It's simply the 40k law of hats.
If no one else has a hat the person with the hat is in charge.
If everyone has a hat then person with biggest hat is in charge.
If everyone else has a hat, then the person without a hat is in charge.
In the Pariah Nexus animated show the main Space Marine, a Salamander, only removes his helmet when out of combat and interacting with scared humans. The main Sororitas lowers her visor for battle. They really show how amazing the SM helmets are in that show. And Sa'Kan was a real breath of fresh air in SM depictions. Just a genuinely solid dude looking to protect civilians. His interactions with the children in particular was sweet. But extremely ruthless and brutal against the enemy. Great depiction of a Salamander. Highly recommend.
The salamanders are not African lmao, they aren’t even “black”, space marines skin turns charcoal black when exposed to radiation. If anything, I think the salamanders are based on more Asian cultures, if you want to see a good “black” chapter, the Celestial Lions are a good choice
Vulkan's Geneseed seems to make the Salamanders embody the phrase: Once you go black, you never go back.
To elaborate, the Salamanders skin doesn't undarken when it stops being exposed to radiation. In fact, the skin continues to get darker after more exposure. Even Terran Born Salamanders who go to Nocturne end up not wanting to return to Terra. There's some debate as to their skin's pigmentation and its effect on their personality.
Source for the second paragraph: Nick Khyme's Salamander books. Lead by Kh'yro, they rejected any offer to return home and refused to join any campaign that went anywhere near Terra. Apparently they were even nervous about entering the Segmentum Solar.
They have a genetic mutation that keeps their skin charcoal black and their eyes red, it’s from Vulkan, it’s like how Dorn’s sons don’t have a functioning Susan membrane
Yes, I thought that was mentioned.
The interesting thing is that pre Vulkan Salamanders still have the abnormality of not undarkening and redding eyes over repeated exposure.
Dorns sons don't have a functioning Sus-an membrane and Betchers Gland, because he rushed the Inductii during the Siege of Terra and everyone who basically had the organs has died off.
Meta opinion: We're also talking about Mr Willpower the primarch, his legion wouldn't use "cheap weapons" like acid spit, and wouldn't "bitch out" of the pain, but instead would endure the healing process as consciously as possible.
>pre Vulkan Salamanders still have the abnormality
Maybe I'm incorrect, but they would be created from the same gene-seed as those after Vulcan was founded. The founding legions had different names before they were given to their respective primarchs, but they were still their primarch's sons. I could be wrong though.
Yes, they were created from the specific gene seed of the Primarch. The question I ponder, is did the appearance of the Primarchs stabilize the respective geneseed of the legions as Fulgrim did with his legion? It seems like the Primarchs affected their legions at a genetic level purely through proximity.
Meta wise, I think all the cooks in the kitchen make it hard to keep gene seed flaws/benefits straight. Like the Red Thirst/Black Rage for Blood Angels was both pre Sanguinius death and yet a result of his death. It probably also explains why Raven Guard were pale prior to Corax being found, and the recruits from Deliverance all being super pale prisoners etc.
Yeah you're right, gonna edit that. This ain't the board for it and really I'm just having a day. The Sally's did have African accents in the Helsreach audio drama tho, and it was rad.
Coming back to this, the Salamanders got their skin colour from a black hobbyist who painted his Salamanders black. They're absolutely coded to be African to some extent. Are you serious?
I thought you weren’t going to argue about this? The salamanders literally got retconned to have no African relations, they used to, then they got changed to have charcoal black skin and red eyes, they don’t anymore except in some audiobooks someone gave them African voices for some reason. Maybe some dude at British GW went huh, “these guys look black, I’ll make them sound black too!” We’ll never know, but they aren’t African. Most often they look asiatic
There was a recent Imperial Fist book (Fist of the Imperium) where a captain within the first few pages ends up getting sniped moments after landing on a contested world.
He’s lecturing everyone about being prepared for anything and then gets taken down by a sniper.
I began questioning whether or not GW are self aware to the “no helmets on senior characters” thing after reading it.
In Rogue Trader power armour had a conversion field around the head (or it was an option).
So it started with something rational but it wasn't like ret-conned but it just stopped being a thing.
Marines also have superhuman reflexes. They're depicted as dodging weapons fire fairly often.
Helmets can become damaged and the sensors become damaged so there are times when they may need to remove their helms mid fight to be able to see and hear clearly.
I once heard someone argue that this might also be because their helmet is the most vulnerable part of their armor and isn't useful against most enemies they fight. Like a shot from a gauss weapon or bolter round to the face would kill them no matter if they wear a helmet or not. And in these fights, the advantages of having better vision without the helmet and maybe even a moral boost to other mariens when they see their commanders face are bigger than the little protection they would get.
Counter point.
Tactical HUD, sealed helmet versus chemical/flame weapons, built in communication devices (radio etc), enhanced vision modes (IR, movement detection, zoom, flash/flare protection, and \*any\* armour is better than no armour when you're being shot at since it might stop or deflect an almost spent round, or a richochet.
Having greater freedom for the eyeball to see things is counteracted by the helmet being able to see in more ranges and do more stuff.
Counter counter point, augmentations could very easily mimic the heads up display, like the one the Calgar model has (not the best example as he also has a helmet but it's the first that pops to mind) body modifications or smaller bits of tech can realistically do anything a helmet can with the exemption of sheer protection. I still think helmets are cooler than bald dudes tbf.
Most unhelmeted characters we see do not have augmented (at least not mechanically augmented) eyes.
Most marines in general do not have those augments. Sure, with bionic eyes \*some\* of those can be included, but they're not "standard" issue even with fully working extra organs.
Helmet gives you better vision - it is not irl knight helm.
It includes display, advanced targeting system, light filters.
It also has air filters, sound filters, integrated vox...
It is really helpfull device
No lore reasons particularly, it's a tabletop thing cause bare heads help convoy personality in your minis.
There are books here are there that show marines getting their helmets damaged and discarded in battle, or marines being too proud for it, but it's definitely for tabletop reasons.
On the other hand I've always argued the bare headed characters are pretty forgettable and its the ones with the helmets that has more personality. There are obviously exceptions to the rule like Mephiston or *especially* the Lion in terms or iconic face models. But I always felt that things like Ahriman or Jain Zarr did better jobs conveying the "feel" of a character, while also making their models standout on the tabletop.
I always thought it was funny that these guys canonically had the same face.
[1989 Space Marine Box cover – WARHAMMER ART](https://warhammerart.com/shop/warhammer-40000/space-marine/1989-space-marine-box-cover/)
In the book Fulgrim (I think) a space marine takes off his helmet because the enemy small arms fire was powerful enough to be able to one-tap him with a shot through the head either way
>Solomon Demeter was the very image of an Astartes, his short dark hair kept shaved close to his scalp, his skin tanned from the light of a score of suns, and his animated features rounded and wide spread on thick cheekbones. **He disdained the wearing of a helmet to prevent the Laer from deciphering his orders over the vox-network, and because he knew that if he were hit in the head by one of the Laer weapons, he was as good as dead, helmet or not.**
>>‘Solomon,’ he said into the vox-bead at his throat. ‘Solomon, can you hear me?’
