Custom armor among chapters?

[Redfinger]

How much of an effect does a chapter's home planet have over chapter appearance? I really dig the mk8 armor, but seeing how it is "rare" I don't want to come off as too "special" with my chapter by equipping them all inmk8. So I am toying with the idea that the chapters artificers and tech marines modify suits to add the additional neck armor to each suit to be more representative of the appearance of the Warriors from the chapter's homeworld. Does that sound reasonable? Any fluff examples?

 

A.

[Quixus]

Do what you like. Perhaps they modify their older armour marks (MKVIII basically is an update to MKVII anways), perhaps they have gotten a lot of genuine MKVIII suits, for whatever reason. "A lot" for a space marine chapter actually isn't very much compared to what a single forgeworld could produce, We are talking about a couple of thousand suits if you already count in spares.

 

I think the rarity of the MKVIII has less to do with production cost/time but with the widespread reverence towards everything that is old. If your chapter does not share that belief, I can see why they would try to have the newest armour mark.

[Bjorn Firewalker]

The "fluff Nazis" will undoubtedly decry your Chapter for committing "techno-heresy" upon its power armor, and cite countless notes about how the Imperium (and the Adeptus Mechanicus that serves it) views innovation as "sinful," meaning they'll never tolerate such modifications...

 

But they're your models. Just modify them however you want, AS LONG AS you're willing to tolerate the "fluff Nazis'" comments. One alternative to the Mark VIII's gorget is the guruwa, which is attached to the mask instead of the breastplate- yes, that means your beakies can have neck protection. (Again, be prepared to put up with angry "fluff Nazis" and their complaints about your armor modifications.) Alternately, play a Minotaurs Great Company, to whom the High Lords of Terra give all the Mark VIIIs they want. (Why am I linking a description of the Space Wolves Chapter organization? There's little fiction written regarding the Minotaurs, so you can probably get away with saying they value individualism the way the Space Wolves do, meaning each Minotaurs company can use its own interpretation of the Chapter symbol to symbolize the Company.)

[No Foes Remain]

Well each of the Legions had their own varients of the varius power armour marks, so I don't see why chapters post Heresy wouldn't have their own varients (hell even the Mk VII in the plastic tac squads are different).

[Race Bannon]

Man, I think you should go for your idea.  If anyone has a problem with it, then they have a poor idea of what "fun" is.

 

In my humble opinion.

[Redfinger]

Hanks for the input guys. For me, if I can't work it out in my mind first then it creates a problem for me. :). I really like the perspective of he mk8 being rare not due to availability but rather tradition. I think, for me at least, it makes it reasonable to field units with the majority mk8.

 

A.

[Race Bannon]

Maybe it's rare for everyone else then ^_^

[Tyberos the Red Wake]

How much of an effect does a chapter's home planet have over chapter appearance? I really dig the mk8 armor, but seeing how it is "rare" I don't want to come off as too "special" with my chapter by equipping them all inmk8. So I am toying with the idea that the chapters artificers and tech marines modify suits to add the additional neck armor to each suit to be more representative of the appearance of the Warriors from the chapter's homeworld. Does that sound reasonable? Any fluff examples?

 

A.

 

Artificers actually do this kind of stuff all the time. It's just that we haven't seen them do an "official" modification like this in the lore. There's tons of official stories about how artificers will create custom unique armor pieces, or will try to repair and strengthen armor on the battlefield by attaching armor plates or other pieces of protection to cover vulnerable areas like exposed chest cables on Mk IV, V, and VI.

 

Not exactly strange to cover the neck area with armor. The whole point Mk VIII has the armor is because they recognized the flaw in the design of the breastplate deflecting shots into the softer neck armor. If a chapter cannot get enough suits of Mk VIII with armored collars, why wouldn't they simply do what they can to protect the neck themselves?

 

Your idea would fit well in a chapter of scavengers and guys who repair and modify their own armor a lot because that's the only way they can keep their gear functioning (Carcharodons, Marines Malevolent), or a chapter of highly skilled artificers who have the skill and knowledge to make high quality armor modifications (Salamanders, Blood Angels).