How to start Building a Space Marine Armour?

Hi there,

I am currently trying to decide what to do in Uni. I want to bulid amour of sorts like the ones in Halo and Warhammer. What sort of skills do I need? Seriously.How to start Building a Space Marine Armour?
Ok, assuming you really want to do this you are going to need skills in:

Metalurgy

Electronics

Programming.

I would recommend you just accept the metal and ceramic technology that is on the market now, and forgoe doing the crushing amount of materials engineering yourself. Just take the metal or ceramic they give you for the armor.

Now your going to need a huge power source. You probibly would need to get your hands on the new nuclear batteries only the military has access to.

The next thing is servos and pressure sensors. When you press on the sensor the servo has to respond helping you out because you dont move a suit like that on your own. So now you need a program to keep track of every servo and sensor and correctly feed power to your devices. Any program language should be fine IE: C or C++ or whatever, but you are going to have an enormous program on your hands. For example if you lift your leg up to the side you have put a huge amount of pressure on the other leg. Your body compensates automatically but your suit won't, so you have to tell the other servos to lower the center of gravity and prepare for more weight. And thats just a leg, in one direction.



If you are serious about dedicating your life to this I would recommed you get a Masters in electronic engineering in digital control theory and a degree in programming.How to start Building a Space Marine Armour?
Space Marines (Warhammer 40,000)



The Space Marines are one of the major forces available in the table-top wargame Warhammer 40,000. They are also known as the Adeptus Astartes and by the sobriquet "Angels of Death". They are the supersoldiers of the Imperium of Man whose use is the scalpel, compared to the sledgehammer of the Imperial Guard.



They are elite soldiers, specially chosen for natural ability, and have their innate superiority enhanced further by a combination of extensive training, mental conditioning and genetic alteration. Their dedication and steadfastness is a product of this superiority and indoctrination. Their structure and cultures are monastic in nature.



As befits such an elite force they are given equipment to match their abilities. They wear power armour to give them all-over protection and the ability to survive in hostile environments, and are equipped with superior weaponry as well, in the form of Bolters.



The Space Marines are heavily inspired by earlier works of science fiction, including the Mobile Infantry from the novel Starship Troopers, the Sardaukar from the novel Dune and especially the Laserburn tabletop wargame setting.





Structure



The Adeptus Astartes is made up of approximately 1,000 Chapters each with a nominal fighting strength of 1,000 Space Marines. Individual Chapters have their own identity, heritage, fighting style and practice of beliefs. Most of the Chapters follow the tome known as the Codex Astartes, a treatise on the operations and procedures that should be followed by Space Marines, compiled prior, during and after the Second Founding by the Ultramarines Primarch, Roboute Guilliman.



A few of the Chapters have been described in detail especially those that differ significantly from the norm ("non-Codex"). The majority of the rest have been left undescribed and this allows a player to make up their own history and colour scheme for their army.



Each Chapter is made up of ten numbered Companies, each of the first nine containing one hundred Space Marines, led by a Captain. The First Company is made up of the most experienced Marines, with the second through ninth Companies being regular warriors. In a standard "Codex" Chapter, the 2nd to 5th Companies are called "Battle Companies", and comprise of a mixture of Tactical, Assault and Devestator squads. The 6th through 9th companies are "Reserve Companies", and consist solely of Tactical squads in the 6th and 7th Companies, Assault squads in the 8th and Devestator squads in the 9th. The Marines of the reserve companies are often used to crew vehicles attached to battle groups. The tenth company is usually comprised of Scouts, new recruits into the chapter who lack the experience of the rest of the Chapter and are yet to be fully inducted and the Company size is flexible. This is not always the case, as some Chapters have more than 1000 Marines because they do not directly adhere to the codex. The Black Templars, for example, have many crusades and are rumored to have 6000 Marines.



They are a unique section in the Imperium in that they are independent of Imperial law. Like the Adeptus Mechanicus, the Adeptus Astartes are an autonomous entity within the usually totalitarian regime of the Imperium. They have their own space transports (often referred to as "battle-barges") and each chapter occupies its own homeworld or star fortress (and other equivalents). By comparison the Imperial Guard has to rely upon the Navy for transport; a deliberate move to curtail their power. Even Inquisitors, whose power and authority is considered unlimited, use discretion when dealing with Space Marines and generally ask for assistance instead of demanding. Because of this they are viewed as dangerous, although valuable allies.





