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To Robe, or not to Robe...


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That's what I thought too, robes would look BAD on assault marines, especially since they are in pretty static poses. Funny thing about the devastator squads being newbies, in the codex the only models shown in robes are the devastator squads ;)

Jump packs are described in a few places as using "turbo fans", so there is no heat/fire, just air/wind resistance. I'm sure they are described as actual jets somewhere too though, and people do like to paint them glowing. So, they may just be powerful turbo fans in this case. That makes sens too, as, in the dark, jets will have a group of dropping-in Assault Marines looking like an easily targetable cluster of shooting stars in the sky, while turbo fans will render them unseen in the darkness. Hmm. I wonder which version the Raven Guard, and perhaps the Dark Angels, use? ;)

 

So, feel free to robe up ALL of your marines. Just don't put capes or cloaks on models with jump packs, as we well know that those things will simply get sucked into the intakes and then you drop like a stone to your death. And no monologuing! Yes, The Incredibles teaches us many lessons. <_<

I think I can deduce how you feel about robes + jump pack then <_<. This is something that, although visually interesting, it really doesn't make sense!

You know, I actually am looking to sketch out some experimental ideas of a variant on robes/surplices for Veteran Sergeants of Assault Squads.

 

My tentative idea involves a pair of "half-capes", suspended from either side of the jet pack. These would stretch from the edge of the jet-pack (so roughly shoulder height) to the ground, and use the same designs as a ground-based Veteran Sergeant's robes.

 

EDIT 1: And yeah, I love that painting of Astelan. Honestly, though, I figured that would have been a dead ringer for Luther.

 

EDIT 2: The robes shown on the first three of your links are the sort I like on Dark Angels (armour is shown). I'm not a fan of Bethor's, though. ;)

 

By the same token we should not have back banners,hanging censers,skulls,chains...etc.

Its an aesthetic thingie,after all you dont need the hood to be on during the battle.

Yeah, I'm not fond of the back banners either. I keep visualizing an Astartes Captain or Sergeant trying to run through a door and their banner smashing against the door jamb and knocking them on their ass.

 

That having been said, I imagine the warrior culture of the Astartes draws from a variety of sources and cultural references, and I remind myself that various groups - from Samurai to Polish knights - used some variant of the back banner.

 

Censers, skulls, etc., I don't mind as long as they don't look like they would interfere with an Astartes' movements, sensors, etc. ;)

 

But again, that's all a matter of personal taste/preference.

I've always figured that the "auto-senses" can easily penetrate a cowl/hood, so that they wouldn't be any hindrance to the Marines wearing them, after all, they are composed of more than simple eye-sight style set of cameras (prey-sight/terror-sight, etc, sound more like infrared/thermal sensors which generally can penetrate cloth, and even thicker substances, such as a wood, brick and drywall).

 

However, I would think that any robe/belted cloak worn into battle would likely be written off after the battle as even if its wearer survived, he probably would have taken some hits, slashes and shrapnel ricochets, and after a patching or two, the robe would likely start looking a bit silly. Honestly, if you are wearing a robe/belted cloak over a suit of battle armor that can walk through promethium-powered flames (whether it causes damage or discomfort or not, you can still survive while wearing it), I doubt you're all that concerned with that same piece of cloth catching on fire and just burning normally against your armor due to any potential jets of flame bursting out of your jump-pack that can carry your same armor aloft, and if your robe/cloak is kept cinched down tight enough, it's less likely to fly into your intakes. I have a feeling that the artisan serfs of the Dark Angels and other Unforgiven chapters likely end up spending a lot of time making new robes/cloaks for their Marine masters.

I have a feeling that the artisan serfs of the Dark Angels and other Unforgiven chapters likely end up spending a lot of time making new robes/cloaks for their Marine masters.

Haha, agreed!

 

Can you imagine failing out of the Dark Angels Aspirant trials? You were aiming for "Angel of Death", "Emperor's chosen", "Son of the Lion", etc., and end up being more or less a full time tailor!

My point about jump packs is not only that they are getting burned by the fans.Imagine a robed marine making an assault jump...and misstepping on the robes,censers,ropes,hanging stuff....

Pah! The chosen of the Emperor do not trip! We are minorly inconvenienced by the insidious plotting of Chaos scum, who have planted barriers in our supremely righteous way!

My point about jump packs is not only that they are getting burned by the fans.Imagine a robed marine making an assault jump...and misstepping on the robes,censers,ropes,hanging stuff....

Pah! The chosen of the Emperor do not trip! We are minorly inconvenienced by the insidious plotting of Chaos scum, who have planted barriers in our supremely righteous way!

 

Let no fabric stand between us and the enemies of the emperor!

A few points, in no particular order (although I've saved the most important for last)...

 

1. Why do people assume the robes are flammable? They could be made of fire-retardant future-kevlar sci-fi cloth.

 

2. White helmets on veterans are codex and the Dark Angels are mostly a codex chapter. The only power armoured Dark Angel veterans ever depicted by GW are in the current codex so I'm not unduly concerned that there isn't a history of DA veterans with white helmets.

 

3. Personal bug-bear: the devastator -> assault -> tactical progression introduced in the latest Codex: Space Marines makes no sense. I ignore it.

 

I'm aware that some of these arguments are contradictory. That brings me to my last point:

 

4. The Rule of Cool trumps everything. If you think your toy soldiers look better with robes then go for it. I'd love to see a Dark Angels army all in robes. :lol:

A few points, in no particular order (although I've saved the most important for last)...

