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Is the video interface like the one presented in "Ultramrines: The Movie"?
What advanced scanning option it have? ( infrared, zoom... )
The mouth part, is it just for talk or it can serve as gas mask in certain condition? ( like entering vacuum of space or deep level of ocean... )
And, I know this will sound crazy but - why Sergeants, commanders and other high ranking Astartes don't ware helmets? ( at least some of them, and some of them even leave their helmets behind ) Is it some tradition, ritual or simply GW way of making them "look bad"?

The reason they don't wear helmets is plot armor, like how red shirts die in star trek, but non red shirts don't.

You can't be serious...

If i was not required to wear a helmet to crew command, I would not.

Anyway. I do not know the tech specs of the Astartes helment, but I have gathered that characters (Sgts, officers and such) do not wear helmets in the 40k universe because its more heroic that way.
As well, from a modeling perspective it demonstrates the extra effort that went into that model, and therefore its special status. Because, lets face it, faces are much more difficult to paint than helmets.

Why not? It's a visual representation of a science fiction fantasy and subject only to the whims of the designers. Some dudes have helmets, some have re-breather style masks, and some have bare heads.

All that said, power armor is a closed environment so the mask/helmet has a filter/rebreather element, possibly even SCUBA. The eyepieces have been represented in various visual media as having HUD-style targeting and status software. Auspex systems are described to be advanced visual filters and target-detection hardware.

In previous editions of the game, power armor alone allowed Marines to ignore the effects of almost all smoke and gas. An Auspex allowed a Sergeant or other wargear carrying model to detect hidden and concealed enemies.

Brother Coa wrote:You can't be serious...

Deadly serious. The reason you see Astartes not wearing helmets is because its more heroic for heroes to stride into battle without a helmet, showing emotion on their faces. The reason Astartes don't get killed is because they have really thick plot armor to serve as an invisible helmet, that's infinitely more durable that your standard ceramite.
Astartes helmets contain a large amount of sensory systems, different viewing modes, including infra-red and the capability to see via sound. It automatically tracks targets, interfaces with guns in hand, and picks out weak points in the armor of opponents, as well as giving tactical information and the capability to display maps of the area.

AFAIK, important models are shown without helmets so they're easier to distinguish. In the novels and such they usually do wear helmets. Solomon Demeter was asked why he didn't wear his against the Laer I think, and he was a Captain.

So basically they don't ware helmets because of a "good charm effect"? ( to inspire troops, to inflict fear into the enemy )

Brother Coa wrote:So basically they don't ware helmets because of a "good charm effect"? ( to inspire troops, to inflict fear into the enemy )

Yep. They're kinda stupid that way.

As 1d4chan explains it, this is how you can visually tell the chain of command.

1d4chan wrote:Helmet < No helmet < Hat < Pauldron + Helmet < Just Pauldron < Pauldron + Hat

Guardsmen - Guardsmen Sergeant - Commissar - Space Marine - Space Marine Captain - The Emperor

Combining most fluff and visuals from animations and artwork, I think the standard marine helmet is basically a mix of all the cool features of every other sci-fi helmet with a HUD.
Combine that with a life support system and a basic AI (activated by thought or vocal commands) its probably the best helmet ever.

My curiosity around marine equipment is this: Is Terminator Armour an exo-skeleton on Power Armour? If so, does Power Armour encase Scout Armour?
Looking closely at the models it seems possible. Just imagine the fabic of the Scout Armour to be replaced with the black carapace.

Oh, as a side note: Terminator Helmets have a screen in the HUD that shows what the squad leader is looking at, while the squad leader is able to see what the entire squad is looking at. Though, the squad leader will rarely use it because it would fill the entire HUD and discrupt his concentration.

DeffDred wrote:My curiosity around marine equipment is this: Is Terminator Armour an exo-skeleton on Power Armour? If so, does Power Armour encase Scout Armour?
Looking closely at the models it seems possible. Just imagine the fabic of the Scout Armour to be replaced with the black carapace.

No and no.

DeffDred wrote:
My curiosity around marine equipment is this: Is Terminator Armour an exo-skeleton on Power Armour? If so, does Power Armour encase Scout Armour?
Looking closely at the models it seems possible. Just imagine the fabic of the Scout Armour to be replaced with the black carapace.

Quite possible. They have some support metal parts on their legs ( from the back side ) witch could indicate to such type of armor support.

Oh, as a side note: Terminator Helmets have a screen in the HUD that shows what the squad leader is looking at, while the squad leader is able to see what the entire squad is looking at. Though, the squad leader will rarely use it because it would fill the entire HUD and discrupt his concentration.

Their visor is probably the same as standard marine one if not even superior.

KilroyKiljoy wrote:As 1d4chan explains it, this is how you can visually tell the chain of command.

1d4chan wrote:Helmet < No helmet < Hat < Pauldron + Helmet < Just Pauldron < Pauldron + Hat

Guardsmen - Guardsmen Sergeant - Commissar - Space Marine - Space Marine Captain - The Emperor

He left out ridiculously big topknot/ massive beard.

I imagine with all the buffing up that the Space Marines don't even need their helmets for going in space or deep sea.

The helmet -if- anything unless it has a laurel or a crown or knight visor. Makes you disposable Marine battle brother #239

Years ago (like 15 years ago, i think I was 15) I remember talking with a GW rep of some sort at a comvention. I asked him why some figures weren't wearing helmets. He said it was take make the leaders easy for players to identify from a distance. From a purely gaming standpoint I can see how that makes sense.

