How do Chapters choose their Chapter Badges?

[Rikev]

I have a question regarding badges.

 

When I make my chapter, I want it to be easy and accessible to do the logo and I've been looking at possible recoloured emblems used by existing chapters. (Totally not because my freehand is rubbish....) How is it that Space Marine chapters acquire their logo when it is similar to another chapter? Does the Imperium have a set of stock symbols or do chapters get really jealous of their emblem being used by a non-successor chapter? Example: Red Wolves using the Space Wolf logo.

 

Or is there no lore reason and it's just a community thing?

[WarriorFish]

There's no official word as far as I'm aware, either from GW or in-universe. There is scope for mismatch and error from the Imperial bureaucracy so there's plenty to play with if you want to recolour an existing emblem That said I think it'd be more common for a direct successor to use a recoloured symbol as a direct tie to their lineage, as it'd look odd to have well recognised Chapter symbols used elsewhere (e.g. SW logo on BA successor?).

 

So it's probably more of an unwritten community thing, but if your motivation is lack of freehand don't forget you can print transfers too so perhaps there's a digital solution for your DIY