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Hey all

Im making an space marine army that is going to be painted with brass looking armor with the green verdigris and slightly rusty guns. Just thought it would be an interesting change of pace compared to the spick and span marines you see.

Fluffwise they do not clean their armor short of doing repairs and keeping it functional. Like taking care of a car and fixing it but never washing it. Problem is Im having trouble thinking of a reason why. I thought maybe it would link back to the death of the original chapter master. A gruesome demise and now in memory they do not wash their armor. I cant think of any sort of an event that could link the two.

Im not much of a story writer, can any of you creative minds think of a cool fluff background to go along with this idea?

Thanks for any help!

Er. Maybe they're Chaos Marines?

Or maybe they're ghosts. You could either a) say that they're Legion of the Damned, b) say that in some freak accident (like the Legion of the Damned) the entire Chapter died in some strange way but they continue inhabiting they're armor (like T-Sons Rubric Marines), but with more personality.

I think for something like this you need to look for a paranormal explanation. We've got a few examples of loyalist marine chapters that have got funky stuff going on that the Inquisition would question, but it doesn't make them less loyal:
- Legion of the Damned
- Soul Drinkers
- Lamenters
- Black Dragons
- Flame Falcons
- Sons of Antaeus

In fact, the common thread amongst all of those chapters above with the exception of the Soul Drinkers, is that they're all from the 21st Founding. You could make your chapter another Cursed Founding chapter.

Hey!

Yeah I had thought about just making them Chaos Marines but that seemed too easy and I thought that it would be more fun to have regular marines that do this out of honor or remembrance.

The Rubric marine idea is good though. If I cant think of anything else I might do that. Hmm...

Thanks for the help!

Maybe a bit like the Iron Warriors. They had to do some slaughterin' on their home world. This was a sanctioned act, but as a mark of repentence they choose not to clean their armour (of the blood of their kin etc). Of course this would mean gore too, so it wouldn't work (but the other reasons I came up with were too lame, even compared to this one).

Hm. Another thought I just had is that like how the Raptors (the loyalist chapter, not the CSMs) were semi-marooned on a jungle planet and so modified their armor to suit the heavy humidity of the atmosphere - maybe this chapter is based on a world with a highly corrosive atmosphere. No matter how much cleaning you do, you step outside and the equipment is tarnished. Consequently, no matter what planet they're on now, this is what they look like.

Similar to Jazz's fluff, they could consider the dirt trophies or mementos.

More fluff could be that the chapter just can't be bothered with aesthetics. This would be very similar to World Eater's fluff. Though they don't necessarily keep their armor dirty, they sure as heck don't bother with any non-functional ornamentation.

You could also go the absurd route. The space marines don't clean their armor because they come from a planet with a very authoritarian matriarchy. All the space marines can remember constantly being told to clean their rooms, clothes, etc. by their mothers and now the chapter refuses to do any more cleaning than absolutely necessary in order to spite them.

Jazz - I forgot about the Iron Warriors story. That might work, considering it is a shooty list...

DbM- That is a really good idea, and would explain why their armor is made of something other than ceramite! Liking this one!!

Lifeeater - That could be an addition to the above. It isnt that the planet is so bad it is *instantly* tarnished, they just cant be bothered to do it because anything longer than say, a day in the field will tarnish it.

Thanks so much guys I think Ive found a winner!! Now for a name.....Gold Guys!

Just kidding

EDIT: How about:

"The ______ are from a planet much like our Venus, with storms so corrosive that normal Ceramite wears down after a a while in the field. The _____ make their armor from a local ore, and as a badge of pride and a reminder of home they do not clean the tarnish off their armor when they travel."

What if this particular chapter has had almost non-stop amounts of fighting for almost years? Maybe they are bogged down on a key planet taking all comers from all sides. It's been a long time, and without time to clean their guns after any fights they must let them rust so that they may sleep to fight again when they awake.

