I'm not kidding when I say that Warhammer 40k's new expansion, The Maelstrom: Lair of the Tyrant, has added the best new game mechanic since bribing the rules for massive multiplayer battles. Yes, they are real, check them out. While Lair of the Tyrant is intended to be a pirate-themed release (Ork Freebootaz and Red- and Aeldari-flavored Corsairs figure prominently), I'm not talking pegs or blindfolds. No, Warhammer 40k now allows you to create your own character and I'm in heaven. Or at least whatever afterlife the emperor approves of me.
I haven't gotten my hands on the ruleset itself yet, but I've been watching and reading a lot of reviews online. Every army in the Warhammer 40k universe has three options for their own characters, from the mechanical horse-riding Adeptus Mechanicus battle leader to the double-digit brain cell-seeking Ogryn. But the character that caught my eye was unfortunately the space marine.
Dreadnought Deliberation
Most 40k players have a Space Marine army and I'm no exception. However, I like to think that my Iron Hands are cooler than your average Astartes because they are a “What If” faction that considers an alternate universe where Ferrus Manus fell to Chaos instead of Fulgrim.
But it's always been my dream to command an army composed entirely of Dreadnoughts. This is something I've only ever achieved in Epic scale, but I'm working on making it a reality in 32mm. I currently have six custom dreadnoughts for my full size Iron Hands which makes for a nice 1000 point power. There's just one problem: who will lead them?
I would never ambush an opponent with such a skewed list without first letting them know what stupidity I was planning.
I'm usually chubby after the unique Iron Hands character, Iron Father Ferrios. It's fluffy enough, but it doesn't really mesh that well with Dreadnoughts. A regular tech marine as my warlord feels overwhelmed by such an armored force surrounding him.
I also considered running my army as Blood Angels or Space Wolves to gain access to Librarian Dreadnoughts or Bjorn the Fell-Handed as castaferrum command options. But then I lose my own Iron Hands formation, no matter how deep a blow to my pride it is to represent my army as another.
Thanks to this pirate volume, I finally have a better option.
Customization And Creativity
As you've probably already guessed, Space Marines can now take their own Dreadnought character. It can be a Ballistus, Brutalis or Redemptor model chassis with all the usual customization options, plus a 4+ invulnerable save and Lethal Hits from the specialization and abilities I choose. For just 170 points (that's 25 less than a regular Redemptor), I have the warrior of my dreams buried in a Dreadnought.
Now all that remains is to create a warrior worthy of this honor. I prepared the Redemptor with the plan to give it an upgraded servo arm and conversion beam to call it the Techmarine Dread. Maybe the iron father was seriously injured on Isstvan or something – not unheard of.
These rules are perfect for my all dreadnought army, but inspire limitless creativity across all 40k factions. It's a shout back to the old days of 40k when I first started playing and you could customize every character and unit to your liking. That personality has been lost in recent editions, simplified and streamlined until army building feels a bit soulless unless you try your best to inject your own flavor.
I can only imagine the conversions that come from these custom character rules. This bridges the crucial gap between the building and painting side of the hobby and playing an actual board game. At times both arms felt very separate. Many people only paint minis and others pay people to paint their armies to give them more time to fight. But creating your own character allows everyone to infuse their army with personality, model their own Mech, write a paragraph of lore explaining why they stumbled upon ancient Necron technology and how they can use it.
My only concern is that it won't last. With 11th edition around the corner, these rules could have been abandoned as quickly as they were released. I hope the reception is so great that Games Workshop adds this supplement to the big book next time. Partly because I want my Iron Hands completely buried in Dreadnought armor, but also because I want to see everyone else's crazy conversions, listen to their lore, and weave the story back into the battles of the 41st Millennium.
