Umbra Bolters - is it a cool retro for 1st legion?

[depthcharge12]

So after looking at all the marks of armor and bolters I have going for my 1st legion, I came across a new conundrum.

 

 

Not only did I feel the pain of getting things willy nilly across trying to pick a legion, but I began to be drawn towards the umbra bolters instead of my sexy Phobos and Tigrus bolters.

 

 

Now I was looking through some heresy dark angels pictures made from here all the way back to RT times (keep those rose tinted glasses holstered boyos) and it mainly depicted them using the umbra bolters. Now I've been drawn more and more to the Umbra as it's grown on me and I've finally (fingers crossed) picked my dark angels legion, and I'm thinking....should I replace all my bolters with them?

 

I'd like to think that the Lion and the first tried to be logistical and keep to one set of bolters and ammo calibre (see US and WWII logistics problems) to keep things simple. However I'd also think that the 1st legion would build up a large stockpile of multiple types as they were the first made.

 

 

 

While this problem would seem simple and I could just take all different bolter types that I like, I feel that they looked mismatched together and the group doesn't look cohesive.

 

 

It would be nice if you brothers (and sisters) could weigh in on this matter for me. I want to make a unique Dark Angel Legion that people look to and like - I'm going to add robes too! - and possibly be used as reference for future players.

 

 

What do you think?

 

Should the war gear be cohesive, or do mixes of armors and bolters turn on your heresy neurons? :D

[Komrk]

I personally am going to be using all Umbra Ferrox for my Raven Guard as 1. They're cool 2. Having everything the same makes sense and makes them look like a cohesive fighting force rather than a bunch of hooligans who were given guns and ammo

[Relict]

The First Legion is noted, in The Unremembered Empire by logistical genius Roboute Guilliman himself, to possess weapons that no other Legion possessed due to their first-created, first-fielded, and self-sufficient nature. 

 

Would they have war materiel that deviate from the standard Legion issue? Absolutely. The Lion is a closed soul who kept his own counsel and he likely has his Legion keep an extensive stockpile in case of... unforeseen circumstances that would cut them off from their normal supply channels. 

 

Nor would he be the only Primarch to do so. In Extermination, the IV Legion is stated to possess the greatest reserve of war materiel (armor, weapons, ammunition, etc.) of all the Legions, on top of their 180,000 Legionaries and formidable motor pool. If Perturabo (who has a reputation as a paranoid recluse) can do this, then it would not be out of character for the Lion to do so as well and keep this fact a secret. 

 

All Legions had access to the same set of general equipment. Each type of equipment is utilized to a different degree based on the Legion's chosen style of warfare. For instance, the Death Guard and Iron Warriors prefer the added protection of Mark III armor, while the Mark VI armor remain largely in Raven Guard and Alpha Legion (who secretly manufactured their own variant) use. 

 

So go with whatever suits your sense of aesthetics the best. It is, after all, your money and your time. The beauty of HH is that you can come up with your own fluff within the existing framework to justify just about anything (set-in-stone facts such as the V Legion not having any Dreadnoughts in its service not withstanding).

 

My own force of World Eaters is led by an old War Hounds Centurion who refused the nails. The force includes Marks II, IV, and V power armor, both variants of Terminator armor, Phobos and Tigris Pattern bolters (and combi-bolters), and two Sicaran tanks, among others. 

 

Search your feelings, young padawan... :P

[depthcharge12]

@komrk

 

Yeah I really like the umbra-ferrox but feel they are more suited to the veterans or special guys (read Geardo's) in the legion.

 

 

@Relict

 

I don't have huge fluff worries, but the umbra seems kinda tied to the old beaky helmets (which technically according to fluff pictures, the dark angels had during the heresy).

 

I feel that even my MKIV suits feel a bit out of place even though they look nice according to the older nature of the 1st, and to our knowledge Horus didn't even try turning Lion, so wouldn't trust to send him newer suits of armor.

[Komrk]

Well Horus also doesn't necessarily Mk VI because they were guinea pigs and most other legions didn't like that it had less armor plating. And while the Umbra Ferrox definitely look more like Veteran/Seeker issue weapons, I think that on a company level it wouldn't be too hard to have them all have Umbra Ferrox, either high numbers of Veterans/Seekers or cross training or that's just what they got their hands on or their Captain managed to acquire them for his company.

[deathspectersgt7]

I Think going w/mixed armour  boltrers is cool .The Umbra looks like a quick throw together a quick replacement look.

[Relict]

The rule of thumb I go by in terms of aesthetics:

 

Marks II & III armor - Phobos 

Mark IV - Tigris

Mark V - whatever you want

Mark VI - Umbra

[The Red Thirst]

Its my opinion that the Umbra bolters look older despite being manufactured later in the great crusade (I think its the association the Umbra has with Rogue Trader bolters that does it).

To me the Dark Angels being the First Legion gives me the impression of old noble knights, wearing old armour (really cant tell if they would look good in MKIV :S) and using older looking weapons which the Umbra would match perfectly.

[depthcharge12]

Its my opinion that the Umbra bolters look older despite being manufactured later in the great crusade (I think its the association the Umbra has with Rogue Trader bolters that does it).

To me the Dark Angels being the First Legion gives me the impression of old noble knights, wearing old armour (really cant tell if they would look good in MKIV :S) and using older looking weapons which the Umbra would match perfectly.

Here's some mkIIs through V as a reference:

 

http://i911.photobucket.com/albums/ac316/treacyjohn2/200f077f699686a3dab584bece21cd89_zps216d4249.jpg

 

http://i911.photobucket.com/albums/ac316/treacyjohn2/47cc90f551a48a79698d427a6298d381_zpse377c7c1.jpg

 

http://i911.photobucket.com/albums/ac316/treacyjohn2/9a4ef8eb8b46ff33bc8d3d162ca43a73_zpsda41f380.jpg

[The Red Thirst]

Ok I see it now haha :) love the bronze trim with the black, still personally think the MK.II looks better but that just may be from seeing Dark Angels in Heresy Artwork. No doubt though you made them look good in MK.IV ;)