Space Marine painting vehicle crews

[Calgar33]

So I am painting an Ultramarine army taken mostly from the second company (standard gold trimming) my problem is that I'm not sure about the crew for my various Rhino crews. My thought would be the trim from a reserve company (the company would also be used if I added bike squads or land speeders) however I am not sure if this fits with the fluff, do the Rhino/Razorback/Landraider crews come from the company they are transporting or from a reserve company?

[Nabterayl]

They certainly can come from the same company, since all tactical marines know how to crew everything the chapter fields, but the preference seems to be that they come from the reserve companies. Sixth and Seventh Cos. specialize in providing vehicle crews, according to Imperial Armour 2. It makes sense to me that you would normally create a strike force with a squad or two of reserve tactical marines to drive your transports, crew your support vehicles, fly your Thunderhawks, and so forth. As far as I can tell, that's the whole point of the battle/reserve company distinction - the chapter has four companies who are supposed to be able to literally put 100 marines on the firing line, and that's the core of the chapter's fighting strength. The reserve companies exist to let them do that.

[Cap'nSmurfs]

I usually paint them as Techmarines, like the Stormtalon pilot. That might be wrong, but I also don't care.

[Nabterayl]

We had a discussion in the background forum about that very issue, Cap'n. The fact is that while the books seem to indicate that vehicle custodians usually come from the battle and line companies, GW frequently models them as if they were techmarines. This is probably just the writers not talking to the sculptors on this particular point, but you can rationalize it by saying that when a marine is given custody of a vehicle, he ritually modifies his power armor to honor the machine (sort of in the way that he would if he were seconded to the Deathwatch, say).

[Kirsten]

there must be dedicated vehicle crews, look at Sergeant Chronus. I could imagine there being dedicated transport drivers too.

[deinol]

I always figured that a company was 100 marines + command staff + vehicle crews.

Latest codex does put most of the vehicles under the mechanicum section, so the tanks and things are basically their own company. Although Rhinos, Razorbacks, and Dreadnoughts seem to be part of each company.

It also can vary from chapter to chapter.

[Cactus]

I've always thought that the vehicles are always part of the company. However, with the "forge a narrative" suggestions from GW, you can paint them however you like. Personally, I like it when my uniforms are uniform.

[Patrick Boyle]

I've always thought that the vehicles are always part of the company. However, with the "forge a narrative" suggestions from GW, you can paint them however you like. Personally, I like it when my uniforms are uniform.

The new Codex: Space Marines makes is pretty clear that outside of Rhinos/Razorback/Drop pods, and some Land Raiders in the 1st Company, the vehicles in a chapter are part of a motor pool that commanders of individual missions can requisition as needed. And yeah, they do tend to paint and model the crews of vehicles as techmarines, even the pintle mount gunners in things like the rhino kit have mechanicus shoulder pads and emblems, but that would imply that every company has 10-20 techmarine crew, before getting to all the techmarines operating the vehicles in the motor pool.

[Calgar33]

Thanks for the responses. I think I will be painting the trim purple (7th company) so they fit along with bikes and landspeeders.

[Pauly Addams]

Thanks for the responses. I think I will be painting the trim purple (7th company) so they fit along with bikes and landspeeders.

I like your thinking, sir. I think I'll give them red/crimson trim to 'hat tip' to the mechanicus and imply they are part of the Vehicle Armoury reserves.