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Hey, I was just wondering the other day. Does Death korps ever remove their gasmasks? Ive read something about that some refuse to take them off but what about the others?

I don't remember the exact quote but if i remember in the book "Dead Men Walking" the commissar attached to the DKoK regiment makes the observation that he's never seen one without it on.

Later on in the book a grenadier does take his off (by order, not under his own choice) and commissar again notes his appearance, pale skin and greasy hair.

You get the impression through the book its a second skin to them that they will almost never if at all take off their gas masks.

I suppose they'd have to take them off to eat and drink

Nope, the air supply also feeds them both food and water.

Its all explained in the Siege of Vraks part 1, IIRC, tho in Dead Men Walking, they just lift their mask, drink/eat and its done.

 Bobthehero wrote:
Nope, the air supply also feeds them both food and water.

This is indeed true. Because the Death Korp operate primarily in radioactive, isotope soaked wastelands where the merest contact with the vapours makes contact with Sarin vapours look like a picnic, they can't just take off their masks to eat & drink so it makes sense that there is both a food and liquid intake built into the main airtube of their mask. It also backs up the faceless masse aspect of the Death Korp because then they don't ever need to take their masks off unless it gets damaged beyond repair.

Basically, only rarely do they remove their masks.

On Krieg its because their enviornment is just that toxic. Plus they are often sent to places where there are toxins in the air.

Outside of that, its mostly by habit they don't remove their mask.

They don't, at least not before outsiders, since apart from its protective properties, its used to hide the fact that they're all clones (an abhorrent practice in the greater Imperium).

As has been iterated in almost every thread involving the DKoK; they are not clones. We don't know what the vitae womb actually is, there are many theories (from cloning to quicker gestation cycle to always birthing multiple children and many more) but we just don't know. The Vitae Womb, whatever it does, does cause concern amongst the Adeptus Biologis but the High Lords of Terra overruled their concerns about its use on Krieg.

The point of the Death Korp is that they reflect the young, 'faceless' millions who fought in the Great War, who, buoyed up on patrotric propaganda, went to their deaths in the fields of Europe. Essentially the Death Korp reflects the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier - the hundreds of thousands who died fighting but could not be indentified or whose bodies were never found. Within the Death Korp they are not individuals, just a tiny, numbered, 'faceless' cog in a greater machine (their regiment).

Well, since we don't know really know the details, then clones are just as valid as any other hypothesis. So for me and maybe others, they are clones.

But since we don't know the details, it could also be just as Havelock theorised.

I personally enjoy entertaining the idea that they aren't clones. Oh Krieg, how you tantalise my mind. What pale, war-ravaged body lies under that mask and chem-laden coat? What scars do you all carry? What horrors have your eyes fallen upon through dusty lenses? A young man; ill looking, irradiated, scarred and burned through gentle exposure of war's soft caress. The valiant mind turned to a blistering duty for the God-Emperor whereby death is the only release and reward.

Or the 'originals' stay on Krieg to man the manufactories and other non-military-related matters, and their clones are instead sent to the battlefield. Thus, the 'originals' remain healthy, providing a steady stream of healthy copies for the Imperial war machine.

Or... it's any of the above. How's that?

 Eiríkr wrote:
Or... it's any of the above. How's that?

I can live with that...to each their own.

What if they are geneticallly altered orks that are just waiting to rip out of the fleshy krieg costumes to consume and conquer?

That the air supply feeds them is quite possible. But some forge world models dont have any tubes connected to the gasmask (e.g the senior officer in the command hq squad) what about them?

Good point. Wonder if that is a bit of 'rule of cool' or they just plug into one of the filtrationunitthingies when they're feeling peckish?

The FW Siege of Vraks Part One section on the equipment says the gas mask has a pipe for water, and that this is supplemented by stimulants and nutrient tablets to enable them to soldier on. It is never said that they live on this permanently. The impression given is that it is a form of emergency nutrition like today's emergency ration bars.

Their canteens can have a adaptor to interface with a drink tube on the gasmask, our Promasks have one, so it would make sense a military that lives in their masks would, and likely the field rations could be in liquid form too.

