New Primaris Character Possibilities

[The_son_of_Dorn]

Primaris Dante......hmmmm

[War Angel]

A better way forward could be to create a character building chart. Start with a space marine captain, add bionics to increase toughness go X points, add feel no pain on 5+ for X points, add really awesome weapon for X points. Bam, Captain of your own creation that you can make your own backstory for.

[Captain Idaho]

Yes I definitely agree with these latter points. Character creation and customisation is the way forward. Flexible models along with it.

 

The focus on Special Characters bugs me too. "Oh look, a BA army. Yep there's Mephiston."

[Marshal Vespasian]

I dont really like special characters to be honest, because why the heck would grimaldus be somewhere in the boonies, where my guys are fighting. 

 

Luckily CA 2018 gave us a character builder which you could propably use quite well for friendly campaign games.

Hopefully enough people told them in the community survey that they wish to return to multipart character kits and want to go away from the fixed pose/fixed layout way things are being handled right now.

[Guest Triszin]

I think at most, 1-2 special character old Marines should be updated per chapter.

 

Then it's all new Marine characters from here.

 

Wolves: Ragnar, Lukas

Raven: shrike

Templar: Grimaldi's/emperor's champ

Bloods: mephiston

 

And so on.

[RikuEru]

I think at most, 1-2 special character old Marines should be updated per chapter.

 

Then it's all new Marine characters from here.

 

Wolves: Ragnar, Lukas

Raven: shrike

Templar: Grimaldi's/emperor's champ

Bloods: mephiston

 

And so on.

I would like something similiar. Maybe just even ONE primarised old marine and one true primaris per Chapter, if possible. Both of them would need to be something representative and genuinely distinct for that Chapter.

 

(Why would Lukas want to become one of the bigger new boys anyway? He doesn't care. He's the jackal anyway. And he still has the bomb. Calgarian Rites would kill him, which would trigger the bomb... ...and he sure as hell will be able to keep up with them ;) )

 

 

I generally would like MOST character options to be just "Ranks" or "Specializations" similiar to 30k Legion Praetors and the like - with names not bound to that loadout (think: Haldor Icepelt and all other Lieutenants).

 

Example:

Primaris Champion Incarnate

 

Big dude with a large two handed weapon. The Champion of his Chapter/Company - no matter if he saw visions, passed rites or if the Captain/Jarl/Forgefather chose him.

Maybe with a Choice between Sword or Axe to decide between killing many chaff units or a few elite units.

 

...and then let the BT get a special stratagem, rule or relic weapon to elevate him to an actual Primaris Emperor's Champion.

 

But I would want more "general" positions filled:

 

Master of the Forge (Buffs to Saves or Vehicles?)

Master of the Fleet (Better Deepstriking + Bombardment ability)

Master of the Armoury (Buffs to Dreads?)

Master of the Librarium (Better Psychic abilities and defense)

Champion Exemplar (or another Gothic name for a Melee-Beefcake)

...or any other position that could be imagined or brought baxk frol the 30k Legions. (Primaris Moritat anyone? Maybe with Relic CHOOOOOOOM Pistols!?!)

 

These can be used by UM, BA, DA, SW and any other Chapter (...and maybe GK or DW further down the line)

...and the Chapter specific flavour comes through Stratagems, Special Rules or a few chapter specific loadout options (a la SW lieutenants Frostaxe).

 

----

 

For example ONLY Iron Hands and their Successors can make the Master of the Forge their Chapter Master equivalent, giving him better stats and the usual Aura.

 

Only Salamanders have a special stratagem so that the Master of the Armoury also buffs 1-3 Infantry Units Equipment in some way or so.

 

 

Because that "generally useful" approach would generate sales, allow all Chapters to be versatile AND could make Stratagems into a more flavourful and useful thing too.

 

Because any Chapter can field a Primaris Captain in Gravis or Reiver Armor right now.

Every Chapter can field the Riever Lieutenant or Librarian.

And in turn: I can field my Primaris as ANY CHAPTER, ruleswise, as long as I don't use my Haldor Icepelt (Lieutenant with Frostaxe). Because they are a WYSIWYG Primaris Marine Force, that just looks a bit like Space Wolves, but can be played as IF or UM or whatever... unless I would add a chapter specific NAMED character.

Because an Intercessor Sqaud is an Intercessor Squad and a Gravis Captain is a Gravis Captain.

 

(I know, this concept is not new. We had similiar positions in 7th Edition, but many were lost in the Index and are now mostly unused.)

[Halandaar]

Hopefully enough people told them in the community survey that they wish to return to multipart character kits and want to go away from the fixed pose/fixed layout way things are being handled right now.

 

I find this weird, because there never has been an era of multipart characters to "return" to. There have been 2 EVER; the Space Marine Commander kit and the Chaos Terminator Lord kit.

 

Everything else has always been single-pose, it's just before, they were resin or metal.

