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Having seen another users comment on another thread regarding bright coloured Space marines looking a bit silly/impractical on the battlefield got me wondering what other users thought.
In real life i can definatley appreciate that you need camoflage etc so as not to stick out and be a target, but i have always assumed that Space Marines are so hard that it doesn't matter what colour there armour is, in fact the more bright it is the more impact it has on the enemy. Camoflage is for wimps sort of thing.
What do others think?

Bright. The whole point of SM is to be seen by the enemy.

Would it be a valid tactic in real life? Hell no, but it's a sci-fi genetically enhanced super-soldier encased in a make-believe armor material that breathes vacuum and spits acid, are you really going to stop your suspension of disbelief at their choice of color scheme?

I think space marines are silly.

That said, just take whatever colours you like.

If I ever do take an SM army I'll make the Imperial Lions, Orange as main colour with White(or silver). Representin mah country!

Their usual use is as a spearhead, directly smashing into the enemy, making camouflage questionable (you may notice scouts can get camo cloaks, since they do the... scouting). They are also fairly frightening in the sense of their almost legendary status and fighting abilities, so seeing something very easily identified as an Ultramarine will make the enemy (theoretically) very frightened and demoralized.

From a gaming/hobby perspective, it creates a very unique looking force that is (hopefully) different to the space marine force next to it. Realistic war games (such as games based on WWII) can be rewarding in their own rights, but many of the armies look fairly similar on the table.

I always kind of figured space marines are used, and have an effect similar to, tanks. The only reason you camo tanks is so that they don't get taken out from the air/you can put them in ambush positions. Yet when a tank attack happens, the camo is essentially useless, and you are reliying upon the speed and unstopableness of the tank to carry the day. The main effect of a tank is its psych effect on the enemy. If you don't have the weapons to deal with it, you are basically boned and my as well give up now.

Ah scouts. This is where i change my mind and think that really they should be camoflaged.
But if they were completely camoflaged then you wouldn't be able to tie them into your army, they wouldn't look like they belong to the chapter if they had none of the chapters colour on them .
This is where the camoflage cape comes in i guess.

You can't kill what you can't see. What you can see you will soon learn to fear.
Simples.
Although dark looks a lot better. Bloody banana marines...

Well I think hiding is generally a forgone idea to SM tactics, lets face it, you just came from the air in a meteor, no point hiding now. Also I would imagine power armor is too impractical to be stealthy in, between size of the armor and the noise it probably makes.

Wardragoon wrote:Well I think hiding is generally a forgone idea to SM tactics, lets face it, you just came from the air in a meteor, no point hiding now. Also I would imagine power armor is too impractical to be stealthy in, between size of the armor and the noise it probably makes.

Tell that to the Raven Guard.

I seem to recall Raven Guard uses more hit and gtfo tactics than stealth in the classic sense.

Wardragoon wrote:I seem to recall Raven Guard uses more hit and gtfo tactics than stealth in the classic sense.

True...

I field a couple of scout units with my Blood Angels and have painted the whole of their armour and uniforms in muted greys and blues. The exception to this is I have left their shoulder plates in a dull red to tie in with the rest of the army as well as painting their camo cloaks dark green to associate them with the fourth company

As I said in the last thread about why Space Marines don't use camo:

They don't do it for the same reason medieval knights didn't do it. If you hide your insignias, your heraldry, you must be ashamed of them. Camouflage is for cowards who lack the strength for true battle. The 'out in the open' thing carries some disadvantages, but it also creates a few advantages as well.

1. Allied troops (such as Imperial Guard of Sisters of Battle) become less obvious targets, meaning the bulk of enemy attention is massed at the Space Marines, who are the most resilient to it.

2. Intimidation. Extensive work goes into making a Space Marine bigger and badder than any normal human could hope to be, and the technology they are kitted out with only enhances this further. Showing that off helps to put the fear into the enemy from the get-go.

3. A Space Marine you can't see is a threat that might not exist. The Space Marine who is striding towards your front lines, wading through razorwire and shrugging off bullets like popcorn, that's a very real threat looming ever larger on your position. This helps to break enemy lines sooner, force surrenders faster, and save both lives and resources in the long run.

