First images of Dark Angels with Green armor

[Harleqvin]

Hey, everyone.

I’m hoping someone can help me out, looking for first images from GW with Dark Angels armor being painted green. I have Angels of Death 2nd ed codex, but I’m sure there were published images before that. Thank you all in advance.

[apologist]

Interesting question. The transition between RT black and modern green probably happened fairly gradually; and I'd be inclined to guess that the change occurred as the Space Hulk expansion Deathwing was being developed. Prior to that, there wasn't really much info on the various Chapters, to be honest.

 

On a quick skim, the first green Dark Angel I can find is WD132, which has a green-armoured Dark Angel scout (p35), though in an advert for the Terminators and Tyranids box in WD133, the sergeant was still black armoured.

 

WD133 also had an advert for the Space Marine painting set, which included the four 'big Chapters' of the time. At this point, Salamanders were still the 'green option' (though still with their cool pattern).

 

BY WD137/138/139 (I'd have to check), Dark Angels were 'officially' green, presented in a colour panel alongside Blood Angels and Ultramarines. 

[Brother Tyler]

From a text standpoint, the change happened during 1st edition (Rogue Trader era). In the Deathwing expansion to the Space Hulk game, the Dark Angels wear black armour - both the power armoured troops as well as the tactical dreadnought armoured troops (the change to white happened as a result of the story in that book). That expansion was published in 1990. In the Genestealer expansion, which was published in 1991, the "Terminators of the Deathwing" wear white while "other Dark Angels wear dark green armour." No images of green-armoured Dark Angels are shown in that book since Space Hulk focuses on Terminators.

[m_r_parker]

Isn't the infamous story of paints being called the wrong name, with Dark Angels Black accidentally being produced as Dark Angels Green? Or is that just a myth?

[apologist]

Isn't the infamous story of paints being called the wrong name, with Dark Angels Black accidentally being produced as Dark Angels Green? Or is that just a myth?

Just a myth. Same with the idea that Blood Angels were once orange - again because of paint names. There was a Blood Angels Orange paint, but it was formulated in order to highlight Blood Red.

[Harleqvin]

Swingin’ on that info, @apologist and @Brother Tyler

Those WD’s and that spot for the Genestealer expansion seem somewhat things I need to look at procuring.

Now something to look about on is when did GW start having publication mentions of The Fallen.

Edited February 20, 2020 by Harleqvin

[Spottswoode]

I'm not absolutely sure, but the first time I remember it was from this (dated 1990): 

 

http://solegends.com/citrt2/rtb15smstrikeforce/wd130p084x-02.jpg

 

Obviously the marines on the back are in Deathwing white, but the cover clearly shows them as green. I've heard stories that they were supposed to be Salamanders but the artist made a mistake, although I can't see how the art would have been released if that was the case.

 

There was also this, which I *think* came from around the same time (possibly the Compendium or the Compilation) which clearly shows them in green:

 

 

The very basic level of the art suggests it was early in the release life of the Mk VI armour, as well as the fact the Blood Angel in black armour "has taken the infamous blood oath" rather than being part of the Death Company which were introduced in 1993.

 

So my guess would be one of those two, from sometime around 1990 / 1993.

 

Edit - the linked picture keeps breaking, but you can see it here in this review of WD 129 https://recalcitrantdaze.blogspot.com/2016/07/ That also dates it to September 1990)

Edited February 23, 2020 by Spottswoode

[Master Sheol]

From what i learned DA turned from black to green during the First edition of Epic (that was callef Space Marine if i Remember right) and the story about the Fall of Caliban and the fallen was invented later

[Fierce Bear]

I love that art, black but with a tinge of green, it's the root of my green wing scheme now.. try and make them almost appear black from a distance...

 

Well.. y'know it's never perfect ;-)

[JJD]

The same art work on the strike force was the box cover art for the game Space Marine epic released 1989. It is to my knowledge the first time Dark Angels picked up a hint on green.

[LameBeard]

And it’s quite plausible that the change came because of that art. In those days Games Workshop used a lot of freelance artists, which had advantages, but the downside was the time it took to explain background to those artists. So this might be an example of that challenge.

 

There is a black-armoured dark angel terminator on the side of the original Space Hulk box.

[Brother-Captain Gilead]

And it’s quite plausible that the change came because of that art. In those days Games Workshop used a lot of freelance artists, which had advantages, but the downside was the time it took to explain background to those artists. So this might be an example of that challenge.

 

There is a black-armoured dark angel terminator on the side of the original Space Hulk box.

 

And there is an example of those dangers in that very artwork with a space marine that looks like he has just taken the glove off and is firing his bolter bare-handed for some reason. It has always bugged me about this specific piece of artwork which is otherwise a perfect example of the type of art that GW put on their products at the time.

[Karhedron]

On a similar note, can anyone remember when Ravenwing turned black again? One of my first DWs was 149 and the Ravenwing models in that were painted green.

[Brother-Captain Gilead]

On a similar note, can anyone remember when Ravenwing turned black again? One of my first DWs was 149 and the Ravenwing models in that were painted green.

 

This is a bit murky I feel, because one of the Dark Angels codexes (from somewhere between editions 3-6 that I can't seem to find right now) tells us of Dark Angels bikers and land speeders that are not part of the Ravenwing but are instead part of the 8th Assault company and thus they and their riders are painted dark green, a detail that has subsequently been retconned away completely.

[Sandalphon]

I think you have your answer above but I love an excuse to trawl through old WD's!

