If there is one aspect of space marine models that I would say is iconic, it would be the shoulder pads. The reason I would call them out is that they give weight to the model and serve as a quick identifier of the marine’s chapter. They can also be the part of a marine that makes or breaks the overall visual of the model.
When selecting the shoulder pads for my first unit of tactical marines, I debated over whether to go with more complex ones (possibly even 3rd party ones) or use the simple ones from base marine kit. In the end, I decided on the simple pads as the model already contained a lot of extras (purity seals, eagle icons, etc…) and I wanted to give myself breathing room when working on HQ models.
The process for painting the model is basically the same as I shared in prior articles. The one nice part about doing the shoulder pads was that I did not have the challenge of trying to paint the divide between blue and white sections. The downside upon completion is that I felt they were kind of plain looking and actual detracted from the model. I may circle back with the unit once it is finished and add some type of freehand to all of the units pads, just to make them standout better.
