Actually Its before the Horus Heresy, around 250+ years. This is the first armor which was completely sealed so the marines could go in space/hazardous environments after the Unification wars on Terra where they still used MKI power armors. Its more likely from the end of Age of Strife, start of the Great Crusade. If you can call this not GC era, but HH era, then it is from the HH era.
All the HH and "ancient relic" are limited in number for lore reason (and for a larger price tag reason), So it's obviusly impossible that they decide to give a HH armor like the MK III (they have changed the MK now) simply by farming. maybe some item in the future but that armor no.
MK IV armour is awesome. but it wouldn't be as good as the current space marine armour if lore is in the equation.
Space Marines seek out pieces of older armour to incorporate into their own, or are rewarded pieces from the armour of a Chapter hero. Also certain offices within the Chapter come with suits of older Marks of armour, Captain Sicarius' Mk II is an example. But with Chaos Marines, its the opposite. They seek out newer armour pieces, looting SM battlefields, to incorporate into their own as a status symbol. As for the armours themselves.... Mk VIII Errant: Hi-tech development of the Mk VII, rare but you see parts incorporated into Mk VII. Mk VII Eagle: Put into production & distribution during the Siege of The Palace. It is the most common armour available. Mk VI Corvus: Developed near the end of the Great Crusade, mass distributed to loyalists near the end of the Heresy. Has stealth capabilities; reduced IR signature, etc. Developed from Mk IV. Mk V Heresy: Name applied to improvised armour that became more common during the Heresy. Mk IV Maximus: Hi-tech materials and production. Needs hi-tech resources to maintain & repair, was dropped in favour of easier to marks like Mk VI & VIII. Still in general use by many Chapters. Mk III Iron: A development of Mk II. Originally designed for use in tunnel fighting and ship boarding actions during the Inner Galactic Wars. Still favoured by some Chapters for its brutal visage, but most reserve it for boarding units. Mk II Crusade: Often as one of the best designs due to the hooped armour providing the wearer with a wider range of movement than later marks but due to problems repairing and maintaining these hoops it is mainly reserved for veterans and Chapter officers. Very early example had helmets with little or no movement, but this was soon remedied and most suits have helmets with the full range of movement. Mk I Thunder: The first suits that Astartes wore. The few suits that any Chapter may hold are generally used for honour guards and ceremonial purposes, though there is the occasional suit that uses Mk I armour plates over a Mk II to make an ornate Mk III. You may also find the occasional Mk I helmet used by a scout. As for Terminator armour; Tartarus, Saturnine, Indomitus, & Indomitus Prototypes are all equal and generally contemporary to each other. There are a few other prototypes and patterns that may also fit in with these but the Gorgon Terminator suit and the Cataphractii are not as both have additional energy shielding. I voted yes! Plus I believe that for most marks there should be unlockable parts as rewards, but entire suits should be only available for veterans or specialists with the option to buy them as skins.
Why the hell wouldn't it be acquired by grinding? There's absolutely no fluff reason why it shouldn't be rewarded to you with rank besides an ass-pull attempt to ensure only founders have access to unique armor. Plus simple logic dictates the Adeptus Mechanicus continues to produce the older marks of armor on some level, the average lifespan for Astartes is measured in the couple hundred years, and over ten millennium the several thousand remaining suits would have been reduced to non-existent with the amount of bodies lost on average, ships destroyer, armor defiled by taint, etc. And what the hell do you mean by "they changed the mark"? Mk III Iron Armor has never been associated with Mk II Crusade Armor besides being its successor. Actually no, MK IV IIRC is the best armor available, just that MK VII is easier to produce and VIII is just starting in production. MK III provides better protection than any of the other marks, but it's bulkier and much slower. But for several Chapters, basic sergeants and veterans can be found wearing MK IV. It isn't exactly rare. What should be done for the game is for starting loyalists, you can either select MK VI or MK VII as starting armor. Other marks of armor are earned through grinding your rank or drops from delving into the underworld as relics.
look like they write the wrong number on the descrption: http://forum.eternalcrusade.com/threads/mk-2-armor.21159/#post-401088
