# Space Marine power armour...



## rata tat tat (Dec 23, 2008)

So what are some interesting facts about Space Marine power armour vs. other power armours.

I assume their power plants are superior to other "civilian" models.

I saw a clip for a video game where a Marine is getting suited up. It seemed a lot like Iron Man... there was a big assembly surrounding him and the suit was being bolted onto his body. One thing that bugged me was the way they showed his hands not actually going into the gloves but being articulated and controlled through some funky mechanism in the forearms.

Now, I can imagine that this might be the case with a Terminator suit, but even that seems a little bit of a bad idea.

I know all the stuff from the Lexicanum, so let's talk about other stuff. How about... what the heck does "auto-reactive" shoulder guard mean?

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Power_Armour


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## Vaz (Mar 19, 2008)

The Black Carapace is what gives the Marine greater control over his armour. Power Armour could just piston driven heavy layers of ablative armour (super flak vest, like a techpriest), moulded ceramite (as in the Sisters of battle, and probably most Inquisitors in Power Armour), or the Space Marines Power Armour.

The Black Carapace is sort of like a Mind Impulse unit, which allows the armour to divert power from damaged areas, and run at more efficient power (i.e, instead of off or on, as in the piston driven armour).


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## Dirge Eterna (Apr 30, 2007)

As Vaz said, the Carapace is the main difference, a SM being able to control his armor much more efficiently. A normal suit of power armor works like this: Wearer moves limb, then a half-second later, the suit's limb moves. A Carapace shortens a half-second to _instantly_. That's the decided advantage. Also, Marines have a wider range of power armor, from Crusade MkII to the shiny new Errant MkVII armor, so they can fashion customised suits. I doubt the Astartes would share theirs, so most of the Inquisitors and other Power Armor users are fitted with MkVI "Aquilla" armor, the standard armor for Tactical Marines. It's a little worse then the "Errant" pattern, which has some extra armor and a neck guard.

-Dirge


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## grandjokko (Oct 13, 2008)

rata tat tat said:


> So what are some interesting facts about Space Marine power armour vs. other power armours.
> 
> I assume their power plants are superior to other "civilian" models.
> 
> ...


The clip you saw is actually a clip from SC 2. just wanted to clear that up k:


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## Gul Torgo (Mar 31, 2008)

rata tat tat said:


> what the heck does "auto-reactive" shoulder guard mean?
> 
> http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Power_Armour


Power Armor shoulder guards are quite huge, as you may have noticed, and could quite easily prevent you from seeing something important. Auto reactive shoulder guards automatically move lower when you turn your head to look over that shoulder.


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## Khorne's Fist (Jul 18, 2008)

rata tat tat said:


> How about... what the heck does "auto-reactive" shoulder guard mean?


If you look at a marine while he is just standing up straight, you can see that it would be very difficult for him to see to his left or right because of the huge shoulder guards. Auto reactive means that if he does look left, his left shoulder guard will move accordingly to allow him a full field of vision.

As for the rest of the armour, the difference between SM armour, and, say, Sororitas armour, is that marines and their armour are designed to become a single organism. Marines can feel textures through their gauntlets, heat against their armour, and stuff like that, because their central nervous system is hard wired directly into the suit through the spinal plugs in the black carapace. 

To a marine, it's not armour, it's more like a second skin.


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## arhain (May 6, 2008)

And thats what you need to be T 4


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## chromedog (Oct 31, 2007)

rata tat tat said:


> So what are some interesting facts about Space Marine power armour vs. other power armours.
> 
> One thing that bugged me was the way they showed his hands not actually going into the gloves but being articulated and controlled through some funky mechanism in the forearms.


These are called "waldoes". This is how the hands in the PA in Starship troopers were operated. Direct neural interfacing was yet to be used (by using a MIU or BC implant.)

I'd imagine it is how the digits in a powerfist operate, though (not klaw, orks don't need the hand anywhere near it - or indeed an actual hand on that arm)




rata tat tat said:


> I know all the stuff from the Lexicanum, so let's talk about other stuff. How about... what the heck does "auto-reactive" shoulder guard mean?


Watch the animation of SM in various computer games (like the rendering demo in any DOW game (even ardias in FW). The Pauldron has its own range of motion, and moves out of the way when required for certain arm motions. The animators made the armour move in a more natural way, as a SM suit is more 'worn' than operated, and must (within limits) behave more or less as the marine's own body.


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## Kendares (Sep 9, 2008)

i wonder how durible those backpacks are? because iv never read in any book so far of a bullet hitting the power plant and the marine exploding? anyone know of a book its in or have some super hitech explantion?


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## rata tat tat (Dec 23, 2008)

I think in Warrior Brood by C.S. Goto one of the Mantis Warrior Marines seconded to the Death Watch group is raked across his backpack and realizes that it's going to result in an explosion so he sacrifices himself to take out a bunch of 'Nids.

I'm not certain, but... I think it did happen in that book.

It is odd though that this doesn't happen more often. I do suppose millennia of using them to power suits of armour is going to help you get pretty good and keeping them from going critical.


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## chromedog (Oct 31, 2007)

Nothing by CS Goto should be accepted as canon. 

Even the current CSM codex is a better read than anything by that hack, who takes so many liberties with established canon, that he should be writing ad copy.


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## Lord Lucius (Sep 18, 2008)

marines never turn their backs on the enemy,hence the plants never going nucleur


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## Baron Spikey (Mar 26, 2008)

I wouldn't be surprised if the back pack is the most heavily armoured part of a Marine's Power Armour BECAUSE it's such an obvious vulnerability. 

