Unit loadouts and specialized subfactions

[onlysane1]

1. Unit Loadouts

One thing that seems to be missing considering the source material is customized weapon loadouts. Especially since low-tier infantry tend to get overshadowed by late game, allowing them to upgrade one or two weapons of the squad would give them utility. Perhaps 2 or 3 choices per unit type. E.g., tactical marines can add a plasma gun (higher armor piercing), a flamer (lose a ranged attack but gain a weak melee attack that hits all targets in a hex) or grav-gun (increased min damage vs targets with higher HP, as with Necron gauss weapons). Guardsmen might get a grenade launcher (ranged attack similar to but a little weaker than a frag grenade), sniper rifle (does increased damage vs heroes, and always kills 1 man in a target infantry squad), and a plasma gun (as above).

A squad could also upgrade to having a sergeant, which gives them +1 man, +1 (bolt, las, etc) pistol attack and +1 close ranged attack, as well as +1 morale; this sergeant could then be upgraded to having a power weapon for melee or a special pistol (plasma pistol, grav pistol, bolt pistols for Guardsmen sergeants, etc). Other squad upgrades could also be gained.

Actually paying for these upgrades could use resources, but I think it would be better to implement them as level upgrades similar to heroes; leveling a lowly guardsmen squad to 10 wouldn't just give them boosted stats, they might also have 2 or 3 special weapons, a sergeant with bolt pistol and power sword, and a medic for +1 health regen/turn.

2. Specialized subfactions

Factions could also specializations, based on race, which affects certain features like the above mentioned unit loadouts. For example, a Space Marines player could choose their parent chapter; a Dark Angels successor chapter could give an additional plasma gun to their infantry squad, for example. Likewise, IG would choose their planet of origin (Cadia, Mordia, etc) with associated bonuses, Orks choose their klan, etc etc so on and so forth.