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Hey guys,

Do members of the Astra Militarum wear Power Armour? I know that I could create any fan fiction that allows for this, but are the any canon occurrences of anybody within the Astra Militarum wearing Power Armour?

Because I know members of the Inquisition (excluding the Chamber Militant forces) can wear Imperial Power Armour (Ignatus Power Armour in particular), but I've never heard of the forces of the Astra Militarum wearing it.

Cheers guys

 IllumiNini wrote:
Hey guys,

Do members of the Astra Militarum wear Power Armour? I know that I could create any fan fiction that allows for this, but are the any canon occurrences of anybody within the Astra Militarum wearing Power Armour?

Because I know members of the Inquisition (excluding the Chamber Militant forces) can wear Imperial Power Armour (Ignatus Power Armour in particular), but I've never heard of the forces of the Astra Militarum wearing it.

Cheers guys

The AM don't tend to, seeing as it's a very rare resource, and usually requires a lot of training or surgery to equip, something the Departmento Munitorum don't do.

Sororitas, Techpriests and Inquisitors only do because they have the political backing to do so - guardsmen are so expendable they simply aren't worth it.

 Sgt_Smudge wrote:
The AM don't tend to, seeing as it's a very rare resource, and usually requires a lot of training or surgery to equip, something the Departmento Munitorum don't do.

Sororitas, Techpriests and Inquisitors only do because they have the political backing to do so - guardsmen are so expendable they simply aren't worth it.

Fair enough, but I figured it might be worth the time and resources to give it to some of the higher level combatants such as Colonels and their elite guard (if they have one).

 IllumiNini wrote:

 Sgt_Smudge wrote:
The AM don't tend to, seeing as it's a very rare resource, and usually requires a lot of training or surgery to equip, something the Departmento Munitorum don't do.

Sororitas, Techpriests and Inquisitors only do because they have the political backing to do so - guardsmen are so expendable they simply aren't worth it.

Fair enough, but I figured it might be worth the time and resources to give it to some of the higher level combatants such as Colonels and their elite guard (if they have one).

Considering how many Colonels are in the guard, and that many of them might not even fight on the front lines, I still doubt it.

There could be a situation if a certain leader had a lot of political clout (best friends with an Inquisitor/Techpriest/Ecclesiarch), but it's by no means the norm. It's exceedingly rare, and I'd tend to avoid it, for fear of Special Snowflake Syndrome.
What's the backstory behind this?

Pretty sure the AM doesn't usually utilize power armor. I know that the Kasrkin Carapace armor is technically powered armor, as it has a suite of electronical stuff integrated into it.

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Carapace_armour

I think advanced Carapace armor, namely the Solar pattern Void Armor, which is from the Heresy is the closest thing to Space Marine type power armor you're going to get.

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Solar_Pattern_Void_Armour

As Smudge pointed out, it's not cheap, and it's time consuming to train normal soldiers to use it, and is definitely a luxury item. That said, there IS power armor that the Ad Mec produces that one could buy, but without the black carapace geneseed, it's not going to be easy to pilot, though doable. It's also worth pointing out that Adepta Sororitas Power Armor is built for them, so you're not likely going to be able to get that one, and inquisitorial power armor is literally hand-crafted for the inquisitor, so you probably wont be able to get those either.

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Power_Armour

Hope this helps you.

Well Colonel was just an example of a relatively high (but exceedingly common) rank that may allow for Power Armour.

As for the backstory? I'm curious to know how far I can stretch fiction with the AM and this is part of that.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Ori Disciple wrote:
Pretty sure the AM doesn't usually utilize power armor. I know that the Kasrkin Carapace armor is technically powered armor, as it has a suite of electronical stuff integrated into it.

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Carapace_armour

I think advanced Carapace armor, namely the Solar pattern Void Armor, which is from the Heresy is the closest thing to Space Marine type power armor you're going to get.

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Solar_Pattern_Void_Armour

As Smudge pointed out, it's not cheap, and it's time consuming to train normal soldiers to use it, and is definitely a luxury item. That said, there IS power armor that the Ad Mec produces that one could buy, but without the black carapace geneseed, it's not going to be easy to pilot, though doable. It's also worth pointing out that Adepta Sororitas Power Armor is built for them, so you're not likely going to be able to get that one, and inquisitorial power armor is literally hand-crafted for the inquisitor, so you probably wont be able to get those either.

