[Angelus Censura]

Any ideas as to why the Angels Sanguine don't remove their masks?

This has probably been brought up numerous times on here, so I apologize, but it has been bugging me lately as I have recently finished an Angels Sanguine army and have been reading a lot into the fluff.

My guess is the whole "vampire blood drinker" rumours and background has something to do with it, or they were disfigured by the warp. Any other ideas, mine are kind of goofy

 

[jasonbob]

Maybe the planet they get all of their aspirants from has a population of really ugly people

 

[normtheunsavoury]

I think there's a chance of cloning going on, they won't remove their helmets because they all look exactly the same underneath.

 

[Captain Stillios]

Most Space Marines (Mainly Blood angels descendants) look similar anyway.

But anyway I believe it is that their fangs have grown so large that they are largely disfigured.

That or its some sort of honour thing.

 

[gally912]

Some kind of Nosferatu thing going on, perhaps.

 

[Medic Marine]

I think there's a chance of cloning going on, they won't remove their helmets because they all look exactly the same underneath.

Wouldn't that have solved the BA recruiting issue in the third book?

I figured they had big teeth, weird eyes or look like bats...

 

[normtheunsavoury]

Good point, hadn't considered that!

 

[Medic Marine]

Good point, hadn't considered that!

turn that frown upside down mister! Maybe they shun the company of others so much that they refuse to give the plans to the BA fearing what fabious bile did... the blood fiends and all... is just a thought... its all fluff so no right or wrong.

 

[normtheunsavoury]

It's cool, i was thumbing through the Codex just today when the thought occurred to me about them being clones. Didn't think of the books though, so back to the drawing board.
If Bile can't get the cloning process right what hope have they got?
And, would they even consider the idea after what happened to the Raven Guard?

 

[cragnes417]

I thought they dont remove there mask since they maybe cyborg dude's like the iron hands since if you look at lexicanium they say "It is said that beneath the gleaming masks of the Angels Sanguine is a will of iron; but the truth is somewhat darker"

 

[Angelus Censura]

It would be awesome if they were cyborg, but cloning sounds more likely simply because when you buy a BA box of Death Co or Sanguinary Guard, all the bare heads look exactly the same, which was somewhat annoying from a modeling perspective

 

[ckcrawford]

in some ways the mask i find gives the warrior a more unhuman chill about them.

 

[Angelus Censura]

Yeah I would definitely agree with you there, especially since they are made to look like human faces, but show no emotion whatsoever. Kind of like a Black Library book I read that involved Necrons, the IG that came across them expressed how chilling it was to see the blank faces and cold, glowing eyes.

 

[Mathai]

I like to put helmets on as many of my units as possible for that very reason. I like having them look uniform like that I guess, and one without a helmet and another with his own hairdo just looks funny to me.

 

[Angelus Censura]

Not to mention painting skin can be a bitch at times

 

[Giant Fossil Penguin]

The problem with the Raven Guard cloning process (or even just the geneseed implantation process) is that it was hyper-accelerated. This trying to make Marines too quickly is what caused the rampant mutation and psychosis of the Raven Guard troops seen in the Heresy after Isstvaan V. If the Angels of Absolution are using any sort of cloning technique then they wouldn't be under such pressure to build their numbers so quickly, would they? Even if they are cloning quickly, then all they need is a Chapter-sized number, not a Legion-sized number.
Besides, why would a Chapter resort to cloning? Is there a problem with the populations that they recruit from? Then surely they could find/be given another, depending on whether the Chapter wants to publicise what the problems are. It seems to my mind (bearing in mind I haven't read the BA books) that the cyborg/overt machine augmentation is the more likely reason. It might even be that they aren't actually organic-minded anymore, rather they are some sort of AI; maybe the Mechanicus is involved some way, or maybe the Chapter trapped itself on a dark road it can't get off in trying to rid itself of the BA's curse.

