Steam are currently doing a sale for 40k games. I picked up some armour packs for Space Marine and Retribution.

I've come to the conclusion based on this that in many chapters Space Marines get more golden as they get older. That's why Dante, who's supposed to be the oldest living space marine, has gone entirely gold.

Well I think that the higher rank the Space Marine gets the more bling bling he has on him and since Space Marines of higher age would have reached a higher ranks and got more medels and stuff they would have accumilated more bling bling to them. But I do not think that age in itself will grant bling bling to anyone.

Long Service to a chapter is usually awarded with service studs (small metal rivets attached to a marine's cranium. But it is less practiced. As a marine gets 'older', he participates in more battles. Efforts in this would usually be rewarded with medals, wargear and generally 'bling'. Its not because a marine gets older, that he gets more bling. It means that he has earned them with recognition. (Eg Cato Sicarius and the shoulder pad of Captain Orar as detailed in Codex:SM).

I believe it is impossible for an Astartes to get old without glory.

Alex

I rather like the section in the new Space Marine codex where they go through Cato Sicarius' bling (er...medals, talismans etc.) Forgeworld have done this a lot too, with that striking Paul Bonner portrait of the Tyrant of Badab, and the portrait of Carab Culn, where they go through his bling and explain it in detail.

Hector Rex of the Inquisition seems to have more bling than most, though, proving that the Marines don't get all the best stuff!