Hello there, I've been trying to see all the subfactions and their uniqueness for almost all races. While some factions have many (like Chaos), other factions merely have different colored sub factions without even a unique one to show a slight difference with the others.

I can understand balance is very important for this game. And that balancing 12 factions and all their subfactions is a monumental task. I just wanted to throw a few ideas that go with the lore of the subfactions that seem to be no different than any of the more "vanilla" subfactions.

IMPERIAL NAVY: This faction seems to be rather standard among its subfactions. The only difference between them is the area of space they hail from and maybe the types of enemies they fought. I don't see that much uniqueness between the subfactions to warrant such an upgrade.

ADEPTUS ASTARTES: This faction, unlike the Imperial Navy does have subfactions that are completely different if not directly opposed to their core philosophy and approach to combat, pretty much like their chaos counterparts. Here are a few ideas for unique upgrades:

• Blood Angels: Death company. Maybe their boarding actions deal more troop damage?
• Imperial Fists: Known to reinforce everything. They seem to like to apply that to their ships. Maybe extra hull or armor for ships?
• Raven Guard: These guys like stealthy tactics, perhaps they could start stealthed, or have the ability to apply silent running to some ships that shouldnt?
• Salamanders: Fire! Lots of Fire! Boarding Actions could cause fire criticals like the "Shards of Nyadra'zatha" from the necrons. Improved Melta Torpedoes?
• White Scars: Speed! Here is a little quote from one of the novels.
  "I heard from a contact on Mars, Jaghatai, that you do strange things to your ships."
  The Khan shot him a heavy-lidded stare. "I heard that you do strange things to your warriors."
  -Jaghatai giving Fulgrim a burn of a 1,000 suns-

ADEPTUS MECHANICUS: The closest faction to the Imperial Navy, lore wise they load in their ships the best of their technology. Most Forge Worlds are similar, but some are rarities that make them stand aside from the most vanilla ones and it is likely their ships show it.

• Ryza: Masters of Plasma. Be it weapons or reactors. Maybe an improved plasma bomb or enhanced Plasma drives that allow for faster ships or maneuverability?
• Stygies VIII: Known for being shady. They always deploy their troops "beneath stealth screen projectors and target-befouling apparatus". They also love xenotech research, in particular that of the aeldari.

NECRONS: Most Necron Dynasties are no different than one another at least when it comes to troops and the like. With one exception.

• Thokt: Known for being infused with the radiation found in the region of space their Tomb Worlds are located. I think they should have some kind of damage shield around their ships they can deploy for a short time. Maybe deal shield damage then troop damage as people are afflicted by radiation rather than have it damage the hull?

Also it would be awesome if the Necron beams could match the color of their ship lights.

As for the rest of the factions I have to say I don't know them that well as to make suggestions. If any player knows more or has any idea don't be afraid to post.

I agree 100% on the necron weapon colours. GIVE ME MY RAINBOW NECRONS DEVS. YOU PROMISED XD

+1 here.

Was really bummed out to see (at least for IN and SM) that subfactions dont really matter...

That quote was to Angron not fulgrim

@brohanbroski Are you sure? In all instances I find it is said it is Fulgrim and Jaghatai talking

Nvm I think you're right actually

I think most of us think the same - of course, let there be more differences between subfractions!

IMPERIAL NAVY.

Battlefleet Solar fleet is this is Terra's home fleet. And probably, like all home fleets, he gets the maximum to protect the metropolis. The best and newest ships? Or powerful relics of ancient times? An interesting choice for developers ...

Battlefleet Bakka known for his passion for the doctrine of "ONLY BIG GUNS." What even resulted in a war with "Gareox Prerogative" proposed a complete change to fleets based on Attack Craft carriers. BIG GUNS win and now officers of Bakka fleet look at all carriers as unworthy ships. Obvious improvements for artillery ships, to the detriment of carriers.
Bakka even have Fleet Defence Turret and cruiser Daemon Slayer(?!). Wow. Just wow.

Battlefleet Armageddon where the first one was built Armageddon-class Battlecruiser. Armageddon also known for the heroic feats of the Black Templars. So...improvements for a cruiser and maybe some boarding enhancements, or protection against boarding for a fleet / flagship?

Battlefleet Koronus service consists of patrols, patrols, and more patrols. Strongly respected light cruisers, escort ships, and of course, carriers. Battleship and Grand Cruiser are not typical for Battlefleet Koronus.

ADEPTUS ASTARTES
Dark Angels: It was the first legion and in its storerooms are still kept ancient, powerful armament, long overdue from mass use. What opens up great scope for creative thinking. Improved weapons, shields, generators, augurs, airborne fighters and practically anything.

Imperial Fists: I was thinking more about counter-boarding and protection against critical damage.

Iron Hands: Obviously, gifts from Mechanicus: some upgrades, possible skills or repair improvement .

Space Wolves: Probably, as is the case with the Blood Angels, better boarding, but in a different way. For example, one faction launches a greater number of boarding, and the second has a higher chance of success, or say, it increases the survival of boarding capsules under the fire defensive turrets

I agree, while it would be a monumental task to add specific subfaction traits to all races, some should have some destinctions inbetween their kin. The problem is balancing in many cases. If you give certain Astartes advantages why would you choose those that are lacking? This means that you would need to give each and everyone of the SM chapters their unique trait. However, it shouldn't be impossible to do, seing as how its minor UI tweaks, and stats mostly.

Altough it might be terribly unbalanced, three of the SM chapters, the Imperial Fists, Ultramarines and Space Wolves all have their own unique battlebarge/battleship of a Gloriana class (or in the case of IF, the Phalanx) which could be these chapters unique advantage. However as I wrote, that might be very unbalanced.

