A Guide to Power Armor

The armed forces of the Imperium of Man field a wide array of different marks and types of Powered Armor. From the legendary armor of the Adeptus Astartes to the individualized personal protection of Tech-Priest Engineseers and the ornate war plate of the Sisters of Battle there are many types of power armor to be found with their own distinct history and characteristics. 

Armor of the Adeptus Astartes 

Through their long history the Adeptus Astartes have used a wide variety of different marks of power armor, from the early Thunder Armor to the modern marvel that is the MKX armor of the Primaris Space Marines.

Thunder Armor 

From the earliest days of the Unification Wars transhuman soldiers equipped with crude power armor fought at the forefront of the Emperor's armies. These early soldiers wore semi-powered carapace that would later come to be referred to as MK1 Thunder Armor. In reality Thunder Armor likely combines a wide array of different types and patterns of prototype armor marks used by the Thunder Warriors, the precursors to the later Legiones Astartes, during the long decades of the Unity Wars. The earliest of the Space Marines who fought in the final days of the Unity Wars on Terra would have worn the crude but functional MK1 Thunder Armor. These suits were not fully enclosed or environmentally sealed like later marks of Space Marine power armor and may not have even been fully powered either. They did not afford their wearer protection from environmental hazards or allow for operation in the vacuum of space. Still Thunder Armor served its purpose and gave the Emperor's early legions considerable protection during the brutal conflicts required to unify Terra under the Emperor's sole rule.

Crusade Armor 

These marvels of technology were forged by the Mechanicum for the Legiones Astartes in the earliest days of the Great Crusade. A huge leap forward in capability and protection over the earlier Thunder Armor the MKII Power Armor provided a fully enclosed and environmentally sealed system that could protect its wearer from chemical contamination and hard vacuum, enabling the Legiones Astartes to fight in space, under water or in conditions that would leave most mortal soldiery choking to death on toxic fumes, freezing, or boiling alive. Such protection made the already superior physiology and strength truly a potent and versatile force able to bring the Emperor's wrath to any foe no matter the environment or conditions. However the Crusade Armor was not without its flaws and it would not take long for improvements to be made.

Iron Armor

The MKIII Iron Armor is really a modification of the basic Crusade Armor that added additional armored plates to the front facing of the suits, giving the wearer enhanced protection from attacks to the fore. Iron Armor was developed as an answer to the hazards of fighting in boarding actions, tunnels and trenches where ranges were short and the fighting was fierce. Particularly favored by the Iron Warriors, Imperial Fists and the Death Guard Legions the Iron Armor was a notable step-up from Crusade Armor in protection and would remain in regular use throughout the Great Cruasde and the Horus Heresy but would fall out of use over the following centuries and in the modern era is seen only very rarely as precious relics.

Maximus Armor

The absolute epitome of Great Cruade era power armor technology the MKIV Maximus armor featured a host of enhancements over previous models. Reinforced plating over the torso protected critical power and data cabling from damage while external redundancies added further reliability. Extended vambraces protected the wrists while the sloped face-grill and hardened vox system were all notable enhancements over MKII and MKIII suits. Maximus armor was also somewhat lighter than previous marks while retaining the same level of protection thanks to technological advancements made by the Mechanicum during the Great Crusade. Although the epitome of power armor research and development Maximus Armor was more time-consuming and resource intensive to produce and demand was very high towards the later days of the Great Crusade. As such, though some legions fielded large quantities of MKIV armor, other legions were forced to rely on older marks and were not able to acquire sufficient material to re-equip their legionaries with the newer and better armor produced by the Mechanicum. Some Legions, such as the Ultramarines and Thousand Sons, even took to manufacturing their own unique variations of MKIV armor locally. The Ultramarines Praetorian Armor was produced in the realm of Ultramar by the Forge World Veridia while the Thousand Sons produced limited quantities of their own Achean pattern on Prospero. The outbreak of the Horus Heresy would further stretch supply chains and force the Legions to get creative if they wanted to keep their legionaries sufficiently equipped. 

