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What is this backpacks purpose? Is it needed? Why do the guys in the turrets not have them? I have a lot of turret backs that I am thinking of using and wondering if the traditional backpack is "needed" fluff wise. Thank you in advance.

I want to think a backpack is just what it sounds like to be.

It's a backpack to hold stuff for a Space Marine. Nothing more hahaha. I'm thinking that the guys in the turrets don't have them just for the same reason why the guys in our modern military don't wear full gear if they are cavalry. They don't need the back-pack to hold their stuff as they have a vehicle for that. Plus they need to fit in the gun. The ground-pounders have to carry it with them.

I believe the back-pack is mainly used as a power supply for the Marines armor. I believe the reason that vehicle and turret mounted marines do not wear them is because they get the power for their armor directly from the vehicle/turret they are deployed with.

It's the power plant for the power armour (and thrusters for zero-g movement apparently). Otherwise it's just 1000pounds of deadweight ceramite.

As above. It contains the power supply for the power armor. It also contains some of the various medical fluids and recycling mechanisms.

Marines in vehicles are hooked up the the vehicle for their power supply needs. And assumedly have a backpack onboard in the event they need to evacuate.

 Grey Templar wrote:
As above. It contains the power supply for the power armor. It also contains some of the various medical fluids and recycling mechanisms.

Marines in vehicles are hooked up the the vehicle for their power supply needs. And assumedly have a backpack onboard in the event they need to evacuate.

This. It doesnt carry any equipement. (Space marines store weapons on their legs/belt with magnetic locks)

The two bulbs on either side are cooling vents.

The good old days of 1st and 2nd edition, when stuff was still described in detail.

And I was looking for that pic last night!

Yep. That's the picture.

The backpack is the primary power supply, and contains life support for vacuum and hostile environments.

Im pretty sure that turret gunners dont have a backpack simply because the tanks/transports arent to actual scale with marines so it wont fit in the turret. If they were to proper scale the porthole would be large enough to accomadate the marine in full gear. Otherwise the "power" armor wouldnt be powered and it would be a bitch to move around in it.

This would get confusing for a guy cramped into a Storm Talon cockpit however. Maybe Techmarines have a smaller battery pack since they wear upgraded armor?

The tank gunner models have a little line running from their back down into the tank. I imagine they draw power from the tank itself, and have a pack stored inside for when they need to dismount.

Edit: you can see it here, on the back torso piece:

Why would a driver need the reactor power or stabilizing jets inside a Land Raider? And the model has tubes runnin down from the backpack mount into the hatch, so obviously he plugs his power cord into the power port inside.

Yeah, now the hatchs IRL will be large enough for the backpack but the crew are still plugged into the vehicle.

SoloFalcon1138 wrote:And the model has tubes runnin down from the backpack mount into the hatch, so obviously he plugs his power cord into the power port inside.

It does? Huh, that's pretty cool - and good to know. I suspected it'd be like that, but so far never saw this personal interpretation vindicated by anything from GW.

It's one of the couple things I adopted from some Black Library books, actually. In some of them, a few power armoured characters walk around sans backpack, but only in non-combat situations where they would not require the gadgets included in the pack. Though I don't know if that may not be pushing it a little, considering the C:AoD explanation on how hard it is to move the fibre-bundles without the armour actually being powered. But I suppose there could be an internal battery for light duty... either that, or just a minor conflict between the various author interpretations.

I think lighter power armour, like inquisitor armour, can be powered for a sort time (few hours/days) on smaller power packs. But the space marine packs have fusion reactors or something in them that powers the suit indefinitely.

 Lynata wrote:

SoloFalcon1138 wrote:And the model has tubes runnin down from the backpack mount into the hatch, so obviously he plugs his power cord into the power port inside.

It does? Huh, that's pretty cool - and good to know. I suspected it'd be like that, but so far never saw this personal interpretation vindicated by anything from GW.

It's one of the couple things I adopted from some Black Library books, actually. In some of them, a few power armoured characters walk around sans backpack, but only in non-combat situations where they would not require the gadgets included in the pack. Though I don't know if that may not be pushing it a little, considering the C:AoD explanation on how hard it is to move the fibre-bundles without the armour actually being powered. But I suppose there could be an internal battery for light duty... either that, or just a minor conflict between the various author interpretations.

I would assume the PA has reserve batteries inside the actual armor so the marine has some time before the servos shut down. giving him time to react to the damage, find an alternate source of power, etc... To prevent the enemy from just blowing out the backpack to make the marine slower(although Marines can still move in their armor, probably just down to normal human reaction times though)

McGibs wrote:I think lighter power armour, like inquisitor armour, can be powered for a sort time (few hours/days) on smaller power packs. But the space marine packs have fusion reactors or something in them that powers the suit indefinitely.

