why can an inquisitor wear terminator armor?

[terminator ultra]

I seem to remember that terminator has a long list of requirements to wear it. so in theory, if I have a suit of terminator armor at home, could I wear it just as well as a unmodified inquisitor?

[ThePenitentOne]

I've wondered the same thing.

 

Frankly, the scale creep from the original Malleus Terminator models and the modern plastics feels like a feature and not a bug: it is still identifiable as terminator armour, and it has the same stats... But looking at it on the table, in a full Terminator force, the Inquisitor would stand out from across the room as the little guy.

 

Terminator armour... but made for humans, not 8' tall genetic monstrosities.

[AutumnEffect]

11 hours ago, terminator ultra said:

I seem to remember that terminator has a long list of requirements to wear it. so in theory, if I have a suit of terminator armor at home, could I wear it just as well as a unmodified inquisitor?

 

Since Power Armor can be worn by unaugmented humans then I see no reason why Terminator armour designed for a normal human is impossible. They don't have access to all of the same systems that having a Black Carapace would allow, but you can still wear 'powered armour'.

An Inquisitor has, in theory, unlimited authority. Commissioning the right people and pulling the correct strings, they could get a suit of custom terminator armour. 
But I think it would be just that: custom. Even standard pattern terminator armour isn't something that you can pull off a shelf at the local Forge World.

[Lord_Ikka]

Just like a SoB in power armor, unaugmented humans can use terminator armor, as there are no requirements to operate the armor that requires genetic/body modification. Without a black carapace however, the armor is less responsive and harder to control- the black carapace directly links an Astartes' nervous system with the armor, allowing for a smooth interaction between the though-impulses required for movement. A normal human, like a Sororitas, uses power armor in a way where the armor responds to the body's movement rather than the brain's instruction, making them have a delay in decision to move and actual movement. A veteran Sororitas, or other frequent non-Astartes power armor user, can minimize this delay through experience but it will always be there, making them just slightly worse in wearing the armor than Astartes.

 

This impacts terminator armor even more, as the massive armor plates and servo-muscles require even Astartes to move in a more deliberate and restrained way. It can take terminator-equipped SM quite a while to get used to the movement, as referenced in at least one novel about the Deathwing from a newcomer's perspective. Terminator armor even to Astartes is more of an exo-suit rather than bonded armor, as it was originally intended to be (termie armor is basically a modified exo-suit that was made for mining/exploring dangerous areas). 

 

Both SoB and Inquisition power armor is noted as smaller than Astartes armor, so it would be logical that a baseline human set of terminator armor would also be smaller than an Astartes one. Still quite large, but not the walking tank that is a terminator Space Marine. There are plenty of depictions of Terminator armored Inquisitors, from the old mini to those in novels like Inquisitor Sabbathiel (who has a terminator suit she wears for especially dangerous missions*). 

 

 

* Side note- do not look at the graphic novel depictions of Sabbathiel if you want to make sense of the physical aspects of terminator armor- they are wildly weird and anatomically crazy. More like a SoB Paragon Warsuit in style than what you would think of as a terminator.

[Gamiel]

I would not call Sabbathiel unaugmented since she is cyber-plugged to her armour 

[WAR]

I was gonna say cause it looks cool.....

 

but also in theory as an Inquisitor progresses through the ranks he/she probably received enhancements to augment their bodies and had redundant life systems.    

[librisrouge]

The rudiments of terminator armor predate space marines entirely, so it makes sense that the exoframes it is based upon would be usable by baseline humans.

 

It probably works the same way power armor does. Marines are blessed with the Black Carapace implant. This allows them to interface with their armor as though it were a 2nd skin. It operates the same with terminator armor. Baseline humans typically use plug suits or cyber implants that function along the same principles but are less efficient. I imagine it allows a slight delay in the system. An inquisitor working with power armor moves just a bit before the armor does. They still move with great strength but their reflexes are slower and they have to lead all of their actions by just a bit.

 

Terminator armor is, technologically, just upsized and reinforced power armor with integrated weapons. However, even marines find that terminator armor, with its great bulk, has a delay. It kills their reflexes. Now, compound that for a baseline human, who is already slowed by normal power armor. They'd move like uncoordinated and concussed children. I imagine they'd have to practice a great deal to get to fighting shape. It would take more than the marine's amount of training but inquisitors are nothing if not focused and stubborn.

[terminator ultra]

1 hour ago, WAR said:

 

but also in theory as an Inquisitor progresses through the ranks he/she probably received enhancements to augment their bodies and had redundant life systems.    

HELP MY ALCOLYES I CAN'T SEE

[Bouargh]

57 minutes ago, librisrouge said:

The rudiments of terminator armor predate space marines entirely, so it makes sense that the exoframes it is based upon would be usable by baseline humans.

 

And if I remember correctly a very very old piece of lore (souvenirs, souvenirs....), it was in fact a mitlitarization of a predating civil piece of gear initially used for maintenance of plasma reactor core (understand hot repair procedures). So no need for black carapace.

[terminator ultra]

1 hour ago, Bouargh said:

it was in fact a mitlitarization of a predating civil piece of gear initially used for maintenance of plasma reactor core (understand hot repair procedures). So no need for black carapace.

wouldn't it be extremely heavy though? like 800+ pounds?