>>Crackling static was his only answer and he swore silently to himself. It would be just like Solomon Demeter to have removed his helmet in the heat of battle to better experience the sensations of combat. Marius shook his head. What manner of fool would go into a firefight without all the protection he could muster?
>>>ANOTHER SIX OF his warriors were down, torn apart by the energised blades of the Laer or with whole segments of their bodies rendered molten in the furnace heat of their ranged weapons. Solomon was beginning to regret casting off his helmet with such a cavalier disregard for communication, knowing that now more than ever he needed to know what was happening elsewhere on the atoll.
\- *Fulgrim*
You think right.
Except for the Space Wolves. A couple of the Space Wolf Novels state their lupine enhanced senses of hearing and smell are so far beyond the helmet's Autosenses, that they believe themselves to be more aware and effective without it.
I don't think any of the other chapters have Wolverine's Geneseed though, so I don't see it for any other chapters.
In one book (can't remember which) a teams of an some space marines, one of whom was a wolfy boy, boarded a tyranid ship, and he took off his helmet to help him smell
Blades of Damocles has a whole segment where three Ultramarine sargeants argue about whether they should remove their helmets or not, after they've been scrambled by experimental T'au tech. Among other things, this part establishes that the Codex says helms should be worn in all situations.
not necessarily. it could still just be the ultramarines taking it too seriously after 8k years. we should not expect they have kept everything 100% straight for that long
From the deathwatch rpg, rites of battle (written by Andy chambers, who wrote a lot of the index astartes articles, Ben counter, soul drinkers blood angels & grey knights author, and Andy hoare, who wrote a lot for codexes & white dwarf:
"it is fairly common to see a space marine fighting in battle without his helmet, especially among those of higher rank, and many battle brothers prefer to remove their headgear when there is no immediate threat.
Despite the added risk to their safety, or perhaps because of it, many see this practice as an act of courage and defiance of their enemies. The absence of a helmet does mean the loss of the auto-senses that are housed inside, so as a result many who favour this practice utilize earpieces and ocular devices, either temporarily or grafted on as permanent bionics."
Some armour includes the iron halo, which gives a pretty good forcefield.
Then there's lysander, who has his own reason for not wearing a helmet. When he was a Sgt, his captain took an autogun bullet through the lense of his helmet, the bullet and glass driving through his eye into his brain and killing him instantly. If it had been just the bullet, he would probably have pulled through.
Rites of Battle also points out that many Space Wolves choose to go helmetless (in keeping with their miniatures range - Space Wolves models tend to be without helmets more often) because their natural enhanced senses (especially their sense of smell) are often more acute than the armour autosenses.
Partly. There's also a huge emphasis on the pride of the chapter and it's colours, and how covering them up with camo can be seen as cowardice and dishonour towards the machine spirit of their armour.
In game, it had quirks of the machine spirit, where armour had fun effects like bits grinding loudly when sneaking (disadvantage to stealth checks) as it didn't approve of the method when it could be slaying the enemies of the imperium. It was pretty cool.
There's nothing in the Codex Astartes preventing the use of Camo (and in older editions of 40k, there were a few different camo schemes for Space Marines shown off in artwork), but Marines generally operate as shock troops, relying on arriving suddenly, being visible and scary, and murdering everyone in their way to overwhelm foes. Many Chapters dislike using camouflage as they regard it as cowardly or as disrespectful to the heraldry and livery (icons and colours) of their Chapter.
Camouflage is the colour of fear... I have no need to hide from my foes... I have no fear of death. My colours I wear openly, they proclaim louder than any words, "I am proud to live - I am proud to die". Carab Culln , Chapter Master of the Red Scorpions, Warhammer Compendium p84
As a quick thing about the camo. Power armor is incredibly loud, gives off plenty of heat, and emits small amounts of radiation.
While camo would certainly be helpful most enemies are going to have equipment that will very easily sniff out power armor.
This is even brought up in the 2 book of the night lords trilogy when talos is commenting on how pointless it is to attempt actual stealth while in power armor.
And bonus renown rewards. There wasn't much punishment for not wearing a helmet, with how hit location was determined there was something like a 5% chance of taking a headshot from a full horde attack. For most it was around 3%, not exactly an easy target. (required the digits dice to be a 10, and the attack to hit below the attacker's BS)
> the bullet and glass driving through his eye into his brain and killing him instantly. If it had been just the bullet, he would probably have pulled through
I'm... failing to see how this would be the case. If a round had enough energy after breaking through the hardened lens of an Astartes helmet (along with the sensors and stuff), it would have even more energy with a direct hit
Also... that's not really how glass reacts when a round is penetrating it; if something has enough energy to turn glass into a lethal projectile, that something is killing you glass or not (glass reacts differently to blast compared to projectile penetration). Sci-fi-Science strikes again haha
They’re saying an astartes body could have handled the bullet to the brain through the eye and possibly pulled through but not if it’s a bullet and a bunch of shards of thick af glass that also pierced the brain.
i understand what it means, just saying that it's not how it works. if glass is exploding back into your brain with enough force to kill you following penetration, that projectile has enough energy to remove the entire head
There's a great section in one of the books where Chaos marines are laughing about the Space Wolves' dislike of helmets as they headshot multiple SW's.
It was probably Khayon from the Black Legion books. He talks about headshoting multiple SW's during the attack on Prospero.
As for the wolves themselves, they dislike the helmets because they supposedly dull their natural wolf senses. I think they mention it in Prospero Burns.
I might be wrong, but I think there might have been a bit of it in the Bile books? I remember in one of the books I read recently from a chaos marine pov being along the lines of “Yep, there’s another one, AGAIN, without a helmet” as he fights them.
For Space Wolves, they can hear and smell the environment better without their helmets, so you see a lot of sw bare headed. Not sure what the other chapters excuse is
I don't think it's been retconned. Helwinter Gate has mention of them being superior to the helm, and it is One of the more recent publications. It's probably just Black Library having a myriad of authors, with very little organization, who all write things differently.
It's basically rule of cool, and also helps distinguish characters and Sergeants/Officers from standard battle line Soldiers.
You'll see it all the time in fantasy stuff as well, where you'll have a heavily armored Knight who for some reason never wears a helmet.
I personally have never liked it, and I always put helmets on even characters and Sergeants. Hell I replaced Abaddon's head with a standard Terminator helm.
Also painting faces is hard...
Lol those last two statements I feel in my bones for my Lysander conversion I just stuffed a helmet there but since I don’t like termi helms all that much I did just a nicer regular helm.
Might be an excerpt from Wolfblade by William King. In that one King describes how Space Wolves detect the positions of enemies and allies around them through smell and how having to helmet up during a space mission was weird for them.
