Why no camouflage?

[Blackcloud6]

I have a Blog on Consimworld and post pictures of WH40K games that I play. Since CSW id a site for board wargamers many folks who read my blog don't understand the 40K universe. Yesterday someone asked why the models are not done in camouflage and why many are done in bright spectacular colors. I surmised that sighting and fire control is so good in the 41st century, camo is need needed.

What is the fluff reason behind the bright and spectacular 40K combat uniforms?

[Tyrendian]

pride, mostly... try looking up "Reasonable Marines" to see what comes out when Astartes start using camouflage
Guard have widely varying uniforms - Cadians or Catachans use at least some amount of camo, while Mordians are too stubborn/stupid for it...
Nids evolve any way they like, and hardly care about casualties...
Eldar are again a matter of pride, and Dark Eldar hardly believe anyone can hurt them anyways...
Necrons are waaaay beyond caring...
Daemons are... well... Daemons...
and Tau have their Stealth Suits and otherwise put lots of trust into their technology, misplaced or not...

[Capn Stoogey]

Space Marines, for example, are meant to be the ultimate shock troops, the sheer sight of them is often enough to make rebellious humans throw down their weapons and run. They have bright colours and heraldry, like medieval knights, so the enemy knows exactly who has come to destroy them! It is mainly for the psychological impact it has on the enemy, as well as the pride in the chapter as Tyrendian has said.

[Badtucker]

Camouflage is the colour of cowards. Thats why

[Wolfshade]

Maybe they do, maybe our representations of them don't

Interestingly, there is a (very) old WD with a beaky in desert camo who is a Blood Angel, so it is not unprecedented.

When it comes to marines though one has to consider the effects on the normal troops seeing the astartes in action, shock and awesome and also the negative moral on the opponent.

[Psychosplodge]

I think there's a full BA army in desert camo in one of them.
But it's more a case of they don't fight that kind of action. Consider a drop pod assault. Do you really need camo for that?

[Wolfshade]

Couldn't find what I wanted but these:



I also think in some of the new IA books they have reference to some camo patterns,

[Magpie]

What camo would you use tho' ?
The fight across 1000 different worlds.
If they tried to camo then they'd be constantly repainting themselves and the machine spirit would be beside itself !

[Nabterayl]

I think there's a full BA army in desert camo in one of them.
But it's more a case of they don't fight that kind of action. Consider a drop pod assault. Do you really need camo for that?

The real answer, of course, is just that it's part of the stylization of the universe, but if you want an in-universe answer, I think this is it. There are only three armies in the entire game that field infantry: the Imperial Guard, necrons, and the Tau. Orks are capable of it but generally can't be arsed. Three of those four utilize camouflage; the Guard and the Empire use it on a regular basis.

Everybody else in the game is either militia, a tactically unsophisticated commando, or a bug. And the biggest offenders in the "why in the world are you wearing that?" department are space marines and eldar aspect warriors, both of which fall into the tactically unsophisticated commando classification. Space marines and aspect warriors both fly to the X, go loud, and then go home. They can afford to eschew camouflage in favor of ritual colors for the same reason they can afford to use such unsophisticated tactics: the utter superiority of their mobility and insertion technology compared to their targets, and the fact that they're all hairy-arsed badasses in personal combat.

[DarkLink]

What camo would you use tho' ?

The Army's ACU patter, naturally. It's equally terrible everywhere.