Dark Angel’s terminator amour?

[Brother Kirus]

GW plastic set provides us with very plane terminator armor, however some new releases (Space Hulk, Space Wolves) shows highly ornate armor. My question is – who would that relate to DA and their successors? On one hand TDA should be very ornate, all new releases support this as well as official back ground. On the other hand we have very monastic order and if we apply historical approach the armor should be as simple/as possible.

 

I would highly appreciate your thought on this matter.

 

Thank you!

[Hemal]

DA TDA is actually probably the best and most ornate... the chapter has the most suits relative to other 1st founding legions, and the metal models are festooned (ok not quite..) with feathers, winged sword and dark angel references, as well as all members of teh DW carrying their ceremonial dagger...

[Brother Kirus]

Well, what bothers me is the contradiction between that fact that TDA supposed to be very ornate and the monastic character of all unforgiven chapters. I do not know about the rest of you guys but when I hear the word “monk” – I think about simplicity (simple tools, simple robes…). Ornaments/decoration seems more of a luxury that monks usually try to avoid…. But then again, historically some monastic orders had very skilled craftsmen and everything they produced was of a superb quality(and some times very ornate).

 

This question bothers me since the moment I saw new BA terminator shield from Space Hulk… that made me question how ornate the DA shields (and the rest of the armor for that matter) are.

[DAG42]

Well going by old fluff. DA is the only Marine legion retaining the knowledge to build TDA. ( which is why we and successors always have 100 suits. ) Ours would naturally be a little more grand.

[Isiah]

This is a very interesting question.

 

I think the issue here is not that of 'ornate' TDA (after all the GK win hands down here) but of ornate decoration/Chapter characterisation. We know that prior to the Plains World incident then DA TDA was no more decorated or adorned than any other loyalist Chapters. The only addition being the ceremonial dagger representing the Lion's broken sword.

 

Traditionally the DW displayed their painted personal heraldry on their battle plate – again no different to any other chapters' practice.

 

Since that incident there is (or rather was) a tendency to commemorate it with feathers on weapons and TDA. With new GW termy models and the GW upgrade sprue you're on your own with coming up with suitable adornments that sadly lack a good supply of feathers and DW daggers :).

 

The design of termy armour does now seem to alter subtly – but so does the power armour (look at recent SW shoulder pads for instance). This is a GW design decision employed to make the models more covetable to existing gamers I reckon and has no background in fluff.

 

So personally I don't see why DA TDA should be any more or less ornate than any other. It's all made to approved template designs retained by the Mechanicus – so the DA has no way of either making or 'designing' its own. I appreciate that different manufacturing centres might have slight design differences, but nothing too radical, and that older versions of armour might be worn with newer etc and older armour marks might be more 'individual' than modern variants. Also Chapter Artificers might have the means to make some design/ornamentaion changes, but again no more/less for the DA than any other.

 

It all comes down to personal preference. Undoubtedly some wearers would shun ornamentation while others want more. There is no evidence of DA having 'house orders' with regards the tweaking of armour design. Looking at the cover of the current DA codex every suit of power armour seems pretty uniform apart from subtle letter carving on shoulder pads and of course the more decorative Chaplains battle plate.

 

Check out this great site for termy armour development.

 

Remember just because we hide in robes doesn't mean we're not show-offs under it all :).

 

Cheers

I

[Hemal]

also, remember that marines may not be ostentastious, but that ornamentation is about the pride of the chapter and to honour the previous wearers, NOT to "look pimped". The ornamentation of the DA armour may be there because it has had millenia of embellishment to honour brothers of the Deathwing, for personal heraldry and to capture battle honours, as well as proclaim the might of the chapter. My personal view is that really the only robed marines are those of the Deathwing inductees NOT in TDA. They wear the robes to signify their induction in the inner orders of the chapter, I sriously don;t think the majority of GreenWing go around in robes, and the artwork certainly doesn't support this view...

[Arioch]

As much as they are monks, they are also knigths, and knigths like pimped armour ;)

Or you could look at it like this: The monk builds a fine ornamental altar, then he put it on and use it to kill the enemies of the Lord. Now thats quite cool actually.