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Why would you model SM without helmets? I just dont get it. Why have some of the best armor created by man and leave your head, of all things, exposed?

well most of the Chapter Masters, Chaplains, Librarians and Captains i've seen don't wear helmets. I'm assuming its like a blind faith in the emperor sort of thing because i doubt the helmet would get in the way like a knights helmet would. It could also be a moral thing to see your commander not wearing his armour could be reassuring (idk)
the main reason i think is because it makes them look like a badass who is just looking the enemy in the eyes daring them to shoot

So everyone can see who is screaming "FOR THE EMPERAH!"
Just kidding i too hate SM or CSM without their helmet. One thing with some chapters is usually it makes it easier at a glance to tell which is the captain/champion/HQ etc.

Well usually I am against it but I have modeled a large number of my SWs without helmets, becase I doubt they care very much.

1) I am sure there are chapters which get so absorbed in battle that they don't care abut their on safety and would prefer to be able to see easier.
2) Also If they are meant to be mid battle they might have removed a damaged helmet.
3) Space marines are that tough. Its not like one of us taking a helmet off, they could be shot it the face and have a resonable chace of surviving.
4) Unless they are fighting enemies of equal power e.g. other space marines I doubt they would be ducking behind stuff. In a lot of the fluff they just walk through it all. This means if you are planning on shooting it you will need to aim fast or he's going to kill you before you fire.
5) As much as I hate this explaination it applies to a lot of people- They are models so only represent the SM.

Well, from a fluff point of view it might be a question of pride and honor. Exposing your face can be seen as a sign of showing contempt for the enemy: " I am not afraid of you. I want you to see the face of the man that kills you".

I just hate the fething top-knots that CSM have...clip those things off every chance i get.

If they wore helmets, how could people tell that they were BALD AND SCREAMING!!1!?

All my Space Marines wear helmets.

Cpt Gate wrote:Why would you model SM without helmets? I just dont get it. Why have some of the best armor created by man and leave your head, of all things, exposed?

To be more bald and shouty.

Space Marines have armour plating over their super-human skulls. That's like having a helmet of sorts as it is. Plus, who here has the Terminator rip-off marine with half a face? I do, and to me that means that getting half your dome blown off won't kill you if you're a marine.

Given all that, I'd say Helmets aren't really essential to a marine's survival.

how about because some people don't like subordanates "going over (their) Helmet!"

Hell, if i were a 9ft. tall badass librarian with the power to take out a cultist just by looking at him i don't think i would be wearing my helmet either!
Sends a strong message of "I'm more badass than you are, SCUM!!!"

aka_tizz wrote:Hell, if i were a 9ft. tall badass librarian with the power to take out a cultist just by looking at him i don't think i would be wearing my helmet either!
Sends a strong message of "I'm more badass than you are, SCUM!!!"

Plus their expressions when they shoot you in the face with a Freem-pistol and you don't even flinch... That would just be priceless.

From up above, Chaplains always wear helmets. It's to keep them seperate from the rest of their battle-bros and give them the visage of death itself.

Also from above, the sensors and lenses in the helmet prevent blindness from stuff like white-hot plasma shots that radiate uber-lights and they provide targetting matrices to allow you to find targest and objectives much easier.

Space Wolves have better senses when their helmet is off since it doesn't let them feel the air, taste it, and smell properly. Also, their eyes are way better with no 'enhancement'. Aside from them, I'd assume that the older and more battle-hardened they become, their senses increase as well. Plus, I'd personally prefer looking my sergeant in the face. This, and the fact that Astartes healing is so damn good that even if a bullet somehow enters their skull, they can often regrow enough of the damage (assuming this isn't a bolt shot) to not be dead.

Add me to the bill that says: "Un-helmeted models on the battlefield? Sure careless treatment of the Emperor's sacred battlegear will earn you extra bulkhead to bulkhead counseling with the Brother-Chaplain, where he will teach you the necessity of protecting your skull."

