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Just wanted to get a confirmation on what is the ‘correct’ way to represent their trim colors according to the lore.

It seems like it’s a choice between:

Trim color representing their ‘role’- so Red trim for Assault, Green for Tactical etc

OR

Trim color representing their Company- 1st company is white, 2nd company is yellow or gold etc.

Do we know what is the most up-to-date or correct way of representing their trim colors?

I think trim is by Company now. Doesn't mean you can't do whatever you want anyways.

The codex astartes applies the colour by Company, White/Silver being first Company, Gold/Yellow being Second company, red being 3rd company, green 4th, black 5th, Orange for 6th, Purple for 7th, Grey for 8th blue for 9th, and the tenth company, the scout company does not have a heraldric colour.

Sikplex wrote:
Just wanted to get a confirmation on what is the ‘correct’ way to represent their trim colors according to the lore.

It seems like it’s a choice between:

Trim color representing their ‘role’- so Red trim for Assault, Green for Tactical etc

OR

Trim color representing their Company- 1st company is white, 2nd company is yellow or gold etc.

Do we know what is the most up-to-date or correct way of representing their trim colors?

For Codex Chapters pauldron trim denotes company number, as already posted/pictured. There are exceptions to this rule, however, as I recently learned in the White Scars thread.

Arcanis161 wrote:
I think trim is by Company now.

What do you mean "now"? It's been that way for as long as I can remember.

Doesn't mean you can't do whatever you want anyways.

This is true.

In a related note, the Blood Angels use helmet color to designate squad type. Blue for Devs, yellow for Assault. But that’s not trim.

Different codex chapters may display the color in different places. Shoulder pad rims, chest eagles, knee guards, etc. Generally though Codex chapters use the above colors and non standard chapters very greatly. Things change though, Raven Guard used to denote troop type with a single shoulder pad color. That has changed (since 6ed?) when the studio did a force up with all of the units wearing red trim (single shoulder pad rim) to denote Shrike's 3rd co.

Depends on Chapter. The Ultramarines use it to denote company. Raven Guard use it to denote squad type.

 Nevelon wrote:
In a related note, the Blood Angels use helmet color to designate squad type. Blue for Devs, yellow for Assault. But that’s not trim.

Makes more sense than marking targets for snipers.

 EmpNortonII wrote:

 Nevelon wrote:
In a related note, the Blood Angels use helmet color to designate squad type. Blue for Devs, yellow for Assault. But that’s not trim.

Makes more sense than marking targets for snipers.

their command staff also has colour coded hats.

their sergants meanwhile have color coded shoulder pads so they're marked even when their helmet is removed

Animus wrote:
Depends on Chapter. The Ultramarines use it to denote company. Raven Guard use it to denote squad type.

Raven Guard have moved away from that, as per the 6-7ed studio armies, the new version uses the one sholder trim to denote company.

 dracpanzer wrote:

Animus wrote:
Depends on Chapter. The Ultramarines use it to denote company. Raven Guard use it to denote squad type.

Raven Guard have moved away from that, as per the 6-7ed studio armies, the new version uses the one sholder trim to denote company.

I imagine it gets hard to remember all the little differances between chapters and for every exception to the codex in a canon chapter they have to spell it out, I know it'd drive me crazy if I played say raven guard

The Ultramarines and the Codex both use it to denote the Company


White/Silver = First Company with White Helmets
Yellow/Gold = Second
Red = Third
Green = Fourth
Black = Fifth
Orange-ish = Sixth
Purple = Seventh
Grey = Eighth
Blue = Ninth
No colour = Scouts


However, other chapters seem to only be painted in a single trim type. Whether this is for simplicity, whether GW models only depict a single company, whether they just reuse models, or they simply realised that these trim colours only make sense for Ultramarine palettes, who knows? For example, on Blood Ravens, every official depiction has Black Trim, suggesting 5th Company, but this could just be because black is the tertiary colour of the scheme and to make it Red for Gabriel Angelos company, for example, would not stand out, and make it Blue or Purple for 9th or 7th, would look garish

 Deadshot wrote:
The Ultramarines and the Codex both use it to denote the Company


White/Silver = First Company with White Helmets
Yellow/Gold = Second
Red = Third
Green = Fourth
Black = Fifth
Orange-ish = Sixth
Purple = Seventh
Grey = Eighth
Blue = Ninth
No colour = Scouts


However, other chapters seem to only be painted in a single trim type. Whether this is for simplicity, whether GW models only depict a single company, whether they just reuse models, or they simply realised that these trim colours only make sense for Ultramarine palettes, who knows? For example, on Blood Ravens, every official depiction has Black Trim, suggesting 5th Company, but this could just be because black is the tertiary colour of the scheme and to make it Red for Gabriel Angelos company, for example, would not stand out, and make it Blue or Purple for 9th or 7th, would look garish

I seem to recall reading somewhere well researching Blood Ravens when I made a company, that they use the kneepad for their company markings.