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Power_Armour

Hope this helps you.

Thanks! That actually does help a lot!

 Sgt_Smudge wrote:

There could be a situation if a certain leader had a lot of political clout (best friends with an Inquisitor/Techpriest/Ecclesiarch), but it's by no means the norm. It's exceedingly rare, and I'd tend to avoid it, for fear of Special Snowflake Syndrome.
What's the backstory behind this?

From what I read, it seems to be more of an issue of having the resources and likely a connection to a power armor manufacturer than political clout. Honestly, I doubt a colonel could afford the cost. I'd say probably a general or higher is the lowest rank that "COULD" theoretically get it, and even then kinda unlikely. I second someone having power armor and not associated with the Inquisition/Rogue Traders or Sororitas/Astartes is very rare.

Ori Disciple wrote:

 Sgt_Smudge wrote:

There could be a situation if a certain leader had a lot of political clout (best friends with an Inquisitor/Techpriest/Ecclesiarch), but it's by no means the norm. It's exceedingly rare, and I'd tend to avoid it, for fear of Special Snowflake Syndrome.
What's the backstory behind this?

From what I read, it seems to be more of an issue of having the resources and likely a connection to a power armor manufacturer than political clout. Honestly, I doubt a colonel could afford the cost. I'd say probably a general or higher is the lowest rank that "COULD" theoretically get it, and even then kinda unlikely. I second someone having power armor and not associated with the Inquisition/Rogue Traders or Sororitas/Astartes is very rare.

Exactly - they need the connection/politics to do it.

It's not impossible, but it's a pretty damn rare thing.

 Sgt_Smudge wrote:

Exactly - they need the connection/politics to do it.

It's not impossible, but it's a pretty damn rare thing.

Plus don't forget: assuming you find a manufacturer, likely a forge world, you'd need to convince them to stop making armor of whoever they normally make it for, likely replacement armor for the Sororitas if you're lucky, and the Astartes if you're not, to make you one. This is probably where having some political clout is needed. I don't see that as being easy to do.

Exactly. You can assume high-ranking Imperial Nobility can get it if so inclined - certainly it's a realistic option for rogue traders and lord generals ('planetary' scale battlefront commanders) but for anyone much lower down the scale than that it's both politically inaccessible and economically unaffordable.

The Adepta Sororitas only get it because they're bankrolled by the vast wealth of the ecclesiarchy, and their numbers are pitifully small compared to a 'proper' army for so large an organisation.

Pretty sure the AM doesn't usually utilize power armor. I know that the Kasrkin Carapace armor is technically powered armor, as it has a suite of electronical stuff integrated into it.

I think advanced Carapace armor, namely the Solar pattern Void Armor, which is from the Heresy is the closest thing to Space Marine type power armor you're going to get.

Power Armour - in the sense usually meant in 40k - means artificially enhanced musculature. I don't believe either of those include that, for all that it has the auto-senses element not a million miles from astartes armour.

A good metrestick is whether, when in said armour, man-portable heavy weapons are possible. The enhanced strength is why a single sister retributory can carry and use a heavy bolter solo rather than being part of a loader/gunner weapons team.

Ori Disciple wrote:

 Sgt_Smudge wrote:

Exactly - they need the connection/politics to do it.

It's not impossible, but it's a pretty damn rare thing.

Plus don't forget: assuming you find a manufacturer, likely a forge world, you'd need to convince them to stop making armor of whoever they normally make it for, likely replacement armor for the Sororitas if you're lucky, and the Astartes if you're not, to make you one. This is probably where having some political clout is needed. I don't see that as being easy to do.

This is probably why Inquisitors can equip henchmen with power armor but a high ranking commissar can't get anything better than carapace.

