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This is specifically relating to fluff/lore accurate Codex chapters.

Do the armor colors for space marine chapters follow the same "rules" as Ultramarines as described in the codex?. I am looking to paint Imperial Fist, specifically the 5th company with the black trim.
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Is a Chaplain still black armor with the yellow should pad?
Librarian dark blue armor with Yellow shoulder pad?
Apocathary White armor with yellow shoulder pad?
Google search provided results for these and seems to be the case.

This one im a bit unsure on...
Tech Marine-???? Red with yellow shoulder? The google is showing yellow techmarines or half and half.

Again, im not wanting subjective "its your army, do what you want" im going for strict adherence to the lore/chapter heraldry.

What about these?
Company Ancient- Veteran helmet and white trim with standard IF scheme.
Company Champion?- just white veteran helmet/white trim and standard IF scheme?

Any other off color armor for special characters?

Special characters or characters generally? The only ones I know are established parts of the heraldry are Chaplain (black), Librarian (blue), Apothecary (white), Techmarine (red) with one Chapter-coloured pauldron on each, banners and champions are generally just standard veteran schemes (usually a different coloured helmet).

As to whether other Chapters follow them off the top of my head I know the Blood Angels do, the Dark Angels use some of them (the Deathwing Apothecary is still in the normal Deathwing scheme, but Chaplains are in black and Librarians in blue), and the Space Wolves ignore it, I'd assume the other Codex-compliant Chapters do use character colours.

Also, remember that the Codex offers many options for color schemes, and even recommends shifting things around periodically so your foes cannot predict you.

The Rule of Cool is also always applicable.

And things shift over time, and by chapter. For example, here is a selection of 3rd edition Librarians:


Any of them pure blue with a chapter shoulder? Nope. They all look cool? Yup. Closest is the Iron Hand, and I don’t think he’s got the offical shade of blue going on.

I know you don’t want the “your dudes” answer, but remember the Codex was written with Your Dudes in mind. Moreso then current GW.

on my libbys I use thousand son blue, it's my way of giving a cheeky little nod to the fact that the 1k sons where the founders of the Librarius

BrianDavion wrote:
on my libbys I use thousand son blue, it's my way of giving a cheeky little nod to the fact that the 1k sons where the founders of the Librarius

Cool. I didn't realize that bit of lore., i may steal that


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 AnomanderRake wrote:
Special characters or characters generally? The only ones I know are established parts of the heraldry are Chaplain (black), Librarian (blue), Apothecary (white), Techmarine (red) with one Chapter-coloured pauldron on each, banners and champions are generally just standard veteran schemes (usually a different coloured helmet).

I mean non named characters. What you listed was my understanding. I guess I was finding some of the non compliant chapters, I would imagine Imperial fist would be compliant side as opposed to the Dark ANgel drama, red headed step childs that is BA, Grey wolf viking rage, etc...

 Dynas wrote:
Do the armor colors for space marine chapters follow the same "rules" as Ultramarines as described in the codex?. I am looking to paint Imperial Fist, specifically the 5th company with the black trim.

Yes Imperial Fists follow codex designated colouring. So 5th company would wear black trim.

Is a Chaplain still black armor with the yellow should pad?
Librarian dark blue armor with Yellow shoulder pad?
Apocathary White armor with yellow shoulder pad?
Tech Marine-???? Red with yellow shoulder? The google is showing yellow techmarines or half and half.

This as far as I can tell is a bit interchangeable. Most codex/white dwarf art shows the auxiliary command in role colour with chapter colour on pauldron, but then the studios painters have a habit of painting apothecaries all in chapter colour with their pauldrons painted white. As an example, 4th edition Dark Angels codex shows Librarians, Chaplains and Techmarines all painted in their respective colours, but with a green pauldron, while the (single) apothecary shown gets green armour with a white pauldron and helmet.
Again, 4th ed Space Marines codex is the same, the 2nd company ultramarines apoth is in blue armour with a white pauldron/helmet. The same codex shows both ultramarine chaplains and techmarines in different colour schemes on the same page.

There are probably more examples of this throughout other codices, but I don't have them to hand at the moment. So with this, I would say you are codex approved to paint them whichever way you like better or feel more comfortable doing.
Personally, for models like apothecaries or techmarines, it would depend on whether they are front line or not. A front line apothecary would be more likely to wear green armour then white, so that he blends better among his brothers. Can't be picked out by enemy snipers that way. Where as an Apothecary who's centred back on a strike cruiser or fortress monastery would wear white because he's not in an immediate combat role. Same goes for techmarines. It would make sense for a tactically minded chapter.
Where as on the other hand, Chaplains I feel would be more inclined to wear their colours loudly as they probably want the enemy to know they're there. They're front line warriors as much as the standard battle-brothers but it's also about that intimidation and shock effect. And when the enemy sees a skull headed black clad monster running towards them, and they piss themselves out of fear, then the desired effect has been achieved.

What about these?
Company Ancient- Veteran helmet and white trim with standard IF scheme.
Company Champion?- just white veteran helmet/white trim and standard IF scheme?
Any other off color armor for special characters?

I can't comment on any of these as I can't find any specific examples of them. But I would think that standard veteran colours should work for them. However Sentinals of Terra mentions that veteran sergeants are called "Sternhelms" and have a black helmet with white stripe. Whether this is chapter wide or just for 3rd company, it doesn't make further reference.

Company Ancient- Veteran helmet and white trim with standard IF scheme.
Company Champion?- just white veteran helmet/white trim and standard IF scheme?
Any other off color armor for special characters?

The shoulders and trim are in company colors. only the helmet is white for veterans, unless they happen to also be in the company with white trim. By guilliman’s codex you can throw a couple of white helmeted models in your normal tac/assault/dev squads, although the rules for just having a random 2-attack bolter marine would be pretty useless if they existed.

There’s a source for that in Insignium Astartes. Not going to quote but you can find it online with a little bit of looking. Probably some of the different editions’ marine codexes too

I looked at the Sentinels of Terra book thinking they'd have the color scheme for the Imperial Fists, but then noticed all the examples for Librarian, Chaplin, and Apothecary were Ultramarine models with the shoulder pad out of frame.