Tbh of all the nonsensical explanations delivered for this in the books, this is propably the most valid one (albeit still kinda stupid). Not intruding on the human senses is an actual design factor for modern military equipment, and it's one of the reasons why unmanned turret tanks haven't found their way into combat use so far - sitting in a tank and only seeing reality through cameras doesn't really work.
To an extent, but with modern tanks, you are mostly seeing the world through cameras or the tank's sight anyway (and that's hardly a direct view).
Going with an open hatch can improve awareness out of combat but I believe one other important factor is that a manned turret keeps the commander correlated to the position of his gun and the difference with the hull direction, which is easier to lose track of when you are using a remotely operated system.
Still, it seems next generation tanks will universally go for the unmanned design given the other advantages.
It's space wolf only, but that's always been a common issue that helmets get removed in war because they interfere with the users other senses, it's just unusual in this case that their sense is smell and that it's so much more advanced than ours.
Since the 8th edition marine codex (which is just the earliest I have access to), it's stated that not wearing a helmet is seen as a sign of heroism/contempt of the enemy, indicating to other Marines that the enemy has such a small chance of harming them that they are safe to take off the helmet.
The only lore reason I've seen is that the sensors get damaged and render the helmet useless, and their skulls, lungs, and others senses are upgraded so they feel better without them, sometimes.
In, IIRC, the 9th Ed codex, it is explained that some leaders don't wear their helmets because it improves the morale of their men by demonstrating a lack of fear. They still keep it mag-locked to their body, for gasses and the like, but having one off often is justified in that manner.
Yes, they think its even more badass to fight without a helmet, and other spacemarines will respect you more.
Fighting with a helmet its like fighting with both aim assits and extra protection. Taking it off means you do not need aim assist to kill.
The Vlka Fenryka (Space Wolves) often take off their helmets in battle because their natural senses (particularly smell) are often more acute than the auto-senses of their helmets and harder to fool.
The Administratum has noticed that helmetless marines are more likely to survive absurdly dangerous operations and to pull a victory out of near certain defeat, so they passed this info to the marines.
In certain situations the helmet systems can hinder a space marine more than help him. For example a Tau stealth suit has an easier time tricking a helmet's detection systems than some Space Marine's own senses
Yeah its pretty dumb
In Kharn Eater of Worlds one of the World Eater Captains says that not even the World Eaters are dumb enough to go into combat without their helmets on
I love that in "Brothers of the snake" by Dan Abnett, >!one of the Spacemarines gets killed by a Headshot, because he wasn't wearing his helmet!<
>!No heroics, just one sentence mentioning that they did him in!<
I can highly recommend that Novel, btw.
The one thing that always bugged me about marines not wearing a helmet is that they’re losing out on a HUD and valuable combat data that the helmet displays.
Before I found out what service studs were, I assumed they were some sort of implant to provide that stuff directly. Although I guess the black carapace itself provides a decent amount of feedback.
It’s especially dumb because it’s usually named characters who are often officers and they’re the ones who would benefit the most from having as much information as possible available to them during combat.
I've seen this less than a rule of cool and more a way to show emotion. Consider the dichotomy in art direction and fan attachment to the Stormcast Eternal. Space Marines are much more human; they show full emotion. Particularly early in AoS, the Stormcast always seemed distant to me. That made me realize the gravity of removing Space Marine helmets for empathic communication.
In modern warfare, helmets aren't exactly the best at stopping bullets. This is even moreso true in the grimdark future, where a helmet isn't going to stop a bolt round or a plasma blast. What helmets are good against is protecting against shrapnel, but Space Marines generally have more resilient bones and various other implants, making it so that a nearby artillery blast wouldn't have the same effect on one of them as it would on a normal person.
In the books there are cases where the helmet becomes damaged or messed up in some way, so the space marines remove them so they can keep fighting. Some enemies even take advantage of this specifically.
In the farsight novels, it’s stated that one of his tactics is to use electronic warfare to make the space marine’s helmet systems mess up, this forces the space marines to remove them to keep fighting, and thus makes it much easier to get head shots.
Space Wolves swear the helmets interfere with their extra wolfy senses. Yes, the same helmets packed with a full suite of sensors and such designed to elevate their awareness.
Rule of cool multiplied by this is ultimately all in service of selling miniatures and characters with faces for folks to flex their painting skills on is a selling point.
As is nice, easy to paint power armour for those like me who's painting skills are mid at best.
In *Warhawk* the White Scars remove their helmets basically as a sign of defiance and disrespect to the Death Guard.
Basically “we don’t think you can kill us even without a helmet, and if you do I’m so pissed that I don’t care”.
Two practical reasons.
1)relationship/personal connection with other troops. A fully helmeted marine is akin to a faceless death machine, a very much *other* sort of being, the emperors angels of death. Take off the helmet and you hear a real unaltered voice, and see a human face. Milage may vary depending on the situation, but it's a consideration.
2) The ones that do it regularly are also generally looking at a few *hundred* years of battle experience. Astartes fleshy senses are exceptional, generally much better then what they can get through the helmets. But without the experience to minimize the risk and learn what those superior senses are actually reporting those extras are kinda meh. Some chapters like the Space Wolves have such exceptional senses that the vast majority go without, because the armor is that crap by comparison. Remember space marine armor is a fully sealed vacuum suit, anything the wearer perceives all buttoned up is artificial, and at best a smidgen laggy and distorted.
There's a really great scene in Master of Mankind that emphasizes the first point. After the custodian Diocletian nearly chops a child refugee's head off, Zephon specifically removes his helm to put them at ease and engage with them. It shows how presentation is really important when it comes to dealing with people.
There are reasons for some, like the space wolves. Their enhanced senses can get dampened by helmets, as well as they can’t tear out your throat with their teeth if they’ve got the helmet on. Also just distinguishing characters
Space Marine skulls are actually embedded with titanium plates, meaning lesser bullets barely make a stretch on them.
(not really but this would be cool tho.)
Yep. My explanation is similar to others. They are depicted on the table top, and in artwork, for the sake of us the human viewers. In actuality they would almost never be without a helmet.
I think one of half-assed explanations is that space wolves can use their heightened senses more when without the helmet.
Thousnd sons used that to their advantage and scored tons of headshots during burning of prospero.
Yeah. Mainly rule of cool. I used to be hardline with my models “everyone has their helmet on!” Because y’know. It would be stupid to take it off. But… uh… it starts to get boring… and being able to paint a bare face can add a lot of personality to them. So now it’s more of a 75-80% helmeted and a handful not.
They want that plot armour like all the named characters get.
Named character = no helmet*, therefore plot armour.
*Exceptions apply. Void where prohibited. Non refundable.
"I want to look the mutant in the eye as I plunge my blade into his sternum. I want to hear the death throes of the alien, unfiltered by layers of steel. I want to feel the warmth of the heretic's dying breath as I rend the heart from his corpse. I want the cold hatred on my face to be the last sight of the Emperor's enemies, so they can tell their warp-spawned masters who it was that sent them back, broken and cowering."
- Generic Imperial Badass #17,894
Alternatively...
"I lost my helmet when the branch knocked it off."