GFP

 

[Tossidin]

For some reason I have always thought they were disfigured by the gene curse, turning more vampiric in looks, as is kind of a "theme" with the blood angels and thei succesors.
Also, I am not thinking that they are cyborg, as in the BA book "Red fury", we see Sentikan (the chaper master) in a hood, speaking with a normal voice. Of course this doesn't prove anything, but I had thought that if they were cyborg / machine / AI etc., we would have gotten a hint about it.
It must be something serious though, as Sentikan threatens Corbulo with killing him where he stands if he removes the mask of a dead brother.
Rafen saying, in the second book, that no blood angel would ever even utter the word "vampire" makes me think it could be the serious reason.

Not that there are any good connections, but these are my thoughts, hopefuly some food for thought at the least

 

[Giant Fossil Penguin]

It could be that to try and keep the AI-Marines in check, all of the Chapter's high offices are taken by fully organic Astartes; at least those whose only aumentations have been physical, rather than mental/neurological (at least neurological as it pertains to actually having the brain/personality replaced or significantly enhanced by machine). So, the 'face' of the Chapter can walk around without a helmet and interact fully with anyone but has as one of their main duties stopping others from stumbling on the secret. It very well may be that the Astartes of the Angels of Absolution have become grotesque vampire-a-likes, but wouldn't that extend to the Chapter Master? It does raise the issue that, rather than the CM being elevated due to his prowess and knowledge, it is the fact that he is less mutated than his Battle Brothers that gives him the leadership. It might instead be that the CM is only represented by a less mutated Marine, with the actual CM leading from the shadows, using the non-mutant as a 'mouthpiece' of sorts.
I really like the 'overrun by AI' idea myself. It gives an added wrinkle to a Chapter who everyone might assume is falling to the BA's curse. It's not, 'Aaargh, Vampires!'- instead it's, 'Aaaargh, Vampires!' BAM, they're robots instead!

GFP

 

[Angelus Censura]

Now if they cannot remove their helmets, is it ONLY the Angels Sanguine, or the entire chapter? When it comes to miniatures, it would seem that it would only be successor chapters affected, as there are bare heads on the BA sprues which look completely normal - more so than most of bare head bits. They also all look exactly the same, which could go back to what was mentioned earlier about Space Marines all looking similiar anyways because they follow the looks of their Primarch. However, why would only a select group be affected while others are fine? This would be translated over to the AI theory as well, the head bits do not seem heavily augmented at all, but if it were neurological, then it may not be visible to the naked eye. But then if it weren't visible, then why not remove masks? GW seems to be mind fucking us. The bits may just be something they threw in there for the hell of it, but the miniatures/special characters are not all wearing helmets, so it doesn't add up.

 

[Tossidin]

It could be that to try and keep the AI-Marines in check, all of the Chapter's high offices are taken by fully organic Astartes; at least those whose only aumentations have been physical, rather than mental/neurological (at least neurological as it pertains to actually having the brain/personality replaced or significantly enhanced by machine). So, the 'face' of the Chapter can walk around without a helmet and interact fully with anyone but has as one of their main duties stopping others from stumbling on the secret. It very well may be that the Astartes of the Angels of Absolution (Sanguine?) have become grotesque vampire-a-likes, but wouldn't that extend to the Chapter Master?

In Red fury, as I mentioned, Sentikan (the CM), wears a hood that (which I should have mentioned) hides all his features and face. He is hidden like everyone else in the chapter, so I don't really think your theory, though interesting, fits.

@ Angelus Censura

The Angel sanguine are the only BA succesor chapter known to never remove their helmet (or at least hide their face), and Red Fury makes it seem like they are the only ones. (Main character wondering why, Flesh tearers mocking them about removing the helmets)

"However, why would only a select group be affected while others are fine?"
Actually I would think that only a chapter(s) would be affected, as they may have done something / played with / treated the blood or gene transfer differently. Or something completely different? I am not led to believe this would be translated easily to your AI theory.