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How to Start a Custom Space Marine Chapter

Broogy Minis

26,686 views

Before you build the Armageddon box, watch this.

Oh Boy this video was a big one but the topic is important! If you’re starting Warhammer 40K with Armageddon, a Space Marine starter box, or your first pile of grey plastic, one of the biggest decisions you’ll make is whether to paint an official Chapter like the Ultramarines, Blood Angels, Space Wolves, Dark Angels or Imperial Fists… or create your own custom/homebrew Space Marine Chapter.

In this video, I break down why making your own homebrew Space Marine Chapter might be the best choice for new Warhammer 40,000 players, especially if you want more freedom, more motivation, and a unique army that actually feels like yours.

We’ll cover why 40K works best as a massive sandbox setting, why custom armies can help avoid hobby burnout, how to start your own Chapter and how to use colour schemes, basing, visual themes and kitbashing to turn your Space Marines into something unique.

I’ll also be converting the entire Armageddon box into my Crimson Oni, my custom samurai-inspired Space Marine Chapter, so subscribe if you want to follow the full conversion series.

Chapters:
00:00 - 40K in 60 Seconds
00:57 - The Big Space Marine Question Official Or Homebrew
03:10 - The Basics: Why Official Chapters Are Popular
04:35 - The Problem With Official Chapters
06:48 - Why Custom Chapters Are Better
08:09 - 40K Is a Setting, Not a Story
09:56 - Why Custom Armies Keep You Motivated and Avoid Hobby Burnout
11:26 - My Hobby Journey: First Custom Chapter
12:44 - How to Start Your Own Chapter
13:04 - The 5 Things Every Custom Chapter Needs
14:31 - Step 1: Naming Your Chapter
15:22 - Step 2: Choosing a Colour Scheme & Helpful Tools
16:36 - Paint One Test Model First
17:26 - Step 3: Basing Makes Your Army Pop
18:53 - Step 4: Choosing a Visual Theme
19:49 - How Kitbashing Brings Your Chapter to Life
20:09 - Kitbashing Level 1: Simple Bits Swaps
21:24 - Kitbashing Level 2: Custom Bits & 3D Printing
23:16 - Kitbashing Level 3: Custom Sculpting
24:30 - What Kitbashing Unlocks and Fear of Starting
25:33 - Final Advice: Make Your Own Chapter

Resources Mentioned:

GW Space Marine Template: Reddit: blank_paint_scheme_planner
(Not GW Community official link is down this is a reupload)

Impcat: https://www.impcat.de/about/
Impcat Subreddit: Reddit: impcat
Impcat Minis: https://mega.nz/folder/T19wwSyT#4SMrk...

My Instagram:
Instagram: Broogyminis

Features Song:
"8 Bit Let's Go!" Fast Exciting Chiptune Game Music by HeatleyBros

#warhammer40k #warhammer40000 #spacemarines #armageddon #kitbashing

20 Comments

@BroogyMinis Creator 3 months ago Pinned

Also let me know about your custom chapters in the comments, I'd love to hear about them :)
The more people making custom chapters the better!

@rosshamilton6063 3 months ago

I’ve been working on my own chapter, the Claymores, a blood angels ultima founding successor for a while now, the Captain with shield will be my new chapter master

@pills_here2026 3 months ago

The day Centurions go to legends is the day GW HQ mysteriously gets unabombed

@gryphon3241 3 months ago

Homie this was properly unhinged in all the correct ways. Just layer on layer on layer of gw veteran jokes, i applaud you 🤣🤣

@atotaldummy 3 months ago

3:48 so tragic how a stray plasma bolt suddenly found its way to his sternum, what an unavoidable tragedy

@brandongarcia2929 2 months ago

I'm really glad this showed on my feed. I've been slowly building out a homebrew chapter after watching a few videos on how to get started, and I still learned more from this one than the others. I'm now almost at 2k points for my guys, and I couldn't be happier.

The Ships of the Line are a successor chapter to the Iron Hands, splintering off from chapter doctrine after a philosophical schism over what truly led to Ferrus Mannus' death, and who/what is most at fault. Their color scheme is a deep purple with warm metallic highlights ranging from silvers to golds and coppers. Ostracized from their parent and brother chapters for beliefs that border on apostasy, they travel deep in xeno space aboard the warship they call their home. In this exile, they seek a way to resurrect Ferrus Manus, and will destroy an xeno, heretic, or traitor that stands in their way. Especially the traitor.