Hmm, first bit of alliteration that comes to mind is something to the effect of Brass Brothers, Brotherhood of Brass, Bronze Brothers...

lifeafter wrote:Hmm, first bit of alliteration that comes to mind is something to the effect of Brass Brothers, Brotherhood of Brass, Bronze Brothers...

Well, my first thought for a name was related to their atmosphere - the Acid Drinkers. But that might be too much of a drug references. So what about The Etched? Referencing how you dip etchings in acid as a part of the production process. Plus, if you really feel like it you can pronounce it "Etch-ed" like wretched.

Brass kickers...

Jazz is for Losers wrote:Maybe a bit like the Iron Warriors. They had to do some slaughterin' on their home world. This was a sanctioned act, but as a mark of repentence they choose not to clean their armour (of the blood of their kin etc). Of course this would mean gore too, so it wouldn't work (but the other reasons I came up with were too lame, even compared to this one).

Well, maybe instead of not cleaning up after the slaughtering, as a remembrance (or what have you) of the slaughtering of the you no longer clean the outside of your armor. It's still in working order on the inside, but the outside gets nasty as all feth all. Scouts will have newer looking armor, while the veterans will look really nasty.

Call 'em the Rust Devils or something of that ilk.

The only Marines who wouldn't clean their armour are Deathguard or other followers of Nurgle.

Most other Marines WOULD clean their armour because its the best way to maintain their suits and keep them battle ready.

You see, the problem that will stand in the way of your plans is the fluff. Marines just generally wouldn't let their suits of Sacred armour simply rust away.....they're supposed to be too precious and rare a commodity to simply waste in this way.

Now, IG units may let their armour rust....well, until a Commisar saw it, but again its far more likely for a PDF unit to neglect their war-gear out of base ignorance than because of any other reason.

Typeline wrote: What if this particular chapter has had almost non-stop amounts of fighting for almost years? Maybe they are bogged down on a key planet taking all comers from all sides. It's been a long time, and without time to clean their guns after any fights they must let them rust so that they may sleep to fight again when they awake.

''And thus did the Propylene War grind on. Perversely free from daily routine; the Astral Blades fought, trapped in an unending crossfire, ever pounded by shot and shell. In their hundreds the cultists came; and in their hundreds they died. Day after day, week after week; an unending slaughter upon the makeshift altar of The Emperor, praise be His name. Through the blood of their enemies did the Astral Blades give communion, till their armour was rent and their minds were fatigued, continuously they killed. Such was the murder that the divine colours of the chapter were lost, replaced in testament by the savagery of their campaign and the unrelenting brutality of their most welcomed conflict. And thus was the chapter born again, not in a livery chosen by past valour, but of clinical contemporary efficiency and of cold, remorseless attrittion. Though now weathered and defaced, the Astral Blades bear the scars of their holy genocide proudly, for they have faced annihilation, and through skill and determination they have displayed the supremacy of The Emperor to all. As it was, such shall their armour shall ever be''

Just an idea to get the ball rolling. If you want to paint your Marines weathered, don't let anyone stop you.

@Delephont: don't CSMs just get new suits of armour when they reincarnate?

Quick answer - too busy cleansing everything else. "The Time for Rest shall come when Evil has Fallen."

They can also worship a giant dust bunny.

Arctik_Firangi wrote:Quick answer - too busy cleansing everything else. "The Time for Rest shall come when Evil has Fallen."

They can also worship a giant dust bunny.

However, not washing a car isn't 'taking care of it'. Rust is bad, mm'kay? If you can't see though your windscreen you're going to kill yourself, or worse, someone else. Not cleaning the dust bunnies out of your processor heatsink is going to kill it faster than downloading porno. I knew a guy who dropped his shotgun, got some dirt clogged in the end. For a laugh he fired it. Now, did you ever see those cartoons where the gun barrel sort of splits apart and rolls up because someone stuck a banana in it?

That's exactly what happens.

