The pauldron's are auto-reactive defensive plates, and also used to display the iconography of the marine in question. To strap ammo in them or have "compartments" built in would not just be seen as heresy and massive disrespect to both the Deathwatch and your parent chapter, but also weaken their very purpose, aka being giant shields for the marine.

As for the resolutive solution: Perhaps come up with an "inventory" system of sorts. Going back to Captain Artemis , it seems that grenades and other consumables can be attached to the belt-section, either magnetically or via pouches such as in the DW mini posted by HMBC. As such, how's this?

Inventory Slots

• Belt: 6 slots
• Upper leg: 2 slots
• Lower leg: 2 slots
• Optional vest: adds 4 slots to chest area

Not bad, but vest is too small. Standard apron-style combat vest like that allow you to carry: 8 AK magazines or 4 RPK magazines; 10 shots for underbarrel grenade launcher; 1 knife; 3 signal rockets; 3 hand grenades.

If you want to know FW's, and to a lesser extent GW's, official stance on this you can view the following picture. Personally I go with having around 4-6 reload magazines of "standard" bolt ammo for each tactical and a number of special ammo arranged around the belt and thighs in combat webbing.

6. Grenades and other Wargear - In addition to his Bolter, this Space Marine carries other combat equipment or wargear. Hanging from his utility belt are two Frag (Fragmentation) Grenades . He also carries three spare magazine pouches for his Bolter. The cylindrical object hanging from his back, below the backpack, is harder to identify. This may well be a shaped demolition charge for destroying fortified emplacements. Not visible here, the Space Marine will also be carrying Krak Grenades effective at penetrating heavily armoured targets and as a Veteran may also possess a Mark II Macragge Pattern Bolt Pistol as a secondary weapon.

I have to admit, we played the 'Rule of Three' to mean 3x3 thanks to the fire selector. Even when we limited it we didn't really see us getting through all our standard ammo in a single session. Part of me wonders if that means we had too much ammo, or it's just the usual thing of combat in Deathwatch being too easy.

Actually, on a side note (and to muddy the waters somewhat) what about Terminators? Should they even be able to reload their weapons? The fluff always mentions 'built in weaponry', which to me seems to say that they are incapable of dropping their weapons... yet power swords look quite droppable. I've always played Cyclones as you have 12 missiles and that's it, the rulebook's reload time be damned, as where does the Termy carry spares?

Now that you mention it, why beam? I could indeed picture a drop-pod loaded only with ammunition, medical supplies, ration bars and repair cement.

Oh, what's that, you're inside a Space Hulk? Well, better start walking towards the outer walls where the pod will crash, and don't waste too much ammo on the way ...

Drop Pod? No, no, no. The Imperium has armed shipping crates, remember?

BYE

Those crates look awesome. Perfect to function as protective barriers for your friendly neighbourhood hive, too.

I think the vest should have like 6 slots. Otherwise your plan looks pretty good. I'd add that one basic weapon could be slung across the bsckpack like a sword or bolt gun. I wonder if each mammoth shoulder plate could have like one thing stuck to it. I could see each one having a special slot in the front that could hold like 2 fire selector mini clips. Or maybe the special deathwatch shoulder pad has a special compartment for some dw miniclips.....?

Good point on the vest; I'd like to go by the mini here, and it seems to have six grenades strapped to it, so six slots.

As for the backpack, I would say it's too massive to allow easy sheathing/unsheathing, especially as Marine PA does not look very agile. The shoulder pads ... well, I'm inclined to go with SCKoNi there. At best you could maybe add two miniature pouches for those tiny special ammo clips to the lower rim, but for reasons already stated even that may be questionable?

Not bad, but vest is too small. Standard apron-style combat vest like that allow you to carry: 8 AK magazines or 4 RPK magazines; 10 shots for underbarrel grenade launcher; 1 knife; 3 signal rockets; 3 hand grenades.

Yeah, but those magazines seem to be way slimmer than boltgun clips, which - judging by the 4E rulebook's cross section - stagger cal .75 slugs in a zig-zagging manner surrounded by a rather thick casing. In short, a single bolt magazine may easily be as thick as two or three AK/RPK magazines. The equipment also needs to be spaced out more as a Marine's power-armoured fingers will not have the same dexterity as a modern day soldier's, not to mention that a Marine's knife looks more like a short sword (arguably this could just be the "heroic scale", but it would look oddly out of proportion if it were smaller even if we go by Jes Goodwin's 7 foot lifesize drawing).

Though that is just an explanation for my numbers, of course.

Yeah, but those magazines seem to be way slimmer than boltgun clips, which - judging by the 4E rulebook's cross section - stagger cal .75 slugs in a zig-zagging manner surrounded by a rather thick casing. In short, a single bolt magazine may easily be as thick as two or three AK/RPK magazines.

Yes, of course, but space marine in armor is a lot bigger than ordinary human - so his vest would be proportionally larger.

If you want to know FW's, and to a lesser extent GW's, official stance on this you can view the following picture. Personally I go with having around 4-6 reload magazines of "standard" bolt ammo for each tactical and a number of special ammo arranged around the belt and thighs in combat webbing.

6. Grenades and other Wargear - In addition to his Bolter, this Space Marine carries other combat equipment or wargear. Hanging from his utility belt are two Frag (Fragmentation) Grenades . He also carries three spare magazine pouches for his Bolter. The cylindrical object hanging from his back, below the backpack, is harder to identify. This may well be a shaped demolition charge for destroying fortified emplacements. Not visible here, the Space Marine will also be carrying Krak Grenades effective at penetrating heavily armoured targets and as a Veteran may also possess a Mark II Macragge Pattern Bolt Pistol as a secondary weapon.

Ok, I suppose I'll commit the heresy of introducing a touch of reality here, but my bet would be, if the imperium has any sense or sanity comparable to the modern military, (HAWHAWHAW!) is that the tube would be a one shot disposable anti armor weapon analogous to the modern LAW rocket that can be issued to almost any soldier and can be learned in a day or so. The size seems to be pretty much on par with a modern day LAW rocket, Here, see for yourself:

http://www.militaryfactory.com/smallarms/imgs/m72-law_4.jpg

Here's the breakdown on it. Basically it's a one use unguided anti armor weapon that can mess up some armored vehicles especially if fired at the rear or, if need be, the side.it's as simple as a rifle or shotgun to use. Fire it and throw the tube away.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LAW_80

That would be my best guess as to what it should be. Each marine could be issued one with the effects of a krak missile, shorter range, one shot and that's it. No targeter bonus.