Heresy Armor

The MKV Heresy Armor is in actuality not necessarily a specifically designed pattern of power armor but rather a general classification for a variety of field modifications, jury-rigged alterations and replacement components first developed by the Raven Guard Legion. Following their extraction from the killing fields of Istvaan V the Raven Guard found itself sorely lacking in the necessary parts to restore the badly mauled equipment of its surviving legionaries to combat functionality. Instead the Tech-Marines of the Legion were forced to seek alternative components stripped and scavenged from wherever they could and these field-repairs would come to be classified as a new mark of Power Armor. As the Horus Heresy dragged on other legions would copy the Raven Guard's example and begin fielding their own heavily field-repaired suits of power armor and in time many legions would even begin to newly manufacture MKV Heresy Armor. Given that the pattern relied much less on rare and difficult to obtain materials and components it was much easier to mass produce greater quantities of MKV armor than previous patterns and for those legions hard pressed to maintain supply of MKII, III or IV armor the downgrade in the capabilities of MKV was an acceptable trade-off for the greater ease of manufacture. Notable characteristics of MKV armor are multiple external power cabling, adamantine studs to provide greater strength to the greaves, pauldrons and helm, and a novel helm configuration featuring less sophisticated auto-senses and an unarmored vox-grille and atmospheric filter. The vox-grille in particular became a notable feature of the mark and several later designs, and indeed the sinister grimace of the helm would become an iconic image for the Adeptus Astartes. Due to the sinister origins of the mark most chapters no longer field any examples of this mark. Much of the remaining supply of Heresy armor was most likely decommissioned and scrapped for parts and materials after the Scouring. However many traitor space marines still wear armor bearing some of the distinct hallmarks of the MKV pattern armor and it is likely that the traitor legions and their manufacturies in the Eye of Terror still produce Heresy armor to this day.

Corvus Armor

The MKVI Corvus Armor was actually developed during the later days of the Great Crusade as a specialized alternative to the MKIV Maximus Armor. A number of early prototypes of this armor were originally field tested by the Raven Guard, who provided the Mechanicum with a wealth of useful feedback on the performance of the armor and suggestions on how to improve it. Lighter than previous versions of power armor, MKVI armor was also relatively easy to repair and maintain, its components could be swapped and interchanged at will with older materials and plates, and it featured dual power supply cabling which made the armor considerably more adaptable and reliable than previous patterns. Originally slated to be the fifth officially recognized mark of power armor the Raven Guard's compilation of field modifications and repairs would come to bear the MKV designation and so the pattern would instead be classified as MKVI and was named after the Primarch of the XIX Legion in honor of the sacrifice the Raven Guard made on Istvaan V and their role in developing the pattern. The distinct conical face-plate of the Corvus Armor gave the pattern a distinctly avian appearance, a profile that would become widely recognizable across the galaxy and is even the origin for the greenskin slang word "beaky" to refer to Space Marines. To this day MKVI armor remains in fairly widespread use among many chapters, especially the Sons of Corax. The Raven Guard have even gone so far as to modify MKX Power Armor helmets to feature the conical face-plate of the MKVI, so important is it to them.

Aquila Armor

MKVII Aquila Armor was the last pattern of power armor developed before the end of the Horus Heresy. Taking many of the lessons learned in the development and deployment of MKV and MKVI armor the Aquila pattern armor was easier to produce and maintain, flexible and adaptable in its configuration and construction and more reliable than its MKV predecessor. Most notably the MKVII was the first pattern of armor permitted to wear the Imperial Aquila upon its breastplate. Prior to this the honor of wearing the Aquila was generally only afforded to select legionaries as reward for great feats accomplished in battle, Legionaries such as Nathanial Garro of the Death Guard. In recognition for their great tenacity and determination to overcome their early catastrophic losses the III Legion known as the Emperor's Children was the only legion permitted to as a whole wear the Aquila upon their armor. Though this honor would become a perverse mockery of loyalty when the Legion betrayed the Emperor and sided with Horus Lupercal during the terrible wars of the Horus Heresy. Shortly before the traitors laid siege to Terra however the newly renamed Adeptus Mechanicus began to produce limited numbers of new MKVII armor and these suits were all given the honor of wearing the Aquila as a badge of loyalty to the Emperor. Following the defeat of the traitors on Terra the MKVII pattern would eventually be supplied to every loyalist legion and would in time become the most commonly manufactured and worn pattern of power armor across the Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes.

Errant Armor

The MKVIII Errant Armor is the only pattern of power armor developed and deployed among the Chapters of the Adeptus Astartes since the Horus Heresy and before the coming of Belisarius Cawl's Primaris Marines. Further enhancing the capabilities of the MKVII Aquila Armor the Errant was notable in featuring a raised gorget to protect the neck and face of the wearer, an armored plate fully covering all abdominal power cabling and a modified helm design. Most chapters today possess a number of examples of recently produced Errant Armor and many reserve its use for Sergeants and officers for the design provides not only increased protection for these individuals over older armor but the gorget and helmets of the Errant armor also feature enhanced vox systems, providing officers more reliable and more powerful methods of communication for the co-ordination of those warriors under their command. Some chapters do not maintain a favorable view of the MKVIII armor however, treating the design with considerable skepticism or even viewing the development of new armor as heretical. Only the Deathwatch regularly deploy entire formations of warriors armed exclusively with MKVIII armor, the armories of the Ordo Xenos' militant arm far better stocked than those of most chapters.