Just in case some people were deceived by Dirge Eterna mistaken description of different armour types:

*Mk1 "Thunder" Pattern*- the most basic power armour used in the Unification Wars by proto-Astartes.

*Mk2 "Crusade" Pattern*- a significant upgrade and fully enclosing but doesn't offer enough protection to vulnerable areas to be considered ideal.

*Mk3 "Iron" Pattern*- the mainstay of pre-heresy and heresy armour types, fully enclosed with decent protection but a lack of flexibility and a limit on an Astarte's movements. (The Company Champion helemt is from this set of armour)
*
Mk4 "Maximus" Pattern*- received by a number of Legions prior to and during the Heresy, a notable advance on the Iron Pattern, allowing a full range of movement. (The Red Scorpions from FW have a lot of these)
*
Mk5 "Heresy" Pattern*- a step back in terms of protection when compared to the Mk4 but much easier to construct and keep maintained, primarily used in the latter stages of the Heresy but also the first armour showing hints of the current Aquila/Errant style helmet types. (The armour with all the nodules)
*
Mk6 "Corvus" Pattern*- new helmet design (Beakies) that incorporated an upraded sensor suit, returning to the level of protection offered by Mk4 suits with upgrade to the Armour's cabling which is now all contained benath the armour sheath.

*Mk7 "Aquila" Pattern*- the most commonly used Armour patter at the current time, offering greater articulation than the Corvus Pattern but with a return to the Terminator style helmet which would become the norm due to it's, relative, ease ofproduction and maintenance.

*Mk8 "Errant" Pattern*- the best protection for a Space Marine outside of Artificer Armour and Tactical Dreadnought Armour, a minor upgrade of the Aquila suit that incorporates a neck guard to cover the softer armour surrounding the throat and an improved com and sensor suit incorporated. New and so far not widespread.


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## rata tat tat (Dec 23, 2008)

So Tyrus here is probably in Mk 8? (sorry for the bad pic)


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## Vaz (Mar 19, 2008)

His is less likely to be Mark VIII, more likely some Master Crafted variant on the Mk VII, due to his wealth, and the Mark VIII being the limit really of Space Marines.


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## Baron Spikey (Mar 26, 2008)

Remember these Patterns that I've pointed out only apply to Astartes grade Power Armour (i.e. the best)- in the 40K game there isn't enough of a scale to differentiate between the different variations of Power Armour used by Astartes and Human alike but the Astartes version is much more heavily armoured due to- if for the only reason- the Astartes ability to wear a greater weight of armour plate and still function in combat when compared to the average human.

So Tyrus' version ccould be equivalent in protection to the most basic of Astartes Power Armour patterns, but it simply an incredibly ornate version.


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## Khorne's Fist (Jul 18, 2008)

Baron Spikey said:


> the Astartes version is much more heavily armoured due to- if for the only reason- the Astartes ability to wear a greater weight of armour plate and still function in combat when compared to the average human.


I'll respectfully disagree with this. The whole thing about power armour is that the wearer doesn't need a minimum degree of strength to wear it. That's why it's powered. The suit does all the work. 

Also, your point about Tyrus's armour being a lesser version of marine armour? Somehow, I can't see an Inquisitor of the stature of Tyrus settling for second best. I'd say his armour would be _at least _equivalent to artificer armour.


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## Lord of Rebirth (Jun 7, 2008)

I wanna note also that each marine will inevitably customize their armour in some way whether it is just in decorations which can hide the variant's points of similarity to replacing parts with either better parts or just other parts in the point of needing to replace parts and not having comparable parts or even to hand working new and better details into the armour such as bionics or new plates of armour to protect vulnerable points.

I'd say the backpack is not so much of a weak point because the part that would be most vulnerable would be especially heavily armoured and perhaps their generator has on and off states and merely charges the suit batteries when needed or perhaps it is somehow just a non-volatile unit that only will go critical in very unlikely circumstances.


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## Klomster (Oct 9, 2008)

I will give you the simple reason why mr tyrus and all the other human non-marines doesn't wear astartes power armour.

No human is big enough to bear astartes power armour, and civilian power armours is too weedy for marines to wear!

It's all very simple!

It's just like if you try to wear shoes that is 5 sizes to big, it won't fit, and you will just move around inside it.
Inquisitors have the best armour there is if they wan't (far from all inquisitors wear power armour, it's highly non-undercover, as inquisitors do alot of undercover work)

The reason astartes take more punishment is that they are bigger and have more mass.
Read the dark heresy books (40k rpg), there are small power armours, and the dragon scale (mechanicus warriors power armour) and astartes somewhere. Though you can't buy the astartes one, a special npc is a space marine and he has stats.


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## NoiseMarine (Jun 8, 2008)

Klomster said:


> I will give you the simple reason why mr tyrus and all the other human non-marines doesn't wear astartes power armour.
> 
> No human is big enough to bear astartes power armour, and civilian power armours is too weedy for marines to wear!
> 
> ...


of course "shoes" can be manufactured to be any size... use your damn brain :victory:


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## Lord of Rebirth (Jun 7, 2008)

I'd say difference in scale would make armour different by basic need but aren't some Inquisitors more combatative and bigger like Marines?

Also though Marine power armour are mostly VERY old and they are kept in the possession of marine or in chapter armouries so I'd say it is unlikely anyone but marines would be able to get their hands on a suit though maybe people like segmentum commanders could get access to marine level power armour if they have enough clout with the mechanicus to have such made for them.


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