[Marshal Vespasian]

Well maybe its because people remember the terminator lord kit and space marine commander kit so fondly.

But mainly what I mean is look at the options for the primaris captain(s) and at those for their oldmarine counterparts - I can make an oldmarine into whatever I want with tons of options, I cant to do that for a primaris captain.

 

I would, in general, love a form to buff my dreadnoughts, because I freakin love dreads.

[Ishagu]

Custom characters are great in theory.

 

I'm practice they are hard to balance and all of them are exactly the same because some options are better than others.

 

I'd rather have more fixed load-outs on generic heroes and chapter exclusive named characters. Best for the game

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

I can’t wait til Dante crosses the Rubicon !!!

[Ishagu]

I can’t wait til Dante crosses the Rubicon !!!

This will be glorious.

[Jacques Corbin]

Honestly, I expect Cato Sicarius to get the Primaris treatment, and get his own Primaris Chapter.

 

I agree, give us Primaris characters that have forged their own legend, not just classic characters who underwent the "upgrades" to become Primaris. The point is, if there are no Primaris heroes that are worthy of their own models, then that proves the point of all the naysayers, from the Dark Angel Officers, to certain Imperial Fists, Gabriel Seth, as well as all the out of setting naysayers.

 

Honestly, next plot arc I want to see, would be Iron Hands and their descendants accepting the Primaris or not along the same lines as the Moraie Schism, and all the civil war and heresy that would bring about. I mean how long before the Sons of Ferrus Manus that were on the "wrong side" of the schism are wiped out by being sent on suicide missions, or being declared heretics, and then their heraldry being donned by fresh primaris marines?

[Marshal Reinhard]

Problem is selecting who gets the treatment over who doesn't if we're set to limit who does get the treatment. But I agree, it's high time we saw some fresh faces among the special characters.

 

At any rate the only "special character" I think is an absolute must candidate is the Emperor's champion. Him getting a primaris version doesn't even contradict the classic version from existing. But this stems from him being the only special character that's literally not a unique singular specimen.

[Schlitzaf]

Okay; let’s be honest guys full character custom results in....not really.

5th Ed

Relic Blade & Storm Shield/Artificer

6th-7th Ed

Power Fist or THammer & Shield/Artificer

Or

Power Fist & Claw/Artificer

8th

THammer & Shield

 

If we get full custom we need to do the following or make it so;

We have not just a single viable loadout. Like

Relic Blade/ClawPair/Hammer should all 3 be viable weapon choices. Claw suffers from low damage, Relic Blade from no Shield combo and d3 damage in comparison to Hammer

[bolvar]

I'd rather leave old characters alone and bring in some new ones. You know, new characters and stuff

 

For one, my innards writhe at the sole mention of BT primaris characters

[Magos Takatus]

My nostalgia demands a new Mephiston sculpt. Apart from that I'm not fussed if some of the classic special characters are killed off. After all, you can play the games at any point in the 40k timeline if you wish. I would be sad to see these characters go, after all, some of them have been around since the mid nineties. When it comes down to it though, the Primaris marines will have to prove themselves eventually and that means new special characters. If they just Primarize old characters it makes all the Primaris look like a load of mooks that can't stand on their own feet.

[Marshal Reinhard]

For one, my innards writhe at the sole mention of BT primaris characters

Might I suggest you shut your eyes and look in another thread then?

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

I just can’t wait til Mephiston crosses the Rubicon !!!!!!!!!!!

[Panzer]

Imo the more unique characters should stay and get an upgrade (like Mephiston for example) and the more generic ones should be let go and replaced by new ones (Dante for example. Yes yes I know it's the Chapter Master and he's super old and generally cool ... but being old is really the only unique thing about him).

[Blindhamster]

Imo the more unique characters should stay and get an upgrade (like Mephiston for example) and the more generic ones should be let go and replaced by new ones (Dante for example. Yes yes I know it's the Chapter Master and he's super old and generally cool ... but being old is really the only unique thing about him).

by that rational, just about no characters are unique. Mephistons uniqueness comes from stats above and beyond others of his kind, lore wise it comes from him having overcome the thirst. Dante is "special" in that he is meant to be alive for a higher purpose, as of the end of DoB he even has "that" scene involving the primarch too, he also has the blessing of the sanguinor, he's meant to be such a genius tactician that other chapter masters respect his authority and that the only living loyalist primarch gives him more respect than he gives the chapter master of his own chapter.  Whats special about the other chapter master characters or just about any other character for that matter? Lore wise, Mephiston makes FAR less sense to get the upgrade - i'm not even sure he COULD get the upgrade based on whats apparently happening to him as per the recent novels.

 

Reasoning for Primaris upgrade of old characters will come down to popularity of said character, relevance to the plot they're trying to tell and how interesting/unique the model will look.

 

From a BA perspective, the popular characters are Mephiston and Dante, Dante makes a more logical character to get the upgrade lore wise (he would vue it as his duty and belive he had to try), and his models armor design is something we don't have in miniature form for Primaris or anything else really (outside of the bad sanguinor model). Mephiston lore wise makes very little sense and his design is now not that different from the default primaris librarian design.

