macd21 said:

Are we talking C.S. Goto knowledge of the Blood Angels contributing to the Deathwatch or some other references?

I have to admit though, not really up to speed on Blood Angels. Always been a bigger fan of the Dark Angels and their Successors.

If there's 6 chapters then 4 of them will be the four chapters that everyone knows Ultramarines, Space Wolves, Dark Angels and Blood Angels. Given most chapters are successors to the Ultramarines you could easily just switch the name Ultramarine out and be done with it. At a guess I'll say Imperial Fists might make an appearance or perhaps Black Templars because of how close they are to the sector followed by a new chapter native to the sector. 

Though I'd hope they would give us rules to incorporate any major space marine chapter though because even with 6 options it won't please everyone.

Lanowar said:

I figure the list is the 5 that have had separate army books. Space Wolves, Dark Angels, Blood Angels, and Black Templars are the Chapters whose organization and traditions differ enough from Codex Chapters to warrant their own book. Most other Chapters are some variant of a Codex Chapter. Their inclusion in 40k has been perhaps a special character fig or a variant list in the Space Marines (Ultras) Codex. As stated, these can be used as templates (with the exception of Space Wolves) to all you to use just about any Chapter. The description page tells us that it covers 6 Chapters, including "amongst their number some well-known and honoured names." That leads me to believe that at least 1 of the 6 will be a not so well-known Chapter.

The differences will make for some nice RP opportunities. The description page says that the Deathwatch has for years guarded the ruins of the Jericho Reach, but now they are on the forefront of an new crusade, so BT fit right in. The Blood Angels must constantly strive to control the Rage, which may outwardly appear similar to the berzerker attitude often adopted by Space Wolves. Remember, the "defects" in the geneseed that each Chapter suffers from are not widely known, rather they are closely guarded secrets. One battle brother may see another as tainted by Chaos. Not a good thing when you are working for the Inquisition. The Dark Angels are constantly vigilant for signs of the Fallen. That's a ready made scenario right there. The Kill team comes across evidence of one of the Fallen. Imagine the DA character's internal conflict.

The reason for a custom made chapter rounding out the list is again, for the RP potential. They can create whatever fluff for it they want and not have to worry about conflict with other published material. They're free to write their own dark secrets of the Chapter, including many plot seeds. Proximity to the Jericho Reach (making for quicker replacements) is a rationale for inclusion of so many them vs. other Chapters in this particular setting. However, I think you'll be able to play any "class" from any of the Chapters, so the new Chapter won't need to be psyker heavy or tech marine heavy in its fluff. It'll be interesting to see what they come up with.

You can't really play as any "class" from any Chapter because some Chapters don't employ certain parts.

The biggest example I can think of for that is Black Templars don't have Librarians or Scouts(with the Aspirants of the Chapter being rolled into mixed squads with the actual Battle Brothers).

On that note, I really hope they leave Black Templars out. They irk me to no end, fluffwise. Oooh look at us we're Crusaders! And we burn people! Ooooh!

But yeah. I'd rather see Templars left out and replaced with a lesser known 'Crusader' Chapter.

Kanluwen said:

You do realise that's what 90% of the Imperial organisation in general is all about, when you boil it down that simplistically, right?

The Hobo Hunter said:

Duh?

It's just they're not so single minded in it. There's depth to the Imperial organization that has always been missing when I look at Black Templars.

While it's very interesting to see what Chapters will be used in this game, I think it important to point out the fact that the "Deathwatch" is a completely separate faction/chapter of Space Marines.  Their more like the "Special Forces" of the Space Marines.  While each character's origin would be that of any one of the Space Marine Chapters. (i.e..Ultramarines, Space Wolves, Black Templars, etc.), ultimately that would be part of the characters past, and not part of the present.

This is why I'm a bit confused as to why we are even discussing the number of chapters being used.  Or have I missed something here?

You're forgetting one key part, Baziel.

Once a Marine's seconding to the Deathwatch is finished, they're returned to their Chapter unless they actually request an extension to their secondment. It leads to them doing everything they can to retain their ties to their parent Chapter, be it rituals practiced by that Chapter, or other things of that nature.