4. A rallying point for besieged civilians as well as allied troops (such as Imperial Guard or Sisters of Battle). The Space Marine in his canary yellow armor tearing some ork's arms out of his sockets is a much more inspirational sight than some flapping flag. I am sure many unaugmented units have refused to break do to the presence of Space Marines. 'See? The Space Wolves are here! Everything's going to be fine!' Being more visible only helps this along.

nerdfest11 wrote:I field a couple of scout units with my Blood Angels and have painted the whole of their armour and uniforms in muted greys and blues. The exception to this is I have left their shoulder plates in a dull red to tie in with the rest of the army as well as painting their camo cloaks dark green to associate them with the fourth company

Sounds like a good idea, is the dull red duller than the red you use for the Marines armour?

Yeah it is. Rather than layering up to blood red, I left it at the red gore stage and just did some finer highlights with blood red.

Matters on the chapter.

Im looking for a good table colour , and easy to paint. Im also thinking of a sell able colour when i offload them down the line.

I might go black primer and just add grey highlights with water colour paints that just wash off under a warm tap




What are the best table colours , from a standout, playable , easy to identity wots wot point of view ?





Im not big on painting or collecting, if i was i would just go to town with my keepers ( pink with black spots is not an issue in this case)

Yes, the colors of the marines may be impractical and downright stupid (in a headshot trainer way) in battlefield use but with the tactics they use... doesn't really matter. The quality of their armor also fixes the problem with the colors. But the bright colors does not make them look stupid. I think they have their own appeal. I myself find black power armor hard to make look good. Most other colors are a far easier choice.

Marines should be bright colored in my opinnion. Scouts on the otherhand is a different thing. You can go with the bright colors or then with somekind of camo. I myself went with the ordinary power armor colors my chapter uses for the armor but the camo cloaks some of them have give them the actual camoflage.

I think of Space Marines the same way that I think of medieval knights. You want to be as conspicuous as possible to further reinforce the psychology of your own greatness, as well as intimidate your opponents. For that reason, Space Marines should be colored vibrantly, in rich or striking hues that will make them stand out on the battlefield. That doesn't mean that they should all be yellow, but it means that whatever color scheme that you choose for them should be clean, and should stand out on the tabletop. Grittier, darker color schemes are suitable for Chaos Renegades.

Another thing to consider is that Space Marines are in Power Armor, and while its effect on the tabletop doesn't always come across as such, Power Armored troopers are supposed to be supremely resilient. We think of normal human soldiers needing to sneak around or use cover, but Power Armored troops are essentially wearing mobile cover. That bright blue helmet might make them an easy target for a headshot, but if that headshot does nothing more than piss the Space Marine off then it all works out in the end.

SkaerKrow wrote:I think of Space Marines the same way that I think of medieval knights. You want to be as conspicuous as possible to further reinforce the psychology of your own greatness, as well as intimidate your opponents. For that reason, Space Marines should be colored vibrantly, in rich or striking hues that will make them stand out on the battlefield. That doesn't mean that they should all be yellow

The Angry Marines are Angry at this statement

Wardragoon wrote:The Angry Marines are Angry at this statement

Are there any statements that they aren't angry at?

Angry marines are always anrgy about everything. Even when they are not angry.

Go with whatever colors you like. Its as simple as that.

gaovinni wrote:Angry marines are always anrgy about everything. Even when they are not angry.

Then they'd be angry at not having anything to direct their anger towards.

@topic: I like the comparison of Marines to medieval knights, and as has been said the bright colours befit their function (as symbols of the Imperium) and tactics (deepstriking straight into the heart of the enemy) perfectly. The only kind of "camo" I could see Marines use would be black for nocturnal terror attacks like the Night Lords did when they were still with the IoM.

I say go find glow in the dark paint

Nicholas wrote:I say go find glow in the dark paint

Yes.

But the Reasonable Marines are weeping right now.

Kasrkai wrote:

Nicholas wrote:I say go find glow in the dark paint

Yes.

But the Reasonable Marines are weeping right now.

Sucks to be them...

“Do not ask me to approach the battle meekly, to creep through the shadows, or to quietly slip on my foes in the dark. I am Rogal Dorn, Imperial Fist, Space Marine, Emperor’s Champion. Let my enemies cower at my advance and tremble at the sight of me.”
-Rogal Dorn

Corrode wrote:“Do not ask me to approach the battle meekly, to creep through the shadows, or to quietly slip on my foes in the dark. I am Rogal Dorn, Imperial Fist, Space Marine, Emperor’s Champion. Let my enemies cower at my advance and tremble at the sight of me.”
-Rogal Dorn

Dorn for the win!

some chapters do use stealth(Raven Guard)

My chapter color is Codex Grey. its a fairly neutral color and fits just about everywhere.

I do think bright colors are annoying, hence my marines abandoned Yellow(silly Dorn ) and adopted Grey. its more practical.