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Seriously, in a world of snipers and storms of bullets, why does the lack of a helmet equate more importance? I don't like team leaders being distinguished by their lack of armor. If anything the people in charge would have bigger helms. I realize it helps to make characters more humanized if you see their heads, but it doesn't make it any less foolish to walk into a fight without proper face and skull protection.

Because he has plot armor. The fluff protects.

Rule of cool. If the model has no helmet, doesn't mean that it has none in your "narrative forging".

Also, 40k is fantasy in space, it even has melee combat.

It's the topknot. Tzeentch imbued it with a daemon and so anyone who looks upon it is hypnotized and they end up wanting to play with Abaddon's topknot much like daemon spawn... kittens play with balls of yarn.

The High Lords of Terra had tried using an Eversor, figuring that its style of "playing" would still resort in Abaddon's death. Ended up just giving Abaddon a haircut, slicing off the topknot and running off to some remote part of Cadia to snuggle with it.

And that's the reason why the 13th Black Crusade is on hold, Abaddon needs to regrow a new topknot.

lol. Also, at least Abaddon has a fluff explanation for it. Basically, as long as the gods have a plan for him, he can't die. Until that plan includes him dying anyway lol

I mean, a handful of guys do have really big fancy helms, like Azrael with the lion's helm. But, you know, he prefers to have a munchkin carry it around behind him instead of wearing it, because watchers are totally cool.

Because GW can't figure out how to make a model with a scary helmet not look silly. They need that face or Abbadon would be just another space marine.

In the Forge World books, he literally has plot armour.

Roknar wrote:
lol. Also, at least Abaddon has a fluff explanation for it. Basically, as long as the gods have a plan for him, he can't die. Until that plan includes him dying anyway lol

Abbadon is kinda just an example. Other examples would be captains in squads and cadre fireblade and basically any leader who walks into melee combat with armor than a run if the mill soldier.

Majestic Top Knots aside (praise be unto it's girth), I thought a lot of loyalist captains and such had Iron Halo like devices? To my understanding they are like little localized force fields for their heads, right?

Pretty much.

Preeeeeeetty sure he's got a force field. Comes with terminator armor?

Not to mention a bunch of wounds and eternal warrior.

the_scotsman wrote:
Preeeeeeetty sure he's got a force field. Comes with terminator armor?

Not to mention a bunch of wounds and eternal warrior.

Doesn't mean he'd be worse off with a real helmet and again abbadon was just an example of (helmet = less important) and I find it to be foolish not to have your generals and officers as protected as possible.

Jaxler wrote:

the_scotsman wrote:
Preeeeeeetty sure he's got a force field. Comes with terminator armor?

Not to mention a bunch of wounds and eternal warrior.

Doesn't mean he'd be worse off with a real helmet and again abbadon was just an example of (helmet = less important) and I find it to be foolish not to have your generals and officers as protected as possible.

Who needs a helmet when you have a tzeench.

Jaxler wrote:

the_scotsman wrote:
Preeeeeeetty sure he's got a force field. Comes with terminator armor?

Not to mention a bunch of wounds and eternal warrior.

Doesn't mean he'd be worse off with a real helmet and again abbadon was just an example of (helmet = less important) and I find it to be foolish not to have your generals and officers as protected as possible.

It is done to make them recognisable, identifiable and because of rule of cool. If everyone wears a helmet it would be boring.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HelmetsAreHardlyHeroic

I can't remember where I read it, but marine helmets offer little in protection. They are so full of communication devices, hud, and respirators the their is little difference between helmet and helmetless.

Some characters wear helmets, such as kharn and ahriman, or various eldar models. So it's not like NOBODY of import wears helmets. But even so, what's to stop you from using helmets.

Forgeworld for one even provides you the choice, at least in the case of Zhufor.

For me personally, rule of cool outweighs any logic here. Having the face exposed gives your dude so much more character than if it was just another soldier. With maybe stripe or so more.

