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Why the bright colors?


Fytharin

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I don't understand why their color scheme has such bright accent colors. The bright yellow and sometimes red make them stick out like a sore thumb and from a military standpoint, the less you are seen, the longer you stay alive. Is there a fluff reason for the colors?

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/zoogarama/40k%20Mini%20pics/DSC01400.jpg

This is how I've been painting mine, I substituted the yellow for a light grey but I kept the red around to keep them at least somewhat colorful.

 

Has anyone else been switching colors around?

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for me I feel that YES it does make them stand out somewhat - tis why my scouts will be camoed-up and dark camo at that - but I feel that much like the old Samurai warriors, who would often wear bright reds and greens, it is of certain pride, they WANT the enemy to know that they're coming... As far as the Wolves (and Samurai warriors for that matter) were concerned it will instill fear in the hearts of the enemy - and from past transcripts of those who fought against the Samurai both during the Shogun Era and afterwords in the clash between modernised Japan and Ancient/Shogun Japan it did it's job well, many foes were terrified to the point of surrender or self-sacrifice after facing the warriors...

Best said by a Primarch:

 

“Do not ask me to approach the battle meekly, to creep through the shadows, or to quietly slip on my foes in the dark. I am Rogal Dorn, Imperial Fist, Space Marine, Emperor’s Champion. Let my enemies cower at my advance and tremble at the sight of me.”

-Rogal Dorn

 

Besides, power armor gives you a better save than being behind cover.

It's explained in the Codex regarding unit assignments,; Blood Claws, Grey Hunters, Long Fangs and Scouts as ell as Wolf Guard. Read much?

 

So even the B&C has its trolls huh. What kind of an answer was that? The codex explains pretty clearly what the color choices are, but the op's question is WHY such bright colors are used. Im going to have to echo the above statements. The wolves are not hiding when they go to the murder make. They want the enemies to know who they face and want to smell the fear that insrills.

All, Let's keep it nice please. If you can't post nicely don't post, or please somewhere else.

 

With respect to the bright colors this is indicative of all marines and in the real world makes absolutely no sense. But this is not the real world and gw probably figured that painting everything in drab greys, browns would become very boring in this fantasy setting.

honestly once they get on a battlefield.all the dirt and grime would end up dulling down those colors.Also after a certain distance those colors will just blend in and not make much of an impact on them being sighted. their stature will reveal alot more than the little amout of color
As for the bright red and yellow I have no good military answer. But the baby blue on the other hand or the Bluish gray if you prefer is actually camo in the ice world. For those not used to the snow as snow blindness sets in your sight will see snow as the light bluish color so it fits. On the other hand they are space marines who hide from no enemy of the emperor so maybe the blue and yellow are there to stake that claim as they are hiding from no one as stated above.

Enhanced auto-senses, digital auspex readers, infrared scopes... a little bit of color will make no difference. Also, if this question is to be asked, it should be directed at UMs, Fists, Howling Gryphons and the like. If anything, we're proverbial shadows by comparison.

 

Second, as was mentioned, not much to fear when you're a superhuman in power armor. Perhaps that's why all the IG are in camo fatigues.

 

My guess, though... GW pride. Second edition codex is what initially started the red and yellow, and that was also when GW came out with their "now more vibrant" red and yellow citadel paints and needed a vehicle to showcase them. I've often assumed the yellow was intended to be gold, but with the new yellow paints, was perhaps reserved for only Ragnar's shoulderpad.

Real life has not much to do with our games. Rule of cool wins over physics and reality according to our four dimensions.

Some people don't want this to be true, as they feel it ruins their immersion into the fantasy setting. But GW doesn't seem to have such concerns. :)

After all, they aren't concerned with bringing all the fluff into the tabletop game - Marines would be far killier per mini, for instance. If they don't feel that fluff [which is true regarding the universe] needs to be pedantically brought onto the table, it is a similar situation with not having to 'obey' RL rules.

 

GW does it when it suits them, and doesn't when it doesn't. Simple :D

 

Otherwise you'd not have dudes running around with helmets off, using swords as effectively as high-powered rifles, have giant walkers, no aerodynamics on most Imperial vehicles, etc. I could go on, but I have already made the point.

 

40K is Science - Fantasy, not Science - Fiction. It very much is Warhammer Fantasy in Spaaace. Not GW's equivalent of Star Trek.

 

Otherwise all Chapters would be like the Raptor's Chapter - who are the most 'plausible' [according to RL] of the fiction written by GW.

 

I hope that helps :)

Marines colours are more like heraldry and shown with pride by most Chapters. They are not subtle tools of war either. With their size and loud arsenal of weaponry.

