The new force commander [service studs]

[M1rko]

Hello, I have a question regarding the new force commander. I noticed that all space marines have two circles of metal in their heads which I assume must be implants that all space marines have. The old force commander has them, scouts have them, sergeants have them, librarians have them and the sergeant on the original intro movie has them. How come the new Force Commander doesn't have them?

This question is to all you guys who know about Space Marine fluff. Are they all supposed to have these metal implants on their head and is this an oversight or is it actually ok?

Sorry that this is such a minor question, but it's just bugging me.

Thanks

[Colonel Haven]

The metal studs are supposed to represent how many years of active service the Marine has served I think each stud means a 100 or 50 years im not to sure.

[M1rko]

Well if that's the case then in DOW a scout has more active service than the new force commander. It just seems strange.

In the table top game, do the minatures have metal studs on their faces?

[drunkenwilly]

Each stub represents 50 years.

[Hello_Moto]

I dont recall the scout models nor the librarian having service studs on them. Service studs are usually only reserved for fully-fledged Space marines so the scouts are out and librarians (in DOW) only have implants in the back of their head where their psychic hood connect to.

In short, I only recall the FC in DOW having service studs. Sarges, scouts and librarians do not have service studs in DOW. The only exception being the Sarge in the DOW intro.

[Tru_Reaper2.0]

well, my sergent miniature, has one on the right of his head, that may be part of a headset, cant really see, but some torso's have studs on em, that in anyway related? (the question to fluffers btw)

[M1rko]

[Unforsaken]

WHOA!!! :jaw:

They older than my NES!! :joy:

[Deathwatch]

Oh RLY? Last I read a Service Stud represents 100 years of service. That's why not many IG would have them.

It's possible that Relic just gave Scouts the studs without really checking what they were for.
Can anybody remember how many Gabriel had? Was it 2 or 3?

Some miniatures have studs. Mainly characters and, in the case of SM, sergeants.

[Silent Bob]

A hundred years? I'm suprised that something can live that long in that kind of universe

[Deathwatch]

That's hella true but these are Marines.

Then again, looking at the DC intro, I can see why it's hard to believe.

[devmapillbomb]

I tough those studs are one of the implants marines recive before they bocome a scout. Or maybe it's part of the black carapace?

[SoylentNinja]

I recommend that you fellas check out the Ultramarines omnimbus. It follows the story of a captain and a srgt . I think it kinda portrays what a space marine is all about. Go to the Black Library website to find it

[MagosMechanicus]

None of the standard Space Marine implants are metallic. The Black Carapace grows some specially designed interface areas for the Power Armour, that's as far as it goes. Those circles don't look like service studs. Might be bionics of some sort, but if they are, they're not something every Marine has.

[M1rko]

I had always assumed they were implants too.

[klingbeil]

well... everyone is right and everyone is wrong. the meaning of the service stud has changed over the years. originally (rogue trader days) they received a stud for every decade of service, but then they were also retired at 80 if they lived that long.

around 2nd edition the marines started to live to be about 400 years at best so they came up with bronze/silver/gold studs which represent 10/50/100 years. i'm not sure if the Insignium Astartes book is the final word on everything, but it says that the service studs vary from each chapter and some represent awards for battles and some represent valor. so, in essence you can make them up to be whatever you want.

[Deathwatch]

I thought this might turn into a fluff-fest...but it's hard to resist.

Read the Ultramrines omnibus. For better novel insight to Marine initiation the Space Wolf series is better.

The black carapace allows a Marine to interface with his Power Armour and covers most of the body. Bionics are not standard for Marines unless you're on about the Iron Hands Chapter.

As for the new FC missing the studs...Oops? Just forgot to throw them on when they were busy with designing the armour upgrades etc I guess.

I wouldn't pay too much attention to it. Scouts have bionic eyes...but none of the older marines do.

[DoomKnights]

A scout could have studs if it is the scout sergeant. Those are normaly Veterans who didn't cut it for First Company.

[Ifitmovesnukeit]

Huh. I consider myself to know mucho fluff but I never knew about the "studs as a track record of service years" thing.