I'm not the cleanest person, and I'm not going to take anything away from your artistic license... after all, the Adeptus Mechaicus has apparently kept their machines running for the last 10000 years by just banging it in the right places - even Orks are genetically capable of inventing original destructive weapons. Future humans = retards with nice clothing. Tell you what - paint 'em dirty and play 'em smart.

There's got to be Hangover Marine with an interesting green-yellow breastplate, and Dopey Marine who is entirely caked in mud, both be-cause and the cause of his continually falling over.

BAH! Meant to EDIT, not QUOTE. Please FORGIVE me.

Arctik_Firangi wrote:
Marine with an interesting green-yellow breastplate

That image puts a smile on my face.

Anti-Mag wrote:

Typeline wrote: What if this particular chapter has had almost non-stop amounts of fighting for almost years? Maybe they are bogged down on a key planet taking all comers from all sides. It's been a long time, and without time to clean their guns after any fights they must let them rust so that they may sleep to fight again when they awake.

''And thus did the Propylene War grind on. Perversely free from daily routine; the Astral Blades fought, trapped in an unending crossfire, ever pounded by shot and shell. In their hundreds the cultists came; and in their hundreds they died. Day after day, week after week; an unending slaughter upon the makeshift altar of The Emperor, praise be His name. Through the blood of their enemies did the Astral Blades give communion, till their armour was rent and their minds were fatigued, continuously they killed. Such was the murder that the divine colours of the chapter were lost, replaced in testament by the savagery of their campaign and the unrelenting brutality of their most welcomed conflict. And thus was the chapter born again, not in a livery chosen by past valour, but of clinical contemporary efficiency and of cold, remorseless attrittion. Though now weathered and defaced, the Astral Blades bear the scars of their holy genocide proudly, for they have faced annihilation, and through skill and determination they have displayed the supremacy of The Emperor to all. As it was, such shall their armour shall ever be''

Just an idea to get the ball rolling. If you want to paint your Marines weathered, don't let anyone stop you.

I second this for the best Idea so far. Remember, the 41st milennium is a time of insanity and desperation in the far distant future, not a Tom Clancy novel.

Anti-Mag wrote:

Typeline wrote: What if this particular chapter has had almost non-stop amounts of fighting for almost years? Maybe they are bogged down on a key planet taking all comers from all sides. It's been a long time, and without time to clean their guns after any fights they must let them rust so that they may sleep to fight again when they awake.

''And thus did the Propylene War grind on. Perversely free from daily routine; the Astral Blades fought, trapped in an unending crossfire, ever pounded by shot and shell. In their hundreds the cultists came; and in their hundreds they died. Day after day, week after week; an unending slaughter upon the makeshift altar of The Emperor, praise be His name. Through the blood of their enemies did the Astral Blades give communion, till their armour was rent and their minds were fatigued, continuously they killed. Such was the murder that the divine colours of the chapter were lost, replaced in testament by the savagery of their campaign and the unrelenting brutality of their most welcomed conflict. And thus was the chapter born again, not in a livery chosen by past valour, but of clinical contemporary efficiency and of cold, remorseless attrittion. Though now weathered and defaced, the Astral Blades bear the scars of their holy genocide proudly, for they have faced annihilation, and through skill and determination they have displayed the supremacy of The Emperor to all. As it was, such shall their armour shall ever be''

Just an idea to get the ball rolling. If you want to paint your Marines weathered, don't let anyone stop you.

FTW. I love purple prose like this.

warpcrafter wrote:

Anti-Mag wrote:

Typeline wrote:

I second this for the best Idea so far. Remember, the 41st milennium is a time of insanity and desperation in the far distant future, not a Tom Clancy novel.

That little story was fun to write. I didn't know the name of the chapter being discussed so I took a little liberty and made one up, but the principles are all the same. I hope it gives some sort of inspiration, and shows that 40k is a universe of possibilities, not restrictions. People who bleat about marines never neglecting their armour, or simply saying ''it would never happen'' need to open their minds and get out more.

