Confusion about Chaos Terminator Armor Design

[Joasht]

I'm quite sure I'm not the first person to ponder about this, but I was wondering...

 

Most, if not every, piece of art I've seen with pre-Heresy Terminators mark them out to have a distinctive armor style; particularly the shoulder pads and the sort of frontal "grill" in front of the helmet. However, the Chaos Terminator models have the typical, "current" design with the rounded shoulder pads and helmet. While it is logical if they represent Marines that turned to Chaos after the Horus Heresy, I'm not quite sure of the reason behind the disparity for the "older" legions.

 

Thanks!

[pingo]

It might be a case of expediency. They had already sculpted the loyalist terminators and it was simpler to modify what they already had.

 

Often when designers sculpt they don't start afresh but work on something they've already done.

 

If I were a betting man, I would place a little wager on Forge World making some of that older pattern of armour for the forthcoming HH books so you may be able to get hold of some eventually if you prefer that style.

[Cyrox]

Both designs have been around since the great crusade. The pre-heresy style was more common during the early days, but during the heresy itself both styles were just as common

[Lord_Caerolion]

Basically, the Pre-Heresy style of Terminator armour didn't exist until the artbooks were released. Before that, Pre-Heresy Terminator armour was the current version of Terminator armour.

[AekoldHelbrass]

As I understand it, it happened like this:

- Horus becomes a Warmaster.

- New mark of TDA is created.

- Horus orders resupply for his Legions, slaves of false Emperor getting nothing.

- Dark Mechanicus win on Mars and make even more stuff for Horus.

- Horus is beaten by Emperor, Mars is freed.

- Finally, loyal marines have access to "modern" TDA, similar to ones Chaos Legions already have.

 

So basically it's loyal marines who have a copy of Chaos TDA, not the other way around.

[Lord Ragnarok]

Basically, the Pre-Heresy style of Terminator armour didn't exist until the artbooks were released. Before that, Pre-Heresy Terminator armour was the current version of Terminator armour.

 

This....

[Kol Saresk]

Basically, the Pre-Heresy style of Terminator armour didn't exist until the artbooks were released. Before that, Pre-Heresy Terminator armour was the current version of Terminator armour.

 

As I understand it, it happened like this:

- Horus becomes a Warmaster.

- New mark of TDA is created.

- Horus orders resupply for his Legions, slaves of false Emperor getting nothing.

- Dark Mechanicus win on Mars and make even more stuff for Horus.

- Horus is beaten by Emperor, Mars is freed.

- Finally, loyal marines have access to "modern" TDA, similar to ones Chaos Legions already have.

 

So basically it's loyal marines who have a copy of Chaos TDA, not the other way around.

 

These because, well they say why :angry: But yeah, the only mass-porduced, Astartes-related(Grey Knights not included) things to really be developed after the Heresy were the Acheron-class cruiser, a couple of Land Raider variants, Heresy-class, Corvus-class, Aquila-class and Imperator-class armor designs. Oh and Cyclone missiles.

[techsoldaten]

While it is logical if they represent Marines that turned to Chaos after the Horus Heresy, I'm not quite sure of the reason behind the disparity for the "older" legions.

Perhaps. It's also possible Traitor Chapters have simply pillaged the newer designs.

 

The fluff treats Terminator armor as a valued possession of the most powerful warriors within a warband. It would seem that it would be hard to possess a suit of Terminator armor over time, because the wearer would be subject to all kinds of petty competition with other aspiring champions and whatnot.

 

Perhaps all of the per-heresy Terminator armor possesses by the traitor legions has been destroyed as a result of infighting, and the more modern variants we see are simply pillaged from loyalist chapters? I don't think this would be too much of a stretch as an explanation.

[Excessus]

Or the dark mechanicus actually have the ability to churn out new ones, being all innovative and such...

[Kol Saresk]

Or the dark mechanicus actually have the ability to churn out new ones, being all innovative and such...

The Dark Mechanicus be productive? Nah, that's only rumors that you hear about but never see.

[Legatus]

Basically, the Pre-Heresy style of Terminator armour didn't exist until the artbooks were released. Before that, Pre-Heresy Terminator armour was the current version of Terminator armour.

This would be the correct answer. Unless you are not so much interested in the real world explanation for the disparity but would like an in-universe explanation for it.