[Jolemai]

4 hours ago, WAR said:

I was gonna say cause it looks cool.....

 

but also in theory as an Inquisitor progresses through the ranks he/she probably received enhancements to augment their bodies and had redundant life systems.    

 

Oo, I'll play too - and will second that it looks ace 

 

[AutumnEffect]

45 minutes ago, terminator ultra said:

wouldn't it be extremely heavy though? like 800+ pounds?

That's where the powered part of power armour comes into play.

 

Terminator and Power Armour have internal powered exoskeletons that support and enhance the movements of the wearer.

 

There are some experimental exoskeletons in development right now, you can find some videos of them in action.

[terminator ultra]

27 minutes ago, AutumnEffect said:

That's where the powered part of power armour comes into play.

 

Terminator and Power Armour have internal powered exoskeletons that support and enhance the movements of the wearer.

 

There are some experimental exoskeletons in development right now, you can find some videos of them in action.

that makes sense thanks (but wouldn't a human/inquistor be too short?)

Edited March 14 by terminator ultra

[terminator ultra]

looks like @Jolemai is joining the I can't see club

[Jolemai]

1 hour ago, terminator ultra said:

looks like @Jolemai is joining the I can't see club

 

Nah. I painted his eyes so he can see fine 

[terminator ultra]

you realize that would be like painting your eyes right? unpainted is the natural state of models and putting paint on them (that then hardens) stop them from breathing. all your models are dead right now.

[AutumnEffect]

8 hours ago, terminator ultra said:

that makes sense thanks (but wouldn't a human/inquistor be too short?)

 

That's why I said the armour would probably be custom designed for them. They wouldn't be able to wear a suit designed for Space Marines, no. But there are and have been suits designed for humans.

[librisrouge]

19 hours ago, terminator ultra said:

that makes sense thanks (but wouldn't a human/inquistor be too short?)

Almost certainly any suit of terminator worn by a non-marine is a custom job. I can't think of a single bit of lore that support a standard form of non-marine terminator plate.

[CatchyUsername715]

On 3/14/2024 at 1:54 PM, terminator ultra said:

wouldn't it be extremely heavy though? like 800+ pounds?

Pretty sure its mechanized with motors and a reactor. Theres a part where a terminator has the reactor destroyed and he can't move.

[Brother Tyler]

From the original article on Terminators that was published during the 1st edition of the game:

 

Also known as Tactical Dreadnought Armour, Terminator exo-armour is a development of the sealed environment suits used by spaceship crews, Space Pirates, and in many other lethal situations.

 

Exo-armour is constructed from heavy gauge plasteel plating, forming an armoured shell that can withstand even the colossal impact of high-speed orbital micro-debris. It is the only readily available armour suitable for working inside the high-pressure casings of plasma reactor shields, or the extremely corrosive environments inside the holds of bulk chemical carriers. These same qualities, suitably enhanced by the Adeptus Mechanicus, make Terminator armour virtually invulnerable to most weapons.

 

...

 

All Terminator suits contain their own independent power supply and enclosed life-support systems. Marine Terminator suits are heavily armed and also carry teleport homers, bio-scanners, energy-scanners, auto-senses, suspensors and targeters for their weapons, and communicators.

 

So think of Terminator armour as a class of armour. The Terminator armour that the Adeptus Astartes wear is a sub-class (or several sub-classes when you consider Cataphracti, Tartaros, Indomitus, etc.), while Terminator armour worn by unenhanced humans might comprise one or more other sub-classes. The core protective elements are common across all sub-classes of Terminator armour, and the Terminator armour classes that the Adeptus Astartes use have further enhancements and are scaled up for their immense frames whereas other sub-classes of Terminator armour are scaled for normal humans. Inquisitors have been wearing Terminator armour since the 1st edition of the game, as seen by Jolemai's conversion; and it is likely that Inquisitors might similarly have enhancements in their suits of Terminator armour that many "regular" folk (spaceship crews, Space Pirates, maintenance crews, etc.) don't have. It is also quite possible that there may be bespoke suits that don't appear identical to other marks of Terminator armour, and this would be most common within the ranks of the Inquisitors who have far-reaching access. So you might find an Inquisitor (or a Rogue Trader) wearing a unique suit of armour that doesn't look like any other suit of Terminator armour with which you might be familiar, but which provides all of the protection (and maybe some enhancements) that you would expect to find in TDA.

[Xenith]

On 3/13/2024 at 6:54 PM, terminator ultra said:

I seem to remember that terminator has a long list of requirements to wear it. so in theory, if I have a suit of terminator armor at home, could I wear it just as well as a unmodified inquisitor?

 

Space Marine Chapters have a list of requirements as they often have only 1 - 50 suits for 1000 marines, so give them to heroes and veterans only - once you have earned your metaphorical laurels, you undergo TDA training and receive your crux terminatus.

 

Inquisitors can access that training directly as they can requisition pretty much anything they need from the Imperium. 

TDA suits were also originally hazardous environment suits for working in plasma reactors, repurposed for war.