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I know this topic is a bit all-encompassing and unspecific but i think this is a good place for some questions and some responses for said questions to go.

For me i was playing space marine and i know in the 40k universe people often joke about all the skulls there are (i think 4-chan even had the 'grimdark-ian' which had skulls all over it) but i find it funny that i can't go 2 feet in the 'space marine' video/computer game without finding a skull. There's at the very least 5 skulls or skull symbols on captain titus's armor and it ranges from being on pretty much everything from door entrances to painted skulls to emblems to real skulls to skull probes (still sort of real skulls) to pretty much anything else. After a point it gets ridiculous to the point of hilarity. I think i would easily lose count if i ever tried to count all the various skull symbols in the 'space marine' game.

Another question i have is why do space marine sergeants have a banner mounted on their backs. It's kind of cool but it's one of those things that's completely ridiculous in a real battle. It's awkward to carry around for any given time, you stick out easily and can get shot more easily with it and any amount of wind will blow said person away if they were any weaker than a space marine. Also how do you get through doorways with that stupid thing?

Also why do dark angels wear monk robes? I know it's kind of cool as an aesthetic but it's about as dumb in thought as super-heroes wearing their underwear on the outside. Not to mention it seems to imply for me that space marines are all naked with just armor on.

I have more questions but i can't think of them right now so i'll leave them for later.

The Skull is a common symbol of Imperial authority. A skull is also the Adeptus Mechanicus's symbol.

As for the banner, I havn't seen anyone give their sergeants the banners for a long time. Its completely optional. I don't think even official GW publications have had banners on the sergeants backs for a while now.

The banner was a nod to Japanese Feudal heraldry. Where in battle you would have a banner on your back to indicate which side you were on.


Monk robes? Its part of their chapter's tradition, and being quite secretive we may not know the reason.

What about having a lot of your leaders without helmets? I understand that seeing your soldiers face or unhelmeted head gives personality but a sniper bullet in the face is usually unfavorable (at least if it happens to your side).

Then there are dark eldar that latch onto the sides of their vehicles to transport them even though being on the outside of a vehicle with nearly nothing or nothing strapping you in would mean you'd probably fall out. Once again it looks cool but i'd prefer the guys to at least have like something fastening them in that releases when they slow down and get to their target. I mean it's not like i expect a dark eldar vehicle to go super fast and for the guys to just jump out while going at super fast speeds. Even if they have insane reflexes with the speeds that exist in this universe they'd still die.

Well I never assemble my guys without helmets. 1) I don't like painting faces and 2) its dangerous. GW does because its cool.

And DE can hold onto their vehicles because they're freaking Eldar.

As Grey Templar said, the skull is just a symbol of Imperial authority, it reminds people of the sacrifice of the Emperor or something like that. You know, the general super religious in your face crap.

The banners that the Sergeants have is to inspire the troops, the banner is symbolic of all the deeds the squad does on the battlefield. Space Marines don't care if they can be picked off easier, they can shrug it off. Same as helmets, inspiring the troops. I still give al my Tactical and Veteran Sergeants banners, as well as my Captain. Everyone gets helmets though, heads are still squishy, no matter how hardcore you are.

Like Grey Templar said too, the robes are just tradition, nothing more. But marines aren't totally naked under their armour, they wear a bodyglove that still gives access to the interface of the Black Carapace.

And even if they were naked, so what? I'm naked under all my clothes and so are you. If you are wearing something you can't be naked. Armor is clothing too.

The lack of a helm gives character to a model, and or shows bravery, though I refuse to assemble any of my Space marine models without helmets. I hate painting faces and I don't like any of GW's Space marine head sculpts except for a few of the non gakky Space Wolves heads.

The only helmetless models I have is my old battle for maccragge sergeant, Calgar(who i don't use), and Captain Stern. All because the models didn't have a helmet option.

Well, it's not just 'skulls' - the HUMAN skull is, and always has been, a main icon and symbol of the Imperium and Imperial culture and religion. This isn't hard to understand, considering that it's a xenophobic human empire that is based on the 'manifest destiny' of humankind.

DA wearing robes isn't any more silly than medaeval knights wearing surplices over their chainmail.

 ArbitorIan wrote:

DA wearing robes isn't any more silly than medaeval knights wearing surplices over their chainmail.

Except for when you are an Assault Marine.
"Uhhh, Sarge? Excuse me but I do believe that you've set your bum ablaze."

The point being what exactly?

If you are encased in ceramite I think some burning cloth is going to be the last thing thing in the world that can hurt you.

 ArbitorIan wrote:
Well, it's not just 'skulls' - the HUMAN skull is, and always has been, a main icon and symbol of the Imperium and Imperial culture and religion. This isn't hard to understand, considering that it's a xenophobic human empire that is based on the 'manifest destiny' of humankind.

