screaming across the battlefield. That would be bikes, bike, and more bikes. It would certainly be a a sight top see. Their motto, “Love of the fatherland is our law” and their nickname of “Angels of Death”, makes them a perfect choice for a marine chapter. You could also have them used as Imperial Guard rough riders if you can find someone that will let you play legends units.
Persian Immortals
Everyone always talks about the Greeks and especially the Spartans and we see plenty of their representation when people are showcasing their custom space marine chapters. What about their opponents? The Persian empire wasn’t a slouch. You could easily base your army on their elite unit of Immortals. Contrary to the comic and movie, they were actually a colorful unit and always maintain their unit strength of 10,000 warriors. This could easily translate to a larger than normal chapter or a number of similar successor chapters that form a larger body of troops when needed. Just don’t let the Administratum know about your chapter’s troop size.
Zulu Warriors
When I was younger I remember watching a miniseries called Shaka Zulu. I was enthralled by the story of a chief’s rise to power and watching the battles on the small screen. I think their shield pattern could easily be duplicated on a space marine shoulder pad. You can easily recreate their signature buffalo horn formation. You just have the main force hold the center, the battlefield, while you have units either deepstriking or coming in the sides from strategic reserve. This army would be truly unique as you do not see something like this, or at least I haven’t.
There you have it, three ideas to help you build a unique space marine army that is different from all the tired tropes that people normally think of when they want to make their space marine chapter different from the rest. So if you really want to make a unique army based of history, don’t be lazy and take a deep dive into the wars of the past, there are plenty to choose from.
That’s all for this week. Hope you enjoyed the article. Let me know what you think, and what unique space marines army you have seen or built, in the comments section below. Don’t forget to visit our Facebook, Twitch, and Patreon pages to stay up to date on what we’re up to and when episodes drop!
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Paint your marines hot pink and wait to see your opponents reaction when you tell them you’re not running a successor chapter. (hint: there’s no rule requiring any given chapter to be painted a specific scheme)