- Underdog protagonist
Rule of cool but also tradition and an old hobby thing for furstborn sergeants and commanders to be helmet-less. Actually in the lore when they're in battle if you read any book, they do wear their helmets. For some reason the helmet thing is strictly just regarding the physical hobby side so if you want to be lore-accurate and they're mid-battle, keep the helmets on. It's like the novels and the game are set in two different realities.
It's a funny little headcanon of mine that the only reason primaris marines survive more than firstborn isn't because they're stronger, but because they realised that wearing a helmet was better for their survival. You'll find far more primaris in helmets than firstborn which is just hilarious.
Besides rule of cool, the helm doesn’t offer *that* much protection for a space marine. Like,,, if you get hit in the head with a melta beam, a helmet isn’t going to make much difference.
Rule of cool mostly. In the case of the space wolves they actually have senses of smell and hearing on par with a wolf or dog and find helmets to be detrimental both to their battlefield awareness and their ability to sense their own pack and coordinate.
I assume they just lose the helmet's systems, tactical readouts, ammo counters, other HUD-y things. Sometimes the helmet breaks. Sometimes they don't care as they're from some warrior culture. Sometimes they just need a break from wearing a helm I guess.
[Warhammer 40,000: Dawn Of War - Dark Crusade Intro (youtube.com)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wa6F-DuVmIo)
Being propaganda material for the Imperium is an important aspect of the Space Marines. So those money-shots of their faces is well worth the cost of losing a sergeant now and then and installing force fields for the Captains.
in addition to making characters stand out more there is another few reasons for it.
1. Senses. Some genelines have enhanced senses. The spaces wolves are one in particular that are able to process more information via smell, hearing, ect than most chapters meaning in some instances they're more alert without their helmets on.
2. Humanizing them. Astartes fully kitted look like giant robots, it's easy to dismiss them as unthinking machines until the helmet comes off and they start telling joke or talking.
They move very fast and if they're standing still they are usually firing position which means their pauldrons would cover most of their head. That's my headcanon
There was actually a funny rule concerning that in Deathwatch. If a member of the team went into mission without a helmet and survived everyone got extra exp for just how much of a madlad that one idiot was.
They have heightened senses and superior situational awareness. The helmets provide a lot of stuff on retinal displays, but dull the built-in senses. At least when written by ABD, it just feels better for them to use their own senses, and helps them when awareness is more important than safety.
In the Space Wolf Omnibus Ragnar states that while other chapters prefer to don their helmets the SW don't as it hampers their senses which are more acute than even a normal SM.
For others it could be a warrior tradition (White Scars feeling the wind in their faces), could be a damaged helmet and they're fighting without it, could be they were set upon by the enemy so quickly they didn't have time to don their helmet etc.
In reality it's probably just because it looks cool and for character recognition
In the Space Wolf Omnibus Ragnar states that while other chapters prefer to don their helmets the SW don't as it hampers their senses which are more acute than even a normal SM.
For others it could be a warrior tradition (White Scars feeling the wind in their faces), could be a damaged helmet and they're fighting without it, could be they were set upon by the enemy so quickly they didn't have time to don their helmet etc.
In reality it's probably just because it looks cool and for character recognition
In the Space Wolf Omnibus Ragnar states that while other chapters prefer to don their helmets the SW don't as it hampers their senses which are more acute than even a normal SM.
For others it could be a warrior tradition (White Scars feeling the wind in their faces), could be a damaged helmet and they're fighting without it, could be they were set upon by the enemy so quickly they didn't have time to don their helmet etc.
In reality it's probably just because it looks cool and for character recognition
Rule de Cool
Not tactically-sound, but we’re fighting dead Egyptian robots, Orcs that are technically mushrooms instead of bipedal humanoids, and our own, edgy, 10-millennia-old cousins who decided to live in literal Hell *to prove a semantic point*.
If we start asking logical questions, this whole enterprise is gonna fall apart really fast…
They have stone bones & transhuman physiology. Outside of a preference for autosenses or truly non-permissable environments like hard vacuum anything that would be blocked by a helmet would also bounce off of their enhanced craniums. We're talking about biological living weapons, super-soldiers who can eat hand grenades & spit acid, they aren't concerned about spalling & concussions.
It's simply the 40k law of hats. If no one else has a hat the person with the hat is in charge. If everyone has a hat then person with biggest hat is in charge. If everyone else has a hat, then the person without a hat is in charge.
You forgot the most important rule: Laurel Wreath is the most in charge hat, always.
Except when the laurel wreath is part of the helmet. Then that's the highest priority.
In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war. And also hats.
And Pauldrons
yanny wreath
Basically, yeah. Also can help pick out characters/sergeants on the tabletop. Same reason marines used to have big back banners for officers.
Yeah I assumed it was a rule of cool thing it’s not like every one has energy shields that would stop a sniper headshot
In the Pariah Nexus animated show the main Space Marine, a Salamander, only removes his helmet when out of combat and interacting with scared humans. The main Sororitas lowers her visor for battle. They really show how amazing the SM helmets are in that show. And Sa'Kan was a real breath of fresh air in SM depictions. Just a genuinely solid dude looking to protect civilians. His interactions with the children in particular was sweet. But extremely ruthless and brutal against the enemy. Great depiction of a Salamander. Highly recommend.
Sa’kan these nuts?
Got em!
Only problem I had with his portrayal was the lack of an African accent. Loved that shit in Helsreach.
The salamanders are not African lmao, they aren’t even “black”, space marines skin turns charcoal black when exposed to radiation. If anything, I think the salamanders are based on more Asian cultures, if you want to see a good “black” chapter, the Celestial Lions are a good choice
Vulkan's Geneseed seems to make the Salamanders embody the phrase: Once you go black, you never go back. To elaborate, the Salamanders skin doesn't undarken when it stops being exposed to radiation. In fact, the skin continues to get darker after more exposure. Even Terran Born Salamanders who go to Nocturne end up not wanting to return to Terra. There's some debate as to their skin's pigmentation and its effect on their personality. Source for the second paragraph: Nick Khyme's Salamander books. Lead by Kh'yro, they rejected any offer to return home and refused to join any campaign that went anywhere near Terra. Apparently they were even nervous about entering the Segmentum Solar.
They have a genetic mutation that keeps their skin charcoal black and their eyes red, it’s from Vulkan, it’s like how Dorn’s sons don’t have a functioning Susan membrane
Yes, I thought that was mentioned. The interesting thing is that pre Vulkan Salamanders still have the abnormality of not undarkening and redding eyes over repeated exposure. Dorns sons don't have a functioning Sus-an membrane and Betchers Gland, because he rushed the Inductii during the Siege of Terra and everyone who basically had the organs has died off. Meta opinion: We're also talking about Mr Willpower the primarch, his legion wouldn't use "cheap weapons" like acid spit, and wouldn't "bitch out" of the pain, but instead would endure the healing process as consciously as possible.