That's what I would assume as well (although some Inquisitors wear bulky power armour as well, some even Terminator suits!), but I'm thinking that maybe the fusion-powered backpack suits might have a battery as reserve.

Just a theory, mind you.

... essentially, what Grey Templar wrote, now that I see his post. After all, without a battery, how would a pilot or driver switch to a vehicle's internal power supply when he first has to drop his backpack? There would be a few seconds if not minutes where the suit is neither connected to a backpack nor the vehicle.

Grey Templar wrote:although Marines can still move in their armor, probably just down to normal human reaction times though

Well, as per the old Codex: Angels of Death "even a Space Marine would find it difficult to move" if the suit is unpowered. I assume that the fibre-bundles being rigid would make it hard for anyone to exert the full potential of their strength as they'd lose a lot of momentum with any action. Yeah, you may still move an arm or a leg, but it'll be quite demanding and prevent any sort of agility beyond that of a 90 year old senior citizen. Every step will be a struggle. For comparison ... imagine being stuck neck-deep in a pool of thick mud, perhaps?

Might be a good fitness exercise, though. I could the Black Templars practice something like that just because it's so tough.

Obviously where they keep a few PBJs, animal crackers and a carton of milk. Gotta keep fed to fight!

In a fort between waves of Orks;
"By the Emperor's light, is that banana pudding?!?! I'll trade you for some animal cookies brother, they have sprinkles."

someone told me it is a nucleair reactor, powering the suit.

bahzakhain wrote:
someone told me it is a nucleair reactor, powering the suit.

this

bahzakhain wrote:
someone told me it is a nucleair reactor, powering the suit.

It's lucky that none have exploded on me yet, then.

Apparently the Imperium has such a good grasp of technology they can build miniature fusion reactors that don't explode if you shoot at em.

But their plasma does all the time

 Grey Templar wrote:
Yeah, now the hatchs IRL will be large enough for the backpack but the crew are still plugged into the vehicle.

...Why would they need to be? Aren't regular passengers supposed to get in and out of vehicles through the side hatches? And doesn't the Rhino's roof open up for emergency evacuations anyway?


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Shandara wrote:
Apparently the Imperium has such a good grasp of technology they can build miniature fusion reactors that don't explode if you shoot at em.

But their plasma does all the time

I suspect it has something to do with the amount of power generated. Or maybe the fact that one is built to generate a smaller amount of power constantly and the other is built to generate a larger amount of power whenever the trigger's pulled, that's bound to make the irregular power supply less stable.

I was under the impression that Plasma weaponry had two gases as a fuel, that once combined and accelerated produced high intensity heat energy bolts, and that the two gases when mixing are extremely volatile which some times leads to over heating and eventual explosions (considering a lot of plasma weapons are pretty damn old there's probably some degradation of components involved too)...

BUT theorizing aside I remember reading some where that plasma weaponry can be plugged into the Backpack for a power supply, maybe the Inquisitor rule book or maybe one of the 40k RPG books....

Good read thanks guys...I assume using the no backpack model back from a turret on a bike would not jive then correct?

Ya know...that actually makes sense....why didn't I think of that hahahaha....that seems like a tiny liability, every Marine has basically a tiny nuke on his back to power his armor...well, rather that than no armor haha

I would assume that the bike provides some kind of power...I guess...

This explains why the drivers never survive an explotion! withouth the powersuply hook-up the armour is to heavy to move around in?

PS: Shurley the bikes have a dynamo hooked up to the wheel?

Fusion reactors don't explode when something goes wrong. They aren't bombs.

Even if they were. Nuclear bombs are unbelievably delicate and precise mechanisms. They are highly unlikely to explode because of physical trauma.

Kal-El wrote:
Good read thanks guys...I assume using the no backpack model back from a turret on a bike would not jive then correct?

Not necessarily, as the armor could be connected directly to the bike to draw power, and most likely has a battery in the armor so that the gunner can have a few hours/days of movement before the armor locks up. Of course, it would most likely have a reduced function to it to help reserve the power, so he won't be as dextrous as the driver.
Alternatively, it's possible that the gunner has his backpack stored under the seat along with his lunchbox in case he gets hungry during the fight.

Yeah, I'm assuming a few hours of battery power (reduced by excessive use of strength augmenting servos) myself, though that is of course just a gut-feeling / personal interpretation.

washout77 wrote:Ya know...that actually makes sense....why didn't I think of that hahahaha....that seems like a tiny liability, every Marine has basically a tiny nuke on his back to power his armor...well, rather that than no armor haha

Shame on you if you don't get the reference.