I could imagine a particularly wealthy Inquisitor talking with the high ranking Tech Priest of a forge world.
Inquisitor: "I am in need of 50 suits of power armor for my... personal body guard"
Tech Priest: "We servants of the Omnissiah are tasked with the sacred duty of crafting the mighty Astarte's holy armor" He takes a quick glance at some of the riff raff that accompanies the inquisitor. "We do not have time to indulge your eccentricities of wanting sacred power armor for the filth and degenerates you call "henchmen" that you probably dredged up from the gutters of some hive world"
I: "My dear servant of our glorious god Emperor. Me and my men are all servants just like yourself. While you work tirelessly tending to the technology and relics of the Imperium, we too work tirelessly to root out the corruption and decay that tries to infect the minds and the spirit of our glorious Imperium. You would be assisting me and my men in this most important of tasks by steeling us in the finest armor that mere mortals may wear. And your cooperation would be greatly compensated."
TP: "I am not interested in your money or whatever political favors you may thing might sway me Inquisitor. We of the Mechanicus are the children and servants of the Omnissiah and he provides us with his blessing and fulfills our lives by giving us purpose in service to his glory. What could you possibly hope to offer that would convince me to halt our most sacred of tasks to fulfill this misguided indulgence of yours?"
I: "In my possession I have a few Jokaero that I would be so inclined as to leave here for a time. As you may know these wondrous creatures are quite adept at finding... new purpose for baubles and gadgets while also unlocking unknown potential within machines. I dare say the marvels that these curious beings are able to create are..... out of this world".
The tech priest appeared to be lost in thought and the inquisitor for a moment thought he saw moisture building around the priest's eye lens.
I: "Imagine the possibilities that could be achived with a whole.. dare I say, barrel of Jokaero tinkering within the walls of this glorious manufactorum. And in helping us with this task we can avoid any unnessicary..... complications that may arise."
The tech priest quickly regained his composure.
TP: "What do you mean by "complications" inquisitor?"
I: "I would hate to see this spectacular facility shut down for a through cleansing of any chaos taint due to some daemonhost that may or may not have gotten loose"

Sounds like our Rogue Trader group.

A quote from the last week's game:

"...Put us into low orbit over the planetary capital and prepare for saturation orbital diplomacy...."

If you had a good relationship with the ad mech or access to existing relic suits produced.

Unless your high ranking there not giving you the time of day in regard to power armour. You need rank and connections

Pretty sure Tech-priests could have a modified power armour in 3ed but not 100%. Maybe I'm just messing it up because I distinctly remmember them having a 3+ armour save.

Fluffwise this is actually strange. While I buy the "keep your soldier at maximum cost-efficency" I don't buy how there isn't even a single special character in the guard codex with power armour. From a fluff stand point it can't really be defended and the codex represents the setting wrong in this case. A power armour is rare item but not as rare as the space marines themselves and you see them everywhere in the fluff.
Why would a noble who'se been recruited as an officier not bring his family power armour? Why would a savlar chem dog not steal a power armour from a dead SoB? Why would you not give Ursarkar E Creed the honour of wearing a power armour or have a power armour corps on cadia? You know, the most strategically important world in the galaxy? Almost as if a few companies of power armoured elite guardsmen could be usefull there.

As a side note I assume there was some form of ancient decree that Power armour may only be worn by astartes for whatever reason. In DH the power armour has a battery time of about 12 hours which, while limiting does not explain how the sisters would make it work or how a an especially distinguished general can't bring along a bunch of extra batteries or even a secondary set to swap into while the power armour re-charges.

Nerak wrote:

As a side note I assume there was some form of ancient decree that Power armour may only be worn by astartes for whatever reason. In DH the power armour has a battery time of about 12 hours which, while limiting does not explain how the sisters would make it work or how a an especially distinguished general can't bring along a bunch of extra batteries or even a secondary set to swap into while the power armour re-charges.

You sure it only lasts 12 hours?

"Sororitas Power Armour is relatively lighter than most suits, providing excellent protection and increased strength at negligible loss to the user's mobility and agility. It uses the same power source as the Astartes, and thus will effectively last forever if properly maintained and undamaged."
http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Power_Armour

You might be thinking of the non Astartes/Sororitas Armor. Those do have weaker batteries that only last a few hours normally. Hell, Dark Heresy has the battery life being 1d5 hours per battery, which isn't much, but would probably be fine for short engagements. I wouldn't imagine that these batteries are the same size as the ones the Astartes/Sororitas use, though likely still a backpack so it doesn't impede with movement.

edit: Actually, reading further says that Astartes Armor can't be worn by others because of how it's specially designed for the Black Carapace. So less of a decree that "you better not wear it" and more of a it won't work for you" kind of deal. Plus I doubt an Astartes would like seeing you wearing one. Same probably goes for the Sororitas.

High ranking officers (guys like Lord Commanders etc, not simple colonels or generals) could have a suit of power armour for ceremonial purposes or the very, very rare instance they ever travel to a frontline.

