Many gamers void the FW IA rules like the plague, and there are lots of claims that they are really unbalanced. While this may be the case with some IA units, it just isn't true in the broadest view of the IA rules.
As an amateur game designer I can see that the units in the IA books have not been vetted for competitive play. All I have to say is "Duh...." these rules are made for themed gaming which is usually done in a casual setting. Now lets face the brutal facts; GW is far from perfect in 40k unit and Codex design even with their 18 month playtest and design structure.
If you find something that is really under pointed in the IA rules, like the 5 point Autocannon upgrade for the Chimera, by all means fix it. Make sure you discuss this with your opponent before hand. I am pretty sure that nobody is going to argue with you paying more points for an option than the IA book says to.
One tip I would give out to anyone playing with IA rules is that both players pick something to use from an IA book. This will number one help offset a lot of the perceived balance issues, it will also add to the fun of the game. IMHO!
Why should the casual gamer hamstring himself to the "officialdom" of the base 40k rules and Codecies. The IA rules add some great flavor options for almost every 40k army out there. If you have the opportunity to use the IA rules I say do it!
I originally had a very long article written for this topic, but lost it with my Computer issues last week. I have decided to instead do a short series of articles on the IA rules over the next month. So this is just the opening for the series.
