Space Marine Helmet Colour coding

[Marshall Riese]

Good Day Fraters,

 

Long time out of the hobby and just picking it up again (after almost 15 years) for something to do while we are supposed to be anti social (at least the modelling/painting aspect of the hobby). I have gotten myself some of the new Primaris SM, and whiel I predominately a modeller/painter, I still try to ensure I follow the flow of how the markings should look.

 

That said, when it comes to helmet colour variations for your marines and the codex standard does not completely work for your chosen chapter, what changes do you make to denote the different ranks/status of said marines.

 

For example: I am currently painting up Exorcists. Red Helmets denote a Sgt/Vet Sgt. My thoughts are to move to a white/bone coloured helmet for the Sgts. I know that the Vets of the Chapter wear white, though it is a safe assumption that all Sgts are Vets, though not all Sgts are Vet Sgts ;).

 

With this in mind I feel like all Vets could have the white/bone helmets. Sgts can be identified by a) the skull on the forehead of the helmet and a red strip. Then the Vet Sgts could be identified from the Sgts by adding a white strip inside the red. Essentially the opposite of how the Lt's helmet gets indicated.

 

I know at the end to the day it is each of our hobby. Though I think the discussion is worth having  given the number of new individuals that roll through these forums. And if they don't play Ultrmarines (or have a paint colouor that meshes with the codex exmple) they may have difficulty determining how to identify these brothers.

 

Regards,

[TPS]

This is where I noticed I never used the standard codex helmet colors. I like to distinguish the sergeants from their squad by some minor kitbashing. For example, using a Deathwatch backpack in a non Deathwatch chapter, or giving the sergeant a more chapter-appropriate close combat weapon than a chainsword.

[MegaVolt87]

My old SM army, I just did white helmets with crux terminus pad, white trim, then co colour trim on chapter badge side (vet sarge), then a red stripe on one guy's helmet, holstered BP + chainsword, but the guy was just using a bolter to show the squad combat squads/ the sarge's sucessor/ future replacement. 

[Xenith]

p79 of the current codex SM features codex helm colour conventions, namely:

 

red w/skull = sergeant

white = veteran

red w/ white stripe & skull = vet serge.

 

In the modern codex, all sergeants are veteran sergeants, going by the 2nd/3rd ed difference of veterans having +1A. 

 

Thus, codex standard would be for Exorcists:

 

Line marine  red helm

line vet serge = red w/ white stripe and skull

veteran - white

sergeant in veteran squad - red w/white stripe. 

 

Naturally, the codex dictates that these should be shaken up and adapted as neds be, so go with whatever you think the coolest. Crests might look cool with exorcists. 

[MegaVolt87]

I did white helmets + crux terminus because older lore had it possible for 1st co vets to filter back as sergeants to companies, then to Lt, maybe cpt one day. Not all vets were exclusive to each individual company, they could filter in from outside. Been too long, I think there was even one named character/ no model named character who went from battle company A, to 1st company vet, then cpt of different company B (Lysander before he went on holiday to the IV legion salt mines?/ someone else though). 

[klisof]

The exorcists section in the badab war books shows a sergeant wearing a red helmet with a white stripe.

It also shows a veteran sergeant with a all white helmet.

[battle captain corpus]

Even the Codex Astartes says that variations are inevitable etc. The Stripe for Veterans stems from the habit of wearing helmet plumes essentially.

 

I have chosen to do half helms for my Veteran Sgts. So half white and have red split down the centre. Genesis Chapter, whom I collect, are as rigid followers of the Codex as anyone else....but you have the freedom still. Painting just the face plate white looks great to.

 

BCC

[jaxom]

I did white helmets + crux terminus because older lore had it possible for 1st co vets to filter back as sergeants to companies, then to Lt, maybe cpt one day. Not all vets were exclusive to each individual company, they could filter in from outside. Been too long, I think there was even one named character/ no model named character who went from battle company A, to 1st company vet, then cpt of different company B (Lysander before he went on holiday to the IV legion salt mines?/ someone else though).

The super tough Crimson Fist who had broken every bone in his body at least three times except for one toe?

Edited November 4, 2020 by jaxom

[Son of Sacrifice]

It varies from chapter to chapter. As far as I know it's mainly the Ultramarines and the Imperial Fists chapters (although not all of their successors) that follow the red helmet for sergeants. Raven Guard sergeants wear a white helmet, Salamanders sergeants wear green, just like the rest of their squad for example.