Examples:

Warmaster Tiber Achilus:


Lord General Militant Solomon Tetrarchus:

I believe my Metal IG Stormtroopers wore something resembling a smaller version of power armor, though they were kind of phased out and made into kasrkins. But it definitely was something more substantial than flakk armor

 IllumiNini wrote:
Hey guys,

Do members of the Astra Militarum wear Power Armour? I know that I could create any fan fiction that allows for this, but are the any canon occurrences of anybody within the Astra Militarum wearing Power Armour?

Because I know members of the Inquisition (excluding the Chamber Militant forces) can wear Imperial Power Armour (Ignatus Power Armour in particular), but I've never heard of the forces of the Astra Militarum wearing it.

Cheers guys

Nope, I'm afraid not. The guard are stuck with t-shirts (flak ahem 'armour') and carapace armour, if thrthe really lucky.

Ori Disciple wrote:

Nerak wrote:

As a side note I assume there was some form of ancient decree that Power armour may only be worn by astartes for whatever reason. In DH the power armour has a battery time of about 12 hours which, while limiting does not explain how the sisters would make it work or how a an especially distinguished general can't bring along a bunch of extra batteries or even a secondary set to swap into while the power armour re-charges.

You sure it only lasts 12 hours?

"Sororitas Power Armour is relatively lighter than most suits, providing excellent protection and increased strength at negligible loss to the user's mobility and agility. It uses the same power source as the Astartes, and thus will effectively last forever if properly maintained and undamaged."
http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Power_Armour

You might be thinking of the non Astartes/Sororitas Armor. Those do have weaker batteries that only last a few hours normally. Hell, Dark Heresy has the battery life being 1d5 hours per battery, which isn't much, but would probably be fine for short engagements. I wouldn't imagine that these batteries are the same size as the ones the Astartes/Sororitas use, though likely still a backpack so it doesn't impede with movement.

edit: Actually, reading further says that Astartes Armor can't be worn by others because of how it's specially designed for the Black Carapace. So less of a decree that "you better not wear it" and more of a it won't work for you" kind of deal. Plus I doubt an Astartes would like seeing you wearing one. Same probably goes for the Sororitas.

Battle sister reply may be... *sound of flamer and bolter fire*

Plus space marine chapters prize there suits, there often relics and historied. Don,t steal it... You may not enjoy it. Only a mad.man would rob a space wolf etc.

Even Warmaster Macharius only wore carapace armour so...Yeah. I would say they are extremely rare to say the least! Personally I would avoid using that to avoid the super special snowflake syndrome.

 jhe90 wrote:

Ori Disciple wrote:

Nerak wrote:

As a side note I assume there was some form of ancient decree that Power armour may only be worn by astartes for whatever reason. In DH the power armour has a battery time of about 12 hours which, while limiting does not explain how the sisters would make it work or how a an especially distinguished general can't bring along a bunch of extra batteries or even a secondary set to swap into while the power armour re-charges.

You sure it only lasts 12 hours?

"Sororitas Power Armour is relatively lighter than most suits, providing excellent protection and increased strength at negligible loss to the user's mobility and agility. It uses the same power source as the Astartes, and thus will effectively last forever if properly maintained and undamaged."
http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Power_Armour

You might be thinking of the non Astartes/Sororitas Armor. Those do have weaker batteries that only last a few hours normally. Hell, Dark Heresy has the battery life being 1d5 hours per battery, which isn't much, but would probably be fine for short engagements. I wouldn't imagine that these batteries are the same size as the ones the Astartes/Sororitas use, though likely still a backpack so it doesn't impede with movement.

edit: Actually, reading further says that Astartes Armor can't be worn by others because of how it's specially designed for the Black Carapace. So less of a decree that "you better not wear it" and more of a it won't work for you" kind of deal. Plus I doubt an Astartes would like seeing you wearing one. Same probably goes for the Sororitas.

Battle sister reply may be... *sound of flamer and bolter fire*

Plus space marine chapters prize there suits, there often relics and historied. Don,t steal it... You may not enjoy it. Only a mad.man would rob a space wolf etc.

A mad man... or a magpie.

now that said this is 40k, there are all sorts of possiabiklities. I suppose it's possiable there's a planet out there with lots of money and clout whose got a regiment of guard equiped in full power armor.

Didnt the spyrer nobles use versions in necromunda not full warplate but something similar

 dekinrie wrote:
Didnt the spyrer nobles use versions in necromunda not full warplate but something similar

Spyrer Hunting Rigs are a type of power armour, yeah. Not 100% Imperial though. More like the heretekal hatechildren of power armour and Eldar Aspect armour.