 

All that being said, I echo other peoples hopes for perhaps just getting a new character per chapter that is primaris.

[Panzer]

 

Imo the more unique characters should stay and get an upgrade (like Mephiston for example) and the more generic ones should be let go and replaced by new ones (Dante for example. Yes yes I know it's the Chapter Master and he's super old and generally cool ... but being old is really the only unique thing about him).

by that rational, just about no characters are unique. Mephistons uniqueness comes from stats above and beyond others of his kind, lore wise it comes from him having overcome the thirst. Dante is "special" in that he is meant to be alive for a higher purpose, as of the end of DoB he even has "that" scene involving the primarch too, he also has the blessing of the sanguinor, he's meant to be such a genius tactician that other chapter masters respect his authority and that the only living loyalist primarch gives him more respect than he gives the chapter master of his own chapter.  Whats special about the other chapter master characters or just about any other character for that matter? Lore wise, Mephiston makes FAR less sense to get the upgrade - i'm not even sure he COULD get the upgrade based on whats apparently happening to him as per the recent novels.

 

Reasoning for Primaris upgrade of old characters will come down to popularity of said character, relevance to the plot they're trying to tell and how interesting/unique the model will look.

 

From a BA perspective, the popular characters are Mephiston and Dante, Dante makes a more logical character to get the upgrade lore wise (he would vue it as his duty and belive he had to try), and his models armor design is something we don't have in miniature form for Primaris or anything else really (outside of the bad sanguinor model). Mephiston lore wise makes very little sense and his design is now not that different from the default primaris librarian design.

 

All that being said, I echo other peoples hopes for perhaps just getting a new character per chapter that is primaris.

 

 

Sorry but I can't agree on that. It feels you are oversimplyfying what I meant.

Mephiston is what he is because of the whole being past the Black Rage thing that turned him into something very different from any other Librarian regardless of their power level. Nobody ever achieved that and it's unlikely anybody ever will do so again. It's an unsolved mystery (and we're still learning new things about his condition). He's as unique as each Primarch basically unless GW decides to deus ex machina a random Primaris to experience the same change. Replacing Mephiston would kinda be like replacing Kairos Fateweaver. Both are extremely unique in the setting due an event in their past changing their entire being.

 

Meanwhile while Dante has his his whole "purpose" thing but it's so cryptic and uncertain that it's not too farfetched if we'd learn that he simply interpreted it wrong (hell, it's part of his character that he swings between believing in it and doubting his interpretation all the time himself). Not to mention that there are tons of characters in the lore who think they are destined for something greater and justify whatever they do with their "purpose". That kinda comes naturally with believing that you are fighting for a godlike being.

His only tangible thing really is that he's very old even for Marine standards.

 

I admit though that not many characters are on the level of uniqueness as Mephiston, but I also don't mind having most of them getting replaced by new interesting characters. It's hard to make a general statement that applies to all and it would definitely require careful consideration on a case by case basis.

And yes I already said in an older thread in the BA subforum that it makes not much sense for Mephiston to even attempt the upgrade considering how uncertain the true nature of his change is and his already superior physique. He's already physically above Primaris as is anyway and taking the risk of losing control of his unique, and extremely dangerous, powers while going through the procedure is just not worth it unless he's pretty much dead and the Rubicon is the only way to save him (which is not confirmed to be a thing for heavily wounded Marines as of yet).

 

 

Now if we talk about what's likely to happen? Dante will get the upgrade for sure. Mephiston is up in the air and could go either way. Maybe Astorath as well but even though I like him a lot he's not super popular these days.

[Ishagu]

Dante and Mephiston are equally iconic.

 

I think Dante is the most deserving of a new model. At the moment he's suffering from old Abaddon syndrome. He's being overlooked and forgotten because his representation in the game is so lacking. He's a legend of the setting and a hero with few equals.

[Panzer]

Nobody was denying that Dante is iconic.

[Blindhamster]

Nobody was denying that Dante is iconic.

He makes more sense for the upgrade than mephiston is the argument though.

 

Based on what we know of mephy, it's not even clear if he has a proper marine physiology anymore, his inner radiance or whatever is more like how primarchs are described as being made of warp energy

[Ishagu]

Dante and Mephiston are both so incredible in the lore.

Mephiston is supposed to be beautiful, terrifying, other-worldly. He's not represented well enough imo in model or rules either!

 

Outside of the Blood Angels, Azrael could do with an update, as well as Tugurius and some SW characters.

 

Other chapters need new heroes like what the IH are getting. RG, WS, Salamanders, IF, CF, BT etc all need a Primaris hero or two. They also need to be more distinct from generic Captains or Chapter Masters, than they currently are.

How about a BT character who's a repressed psyker and his abilities manifest in strange, unintended ways?