Codex: Space Marines and Factions, Detachments, and Chapters

[jaxom]

I'm working on a larger project, but thought it would be useful to share two of the parts as a number of questions have arisen regarding related topics.

 

Excerpts from "The Codex Astartes Supports This Action: A casual introduction to Codex: Space Marines for the Adeptus Astartes curious and new Codex: Space Marine players."

 

(It starts with an introduction, but moving straight to part 1)

 

Part 1: The Factions

 

Top-Level Factions and Army Design

Warhammer 40,000 models are organized into armies (also called army lists or just lists) in order to play games with them. Each model’s datasheet has at least one faction keyword that describes the army to which it belongs. However, some have more than one faction keyword and some of these keywords span models with datasheets from different Codices, i.e. top-level keywords. A top-level keyword lets units with it be in the same army, but they must be in different Detachments. The top-level keywords are CHAOS, IMPERIUM, AELDARI, YNNARI, AND TYRANIDS.

Codex: Space Marines is the book with the rules for using models with the IMPERIUM, ADEPTUS ASTARTES, and <CHAPTER> faction keywords. Each keyword allows for different types of armies. Most pick-up games, and all tournaments, use Match Play rules (which provide the most stringent requirements for designing an army) in order to ensure a relatively even starting point for a game. A Match Play army benefits greatly from being Battle-Forged; all units from a single top-level faction and individual units organized into Detachments. Some factions provide further benefits if all the units within the Detachment share that faction’s keyword or if all units within the entire army share the keyword.

 

IMPERIUM - Codex Access

 

An army organized under the IMPERIAL keyword can take units from Codex: Adeptus Custodes, Codex: Adeptus Mechanicus, Codex: Adeptus Sororitas,  Codex: Astra Militarum, Codex: Adeptus Astartes: Blood Angels, Codex: Adeptus Astartes: Dark Angels, Codex: Adeptus Astartes: Deathwatch, Codex: Adeptus Astartes: Grey Knights, Codex: Imperial Knights, Codex: Space Marines, and Codex: Adeptus Astartes: Space Wolves. IMPERIUM does not function as a faction keyword for Detachments. For example, an IMPERIAL army can contain units from Codex: Space Marines and units from Codex: Adeptus Mechanicus, but the units from the different Codices cannot be in the same Detachment.

 

ADEPTUS ASTARTES - Design Concept

 

The ADEPTUS ASTARTES keyword is found in a number of different Codices. An army can use the ADEPTUS ASTARTES keyword Detachment organization, but will then not benefit from Detachment abilities because the ADEPTUS ASTARTES keyword does not, itself, convey any rules at the army or Detachment level. Instead, it is a keyword common to IMPERIAL models who wear power armor, have surgically implanted enhanced organs, are trained to exceptional standards, and part of a larger brotherhood of such warriors. As such, there are a number of unit rules in common to datasheets with this keyword.

 

<CHAPTER> -Detachment Abilities Access

 

The Codex Astartes and Chapters

Codices are meant to allow you to take units and play with them in a way that matches the feel of the background and stories of the Warhammer 40,000 universe. An important feature for all adeptus astartes is that they work in groups which are more than the sum of their parts. Each marine forms an interlocking part of a squad and each squad forms an interlocking part of a battle group and each battle group is an interlocking part of a chapter, the highest level of space marine organization within the Imperium of Man. Codex: Space Marines conceptually reflects the organization and operations of the Codex Astartes; itself a guide for the majority of chapters.

Every space marine, i.e. a model with the ADEPTUS ASTARTES keyword, also belongs to a chapter. The <CHAPTER> keyword from Codex: Space Marines means the model belongs to a chapter which does not deviate significantly from the dictates of the Codex Astartes. The angle brackets means you replace keyword with a more specific one. For example, a space marine from the Ultramarines chapter has the ULTRAMARINES keyword while one from the Salamanders chapter would have the SALAMNDERS keyword, even if they both use the same datasheet, and neither actually has a keyword which literally reads <CHAPTER>. A Detachment where all units share the same <CHAPTER> gains a number special abilities for those units. An army where all units share the same <CHAPTER> gains additional special abilities.