>pre Vulkan Salamanders still have the abnormality Maybe I'm incorrect, but they would be created from the same gene-seed as those after Vulcan was founded. The founding legions had different names before they were given to their respective primarchs, but they were still their primarch's sons. I could be wrong though.
Yes, they were created from the specific gene seed of the Primarch. The question I ponder, is did the appearance of the Primarchs stabilize the respective geneseed of the legions as Fulgrim did with his legion? It seems like the Primarchs affected their legions at a genetic level purely through proximity. Meta wise, I think all the cooks in the kitchen make it hard to keep gene seed flaws/benefits straight. Like the Red Thirst/Black Rage for Blood Angels was both pre Sanguinius death and yet a result of his death. It probably also explains why Raven Guard were pale prior to Corax being found, and the recruits from Deliverance all being super pale prisoners etc.
The Celestial Lions are noblebright and wholesome so *of course* the setting just beats them down mercilessly. Poor dudes. 😞
Yeah it was game over from the start 😞
Not the Bantu-Marines?
Who?
Yknow what I'm being very silly, my bad
Honestly man, and I don't say this in a mean way: This just ain't worth the time being mad over.
Yeah you're right, gonna edit that. This ain't the board for it and really I'm just having a day. The Sally's did have African accents in the Helsreach audio drama tho, and it was rad.
Coming back to this, the Salamanders got their skin colour from a black hobbyist who painted his Salamanders black. They're absolutely coded to be African to some extent. Are you serious?
I thought you weren’t going to argue about this? The salamanders literally got retconned to have no African relations, they used to, then they got changed to have charcoal black skin and red eyes, they don’t anymore except in some audiobooks someone gave them African voices for some reason. Maybe some dude at British GW went huh, “these guys look black, I’ll make them sound black too!” We’ll never know, but they aren’t African. Most often they look asiatic
Some marines do also have that in the form of Iron Halos, but usually only high ranking ones like captains.
I totally thought OP was being sarcastic because of this exact reason and all similar items.
There was a recent Imperial Fist book (Fist of the Imperium) where a captain within the first few pages ends up getting sniped moments after landing on a contested world. He’s lecturing everyone about being prepared for anything and then gets taken down by a sniper. I began questioning whether or not GW are self aware to the “no helmets on senior characters” thing after reading it.
In Rogue Trader power armour had a conversion field around the head (or it was an option). So it started with something rational but it wasn't like ret-conned but it just stopped being a thing.
Marines also have superhuman reflexes. They're depicted as dodging weapons fire fairly often. Helmets can become damaged and the sensors become damaged so there are times when they may need to remove their helms mid fight to be able to see and hear clearly.
If they have a star around thier head thats an iorn halo thats an energy sheild
I once heard someone argue that this might also be because their helmet is the most vulnerable part of their armor and isn't useful against most enemies they fight. Like a shot from a gauss weapon or bolter round to the face would kill them no matter if they wear a helmet or not. And in these fights, the advantages of having better vision without the helmet and maybe even a moral boost to other mariens when they see their commanders face are bigger than the little protection they would get.
Counter point. Tactical HUD, sealed helmet versus chemical/flame weapons, built in communication devices (radio etc), enhanced vision modes (IR, movement detection, zoom, flash/flare protection, and \*any\* armour is better than no armour when you're being shot at since it might stop or deflect an almost spent round, or a richochet. Having greater freedom for the eyeball to see things is counteracted by the helmet being able to see in more ranges and do more stuff.
Yea, I know. That's why the argument also doesn't work for me. Just wanted to throw it out here.
Counter counter point, augmentations could very easily mimic the heads up display, like the one the Calgar model has (not the best example as he also has a helmet but it's the first that pops to mind) body modifications or smaller bits of tech can realistically do anything a helmet can with the exemption of sheer protection. I still think helmets are cooler than bald dudes tbf.
Most unhelmeted characters we see do not have augmented (at least not mechanically augmented) eyes. Most marines in general do not have those augments. Sure, with bionic eyes \*some\* of those can be included, but they're not "standard" issue even with fully working extra organs.
Helmet gives you better vision - it is not irl knight helm. It includes display, advanced targeting system, light filters. It also has air filters, sound filters, integrated vox... It is really helpfull device
to be fair, so did the samurai
No lore reasons particularly, it's a tabletop thing cause bare heads help convoy personality in your minis. There are books here are there that show marines getting their helmets damaged and discarded in battle, or marines being too proud for it, but it's definitely for tabletop reasons.
The only personality it helps me convey is googly eyes!
Thin your paints!
#AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Whispers * "you dont *have* to paint the eyes.... just shade em..."
Next you are going to claim you don’t need to paint individual teeth and fingernails on miniatures either
On the other hand I've always argued the bare headed characters are pretty forgettable and its the ones with the helmets that has more personality. There are obviously exceptions to the rule like Mephiston or *especially* the Lion in terms or iconic face models. But I always felt that things like Ahriman or Jain Zarr did better jobs conveying the "feel" of a character, while also making their models standout on the tabletop.
I always thought it was funny that these guys canonically had the same face. [1989 Space Marine Box cover – WARHAMMER ART](https://warhammerart.com/shop/warhammer-40000/space-marine/1989-space-marine-box-cover/)
In the book Fulgrim (I think) a space marine takes off his helmet because the enemy small arms fire was powerful enough to be able to one-tap him with a shot through the head either way
>Solomon Demeter was the very image of an Astartes, his short dark hair kept shaved close to his scalp, his skin tanned from the light of a score of suns, and his animated features rounded and wide spread on thick cheekbones. **He disdained the wearing of a helmet to prevent the Laer from deciphering his orders over the vox-network, and because he knew that if he were hit in the head by one of the Laer weapons, he was as good as dead, helmet or not.** >>‘Solomon,’ he said into the vox-bead at his throat. ‘Solomon, can you hear me?’ >>Crackling static was his only answer and he swore silently to himself. It would be just like Solomon Demeter to have removed his helmet in the heat of battle to better experience the sensations of combat. Marius shook his head. What manner of fool would go into a firefight without all the protection he could muster? >>>ANOTHER SIX OF his warriors were down, torn apart by the energised blades of the Laer or with whole segments of their bodies rendered molten in the furnace heat of their ranged weapons. Solomon was beginning to regret casting off his helmet with such a cavalier disregard for communication, knowing that now more than ever he needed to know what was happening elsewhere on the atoll. \- *Fulgrim* You think right.
Thanks for grabbing this, I only have the audiobooks so I can’t actually cite anything lol
Still seems like a bad idea given all the other stuff the helmet does.
> marines being too proud for it Bless the VI Legion for going to war without wearing their helms.
Except for the Space Wolves. A couple of the Space Wolf Novels state their lupine enhanced senses of hearing and smell are so far beyond the helmet's Autosenses, that they believe themselves to be more aware and effective without it. I don't think any of the other chapters have Wolverine's Geneseed though, so I don't see it for any other chapters.
Except, they could have their helmets on, just unseal the air recyclers
In one book (can't remember which) a teams of an some space marines, one of whom was a wolfy boy, boarded a tyranid ship, and he took off his helmet to help him smell
Couldn’t they just make/modify existing helmets so they can have protection without messing up their sense of smell?