Looks kinda cool. Fluff has mentioned that sometimes Space Marines have a small refractor field protecting their head. Also, it lets you pick out models of interest visually with ease - one guy with a flesh colored head stands out in a squad of dudes in blue helmets.

EDIT: And Space Wolves can see, hear, and smell better with their helmets off. Also, some Space Marines can spit acid. That's a stupid bit of fluff though.

i only 30 marines that have are not wearing helmets.

the reason why they don't wear helmets is because some space marines wish to be known when they die. Or a screaming mad man run towards you will scare the s--t out of some guardsmen.

It is psychology pretty much. Plus if you get your face blown off Bionic work wonders.

Remember Kids model all of your models with helmets or they will die from me. Thats the Imperiums stand are you in good hands?

Yeah I know No helmet... especially the termies... I think it just funny.....

Terminators have a force field protecting them.

Your point is moooot!

I put as many helmets on my troops as possible.

Uh. It's a game. There is no way you would find a real life army wearing brightly colored armor into fights the way many of the armys do. It looks boring to have every single person wearing a helmet. After a while you want variety, which means marines without helmets so that you can have the various hair styles and such. I like having as many helmets on my guys as is possible, but every now and then I throw on a helmet-less one for variety.

do not wear helmet makes your life longer. E.G. Gear of War 1. look what happens to those who wear helmets.....

be serious, without helmet just make your mini looks good. i believe they wear helmet if they are really on battleflied. without helmet makes your mini much better.

Wearing a helmet makes you a nameless, faceless grunt who shall die first. It's like how being a named character with a speaking part gives you plot armour.

I still think it is stupid. Space Wolves aside, a marine is much better off and more effective when they have their helmet and thus all the sensors plugged into it and the armour. That's not even considering that it has their radio equivalent in it.

Actually, maybe that's why. So they can't hear their commanding officer telling them to get back to where they're supposed to be and stop suicidally running at the enemy chasing glory.

Oh yeah, and aside from what i said above i'm pretty sure commanders don't wear helmets because they mostly do close-quarters, where helmets, with all the advanced autosenses and stuff would prove more of a liability then help

Enhanced senses seem like an excellent thing to have in close combat.

Close combat also happens to be the time you're most likely to get stabbed in the face or shot point blank, whereas at least from a distance the enemy has a tricky shot getting between the massive pauldrons.

I hate all of you so much right now...

just kidding guys. I wasnt expecting so much heated response. But since youre here, let me tell you what else pisses me off...

Morgrim wrote:Enhanced senses seem like an excellent thing to have in close combat.

Close combat also happens to be the time you're most likely to get stabbed in the face or shot point blank, whereas at least from a distance the enemy has a tricky shot getting between the massive pauldrons.

Well, as far as my understanding goes, they can't have 100% head mobility with helmets on. And that's exactly what you need when fighting a banshee that keeps circling you stabbing you in the ass. Or, even worse, a harlequin

What is with the beef of SM models without helmets?

Of course its not realistic, neither is running towards a machine gun with a knife.

Jokes aside, I personally feel that the model represents more than just a 'mid-battle' pose, but also an after-battle pose (hence the arms up in celebration, or helmet off to cheer), a before battle pose, or maybe not even in battle at all.

I know we play the game in battle scenarios, but the game looks so much cooler with the over-the-top poses and heroic gestures which includes models without their helmets on.

So they can say this clearly

"I am out of control. Yeah, I use drugs. I can do what I waunt, biatch! Yeah, I have sex, and I don't use protection! It's my hot body; I'll do what I waunt! I don't go to school and I kill people! What-evah! I'll do what I waunt!"

It's like Ice Hockey. Everyone "has" to wear a helmet for insurance reasons but no one really wants to. Its only part of the equipment so that the Emperor doesn't have to cough up extra dough to AIG-40K.