40K: The Space Marine Chapters That Need Rules Next
With the Blood Ravens upon us, let’s talk about which Space Marine Chapters should get rules next.
This months White Dwarf sees the release of new rules for the Blood Ravens Space Marine chapter. This will mark the second Space Marine Chapter, after Crimson Fists, to get white Dwarf Rules, and there is no reason to stop there. White Dwarf is a fine way to flesh out some of the popular or important chapters that didn’t rules in the Codex.Today lets take a look at what chapters I think should get White Dwarf rules next, and why. There are a lot of Chapters that deserve rules, but here are my top picks.
N.B. I’m going to stay away from chapters Forge World has made models or rules for, such as the Mantis Warriors and Charcarodons. While these chapters deserve rules, it will likely come in a Forge World supplement rather than a White Dwarf.
Flesh Tearers
A venerable Second Founding chapter, the Flesh Tearers are ripe for a White Dwarf supplement. Like the Crimson Fists, they have rules for their Chapter Master Gabriel Seth, in Codex: Blood Angels, yet they have no unique rules. In fact, taking a Flesh Tearers army is a bit of a hindrance since you lose access to all Relics, though you can still use Stratagems, Warlord Traits and Psychic Powers of the Blood Angels. Flesh Tearers are currently, as far as I know, the only Chapter to have a named Character in a loyalist Codex and not have chapter special rules. Because of this Flesh Tearers are pretty ripe to get a supplement.
Flesh Tearers are also fairly unique in being one of the few chapters that have rejected the Primaris Marines, and chosen to go it old school. This just makes them an even more interesting list. Since the Red Thirst is a major factors for Blood Angels and their successors, its possible that Flesh Tearers don’t get their own Chapter Tactic, but instead get extra Relics to make up for them currently having no access to relics at all. Add on a few extra stratagems, and a rule saying they can’t take any Primaris units, and you’ve got an interesting chapter.
Necropolis Hawks
On the other end of the spectrum from the Primaris hating Flesh Tearers are the all Primaris Necropolis Hawks. This all Primaris Chapter was introduced mainly part of the Vigilus Campaign and would be a great choice for a supplement. Currently we do not have any rules of a Primaris only chapter, so making one, and giving us some extra insight on how they fight and act would be really cool. In addition the Necropolis Hawks stand out for being close quarters, and city fight specialists, which plays into them being a Raven Guard successor chapter. This could allow them to function a bit different from your bog standard Ultramarine clone chapter. If GW wants to really push the Primaris forces, then they need their own chapters, and characters. Give them some rules and a Chapter Master and let people run with them.
Relictors
The Relictors are a bit of an odd choice, since their loyalty is somewhat in question. Basically they are a chapter of Marines who started collecting Chaos Relics and weapons to try to use them against the Dark Gods. The Inquisition got wind of this and was NOT happy. They took away the Relictors toys and sent them to Armageddon to do penance. The Relictors just couldn’t give up on those sweet sweet daemon weapons. They started flying around in a massive Star Fort looking for more daemon weapons and fighting against the 13th Black Crusade. Unconcerned with Abbadon’s plans the Grey Knights had the free time to attack the loyalist chapter and send the Relictors fleeing outside of the Imperium (maybe if the Grey Knights had focused on the Black Crusade Cadia would still be around). To this day the Relictors are still out there, looking for relics and stuff.
This is a pretty non-standard chapter but it would be really cool to get rules for them again. To represent them you’d probably want a more run of the mill chapter tactic, but give them a lot of relics, and the ability to take more than the normal amount. This could also be a chapter that can’t take Primaris units, or maybe it can, its possible they got a shipment by accident, after all, who can keep track of which Chapters are loyal and which are excommunicated? Overall I think these are so different and cool that they need rules.
Wolfspear
Like the Necropolis Hawks, the Wolfspear are an all Primaris chapter. Formed at the end the Indomitus Crusade out of some of the remaining Unnumbered Sons, the Wolfspear has the distinction of being the only known Space Wolf successor chapter active. In fact only one other Space Wolf successor chapter is known, the Wolf Brothers, who were so genetically unstable they were disbanded by the Inquisition. Lore-wise that makes this a really cool chapter, and one that could use more fleshing out. While this Chapter would lose some of the Space Wolf flavor, in not being able to take many of the Space Wolf unique units, as they are not Primaris, it could be interesting. Again, give them a chapter master, some unique rules and help people really get into playing the all Primaris army.
Rainbow Warriors
The Rainbow Warriors are one of those old Rogue Trader chapters that we know next to nothing about. Despite being one of the oldest (in real world years) chapters, they have almost never shown up in fluff or rules. Yet, despite this, almost everyone who plays knows about them. Thanks to their goof name and strange paint scheme, Rainbow Warriors are sort of a strange joke of a chapter, a holdover from the more free-form years of 40K, and don’t quit seem to fit in the “Grimdark”. That’s why its my firm belief that they need rules, and not just any rules, they need amazing rules. It’s finally time for this joke of a Chapter to have its moment, to really shine. Lets give these old them their dues and write some really good rules for them. So good that every tournament player will want to start playing them, so good that if you want to win you’ll have to shout far and wide, “I play Rainbow Warriors.” Lets make this happen GW!
Let us know what chapter you think should get rules next, down in the comments!
