Which parts of Astartes Power Armour would get the most battle damage?

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**Perkustin**

As we all know a space marine is gonna shrug off alot of bullets with only a few dents in his armour.

I am painting my Test model for my DIY SM chapter. The chapter is meant to be best at breaking sieges because of this i was thinking of having the scheme/modelling feature some battle scarring/paint chipping. As you dakka guys love talking about 40k in depth, especially combat, i was wondering if you guys think i should randomly distribute the chips or concentrate them in areas such as the pauldrons, vambraces or fists etc...

**NagothDaCleaver**

I imagine it would be the Pauldrons and Breastplates

**Perkustin**

Just thought of a good one, the neck area, as i think that is what guardsmen are trained (or learn lol) the joint between the helmet and and torso. It's where i'd aim if i hadnt already fell on my knees weeping, beggy for mercy....

**Gorskar.da.Lost**

Usually the chest and shoulder area - in short, the torso.
Why do I think this? Well, it's the largest part of the armour, and also is responsible for protecting the marine's ribcage and all the goodies inside. That makes for a pretty big target.

**Mr Nobody**

Lots of stories describe space marines trying to manouver so that blows will strike the shoulder guards, where the armor is heaviest.

**stonned_astartes**

Mr Nobody wrote:Lots of stories describe space marines trying to manouver so that blows will strike the shoulder guards, where the armor is heaviest.

Agreed. lol

**Avatar 720**

The cod-piece; despite being a modified super-human, you get hit there more than you'd think.

**Bloodfrenzy187**

I would say the knee.

**iproxtaco**

Shoulders and Lower Leg areas and possibly the helmet. Middle body is covered by the bolter and forearms when firing. Although the chest would be a large target when using close combat weapons.

**Laodamia**

I would also go for the chest and the shoulder pads. They are simply the biggest elements of the armor. As other people pointed out, SM are trained to intercept blows with their massive shoulder pads (at least in CC).

The neck would also be relatively exposed to enemy blows. In fact, it appears that bullets are often deflected by the chest plate into the neck joint, which is why the Mark 8 power armor introduced this armored collar around the neck.

**Nerivant**

The back. The Astartes are all cowards.

Seriously, though, I figure that with a ranged weapon, they angle themselves, so most of the damage would be on the leading pauldron. Some damage would be on the outside of the leading leg and the chest where the pauldron didn't catch it.

**LightningClawsFTW**

Nerivant wrote:
Seriously, though, I figure that with a ranged weapon, they angle themselves, so most of the damage would be on the leading pauldron. Some damage would be on the outside of the leading leg and the chest where the pauldron didn't catch it.

Agreed, in a ranged fire fight, the marine would be standing very angled, not a full head on perspective. This minimizes surface area to be hit from straight ahead.

**ph34r**

Pauldrons, lower legs, collar.

**ShatteredBlade**

Chest, shoulderpads easily.

**UltraHawk**

left shoulder pad, since that is the side that faces the enemy (unless he's left handed) and lower legs. + some scratches on the kneepads, to represent them trowing themselfs into low cover.

oh and scratches on the knuckles, not to mention gore from punching all those guardsmen to death when in close combat, I wouldn't bother with a combat blade against guardsmen if I were a marine

**Howard A Treesong**

Modern soldiers are most frequently shot in the legs first and the head second IIRC, mainly because those bits are the most exposed. Might be different for marines because their shoulders and chests are so large.

**redeyed**

codpiece. Because lets face it its the only chance of taking one down in one shot.

seriously, Id say the pauldrons (shoulderpads). They have a huge surface area and would end up getting hit the most.

**Chaos Lord Gir**

Certainly won't be the fething helmate, no one wears the damn things!

In a (rare) serious light, Pauldrons/ breast plate

**Grey Templar**

Pauldrons and lower legs mostly.

the next areas would be the Breastplate and head.

**Insurgency Walker**

Arms are going to catch a lot of damage. But you have to think about what and where they have been fighting. Lots of CC will probably equal damage on the leading leg, fists CC weapon arm, shoulder pad. City fighting is probably going to cause lots of minor scuffs from moving through cover and all the extra shrapnel from hard crap that gets blown up. Tunnel fighting warriors with projectile weapons will accumulate more damage on the outer bits, as ricochets follow walls ect.. Fighting nids could lead to gashes in the armor and missing limbs

**Elector**

Fists (they punch things) and helmets would have light damage.

Pualdrons and breastplates much more, given their size and the amount they cover up.

I dunno about the legs as a vulnerability, the power armour is basically an armoured sheath, leaving few obvious weak points, but the torso has the most vital targets.

**115th Cadian Shock Troops**

I would have to go with the logical solution and say breatplate, the largest single bit of surface area. Some may have the side of their helmets chipped aswell, from smarter shooters

**Elector**

115th Cadian Shock Troops wrote:I would have to go with the logical solution and say breatplate, the largest single bit of surface area. Some may have the side of their helmets chipped aswell, from smarter shooters

No, the largest part is the shoulders, see:

**motorhead1945**

+1

**Psienesis**

Word.

**Andrew1975**

I'm sure part of a Marines basic training is to use his armor appropriately. That being said there is a reason the shoulders are so big. They are in essence giant shields. It would be just like an M1 Abrams, the crews are trained to always have the turret facing where the heaviest fire is because the front plates work as shields and that is also where you want to be pointing your gun.

That is why MK 6 armor had the extra studs on the left shoulder pad! It was point of strongest defense and most likely to be exposed as it is the lead part of the armor.