Thanks for the nice comments.

Delephont wrote:The only Marines who wouldn't clean their armour are Deathguard or other followers of Nurgle.

Most other Marines WOULD clean their armour because its the best way to maintain their suits and keep them battle ready.

You see, the problem that will stand in the way of your plans is the fluff. Marines just generally wouldn't let their suits of Sacred armour simply rust away.....they're supposed to be too precious and rare a commodity to simply waste in this way.

Well they do maintain their suits, they just dont wash it. Like I said before its like taking care of the internals of a car but not washing it. How much dirt is on a car does not affect how it runs.

Also, the armor isnt rusting away, they make their armor out of local ore so it doesnt corrode. It just tarnishes green a bit.

Arctik_Firangi wrote:

However, not washing a car isn't 'taking care of it'. Rust is bad, mm'kay?

Rust doesnt come from being dirty, and rust doesnt hurt how a car performs. Also note there is a big difference between aesthetics and functionality. Im not saying they let their suits get so dirty they dont work, Im saying basically they dont polish the verdigris off.


Im thinking of using DA bits on them, so i was thinking of making up a name for the ore they make their armor from. Something like ___ite Angels. I dunno.

Thanks all.

Anti-Mag wrote:

Typeline wrote: What if this particular chapter has had almost non-stop amounts of fighting for almost years? Maybe they are bogged down on a key planet taking all comers from all sides. It's been a long time, and without time to clean their guns after any fights they must let them rust so that they may sleep to fight again when they awake.

''And thus did the Propylene War grind on. Perversely free from daily routine; the Astral Blades fought, trapped in an unending crossfire, ever pounded by shot and shell. In their hundreds the cultists came; and in their hundreds they died. Day after day, week after week; an unending slaughter upon the makeshift altar of The Emperor, praise be His name. Through the blood of their enemies did the Astral Blades give communion, till their armour was rent and their minds were fatigued, continuously they killed. Such was the murder that the divine colours of the chapter were lost, replaced in testament by the savagery of their campaign and the unrelenting brutality of their most welcomed conflict. And thus was the chapter born again, not in a livery chosen by past valour, but of clinical contemporary efficiency and of cold, remorseless attrittion. Though now weathered and defaced, the Astral Blades bear the scars of their holy genocide proudly, for they have faced annihilation, and through skill and determination they have displayed the supremacy of The Emperor to all. As it was, such shall their armour shall ever be''

Just an idea to get the ball rolling. If you want to paint your Marines weathered, don't let anyone stop you.

Wow, thats realy good! Thanks for writing that up!

My pleasure. Make sure to show us some pictures once you're done. I'm working on some Thousand Sons and they'll be dusty around the base. It's good to be grotty, in my opinion.

Yeah check back on my site or youtube around Friday and theyll be done. I still have to snag some copper color paint. I think Ill just use a gw brass color.

Tarnished Angels?

I found that gw brass, when washed with baal red, turns coppery, fyi.

As for ______ Angels:

Sullied, Defiled, Faded, or Forgotten.

Perhaps the chapter is made from a company of Dark Angel descendants that at one point was abandoned when a freak warp storm cut them off from escape. Cut off from support, on a hostile death world... Etc, etc.

There is a silver metallic DA successor chapter, you can use them as a basis.

Please don't call them "Angels", of any variety. It's way too cliched.

I agree with the poster that said marines would always clean their armour, so the question should really be "Why could a marine not clean his armour." That would make a more believeable story. Maybe they're lost is space somewhere.

Jazz is for Losers wrote:I agree with the poster that said marines would always clean their armour, so the question should really be "Why could a marine not clean his armour." That would make a more believeable story. Maybe they're lost is space somewhere.

Maybe they're on a world without cleaning supplies.

There is no Windex.

Rustoleum Angels?