 

On the RW, there's a chapter approved article in white dwarf no.96 (1987) stating that the ravenwing were the 7th company 10 squads of 10 jetbikes and their insignia was a black wing overlaid by the company number.. it doesn't tell you what the rest of the armour was but suggests they weren't black at the time.. also the lion was named "Lynol Jacobsen or Jonsen" and the Sgts had names like Rumman Koak and Djin Ntonik..lol

 

DA were def green by 1990 and in the '93 rulebook the bikers were all green like the rest of armour by then.

 

Dark angel terminators were still black in WD #112 (1989) but with the release of space Hulk's deathwing expansion around WD 122 (Feb 1990) they were white.

 

Don't know if that helps in any way but it was a fun trip down memory lane

Edited April 29, 2020 by Sandalphon

[Brother dean]

I'm not absolutely sure, but the first time I remember it was from this (dated 1990): 

 

http://solegends.com/citrt2/rtb15smstrikeforce/wd130p084x-02.jpg

 

If it means anything this painting is the cover for WD 117.  It is a correct depiction of how shiny black armor will reflect a yellow sky.  The story that I've always heard is that a 'Eavy Metal painters saw the painting and made them black green.  

Edited May 3, 2020 by Brother dean

[LameBeard]

That makes more sense - since wasn’t it used as the cover of ‘Space Marine’ and in the Epic fluff, Dark Angels are black. Edited May 4, 2020 by LameBeard

[Spinsanity]

I thought the Change was a result of a bunch of black DAs that had been painted with a pronounced green edge-highlight at some point in a RT publication or WD, or was that later on when they had already made the switch to green?

[Iron Lord]

 

 

This is a bit murky I feel, because one of the Dark Angels codexes (from somewhere between editions 3-6 that I can't seem to find right now) tells us of Dark Angels bikers and land speeders that are not part of the Ravenwing but are instead part of the 8th Assault company and thus they and their riders are painted dark green, a detail that has subsequently been retconned away completely.

 

It was during 3e  - the Warhammer 2004 Annual, and then the 2nd edition of the 3e Codex, had it.

 

Back then,  a point was made that the Ravenwing do not use the Land Speeder Typhoon because the extra weight of the missile launcher compromises its use by them.

 

How times have changed.

[Master Sheol]

 

 

 

 

This is a bit murky I feel, because one of the Dark Angels codexes (from somewhere between editions 3-6 that I can't seem to find right now) tells us of Dark Angels bikers and land speeders that are not part of the Ravenwing but are instead part of the 8th Assault company and thus they and their riders are painted dark green, a detail that has subsequently been retconned away completely.

 

It was during 3e - the Warhammer 2004 Annual, and then the 2nd edition of the 3e Codex, had it.

 

Back then, a point was made that the Ravenwing do not use the Land Speeder Typhoon because the extra weight of the missile launcher compromises its use by them.

 

How times have changed.

Also in 2nd Edition codex It was stated that DA gas bikers and LS in the reserce companies to train RW future members but i cannot recall if It statesld the green bikes/LS too

[Iron Lord]

I thought the Change was a result of a bunch of black DAs that had been painted with a pronounced green edge-highlight at some point in a RT publication or WD, or was that later on when they had already made the switch to green?

 

 

This image from WD 123 (March 1990) shows them as not just green, but a quite pale green -  paler than the Salamanders Captain  on the same page:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VxKP6XgogdQ/U-uVJnpByMI/AAAAAAAAGDE/WqJ8B6In-EA/s1600/24-009d2bb002.jpg

 

Given that the Space Marine expansion to Adeptus Titanicus was from 1989, it's plausible that WD123 took their cues from that.

[LameBeard]

My first White Dwarf! Loving that. But note that colour scheme variants were also a thing in those days. Remember camouflage marines? And that ultramarine next to him is white. Still I think this is the best date yet.

 

What would be interesting is to know when Dark Angels replaced Salamanders as the ‘green one’ in the big 4 chapters.

[Iron Lord]

 

What would be interesting is to know when Dark Angels replaced Salamanders as the ‘green one’ in the big 4 chapters.

 

I think in 1993's 2e rulebooks, Dark Angels were already the one with a text box in Codex Imperialis - them, Blood Angels, and Space Wolves. Theirs talked about them being "the Unforgiven". 

 

 

 

Of the Battle Brothers of the Dark Angels history cannot speak, for there are no records of the Dark Chapter's beginnings, of their part in the Great Crusade, or of their deeds during the terrible wars of the Horus Heresy. Only the legend persists - the legend that once the Dark Angels teetered upon the brink of Chaos, that foul betrayal besmirched the Chapter's valour and made vain all acts of former virtue. Yet they returned to the fold of the Emperor's love and tore themselves from the very bosom of temptation. Perhaps they sought the Emperor's pardon too late, for ever since they have borne the Mark of the Unforgiven. Can ten thousand years of purgatory absolve those to whom every battle is redemption? Can it be the lost souls of the slain that clamour for the absolution that victory brings?

 

 

The Rulebook depicts a number of battle scenes in colour, one of which is Dark Angels & Blood Angels vs Eldar. The Dark Angel captain is the iconic "feathered headgear" captain. Every Dark Angel is in green.

The colour list in Codex Imperials lists both Dark Angels and Salamanders as dark green. Oddly, Lunar Wolves and World Eaters are listed as wearing black armour (and Iron Warriors are listed as wearing white armour).

 

 

I'd speculate that 2e's inclusion of that text box, was what paved the way for the 1996 Angels of Death codex - and pushed them to being one of the more prominent Chapters.

 

 

Prior to that, they were mostly "The chapter with the Deathwing as 1st Company" - it was the "Unforgiven" thing that really pushed them down the path to becoming as distinctive, and important, as they are.

Edited May 14, 2020 by Iron Lord