If you were a codex writer...

[Cyberscape7]

OK ground rules:
1. This is not a rumour thread, DON'T TREAT IT LIKE ONE!
2. Basically the idea behind this thread is to say what you would change about the current dex's if you were a writer for them. This can include fluff, rules the 'Why collect a such-and-such-a army?" bit at the beginning, whatever. Just try and justify it
3. Not so much a rule but more like advice; don't make big walls of text or try to re-write the ENTIRE codex.

Right to start off, I would make a vehicle in the eldar dex that has an "assault vehicle" type of rule. It is so annoying trying to get a squad of aspects into combat when your opponent sees the transport, takes the turn they have before they're assaulted and redeploys their unit. Honestly, something like a Venom, 5-man squads, would be perfect! Would definitley make the eldar more mobile; like they're meant to be

[DarkLink]

I would tweak the GK codex to make the sub-par units more competitive with the ones that we see on all the good lists. I would also give GKs back fearless. Because taking leadership tests annoys me.

GKSS Nemesis force weapon prices would be adjusted so they would actually be worth taking. Falchions would be clarified or repriced to either grant +2A or be cheaper and only +1A.

Brotherhood champion would get 2 wounds, because a 1 wound model that expensive is hard to justify over the other, better HQs. He should be able to take a personal teleporter, too. That would make Interceptors more popular, though Interceptors themselves are perfectly viable.

Swords would work against shooting attacks. There's currently not much reason to take them over other NFWs.

Crowe would get the IC rule, but keep his 'give enemies furious charge' rule.

Stern would either be cheaper, or get some extra stuff to make him worth his extra cost over a normal brother captain. Mordrak's squad would get back access to psycannons, too, in order to make them worth it over a normal GM and Terminator unit.

Normal Brother Captains would get something to give you a reason not to just upgrade to a Grand Master.

Taking one Inquisitor would unlock multiple Henchmen squads, but they would take up FOC slots. Coteaz would stay the same. Karamazov and especially valeria would get better rules to make them worth taking.

The 'odder' Inquisitor wargear would get a bit of a boost, so that there were more viable options for Inquisitor loadouts. Currently you either take Inquisitors for the henchmen, Grenades or another Psycannon.

Techmarines would be improved a little. Probably just give them a second wound. They're not bad, they're just too expensive for a 1 wound model. A psycannon option would be sweet, too.

The assassins (other than the Vindicare) would get a bit of a boost to make them worth it. Same thing with some of the crappier henchmen models (why ever take an Arco-Flagellant or Daemonhost over Crusaders or DCAs?).

Storm Ravens would either get cheaper (even the BA Storm Raven is a touch overpriced) or get a bit of a boost.

Dreadknights would get decent guns. Currently they simply can't compete with Psyrifle Dreads.


I could go into tweaks for subpar wargear, too, but that would be too much work.

[Skragger]

I mentioned something like this in an earlier post about 'dex's. I'd love to see every army get two 'dex's. The first would be the standard codex, and the second would be an add on with rules for varying armies and the likes. Example:

Codex Space Marines: Vanilla space marines only
Codex Chapters: Adds in special rules for all the mainstream chapters, and maybe a new special char/units for those chapters (similar to how Codex Armageddon added in Salamanders)

Codex Orks: Normal orky codex
Codex Tribes: Ork tribes like Speed Freeks, and Goffs

Codex: Tau/Codex: Colonies
Codex: Eldar/Codex: Craftworld
Codex: Tyranids/Codex: Hives
Codex: Chaos Space Marines: Codex: The Dark Gods

etc, etc.

[Forever_Bunny]

With the Tau Codex I would;

-Make the Devilfish for Pathfinders have "Scouting" or don't force the unit to take one. Forcing them to take a transport that can't help during the scout move phase doesn't make sense.

-Make Kroot have upgrades that show off their gene-stealing talents. I find the Kroot right now boring, just to pay for a unit that sits in a forested area so they don't die is so exciting...

-Allow Firewarriors to shoot into combat with a 1 causing auto kill to your own unit that your shooting though, or give them overwatch when they sacrifice their movement phase.

Those are thing I would add to the Tau Codex if I was writing it.

[mstingray]

I would like to see tau pulse rifles having two fire modes, a heavy 1 30" or an assault 2 18" one, I would also like to see pulse carbines being more powerful; like blast and any wounds bar the first one cause -1 to pinning test. The railgun rumour about drawing a straight line is an idea i'd like to put in as well. Also more experimental stuff; they're supposed to have a fast technological expansion after all.

[Skragger]

I would like to see tau pulse rifles having two fire modes, a heavy 1 30" or an assault 2 18" one, I would also like to see pulse carbines being more powerful; like blast and any wounds bar the first one cause -1 to pinning test. The railgun rumour about drawing a straight line is an idea i'd like to put in as well. Also more experimental stuff; they're supposed to have a fast technological expansion after all.

