Why is Helbrechts armour golden?

[Maritn]

I was just wondering. I think I'd rather paint him black with a bright tabard and cape, but maybe that's heresy.

[Wispy]

I was just wondering. I think I'd rather paint him black with a bright tabard and cape, but maybe that's heresy.

 

him changing his armour colour for a particular battle or campaign could be very fluffy.

[Marshall Bretton]

So I can't remember the source, I think it's one of the older novels but may have been fire and blood?

 

Anyway basically I believe it is so that he stands out on the battlefield and can be seen by all. Allies to provide inspiration and enemies so that their greatest warriors and champions are drawn to him.

 

Might be mis remembering the lore but pretty sure it was that

[Marshal Reinhard]

I remember seeing the old model painted in black,thinking it was baddass. That particular copy also had a helmet conversion. Vastly prefferred it. This I've realized was because I was never a fan of the old model.

 

Now I'm largely opposite. The new model is brilliant, and I'm actually looking forward to painting the bronze armour, the black an red tabard and cape.

 

That said, what is the lore reason? Out of universe I guess it's to make him stand out, as he's not actually more heavily blinged than say the generic marshal

[Sete]

So I can't remember the source, I think it's one of the older novels but may have been fire and blood?

 

Anyway basically I believe it is so that he stands out on the battlefield and can be seen by all. Allies to provide inspiration and enemies so that their greatest warriors and champions are drawn to him.

 

Might be mis remembering the lore but pretty sure it was that

I read this somewhere aswell.

[Maritn]

Maybe I'll make him stand out using the cape instead. It's what the majority of his troops will be able to see more often, with him being a frontline commander, won't they? ;)

[Medjugorje]

the golden armor used to be wear by all Marines with Artificer Armor in the old lore. I think they changed it for a long time.

[Karhedron]

Rogal Dorn wore golden armour back in the day so that is another potential call-back.

 

As to the new model, I am very much in favour of painting things in your own colour scheme. If you like the golden armour, that's fine. But if you think he looks better in black armour, go for it!

 

If in doubt, always remember the first law of modelling.

 

#1 It's your model so paint it how you like.

[Medjugorje]

Rogal Dorn wore golden armour back in the day so that is another potential call-back.

 

As to the new model, I am very much in favour of painting things in your own colour scheme. If you like the golden armour, that's fine. But if you think he looks better in black armour, go for it!

 

If in doubt, always remember the first law of modelling.

 

#1 It's your model so paint it how you like.

The Emperor wears gold too

[Marshal Reinhard]

It's still bronze tho.

[BayOkuz]

DUring the 3rd edition, every space marine chapter master weared artificer armor and artificer armor is actually gold. 

 

Dante's armor is gold because of that ( there were no sanguinary guard on that time) 

 

That is the sole reason. After that, GW arranged it accordingly for "lore purposes"

[Karhedron]

Dante and Tycho started the trend for gold armour on models but other Chapter Masters in 3rd edition did not wear gold, even if they had artificer armour. Calgar and Azrael both wore artificer armour in their Chapter colours in 3rd edition. It actually goes all the way back to the 1st edition Blood Angels Captain model shown below (which would eventually evolve into Captain Tycho) but lore and application has always been haphazard.

 

[Banjulhu]

I thhink there are two possible reasons why Helbrecht wears polished golden armour.

 

The first is that he like nice clean armour.

 

The second is that he is a pillock.

Edited September 21, 2021 by Banjulhu

[Mazer Rackham]

The second is that he is a pillock.

 

Heresy! 

 

The only pillock near Helbrecht is the one foolish enough to be within reach of his sword!

 

A lore reason, as said above, can be found in Blood and Fire, by ADB, p.24:

 

"Armour of black and gold marked him out from the rank and file, not for exultation, but to draw the enemy's eyes and ire.

When Helbrecht pulled steel, he wanted to be seen.  My lord was always the first in the fight, at the centre of the front line."

 

The real reason was probably a hold over from Second Ed, when most commanders wore white or gold.

 

I too, however, prefer Helbrecht in black. :)

[WARMASTER_]

 

So I can't remember the source, I think it's one of the older novels but may have been fire and blood?

 

Anyway basically I believe it is so that he stands out on the battlefield and can be seen by all. Allies to provide inspiration and enemies so that their greatest warriors and champions are drawn to him.

 

Might be mis remembering the lore but pretty sure it was that

I read this somewhere aswell.

NVM

 

Beaten with the above post

 

It’s such a description from ADB, I feel like of all the lore I’ve read on him he captures him best

Edited September 21, 2021 by BladeOfVengeance

[Sword Brother Adelard]

It's a nice post-fact explanation. But I don't think I've ever seen anything which explained it around the time of his release.

For me, if I paint him Gold, the Ork may have to go, the colours clash IMO.

 

I'd still love to convert him into the Terminator armour he wore in one story of him. If Primaris Terminators ever come, that's going to happen

[Medjugorje]

I love painting gold. And after I sold my ork army I am lucky to paint an ork again^^

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

My head canon he’s an OG pimp.

[Medjugorje]

My head canon he’s an OG pimp.

he is

[Chapter Master Valrak]

He wants to be a Reclaimer of Dorn, obviously. 