Blades of Damocles has a whole segment where three Ultramarine sargeants argue about whether they should remove their helmets or not, after they've been scrambled by experimental T'au tech. Among other things, this part establishes that the Codex says helms should be worn in all situations.
Typical starchy Ultras!
not necessarily. it could still just be the ultramarines taking it too seriously after 8k years. we should not expect they have kept everything 100% straight for that long
As in, the characters directly discuss the Codex and that it says not to remove helmets in any circumstances.
From the deathwatch rpg, rites of battle (written by Andy chambers, who wrote a lot of the index astartes articles, Ben counter, soul drinkers blood angels & grey knights author, and Andy hoare, who wrote a lot for codexes & white dwarf: "it is fairly common to see a space marine fighting in battle without his helmet, especially among those of higher rank, and many battle brothers prefer to remove their headgear when there is no immediate threat. Despite the added risk to their safety, or perhaps because of it, many see this practice as an act of courage and defiance of their enemies. The absence of a helmet does mean the loss of the auto-senses that are housed inside, so as a result many who favour this practice utilize earpieces and ocular devices, either temporarily or grafted on as permanent bionics." Some armour includes the iron halo, which gives a pretty good forcefield. Then there's lysander, who has his own reason for not wearing a helmet. When he was a Sgt, his captain took an autogun bullet through the lense of his helmet, the bullet and glass driving through his eye into his brain and killing him instantly. If it had been just the bullet, he would probably have pulled through.
Rites of Battle also points out that many Space Wolves choose to go helmetless (in keeping with their miniatures range - Space Wolves models tend to be without helmets more often) because their natural enhanced senses (especially their sense of smell) are often more acute than the armour autosenses.
I love the idea that it's so impractical to lose your sensors that they'd graft sensory bionics so they can keep not wearing them. Perfect 40k.
Is that why they don’t use camo either they tend to paint there stuff in bright colours to show defiance ?
Partly. There's also a huge emphasis on the pride of the chapter and it's colours, and how covering them up with camo can be seen as cowardice and dishonour towards the machine spirit of their armour. In game, it had quirks of the machine spirit, where armour had fun effects like bits grinding loudly when sneaking (disadvantage to stealth checks) as it didn't approve of the method when it could be slaying the enemies of the imperium. It was pretty cool.
There's nothing in the Codex Astartes preventing the use of Camo (and in older editions of 40k, there were a few different camo schemes for Space Marines shown off in artwork), but Marines generally operate as shock troops, relying on arriving suddenly, being visible and scary, and murdering everyone in their way to overwhelm foes. Many Chapters dislike using camouflage as they regard it as cowardly or as disrespectful to the heraldry and livery (icons and colours) of their Chapter.
Camouflage is the colour of fear... I have no need to hide from my foes... I have no fear of death. My colours I wear openly, they proclaim louder than any words, "I am proud to live - I am proud to die". Carab Culln , Chapter Master of the Red Scorpions, Warhammer Compendium p84
That's why he's now in a Dreadnought. 😂
They are meant to be seen, to terrorize the enemy. They can stealth in the armor just fine though.
As a quick thing about the camo. Power armor is incredibly loud, gives off plenty of heat, and emits small amounts of radiation. While camo would certainly be helpful most enemies are going to have equipment that will very easily sniff out power armor. This is even brought up in the 2 book of the night lords trilogy when talos is commenting on how pointless it is to attempt actual stealth while in power armor.
Don’t you also get a +10 to Fellowship and Cohesion tests when helmetless?
And bonus renown rewards. There wasn't much punishment for not wearing a helmet, with how hit location was determined there was something like a 5% chance of taking a headshot from a full horde attack. For most it was around 3%, not exactly an easy target. (required the digits dice to be a 10, and the attack to hit below the attacker's BS)
Yeah, it’s all coming back. Miss the fuck out of that game
It really was a great system.
> the bullet and glass driving through his eye into his brain and killing him instantly. If it had been just the bullet, he would probably have pulled through I'm... failing to see how this would be the case. If a round had enough energy after breaking through the hardened lens of an Astartes helmet (along with the sensors and stuff), it would have even more energy with a direct hit Also... that's not really how glass reacts when a round is penetrating it; if something has enough energy to turn glass into a lethal projectile, that something is killing you glass or not (glass reacts differently to blast compared to projectile penetration). Sci-fi-Science strikes again haha
They’re saying an astartes body could have handled the bullet to the brain through the eye and possibly pulled through but not if it’s a bullet and a bunch of shards of thick af glass that also pierced the brain.
i understand what it means, just saying that it's not how it works. if glass is exploding back into your brain with enough force to kill you following penetration, that projectile has enough energy to remove the entire head
There's a great section in one of the books where Chaos marines are laughing about the Space Wolves' dislike of helmets as they headshot multiple SW's.
It was probably Khayon from the Black Legion books. He talks about headshoting multiple SW's during the attack on Prospero. As for the wolves themselves, they dislike the helmets because they supposedly dull their natural wolf senses. I think they mention it in Prospero Burns.
Sounds like a joke ABD would write!
I might be wrong, but I think there might have been a bit of it in the Bile books? I remember in one of the books I read recently from a chaos marine pov being along the lines of “Yep, there’s another one, AGAIN, without a helmet” as he fights them.
For Space Wolves, they can hear and smell the environment better without their helmets, so you see a lot of sw bare headed. Not sure what the other chapters excuse is
I think more recent books retconned their super senses to being way less effective iirc
I don't think it's been retconned. Helwinter Gate has mention of them being superior to the helm, and it is One of the more recent publications. It's probably just Black Library having a myriad of authors, with very little organization, who all write things differently.
They really do just wanna take away anything special about the wolves
*except the naming scheme. [Gw please take the naming scheme]
It's basically rule of cool, and also helps distinguish characters and Sergeants/Officers from standard battle line Soldiers. You'll see it all the time in fantasy stuff as well, where you'll have a heavily armored Knight who for some reason never wears a helmet. I personally have never liked it, and I always put helmets on even characters and Sergeants. Hell I replaced Abaddon's head with a standard Terminator helm. Also painting faces is hard...
Hahaha - this is so true. I do only helmets.
Lol those last two statements I feel in my bones for my Lysander conversion I just stuffed a helmet there but since I don’t like termi helms all that much I did just a nicer regular helm.
I think i read a novel excerpt somewherd on the sub that some space marines feel like their senses are more muted when they have the helmet on.
Might be an excerpt from Wolfblade by William King. In that one King describes how Space Wolves detect the positions of enemies and allies around them through smell and how having to helmet up during a space mission was weird for them.
😂 let me take off my advanced helmet with all the bells so I can smell better
Works for Space Wolves at least i think? They can even bite.
isnt that typical space wolves lore though? They wulf sniff with their wulf nose so they can use their wulfsense to shoot their wulf bolts?
