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Why does every member of the Steel Legion need a respirator to survive in the toxic atmosphere of Armageddon, but somehow Old Man Yarrick doesn't? I know he's a badass and all, but was this ever explained? Or was it one of those MarySue exceptions where special characters wear no headgear?

Because he's a badass and all.

The Orks believe he can breathe just fine in a toxic environment. Thus he is able to breathe just fine in a toxic environment.

 Happyjew wrote:
The Orks believe he can breathe just fine in a toxic environment. Thus he is able to breathe just fine in a toxic environment.

I hate Ork lore. It's such BS.

He can breathe in that air because he's Yarrick. He's too cool to die.

As much as you don't like Ork lore I'm afraid Happyjew may be correct. I more then fairly certain that his power klaw only works for him because the Orks think he's Orky for a human.
After his first war on Armageddon Gork and Mork whisked him away to safety on a Kroozer and sent Ghazzy and whats left towards Nazdreg's Waaaagh! Yarrick pursued Ghazzy and late got caught as Ghazzy's prisoner. Instead of killing him Ghazzy took the moment to show his fellow Orks a thing or two about humans and his own superiority. He explained that while Humies are soft some of them are pretty 'ard and be downright Orky like Yarrick. He then put Yarrick in various situations that should've killed him but told the Orks each time that not only will Yarrick survive he'll come right back and try to kill Ghazzy. Which is what happened over and over. Once he convinced his Orks how orky Yarrick was he told Yarrick to go back to Armageddon and prepare for a proper fight, The first fight was to test Imperium defences the next fight the real war is coming then he let Yarrick go. Ghazzy solidified Yarrick as an Ork in the minds of the Orks. If an Ork can use a power klaw, Yarrick can. If an Ork can breathe on Armageddon, Yarrick can.

Otherwise the only other answer is the Rule of Cool. Yarrick looks cool so he doesn't need to cover his face.

Maybe it's in his pocket?

He could just have lung bionics from earlier in his career. That is a thing in 40k, and bionics we common enough that it's feasible someone could have them and their story not merit a mention in the character's background.

Maybe he does use one, and he just doesn't have one in the paintings and miniatures.
Much like the Ciaphas Cain pictures and miniature - those are considered IoM propaganda, and depict him using weapons he doesn't like to.

More seriously, it's probably because he spends all of his time shouting, and never inhales.

He did most of his fighting within the Hives I think, so the air would likely be filtered in there. It probably wouldn't be hard to acquire a mask if he had to go out.

 Buttery Commissar wrote:
More seriously, it's probably because he spends all of his time shouting, and never inhales.

Just as any Commissar that's up to snuff should.

As Commissars are supposed to inspire fear and loyalty, charisma matters on the battlefield, and a face mask would inhibit that.

He's always been based on Armageddon, and wasn't just posted there for the wars. As a result, it stands to reason he'd have bionic lungs implanted as a matter of course, simply so he could do his job better in the environment he was assigned to.

War Kitten wrote:
He can breathe in that air because he's Yarrick. He's too cool to die.

No, the Orks think he's too cool to die. Therefore he actually is.

Plus he's probably full of other augmetics by now.

Any heroic individual must be shown without a helmet in pictures, that's a GW rule.

As for Yarrick, he either has bionics that let him survive without a rebreather mask or he carries a mask for use outside. I'd bet on bionics myself as it's his bionic upgrades that let him try standing up once down too. He's more machine than man by this point. And the power klaw he uses was specially modified for him - it's probably more IoM tech than Ork now but retains the orky look for propaganda purposes and scaring orks.

 Buttery Commissar wrote:


More seriously, it's probably because he spends all of his time shouting, and never inhales.

I wish I could exalt this more than once.

 Buttery Commissar wrote:

More seriously, it's probably because he spends all of his time shouting, and never inhales.

This made me laugh.

This aside I could belive the lung implant thing, but the easiest answer is because of ork belief.

Yeah, feth that ork bullcrap. Lung implants/bionics for sure.

Filtering lungs are a thing.

It's artistic license. For GW the rule of cool always overrules practical considerations. Artistically seeing the faces of your noble/corrupted/alien champions makes them more 'characterful' to use GWs own term.

Why would a Space Marine give up the additional ballistic protection to his most vital organ (his brain), along with the advantages of autosenses and sealed environmental protection by taking his helmet off? Cause kewl.

Same for Old Man Yarrick. You want to see his scarred, grizzled and defiant face. It defines who he is.

As an Ork player I'm kinda with Yack. I'm disgusted by those who buy into 'Orky Space Magic' powering all their tek. I don't buy into the Anzion Theorem that much. That theorem was presented as much to show the human-centricism and nearsightedness of the Mechanicum as it was a 'real' attempt to describe why Ork equipment works.

Orks definitely develop a psychic gestalt that gives their gear a 'nudge' - that is, stuff like Red Wunz Go Fasta. I think the same applies to their tek.