Either way though, taking off the helmet gives the soldier increased awareness of the battlefield, and as mentioned, many come with some layer of protection even without the helmet.

It also helps identify the models on the table top. Which aren't necessarily modeled to be in the thick of fighting. I prefer to model my characters to be issuing commands and such, so the model may be showing a pose that happened before the actual battle.

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
I can't remember where I read it, but marine helmets offer little in protection. They are so full of communication devices, hud, and respirators the their is little difference between helmet and helmetless.

The amount of soldiers who can tell you that a helmet saved their lives is beyond counting. Ever since ancient times even when your soldiers had ridiculous armor like wicker shields or quilted armor they always had some sort of metal helmet. Ancient peoples just like today know that head injuries are way more likely to cause death than anywhere else on the body, hence they would always helmet up before battle.

As for models without helmets, I have always been of mind that just because they are not wearing it, does not mean they are not "wearing it" for the actual battle. By this I mean that the model is an idealized representation of that warrior and seeing his face is cool and part of his core identity. Naturally, any warrior who has survived more than one battle and has not taken any massive head injuries will be wearing their helmets into battle, unless its something unpractical (i.e. a tank commander or anyone who is in a cramped space).

Why hasn't (insert real life leader of choice) been killed by a sniper? because there's a lot of people who put a lot of time and effort to make sure they don't. Every time this topic comes up (for anyone), it assumes that the target is A) a blithering idiot and B) is completely alone and out in the open, and the sniper in question couldn't possibly make a mistake. Which Abbadon isn't and wouldn't be, and that being in the middle of a chaos infested hellhole would disqualify average joe sniper from doing so in the first place.

 Luke_Prowler wrote:
Why hasn't (insert real life leader of choice) been killed by a sniper? because there's a lot of people who put a lot of time and effort to make sure they don't. Every time this topic comes up (for anyone), it assumes that the target is A) a blithering idiot and B) is completely alone and out in the open, and the sniper in question couldn't possibly make a mistake. Which Abbadon isn't and wouldn't be, and that being in the middle of a chaos infested hellhole would disqualify average joe sniper from doing so in the first place.

I thought abbadon like most of the characters with a model for the table top game actually do end up fighting in the field from time to time, often on the same field as SM scouts or IG ratings who both should be armed with sniper rifles and be capable enough to squeeze off a good head head shot.

He may not me all alone, but he sure as hell isn't in a safe place where it's impossible for a good sniper to be hiding sonewhere.

 Luke_Prowler wrote:
Why hasn't (insert real life leader of choice) been killed by a sniper? because there's a lot of people who put a lot of time and effort to make sure they don't. Every time this topic comes up (for anyone), it assumes that the target is A) a blithering idiot and B) is completely alone and out in the open, and the sniper in question couldn't possibly make a mistake. Which Abbadon isn't and wouldn't be, and that being in the middle of a chaos infested hellhole would disqualify average joe sniper from doing so in the first place.

Right? When people were asking "why didn't a sniper just kill Barack Obama when he was fighting that giant terrorist battle-mech in power armor with his helmet off?" I just said "duh, the secret service was protecting him!"

the_scotsman wrote:

 Luke_Prowler wrote:
Why hasn't (insert real life leader of choice) been killed by a sniper? because there's a lot of people who put a lot of time and effort to make sure they don't. Every time this topic comes up (for anyone), it assumes that the target is A) a blithering idiot and B) is completely alone and out in the open, and the sniper in question couldn't possibly make a mistake. Which Abbadon isn't and wouldn't be, and that being in the middle of a chaos infested hellhole would disqualify average joe sniper from doing so in the first place.

Right? When people were asking "why didn't a sniper just kill Barack Obama when he was fighting that giant terrorist battle-mech in power armor with his helmet off?" I just said "duh, the secret service was protecting him!"

The secret service were also in giant battle-mech with void shields.

I don't remember where I read it, but a Sergeant or Commander going in helmetless is meant to inspire the troops he leads. "Look at me and how daring I am. I took my helmet off! This is the sort of completely smart decisions that I will make and expect all of you to follow. I'm sure it will go SO well!"