Baziel said:

I think it's very important for a number of reasons:-

1. Chapter choice affects the roleplaying "archetype" of the character. They all have different geneseed, and as such different characteristics. Space Wolves have the Canis Helix, causing them to grow long fangs and shed fur on the sofa over time. Ultramarines have the Ultra Helix, causing them to like leather skirts and films about gladiators.  I jest, but the point is valid. They'll probably work like the "homeworld" origin in DH, giving some basic personality attributes to build your character around. Even though they're not currently within their chapters, bear in mind that marines are not really human any more, and that their chapter determines their geneseed and much of their personality.

2. They will have different cultural upbringings and outlooks on the universe. The Blood Angels are going to be (probably) more inclined to ruthless collateral damage than the Salamanders, who are the closest thing marines get to being "humanitarian."    

3. The chapters will determine - to some extent - interaction between team members, based upon the history of their chapter. Even if Deathwatch members from the Space wolves and Dark angels get along personally, they're always going to compete against each other for the honour of their chapter, given that the two chapters are fierce rivals.

4. There may be rules mechanics which will have a bearing upon the character. An Iron Hands marine will probably have more tech skills as a matter of routine than a Space Wolf, who would be inclined to leave such things to an Iron Priest. One would imagine that a White Scars Marine would be better at tracking and raiding than an Iron Hands Marine. And so on.   

My bet goes to these:

1. Codex Chapters (most Space Marines Chapters out there)

2. Descendants of Sanguinius (Blood Angels & Successors)

3. Space Wolves

4. Black Templars

5. & 6. some FFG custom idea.

Moreover, I believe there will be rules for further customization so your Marine and his Chapter of origin can be unique.

1)  Dark Angels

2) Space Wolves

3) Ultramarines/Codex

4) Blood Angels (this based mostly on the artwork I have seen so far.  The above three are pretty much mandatory)

5) Kinda thinking this will be one of the new FFG chapters, like the hammer-themed chapter that Brother Sergeant Agamor in PTU is from.

6) Toss up between Imperial Fists, Iron Hands, Raven Guard, White Scars and Black Templars.

I am rather hoping Grey Knights get added in the Deathwatch equivalent of the Inquisitor's Handbook.  Yes, they are Ordo Malleus, and DEFINATELY NOT Xenos/Deathwatch, but.....   We will have Deathwatch and Sisters of Battle.  The hole is obvious.   Kinda flat from a character customization angle though:  You ARE a psyker.  You are from the same chapter.  You trained on the moons of Saturn.  You use storm bolters and nemesis weapons, or maybe a psycannon (fancy holy boltgun)/Incinerator (holy flamer).

I am hoping that the "Six Chapters" thing is more along the lines of six major archetypes, with a chapter presented in detail as an example of the archetype.

So, the "Codex Chapter" archetype would have the defined traits (noble; do things by The Book; full of yourself; think Robout Guilliman was the best thing, aside from the Emperor, since sliced bread; etc.), and would of course detail the Ultramarines as an example of the archetype.

The main problematic archetypes for this approach I can think of are "Feral" and "Craftsmen"...  The Space Wolves do things vastly differently from, well, everyone, including other less-civilised chapters; and while the Salamanders and Iron Hands both revere technology and craftsmanship, they have almost exactly opposite outlooks in other areas...  Salamanders are the closest thing in 40k to genuine Good Guys, while Iron Hands are creepy, think anyone who isn't more machine than man is weak and contemptible, and are pretty much on the same path the Necrontyr followed to its horrifying conclusion.

In the original announcement link if you zoom in on the blurry image of the book interior you can barely make out the words "Space Wolves" and "Black Templars" in the paragraph in the bottom left of the image, under the heading "Getting Started."

Not that this means anything.  Without context they could be talking about anything there.

Apparently I have too much time on my hands.

I wouldn't expect Grey Knights as they are specifically daemon hunters

The use of specific chapters will probably lead to chapter specific traits much like 40K chapter traits but distilled to an individual