Question about Power Armor

[Chapter Master Jake]

It's a signature of Warhammer 40,000. Power Armor, the fictional adamantium-structured, ceramite-plated, servo-assisted technological masterpiece of Imperial military tech.

I'm interested in one part about power armor that I'm not sure about. It's said that power armor can withstand tank shells, submersion under tons of water, withstand the hellish heat of molten earth, and the freezing void of space or a dead moon. Power armor can withstand all these things but what about prolonged habitation? If a space marine must, or chooses to as per chapter tradition, could he wear the power armor exclusively like a second skin? I know many chaos marines probably do because the warp forces them to, which is cool unto itself, but what about their Imperial counterparts?

Some information would be great. I think it's a matter of opinion since I've not seen a canonical explanation but I'm not sure.

[Rev. Tiberius Jackhammer]

They probably could, it's got a waste management system and all in it. Might have to remove outer layers every now and then for repairs, but that's it.

[LordGrise]

Days, certainly. Weeks, if necessary. Months, non-stop...? This is an imaginary world, so anything goes, but in Real Life, uhm... no. Skin surfaces slough, moisture collects (sweat, etc) and eventually, those skin cells start to decay if the environment is warm and moist. Imagine wearing the same pair of socks and shoes, non-stop, for months. Now imagine that all over. Imagine your private bits marinating in that, esp with plumbing connections involved. Now imagine breathing the vapours, nice and warm and humid, for months non-stop.

Yeah, I'm guessing that's how some Plague marines got started.

Hon? I'm done with my dinner...

[Chapter Master Jake]

Lemme excuse myself while I gag, thanks for the image btw!

Now that I"m composed, I would think that a suit, if made to be worn indefinitely, would have cooling and dehumidifying systems spread throughout the inner workings. I wouldn't think it would be possible to wear it for weeks or months without such systems. They have similar systems for jet fighter pilots I believe, no where near as advanced of course but definitely something along these lines.

[Nabterayl]

I can imagine a system that is specifically designed to deal with each of the problems sealing your skin inside an airtight tomb forever would present, but ... it seems kind of silly to me.

[Mr.Pickelz]

In the Space Wolf books, they address this issue. While a Marine can indefinitely wear the suit. Repairs and refitting will pose problems, and there is the issue of cleanliness underneath the suit, depending on chapter you will need "upgrades" (IE, Iron Hands) and so your suit will be modified to your needs. The under laying carapace (which is treated as a second skin, is what most if not all marines (in power armour) wear, this will be worn even while the armor itself is being repaired, or refitted,etc... So to answer your question directly, Yes a Marine can wear the suit indefinitely, however it isn't manditory or advised due to tech issues, and personal hygiene. (depending on chapter, Space Wolves have a tendency to smell bad btw)

[Pendragon38]

man, there gonna be pasty as hell when they take that suit off

[nohMan]

man, there gonna be pasty as hell when they take that suit off

Not if they are Salamanders!

[OrksOrksOrks]

I remember originally the power pack was described as a battery with about 8 hours charge, that seems to have been retconned now though

[gcsmith]

I remember originally the power pack was described as a battery with about 8 hours charge, that seems to have been retconned now though

Yeh, it's now a nuclear battery.

[Wolfshade]

Yeh, it's now a nuclear battery.

Helps keep you warm in cold environs ;)

Also, the bit about recyclign bodily waste seems to have shuffled off.

[gcsmith]

Helps keep you warm in cold environs ;)

Also, the bit about recyclign bodily waste seems to have shuffled off.

Not a very good system anyway, only the urine could be cleaned up, and if you're humanitys greatest warriors I would be annoyed at having to drink my own piss instead of proper water.

[Wolfshade]

I would be annoyed at having to drink my own piss instead of proper women.

I am not sure where you are going with this but I am slightly concerned.

[gcsmith]

I am not sure where you are going with this but I am slightly concerned.

Meant water, sorry, when replying I was getting worried due to possibly failing a uni module due to a piece of coursework being lost after submission.

[Wolfshade]

Meant water, sorry, when replying I was getting worried due to possibly failing a uni module due to a piece of coursework being lost after submission.

"Morale restored"

do you have
a) A copy of the work
b) Receipt of your submission

If you have both that is all good, if not :/

[gcsmith]

"Morale restored"

do you have
a) A copy of the work
b) Receipt of your submission

If you have both that is all good, if not :/

It was hand written since it required drawing of special charts such as carnot squares.
And we have to submit the coursework to a box not electronically.

I can have a copy of the work, but doesn't matter when he went through the answers in class so they can say I just did it afterwards... I submitted it though. The big mistake was the fact I accidently submitted my mornings lectures notes first. Two piles of paper are easy to confuse, but I immediately submitted my coursework as well. Just my luck that they only get the lecture notes that have nothing to do with my work...

[GrauGeist]

Not a very good system anyway, only the urine could be cleaned up, and if you're humanitys greatest warriors I would be annoyed at having to drink my own piss instead of proper water.

Bear Grylls disagrees!

[gwensdad]

Bear Grylls disagrees!

Now someone needs to make an Ultramarine Bear Grylls meme.

"Thunderhawk will be delayed 5 minutes - better drink my own piss"

[Magus]

I assume he is a Grey Knight player.

[Denzark]

I thought SM didn't sweat, one of the 18 implants makes them excrete an oily substance that assists with exposure to vacuum. Will reference for later.

