Space Marines Not in Powered Armor

[Rissan4ever]

Is there any description in the fluff and/or BL novels about what Space Marines where when they're NOT in their powered armor? I would assume they don't wear it unless they're actually expecting to fight or in a situation where they thing they may have to fight. Are there any descriptions of the various chapters' non-PA uniforms?

[inquisitorsog]

It's pretty common in BL novels to see them not in armor. Especially during the Horus Heresy series, the marines (and primarchs) fairly frequently are out of armor.

In the novels set after the heresy, it's a little more mixed, partly because you've got more action oriented novels, partly because it seems to vary by author and which group of Astartes we're talking about. In M41, it's rare for marines to appear out of their armor when in mixed company. Usually, appearing outside of armor is something you see in "modern era" when they're only among other astartes and their serfs.

Usually, their dressed down wear is some flavor of toga/chiton/tunic/robe, but it varies by the space marine chapter (and mostly by author).

[Rev. Tiberius Jackhammer]

Typically a robish thing of some sort, or pants/shorts if they're training, I believe. Seconded that they tend to be in armour for mixed company - it's also their dress uniform, after all.

[The AKH]

Is there any description in the fluff and/or BL novels about what Space Marines where when they're NOT in their powered armor? I would assume they don't wear it unless they're actually expecting to fight or in a situation where they thing they may have to fight. Are there any descriptions of the various chapters' non-PA uniforms?

I feel like the indoctrination and training of the Astartes probably leads them to view most situations as "situations where they may have to fight" so, as above, I would wager that they spend most of their time away from their Fortress-Monastery fully armoured.

Most references to Marines out of armour I have read have them dressed in monastic robes or simple tunics.

[marcus]

this any help

http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z430/cassar2photos/1256001402996.jpg

[Brandoncbaker]

I mean if you had something as cool as power armor,wouldn't you wear it all the time also

[Wildeybeast]

It takes them anything up to an hour to get in and out of their armour and they can't do it themselves so they either need other marines or chapter serfs to help them. As such, they only tend to be out of it when they are not expecting combat, so long warp voyages, at their chapter base etc. As others have said, it happens a fair bit in HH and they usually wnader around in robes or underwear when training.

[plawolf]

Actually, the newest fluff (Emperor's Gift) would suggest that marines spend the majority of their time out of armor and only wear it when they are expecting trouble.

The main reason for this is quite obvious really, as having armor on means that the marines could not clean themselves or all the plugs and interface sockets implanted in their bodies.

The armor can recycle waste, but I really doubt all power armor has an internal shower. That means all the sweat and biological discharge from the sockets stays on the skin after the moisture evaporates and is recycled or vented/escapes.

I think we all know how uncomfortable it is to go even a few hours with dried sweat all over you after some rigorous activity. Imagine spending weeks or months like that, and not being able to scratch any itches to boot. Sores and various other skin infections would inevitably develop, marine biology or not.

Marines could easily spend months or maybe even years in their armor and tune out any discomfort if they had to, but that does not mean they would want to do that given a choice.

[The Madman]

from what i've read in Horus Rising they seem to just where some basic underpants and wear a robe if they among others, exspecially areound non-marines. during that section of the book the marine was cleaning his armour and patching any minor damage, i would assume any greater damage they would sen to an artificer.

EDIT: pictures didn't work so i've made them attachments, 1st one i'm not sure on its source but i've seen the second one all over the place.

[Veteran Sergeant]

I mean if you had something as cool as power armor,wouldn't you wear it all the time also
In my time in the Marines, I looked pretty damned cool all decked out.

And no, I took it off any chance I got, lol.

However, in the end, the armor needs plenty of maintenance I imagine, especially repairing damage after combat given the very direct methods Space Marines employ. That, and well it probably isn't sanitary to wear it constantly. A "can if you have to" sort of situation, but I'd imagine it needs to be cleaned from time to time as well. There would be very little reason for Space Marines to wear the armor all the time, and a lot of reasons not to. I imagine they're relatively well versed in taking it on and off, and there are mechanisms in place to make the process easier. But unless you take the ridiculous schedule in 3rd Ed C:SM as gospel, the Marines aren't going to be able to be, or even benefit from, wearing the armor constantly.

[bfmusashi]

There's a lovely aside in the Ciaphas Cain books where Amberly describes power armour as containing several millenia of B.O. The only time I can recall them being described outside of their armour was in Legion (as I don't like BL very much). Alpha Legion just looked like abnormally large dudes.

[Wildeybeast]

SPOLIERS




Yeah, there is a bit in Deliverance Lost where Omegon chucks his armour in an acid pool, puts on a coat and passes himself off as a a mechanicum servitor. They just love being sneaky.

[bfmusashi]

Bah, I must have missed that part. Fun side note, Deliverence Lost was the second Horus Heresy book I read and the one that made me swear them off. There is simply no way that many things are "ruddy" in one book.

[plawolf]

You should give some of the rest of the Heresy Books another chance, especially the first 4 or 5, before BL decided to milk it for all it's worth as the main plot hasn't move on at all since Fulgrum.

The first few were really good, and there are a few really good books besides, like Know No Fear, Thousand Sons, Properso Burns etc, but they are all side-shows or running parallel to the main plot in terms of time frame.

You could quite happily have missed everything after Fulgrum and picked the series back up whenever BL decide they cannot milk this any longer and not really miss much of the action in terms of the main plot.

I now only read the books about the Chapters/Legions that interest me, the rest are optional, with the exception being that it seems anything to do with the Alpha Legion should be avoided as all the BL authors seem to have a massive geek hard-on for them and they just try to make them so superawesomesource that it gets pretty nauseating and embarrassing to witness.