What’s in a name.

by | Mar 31, 2012


We all have named characters in the game that, for whatever reason, we relate to and they hold a special place in our gaming psyche. For me it's Mephiston. For I am Mephiston, Lord of Death (insert hysterical laughter here and the ridicule of my children).

Now I'm not a big fan of the Ultra Marines. To me, their role in the history of the Empire is mainly that of rule maker. They were bigger in the post-heresy era. Having said all of that I've turned my Black Reach marines into Ultras and in recent times gotten more than a little sucked in by the Space Marine PS3 game. So much so that I actually like the character of Captain Titus.


There are people out there who will get weighed down by where he fits into the historical fluff of the game and argue to the end of time. To those folks all I say is take a deep breath, go outside for a minute, and don't forget the sunblock. It's not an uncommon practice for a marine to be promoted to the rank of Captain, as the need arises, in the field of battle. He maintain this rank as a mark of honour even though he may not be the Captain of the Company. This is how Titus and Sicarius could co-exist in the same time and both be Captains in the Second Company. Sicarius would still outrank Titus by seniority.

Now on to the next part. Why Games Workshop don't capitalise on the character of Captain Titus and come out with one of their multi-part plastic kits along the lines of the Space Marine Commander that you can currently get, including all his weapon options that are in the game, is just beyond me. I've seen a few kit-bashed versions of him and am also gathering the parts to do my own version of him. A great example of him can be found at Onfire Painting.


Now to get Captain Titus onto the tabletop and in the game. Obviously there are no existing rules for him, or at least none that I've managed to come across, but I do think he should have a few extra options above that of a generic captain, especially given some of his abilities in the game. So here's my breakdown on him.

CAPTAIN TITUS....................................................200 Points

WS
BS
S
T
W
I
A
Ld
Sv
Captain Titus
6
5
4
4
3
5
3
10
2+



Unit Composition:
·         1 (unique)
Wargear:
·         Power armour
·         Chainsword
·         Bolt Pistol
·         Frag and krak grenades
·         Iron halo
Special Rules:
·         And They Shall Know No Fear
·         Combat Tactics
·         Independent Character
·         Deep Strike - if equipped with jump pack.
·         Strength of the Warp
Unit Type:
·         Infantry
Options:
·         Replace bolt pistol and/or chainsword with:
o   a boltgun............................................free
o   a storm bolter..................................+3 pts
o   a plasma pistol................................+15 pts
o   a plasma gun..................................+10 pts
o   a power axe...................................+15 pts
o   a thunder hammer.........................+30 pts
·         Jump Pack..................................................+10 pts
Deep Striking:
As per the opening sequence of the video game, Titus has the ability to Deep Strike into play. All standard Deep Striking rules apply.

Strength of the Warp:
As Captain Titus appears to have some kind of immunity to the energies of the warp his saving roles against psychic attacks are half that of any ordinary captain.


I'm sure there a many arguments against what I'm suggesting and the "rules lawyers" will wet their pants with nerd rage, but to me the game is about the story and getting behind your characters. The rest can be worked out later.