BrianDavion wrote:

 Deadshot wrote:
The Ultramarines and the Codex both use it to denote the Company


White/Silver = First Company with White Helmets
Yellow/Gold = Second
Red = Third
Green = Fourth
Black = Fifth
Orange-ish = Sixth
Purple = Seventh
Grey = Eighth
Blue = Ninth
No colour = Scouts


However, other chapters seem to only be painted in a single trim type. Whether this is for simplicity, whether GW models only depict a single company, whether they just reuse models, or they simply realised that these trim colours only make sense for Ultramarine palettes, who knows? For example, on Blood Ravens, every official depiction has Black Trim, suggesting 5th Company, but this could just be because black is the tertiary colour of the scheme and to make it Red for Gabriel Angelos company, for example, would not stand out, and make it Blue or Purple for 9th or 7th, would look garish

I seem to recall reading somewhere well researching Blood Ravens when I made a company, that they use the kneepad for their company markings.

I recall something similar but I haven't found a shred of anything conclusive. I collect them as my main army and when building my council of Captains I was searching for this info. In some depictions, they have one kneecap painted black and in others its just red like the rest of the armour. Now, this could be that these depictions represent the 5th and 3rd companies, the two most prominent, being that of the Force Commander and Gabriel Angelos respectively, but I find it dubious at best and its just my own speculation on that.

Shoulder trim denoting company was one of Guilliman's worst ideas. He may have been genius, but he obviously had not studied the colour theory. From that wide selection of colours there will be couple which actually work with any given colour scheme, other looking horrible. If you're doing your own chapter, I'd recommend another system. I personally prefer DA way of having a nice heraldic pattern on knee to denote the company.

 Crimson wrote:
Shoulder trim denoting company was one of Guilliman's worst ideas. He may have been genius, but he obviously had not studied the colour theory. From that wide selection of colours there will be couple which actually work with any given colour scheme, other looking horrible. If you're doing your own chapter, I'd recommend another system. I personally prefer DA way of having a nice heraldic pattern on knee to denote the company.

it's worth noting the shoulder trim colour is more of a "suggestion" and Gulliman outright enchourages chapters to mix it up and even change it on occasion to keep the enemy guessing

BrianDavion wrote:

 Crimson wrote:
Shoulder trim denoting company was one of Guilliman's worst ideas. He may have been genius, but he obviously had not studied the colour theory. From that wide selection of colours there will be couple which actually work with any given colour scheme, other looking horrible. If you're doing your own chapter, I'd recommend another system. I personally prefer DA way of having a nice heraldic pattern on knee to denote the company.

it's worth noting the shoulder trim colour is more of a "suggestion" and Gulliman outright enchourages chapters to mix it up and even change it on occasion to keep the enemy guessing

Yes but we all know Gulliman didn't just drop the idiot ball when he wrote Magic Space Book, he smashed that so hard Slaanesh was like "dude, chill".

 EmpNortonII wrote:

 Nevelon wrote:
In a related note, the Blood Angels use helmet color to designate squad type. Blue for Devs, yellow for Assault. But that’s not trim.

Makes more sense than marking targets for snipers.

How do the snipers know what the colours mean?

 Flinty wrote:

 EmpNortonII wrote:

 Nevelon wrote:
In a related note, the Blood Angels use helmet color to designate squad type. Blue for Devs, yellow for Assault. But that’s not trim.

Makes more sense than marking targets for snipers.

How do the snipers know what the colours mean?

Also, even if colour wasn't a factor, there are plenty of other things like skulls and laurels to make them stand out to snipers.

Also also - most enemy forces know by now that Imperial officers tend to leave their helmets off and heads exposed on the battlefield anyway!

As always, shoot the shouty ones

However most non-compliant Chapters do have their own trim colour scheme so if you're doing one of them be sure to check.