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These seem to appear on most veterans and space marine captains around their thighs. They simply look like an iron/steel/whatever garter with spikes or studs all around them.

You can see them here on the left legs of the Lord Executioner and Pedro Kantor.




And also on these Sternguard



Is there any meaning to them? Are they just generic symbols of veterancy, or are they awarded for certain feats? I'm curious to find out since I don't recall reading about these in any of the past space marine codices.

A generic piece of bling or medal. I don't think they are anything specific.

I'd note that khorne berzerkers have these as well:



Both straps with spikes and chains (and sometimes both).

I assumed that they're the "no means no" belt. Being able to thwart unwanted sexual advances being a critical part of fighting against Khorne's ultra-nemesis, Slaanesh.

Probably some kind of chastity belt

I just assumed that it was a cilice. Or at least, a cilice-like adornment to show a sign of personal repentance or devotion.

Gentlemen, we have found the female marines.

But, in all seriousness, It is most likely a form of medal, much like any of the decorations marines use. And for berserkers, I'll assume they picked one up because it was spiky.

 Idolator wrote:
I just assumed that it was a cilice. Or at least, a cilice-like adornment to show a sign of personal repentance or devotion.

I'd always assumed this too.

A cilice is a spiked/barbed band of metal worn around the leg. It's a medieval christian thing, to show piety through pain, like self-flagellation or wearing a hair shirt. And yes, wearing one on top of your ceramite armour plates would defeat the point. But I assume it's on the models as a visual connection to monastic traditions.

It probably is a cilice though when worn outside of the armour it could have a practical purpose such as the spikes on medieval armour had. That is to slice up the hands of people trying to hold you in place. I imagine the CSM often have people grabbing their legs and trying to stop them from doing things. These probably make that action more costly for the poor soul.

Technically, a cilice is a hair shirt. The metal spikes version has only really become commonly known since The Da Vinci Code.

 Idolator wrote:
I just assumed that it was a cilice. Or at least, a cilice-like adornment to show a sign of personal repentance or devotion.

This is correct.

It's a religious thing. The most extreme example is Opus Dei. Considering the general tone and interpretation of the Imperial Creed though, even amongst Marine groups, it seems like the most likely answer.

I-bounty-hunt-the-elderly wrote: to show piety through pain... And yes, wearing one on top of your ceramite armour plates would defeat the point.

... yeah.

Unless the cilice is the badge of office or mark of some order (and so the only use is heraldry), then yeah, it's not one of these.

 Ailaros wrote:

I-bounty-hunt-the-elderly wrote: to show piety through pain... And yes, wearing one on top of your ceramite armour plates would defeat the point.

... yeah.

Unless the cilice is the badge of office or mark of some order (and so the only use is heraldry), then yeah, it's not one of these.

While it would defeat the purpose in terms of actually digging into thigh meat it could represent that the marine in question actually wore one, for whatever reason, while not in battle. So it could be a sign of office/ honorific addition to power armor that represents something a marine actually did to his body... just like the service studs that are placed on a Marine's brow and sometimes duplicated on their helmet.

Iron leg halo?

 Flinty wrote:
Iron leg halo?

I'd want a ++ save near the frank and beans...

 Dust wrote:

 Ailaros wrote:

I-bounty-hunt-the-elderly wrote: to show piety through pain... And yes, wearing one on top of your ceramite armour plates would defeat the point.

... yeah.

Unless the cilice is the badge of office or mark of some order (and so the only use is heraldry), then yeah, it's not one of these.

While it would defeat the purpose in terms of actually digging into thigh meat it could represent that the marine in question actually wore one, for whatever reason, while not in battle. So it could be a sign of office/ honorific addition to power armor that represents something a marine actually did to his body... just like the service studs that are placed on a Marine's brow and sometimes duplicated on their helmet.

It might be functional. As far as we know it’s constantly zapping the marine with shocks through the armor.

I spotted something else as well.

See those little studs on the bottom of the greaves, on the sides?

On the right side of the Lord Executioner's right leg, on the right side of Kantor's left leg and on the insides of the bottom right Veteran's greaves?

What are those?

 BrotherHaraldus wrote:
I spotted something else as well.

See those little studs on the bottom of the greaves, on the sides?

On the right side of the Lord Executioner's right leg, on the right side of Kantor's left leg and on the insides of the bottom right Veteran's greaves?

What are those?

Whatever they are, they seem to be a standard part of the Mk. 8 leg armour. I'm guessing they make access to the ankle motor easier or something.

The thing about it harming the person.

To many marines the power armor is like a second skin to them, maybe they do it to show that while they are willing to take pain for the emperor, their armor shall protect them from all those who would try to harm them.

What's what? I don't see anything odd.

BrotherHaraldus wrote:On the right side of the Lord Executioner's right leg, on the right side of Kantor's left leg and on the insides of the bottom right Veteran's greaves?

What are those?

Power armor used to be riveted instead of welded. Those pieces of armor with rivets are bits of armor from thousands of years in the past. The reason why chapter masters and sternguard have them is because those pieces of armor are sacred relics of the chapter, and only certain marines are considered worthy of wearing them.

Back to the the spiky leg thing: they also show up on some SoB minis. So it’s not just a SM thing, and doesn’t require the black carapace.

The same detail shows up on a number of chaplain sculpts too (cassius, power armor chaplain with jump pack and chaplain in terminator armor). So the show of piety or devotion would make sense.

Or since power armor does not have back pockets, we have found the 40K version of the hanky code.

It doesn't actually have to still function as a cilice (in the Da Vinci Code-sense) for it to be symbolic of the cilice.
In that way it can just be a sign of piety and commitment.

Kinda like you how you don't need to nail an actual person to your little cross around your neck for it to symbolize the big wooden thing that a Jewish carpenter was supposedly nailed to.

ZebioLizard2 wrote:
To many marines the power armor is like a second skin to them, maybe they do it to show that while they are willing to take pain for the emperor, their armor shall protect them from all those who would try to harm them.

That's actually a really cool way of interpreting it!

Steelmage99 wrote:It doesn't actually have to still function as a cilice (in the Da Vinci Code-sense) for it to be symbolic of the cilice.
In that way it can just be a sign of piety and commitment.

Kinda like you how you don't need to nail an actual person to your little cross around your neck for it to symbolize the big wooden thing that a Jewish carpenter was supposedly nailed to.

I think it's this. Personally I always just thought it was a leg-halo, but the cilice thing makes more sense. Not as in an actual Iron Halo, but the Iron Halo symbol that is often seen on people (most notably on the Centurions, where it looks like Marks of Chaos Undivided). Also, the reason why people don't nail little people to crosses is because the little people went extinct after the Christians discovered their use as a sign of piety.

So, why do khorne berzerkers wear them, again? To show their purity and devotion to the emperor, I suppose.

 Ailaros wrote:
So, why do khorne berzerkers wear them, again? To show their purity and devotion to the emperor, I suppose.

Because they are too busy blooding for the blood god to get the glue remover and remove them?

Or perhaps due to the cilice's function of making people bleed the blood god is a fan?

 Ailaros wrote:
So, why do khorne berzerkers wear them, again? To show their purity and devotion to the emperor, I suppose.

Perhaps to always have pain and/or bleed, which makes them want to KILL more.

But experiencing pain for the purpose of experiencing pain is the purview of slaanesh, not khorne.

It should be noise marines that are constantly inflicting sensation on themselves, not berzerkers.

Because it is a devotional sign, and they are devoted to Khorne. While he might be a God of Violence and Slaughter... he's still a god, in the religious sense.