Isn't it mandatory anyways for a Spehss Mehreen Captain to have a bullet or two lodged into his forehead?

 ProwlerPC wrote:
Isn't it mandatory anyways for a Spehss Mehreen Captain to have a bullet or two lodged into his forehead?

No, those are 'service studs' 1 for 10 years,2 for 50 years,3 for 100 years

Idk, I kind of like that idea they just leave the bullets stuck in their heads... Tell the medicae to back off, these things look badass!

So, since Abbadon is depicted helmetless, he must therefore never, ever wear a helmet. Right?

Any marine modeled kneeling never stands up.

Any marine sitting on a bike never gets off it.

Any marine poking his head out of a tank is stuck there.

Any marine with running legs runs everywhere, all the time.

All marines in power armor never take it off, ever.

The scout using binoculars walks around like that all the time.

The standard bearer never puts down that flag.

The marine with a chainsword in one hand and a pistol in the other has to just mash his face into his food because he can't ever put either one down.

And, of course, the marines with helmets NEVER EVER REMOVE THEM.

I mean, seriously, why is being helmetless the only condition that people assume is permanent when it is depicted on the model. I can't think of ANY other aspect of the miniature that people consistently, steadfastly, adamantly assume represents the model at every point in its life. But show a guy with no helmet and it's assumed that he fights that way all the time, no matter what. WTF?


Someone could ask something like 'How does Abbadon put on a helmet with that topknot?" That would be intelligible. People could explain that hair can be put up, or worn down. Someone might explain that little girls with pigtails don't actually die before reaching adulthood, but simply take their hair OUT of pigtails. We would laugh, and learn, and move on.


But no. The helmet is that magical, singular piece of the model, that, unless it is depicted ON the model, can not ever be assumed to be present, ever. We've had ONE sculpt of Abbadon, ever, yet, it's blindingly obvious to everyone that he's never ever put a helmet on. Does every model have to come with a helmeted head and a bare head before anyone can figure out that people can PUT ON helmets? Why just helmets? Why not assume that since we don't see any Marines with bare hands, that they never take off their gauntlets? What's so special about helmets that it spawns this sort of inane thinking?

It reminds me of those videos of dogs stopping in front of doors with the glass removed. The dog can't understand that the clear glass is gone, so he waits for someone to open the door. Ha, ha! Silly dog! You don't understand glass! How cute!

I can't find it adorable that people don't understand helmets, yet are still able to post on the internet.

Exalted.

Naw-uh! Problem!!! How would his Top Knot fit inside a helmet? Checkmate.

Da Butcha wrote:
I mean, seriously, why is being helmetless the only condition that people assume is permanent when it is depicted on the model. I can't think of ANY other aspect of the miniature that people consistently, steadfastly, adamantly assume represents the model at every point in its life. But show a guy with no helmet and it's assumed that he fights that way all the time, no matter what. WTF?

O'shaserra?

Jaxler wrote:

 Luke_Prowler wrote:
Why hasn't (insert real life leader of choice) been killed by a sniper? because there's a lot of people who put a lot of time and effort to make sure they don't. Every time this topic comes up (for anyone), it assumes that the target is A) a blithering idiot and B) is completely alone and out in the open, and the sniper in question couldn't possibly make a mistake. Which Abbadon isn't and wouldn't be, and that being in the middle of a chaos infested hellhole would disqualify average joe sniper from doing so in the first place.

I thought abbadon like most of the characters with a model for the table top game actually do end up fighting in the field from time to time, often on the same field as SM scouts or IG ratings who both should be armed with sniper rifles and be capable enough to squeeze off a good head head shot.

He may not me all alone, but he sure as hell isn't in a safe place where it's impossible for a good sniper to be hiding sonewhere.

Because he has 4 or more Chaos Gods watching his back(and front, sides, and everywhere else, too) at all times.