"What would you say to keeping the 150% penalty and having normal VP for crippled?" 0
I think its pretty fair.
But here is another thing I want to discuss.
Many people says: "You'll never get sm fleet able to fight as good aqs chaos or imperial, because it's unfluffy. "
Ok, I get your point. So let's take abou fluffy side of SM.
BOARDING ACTION.
You know, Space Marines ARE masters of close quarter battles. Many books , articles, funstuff says that very small space marines squad can overcome thunderous amount of enemy troops.
But what we have here, in BFG game? SM don't good at CQB at all!
In most cases they don't have any bonuses at all! Because strike cruisers are light and it's damn hard to bring it to boarding unharmed. And even if I made so, what will I have? +1 to roll?!?!? Is it glorious angels of death feared around all Human worlds?
Lets consider typical boarding scene where sm strike cruiser tries to boar pirate dauntless
--Die heretics! In the name of Empraaaa!
--Wait maan, roll you die.
--We have no fear of your dies, we are Angels of Death! Oh wait... 2 vs 6 , ow shiiiiii....
You know, I thing glorious warriors with decades of battle expirience may have more chances to succesfully board enemy ship. In fact SM must be LESS one-die-roll-depending.
And another thing that makes me smile -- absolutely useless and unfluffy upgrades for ridiculous prices: terminator boarding parties andhonour guard.
People, Terminators are elite of a Chapters First Company. Most respectable and most feared warriors.
Terminators squad are trained to clean up whole ships fighting it crew without any support. You know, first game about 40k was about "how to capture alien infested spacehulk by Terminators Squad in few easy missions " =) Ten terminators against hundred of aliens! BUT what we have her? NOTHIN.
Once per batle, teleport attack, bla bla bla
I think it is ridiculous.
What will say terminator sergeant or even captain to his master after it?
"My lord, in the name of His Divine Light we had successfully disable prow batteries of that heretics! Well, umm, it's already repared, but we was glorious and loose only two battle brothers! "
Terminator must be able to do SIGNIFICANT damage to enemy ship. They may have solid bonus to boarding, or roll 2d6 against critical hits table, or something like that. And of course TBP must be able to operate from any SM capital ship.
And about Honour Guard. I think that it must be expensive and very hard hitting option. Because NG is the MOST skillful fighters of a Chapter. You know, Papa Smurf with his HG SUCCESSFULLY stormed Tyranids Hiveship at Battle for Macragge. Is it possible to imagine foe more difficult to defeat? Maybe Necrons Doom Engine, but nothing else can be compared with hiveship! But what we have again? Another puny teleport attack !
To be honest, I don't think that HG is necessary option. For they take part in fight very rarely. As rare as Chaper Master himself.
But If you want to include that option anyway, It must be very ( i mean VERY) destructive.
Kinda "one time per battle d6 damage in boarding action " and of course that upgrade must be available only for BB(VBB).