Helmet colours for Primaris marines?

[FormelyKnownAsSmashyPants]

Also worth noting despite their veteran status, terminators have red helmets not gold. Although this is kind of irrelevant to the OPs question as they're painting primaris marines.

[Brother Raul]

On 1/24/2019 at 6:56 PM, Spyros said:

I prefer to follow the old ways as much as possible. Thus the veteran sergeants maintain the color of the squad type on their helmet.

 

Back in 2nd edition the only unit with gold helmets was the (specially allowed) 5-man veteran assault squad that acted as Dante's bodyguard. Even the company standard bearer had red helmet. The veteran sergeants of that era were mostly identified by their special equipment and perhaps extra purity seals.

 

In the 3rd edition the veteran assault squads still had yellow helmets (it's their role insignia), it was enough that they wore the skull sign of the 1st on the right shoulder. The Honor Guard appears and they wear gold helmets to identify their role better.

 

During the 4th Dante's Honor Guard appears painted fully gold and it still fits the theme, they are the chapter master's guard, not a captain's. Veteran assault remains yellow helmeted.

 

In the 5th the Sanguinary Guard appears and the codex keep the gold power armoured honor guard from the 4th, as well as red armour with gold helm for other honor guards. And the confusion starts here because now the 1st company veterans (sternguard or vanguard) also have gold helmets, perhaps zealous of the Ultramarines white?

Also, other companies' veterans appear with gold helmet.

And it has been like that today.

 

Now, is 1st co vets have gold helms, why the terminators don't? Just like the Ultramarines?

 

My vet sergeants don't have gold helms, only extra decoration if possible.

Gold helmets are restricted to bodyguards, command squads etc. I consider company vets as such anyway.

1st company power armoured troops don't need gold helms, they wear the skull on their shoulder.

Lieutenants and captains also have shoulder insignia.

Otherwise we would end up with the whole army wearing gold helmets in the end...

I've broken ranks on this, the Space Hulk Terminators had red helmets but I think they would be gold as well. The green lenses pop beautifully with the gold helms and they are a common paint scheme.

 

Or maybe I am wrong and the Terminator Sergeant should be in gold but when was the last time you saw a Terminator sergeant with a helm? 

Edited August 3, 2023 by Brother Raul

[Paladin777]

My (tartaros) terminators have gold helmets with some silver. It helps break up the red. 

[Karhedron]

My Terminators have red helms but they are so old they are still metal!  If I were painting a new squad, I think I would probably go for gold.

[Majkhel]

So I did a golden-helmeted terminator Sarge just for fun and it looks... golden 

I think I'll restrict this to Sergeants and quite possibly - not all of them. This gives me room for more personalization and story-telling.

Edited August 18, 2023 by Majkhel

[Paladin777]

And he looks absolutely gorgeous too!