When an Imperial picks up an Ork gun and it doesn't work for him he's likely to dismiss it as a useless box of parts. This is partly due to human bigotry egged on by the crude, brutish constructs Orks favor.

In fact, the non-functional Ork weapon may be solidly engineered (within the capabilities of Ork Meks). The Human may have failed to spin the right whirligig, or he may simply lack the Orky psychic 'nudge' to make it work. To me this is similar to the way a human may not be able to activate the psychic interlocks to make an Eldar Shuriken Catapult fire, though certainly a lot cruder.

Some Ork gear is perfectly functional in Human hands. The Armageddon Ork Hunters not only make frequent use of captured Ork guns and equipment, they seem to favor it over Imperial gear. Unless you're prepared to argue that these humans somehow became merged with the Ork Waaagh gestalt, yet continue to fight against it, you're hard pressed to write off Ork Tek as reliant solely on 'Orky Space Magic.'

Back to Yarrick, I agree that he probably did use a respirator out in the hinterlands of Armageddon. But you only model your model once. If you want to give your Yarrick a mask, go for it... Just be sure he stands out from all the other Commissars. (The Ork Klaw will probably manage making him unique all by itself.)

My two cents.

-Yarrick quadpwns Orks in Melee

-Orks believe he has deathstare

-Yarrick gets a Layzor-Eye

-Orks are killed by deathstare

-Yarrick takes a warboss' arm

-Orks believe he's a massive unkillable badass

-Yarrick is now immune to toxins, and has a 4+ WBB roll.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Bobthehero wrote:
Yeah, feth that ork bullcrap. Lung implants/bionics for sure.

It's possible that, like with his eye, he heard an Ork rumour that he can breathe toxic gasses, and then had his lungs replaced just to prove them right.

That's probably how a lot of Ork-belief works in 40k. Self-fulfilling prophecies.

As others have said, Yarrick is pretty old. The only thing keeping him ticking over is augmetics, drugs and his hatred of Xenos.

 Yack Maniels wrote:

 Happyjew wrote:
The Orks believe he can breathe just fine in a toxic environment. Thus he is able to breathe just fine in a toxic environment.

I hate Ork lore. It's such BS.

Yarick is an ork, that is how he is able to use an Ork powerclaw

 Exergy wrote:

 Yack Maniels wrote:

 Happyjew wrote:
The Orks believe he can breathe just fine in a toxic environment. Thus he is able to breathe just fine in a toxic environment.

I hate Ork lore. It's such BS.

Yarick is an ork, that is how he is able to use an Ork powerclaw

Mein Gott. And I thought only Da Deffwotch was capable of this level of inflitashun.

Yarrick doesn't die to toxic air. Toxic air dies to Yarrick.

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:
Yarrick doesn't die to toxic air. Toxic air dies to Yarrick.

Hahahahhaah - cracking!!!!


'Yarrick' is simply low-gothic for 'Chuck Norris'

Helmets are Hardly Heroic

 Januine wrote:

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:
Yarrick doesn't die to toxic air. Toxic air dies to Yarrick.

Hahahahhaah - cracking!!!!


'Yarrick' is simply low-gothic for 'Chuck Norris'

Chuck Norris saw Yarrick walking down the street once and chose a different street.

 Furyou Miko wrote:

 Januine wrote:

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:
Yarrick doesn't die to toxic air. Toxic air dies to Yarrick.

Hahahahhaah - cracking!!!!


'Yarrick' is simply low-gothic for 'Chuck Norris'

Chuck Norris saw Yarrick walking down the street once and chose a different street.

Yarrick always chooses Chuck Norris for Summary Execution first.

 Yack Maniels wrote:

 Furyou Miko wrote:

 Januine wrote:

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:
Yarrick doesn't die to toxic air. Toxic air dies to Yarrick.

Hahahahhaah - cracking!!!!


'Yarrick' is simply low-gothic for 'Chuck Norris'

Chuck Norris saw Yarrick walking down the street once and chose a different street.

Yarrick always chooses Chuck Norris for Summary Execution first.

Yarrick doesn't fight. The Orks are so scared of him, they beat themselves to death.

 Selym wrote:

 Yack Maniels wrote:

 Furyou Miko wrote:

 Januine wrote:

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:
Yarrick doesn't die to toxic air. Toxic air dies to Yarrick.

Hahahahhaah - cracking!!!!


'Yarrick' is simply low-gothic for 'Chuck Norris'

Chuck Norris saw Yarrick walking down the street once and chose a different street.

Yarrick always chooses Chuck Norris for Summary Execution first.

Yarrick doesn't fight. The Orks are so scared of him, they beat themselves to death.

The story behind his powerklaw is a lie. The truth is, when the Ork saw Yarrick, he ripped his own arm off and gave it to him.