A Marine who demonstrates exceptional initiative will be awarded the Iron Halo. This badge has its origins in the earliest days of the Imperium. It is either painted or etched onto a Marine's armour and coloured red. It also appears as an element of many Chapter and Company banner designs, presumably recording occasions when the Company or Chapter has demonstrated initiative beyond expectation.

This device is the Marksman's Honour. Acts of remarkably accurate shooting or consistent performance with targeting are marked with this award. The Codex insists that those warriors who prove their accuracy in combat should be singled out so that their skill may be instantly commanded when necessary. The badges themselves are believed to have been constructed by encasing in gold bolter shell cases fired in battle from the bolt gun of Roboute Guilliman himself.

The Iron Skull is a traditional badge of ancient origin. Classical convention is to represent the Iron Skull as a red device. The Codex insignia for a sergeant, it is displayed on the shoulder armour and/or helmet of a Space Marine of this rank. It is awarded for leadership.

The winged skull badge that is the Imperialis has its origin in the great Heresy of Horus. It was adopted as the campaign badge of the loyal Chapters during the Imperium-wide conflict that was the heresy. Since then it has become the honour of righteous victory. Most often the chest armour of the recipient is carved into the great winged skull and it can also appear on banners and finials of the Chapter's various banners.

This is the mark of a Tech-Priest Adept. It is awarded to each Techmarine as he completes his mysterious training with the Adeptus Mechanicus on Mars. Bearers of the Machina Opus are accorded great respect by the Tech-Priets and are allowed free passage through the Ring of Iron and into/the great workshops of the Martian Hive. Only the Chapter's Techmarines and their equipment are permitted to display this icon.

Only the honoured veterans of a Space Marine Chapter fight in suits of Terminator armour and wear this badge. The symbol has various forms and designs and within each badge is bound a tiny fragment of the suit of armour worn by the Emperor during his climatic battle with the arch-traitor Horus over 10,000 years ago. Smaller representations of the crux are frequently worn by the veterans when they fight in power armour.

A Marine who bears this honour has literally won his laurels. Acts of valour leading to great victory are deeds rewarded with the Laurel Wreath. The wreath is often worn as a crown or sculpted onto the Marine's helmet. The Wreathed Skull is a common form of the honour. The Codex demands that Company Standards be born into battle by proven warriors and the bearers of these all wear the Laurel Wreath. The Laurel Wreath also appears frequently on Chapter and Company banners.

The Purity Seal records not so much an honour as a blessing. Before a campaign the Chaplains of the Chapter pass through the ranks chanting litanies and invocations. Certain honoured individuals are marked by the Chaplains for special blessings recorded On the parchment streamers and affixed to their armour with the great wax seal. Often the very receiving of such a blessing may itself be marked by the adopting of a solid electrum casting of the seal, permanently attached to a Marine's armour or wargear.

In addition to the specific badge of the Iron Skull there are many other icons and emblems which incorporate the skull. As honours these often have a multitude of uses and meanings. Often combined with simple mottoes the skull honour can be seen on shoulder pads, helmets, kneepads and even on bolter cases and vehicles. The human skull is an image that has close associations with the Emperor of Humanity himself and is of special importance to the Chapter's Chaplains.

The Prime Helix is the emblem of the Apothecaries. The bright red design represents both the gene-seed itself and to some extent the sacrifice every Marine is prepared to make to ensure the Chapter's future. It forms the basis of the Apothecaries' shoulder pad markings and banners.

These are small metal rivets that are attached directly to the Marines' cranium to record years of service. A single stud records 10, 50 or 100 years of service depending on its design and the Chapter traditions. The awarding of service studs is described in the Codex but is not set out as an official requirment or regulation of the Chapter. In recent centuries the awarding of service studs has been on the decline and fewer Chapters continue the practice.

These are not official Chapter honours but traditional markings derived from the Chapter's ancient practices. Some tattoos may even be vestiges of pre Space marine tribal markings or gang affiliations. Space Marines are recruited from hundreds of different human cultures so it is no surprise to see this reflected in some Marines retaining the tattoos, scarification or warpaint of their homeworld.