A guide to Grey Knight heraldry.

[Silent Requiem]

I love precision. When I paint my models, I want to know they are 100% codex, while still being distinctly my own models.

 

So it drives me crazy that we know so little about GK heraldry. This post (and probably the next couple) is aimed at explaining the system I have come up with for making consistent and fluffy coats of arms.

 

Heraldry Generally

Before we can consider the consistent use of heraldry in the context of Grey Knights, we first need to understand the rules of heraldry. Not all of them of course, but we do need to know how a coat of arms is made up.

 

Colours

 

First of all, there are two basic kinds of colours in heraldry: tinctures and ores.

 

Ores are the metal colours; yellow (gold) and white (silver). These are not actually metal paints, as there was no such thing, but rather the colours that were thought to represent the metals.

 

Tinctures are the colours blue, red, purple, green and black.

 

For completeness I will mention that these colours are all traditionally referred to by their Latin names in heraldry, but we can dispense with that for our purposes; we seek understanding, not fluency. There is also a third kind of “colour�? called a fur, but it is more of a pattern than a colour, and on models of the size we paint, the patterns are too small for any but the most skilled painters (ie, not me). If you have incredible brush control PM me and I’ll tell you all about it. A well done fur would look amazing.

 

The important thing to remember about the colours is that a metal must NEVER be next to another metal, and a tint must NEVER be next to a tint. This is called the rule of tincture, and the reason for the rule is very simple: from a distance (or under poor visibility conditions generally) tints blur into each other, as do metals. But the contrast of a metal next to a tint allows for easy recognition at a distance. This was pretty important in battle, where you did not have time to squint at a person approaching you to determine if he was friend or foe.

 

For our purposes this rule is very useful, because following it helps us create highly visible coats of arms on our small models.

 

The Field

 

The background of the shield is called the field. It can be plain, or it can be divided. The most common divisions (again, skipping the Latin) are “in two, vertically�?, “in two, horizontally�?, “in two, diagonally, from the upper right�?’ in two, diagonally, from the upper left�?, “in four, as a cross�?, “in four, as an X�?, “in three, as a Y�?, and “in two, as a chevron�?.

 

This means that a basic description of a coat of arms might begin with “a red and silver field, divided in two, vertically�?.

 

The division need not be a straight line. It could be a wavy, jagged, indented, etc. Again, however, I find that the level of brush control required makes a straight division easiest.

 

The Ordinary

 

An ordinary is a strong, simple shape that may overlay the field. The most common ordinaries are the “line(s) diagonal�?, “cross�?, “X�?, “chevron(s)�? (ie, V), “line(s) horizontal�?, and “line(s) vertical�?. Ordinaries typically extend across the whole field. There are in fact “sub-ordinaries�?, which occur within divisions of the field, rather than across the whole.

 

So an example of a coat of arms up to this point might be, “a red field with two gold vertical gold lines in the ordinary�?. Or perhaps, “a red and blue field divided in four, cross-wise, by a silver ordinary�?.

 

Notice in our last example that the ordinary allows us to use a two tone field that would normally be prohibited by the rule of tincture.

 

The Charge

 

The charge is quite simply the name for any shape or image that is imposed over the field and/or ordinary. They can be as simple as a heart shape to as complex and detailed as a roaring lion. Your painting skill is the limit here. The important thing about the charge is that it is exempt from the rule of tincture, so you can have that blood red lion on your green field if you want it!

 

A completed (and very simple) coat of arms might be, "A red and blue field divided in four, cross-wise, by a silver ordinary. On each red field, a black arrow, and on each blue field, a gold eagle�?.

 

Up next... what this means for Grey Knights!

 

-Silent Requiem

Edited December 23, 2018 by Brother Tyler
Added resource link

[Inquistor Veldrin Tarath]

Not to steal your thunder... But here's a quick picture I drew up that hopefully illuminates what you are talking about (minus the furs).