History



The Legions

The First Space Marines were produced using genetic material of the God-Emperor's twenty Primarchs. These were exceptional individuals, with great and varied powers. There were twenty Legions, each under the command of a Primarch. The Legions were incredible fighting forces, composed of Mankind's greatest warriors and armed with its most advanced weaponry and equipment. Each legion contained thousands of Marines, the only limit being the amount of Gene-seed the legion had for transforming humans.



During the Horus Heresy, in the 31st millennium, nine of the Legions were corrupted by the forces of Chaos, and rebelled against the Imperium. The traitors were eventually defeated but it was decided to divide the nine loyal Legions into smaller groups called Chapters, each consisting of approximately a thousand marines, to prevent any individual from ever again wielding enough power to pose a serious threat of rebellion. Each Chapter has some history back to one of the original loyal Legions.



Loyalists

During the Horus Heresy 9 Legions remained loyal to the Emperor. After the defeat of Horus they were divided into smaller Chapters with different names, although one chapter kept the name of the parent legion.



Progression of a Space Marine

A Space Marine is a vastly superior warrior when compared to a normal human. This is due to a series of human enhancements, psychological conditioning, and heavy training. The end result of creating a Space Marine produces a soldier with abilities that are so superior to those of an average human that they are best described as superhuman.



The procedure detailed below is that described in Codex: Astartes, which is followed to a greater or lesser extent by all Chapters. A notable exception to this are the Space Wolves, who employ a different system.





Recruitment



different Space Marine Chapters follow different recruiting processes. Most recruits are drawn from the Chapter's homeworld. These worlds are often at a primitive or feudal level of development, creating a hardy human population, which in turn ensures only the toughest of candidates are selected. Only a small percentage of candidates may be recruited, and not all recruits will survive the initial rigors of training and treatment one must undergo to become a full-fledged Space Marine.



The selection of recruits must abide by certain criteria. First and foremost, a potential candidate must be male, as the gene-seed and zygote are synchronized to work with male hormones. They must be of adolescent age (preferably between ten and sixteen), as the implants are designed to coordinate with and increase the effectiveness of natural growth hormones and processes such as bone formation etc. They will thus fail or have no effect on adults - this became a major problem during the early history of some of the founding chapters as a number of veteran warriors under the service of the Primarchs could not join the ranks of the Space Marines because of it. There must be a level of compatibility between the recruit and the gene-seed, otherwise the implanted organs will fail. The implants are generally done in an extremely hostile environment, showing that if the recruit survives he is strong enough and worthy to be Space Marine. Also, the mental state of a potential Marine must also be susceptible to the various training and psycho-conditioning regimes of the Chapter, and cannot be tainted by Chaos (though corruption is still possible and a number of Marines still fall).



These criteria bar all but a minuscule percentage of people within the Imperium from becoming Space Marines. If all tests prove successful, the recruit is accepted into the Chapter. At this stage, implantation, psycho-conditioning, and physical training begin. Each step in this stage has its own dangers, ensuring that only the truly worthy become Space Marines.





Gene-seed



Gene-seed is the foreign genetic material introduced into a human during his transformation into a Space Marine. The genetic material is used to form nineteen implants, which are responsible for the physical transformation and abilities attributed to the Space Marines. These implants are surgically installed into a recruit over a period of years. One of the implants creates copies of the various implants during the maturation of the Space Marine, which are removed shortly before or after death, for future use.



The genetic modification is responsible for his physical changes. Gene-seed is a rare and precious resource for the Space Marines. Since the First Founding, the Space Marines have lost the ability to make new implants and some no longer have all 19 implants within their Chapter's genetic repositories. The "purest" chapters in this respect are the Ultramarines, who still have all 19 implants and no significant mutations or defects in the geneseed, this being the reason that the Ultramarine geneseed is the one most often selected to create new Chapters.



All Space Marine chapters still have a fully functioning "Black Carapace" implant, which is vital as it forms the interface with their Power Armour, and "Progenoid Gland" implant, which copies the genetic information of the other various implants for future use. Should either implants become lost, the entire chapter will die out shortly after (as there will be no other way to produce more implants without the Progenoid Gland and the Marines cannot interface with their Power Armour if they do not have the Black Carapace).





