Narrative Play
If optioned to Deploy a Special Forces unit instead of your main character, you may create a character from the 40K model lists. Pick any model and add four abilities. If using Battlescribe you can easily find the abilities attached to each "Character" model if chosen to make them a "Custom Character". If you would like to make a standard model a Custom Character like a Riptide, take your Riptide stats and add the four abilities of your liking. In 40K Lore, heroes come from all types of backgrounds so there is no reason why you shouldn't be allowed to add that to your tabletop game.
Make sure you add Battle Honours to your troops in support
Balance is made by points. You may have 5 Custom Characters fighting in one battle and it might seem over powered but they're worth points. Those points are there for balance, and your enemy must match your point value.
Custom Character Abilities
Each of your custom characters can start as a Hero with four of your chosen abilities. The abilities you can choose from are characterized into 3 categories; Characteristic Modifiers, Weapon Improvements and Additional Abilities.
Any character can use the faction specific abilities in the Race and Faction section
Faction Specific Abilities
Hero Types
Any "Character" can become a custom character, and you can make any model a character. When making a non character model into a custom character you must divide the abilities they can have in half.
Custom "Characters"
Hero= 4 abilities
Might Hero= 6 abilities
Legendary Hero= 8 abilities
Non character models (Riptides, Dreadnoughts, Vehicles, Monsters, etc any individual model that's not tied in a unit)
Hero= 2 abilities
Might Hero= 3 abilities
Legendary Hero= 4 abilities
In addition to that, non character models can use their Unit Type abilities too.
Models that're Infantry or typically main force (individual models that are usually in a unit. Can make them an individual model or buff the unit they're in)
Hero= 1 abilities
Might Hero= 2 abilities
Legendary Hero= 3 abilities
Characteristic Modifiers
Focused- No negative modifier to firing beyond half range
Courageous- Add 1 to this model's Leadership
Ferocious Combatant- Add 1 to this model's Attacks Characteristic
Mighty- Add 1 to this model's Strength characteristic
Dead-eyed- Improve this model's BS by 1
Fleet- Add 2" to this model's Move characteristic
Blademaster- Improve this model's WS by 1
Enhanced Physiology- Add 1 to this model's Toughness
Toughened Armour- Improve this model's save by 1
Divine Protection- Improve Invul save by 1
Heroic Constitution- Add 1 to this models Wounds characteristic
Weapon Improvements
Auto-loader- Pick one of this model's ranged weapons. Increase the number of shots this weapon makes by 1
Penetrator Rounds- Pick one of this model's ranged weapons. Improve that weapon's AP characteristics by 1
High Calibre- Pick one of this model's ranged weapons. Add 1 to that weapons strength characteristic
Improved Sights- Pick one of this model's ranged weapons. Add 6" to that weapons range characteristics
Inferno Round- Pick one of this model's ranged weapons. Add the following ability to that weapon "units do not receive the benefit of cover to their saving throws against attacks made with this weapon"
Artificer Weapon- Pick one of this model's weapons. Add 1 to that models damage characteristics
Finely Balanced- Pick one of this model's melee weapons. Add the following ability to that weapon. "each time the bearer fights, it can make 1 additional attack with this weapon"
Shredder- Pick one of this model's melee weapons. Add the following ability to that weapon: "you can re-roll failed wound rolls for attacks made with this weapon"
Brutal- Pick one of this model's melee weapons. Improve that weapon's strength characteristics by 1
Razor-edged- Pick one of this model's melee weapons. Improve that weapons AP characteristics by 1
Heirloom- Pick one of this model's melee weapons. Add the following ability to that weapon: "each unmodified hit roll of 6 made for attacks with this weapon scores 2 hits instead of 1"
Additional Abilities
Inspirational Fighter- Re-roll hit rolls of 1 in the fight phase for friendly units within 6"
Beast Hunter- You can re-roll failed wound rolls for attacks made by this model in the fight phase if the target is a MONSTER unit
Heroic- This model can perform a Heroic Intervention if, after the enemy has completed all of their charge moves, it is within 6" of any enemy units, and can move up to 6" when doing so
Duelist- Add 1 to this model's Strength and Attack characteristics while it is within 1" of any enemy character units
Zealot- You can re-roll failed hit rolls for this model in the Fight Phase if it made a charge move, performed a Heroic Intervention or was charged this turn
Deadly Charge- Add 1 to the Attack of this model in the Fight Phase if it made a charge move this turn
Targeting Augury- Enemy units do not gain the benefit of cover to their saving throws against attacks made by friendly units within 6" of this model
Directed Fire- Re-roll hit rolls of 1 in the shooting phase for friendly units within 6" of this model
Deadly Marksman- Add 1 to the damage characteristics of ranged weapons on this model
Sundering Shots- Each wound roll of 6+ made for this model's ranged attacks inflicts 1 mortal wound on the target in addition to any normal damage
Keen Eye- This model can target enemy characters in the Shooting Phase
Defensive Fighter- Shoot Overwatch on a 5 and 6
Grudge- You can re-roll any hit, wound and damage rolls made for this model's attacks that target the enemy warlord
Resilient- Each time this model loses a wound, roll a dice; on a 5+ it does not lose that wound
Camouflage- Add 2 to the saving throws while in cover
Stealth Assault- Enemy units cannot fire Overwatch at this model
Indomitable- All damage suffered by this model is halved rounding up
Impervious- This model regains 1 lost wound at the start of your turn
Infiltrator- During deployment set this model up in ambush. At the end of any of your movement phases they can reveal its location but must be 9" from nearest enemy
Stealthy-Subtract 1from hit rolls for attacks made with ranged weapons that target this model
Hard to Kill- Wound rolls of 1,2, or 3 made for attacks that target this model always fail, even if the attack has a strength characteristic higher than this models Toughness
Strategic Feint- Before the game begins, you can pick a friendly unit within 6" of this model and set it up again, anywhere wholly within your deployment zone. If your opponent has the same ability, roll off to see who will go first.
Swift Strike- This model always fights first in the fight phase
Foresight- Once per battle, if this model is on the battlefield, you can re-roll one hit roll, wound roll, damage roll, or saving throw
Rallying Cry- You can re-roll failed moral tests for friendly models within 6" of this model
Icon of Retribution- Roll a dive each time a friendly model within 6" of this model is slain in the Fight Phase. on a 6, the unit that made the attack that slew the model suffers 1 mortal wound after it has finished making its attacks
Impetuous-You can re-roll failed charge rolls for this model
Terrifying- Subtract 1 from the Leadership of enemy units within 3" of this model
Savage Riposte- Each time you roll an unmodified saving throw of 6 for this model in the Fight Phase, the enemy unit that made the attack suffers 1 mortal wound after it has resolved all of its attacks
Air Strike- Once per battle, in your Shooting Phase, you can pick an enemy unit (any model in cohesion), that is visible to this model and roll a D6. On a 1-4 nothing happens. On a 5+ the target unit suffers D3 Mortal Wounds
Swift Advance- When this model Advances, add 6" to the Move characteristic for that Movement phase instead of rolling a D6
Reactive Tactics- This model and friendly models within 6" of them, can charge even if they Fell Back that turn
Strike and Fade- After this model has fought in the Fight Phase, it can immediately pile in D3+3" in any direction, not just towards the closest enemy model.
Final Strike- If this model is slain, you can select an enemy unit within 3" of it and roll a D6; on a 2+ that unit suffers D3 Mortal wounds
Directed Fire- Each time you make a wound roll of 6+ in the Shooting Phase for friendly units within 6" of this model get a +1 AP