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Is there a reason Librarians do not wear helmets? I don't think I have ever seen GW model a Libby with one and was just curious if there was a fluff reason for this. Chaos Sorcerers wear them as well as many other psykers throughout the 40k universe so I am reasoning it has nothing to do with their ability to connect to the warp.

Rule of Cool mostly, also getting promoted above Battle Brother usually means you get your helmet taken away !

In the past, some models did feature helmets. There's a Mk6 Beakier Librarian, the old Space Wolf Rune Priest etc.

This is 40K though, so characters in powerful armour choose to expose their heads in combat...makes sense.

No fluff reason, the old range even had both helmetted and un-helmetted librarians for each rank:
http://www.solegends.com/citcat1998/1998P336-00.htm

The sculpting department likely just decided they looked more badass without a helmet.

Several librarians wear helmets. There used to be a model of one that was wearing one and Sevrin Loth of the Red Scorpions is depicted as wearing a helmet.

Allegedly, helmets interfere with the connection to the psychic hood. Since Chaos Sorcerers don'the wear psychic hoods, they wear helmets more often.

Going helmetless is not a fluff thing, but a modeling one.

It’s easier to pick out the characters from the rank and file. It lets them add more detail, and expression to the piece.

But there have been a number of helmeted librarians over the years. I have a couple in my collection, although they are outnumbered by the helmetless guys.

All Grey Knights are effectively Librarians, and they all wear helmets (unless you choose to model them without).

SJ

 casvalremdeikun wrote:
Several librarians wear helmets. There used to be a model of one that was wearing one and Sevrin Loth of the Red Scorpions is depicted as wearing a helmet.

Allegedly, helmets interfere with the connection to the psychic hood. Since Chaos Sorcerers don'the wear psychic hoods, they wear helmets more often.

I completely forgot about Sevrin. Somewhat makes sense even though I feel as though they could fashion the psychic hood into the helmet. Oh well at least when I convert my librarian to have a helm it won't be non fluff conforming.

Not really sure why GW feel no helmet is more epic. I always thought the opposite something about the cold look of an emotionless face says 'badass' to me more than someone stuck with their eternal grimacing face.

Personally I dislike faces on marines so I always model my Libis with helmet. Except scouts - I have no choice there.

 Xenomancers wrote:
Personally I dislike faces on marines so I always model my Libis with helmet. Except scouts - I have no choice there.

Hey my scouts have helmets

 Xenomancers wrote:
Personally I dislike faces on marines so I always model my Libis with helmet. Except scouts - I have no choice there.

Pig Iron makes wonderful helmets that look great on scouts. All my scouts are helmeted.

Also there is zero fluff for any helmetless marine. It is simply a modelling choice to distinguish characters. Read a book and you'll know the only time a marine takes off his helmet is if it's damaged.

I cut out the face of my finecast terminator librarian and stuck a helmet on him. I hate helmetless marines. Unfortunately a few metal sculpts I have will have to stay as they are sans helmet.

Here is an old model:

I have one in my collection somewhere with a sword and a helmet with the psychic hood.

 TheMostWize wrote:

Not really sure why GW feel no helmet is more epic. I always thought the opposite something about the cold look of an emotionless face says 'badass' to me more than someone stuck with their eternal grimacing face.

For the same reason individual character models like that have extra bling - it makes them stand out more amongst the other models. It also lets the sculptors have more fun going wild with cables and exposed psychic hood details.

They definitely can (and have) worn helmets. These guys are from the late 80s.

It makes it slightly harder to distinguish special models from non-special. Librarians in particular, from a distance look the same as every other Space Marine with a helmet (especially if taking the GW approved route of Ultramarines) so having a bare head helps pick it out. Its also to stop you "mix-matching" models. For example, if you had a sergeant with a Power Sword, there's nothing to stop you saying "This is my captain/librarian" but it makes it less interesting to see a big standard sergeant playing an important individual role.

Well aside from the fact that Ultramarines and Crimson Fists aside, the blue librarian is going to stick out quite noticeably from the rest of the army.

Amusingly enough, just before this thread started, I had just started work painting a bike librarian who was wearing a MK IV helmet, and only briefly dallied over 'well what about the psychic hood and stuff? Nah, this is Mk IV tech, it's all inside.'

I refuse to model Marines without helmets. Just give a better paintjob and something else to differentiate them from a Captain.

 Gashrog wrote:
No fluff reason, the old range even had both helmetted and un-helmetted librarians for each rank:
http://www.solegends.com/citcat1998/1998P336-00.htm

The sculpting department likely just decided they looked more badass without a helmet.

Ah, one of my Librarians is "Codicer 2" from that link! Cool stuff.

 Bookwrack wrote:
Well aside from the fact that Ultramarines and Crimson Fists aside, the blue librarian is going to stick out quite noticeably from the rest of the army.

Amusingly enough, just before this thread started, I had just started work painting a bike librarian who was wearing a MK IV helmet, and only briefly dallied over 'well what about the psychic hood and stuff? Nah, this is Mk IV tech, it's all inside.'

That's assuming everyone goes with the official blue armour for Libbies. Many people ignore that (due to ignorance of the fluff) or own reasons (don't like it, don't want to, chapter preferences, character's preference). If a Sallies armour is entirely green including Libbies, Chappies, Techies and Apothecaries, with just a white/blue/black/red shoulder, its hard for an opponent to tell