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v625/random_drawer/gaming/wh40k/daemonhunters/heraldry.jpg

 

As always, the internet is your friend. Lots of medieval recreation sites (SCA being one that comes first to mind) has lots of useful information on this subject.

 

Regards,

Tarath

[Silent Requiem]

Thanks for the image! My media skills are weak (otherwise would demo with my own GK), and I did not want to simply link to the work of others for fear of copycight, etc.

 

Moving on...

 

Heraldry: the deeper meaning

 

Heraldry is more than just a way of identifying people; it’s also a way that people (or families) tell their story. Nothing about heraldry is arbitrary.

 

Colours have meaning, and were chosen carefully to say something about the wearer. The charges were often selected to remind people of particular events in their family’s past. Perhaps a great victory, or a lesson learned.

 

Each generation that inherited the coat of arms also had to distinguish themselves in some unique way from the “root

Edited July 5, 2007 by Silent Requiem

[number6]

Exceptional work as always, Silent Requiem. Thanks!

 

My own painting skills are modest at best. If anyone has any other thoughts on GK heraldry, and/or examples to post, let's see them!

[Obliterator]

Excellent post, Brother :tu:

 

A great way of uniting Grey Knights with their heraldry, while still keeping it unique. I couldn't stop thinking about the terminator heraldry, and how they all are different. Suppose you have two squads of terminators, then you would need a way to keep them apart. Maybe you could indeed keep the individuality of the fields, to represent them from coming from different squads, but you take one charge to unite a squad. This could be a small charge somewhere in a corner of the shield or something, or a big charge in the centre (disregarding the history of the heraldry somewhat :blush: )

[Silent Requiem]

Suppose you have two squads of terminators, then you would need a way to keep them apart. Maybe you could indeed keep the individuality of the fields, to represent them from coming from different squads, but you take one charge to unite a squad. This could be a small charge somewhere in a corner of the shield or something, or a big charge in the centre (disregarding the history of the heraldry somewhat )

 

Heh. Didn't think of that. I only use one squad, so it never occured to me. Your idea sounds really good though. Or you could paint a coloured border around your coat of arms, with the colour corresponding to the squad.

 

-Silent Requiem

[Aidoneus]

I was wondering where you lads found room for your heraldy? I know Justicars and Termies have those tiny little shields, but those are very small, and anyway, normal troopers don't have them at all. How do you mark those without tiny shields on their shoulders?

 

I was thinking, if one wanted more room to paint a coat of arms, he could probably paint it onto the model's base. That would give you plent of room for a suitably ornate design, I would think. Might be hard to paint around the feet though, and you can't paint before gluing the model on because they're metal models and have those slotted bases. Does anyone think this idea might work, or would it be too hard to paint around the feet?

 

Thanks, as always, for a wonderful guide Silent!

[Silent Requiem]

Well, I put the coat of arms on the right shoulder pad, beneath the name plaque.

 

But your idea sounds awesome, and I would steal it if I didn't already love my bases to pieces (blue slate flagstones).

 

You mention the slotted bases, but I have a really easy way to deal with that. I file the slot down to a small "peg" under each foot, and then simply drill two small holes for the pegs in a regular base. The holes are then completely hidden by the model's feet, resulting in a seamless base. Got the idea from the GKT models, which come that way.

 

-Silent Requiem

[Aidoneus]

You mention the slotted bases, but I have a really easy way to deal with that. I file the slot down to a small "peg" under each foot, and then simply drill two small holes for the pegs in a regular base. The holes are then completely hidden by the model's feet, resulting in a seamless base. Got the idea from the GKT models, which come that way.

Very cool idea! If I do decide to paint heraldry on the bases, I'll most definitely do that! Unfortunately, I'm such a slow painter, I doubt that'll happen. I'm talented enough to do it (it won't be great, but it'll be good enough to look neat), but if I want my 44 Grey Knights and 12 GKTs painted within the next year, I'm gonna need to keep it simple. :(

[Silent Requiem]

I know what you mean about being a slow painter. What I did was to "quickly" (for me, at least) paint a rather darker take on the typical metalic scheme (which looks good, but not great), and now I'm slowly repainting them in NMM.