Also, it is worth remembering that despite the additional information given to a marine by the HUD in his helmet, the helmet still restricts a marine's vision, hearing and sense of smell. This has always been given as a reason why the Space Wolves frequently walk around bare-headed.

As a historical reenactor, I can also appreciate why historically knights (the inspration for a lot of marine fluff) would remove their helmets to fight when on foot. It is better to be able to see the enemy and kill him than be protected and unable to block blows coming in.

Finally, it should be noted that in the novels most space marines go into battle wearing helmets, but they are often removed due to battle damage, possibly due to enemies aiming at the head a lot.

Have you ever played call of duty, battlefield, or these kind of FPS? Remember what you see on your computer screen when you play, like the names of your allies, your ammo, your remaining life bar, your kills, etc?

I believe this is what a SM sees with his helmet on.

Shadowbrand wrote:I imagine with all the buffing up that the Space Marines don't even need their helmets for going in space or deep sea.

If you go in to space without a pressurized suit in space, you explode. Not wearing something over your head is out of the question.
In deep sea, the opposite happens. No Marine wants a death as failtastic as that.

TrollPie wrote:

Shadowbrand wrote:I imagine with all the buffing up that the Space Marines don't even need their helmets for going in space or deep sea.

If you go in to space without a pressurized suit in space, you explode. Not wearing something over your head is out of the question.

Sadly, no. You would suffocate, freeze, and get a nasty sunburn at the same time. You would not, however, explode.

Chowderhead wrote:

TrollPie wrote:

Shadowbrand wrote:I imagine with all the buffing up that the Space Marines don't even need their helmets for going in space or deep sea.

If you go in to space without a pressurized suit in space, you explode. Not wearing something over your head is out of the question.

Sadly, no. You would suffocate, freeze, and get a nasty sunburn at the same time. You would not, however, explode.

Marines don't even do that. Canonically they can survive in a vacuum for as long as they can hold their breath (which is also much longer than a human due to organ shenanigans) due to the gland that covers their skin in a protective oil when necessary. I think they also have an ability to equalize pressure so they don't get crushed.

riplikash wrote:

Chowderhead wrote:

TrollPie wrote:

Shadowbrand wrote:I imagine with all the buffing up that the Space Marines don't even need their helmets for going in space or deep sea.

If you go in to space without a pressurized suit in space, you explode. Not wearing something over your head is out of the question.

Sadly, no. You would suffocate, freeze, and get a nasty sunburn at the same time. You would not, however, explode.

Marines don't even do that. Canonically they can survive in a vacuum for as long as they can hold their breath (which is also much longer than a human due to organ shenanigans) due to the gland that covers their skin in a protective oil when necessary. I think they also have an ability to equalize pressure so they don't get crushed.

They can actually go into a kind of suspended animation that lets them stay like that for very a very long time. Something like a SM get spaced and then gets picked up a thousand years latter still alive.

Also most SM without helmets wear eye bits, so they probably still have the hud.

They would still swell due to internal pressure.

Space Marines can enter vaccuum without a helmet. It's been done plenty of times in the fluff.
But on the otherside of the coin in Snake of Iron they have trouble swimming.

I remember reading in one of Uriel Ventirs books ( and probably in the Alaric GK books) that they both had status icons for squad members. Like health bars back in Baldur's Gate.

Visual enhancement, lightscopes (infrared for example) and other extras are also built in.

I am positve that I read that sergeants and captains have status indicators for their squads, which would make sense.

Brother Coa wrote:So basically they don't ware helmets because of a "good charm effect"? ( to inspire troops, to inflict fear into the enemy )

Mostly, they don't wear helmets because it makes the models stand out more. Having the helmet off gives the model an actual face, which gives it more 'character' than just another identical helmet.

Chowderhead wrote:

TrollPie wrote:

Shadowbrand wrote:I imagine with all the buffing up that the Space Marines don't even need their helmets for going in space or deep sea.

If you go in to space without a pressurized suit in space, you explode. Not wearing something over your head is out of the question.

Sadly, no. You would suffocate, freeze, and get a nasty sunburn at the same time. You would not, however, explode.

Decompression. When an area of high pressure is exposed to an area of almost zero pressure, pressure will try to equalise. Meaning lots of Marine spreading out over lots of space.

Hah! You're getting a physics lesson from a 13 year old! to laugh at me. I made a brain fart.

Edit: Whoops, it turns out that human skin is tough enough to stop you exploding. But your entire body will swell rapidly, causing unconsciousness and then death.

dont forget, Marines can breathe underwater, being voluntarily able to shut off their lungs and use their third lung, which can absord oxygen through water.

They can also enter hard vacuum unprotected, their mucranoid organ lets them sweat this waxy coating that protects them from it or something.

The Marine helmet contains a full HUD which shows their current ammo levels, their, and their squadmates, current status, auto-targeting system which identifies hostiles, and possably a small map. In addition the helmet has a integrated gas mask and is completely sealed allowing operation within a vaccum.


a Marine CAN exist in the void unprotected for a short period, but the Mucranoid must be stimulated to do this by an external stimulant. And even then, it is only for short periods.

the ability is more of a precaution against the marine's armor being breeched while fighting in a vaccum, allowing him to survive the experience, then allowing Brother Bob to leave his helmet intentionally behind.