I kinda assumed that these metallic parts were part of a bionic implant, marines tend to get them so that even crippling injuries won't necessarily prevent them from returning to service... fluff wise, I can see a marine having a sizeable chunk blown away from his head or face and still live to have some reconstructin' done.

[klingbeil]

I thought this might turn into a fluff-fest...but it's hard to resist.

i love fluff ^_^ it's what drew me into the whole WH40k world some 20+ years ago.

[Hesselager]

as far as i know the studs are called "Honour studs" picked up that name somewhere in the 3.rd ed. BBB and there were supposed to refer to some heroic deed performed by the marine with a symbolic image on the stud representing the deed. Whatever the reason for the studs, I share the opinion that it is strange that the scouts have studs and the commander has not.

[Oddjob]

According to the Ultramarines Omnibus, a single gold stud indicates a half-century of service (50 years).

Silver ones likely mean 25 years then, and bronze 10. That's just speculation on my part, but if it's correct, that means that Gabriel Angelos had 50 years of service under his belt, as he is depicted with two silver studs.

Why wouldn't they just remove the two studs and replace them with a single gold one, I wonder?

[drunkenwilly]

My information was coming from the Ultramarines Omnibus (Currently reading). I am new to Warhammer 40k books.

[Zeeky_Bomb]

I also thought they were implants. Some kind of mental thing or something that allows them to think more clearly or something. Guess I was wrong :P

[Rhedd]

Personally, I don't think the "stud" on the scout is a service stud. I think it's a bolt that's part of his bionic eye.

Sergeants have two studs, as did Gabriel.

It really bugged me that the new guy was SUCH a noob that he had no studs. That's why I added them back in when I reskinned him.

And klingbeil is right. The number of years that a single stud stands for is constantly changing and being contradicted. Let's just call it "a damn long time". ^_^

[hylander25k]

there are 19 gene seed implants. All of which appear to be mostly underneath the skin. They might be servos for the helment to attatch to, to feed comms and battle data from the head to the helmet. I'd assume that. But then, if scouts have it it makes no sense. If I am correct, a scout SM hasnt received his black carapace implant yet.

[Rhedd]

Why is this still being pondered? Especially by people that know enough fluff to know about geneseed implants?

They're service studs (on the sergeant and old commander, at least). What measure of service they stand for is arguable, but the fact that they're service studs isn't.

Why doesn't the new commander have them? Lack of attention to detail.

Now, what else is there to discuss?

[Jobhug]

Maybe they're optional and Davion didn't want to mess with his looks?

[Vakarian]

@jobhug: lol yeah i can see that

10/50/100 years of service but he is a young FC so maybe he has'nt earned it yet (although if you have become FC you must have lived and survived for decades)

[Destraex]

i like the old commander anyway. much better voiceovers. THe new one sounds like mickey mouse

[Grabnutz]

Moving to the fluff fest forum.

[M1rko]

I have to admit. The old commander is way better. It's just little touches like this and the better voice acting of Gabriel that make the new FC seem rather inferior.

[Andkat]

Service Studs are not a universal constant in either representation or even presence in every Chapters and rank of Space Marine within the Imperium. From Chapter-to-Chapter, the quantity of time a service stud represents may vary extensively, with a single stud representing 20 years in X whilst in Y it represents 200.

In addition, there have been instances wherein differing variants of service stud represented different denominations of rank or veterancy. So, for instance, a bronze stud is 25 years, a silver stud 50, a golden stud 100, etc.

Finally, not all Chapters utilize studs extensively, and indeed many novel Chapters or generations of Marine eschew them entirely in favour of either alternative indicators or none whatsoever. However, most of the First Founding or ancestrally bonded Chapters appear to retain their use, or at minimum their more senior members do.

[Donut]

If it were true that all chapters used them then dante would have ten on his face....

[Andkat]

Actually, I do believe that the Blood Angels make extensive use of service studs, as per their traditions and elder status.

It could explain the mask...

[Random Person]

Or maybe they all got replaced with a Dimond stud for 1,000.

[Evistro]

I love the old force commader cause he realy portrayed what a space marine is. But the new one is cool too, the voice is fine cause it fits the young, eager and over zealous captain that is the character.