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So to provide some context, because I love the look of the Heresy and Crusade-era armours, (particularly MKIII) I'm trying to figure out the best way to include as much as possible in my chapter fluff-wise.

So the question is, realistically, how common is this and other patterns of armour in the 41st millennium? Is it feasible that a Chapter might have enough to outfit, say, an entire company in it? (Obviously the 1st company.)

At the moment, my current fluff for them is that towards the end of the Heresy a detachment of loyalists that was roughly the size of a company got lost in the warp for a while, and emerged after the Heresy. They then founded a chapter, and their armour and equipment was preserved and looked after well enough to still be in service a few millenia later. Sound feasible in any way?

My company is a homebrew 21st Founding chapter that, immediately upon leaving for their first campaign, got lost in the warp, were savaged by Daemons, and lost their Codex Astartes before reappearing on the far fringes of Imperial space. Those who survived were badly wounded, but with an extremely large supply of tech and supplies lying around to rebuild. (Represented by Iron Hands.) Their new recruits, though, are more wild and prone to aggressive mutation. (Represented by Space Wolves.)

I therefore think that getting lost in the Warp is an excellent excuse for having old tech.


Also, bear in mind: Mkiii armor, at least, is worse than other Power Armor in the fluff. The frontal armor plates are thicker, but its slow and the backside is vulnerable. They didn't get phased out due to scarcity, they got mothballed for a more reliable design.
Fluff wise, it's mostly used for fighting in corridors and caves and other enclosed areas, where they don't have to worry about being flanked. If your chapter (or part of it) just specialize in narrow, close fighting, it would be extremely sensible for them to have Mkiii Armor.

For what it's worth the original armour fluff article by Mr 40k himself (Rick Priestley) - from whence almost all modern fluff ultimately derives - outright stated that: "many modern chapters still use Mk3 armour for boarding actions and tunnel fighting" which is a far cry from 'ancient and revered holy relics'.

 Gashrog wrote:
For what it's worth the original armour fluff article by Mr 40k himself (Rick Priestley) - from whence almost all modern fluff ultimately derives - outright stated that: "many modern chapters still use Mk3 armour for boarding actions and tunnel fighting" which is a far cry from 'ancient and revered holy relics'.

for a marine sitting in the year 40k, a suit of MkIII is the same age as a suit of MkIV is the same as a suit of MV or MVI. They are all holy relics. Even his bolter is probably 2000 years old(it might be new, but probably isnt.)

They fly the stars on battle barges that are all 10,000 years old, many built on cores that are much older.