Aegis Armor

Not an officially recognized mark of power armor the Aegis pattern is reserved exclusively for the use of the Grey Knights chapter, the militant arm of the Ordo Malleus of the Inquisition. Every single battle-brother within the Grey Knights chapter are psychically gifted individuals and their arms and armor have been specially designed to maximize the psychic capabilities of the wearer. In physical form the Aegis armor are masterpieces of construction featuring design elements reminiscent of both MKVI and MKVIII power armor. The Aegis armor features the single solid greaves of the MKVI as well as the raised gorget and fully armored abdominal plates of the MKVIII armor as well as uniquely designed helmets and integrated psychic hoods rising from the back plate of the armor. Yet the most important feature of the Aegis armor is the psychic aegis woven into its construction. Layers of hexagrammic wards and prayers of banishment are worked into the plates of the armor, creating a suit of armor that is both protection from material and aetheric danger. So powerful are the wards of Aegis armor that battle-brothers wearing it may even at times make use of personalized teleportation homers enabling power armored battle brothers to make short jumps through the warp during battle, a feat normally reserved exclusively for the considerable protection and powerful energy shielding of Terminator Armor. 

Primaris Space Marine Armor

The return of the Ultramarines Primarch Roboute Guilliman brought many changes to the Imperium, not least of which was the deployment of the secret Primaris Space Marine project. A hundred thousand Primaris Marines, a veritable legion, was unleashed by Bellisarius Cawl to fuel Guilliman's Indomitus Crusade. These warriors are larger, tougher and stronger than any Space Marines who came before, featuring several new implants developed by the Archmagos Dominus. To suit their enhanced frames Cawl developed the MKX of Power Armor, skipping past MKIX though perhaps a ninth mark did exist but was never deployed and replaced by the later development of MKX prior to the deployment of the Primaris Marines. MKX Armor features several recognizable design elements from earlier marks including the helmet of the MKIV and the gorget of the MKVIII yet also features many new and novel design elements as well. MKX armor is highly versatile and can be customized to a number of distinct patterns depending on the needs of the wearer and the battlefield. 

MKX Tacticus Power Armor

The most common is the MKX Tacticus worn by Intercessors and Hellblasters. The Tacticus Power Armor provides ample protection while still allowing the wearer considerable agility. Despite the size and bulk of Tacticus armor the Primaris Marines wearing it are still able to move far faster than most observers would believe possible.

MKX Gravis Armor

The MKX Gravis Armor worn by Aggressors and Inceptors is a cross between power armor and Terminator Armor and provides notably greater protection as well as the ability to mount considerable armament.

MKX Phobos Armor

The Lighter MKX Phobos armor worn by Primaris Vanguard marines is lighter and quieter than most standard power armor and is especially prized for operatives relying on stealth for infiltration, assassination, sabotage and reconnaissance operations. 

Non-Astartes Power Armor of the Imperium

Although the Space Marines are the foremost military force of the Imperium to deploy large numbers of power armored troops they are not the only agency within the Imperium to utilize power armor. Several other varieties are common within the Imperium and its military orders.

Adepta Sororitas Power Armor

The military arm of the Adeptus Ministorum or the Ecclesiarchy are the Adepta Sororitas. Originally the ministorum fielded a variety of military forces, however following the reign of the mad High Lord Goge Vandire the Ministorum was barred from fielding men-at-arms. Taking the restriction extremely literally the Imperial Cult chose to instead turn to the Daughters of the Emperor, a militant order exclusively composed of women to provide its soldiers. Since that time the Adepta Sororitas have split into a number of different Orders Militant, all of which equip their warriors with a form of light power armor and the holy trinity of firearms, the bolter, the flamer and the melta. This is only possible thanks to the vast wealth of the Adeptus Ministorum that enables the church to outfit its warriors with the very best armor and weapons money can buy in the Imperium. Sororitas power armor features many of the same design principles as Space Marine power armor, the suits are capable of being fully enclosed and environmentally sealed, they provide ample protection from most small-arms be they kinetic or energy weapons, possess fibre-bundle artificial muscles to enhance the wearer's strength and agility and auto-senses built into the Sabbat-pattern helmets of the armor that provide communication, auditory-pickup, night-vision and infra-red vision capabilities. However the armor of the Adepta Sororitas cannot be directly linked to the neural circuitry of the wearer in the same way that the Black Carapace implant of the Space Marines allows them to wear their armor like a second skin. As such the strength and agility enhancements of sororitas power armor pale in comparison to those of the Space Marines and it does not provide the same tactile feedback that Astartes power armor does. Nevertheless the armor of the sororitas is considerable and helps to make the Militant Orders one of the fiercest fighting forces in the Imperium. 