I like the idea of experimental stuff. Maybe drop something like: I dunno..
Pulse Grenade Launcher: 18", Str 2D6, AP4, assauly 1, highly volitile, causes pinning.
Highly volitile: Do to its experimental nature, if I double 1 is rolled while testing for the strength it misfires and gribbles the model carrying it. Boomsplat.

[bfmusashi]

I'd write the Tau as more of a Star Trek Federation thing and get rid of the creepy bits. I think it makes them a better foil for the Imperium and the setting in general by eliminating the subtle manipulation of member species. Rules wise I'd give the pulse rifles a First Rank Fire, Second Rank Fire or the ability to treat them as rapid fire with a double-tap range of 24." I find my guardsmen out shooting my Tau opponents by an awful lot much of the time and that doesn't seem right from what little I know about the Tau.
And make Kais from Fire Warrior a character. Little dude's earned that much.

[Lane]

I'd remove the embarrassment of being associated with Matt Ward by prematurely placing him on a funeral pyre fueled by copies of all the codex/ army books he authored.

[Daemonette666]

I would like the Chaos Marine Codex to have special characters for the different main stream Chaos legions. They would add special USRs such as Night Vision and skilled rider for Night Lords, Tank Hunters for Iron Warriors, Infiltrate for Alpha Legion, Noise Weapon upgrades for Emperor's Children, Furious Charge for World Eaters, feel no pain for Death Guard, 5+/or +1 to their invul save for Thousand sons, A Chaplain class Champion for Word Bearers that makes Inducted Traitor Guard fearless, and re-rolls for morale for all other troops within a command range, Black Legion get Counter Attack.

The Chaos Renegades can have a few named Characters, and bring back the option to take Doom Rider, (maybe as a Night Lords Character), Cypher (The Fallen), and some of the Lords mentioned in the recent 40K Chaos novels.

The only troops types should be Standard Chaos Marines who automatically get an Icon for the Chaos power of the Armies main HQ, and Traitor Guard. If you want a different mark of chaos to the Chaos Lords alignment, you have to pay for it.

Berserkers, Noise Marines, Thousand Sons, Plague Marines become Elite Choices, unless your Main HQ is of the same alignment, then they count as troop choices.

Chaos Bikers get the scout rule, and a new vehicle for Chaos that is a skimmer. Perhaps a daemon possessed land speeder type vehicle, or something like a Defiler fitted out as a Fast Attack Skimmer.

Give Chaos troops and Dreadnoughts the option of a Dread Claw Drop Pod.

Allow Chaos forces to have Inducted renegades as a cheap troops choice (Cattle troops to herd into the enemy and absorb their fire before you strike). Make them about the same stats as Imperial Guard, with less leadership, but reduce their costs, and have slightly fewer weapons options than the Guard Codex gives.

Introduce some form of Daemonic Artillery like a small version of the Doom Fire Cannon.

Make Chaos Marine equipment upgrades cheaper (same costs as the Vanilla Space marine).

Reduce the cost to upgrade to an Aspiring Champion to 10 points.

Include both Apothacaries and Dark Mechanicus/Techmarines as an option for a HQ unit that does not add to the FOC.

Have Storm Shields as an optional upgrade for Chosen Chaos Marines, Khorne Berserkers, Aspiring Champions, and Raptors.

Allow Obliterators to have a Mark of Chaos (cost per Obliterator - whole squad has same mark), increase their squad cap to 5, and reduce their cost to 50 points each.

Change the rules for Daemon Summoning so that,- if there is no Icon on the field, then the summoned lesser daemons are just delayed - not destroyed. However, they are destroyed if they do not arrive by the end of the game.

Better Weapon Options for Havocs (Plasma Cannons and Multi-Meltas).

New Plastic models for most of the range especially the Dreadnought, Plague Marines heads, weapons and torsos, Thousand Sons shoulder pads and heads, Noise Marine weapons. Special (collectors online order) Terminator and Chaos Marine shoulder pads, Rhino and Landraider doors in Plastic.

Oh and make sure they use a good codex writer this time. Someone like Andy Hoare or Graham McNeill who wrote the 2002 3rd Edition re-release would be great.

[bonedale]

Others have mentioned it, but to me it's a rather big issue.

Write a codex so there are NO WORTHLESS UNITS/CHARATERS.

That way there will be more unique army builds out there, and probably more important, more variety of models on the battlefield.

Now I know the game changes and no codex can have all equal choices, but some really are pointless, with much better options only a few points more, so they will never be taken.

And frankly, the only way to really achieve this is to have "living" rule books. NO BOOK can be written good enough to stand the test of time, and still be full of all relevant units.

FLUFF SECTIONS & PAINTED MODELS - I would remove, and make rich fluff and killer model examples into the glossy books that would be for sale. Rule books would be downloads only.