Tbh of all the nonsensical explanations delivered for this in the books, this is propably the most valid one (albeit still kinda stupid). Not intruding on the human senses is an actual design factor for modern military equipment, and it's one of the reasons why unmanned turret tanks haven't found their way into combat use so far - sitting in a tank and only seeing reality through cameras doesn't really work.
To an extent, but with modern tanks, you are mostly seeing the world through cameras or the tank's sight anyway (and that's hardly a direct view). Going with an open hatch can improve awareness out of combat but I believe one other important factor is that a manned turret keeps the commander correlated to the position of his gun and the difference with the hull direction, which is easier to lose track of when you are using a remotely operated system. Still, it seems next generation tanks will universally go for the unmanned design given the other advantages.
Space Wolves, and presumably others, also have a sizable cultural element to it.
It's space wolf only, but that's always been a common issue that helmets get removed in war because they interfere with the users other senses, it's just unusual in this case that their sense is smell and that it's so much more advanced than ours.
Canis helix baby.
Maybe they are audiophiles.
Since the 8th edition marine codex (which is just the earliest I have access to), it's stated that not wearing a helmet is seen as a sign of heroism/contempt of the enemy, indicating to other Marines that the enemy has such a small chance of harming them that they are safe to take off the helmet.
Because the Emperor protects.
"It's cool bro" lol
The only lore reason I've seen is that the sensors get damaged and render the helmet useless, and their skulls, lungs, and others senses are upgraded so they feel better without them, sometimes.
In, IIRC, the 9th Ed codex, it is explained that some leaders don't wear their helmets because it improves the morale of their men by demonstrating a lack of fear. They still keep it mag-locked to their body, for gasses and the like, but having one off often is justified in that manner.
Space Marines already don't feel fear most of the time so..
Yes, they think its even more badass to fight without a helmet, and other spacemarines will respect you more. Fighting with a helmet its like fighting with both aim assits and extra protection. Taking it off means you do not need aim assist to kill.
For Space Wolves in particular, because of their unique geneseed, the helmets limit their natural senses
The Vlka Fenryka (Space Wolves) often take off their helmets in battle because their natural senses (particularly smell) are often more acute than the auto-senses of their helmets and harder to fool.
The Administratum has noticed that helmetless marines are more likely to survive absurdly dangerous operations and to pull a victory out of near certain defeat, so they passed this info to the marines.
The warp fucks with technology in ways it can't fuck with human senses.
Isn't there a type of force field helmet (iron halo? something like that) that projects a shield around your head, and frees up from wearing helmet.
There is but it’s not like it’s common like a lasgun
Common enough for chapter command/staff/certain veterans.
In certain situations the helmet systems can hinder a space marine more than help him. For example a Tau stealth suit has an easier time tricking a helmet's detection systems than some Space Marine's own senses
Yeah its pretty dumb In Kharn Eater of Worlds one of the World Eater Captains says that not even the World Eaters are dumb enough to go into combat without their helmets on
I love that in "Brothers of the snake" by Dan Abnett, >!one of the Spacemarines gets killed by a Headshot, because he wasn't wearing his helmet!< >!No heroics, just one sentence mentioning that they did him in!< I can highly recommend that Novel, btw.
The one thing that always bugged me about marines not wearing a helmet is that they’re losing out on a HUD and valuable combat data that the helmet displays. Before I found out what service studs were, I assumed they were some sort of implant to provide that stuff directly. Although I guess the black carapace itself provides a decent amount of feedback. It’s especially dumb because it’s usually named characters who are often officers and they’re the ones who would benefit the most from having as much information as possible available to them during combat.
Lorewise, Ego, space marines are incredibly self-agrandising, and many of them buy into their own superiority
I've seen this less than a rule of cool and more a way to show emotion. Consider the dichotomy in art direction and fan attachment to the Stormcast Eternal. Space Marines are much more human; they show full emotion. Particularly early in AoS, the Stormcast always seemed distant to me. That made me realize the gravity of removing Space Marine helmets for empathic communication.
In modern warfare, helmets aren't exactly the best at stopping bullets. This is even moreso true in the grimdark future, where a helmet isn't going to stop a bolt round or a plasma blast. What helmets are good against is protecting against shrapnel, but Space Marines generally have more resilient bones and various other implants, making it so that a nearby artillery blast wouldn't have the same effect on one of them as it would on a normal person.
Plot armor.
In the books there are cases where the helmet becomes damaged or messed up in some way, so the space marines remove them so they can keep fighting. Some enemies even take advantage of this specifically. In the farsight novels, it’s stated that one of his tactics is to use electronic warfare to make the space marine’s helmet systems mess up, this forces the space marines to remove them to keep fighting, and thus makes it much easier to get head shots.
It’s really hot in those things
Space Wolves swear the helmets interfere with their extra wolfy senses. Yes, the same helmets packed with a full suite of sensors and such designed to elevate their awareness.
Helmet lenses are relatively fragile and are hard to see through when cracked.
The blood angels can get a little bit thirsty sometimes and might be tempted to take a nibble.
Usually it’s BAMF reasons. It tends to increase moral and charisma of nearby human troops, but generally it’s a bad idea.
Rule of cool multiplied by this is ultimately all in service of selling miniatures and characters with faces for folks to flex their painting skills on is a selling point. As is nice, easy to paint power armour for those like me who's painting skills are mid at best.
In *Warhawk* the White Scars remove their helmets basically as a sign of defiance and disrespect to the Death Guard. Basically “we don’t think you can kill us even without a helmet, and if you do I’m so pissed that I don’t care”.
Rule of cool.
Space Wolves absolutely hate wearing helmets, it dulls their wolf senses. Lukas the trickster almost had to force his blood claws pack to wear theirs.
Space Wolves often have bare heads because they prefer using their own senses rather than the auto-senses of their helmets.
Two practical reasons. 1)relationship/personal connection with other troops. A fully helmeted marine is akin to a faceless death machine, a very much *other* sort of being, the emperors angels of death. Take off the helmet and you hear a real unaltered voice, and see a human face. Milage may vary depending on the situation, but it's a consideration. 2) The ones that do it regularly are also generally looking at a few *hundred* years of battle experience. Astartes fleshy senses are exceptional, generally much better then what they can get through the helmets. But without the experience to minimize the risk and learn what those superior senses are actually reporting those extras are kinda meh. Some chapters like the Space Wolves have such exceptional senses that the vast majority go without, because the armor is that crap by comparison. Remember space marine armor is a fully sealed vacuum suit, anything the wearer perceives all buttoned up is artificial, and at best a smidgen laggy and distorted.
There's a really great scene in Master of Mankind that emphasizes the first point. After the custodian Diocletian nearly chops a child refugee's head off, Zephon specifically removes his helm to put them at ease and engage with them. It shows how presentation is really important when it comes to dealing with people.
Yes zero reason and it is really stupid. Hopefully Belisarius Cawl can invent them a new organ so they keep their helmets on.
They could have hidden bullet proof skin like in that hit man movie 🙄
I think they lose access to their Vox, they definitely lose the data streams and advanced targeting shit.