 

Codex: Space Marines allows you to field space marines in three different types of armies. The names used to describe them are either common among the Warhammer 40,000 player community or chosen to differentiate between two different forms of an army made with units only from one codex.

 

1. Imperium Soup – All units have the IMPERIUM keyword and at least one Detachment does not have the ADEPTUS ASTARTES and <CHAPTER> keywords. Conceptually, this style of army is good if you want to replicate the feel of the various branches of the Imperium fighting shoulder-to-shoulder against a common foe, if you want more than space marine models to do hobby work with, or if you want to slowly build up a space marine collection in addition to a pre-existing IMPERIUM army. Mechanically, the space marines will not have access to all their rules (they will thus lose some of their space marine feel), but can have their weaknesses compensated by units from other Codices.

 

2a. Astartes Crusade Force (Multi-subfaction Mono-codex) - All units have the IMPERIUM keyword and the ADEPTUS ASTARTES keyword. Each Detachment has a <CHAPTER> keyword and is made of units from Codex: Space Marines, but the Detachments do not all have the same <CHAPTER> and the chapters do not share a Primarch. Conceptually, this style of army is good if you want to represent a force dealing with a threat requiring multiple chapters to handle, a group of disparate squads brought together by honor and oaths, or a common territory they defend. Mechanically, the space marines will benefit from all the rules in Codex: Space Marine and each detachment will benefit from most of the additional rules in the appropriate Codex Supplements.

 

2b. Honor Guard (Multi-subfaction Mono-codex) – All units have the IMPERIUM keyword and the ADEPTUS ASTARTES keyword. Each Detachment has a <CHAPTER> keyword and is made of units from Codex: Space Marines, but the Detachments do not all have the same <CHAPTER> and the chapters share a Primarch. Conceptually, this style of army is good if you want to represent a force of chapters working together to honor their bloodline or uphold a vow made by their Primarch or originating legion. Mechanically, the space marines will benefit from all the rules in Codex: Space Marine and can benefit from most of the additional rules from the appropriate Codex Supplement.

 

3. Chapter Strike Force (Mono-faction Mono-codex) – All units in the army share the same <CHAPTER> keyword. This is the classic “mono-faction” space marine army. Conceptually, this army requires the least explanation; a force deployed at the behest of a Chapter Master or Company Captain. Mechanically, the space marines will benefit from all the rules in Codex: Space Marine and can benefit from all the additional rules in the appropriate Codex Supplement.

 

 

Combat Doctrines

 

Space marines gain bonuses to the Armor Penetration characteristics of two weapon types. This is Heavy and Grenade at the start of the game, Devastator Doctrine. You can keep the bonus to those weapon types or at the start of your second turn change the bonus to Rapid Fire and Assault weapons, Tactical Doctrine. Once the bonus applies to Rapid Fire and Assault weapons you can change it to apply to Pistol and Melee weapons, Assault Doctrine, at the beginning of your next turn.

 

Chapter Tactics

Chapters, Legions, and Primarchs

The original space marines were organized into twenty legions. Each legion was headed by a Primarch who provided the initial genetic material to make the genetic modifications which would turn homo sapiens into homo astartes. Each Primarch was a unique being and this impacted the effect of the modifications; each legion had unique biological and behavioral quirks. Two of those legions are lost to mystery, nine turned traitor and rebelled, while nine remained loyal. The nine loyal legions were the ancestors for all space marine chapters in the 41st millennium. Every army made using Codex: Space Marines, according to the rules in that book, traces their descent to one of six such legions and Primarchs. A chapter which shares the name and home world of one of the legions is called a First Founding chapter and all other chapters descended from that legion and its Primarch are called successor chapters. The importance of this will become relevant in Part 4.