[Kawauso]

They seem to get pretty sweaty in a lot of the BL novels. Karkasy...I think that's the name? That one poet remembrancer in the HH series comments at one point how awful a sweaty Astartes apparently smells.

[Nabterayl]

The mucranoid doesn't stop sweating; it only adds a functionality. In fact, it was originally described as needing an outside procedure to activate its functionality.

[Chapter Master Jake]

The mucranoid doesn't stop sweating; it only adds a functionality. In fact, it was originally described as needing an outside procedure to activate its functionality.

This is correct to a degree. I didn't read anything about outside procedures but this is directly from the current edition of Codex: Space Marines.

"Mucranoid - The Weaver

This organ responds to chemical stimuli, causing the Space Marine to secrete a waxy substance that seals his skin. Marines are cocooned in this way before they enter suspended animation, and the process can even protect them from vacuum and extremes of temperature."

As for the other posts, I am starting to think that the original space marines were even more bad *** than the ones we have now, since their armor seems to have lost so much functionality over the years of retconning. I always thought that power armor was like being encased in an Iron Man suit. Heads-Up-Display with short range sensors, targeting and tracking systems, as well as an air breather, air filter, and communication systems. The body suit itself has a pressurized air-tight seal for under water and in space, 3 inches of ceramite over an inch of adamantium armor, total body vital readings, internal climate control systems, internal micro servos and muscle-like nano fiber bundles, as well as a nuclear-electric power pack. (I remember reading that from the 3rd Edition rulebook I have, the one with the Black Templars on the front of it.)

[OrksOrksOrks]

Back in Rogue Trader, Power Armour used to have active camo and the back packs top nozzles were stabilizing jets, they seem to just be exhausts now, even though it already has exhausts at the bottom

[Kawauso]

Screw active camo.

Camouflage is the colour of cowardice. How are you going to strike fear into your enemies if they can't see you coming?

Space marine logic. <3

[Nabterayl]

the back packs top nozzles were stabilizing jets, they seem to just be exhausts now, even though it already has exhausts at the bottom
I feel like I read in a fairly recent source that they still are stabilizing jets, but either way, I haven't read anything indicating that they're just exhausts.

[Nabterayl]

I always thought that power armor was like being encased in an Iron Man suit. Heads-Up-Display with short range sensors, targeting and tracking systems, as well as an air breather, air filter, and communication systems. The body suit itself has a pressurized air-tight seal for under water and in space, 3 inches of ceramite over an inch of adamantium armor, total body vital readings, internal climate control systems, internal micro servos and muscle-like nano fiber bundles, as well as a nuclear-electric power pack. (I remember reading that from the 3rd Edition rulebook I have, the one with the Black Templars on the front of it.)
40K is one of those sci-fi universes where it's never really clear how the technology level relates to, you know, real-world technology. Tabletop rules notwithstanding, current fluff is clear that 41st millennium space marine power includes comms, can operate as a space suit (additional modifications are advisable if you want to fight in vacuum, apparently, but your bog standard suit works just fine for breathing, pressurization, etc.), and so forth as you describe. I don't think it's ever been clear (it certainly doesn't seem to be clear now, anyway) just how capable those auto-senses are, though, or even what detection modalities they comprise - in a universe where even night vision goggles are magic tech, the auto-senses could simply be cameras and microphones to negate the isolating effects of a fully enclosed bucket and that would still be super impressive. Similarly with the comms package - what kind of range has it got? How many channels can it handle? I don't think that's ever been treated in detail, and since even walkie-talkies are magic tech, it could be that simply having a radio built into the suit would be impressive.

[Wolfshade]

Screw active camo.

Camouflage is the colour of cowardice. How are you going to strike fear into your enemies if they can't see you coming?

Space marine logic. <3

I thought Imperial Fists were the colour of cowardice...

[OrksOrksOrks]

40K is one of those sci-fi universes where it's never really clear how the technology level relates to, you know, real-world technology. Tabletop rules notwithstanding, current fluff is clear that 41st millennium space marine power includes comms, can operate as a space suit (additional modifications are advisable if you want to fight in vacuum, apparently, but your bog standard suit works just fine for breathing, pressurization, etc.), and so forth as you describe. I don't think it's ever been clear (it certainly doesn't seem to be clear now, anyway) just how capable those auto-senses are, though, or even what detection modalities they comprise - in a universe where even night vision goggles are magic tech, the auto-senses could simply be cameras and microphones to negate the isolating effects of a fully enclosed bucket and that would still be super impressive. Similarly with the comms package - what kind of range has it got? How many channels can it handle? I don't think that's ever been treated in detail, and since even walkie-talkies are magic tech, it could be that simply having a radio built into the suit would be impressive.


The Heresy books cover quite a lot of details about vision modes and vox channels, light amplification infrared are mentioned a few times and full broad cast, squad level and private vox channels at the least are used, but I suppose 10,000 years later these might have been lost and missed out of most suits, or built in according to the ancient and revered designs but they've forgotten how to switch them on

[Chris*ta]

but I suppose 10,000 years later these might have been lost and missed out of most suits, or built in according to the ancient and revered designs but they've forgotten how to switch them on

"What does this button do?"

"Nothing."

"Unless you push it."

[Denzark]

The rogue trader table top rules for power armour made it absolutely awesome, against all the nasty gases, hostile plants, etc. Auto senses were good, I always tought of the Terminator's head up display (apart from a list of insults including 'f*ck you arsehole'.