Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is certainly doing justice to the Imperium of Man’s Angels of Death. Although the campaign follows a trio of Ultramarines, which are the mascots for both the Space Marines and the Warhammer 40,000 universe as a whole, players have the opportunity to customize their Space Marines. These customizable Angels of Death can be used in the online PvE missions and the PvP modes, featuring numerous classes and play styles, but for the campaign, players must stick with the Ultramarine squadron of Lieutenant Titus, Chairon, and Gadriel.
The Imperium of Man’s Space Marines aren’t the only ones that can be customized either, since the PvP mode makes one team play Chaos Space Marines, while the other fights for the Emperor and against heresy. This makes PvP lore friendly, as with every other aspect of the game, and it is clear that the developer cares a great deal about making Space Marine 2 an accurate representation of the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Still, there is a skin that would be relatable to all miniature painters that would have to break the lore-friendly nature of the game.
Miniature Gray Would Be A Perfect Skin For Space Marine 2 That Would Break Canon
All Miniature Painters Can Relate To It
As it currently stands, all the skins adhere quite strictly to the pre-established lore of the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Players can customize the meshes of their helmets, different pieces of armor, and then choose whatever weapons they want for their loadout, depending on their class choice, of course. Once these are chosen, players can then choose a color scheme for their Space Marine, and these color schemes are based on the many Space Marine Chapters, such as the Ultramarines, Space Wolves, and The Deathwatch.
These Space Marine Chapters have different values and roles in the Imperium of Man, usually being headed by one of the Primarchs, and these color schemes are important to tell them apart, yet they all share one thing in common. When the figures for these Space Marines are bought for the tabletop game, they all come in gray. Gray is the default color of Warhammer‘s miniatures, and adding it to Space Marine 2 could be a nifty homage to the many figures around the world that still remain unpainted.
Although they look like Space Marines,
40K
‘s Adeptus Custodes
are a greater force that protects the body of the Emperor.
The miniature painting community of the wider Warhammer 40,000 fan base has almost become its own thing entirely, and there are many who have spent years painting figures without actually playing the tabletop game much. Plenty of Warhammer 40,000 fans would know what a skin based on the unpainted miniatures would be in reference to, and a painter having a horde of unpainted minis is a common joke in the community. Still, there would be the issue of the skin breaking the lore set by Space Marine 2.
An Unpainted Miniature Skin Would Be The Perfect Joke For Space Marine 2
But It Depends On Whether The Developer Wants To Tell Jokes
The Warhammer 40,000 universe has some strange and wacky bits of lore, such as Orks being able to make anything they believe a reality. They have roll-down windows in their spaceships and haven’t yet realized that they shouldn’t be able to breathe in space, but because they believe they can, they do, thanks to their reality warping powers. Despite all the strangeness of the universe, Space Marine 2 takes the lore very seriously, and the players have followed suit, often calling each other “Brother” in online chats as the Angels of Death would.
Other than being called
”
Brother
,”
Space Marines are also often referred to as lords by the Astra Militarum (the main military force of the Imperium of Man).
Because it takes itself and the lore so seriously, future skins may stick strictly to the many Space Marine Chapters. This might mean that a gray, unpainted mini skin may not be on the cards if the developer isn’t in favor of playing any jokes. Still, this would be a joke in keeping with the Warhammer 40,000 fandom, rather than a random reference for a cheap laugh. It would be something that fans in the know would appreciate, and would be a worthy homage to the model painting part of the community who have been so loyal to the IP.
More work would have to be done to make the skin work than just making it gray. Of course, the right shade of gray would need to be used, but the texture would also need to be quite dull to imitate the plastic used in miniatures, rather than the shiny, metallic look used for the lore-accurate Space Marines. These textures could even add seam lines to give the skin an extra sense of realism, and could be a good way to haunt painters into finally finishing that model that they bought months ago. This could also be done with the weapons in Space Marine 2 too.
Will Skins Be Added to Space Marine 2’s Future?
The Current Model For Space Marine Skins Is Quite Generous
Although there is a season pass and paid-for cosmetics, a lot of Space Marine 2 armor can be unlocked by playing through the game or through certain modes. This also extends to the skins and color schemes of the many Astartes Chapters, and the level of customization for those without the season pass is quite generous by modern standards. Still, some are locked behind pay walls, and more are scheduled to be added due to the existence of the season pass.
This means that something like an unpainted, gray skin could be on the cards, but the strictness with which the developer adheres to the lore, as well as the color schemes being under a tab named Chapters, make it unlikely. If it was to be added, Space Marine 2 would have to give it a Chapter name, like The Unpainted or The Forgotten, but this would break lore. There isn’t a Chapter of plastic, gray Space Marines, after all, so it ultimately depends on how far the developer would want to go with a joke.
All in all, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 has launched as the game that almost all Warhammer fans wanted it to be. It presents the grim-dark universe in all its glory, with cathedral-like ships in space manned by zealous super-soldiers in giant exo-suits, while ensuring that it keeps to lore to the best of its ability. Should the game end up breaking the universe’s lore a little for some levity, then an unpainted skin for the Space Marines would be the perfect place to start.