Neophyte



The Neophytes gain experience in the ways of warfare by serving the Black Templars as scouts. One of their roles is providing reconnaissance for the Black Templars, while also being capable of acting as an infiltration or commando force. They can be equipped with a variety of equipment and weaponry, and on certain occasions have access to the Chapter's combat motorcycles. It is a dangerous baptism of fire, but provides valuable experience and hands-on training in the art of battle. Neophytes do not wear power armour, but instead wear a lighter suit of non-powered segmented armour plates called Carapace Armour. This is both because their Black Carapace is not yet fully developed, but also because they must earn the privilege of wearing the Power Armour by proving themselves as Neophytes first. Also because of their training regime Black Templars have no standing scout force, the Neophytes serve in the Black Templar Crusader Squads. A Neophyte is mentored by a Space Marine that has chosen to mentor him.





Scouts



Once the recruit passes the battery of tests and challenges set by the Chapter, and the initial geneseed implants have taken hold on his body, he is accepted into the Chapter as a Neophyte. These Neophytes will be trained in the history of the Chapter and the edicts of the Codex Astartes, while the remaining implants and modifications are made to his body.



Once a Scout begins his training and genetic modification, he is no longer permitted contact with his home or family, sworn to serve the Emperor and the Chapter until his death. The creation of a Space Marine is a dangerous process, and it is accepted that many will die during their indoctrination.



Certain Chapters take different approaches to the training of Scouts. Most will be inducted into the Tenth Company where they are trained and educated by veteran Marines, serving the Chapter as a light reconnaissance force. Some Chapters, most notably the Black Templars, apprentice their Scouts to a more experienced Space Marine, the Scout acting as a servant, and learning by example as they observe their mentor both in battle and in his daily life.





Initiates/Battle-Brothers



Once the Neophyte's/Scouts' period of training is complete, and all nineteen gene-seed organs have been implanted and verified, the Neophyte will often be sent on a final challenge to prove his worth. Upon the completion of this challenge, the Neophyte will become a full member of the Chapter, and will be assigned to one of the eight Battle or Reserve Companies.



The new battle-brother is presented with a boltgun and a set of power armour, the maintenance of which is his responsibility. Depending on the talents an Initiate demonstrated during his training, he will be assigned to one of three different squad types.





Tactical squad



The main fighting force of a Chapter, the tactical squads are versatile, able to adapt their equipment and tactics to suit almost any situation. Tactical squads make up the bulk of each Company, and specialists within each squad are trained to utilise various heavy and support weapons. A Tactical squad typically has one assault weapon and one heavy support weapon, such as a flamer and a missile launcher.



Assault squad



Assault Squads are specialist hand-to-hand fighters, trained for rapid movement and vicious attacks on enemy positions. Assault Marines are equipped with close combat weapons and do not carry heavy support weapons. They are often equipped with jump packs which allow them to get close to the enemy as quickly as possible. The jump pack also allows them to reach normally inaccessible positions.



Devastator squad



Devastator Squads are specially trained to provide fire support. The squad is typically equipped with a larger number of heavy weapons (such as heavy bolters or missile launchers) than a tactical squad and fulfill a support role, using their heavy weaponry to eliminate enemy vehicles and/or infantry.



Veterans



Exceptional and experienced members of the Space Marine Chapter are promoted to Veteran status, and are provided access to various pieces of specialist equipment. Veterans usually remain with their Company, leading squads of their fellow Initiates into battle, but the Marines that have most proven their worth to the Chapter are inducted into the elite First Company. On occasion, a less experienced Initiate will be honoured with a position in the First Company, in response for an act of exceptional courage or tactical intelligence.



Veteran Squads

Veterans of the First Company frequently take to the field as Tactical Squads acting in support of other companies of the Chapter. Normally only one squad is present in any force. In some chapters Veterans fight in other configurations, for example Dark Angel veterans only fight as terminators (The Deathwing) while Blood Angel veterans fight as assault squads.



Terminator Squads

Main article: Terminators

Veteran Squads may take to the battlefield wearing the rare suits of Tactical Dreadnought Armour. The heavily armored and well equipped (typically storm bolter and powerfist) suits make the Terminator squads a powerful spearhead for Space Marine attacks.





