I have always planned to develop a ruleset for the Iron Hands fitting in with the new style of Chapter Tactics as the Iron Hands are the only first founding chapter to not be represented in any of the current codices. I had inspiration firstly in the form of the Bell of Lost Souls recent Badab War campaign pack as well as re-reading part of the novel Iron Hands. I have now decided to develop something similar, a campaign either based upon the Grailsword campaign mentioned in the novel, or one based on the Purging of Contqual from the Index Astartes III book (and more recently in C:SM).
Very little has been mentioned about the Grailsword campaign other than the fact it is against the Eldar, and features the Iron Hands, Brazen Claws and the Red Talons Space Marine Chapters. This gives me good scope to put my own ideas to the campaign. If i choose Grailsword i plan to do three characters for each of the Chapters, some supporting Imperial characters as well as several Xenos characters.
Contqual would give me some other options, firstly being able to focus purely on the Iron Hands (marine wise) as well as adding Inquisition, Guard and Mechanicus elements. It would also give me scope for Traitor Guard, CSM and Daemons on the Chaos side.
This will take some time, but i will post what i can as and when things develop.
A personal love letter to Talisman minis
3 months ago
I would think that the Iron Hands might be well-represnted as a Master of the Forge with Chapter Tactics: STubborn, and perhaps something else.
ReplyDeleteI would, though, give the guy some form of invulnerable save, and at least up him to WS5 just to give him some teeth in melee. The basic servo-harnessed, CCW-upgraded Master of the Forge is really not so frightening in melee with his inability to take an invulnerable save, low initiative, and WS4.
For Chapter Tactics, though...Stubborn comes to mind. The old Iron Hand 'choose your traits' system from the 4th Ed Marine codex let them take Terminators as vet sarges, but...this has the problem of not fitting into Rhinos, for example, which really hurts the troop's mobility. I think it's more of a Neat Idea than Something Useful, but that's me and I'm biased towards mechanized and the mobility advantage it offers.
Alternatively, you could go for a Venerable Dread as an HQ. I think that would also be fluffy, and give him some kind of Chapter Tactics deal. Could give you room for a pair of differing chapter tactics, based on personality.