 Soo'Vah'Cha wrote:
Their canteens can have a adaptor to interface with a drink tube on the gasmask, our Promasks have one, so it would make sense a military that lives in their masks would, and likely the field rations could be in liquid form too.

A human can survive without water for a far shorter period than they can survive without food, so something to allow them to drink is essential. Food less so.

Despite all the attempts to depict the Guardsmen of Krieg as meat robots, they are still at some level human and have a sense and desire for survival. In the Siege of Vraks books, there is a regiment that actually breaks in the face of heavy enemy fire and retreats, gunning down their commissars in the process.

Iracundus wrote:

 Soo'Vah'Cha wrote:
Their canteens can have a adaptor to interface with a drink tube on the gasmask, our Promasks have one, so it would make sense a military that lives in their masks would, and likely the field rations could be in liquid form too.

A human can survive without water for a far shorter period than they can survive without food, so something to allow them to drink is essential. Food less so.

Despite all the attempts to depict the Guardsmen of Krieg as meat robots, they are still at some level still human. In the Siege of Vraks books, there is a regiment that actually breaks in the face of heavy enemy fire and retreats, gunning down their commissars in the process.

And thats why I like the fallible races, IG, Tau, Orks...adds more to their Triumphs, FW does very good campaign descriptions, the Taros Campaign was another well written one.

I hope the Kreigers masks are more comfortable then our promasks...those things suck in hot weather, or rain ..or about anytime, staring outta 2-3 lenses sucks.

Underneatht heir gas masks, the DKoK are sort of clones (I don't think they're all exactly identical, mind you; I think it's more likely that they have a certain number of "templates" that they use). So they don't take them off if there is any chance of them being seen by outsiders.

 Melissia wrote:
Underneatht heir gas masks, the DKoK are sort of clones (I don't think they're all exactly identical, mind you; I think it's more likely that they have a certain number of "templates" that they use). So they don't take them off if there is any chance of them being seen by outsiders.

Hmmm I wonder how often they have to remove their masks to shave..since facial hair can impede upon a good clean seal in hazmat stylemasks (like a gasmask) or if they use a facial defoliant to burn the hair off of their faces.

Or maybe they are hairless, like molerats

I'm guessing that they're genetically modified in such a way, yes. Perhaps they even have "spacer" genes (IE, they are completely hairless all over the body, as part of a suite of genes which make them fit better in space; others include an adjusted vascular system, for example). Who knows in 40k?

Bald and screaming like everyone in 40k

I can vouch for that one. This was me fooling around with a friend's cheap arse mask.

I'd be so dead in a gas situation.

Iracundus wrote:

 Soo'Vah'Cha wrote:
Their canteens can have a adaptor to interface with a drink tube on the gasmask, our Promasks have one, so it would make sense a military that lives in their masks would, and likely the field rations could be in liquid form too.

A human can survive without water for a far shorter period than they can survive without food, so something to allow them to drink is essential. Food less so.

Despite all the attempts to depict the Guardsmen of Krieg as meat robots, they are still at some level human and have a sense and desire for survival. In the Siege of Vraks books, there is a regiment that actually breaks in the face of heavy enemy fire and retreats, gunning down their commissars in the process.

What page?

The first attack wave was already falling back in the face of intense fire. The Commissars amongst the assault squads demanded that the men stand firm and push on, summarily executing the first men to take any steps backwards. In return, several COmmissars were shot out of hand by their own side as the shredded assault companies scurried back to the safety of their own trenches. At the parapet they were met by the second wave, moving forwards to begin their own advance. It was pandemonium as the advancing and retreating units collided, choking the trenches with more men than they could accommodate. Fighting broke out as the officers of the second wave tried to force a passage forwards. After only a a couple of hours the 158th regiment's attack had disintegrated into a shambles.

p. 72, Imperial Armour 5, Siege of Vraks Part One

Ya I remember that section.

Remember every organization has both good and bads. (Or in the case above, normal people)