*The Dark Angels should probably get a bonus to Plasma weaponry, as they are known for this.

*Space Wolves could get more thunderhawks, as in one more usage of the skill. Brawlers like to get upclose and personal. Also if I remember correctly they dislike teleportation and rather opt for physical transportation.

*Ultramarines are a though one. They really don't stand out at all. Thats their thing after all.

Tyranids should get some unique traits as well.

*Tiamat should have tougher hides - so more armour.

*Kraken was fond of underhand tactics - stealth bonus.

Could go on, but it also points to the problem in of itself, SM, Tyranids and Craftworld Eldar are factions that have specific subfactional traits that are very different lorewise and should be represented in the game. However balancing these factions requiers either a + and - to be added to each subfaction, or all the subfactions getting one unique bonus trait/ability each.

Now keep in mind people that an upgrade/skill for a subfaction is not something that is automatically added to all ships in the entire fleet. But rather an upgrade that is just made available for that particular subfaction and has to be picked up like any other. If you pick it up you are leaving other upgrades/skills that are available to the rest of the faction.

Just because a sub faction has (for example) better boarders doesnt mean they are automatically superior to the others and thus the "vanilla" ones are not going to be played. After all if that were the case Chaos would only have the 4 main chaos god fleets and not a single vanilla one.

Keep also in mind that some upgrades/skills only affect certain types of ships or the flagship. Not all of them are fleet wide as some people think. So that coudl bring some balance. Like the Imperial Fists, maybe their flagship can get an upgrade that makes it tough, but then that makes you unable to get another upgrade that maybe made your fleet better in other ways.

@ashram
I certainly would love to see at least one unique upgrade and skill for every sub-faction, and there is absolutely enough material to do at least that for the Imperial Navy as a faction.

Battlefleet Gothic: Poster-boi fleet. They have specialised heavily in carrier-based fleets in order to better counter the threat of constant raids from pirates in Barbaros Costa and the ever-present threat of Chaos so close to the Eye of Terror.

Unique Upgrade: Auxiliary Ordnance Corps: +1 Charge for all carrier squadrons
Unique Skill: Ace Pilots: Fury Interceptors gain a 30% Evasion Chance, Shark Assault Boats and StarHawk Bombers gain a 10% Evasion Chance

Should make carriers somewhat useful with this faction, since you get a much better chance if landing key strikes and (more importantly for MP) having your scouts reach their destination without fear of interception.

Battlefleet Solar: One of the oldest and proudest battlefleets, they get all the best equipment and are heavily drilled and disciplined, for they are responsible for defending the last bastions of man in the Sol Sector.

Unique Upgrade: Master Crafted Prows: All Line Ships are immune to frontal ramming damage.
Unique Skill: Hold Formation!: While the Flagship is alive, all line ships are immune to mutiny.

Their ships break flimsier or less-well made ships like twigs on their prows, and as long as the admiral is their to direct them, their crack-training and discipline means they wont break to morale. Should make them play more aggressively, but also make the Flagship of your fleet an extremely valuable target, so use with care.

Battlefleet Bakka: A subordinate Battlefleet to the mighty Battlefleet Tempestus, responsible for protecting the fortress-port of Bakka which serves as the home base and Anchorage for both these Battlefleets. Famed for its roving Battleship and Battle-cruiser Squadrons, they are fervent followers of the Big-Gun Lobby, which states that carriers have no place in the Imperial Navy.

Unique Upgrade: Super-Charged Macro Ordnance: If Lock On is active, increase Macro weapons gain +50% damage and gain +2.5K range.
Unique Skill: Heavy-Calibre Point Defence Turrets: All enemy ships within 4.5K of a Line ship suffer 1 damage per second (ignoring Armour) if their shields/holofields are down.

All about those Big-Gun Capital Ship. Wants you to use Lock On for more range and killing power, and can damage stuff in turret range if they don't have shields. No filthy and useless Carriers here!

Battlefleet Bastion: A huge collection of fleets which are on permanent Alert in and around the Solar Segmentum, referred to as 'Bastion Fleets'. Their job is smash any fool that dares to try crossing into the heartlands of the Imperium, and they've been doing it for a very long time. They're a fan of Grand Cruisers and Battle Cruisers.

Unique Upgrade: Old Guard: All line ships gain +10/+10/+10 armour.
Unique Skill: Veteran Crews: All line ships have +10 Troop Value.

Meant to be much tougher than your average IN ships, allows them to just survive that much more.

Battlefleet Armageddon: This Battlefleet Loooves lances, since they fight primarily Orks and the range+AP ability of lances is an excellent tool for fighting one of the most active Ork vs Imperial war-zones in the entire galaxy.

Unique Upgrade: Advanced Power Coils: If Lock On is active, Increase Lance damage on all Line Ships by 100%.
Unique Skill: Mark your targets!: Allows your Flagship to Mark an identified ship, revealing it for 30 seconds. Increase Crit Chance on that target by 50% (60 second cool-down).

Imperial Lance builds anyone? Give the Apocalypse some love.

Battlefleet Koronos: A heavy patrol fleet responsible for a huge area of space near the Halo Stars. They have the second best escort fleet in the Imperium (behind Battlefleet Calixis, which isn't represented in this game) and have an unusually large number of Nova Cannons. Preferring to dispatch foes before they ever get to fire back with massed Void Artillery.

Unique Upgrade: Nova Cannon Stock-piles: +1 Charge for all Nova Cannons.
Unique Skill: Improved Auxiliary Crew Training: Increase detection range on all Escorts by +4.5K, escorts have +1 troop value.

Escorts better at seeing things and surviving, and an additional shot for all your Nova Cannons. Classic 1-2 combo.