Mk 6 bonding studs and markings question

[crimsondave]

I have a couple questions about MK 6 (beakies) in 40K.  I know during the heresy most (maybe all?) of the MK 6 had bonding studs to up armor the left side due to the the brutality of SM vs SM combat.  What about beakies in 40K?  I wanted 2 squads of tacticals in MK 6 to finish out my battle line 5th Company DAs but I don’t like the old models.  I decided to pick up a box of the new HH MK 6.  All these have one bonding stud shoulder pad.  I have plenty of spare pads to do what I want.  How many MK6 in 40K typically have the studs in a squad?  Is this even a specified?  With bonding studs, I would also assume you would put the chapter symbol on the right with no squad markings?  At the end of the day, it’s make believe so I’m not gonna get too worked up over it, but I enjoy at least trying to be lore accurate when I can.

[jaxom]

By the 41st millennium, mk6 has probably been rebuilt, repaired, and relic’Ed to the point that it would entirely depend on the suit of armor’s personal history. Personally I think bonding studs are more likely in 40k as a form of field repair, but I think it comes down to how you want them to look.

 

Insignias Astsrtes has some references for Mk6 armor markings where only the one shoulder is available.

[Karhedron]

I believe the bonding studs were kept as a mark of honour commemorating the suits that served on Terra during the Siege. But we know Mk6 remained in production after the HH in parallel with the Mk7. We also know that the parts are interchangeable. 10,000 years is a long time for a should pad to remain in service, even in the IOM. I think it would be quite realistic to have MK6 squads with smooth should pads all round. The SM squads that GW produced from 3rd - 7th edition usually had a smattering of Mk6 parts but without the studded should pads. This means a lot of people will have Mk6 marines with smooth shoulders just like I have in my Sternguard squad.

 

[crimsondave]

That’s very helpful.  Thank you both.

[EdgyVampireAngels]

I've read in an FW book somewhere that the studs are a nod to Mk. V armor which was cobbled together. Their placement on one particular shoulder and nowhere else in the Mk VI kit makes me think that whether or not to use those was an aesthetic choice for the legions. Of course, repairs are another matter. I think throwing in a few studded pauldrons here and there is a good look for any era. 

 

Unwanted MkVI shoulder pads are also a great source for rivets / studs to use elsewhere, just slice em off and put wherever with some thin cement (they're also a handy way to make studded pauldrons without that annoying center seam).

[jaxom]

17 minutes ago, EdgyVampireAngels said:

Their placement on one particular shoulder and nowhere else in the Mk VI kit makes me think that whether or not to use those was an aesthetic choice for the legions.

I don't remember the exact source, but I recall reading that it was due to two factors. The Mk6 armor was less robust (though more mobile, in-universe at least, and that's part of why certain legions didn't like it while others did) than previous marks, and the molecular bonding studs were put on the fire-facing pauldron to help mitigate that.