Hello, just a few quick questions.

Were the scouts used in PH era and if yes what kind of gear did they use? Has the scout armor and suit changed much since the old days?

Mods, if this is in the wrong board feel free to move or delete it.

Yes, there were scouts Pre-heresy.
Garviel Loken replaced the men he'd lost in the Whisperheads Attack from the Luna Wolves Scout and Novitate Auxiliaries (pg. 244 Horus Rising).

As to their equipment and combat role I'd imagine that it would be similar to their 40k role.
Although they may also have fought in a manner similar to how the Black Templars work, with them integrated into squads of Marines.

Hope this helps.

Yes there were scouts, yes they wore similar armour, and yes used similar technology and weapons, although there were more legion-specific ways of arming them. There were also recon squads, which are fully armored astartes with a scout role and carrying lasguns. They call in orbital bombardments and preform infiltrations, though they are suited for firefights as well.

Why would they arm a marine with a lasgun, even if they are in a recon role? Is it because a bolter is too loud? If so, couldnt they just put on a damper/silencer?

No, i dont think a silencer would do much, because a bolter is supposed to be so loud that it can shatter the eardrums of a normal human if they are too close without any helmet or anything.

But the lasguns they use are modified usually, so they are kind of like heavy lasgun. Also, I'm guessing their weaponry isn't as important as making them light and fast so they can get to positions.

Also, lasguns are seriously misunderstood. A shot from a lasgun to the neck of a marine is an instant kill.

I thought the consensus on the old boards was that the things the recon marines were carrying were either bolt carbines or short-barrelled sniper-rifles...

Scouts were used in separate squads/divisions, probably in much the same way as Terminators within each company.

Going by the artwork from the CCG, they were armed and armoured similarly to their M41 counterparts, with possibly more emphasis on the old 'mohican' style.

Hey thanks guys, this was really helpfull.
I'm off to convert some Death Guard scouts then ;)

Feel free to continue the discussion in this thread if needed.