Their geneseed gift allows them to seamlessly accept new organs, transmutations, bionics, etc. with no risk of rejection. Unfortunately, this comes at the cost of an eventual full-body necrosis that can only be stemmed by said bionics. Despite the seeming death sentence, many of the Ships of the Line have lived for thousands of years sustained by technology lent to them by the Adeptus Mechanicus in exchange for their aid as an auxiliary fighting force. The oldest members of the Ships are given the honor of being interred into Dreadnoughts to continue their service and leadership, and these Dreadnoughts comprise the overwhelming majority of command staff.

@BrushpointJ 4 weeks ago

6:20 Apollo gives the gift of prophecy to the worst moments.

@pheonix_soldier 2 months ago (edited)

My custom chapter are called the Chameleons. A Salamanders succesor chapter of unknown founding.

Basically what you get if you combine Salamanders, Alpha Legion and Blood Ravens. Their entire gimmick is stealing other chapters/legions gimmicks to adapt to their individual needs.

Up against Orks or Tyranids? Forge Father seekers and Salamander tactics. Fighting chaos and need to defend civilians? Anvil Siege Force and Imperial Fist strategies. The Ultramarines are getting too uppity and you need to put them back into place? Get your tallest gene modded marine to dress like Guilliman to mess with them. Feel free to loot their gear and kidnap aspirants to bolster your numbers while your at it, and for the love of terra, don't ask why there are so many dreadnoughts

@Pip-Pah 3 months ago

I chose one of the smaller successor chapters for mine because I liked the scheme and having just the sentence or two of lore in one codex gave me a start without limiting my options down the line. I feel like something along those lines is a good in-between for many people starting

@FunnyMajin 2 months ago

I love looking through forgotten chapters like the Gore Golems, The Krakens and The Emperor's Pointy Stick. They have so many chapters they don't do anything with.

@SageNorwegianTroll 3 months ago (edited)

Lovely and thoughtful way to select chapter. Gonna have to try out those paint schemes digitally as per your recommendation 🎉

@The_Watchful_Scribe 2 months ago

Honestly, this was super informative; well edited. I have tried to imagine several custom factions for my Warhammer Hobby Enjoyment but they never got past the on-paper phase. So I went screw it, what do I like that already exists? Well I like Knights? Arthurian-Crusaders, but I also like the Color Red, so from there I have 3 options, Black Templars, Dark Angels, or Blood Angels.

So I picked Dark Angels cause I like the idea of Beast-Slaying-Forest-Knights. And from there, I got invested into the lore.

Recently I have developed a concept for my Custom Space Marine Chapter, descended from the Dark Angels, founded, by a Fallen, I’m still working on a name, but the current placeholder is the “Knights of Caliban.”
Their scheme is basically 30k Dark Angels but with Green accents. Still a good work in progress.

@Inferno7766 3 days ago

You’ve inspired me to create my own homebrew chapter that combines aspects of the Salamanders and Blood Angels (bc they’re my favorites)

@AndrewDeMarchis 2 months ago

i’ve also been working on my own genestealer cult army. i’ve always wanted to play gsc but they kinda bored my with the paint schemes. i’ve also been wanting to paint nurgle and death guard since i got into the hobby, so yk i decided to jsut do a bit of kit bashing and now i got nurgle genestealers. it’s always so fun to try smth new like that

@kortetzu 2 months ago

Thanks so much for making this video. Not only is your custom chapter really inspiring, but resources and guides like you've provided is really what I was needing to get started myself. Easiest sub of my life. Excited to see what else you make.

@Ranger_ZiR0 3 months ago

As someone building custom Fallen kill teams, that joke had great onion layers. I clapped 😂

@SirKnasher 1 month ago

Been playing chaos and sisters for years, finally made the switch to SM with a custom chapter, Ferrum Sentinels. Ivory armour with bronze trim and burgundy robes. DA successor with a dreadnought as the chapter master.
Been having a lot of fun just coming up with a theme tbh

@TheUnbeIievables 3 months ago

The Masocists tears faction comment got me! Awesome video, one that had to be made in the modern 40k landscape. Keep up the great content! Keen to see what you do next.

@definitelyhooman7939 3 months ago

Awesome to see you experimenting with different formats, the editing is really sharp and adds a lot to the humour. A great way to start off the new edition :)