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Arrows and such on Chaos Armor...


Devon Mindal

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I have read in the past that people recommend using chaos armor and shaving down those arrow things.

Then i was reading THIS article and it has a picture of the Mk I armor with those arrows and says they are "lightning bolts", the symbol of the Emperor. So would it be good to leave on those arrows and such that are so common on chaos armor?

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https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/156283-arrows-and-such-on-chaos-armor/
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Also, another quick thought. During the 200 years of the Great Crusade, there were six changes in armor, from beginning of crusade to end of Heresy. And for the past ten millenia, there has been a single minor change to the Mk VII making the Mk VIII. So what have they been doing? Just to lazy to invent new marks?

I know GW doesn't want to have to come up with a whole new marine design, but maybe add a single new "expermental" helmet or armor to the sprues for those sarges to test or something!

I don't know anything about Chaos armour, but the evolution of the Loyalist armour hasn't been big the last 10 millenia, because they don't really understand how the armour works, like a lot of things, and that they don't want/dare to change it too much, so they are certain not to break something in the design.
The MkVII Imperator Armour was supposed to be the ultimate in power armour, they were working on it right through the Heresy. After the Heresy, it was finished, mass-replicated and distributed. Since they no longer understood how it worked, they don't change the design.

Well, you're correct in thinking that lightning bolts were the original symbol of the Emperor, but that was replaced pre-Heresy by the Aquilla, though at the time only the Emperor's Children were permitted to wear it - everyone else had to make do with a single-headed bird. After the Heresy was over, of course, it grew into the widely-distributed emblem it is now.

I think Chaotics use arrows and the like as part of their '8-fold path' symbology, so yes it is perfectly in keeping to retain them on the Chaos models - shave 'em off for Loyalists, though.

 

As to armour, there has been one further development; the Mark 8 or 'Errant' suit; essentially a Mk7 but with a solid gorget to protect the joint between helmet and chestplate. The torso front of the sergeant in the Tactical squad box set is a MK8, but apart from that detail everything else is the same.

The Chaos Star (from which all arrows on Chaos armour are derived) was invented by Michael Moorcock and subsequently used by Games Workshop on their own brand of Chaos miniatures.

 

In the 40K universe the Emperor's original symbol was the thunder-bolt and you should not confuse that symbol with the arrows of the Chaos Star.

 

Rick Priestly White Dwarf 129

The thunder-bolt and lightning emblem on the breastplate of this suit was the personal badge of the Emperor in those days, predating the Imperial eagle which only became the symbol of the Imperium much later. This emblem gives the suit its other common name - Thunder Armour.

 

Mk VII armour was also developed during the Heresy but only when the traitor forces were already in the Sol System. Mk VII production was transferred to Terra from Mars. I suppose that some traitor marines could have got their hands on Mk VII suits when they conquered Mars but only a few I would say. Also, Mk VII only became available to those fighting on Terra so I suppose that means Ultramarines and their successors, as well as the other legions who were delayed in reaching Terra, should have more suits of Mk VI since they wouldn't have had access to Mk VII until after the Heresy.

 

Anyway, the Arrow symbols found on the Chaos Marine models are there to represent the influence of Chaos warping and mutating the traitor marines so Pre-Heresy and possibly Heresy era traitor legion marines too should not have arrows on their armour although they may have had thunder-bolts but I would reserve that symbol for units reporting directly to the Emperor like Sisters of Silence or Adeptus Custodes.

The MkVII Imperator Armour was supposed to be the ultimate in power armour, they were working on it right through the Heresy. After the Heresy, it was finished, mass-replicated and distributed. Since they no longer understood how it worked, they don't change the design.

 

Actually the MK IV Maximus armor was the pinnacle, MKs V through VII were set backs in the Power Armor Program. The MK VIII Errant is suppose to be the first armor to actually advances the power Armor Program. Not all technology is stagnant, some of it is advancing.

I can think of a couple of ways of removing the arrows <racks bolter slide and chambers round> ;)

 

Seriously though, I think they can be a little overt if on every model. Showing your choice of deity is all very well and all that, but looking just like your mate isnt all that Chaotic! B)

 

I would maybe shave them off, failing that chip away at them to show wear and tear. 10,000 years in the warp will do that! :)

 

Corpus

The Chaos Star (from which all arrows on Chaos armour are derived) was invented by Michael Moorcock and subsequently used by Games Workshop on their own brand of Chaos miniatures.

 

OMG.... Melnibonean Chaos Marines... What would that be like? A Tzneetch/Slaanesh themed force?

I would say that it would be fine to leave the arrows on. If you look at the Heresy Artbooks, Dark Angels were VERY big on arrows on their armour.

 

The only reason people don't like them is that they have the notion: "it has arrows on it, so it MUST be Chaos!" implanted into their brain from the moment they pick up a 40k book of any description. ;)

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