Ignatus Power Armor 

Master-crafted suits of hand-forged and individually customized power armor are often worn by members of the various orders of the Emperor's Inquisition. Often referred to as Ignatus pattern Power Armor the suits of the Inquisition are potent examples of their kind, offering their wearer considerable protection while being generally lighter and more compact than even the armor worn by the Adepta Sororitas. Most of the power armor worn by Inquisitors does not even rely on an external power plant and is often worn underneath cloaks and robes, molding tightly to the body of the wearer and adding relatively little to their height or bulk while still providing ample protection. Combined with personal power field generators, null rods or other forms of protection the armor of the Inquisition can make the operatives of the Inquisition into walking tanks able to repel most any attack and retaliate with lethal precision. Not all of the armor worn by Inquisitors is subtle however, some operatives of the Ordos, particularly those of the Ordo Malleus preferring to wear massive hulking suits that give them an air of undeniable menace and power, the largest and most powerful of these suits actually taking the form of downscaled Terminator Armor, not power armor.

Mechanicum Power Armor

Although the Tech-Priest Enginseers serving with the regiments of the Astra Militarum across the galaxy are rarely expected to fight from the front lines as their capabilities are generally best employed behind the lines tending to the weapons and warmachines of the regiments the Tech-Priest Enginseers of the Adeptus Mechanicus are well armed and armored should they find themselves face-to-face with the enemies of the Emperor. As members of the Adeptus Mechanicus each Enginseer bears a symbolic cog-toothed power axe and most will sport one or more servo-arms and mechadendrites to aide them in their repairs. Additionally nearly all Enginseers will be clad in customized suits of power armor, often featuring pneumatic pistons in the legs to aid the wearer in lifting heavy objects and maneuvering parts and armor plates into position. These suits provide similar protection and environmental protection to other examples of power armor fielded throughout the Imperium but are highly customizable depending on the needs and the physical form of the wearer. Interestingly most Tech-Priests of more senior rank who take to the battlefield possess protection rivalling that of Artificer-grade power armor or even Terminator Armor and often combine heavy armor plating with refractor field generators, however the armor of the Tech-Priest Dominus field-commanders of the Adeptus Mechanicus cannot reasonably be called Power Armor anymore as it more often than not is more a part of the body of the wearer than a separate suit of armor at that point.

Custodian Power Armor

The battle-plate worn by the Emperor's own praetorians, the Adeptus Custodes, is easily the greatest example of the armorers art to be found within the Imperium. Each suit is hand-crafted exclusively for the warrior intended to wear it, customized to the unique biometrics of that warrior and wearable by none other. The armor plates themselves are forged from the rare and priceless alloy known as Auramite, a substance that can never tarnish or rust and shines with the luster of gold. Precious few are the weapons capable of even scratching auramite, let alone breaching it and shrouded in suits clad with such an incredible material the warriors of the Adeptus Custodes are all but untouchable on the battlefield. Remarkably those Custodian chambers that wear different armor colors than gold, sucha s the Shadowkeepers and the Solar Watch do not paint their armor, instead their artisans change the color of the auramite itself at the molecular level. Yet the Auramite alone is not the only masterwork feature of the Custodian Armor. The power plants of each suit are far more compact and powerful than those of the Adeptus Astartes and are worked directly into the backplate of the armor. Every system of Custodian Armor far outstrips any other example of the technology for power and sophistication. The fibre-bundles and servo-motors of Custodian Armor grant enormous strength to the wearer while operating nearly silently, devoid of the constant hums, whirring and clanking of most examples of power armor. The auto-senses of Custodian Armor are also suitably enhanced, allowing the wearers unrivalled levels of communication with each other and wider tactical data-nets, Custodians can cut into the vox-nets of other Imperial military orders without difficulty and can pick up the thermal signatures of enemies even through hundreds of feet of rock and metal and easily pierce the deepest darkness. If all that were not enough each suit of Custodian Armor possesses a built in refractor field generator, powered by the internal power plant of the armor such a system can allow the wearer to withstand attacks that would melt through the armor of battle-tanks or flatten bunkers. Truly the armor of the Adeptus Custodes is the finest example of power armor to be found anywhere in the galaxy.