Every chapter can benefit from additional abilities, chapter tactics, which support their preferred method of warfare. The codex contains eight different chapters which exist in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Each chapter has a unique tactic; six of them can be use by custom chapters. In addition, there are eighteen half-tactics of which a custom chapter can take two.

 

Super Doctrine

 

Every chapter can benefit from one of six rules which provides an additional bonus to units in the army while in a specific Combat Doctrine. Part 4 contains more information on these abilities and how they are obtained.

....

 

The rules your <CHAPTER> units benefit from depend on which of the three types of army you are using.

 

1. Imperium Soup – And They Shall Know No Fear, Bolter Discipline, Shock Assault, Chapter Tactics, Defenders of Humanity.

 

2a. Astartes Crusade Force - And They Shall Know No Fear, Bolter Discipline, Shock Assault, Combat Doctrines, Chapter Tactics, Defenders of Humanity.

 

2b. Honor Guard - And They Shall Know No Fear, Bolter Discipline, Shock Assault, Combat Doctrines, Chapter Tactics, Defenders of Humanity.

 

3. Chapter Strike Force – And They Shall Know No Fear, Bolter Discipline, Shock Assault, Combat Doctrines, Chapter Tactics, Super Doctrine, Defenders of Humanity.

 

 

 

 

Part 4: First Founding Chapters and Successor Chapters

 

Each of the six First Founding chapters has additional rules found in the appropriate Codex Supplement. The rules are in addition to those from Codex: Space Marines. I will be using <FIRST FOUNDING> to denote that the keyword depends on the Codex Supplement, but is distinctly one of the named six First Founding chapters.

 

Detachments

Your <FIRST FOUNDING> Detachments can gain access to a Super Doctrine (as previously noted).

 

Warlord

Your <FIRST FOUNDING> CHARACTER Warlord can take a trait from either Space Marine Warlord Traits table, Vanguard Warlord Traits table, or a Codex Supplement specific Warlord Trait table.

 

Librarian

Your <FIRST FOUNDING> PSYKER models can take powers from either the Librarius Discipline, Obscuration Discipline or a Codex Supplement specific Discipline.

 

Relics

Your <FIRST FOUNDING> CHARACTER models can be given relics from Chapter Relics, a Codex Supplement specific relic list, and a Codex Supplement specific Special-issue Wargear list.

 

Stratagems

You have access to the stratagems from Codex: Space Marines and the stratagems from the Codex Supplement.

 

Datasheets

You have access to <FIRST FOUNDING> units.

 

Successor chapter detachments do not have access to Datasheets and only gain access the Codex Supplement specific relic list if a Command Point is spend on the relevant Codex Supplement specific stratagem.

 

Who Gets Access to Which Codex Supplement Rules?*

RULE	FIRST FOUNDING	SUCCESSOR
Super Doctrine*	Yes	Yes
Warlord Trait Table	Yes	Yes
Pyker Displine	Yes	Yes
Relic List	Yes	No (unless you use a stratagem)
Special-issue Wargear	Yes	Yes

DatasheetsYesNo

 

*<CHAPTER> detachments only get the Super Doctrine if the <CHAPTER> is the same for all of them. The other rules will apply so long as your army is Battle-Forged.

 

 

Edited November 22, 2019 by jaxom

[jaxom]

While I hope it would go without saying, feedback/corrections/constructive criticism is very welcome.

[Schlitzaf]

Adeptus Astartes is a faction level keyword so you can mix different chapters in same detachment in which case you lose chapter tactics but not combat doctrines (assuming everything else is pure), retain Codex: SM Strategems but do not get to Supplement Strategems.

 

It also I think should be noted that you cannot be a successor of a successor (so using DIY Chapter rules for Templars or Crimson Fists, and using Spears tactic you have to UM succesor).

[jaxom]

I'll fix the former, the latter is elsewhere in the guide (a part that I felt was irrelevant to faction-y stuff).