[Medjugorje]

He wants to be a Reclaimer of Dorn, obviously. 

 

Never knew that he wants Herpes^^

[Brother Tyler]

... artificer armor is actually gold.

That's not quite true. Azrael (Dark Angels) didn't have artificer armour in 3rd edition (a fact that many Dark Angels players complained about) and Calgar (Ultramarines) wore artificer armour that was the standard blue of his Chapter.

 

Similarly, other depictions of artificer armour aren't always gold. For example, the 3rd edition version of the Emperor's Champion (originally just for the Black Templars, later expanded to be allowed in any Chapter, then restricted to the Black Templars again while allowing other Chapters to take a company/Chapter champion) had black artificer armour.

 

Artificer armour is just really well-made power armour, rivaling TDA in its basic protection (while lacking the invulnerable save). In the Blood Angels Chapter, artificer armour is often depicted as the muscle armour, which is sometimes painted gold (but not always, as in the case of Mephiston). The use of gold for artificer armour became a thing for the Blood Angels in the Black Library novels by James Swallow, with Arkio's "taking the gold" being a momentous event. Painting artificer armour gold is something that hobbyists often due, but it's not necessary. Other Chapters have different ways of decorating their artificer armour. Sometimes it's gold, but often it is not.

 

Helbrecht wasn't explicitly described as having gold armour until the (soon to be old) miniature was released. Prior to that, descriptions of him didn't comment on the color of his armour. The black and white drawing of him in Codex: Armageddon could be gold, but seems to be black (i.e., no evidence of metallic shine). His gold armour was most likely a later invention. Personally, I've never been a fan of it. Sigismund wore black armour upon being appointed the Emperor's Champion during the Siege of Terra (I love the short story where he complained about having to paint over his yellow armour with black). The description of him in AD-B's book about Abaddon and the Black Legion portrays him in black armour (unless my memory is playing tricks on me). For one of his successors to wear gold armour is unpalatable to me. I can see the egotistic logic behind it, but it comes off as an act of hubris to me. My (new) Helbrecht will wear black, just like High Marshal Sigismund.

 

I don't hate him in gold armour, but I love the way the new model looks with black armour and a helmet - that's much more to my liking.

[Brother Carpenter]

I painted my old hellbrecht black. It looked pretty good

Also I read somewhere that dorn painted his armour black to mourn for the liss of his father. I thought that was more fitting

[JimVandy85]

 

... artificer armor is actually gold.

That's not quite true. Azrael (Dark Angels) didn't have artificer armour in 3rd edition (a fact that many Dark Angels players complained about) and Calgar (Ultramarines) wore artificer armour that was the standard blue of his Chapter.

 

Similarly, other depictions of artificer armour aren't always gold. For example, the 3rd edition version of the Emperor's Champion (originally just for the Black Templars, later expanded to be allowed in any Chapter, then restricted to the Black Templars again while allowing other Chapters to take a company/Chapter champion) had black artificer armour.

 

Artificer armour is just really well-made power armour, rivaling TDA in its basic protection (while lacking the invulnerable save). In the Blood Angels Chapter, artificer armour is often depicted as the muscle armour, which is sometimes painted gold (but not always, as in the case of Mephiston). The use of gold for artificer armour became a thing for the Blood Angels in the Black Library novels by James Swallow, with Arkio's "taking the gold" being a momentous event. Painting artificer armour gold is something that hobbyists often due, but it's not necessary. Other Chapters have different ways of decorating their artificer armour. Sometimes it's gold, but often it is not.

 

Helbrecht wasn't explicitly described as having gold armour until the (soon to be old) miniature was released. Prior to that, descriptions of him didn't comment on the color of his armour. The black and white drawing of him in Codex: Armageddon could be gold, but seems to be black (i.e., no evidence of metallic shine). His gold armour was most likely a later invention. Personally, I've never been a fan of it. Sigismund wore black armour upon being appointed the Emperor's Champion during the Siege of Terra (I love the short story where he complained about having to paint over his yellow armour with black). The description of him in AD-B's book about Abaddon and the Black Legion portrays him in black armour (unless my memory is playing tricks on me). For one of his successors to wear gold armour is unpalatable to me. I can see the egotistic logic behind it, but it comes off as an act of hubris to me. My (new) Helbrecht will wear black, just like High Marshal Sigismund.

 

I don't hate him in gold armour, but I love the way the new model looks with black armour and a helmet - that's much more to my liking.

Which short story does sigi paint his armor? I don't think I've read that one.

[Brother Tyler]

Which short story does sigi paint his armor? I don't think I've read that one.

It was back in 3rd edition in White Dwarf Magazine when the Emperor's Champion rules were changed to allow any Chapter to take him. In that version Sigismund was a [Veteran?] Sergeant who had been picked for the honour of becoming the first Emperor's Champion during the attack on Terra. The story starts with him in a transport, lamenting at having painted over his yellow/gold armour with black. I forget if it was Dorn or some other Imperial Fists leader who upbraided him, reminding him of the honour he had been given. The story then closes with an abstract of his exploits during that battle. All of that, of course, has been retconned with the version of Sigismund that we now know and love. I'll try to find that story so that I can post it.