 

There are a few chapters who do use camp and stealth tactic. Most notable being the Raptors. Wolves however, apart from Scouts, dont usually use stealth too often.

Space Wolf grey helps blend into snows and frozen tundras.

 

Fenrisians love the cold, and cold-weather fighting is usually a common and comfortable battlefield for Fenris-born warriors. So the brightness of Space Wolf colors in this sense could very well be because they wanted to blend with the snows and the rocky frozen crags of Asaheim.

 

Also, since I paint my Wolves Codex Grey, my wolves can blend in snow, urban terrain, and volcanic planets no problem! ;)

Space marines are more akin to old roman actors than soldiers, made to seem larger than life and attract all attention.

Their weapons are often painted bright red and designed to cause as much sound and bloody mess as possible.

 

The fact that they are clad in large plates of brightly colored ceramite with glowing eyes is meant to. Draw attention and invoke fear.

 

A Space Marine doesn't march for days in camouflage to shoot you from a hidden position, he descends from the heavens on pillars of fire, wielding weapons that turns bodies inside-out and rends flesh and roaring praises to his forefathers with the voice of an angry mountain.

Thanks everyone for the great responses. As many of you have said, this is fantasy and that's a fair point. The red I understand, yellow just seems so bright and so contrary to anything else in the Space Wolves codex even looking at it from a heraldry stand point. I'm sincerely not trying to step on anyone's toes right now, I think there are a ton of SW minis out there painted with yellow that look amazing and with the grey it definitely does pop out. For me however, even the argument of wanting to be seen and be intimidating makes me have doubts. Blood red yes accomplishes that but are you really going to intimidate them with a yellow that's borderlining lightbulb therapy? lol
Best said by a Primarch:

 

“Do not ask me to approach the battle meekly, to creep through the shadows, or to quietly slip on my foes in the dark. I am Rogal Dorn, Imperial Fist, Space Marine, Emperor’s Champion. Let my enemies cower at my advance and tremble at the sight of me.”

-Rogal Dorn

 

Besides, power armor gives you a better save than being behind cover.

 

 

Also:

Camouflage is the colour of cowardice

Yellow is bright. Bright colors are easier to see. You will see yellow when that Wolf comes charging at you and it is in that instant that you realize that that Space Wolf doesn't care that you can see him, that all his hate and rage and savagery don't give one damn for what makes sense and that he is going to end you in the most painfully brutal way possible.
Yellow is bright. Bright colors are easier to see. You will see yellow when that Wolf comes charging at you and it is in that instant that you realize that that Space Wolf doesn't care that you can see him, that all his hate and rage and savagery don't give one damn for what makes sense and that he is going to end you in the most painfully brutal way possible.

 

Heraldry and colors that are easily noticed will only add to the belief that the one finally closing before the foe has time to react is planning on exactly this, the above, at the moment the foe's demise shall be made.

I have been painting my entire army in Grey. And I can attest that it gets boring painting grey. I think GW brightened them up to make them seem more flashy. And the heavy metal team was probably bored of grey too.

 

Other people did give good explanations that Space Marines dont care if you see them or not. And that is a valid point too.

 

I dont like painting yellow either. I prefer red myself. And when I paint those colors I dont paint bright like blood red or sunburst yellow. I start with the lower tones and work my way up. And the contrast with the grey armor makes those colored areas pop. Without the "lightbulb" effect you described previously.

  • 3 weeks later...
Blood red yes accomplishes that but are you really going to intimidate them with a yellow that's borderlining lightbulb therapy? lol

Well said. As for additional color schemes, the short answer to your question: yes.

 

I'm personally with you on the colors, and have modeled mine after a more pre-heresy era scheme. I'm prepared to duck any thrown mjod mugs coming my way, but I find the yellow to be just plain gaudy. Nevermind a militaristic/fluff standpoint, I've chosen to believe the yellow pads were not Russ' intent, but an addition of later Lords (you may now burn me and call me a heretic). Instead, my color scheme consists of a codex grey and fortress grey highlight in substitution for the blue - though I have no qualms with the blue itself, I just like grey better. Because I absolutely abhor the yellow, I use dwarven bronze for my wolf guard and copper for my grey hunters.

 

http://i1193.photobucket.com/albums/aa350/AlanNBeck/IMG_2055.jpg

 

If you want some more ideas, I'd head over to the guys at space-wolves-grey. Adam's color scheme/army is one that has given me a lot of inspiration, and I've unashamedly stolen from it.

 

Pre-Heresy Wolves

I'm stuck on this. I don't know whether to do it in the normal style or the darker pre-heresy grey. I think the darker grey is more realistic and fits with the "grim dark" and Viking style I've come to enjoy after reading BotF. On the other hand, the models in the army book look very nice. It might be easier to do the darker grey though...

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