 

1. Why do people assume the robes are flammable? They could be made of fire-retardant future-kevlar sci-fi cloth.

 

Good point :rolleyes: Fire-retardant future-kevlar sci-fi cloth all the way!!!

 

2. White helmets on veterans are codex and the Dark Angels are mostly a codex chapter. The only power armoured Dark Angel veterans ever depicted by GW are in the current codex so I'm not unduly concerned that there isn't a history of DA veterans with white helmets.

 

Truth being said, Company Vets (as a unit) did not exist before 4th - so this is all we have to go by -so no white helmets. Besides in Codex Chapters (UM for want of a better example) white helmet denotes 1st Company Veteran (as white is the 1st Company color). In the DA case Company Vets are just that - they belong to their own Company - not the 1st and certainly they are not DW by default. Which brings us to the fact that white is a sort of special color for DAs, so I'd avoid using it freely. However one can always invent a DA successor that adheres to the Codex markings more than the "parent" Chapter - everybody's happy :lol:.

 

3. Personal bug-bear: the devastator -> assault -> tactical progression introduced in the latest Codex: Space Marines makes no sense. I ignore it.

 

You're not alone mate! I hate this too. It's meaningless and a needless addition. What was the purpose of that anyway? If anything I'd assume that once a Scout joins a Battle Company he'd be Tactical... Then as he develops his skills he might become more of a specialist... Whatever. This addition is in C:SM and thankfully not integrated in the DA Codex (yet?). So yeah, we can easily ignore that (stupid, stupid) addition.

 

4. The Rule of Cool trumps everything. If you think your toy soldiers look better with robes then go for it. I'd love to see a Dark Angels army all in robes. :lol:

 

ABSOLUTELY!!! 100% agreed!

 

However I still find robes + jetpacks a weird combo.

However I still find robes + jetpacks a weird combo.

 

Yep. I am currently modelling a robed torso with a Tabard loincloth like my Space Marine Multiplayer avatar. Seems much more practical to me... and Relic/THQ dodged that whole Robed Assault marine thing by not doing a DA robed body option...

2. White helmets on veterans are codex and the Dark Angels are mostly a codex chapter.

Dark Angels aren't codex. They never accepted it. Stop putting us with those pansy Ultamarines

 

Though to be honest, we don't have much that isn't codex. Ravenwing, Special Chaplains, Deathing weaponry...

Agreed! It's not very good so i'll use my veterans also instead of sergeants and for my company master. Veterans themselves will have beakie helmets, studded pads and Errant-armor to be stood out.

 

The Rule of Cool trumps everything. If you think your toy soldiers look better with robes then go for it. I'd love to see a Dark Angels army all in robes. :P

Yes, of course. But it's not still fluffy, it's hardly possible for DA to all be trusted by the Inner Circle. :P

Not quite so true Menkeroth about the fluffy aspect.

 

It all depends upon the time setting of your army :)

 

 

 

Currently, I'm working on a Heresy era force (black highlighted with DA Green) fully robed, as the warriors of Caliban strike out on the Great Crusade.

 

If you look at the artwork for the Horus Heresy CCG, ALL of the Dark Angel units (a small number admittedly) are fully robed.

 

 

 

As others have said, the rule of cool and personal preference are what wins through at the end of the day, and any fluff justifications can easily be adapted by coming up with a little of your own back story. Personally, I'm going for the markings, such as a coloured trim, to distinguish sergents, squad leaders and the leader, with more lavish works on characters.

 

 

If you have the will and the desire, go for it - I'd love to see what you come up with in the end :)

I'd just weigh in here and say go for it. I think an all robed army would look cool.

 

Rule of cool is what you should follow because it's what you have to model and paint, so you need to like it!

After all the later foundings of the few starting legions are there for us to choose a theme and work with it so the army fits the look you as a painter and modeler want to achieve.

 

As a smal bit of advice though, you could also sculpt robes on some different models to differ it up, or look around for metal models on say ebay or people's bits boxes for some more variation.

If going for jumppackers and you feel robes look stupid, steal the templar tabbard ideas. They work well with jump packs and do not look like they would be a leathal hazard :D

 

Also you can chop Azreal, Asmodai, Ezekiël, brother Bethor and the older DA sargeant for models with divergent poses. Do place them on a bit higher bases though with some scenic basing material as they tend to be slightly smaller then the new plastic battle brothers.

 

So if you do we demand PICTURES!

bottom line: if you think it looks cool, go 100% robes.

 

I have over half a full battle company of which, about 60-70% are robed, even assault marines. I used an inverted scheme (white armor, green robes) and I think the robes set it in a direction that simply a few robes would not have sent it. Visually, it's very striking to see the contrast of armor and robe in an army-wide scale.

 

If I can ever get my hands on a decent camera, I'll post pics.

Did we ever end up with pictures?

 

Personally I think all robes would look cool. I would love to have more robes in my DA army just have too many other armies on the go to spend the money on more, but if I could I would! Rule of cool all the way! :o

 

However you will never please everyone..

 

At my first ever GW tournie I got lectured by a guy for nearly 20 minutes because I had black horses in my High Elf army. In the end I told him it was my army and I though black horses looked cool so there! My army my colours!

 

Beacuse there are always people in this hobby who just take it beyond the hobby if you get what i mean..

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