Proper Colors for Chaplains

[ElectricPaladin]

Quick question, quick answer: how do you paint a chaplain in a codex-compliant chapter? Do they have one arm and shoulder pad painted in their chapter's colors, like a techmarine or librarian? Or are they all black?

Thanks in advance.

[DWest]

Having browsed through what I could find on GW's page for my Flesh Tearers Chappy, the answer appears to be . . . whatever floats your boat, go with it. Of the 8 Chaplain models, the most common colors seem to be either nothing, or just the left knee in color w/ chapter badge, or knee + filled in shoulder pads (or if you're Lemartes, you have BA stuff slobbered all over your armor).

I would recommend probably the knee + shoulder pads, if only to break up the acres of black.

[ElectricPaladin]

I would recommend probably the knee + shoulder pads, if only to break up the acres of black.

The one I'm working on is the Dark Vengeance special chaplain, and his shoulder pads are... spoken for. I'll probably just do the knee. When I do my terminator chaplain next I'll be in the same boat - I'm painting Exorcists, and their terminators have shoulder pads that are... you guessed it, black.

[Cpt Codpiece]

the easiest way would be to add a small chapter icon. either on an armour piece or in banner form.

are you removing the DA stuff he is covered in?

[ElectricPaladin]

are you removing the DA stuff he is covered in?

The symbol on his cloak is abstract enough that I'm keeping it. The winged sword on his shoulder is, likewise, pretty general. I mean, all Astartes are the Emperor's Angels of Death. I'm ok with a few winged swords on my Exorcists. I've decided to invent an Orison (Exorcists non-Chaos-worshipping warrior lodges) that uses that as its symbol.

The thing to remember is that I've done a good job of getting rid of the Dark Angels stuff on the rest of my Dark Vengeance models, so in the context of that, he'll look like a chaplain with a thing for wings rather than a totally Dark Angels chaplain.

[Cpt Codpiece]

yeah i know what you mean about the angels of death thing, but to me the winged sword is and always has been DA :)

i can understand not wanting the grief of removing it though :)

how about using a micron pen to draw all the cool symbols on his cape? you know the crazy exorscists symbols from the FW book :)

[Kevin48220]

Looking at the actual codex, they have 4 chaplains in the showcase section (p. 110). They're all black, but it looks like there is a scheme in the detailing on the pads. The two UM chaplains have the left shoulderpad done in the company colors; I'm not sure of the Raven Guard (can't really see his pads in the pic), and the Salamanders chaplain doesn't appear to have anything chapter-specific on him (unless I'm missing some chapter imagery beyond the obvious green & flames I've seen on other models). So, I'd say that it's more likely that the "all black with one pad showing the livery" is the default.

Of course, with the Exorcists, that would be pretty dramatic--all black armor, with the one bloody red shoulder pad. Should look cool!

[Cpt Codpiece]

Of course, with the Exorcists, that would be pretty dramatic--all black armor, with the one bloody red shoulder pad. Should look cool!

but EP wants to keep the sculpted iconography that is already on the pauldrons :)

i recon go ahead with my micron pen idea LOL with maybe red gauntlets, to symbolise both the chapter and its bloody nature.

[Nabterayl]

Insignium Astartes gives the chaplain badge (white skull) on the right pauldron, with the left pauldron painted in chapter colors with the chapter icon. Poleyns show the white skull badge on black. Company colors are not shown, even on the pauldron rims (which are black), though may be reflected in the chaplain's personal heraldry (though strictly speaking they need not be, as chaplains are not technically part of a company - and by the same token, since chaplains tend not to move around companies too much, their personal heraldry may reflect the heraldry of "their" company as a matter of affection).