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 Psienesis wrote:

barnowl wrote:

 the shrouded lord wrote:
Space marines are biologically immortal.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
another thing: the warp does NOT work in paterns. just as a hundred years real-time might be a couple minutes in the warp, it is just as likely for the opposite to happen. therefore, chaos space marines DO count.

And not all Chaos marines are warp dwellers. The blood Gorgons, with a 6000 yr old chapter master live in a spacehulk in real space. Sort of a Chaos version of the Phalanx.

He can't be that old, the Chapter isn't even that old. The Blood Gorgons were one of the Cursed Founding Chapters, which took place in M36.

He can because of the wa ... oh no wait, he can't

It also depends on what you consider alive as well. Dreadnoughts and Contemptors can be multi-thousands of years old. Isnt that one Space Puppy HQ dreadnought from the Heresy era?

 Jimsolo wrote:
I wouldn't be surprised if they sent injured marines to train as TechMarines, since pilot or mechanic positions might require less combat ability.

Pilots would not be a good place to put old marines, as pilots require a high level of G Force tolerance and fast hand/eye coordination. This is one of the arguments around having female pilots in combat as the female body is bettered suited (on average) to pulling Gs than the male body. A marine who is slowing down and becoming less physically capable is not going to make a good pilot, he might make a good hearse driver for all of the guys he gets killed because he passes out though.

 Maniac_nmt wrote:

 Jimsolo wrote:
I wouldn't be surprised if they sent injured marines to train as TechMarines, since pilot or mechanic positions might require less combat ability.

Pilots would not be a good place to put old marines, as pilots require a high level of G Force tolerance and fast hand/eye coordination. This is one of the arguments around having female pilots in combat as the female body is bettered suited (on average) to pulling Gs than the male body. A marine who is slowing down and becoming less physically capable is not going to make a good pilot, he might make a good hearse driver for all of the guys he gets killed because he passes out though.

I don't think the same would apply for Space Marines and wouldn't their Power armour and its systems make up for the shortfall, if there is any?

I have found reference to a Space Marine dying of Old Age. True it is accelerated by interaction with the Hrud, but it says old age.

Age of Darkness P322
... Zolan's hearts stopped beating aboard the Stormbird, minutes after extraction. Tavarre died of old age in the cruiser infirmary, just before reaching lesser Damantyne.