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From what older imagery and the previous codex tells us, Raven Guard mark their pauldrons in a specific colour to distinguish between unit types: Green for tactical marines, red for assault marines and yellow for devastators. However, GW`s imagery does not seem to correspond to this anymore: in the back of the old codex was an image of tactical marines sporting red-rimmed pauldrons. Fair enough, choice/mistake by the painter. However, the new codex, especially the LE version of the Sons of Corax, also sports a tactical marine with a red pauldron lining. Is this just sloppiness on GW`s part or should we expect a change-around of the colours (I`m not painting my dev pauldrons fething pink if it comes to that)

That's not all, the pic of their Vanguard Veterans has them sporting white arms as well as pads, which I don't remember being a thing before:


However it's not like it's the first time GW have changed or flat out ignored these outlines. For instance Ultramarines' 2nd company - y'know, THE POSTER BOYS FOR COLOUR SCHEMING - should have yellow trims and not gold. All Blood Angel veterans should have a skull on their right shoulderpad. Back-banners for Sergeants disappeared entirely. I wouldn't be surprised if the squad-based trim markings have gone entirely in the new Codex.

2nd company Ultramarines changing from yellow trim and red guns to gold trim and black guns was part of the grimdarking up of 40k that happened in the late 90s. Personally, I prefer the brighter, more cartoony scheme, but I get why they switched it. Markings change at the whim of the folks at GW. As long as your army is consistent throughout, it doesn't matter all that much.

Yeah it seems that whatever makes a nice powerful contrast goes. I guess I`ll remain a traditionalist and stick with the green over black.

In the new space marines codex they do seem to be unusually consistent with Raven Guard markings.

Raven Guard now use something similar to the Ultramarines/'Codex' method for their troop markings.

For example, the image of the Raven Guard tactical marine with the red shoulder pad is because he is 3rd Company, 5th squad.

There's also a picture of a 2nd company Raven Guard devastator (9th squad), with gold trim.

The left shoulder pads are now left with black trim.

 Compel wrote:
.The left shoulder pads are now left with black trim.

The Raven Guard only used the right shoulder pad trim to designate tactical markings, the left has always been black. Its pretty obvious that GW doubled down on the 5ed studio army being all red as Shrike's 3rd Co. and changed it so that Raven Guard right shoulder pad trim is a company designation. Yellow for second, red for third as above, as per the Codex. When I saw the LE Raven Guard cover, which has a 3rd co tac marine on it. I painted over all mine with black, They look better anyways IMO, and I've always played fifth company anyhow.