 Furyou Miko wrote:

 dekinrie wrote:
Didnt the spyrer nobles use versions in necromunda not full warplate but something similar

Spyrer Hunting Rigs are a type of power armour, yeah. Not 100% Imperial though. More like the heretekal hatechildren of power armour and Eldar Aspect armour.

there were xenos origin for sure, not imperial power armour.


Imperial Guard get flak armour for the grunts and carapace armour for officers and spec ops. that's it.

other high ranking officials and people like the sisters get a version of power armour but still not the same as marine power armour as the don't have the black carapace for full integration into their bodies

Ori Disciple wrote:

Nerak wrote:

As a side note I assume there was some form of ancient decree that Power armour may only be worn by astartes for whatever reason. In DH the power armour has a battery time of about 12 hours which, while limiting does not explain how the sisters would make it work or how a an especially distinguished general can't bring along a bunch of extra batteries or even a secondary set to swap into while the power armour re-charges.

You sure it only lasts 12 hours?

"Sororitas Power Armour is relatively lighter than most suits, providing excellent protection and increased strength at negligible loss to the user's mobility and agility. It uses the same power source as the Astartes, and thus will effectively last forever if properly maintained and undamaged."
http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Power_Armour

You might be thinking of the non Astartes/Sororitas Armor. Those do have weaker batteries that only last a few hours normally. Hell, Dark Heresy has the battery life being 1d5 hours per battery, which isn't much, but would probably be fine for short engagements. I wouldn't imagine that these batteries are the same size as the ones the Astartes/Sororitas use, though likely still a backpack so it doesn't impede with movement.

edit: Actually, reading further says that Astartes Armor can't be worn by others because of how it's specially designed for the Black Carapace. So less of a decree that "you better not wear it" and more of a it won't work for you" kind of deal. Plus I doubt an Astartes would like seeing you wearing one. Same probably goes for the Sororitas.

Not sure about the timespan, just wrote what I recall from memory. Will have to check the book. I recall reading somewhere that there's a small nucleor reactor in the power armour backpack. Can't provide a source on it though. Maybe the leftover radiation renders you sterile and that's why nobody wants to use it

Astartes Power Armour is powered by a pocked fusion reactor. In the codex materials, so is Sororitas power armour.

Because the Sisters aren't allowed nice things, FFG downgraded all their equipment, which is why they have battery-powered light power armour with reinforced chest pieces, instead of the astartes-grade power armour (minus the life support) they have in Tabletop.

In a setting with untold trillions of people in the imperium, with millions if not billions of IG regiments, of varying size, speciality, wealth and other variables, whilst the chance is remote that a guard regiment may have access to some form of power armour, it is still plausible due to the sheers size of the setting.

Heck, the general of the regiment may incidentally be very very very wealthy and so throws money at his troops for the crack of it, to sustain his own vanity even that his army is better equipped than all other regiments he knows of.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

endlesswaltz123 wrote:
In a setting with untold trillions of people inhabiting the imperium, with millions if not billions of IG regiments, of varying size, speciality, wealth and other variables, whilst the chance is remote that a guard regiment may have access to some form of power armour, it is still plausible due to the sheers size of the setting.

Heck, the general of the regiment may incidentally be very very very wealthy and so throws money at his troops for the crack of it, to sustain his own vanity even that his army is better equipped than all other regiments he knows of.

 Furyou Miko wrote:
Astartes Power Armour is powered by a pocked fusion reactor. In the codex materials, so is Sororitas power armour.

Because the Sisters aren't allowed nice things, FFG downgraded all their equipment, which is why they have battery-powered light power armour with reinforced chest pieces, instead of the astartes-grade power armour (minus the life support) they have in Tabletop.

Well in the tabletop you can get a 3+ save from a bionic arm...

 Ashiraya wrote:

 Furyou Miko wrote:
Astartes Power Armour is powered by a pocked fusion reactor. In the codex materials, so is Sororitas power armour.

Because the Sisters aren't allowed nice things, FFG downgraded all their equipment, which is why they have battery-powered light power armour with reinforced chest pieces, instead of the astartes-grade power armour (minus the life support) they have in Tabletop.

Well in the tabletop you can get a 3+ save from a bionic arm...

...