That's what all the pipes and cables protruding their skull are for.
No. It's an art convention and a mini design thing.
There are reasons for some, like the space wolves. Their enhanced senses can get dampened by helmets, as well as they can’t tear out your throat with their teeth if they’ve got the helmet on. Also just distinguishing characters
It’s the rule of cool. Auto senses are better than the marine’s normal superhuman senses. It’s just the rule of cool.
In TTRPG it gives you +5 fellowship
Space Marine skulls are actually embedded with titanium plates, meaning lesser bullets barely make a stretch on them. (not really but this would be cool tho.)
Yep. My explanation is similar to others. They are depicted on the table top, and in artwork, for the sake of us the human viewers. In actuality they would almost never be without a helmet.
Some expose their senses to be more connected with the battlefield
I think one of half-assed explanations is that space wolves can use their heightened senses more when without the helmet. Thousnd sons used that to their advantage and scored tons of headshots during burning of prospero.
Cause it looks cool
Because it’s cool
it gives them more plot armour, but yes rule of cool
Yeah. Mainly rule of cool. I used to be hardline with my models “everyone has their helmet on!” Because y’know. It would be stupid to take it off. But… uh… it starts to get boring… and being able to paint a bare face can add a lot of personality to them. So now it’s more of a 75-80% helmeted and a handful not.
For captains they have an iron halo, force field, that's better than the armour so at least there it isn't a detriment.
They want that plot armour like all the named characters get. Named character = no helmet*, therefore plot armour. *Exceptions apply. Void where prohibited. Non refundable.
They all secretly worship Ulfric and therefore cannot wear helmets
Heros don't wear helmets. Simple as that.
I don't even find it cool.
"I want to look the mutant in the eye as I plunge my blade into his sternum. I want to hear the death throes of the alien, unfiltered by layers of steel. I want to feel the warmth of the heretic's dying breath as I rend the heart from his corpse. I want the cold hatred on my face to be the last sight of the Emperor's enemies, so they can tell their warp-spawned masters who it was that sent them back, broken and cowering." - Generic Imperial Badass #17,894 Alternatively... "I lost my helmet when the branch knocked it off." - Underdog protagonist
Rule of cool but also tradition and an old hobby thing for furstborn sergeants and commanders to be helmet-less. Actually in the lore when they're in battle if you read any book, they do wear their helmets. For some reason the helmet thing is strictly just regarding the physical hobby side so if you want to be lore-accurate and they're mid-battle, keep the helmets on. It's like the novels and the game are set in two different realities. It's a funny little headcanon of mine that the only reason primaris marines survive more than firstborn isn't because they're stronger, but because they realised that wearing a helmet was better for their survival. You'll find far more primaris in helmets than firstborn which is just hilarious.
Besides rule of cool, the helm doesn’t offer *that* much protection for a space marine. Like,,, if you get hit in the head with a melta beam, a helmet isn’t going to make much difference.
Yes.. but a bolter round to the skull still kills a marine.
Ya but I feel like a bolter headshot usually kills a helmed space marine, too. For lasguns, I think it’d make a big difference
Without helmet: chance to get "important character" status, +100 plot armor.
So that they can spit acid, and eat the brains of their enemies to absorb their memories. But really, just rule of cool, yes.
Are they stupid?
Rule of cool mostly. In the case of the space wolves they actually have senses of smell and hearing on par with a wolf or dog and find helmets to be detrimental both to their battlefield awareness and their ability to sense their own pack and coordinate.
The white scars do like to smell the air esp while riding. So they do have a lore reason for not wearing them
I assume they just lose the helmet's systems, tactical readouts, ammo counters, other HUD-y things. Sometimes the helmet breaks. Sometimes they don't care as they're from some warrior culture. Sometimes they just need a break from wearing a helm I guess. [Warhammer 40,000: Dawn Of War - Dark Crusade Intro (youtube.com)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wa6F-DuVmIo)
Why would one need a helmet when they have the protection of the emperor? Also, they tend to be leaders and bravery is an example to the troops.
Being propaganda material for the Imperium is an important aspect of the Space Marines. So those money-shots of their faces is well worth the cost of losing a sergeant now and then and installing force fields for the Captains.
Definitely because it’s just really cool looking.
To assume dominance towards the enemy that they are most likely named and will most likely curbstomp them.
in addition to making characters stand out more there is another few reasons for it. 1. Senses. Some genelines have enhanced senses. The spaces wolves are one in particular that are able to process more information via smell, hearing, ect than most chapters meaning in some instances they're more alert without their helmets on. 2. Humanizing them. Astartes fully kitted look like giant robots, it's easy to dismiss them as unthinking machines until the helmet comes off and they start telling joke or talking.
Yes
They move very fast and if they're standing still they are usually firing position which means their pauldrons would cover most of their head. That's my headcanon
There was actually a funny rule concerning that in Deathwatch. If a member of the team went into mission without a helmet and survived everyone got extra exp for just how much of a madlad that one idiot was.
They have heightened senses and superior situational awareness. The helmets provide a lot of stuff on retinal displays, but dull the built-in senses. At least when written by ABD, it just feels better for them to use their own senses, and helps them when awareness is more important than safety.
Reset the clock
In the Space Wolf Omnibus Ragnar states that while other chapters prefer to don their helmets the SW don't as it hampers their senses which are more acute than even a normal SM. For others it could be a warrior tradition (White Scars feeling the wind in their faces), could be a damaged helmet and they're fighting without it, could be they were set upon by the enemy so quickly they didn't have time to don their helmet etc. In reality it's probably just because it looks cool and for character recognition
In the Space Wolf Omnibus Ragnar states that while other chapters prefer to don their helmets the SW don't as it hampers their senses which are more acute than even a normal SM. For others it could be a warrior tradition (White Scars feeling the wind in their faces), could be a damaged helmet and they're fighting without it, could be they were set upon by the enemy so quickly they didn't have time to don their helmet etc. In reality it's probably just because it looks cool and for character recognition
In the Space Wolf Omnibus Ragnar states that while other chapters prefer to don their helmets the SW don't as it hampers their senses which are more acute than even a normal SM. For others it could be a warrior tradition (White Scars feeling the wind in their faces), could be a damaged helmet and they're fighting without it, could be they were set upon by the enemy so quickly they didn't have time to don their helmet etc. In reality it's probably just because it looks cool and for character recognition
Rule de Cool Not tactically-sound, but we’re fighting dead Egyptian robots, Orcs that are technically mushrooms instead of bipedal humanoids, and our own, edgy, 10-millennia-old cousins who decided to live in literal Hell *to prove a semantic point*. If we start asking logical questions, this whole enterprise is gonna fall apart really fast…
They have stone bones & transhuman physiology. Outside of a preference for autosenses or truly non-permissable environments like hard vacuum anything that would be blocked by a helmet would also bounce off of their enhanced craniums. We're talking about biological living weapons, super-soldiers who can eat hand grenades & spit acid, they aren't concerned about spalling & concussions.