Spot on, I always thought the human skull as a morbid reminder of xenophboic nature of the Imperium and as a reminder that no one lasts forever, its a hierarchical culture based on death and xenophobia

Its also a decent species specific symbol. No other species will have a symbole that is so difinitivly human. Plus it is a way of showing human perfection. Anything distorted beyond that image is imperfect.

It also could symbolize the Emperor's sacrifice as thatis what he looks like now. And he did it so the Imperium could endure.

 ArbitorIan wrote:

DA wearing robes isn't any more silly than medaeval knights wearing surplices over their chainmail.

Well, it is very silly. Knights wore surcoats with their colours on them so they could tell who was on their side so they didn't accidentally kill friendly troops. When you have the advanced technology that is available to the imperium, it should be pretty evident who is on who's side, and so surcoats, of any kind, are totally absurd, from a practical view point, at any rate.

From a modelling point of view, banners, robes, stupid decoration, lack of helmets and so forth, helps to add character to your force, reinforce the grimdark feel, and give you the opportunity to make your characters stand out and be characterful. really though, having a banner and taking off your helmet while wearing fancy robes is just screaming 'SHOOT ME!!' to the enemy

I was wondering the other day how Space Marines dispose of their dead. Do they bury them, cremate them, stick them in a tomb, shoot them off into space? What?

Youre applying rational logic to 40k (and more specifically the imperium), which is the exact antithesis of what 40k is all about.

A catholic church has crosses everywhere.

In 40k, the church is the entire galaxy, and the crosses are skulls.

I have a gripe, pretty basic... How do space marines get out of the top hatches on their tanks with those shoulder pads...

 Zande4 wrote:
I have a gripe, pretty basic... How do space marines get out of the top hatches on their tanks with those shoulder pads...

They use lubicrates from their shoulder pads, did you ever wonder why those things were so bulky? There is butter inside that immedately comes out when pushed against an entry way to give dramatic shinyness and to squeeze through things.

 Zande4 wrote:
I have a gripe, pretty basic... How do space marines get out of the top hatches on their tanks with those shoulder pads...

Heroic scale.

Nothing that fits in the model tanks would fit in tanks to scale.

The tanks in 40k would be much MUCH bigger.

Why is the mohawk a symbol of warrior pride in eldar society?

I remember reading some where that Space Marine captains and such were often equipped with small energy fields to potect their bare heads. May have been the inquisitor rulebook... or one of the lesser played rpgs... or something...

oh and I believe different chapters deal with their dead in different ways... though I can say with some degree of certainty that they recover armour/weapons/wreckages to rebuild and reuse them.


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 TheAngrySquig wrote:
Why is the mohawk a symbol of warrior pride in eldar society?

What other hair style would suit those elongated helmets?

The Space Marines are supposed to reflect a more heraldric, knightly approach to warfare. The banners and crazy decorative bits are all a part of that. The argument of it making them stand out more is, to them, a pro rather than a con. Part of the ostentation is to get noticed, to draw enemy fire onto themselves while they conduct their assault. The more realistic military mode of operation belongs to the Guard. That's just the way I see it.

 Zande4 wrote:
I have a gripe, pretty basic... How do space marines get out of the top hatches on their tanks with those shoulder pads...

Someone once told me that there pads are on hydraulics and can be moved around as needed.

One is why serephim, sisters of battle jump pack units, have robes, figure they would catch fire. I like the look of them but still

Well one might assume that they have the sense to make those robes flame resistant.

I've only been playing a year, and I still have some fairly basic questions.

Has the emperor always been on the golden throne? or was there a time in 40k (gameplay wise) where the emperor and the primarchs were a part of the game?

No, although there are some rules for a few of the Daemon Primarchs.

GW has always said they won't ever make a model or rules for the Emperor. Primarchs are getting done by Forge World for the Horus Heresy game(which is not compatable with regular GW codices)

Early on before the fluff truly got any semblence of what it is today it was very different. Lemun Russ was just a Space Wolf commander. They even made a model of him.

Dude in the upper right.

A lot of character models, be it sergeants, captains, or just converted models, don't have helmets so you can pick them out easier on the battlefield. It also gives that model more character, since they have an identifiable face instead of a grim, cold facemask. It's safe to assume that these guys do own helmets and that they do usually have them on, but at that particular moment the model is meant to portray, they are not wearing one.

nomotog wrote:

 Zande4 wrote:
I have a gripe, pretty basic... How do space marines get out of the top hatches on their tanks with those shoulder pads...

Someone once told me that there pads are on hydraulics and can be moved around as needed.

Now i have the image of space marine shoulder pads bouncing around like a lowrider with hydraulics. Dear god.

 Howard A Treesong wrote:
I was wondering the other day how Space Marines dispose of their dead. Do they bury them, cremate them, stick them in a tomb, shoot them off into space? What?

This can vary from Chapter to Chapter based on tradition.


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Grey Templar wrote:
GW has always said they won't ever make a model or rules for the Emperor.

Times change. Never say never....