Jump to content

Which Chapter for the Battlefield?


pauljamesog

Recommended Posts

Ahoy all,

 

I first got into 40k when RT was released. Played a bunch, but then faded off to other games soon after 2nd edition came out.

Yes that was a little while ago!

 

Anyhow, my son is playing wargames now and though he is is on the simpler scale at the moment, he will soon be ready to dive into 40k.

Thus, I've re-engaged with 5th Edition and plan an IG Army for me (I'm a sucker fo challenges!) and think a SM Army may be the best and most forgiving for him. The question is which Chapter?

 

A Vanilla SM Army aka Ultras is obviously the simplest solution. However, I was thinking of something with a few most twists to it for me to use as my secondary Army, but not too far off the Codex path so that it confuses the Lad. As I'll be painting it up in my "spare time" after the hordes of guardsmen, simplicity of painting is a desirable feature too.

 

And so over to you Lords of Terra - what advice do you have for me?

 

cheers and thanks! :D

Paul

Link to comment
https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/174473-which-chapter-for-the-battlefield/
Share on other sites

You could wait until the Space Wolves codex is released. Since it will be freshly updated, it may/may not be easier to use. At a minimum it will be more in line with the current rule set.

 

I'd leave Black Templar alone, same with the Dark Angels or Blood Angels. They have extra rules that aren't needed to learn how to play the game.

Having said that, you might consider Deathwing, if only because its limited number of models on the table. I don't know if there is alot of extra rules with it other then the mandatory HQ though.

 

Maybe ask your son what he's interested in playing. He might choose based purely on color, or maybe he likes a specific attribute of the Chapter (Iron Hands are mechanical for example).

I'd suggest going with a Codex Space Marines army from the basic book, and letting your son choose the color scheme that he likes. That way there's the nice transition into him painting the army himself, as learning to paint is as big a part of the hobby as learning to play. The new Codex has tons of nice chapters to choose from--my bet is at least one will inspire your son!

 

As for the Deathwing suggestion, I would suggest you avoid that as a beginner army. Too fiddly, too much cross-codex confusion, and just a tough army to get right on the battlefield.

 

It may be heretical to say this, but you may also want to think about Tyranids for your son. Using a monstrous creature list you can field a reasonable number of troops to not make it a massive painting undertaking. And 'Nids seem to viscerally appeal to younger gamers--our local gaming store has quite a few of the youngbloods who have chosen tyranids. Plus then the paint scheme is much more open, and it can be a chance to get your son reading all sorts of nature books about insects!

 

Cheers.

It may be heretical to say this, but you may also want to think about Tyranids for your son. Using a monstrous creature list you can field a reasonable number of troops to not make it a massive painting undertaking. And 'Nids seem to viscerally appeal to younger gamers--our local gaming store has quite a few of the youngbloods who have chosen tyranids. Plus then the paint scheme is much more open, and it can be a chance to get your son reading all sorts of nature books about insects!

I'd actually not start as Tyranids, as Synapse and everything can be quite... Well, not confusing, but newer players can find it hard to get the right amount of it.

 

Tyranids are also less forgiving, since if you mess up with Synapse, your whole army suffers. Well, besides Carnifexes and Genestealers.

 

As other people have said, buy the Codex and get him to pick the army fluff/colour scheme he likes the most. Assault on Black Reach would be great to get the rules cheaply, and you'll both be able to learn the game pretty quickly. That is, of course, assuming you don't already know the rules.

The easiest lists to play, regardless of the army, are always the ones that are closest to the current edition. The point made about Space Wolves is quite valid: since they're a new army that's hitting this fall, they should not only be user friendly, but also in line with the strength level of the other recent codices. When I started my little bro in on 40k, I basically said "Space Marines are easiest to learn and paint, but this is your choice." He made the wise decision to start with C:CSM, which I feel is somewhat forgiving and has a lot of options for the new player. He even started painting on his own, inspired by the codex and seeing my old Alpha Legion army from back in 3rd edition. I think if you give him a little free reign, with the codex he likes, he'll surprise you with how quickly he picks stuff up.

 

Thanks for indoctrinating the next generation into the 41st millenium!

I think if you give him a little free reign, with the codex he likes, he'll surprise you with how quickly he picks stuff up.

 

Thanks for indoctrinating the next generation into the 41st millenium!

THIS

 

Theres also a wonderful article in the Librarium that talks about introducing new people into 40k... you really should read it.

 

Remember, if he chooses a non-marine army you can always use the TDA for your own opposing force ;).

  • 3 months later...

Hey guys,

 

I know this was awhile ago and we have been wonderfully diverted with Space Hulk in the meantime!

(and I've been painting up some Deahwing for it too)

 

Just thought you might be interested to know that I took all your advice on my son choosing his own force.

He saw a pic of a Salamander Captain in the Codex and fell in love with the pics.

We are going to start with a Terminator Squad (which he can use in SH) and see how we go from there.

 

Now to find an easy quick paint system for Salamanders! ;)

Should be simple enough for him to break his teetth on painting his first models.

 

cheers!

Paul

Now to find an easy quick paint system for Salamanders! :lol:

Should be simple enough for him to break his teetth on painting his first models.

 

The Green of Salamanders is not too difficult to paint, but get the practice in before trying any hand-painted flames! ;)

Space Wolves are a really good option. They got a strong codex that isn't overly complicated - they're basically a close-combat based army, which would probably interest your boy. Another option is blood angels; they're apparently getting a codex soon enough, and again their high mobility (jumppack troops) and close-combat focus will probably be fun to your kid.

 

If you really want vanilla, though, then I say you should get him a Vulkan salamanders list, with a big land raider redeemer and plenty of melta and flamer totting squads and speeders/bikes + a nice 5 men unit of th/ss termies. It's a great list for a beginner as it doesn't rely on luck too much + it's very in-your-face so it makes it very entertaining to play. What's more, it's also very competitive and will still be great even after your son has gotten accustomed to the game and interested in trying out other stuff. I also find green easy to paint.

If you really want vanilla, though, then I say you should get him a Vulkan salamanders list, with a big land raider redeemer and plenty of melta and flamer totting squads and speeders/bikes + a nice 5 men unit of th/ss termies. It's a great list for a beginner as it doesn't rely on luck too much + it's very in-your-face so it makes it very entertaining to play. What's more, it's also very competitive and will still be great even after your son has gotten accustomed to the game and interested in trying out other stuff. I also find green easy to paint.

This is good reasoning and advice, though the abilities that Vulkan provides are what differentiates Salamanders from 'vanilla' Marines. Kids like to burn stuff the same as adults do, right? :jaw:

Well, the only real difference between vulkan and standard captain builds is that you get more reliable meltas, hammers & flamers. The playstyle is still largely the same and relies on the same innate strengths marines have anyway (marines being a short-to-medium range army anyway).

 

On the other hand, Shrike's, Khan's or Pedro's chapter tactics make a lot bigger difference and take more time getting used to, seeing as they drastically change the way an army deploys and functions on the battlefield.

  • 4 weeks later...

Oh yes! Salamanders are a good choice, my friend plays a vulkan list, but for me it seems like(a very effective) One trick pony. Most of his lists always looks the same.

 

For painting. Black spray, orkhide shade, either dark angels green or snot green, and extreme highlight with Scorpion green :)

Salamanders are actually really easy to paint.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.