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From Warhammer 40k - Lexicanum
→Mark II "Crusade Armour"
===Mark II "Crusade Armour"===
[[File:HHUltramarine.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Ultramarine]] in Mark II Crusade Armour{{Fn|39b}}]]
After the conquest of the main planets of the [[Sol system]], the factories on [[Mars]] were set to work constructing a new type of armour for the Emperor's elite [[Space Marines]]. The first armour based upon recovered [[STC]] information{{Fn|67}}, this armoured suit is commonly referred to as "Crusade Armour," since it was designed with the planned [[Great Crusade]] in mind. Its production led to the Thunder Armour being retroactively designated as the Mark I and quickly retired.{{Fn|67}} It was the first fully enclosed power armour, with life-sustaining capabilities{{Fn|1}}, making it suitable for combat on toxic alien planets and the depths of space.{{Fn|22}} The first suit to interface with the [[Black CaparaceCarapace]] which allowed for maximum synchronization{{Fn|67}}, the Mk.II Pattern was standard for the Legiones Astartes during most of the [[Great Crusade]], with millions produced{{Fn|67}}, and its helmet in particular became a symbol for the Legiones Astartes throughout the Imperium. By the ending stages of the Crusade, Mk.II Armour had been phased out for the Mk.IV but many Legions still possessed them in great numbers. In particular, Legions not favoured by Warmaster [[Horus]] or had many units spread out on the frontiers of the Imperium retained the largest amounts of Mk.II Armour.{{Fn|3a}} Some Space Marines simply favored the Mk.II over the Mk.IV for its reliability and history of service.{{Fn|67}}
Crusade Armour is fully plated, and the legs are also power armoured. The plates are arranged into articulated hoops, for increased manoeuvrability. The chest coils, which were kept on the outside of the armour plating on Mark I armour for cooling purposes, have now been placed on the inside of the chest plates, so that they are better protected, thanks to more efficient cooling mechanisms. However, this design could not be copied over to the new powered leg armour, which resulted in exposed cabling on the backs of the lower legs. The backpack is roughly the same size as that on the Mark I armour, but is much more efficient, and also includes extra life support, air recycling and fluid recovery equipment, as well as automated medical devices that have remained a part of Space Marine armour ever since.{{Fn|1}}
