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Hello, long time reader, first time posting a question. I was planning to order some FW models, mostly infantry made up of armor marks ,2,3 and 4. I was planning on kit-bashing these models with a box of 40k tac marines, but wanted to know if I should keep the suits intact rather than mixing the up? It seems silly but I want to build a fluff based army that values older armor and weapons and uses them as much as possible, but i understand these are rare in the 41st millennium. My main question is can Mark 2 shoulder guards go on Mark 7 arms? Can a modern backpack be fitted onto a Mark 3 chest piece? Does it fit into the fluff of 40k and do the models actually fit together( for those who have used FW models in this way)? I am a real noob, so if this has already been asked and answered or is in the wrong forum section please forgive my ignorance .

All armor between Mark V and Mark VIII are interchangeable. Anything before that is a relic and would be considered sacrilege to cannibalize. It's very rare for a chapter to break apart Mark II through IV armor. Still, it's not impossible for an older pattern's shoulder pads to be fitted onto new armor.

 xSPYXEx wrote:
All armor between Mark V and Mark VIII are interchangeable. Anything before that is a relic and would be considered sacrilege to cannibalize. It's very rare for a chapter to break apart Mark II through IV armor. Still, it's not impossible for an older pattern's shoulder pads to be fitted onto new armor.

This is true to a point. However entire suits of functional armour are rarely found. Often older shirts of power armour are found 1 piece at a time. These pieces are usually given out like medals to marines who show exceptional skill or valor.

Also many fleet based chapters operate for long periods of time without resupply. For these chapters, having functional equipment often trumps any superstition or ceremony regarding ancient weapons and armour.

I say go for it. It will give you a unique looking army and you can have a ton of fun with the modelling opportunities.

Feel free to model them anyway you want. You won't be "wrong". Look at FW Red Scorpion kits. The tact squad and assault squad (- assault SGT) are all MK 4 torsos and heads on MK6 and MK7 GW plastic. Granted, these are several years old and long before the HH stuff, but it's a precedent.

Personally, I've been making MK4 using the FW models, but with the BT MK4 plastic heads as I prefer them. Also using Champ shoulder pads army wide because I like those better too. I laugh at anyone that tells me I can't glue my Manz how I want...

Space Marines are good at recycling. If a suit is damaged it will be repaired.

So a MkIV suit has its legs damaged beyond repair, so they use leg parts from a MkVII.

Mixing marks is very common. The suits are all interchangable and compatible.

Wow thank you all for the quick replies. When I have searched google in the past it did seem that the earlier marks of power armor were usually intact and not mixed with the mark 6 or 7. I also was thinking of the image in the 5th edition codex Space Marines on pg.20 I think, (I don't have the codex with me right now) showing the Ultramrines 2nd company.I seem to remember a few mark 2 legs mixed with mark 7 chest armor, but I could be wrong. I mostly want to use the FW kits for my sternguard, librian(s), and independent characters for my DIY chapter. Thank you again for making a noob feel welcome on dakka dakka