On the color of Plasma Weaponry

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**Gavo**

I always assumed Plasma is blue, thanks to it being blue in pretty much every science-fiction genre. Even in the Dawn of War videogames, it is blue. However, recently I have been reading the Gaunt's Ghosts novels, and have read multiple times as plasma being red in color. Are there different plasma colors across 40k? This also came up recently because when I was painting my IG, I used red as an alternate color for my plasma because my paint scheme already has a blue in it, and red stands out much more.

So what do you think, Dakka? What is 40k's Plasma Color?

**FourCartridge**

My army's Plasma is purple, but fluff wise, IIRC, it depends on the forgeworld (read: make your own color).

**DA's Forever**

My marines have Red Orange Blue and Green plasma

**Gavo**

FourCartridge wrote:My army's Plasma is purple, but fluff wise, IIRC, it depends on the forgeworld (read: make your own color).

Oh, okay. Just wanted to clear that up.

**Maenus_Rajhana**

I go with ice blue for mine, if only to offset the red of my melta and flamer weapons.

**tarvos**

Depends on the craftsmanship and type of weapon for me. All common plasma weapons in my army have blue plasma, and all my "master crafted" back when it counted are purple in color.

**Melonfish**

i reckon you should use whatever contrasts your armour nicely. if you do blood angels or someone in red then green or blue would look good. if you do ultrasmurfs then red or green.
Imp fists red would look kewl.

in effect whatever colour you do the eyes and lenses would work.
anybody tried yellow?

**Tmonster**

Isn't it supposed to be blue because it is so hot? Just like when you burn gas, the hottest part of the flame is blue.
Purple could be even better, since it is at the same side of the spectrum.
But that's al scientifically.
You can paint yours every colour you like.

**Hido**

I've always imagined Tau plasma to be blue but IG/SM's being green. I know I read a thread somewhere about someone making a diorama discussing what the color for Plasma would be in "real life"

**Brother Coa**

Plasma can be of various colors. But blue is the standard because, believe it or not, the blue sons (giant plasma ball) are the hottest in existence. The blue sun is about 1000x hotter than the red one (exm. Sol). That's the standard in our universe, in 40k I didn't even know that plasma can be modified to whatever color you want?

**skwiff**

it all depends on the gas used... hydrogen has colourless plasma (its in the X-ray spectrum) were as natural gases (methane to propane) go from blue to yellow depending on the amount of oxygen available

**Grey Templar**

Imperial Plasma is Blue.

T'au and Eldar plasma, as it isn't as powerful, is white.

Blue is higher on the color spectrum and as such is hotter. Purple(Violet) is hotter then Blue.

**Gavo**

Isn't white the hottest, though? I thought the hottest part of the flame was the white.

**Grey Templar**

White isn't a true color, just like black.

White is what you see when all or most of the color spectrum is present in the source of light. Black is simply the absense of light(Black objects absorb all colors of light)

the Sun appears "white" because it isn't a uniform temperature and as such emits all the bandwidths of the color spectrum and it emits all sorts of radiation, not just light.

certain chemicals only burn at a certain temperature and as such, when they burn, the flame is a certain color.

next time you are sitting around a fire, look carefully at the flame.

the main body of the flame is red. this is the cooler part.

the interior will be white hot. if you look even deeper you might be lucky enough to see darker areas. these are the hottest.

**Jokorey**

Brother Coa wrote:Plasma can be of various colors. But blue is the standard because, believe it or not, the blue sons (giant plasma ball) are the hottest in existence. The blue sun is about 1000x hotter than the red one (exm. Sol). That's the standard in our universe, in 40k I didn't even know that plasma can be modified to whatever color you want?

Our sun (Sol) is most definitely not a red star - it's a G2V, or "yellow" star. When it becomes red, we are in for a heap of trouble

On topic, plasma can be whatever color you want. In actuality, a plasma gun would probably appear white as a function of its intensity no matter what, but reality and 40k don't make for fun.

**Lizar7**

I think white stars are just really really hot blue. Isn't blue the brightest color in the visible spectrum or something like that?

Anyways, I'd say plasma is blue, at least that's what it looks like in DoW and Squad Command.

**MechaEmperor7000**

I always thought it was Green. Then Blue when I played DoW.

**Daedricbob**

Plasma should be blue, purely because painted blue source lighting looks frikkin awesome!

I wish I could paint like that..... :(

**vodo40k**

Depends on the forge world as people have been saying (just like the colouring if las weaponry) I tend to paint mine green due to it being that colour in fallout 3, and the nick name "super heated snot" springs to mind.

**Mr Nobody**

Plasma is blue because of the energy intensity. Blue and purple are the highest wavelengths in the visible spectrum, which is why it appears blue.

**Melissia**

Mr Nobody wrote:Plasma is blue because of the energy intensity. Blue and purple are the highest wavelengths in the visible spectrum, which is why it appears blue.

And red. And green. And violet. And yellow. And orange. And white.

Fun fact: During a lightning strike, plasma exists for a brief period of time, causing the distinct color of the lightning. Plasma's color depends on the gas used to make it, nothing more.

Remnant of the Tycho Supernova, an expanding ball of plasma.

Hall Plasma Thruster.

Typical plasma lamp.

**dayve110**

Personally i used to prefer green.
Then i switched to blue.
Now i kinda like the idea of purple...
It's only a matter of time before pink plasma comes to the fore.

**Platuan4th**

I think Melissia's hit on it. For myself, I don't believe that the color of the magnetic coils on the gun determines it(it's different across my armies, ie. my CSM have gold coils, my IG have silver, and my DA have blue/clear).

**Grey Templar**

the Str of the weapon determines the color.

Superior Imperial plasma(Str7) is Blue.

inferior Xeno plasma(Str6 Starcannons and Plasma Rifles) is white.

even more inferior xeno plasma(Str5 pulse rifles) is red.

**Platuan4th**

Grey Templar wrote:
even more inferior xeno plasma(Str5 pulse rifles) is red.

May wanna take a close look at a Tau codex some time. Pulse weapon(and their Plasma rifle, too) fire is clearly blue.

**Grey Templar**

and GW hasn't ever made a screw up in their products.

**Emperors Faithful**

The Plasma weaponry in my IG force is blue for the smaller man-weilded ones and green for the larger vehichle mounted weapons. It works okay, but I am considering making it universally blue.

**asimo77**

Personally I tend to throw science out the window when it comes to 40k and just use whatever looks coolest. That isn't to say that people who want realistic plasma are wrong.

Anyway for me I always pictured the classic light blue for everyone but a purplish red for Chaos. Daemonic plasma ftw!

**MechaEmperor7000**

For the record almost all of the space photos are colorized because otherwise it'd be pretty uninteresting, so they shouldnt be used as a point of reference.

However Blue Plasma is a tad bit more iconic, as when we want something hotter than fire, it tends to turn blue (which is what fire does when it goes beyond a certain temp).

**PR03**

Personally i like the colour blue but then again i kinda like purple, but honestly i believe its up to you, whatever colour you like best...
Green, blue, purple, red, even yellow if you like that colour, no need to be the same as everybody else, make your own colour if you want...