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I think that this image sums up how awesome a special character should be.



I also like the art for Creed and Kell, with the titan in the background and the huge battle raging.

-Mykal

I usually find in terms of rules they are quite weak or cost an arm and a leg for little return. Marneus Calgar for example is phenomenally powerful but his wargear restricts the damage he can do whilst Abbadon costs so much you really do have to ask yourself as to whether he can do more than a fully tooled up marine squad of comparative price.

There are some notable exceptions though, Eldrad I think is one of the better characters along with Tigurius.


As for my favourites:

Eldrad, Tigurius, and Marneus cool

I like Typhus and Cassius but only from a visual point of view.

Since I dont know much of any special characters besides for tau, Ill comment on them. The only one that strickes me as a useful character is Farsight. Shadowsun is just a special character that can take a beating and dish it out. The ethereal is alright, but if someone manages to get to him your ********. Farsight, fluffwise, is pretty awesome, and gamewise, he can turn tides of battle when it comes to beating off assaults with his dawn blade.

When Im looking through the chaos codex, I notice that addadon is pretty beasty, and a hero that sticks out is kharn, whom Id like to chose if I had a chaos army, its too bad he can kill your own guys as well...

I think special characters give a unique part to the army, otherwise its just an...army. They serve some nice fluff purpose but also serve as unique tactical choices on the battlefield.

Well you are partially right.

For some characters. You DO need opponent's permission.
Example.
Phoneix Lords.
Such legendary and staturesque characters need mutual agreement from both players.

Ah, Lysander before the over haul. In that codex he looks black and I think has bionics. In the new one he looks white, bald, and I believe no bionics. Though Ill have to check. And damn cortez is an ugly model. Love the rules and background, but awful model.

I think the general consensus now is that special characters no longer need the permission of your opponent, I know for certain no restrictions exist in the Marine and Eldar 'dex. (Tyranids don't even have any lol ). Of course in some of the older ones permission is still required.

Xenos Mortium,


The problem with this is that some people actually use the armies some of these special characters are for. I have a sizeable Ultramarine army and bits and pieces of an Ulthwe army - they are MY armies moulded to my image, Cassius would add an interesting twist and may even be more enjoyable particulary if he happens to be accompanied by Tyrannic War Vets. That combination taking on the vast hordes of hourmaguants, warriors and genestealers and standing triumphant at the end is certainly more heroic for your Ultramarines than having captain X of the 7th company doing the same deed.

Hmmm, I think I will refer to LOTR now, you have three kinds of units, warriors, heroes and named heroes. I see no difference for 40k, you have warriors (marines etc.), heroes (commander/chaplain etc.) and named heroes (Marneus etc.) but rarely do I hear complaints about the named heroes being used stare .


UK WD300, that is one of my favourite battle reports not because my boys in blue won (but it helps xd ), no, the reason I liked it so much was because of Tigurius and his command squad taking on the Orks in combat whilst the rest of the army pounds away at them, he might have gotten beaten in the end but it is his history with the Orks and how his foresight has continuously beaten back any waaagh! before it has even come to fruition.

Food for thought. cheese_whine

I'm of two minds about special characters. I do like that they're there, but at the same time, I don't ever use them. While this can partially be attributed to the nonsensical nature of Tau special characters (three short-range/close combat heros in an army gear entirely towards shooting? What were you thinking GW?) it's also because I'm not interested in playing an army lead by Giant Hero Guy #6. I want to develop the leader of my army as my own character, rather than GW's character.