[edit] Specialists

At any point during their long careers, a Space Marine may be called upon to train in a specialist field, to better support the Chapter in both combat and non-combat roles. Techmarines, Apothecaries, and Librarians begin their training during the neophyte stage of their indoctrination for showing technical, medical or psychic skills, respectively. Certain members are also inducted into the Deathwatch Chapter, the military arm of the Ordo Xenos, should they possess a certain skill useful against the vile xenos. The most famous of these alien hunting marines are the Tyranid Hunters of the Ultramarines. Each chapter will have it's own style of fighting and so keep veterans that excel in that field, such as the Ravenwing of the Dark Angels or the Phalanx Terminators of the Imperial Fists. These organisations often provide honour guard status for high-ranking officials within the chapter.





Apothecaries



The purity of a Chapter's gene-seed is one of the greatest concerns displayed by the Imperium, for if corruption is able to root itself within a Space Marine Chapter, it may well fall to Chaos. The Apothecaries are charged with maintaining the health and genetic purity of the Space Marines. Their skills and equipment, when combined with the added organs and resilience of a Space Marine, allow an Apothecary to perform battle surgery with a good chance of success.



However, sometimes even the skills of an Apothecary are not enough to save a Marine. In this case, it is the Apothecary's responsibility to commit euthanasia, known as the Emperor's Peace, and harvest the two Progenoid Glands implanted in the unfortunate Marine's body, allowing for the gene-seed material to be cultivated and re-implanted in another Neophyte.



Though Apothecaries at first appear as the saviours of the Marines, some are more than meets the eye. Apothecaries are not always charged with only administering combat surgery and harvesting gene-seed. Some Chapters order their apothecaries to conceal certain mutations seen as beneficial to the Chapter. Apothecaries also carry out various unspeakable surgeries to augment the Chapter, often causing Inquisitorial scrutiny.





Chaplains



The Chaplains are the spiritual leaders of a Chapter, warrior-priests that minister to the spiritual well-being of the Space Marines, instilling in them the values and beliefs of the Chapter along with promoting the worship of the Emperor. In battle, the Chaplains will be at the forefront of the Chapter, rousing their fellow Marines through their words and actions. Their power armour is black and often incorporates skull imagery, most commonly on the helmet. Most Chaplains wield a power mace called the "Crozius Arcanum." They are also equipped with a "Rosarius", given to the Chapter by the Adeptus Ministorium as a sign of the (sometime tenuous) link between their two faiths. Individual Chaplains are assigned to each Company within a Chapter. Others, including the Master of Sanctity (Chief Chaplain), operate within the Chapter's command structure independent any specific Company.



Chaplains of certain chapters have unique duties in addition to those laid out in the Codex Astares. These are related to the chapter's background and traditions. In the Blood Angels, Chaplains are tasked with seeking out signs of the Black Rage and leading the Death Companies into combat. Chaplains of the Dark Angels are tasked with interrogating captured 'Fallen' and forcing them to repent before killing them. The Iron Hands have the "Iron Fathers", a role that combines the duties of chaplain and tech marine. The chaplains of the Space Wolves are known as "Wolf Priests", and perform a role that appears analogous to that of both chaplain and apothecal



Librarians



The Chapter is continually vigilant to ensure that recruits will not taint the geneseed of the Chapter through mutation. However, the psyker mutation is often encouraged, and these Marines are inducted into the corps of Librarians. These psychically-charged warriors are trained to use their abilities in the field of battle, as both weapons and tools of precognition. Off the field of battle, the Librarians are responsible for maintaining and adding to the records of the Chapter, attending to the Chapter's annals and the collective knowledge built up over millennia of service. The Librarians use a psychic hood to suppress their enemies' use of psychic powers; the hood's wires tap into the brain and act as an extension of the wearer's consciousness and allow him to tell when a being taps into the warp. It detects the manipulation of the warp and focuses the Librarian's will to disrupt it through a series of augmentic crystals. A Librarian's power armour is blue with the chapter icon on the left shoulder pad and a horned skull (the symbol of the Librarium) on the right. Librarians do not progress through ranks like the rest of the chapter. Instead they rise from Lexicanium, through Codiciers, finally Epistolaries.



The path to becoming a Librarian is a difficult one, as they must not only be strong enough to survive their training, but possess enough mental discipline to fend off the daemons and entities of the Warp, as these creatures see the enhanced form and mind of a Librarian as a strong prize. Also, the Librarians are often isolated from the rest of the Chapter, as they carry with them the abilities the Space Marines are expected to abhor and purge in all other beings. In fact, because of this some Chapters do not have Librarians at all.