 

But of course this is largely because I don't have much luck getting games atm. :(

 

-Silent Requiem

[Isiah]

Very nice article Silent Requiem up to your usual dizzyingly high standards. I too love the heraldic side to 40K and love producing banners just for the hell of it.

 

[EDIT]

Just to say I am currently building up a unit of GKTs to use as allies and shall shortly be producing a set of decals for their pouldron shields as sadly my eyes aren't as good as they were nor my hand as steady to allow me to paint them :).

[/EDIT]

 

Cheers

I

Edited July 4, 2007 by Isiah

[Feor]

One idea I came up with earlier today for squad markings. The grey knight's Heraldry goes on their right shoulder pad, right? So why can't, behind the heraldry, just pain the shoulderpad with the fields and ordinaries of their justicar's heraldry?

[Barret]

This is a really awesome article. I would suggested generalizing it a bit (or not) and adding it to the Librarium. It's a valuable resource for all of us, especially those Chapters with a knightly bent.

[Silent Requiem]

Feor, I'm not sure I understand you, but I think what you are saying is that PAGK should wear their justicar's feild and ordinary, with no charges.

 

This would be very similar to what I suggested, and so I would say that the choice between the two is personal. I prefer the idea that GK earn their heraldry once they complete their training, whereas what you are suggesting implies that heraldry is earned once the GK reaches command rank.

 

What you are suggesting is more fitting with modern military concepts, and would look very good IMO. My method is closer to the 'family' practices of the middle ages, and also looks good (IMHO :)).

 

-Silent Requiem

Edited July 6, 2007 by Silent Requiem

[Feor]

Actually, each marine gets his own herealdry, but it actually goes on a shield (a painted outilne of a shield, at least) and behind said field would be the justicar's fields and ordinaries.

 

Here, like this, using the heraldry I've come up with for my two justicars so far:

 

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1232/737571078_e215e2ea37_o.jpg

[- 7eAL -]

"I have returned"

- Protoss Dragoon, Starcraft

 

I always find it disappointing that so many players stick to red, black and white for Grey Knight heraldry. Some of the most interesting Knights models I've seen wore rather brilliant green heraldry over the regular chainmail and mithril silver power armour.

 

I would consider giving individual Knights colours as well as using different designs, to give each Knight a more unique image. Different heraldry designs are sometimes indistinguishable from a distance, but different colours will really make each Knight stand out in a squad. I would suggest this especially for those who are interested in sculpting on more tabards, tunics and robes - by painting all the additional flat space in the same colours as each Knight's heraldry, they would have a very archaic, eclectic and knights-errants image while standing together on the table - like the colourful Bretonnian Knights.

 

If this is too involved, or if you prefer for squads to have a very unified scheme, then simply use the same colours, charges or fields and ordinaries for the entire squad.

[Aidoneus]

Or, if you want a unified look, but still maintain individuality, give each squad three colors to use (probably two tinctures and a metal), but give each individual squad member a different design (different field and ordinaries). That should make it easy to tell squads apart, because of the unified colors, but it also allows you to tell the men apart upon closer inspection.

[Isiah]

Here's a nice link to Elizabethan heraldic terms and designs with some nice ordinaries, field patterning and field partitions. Plenty of variation to allow for the limited colour palette of red, black and white to still be distinctive.

 

Elizabethan Heraldry

[Silent Requiem]

Just an update with a focus on the "practical reality" of heraldry painting.

 

As I paint more (and more, and more) grey knights, I find that I am hard pressed to come up with unique charges that still fit the "theme" (as defined by GW) of grey knights.

 

What I have done instead, is that, as before, I have assigned a field and ordinary to each squad, but the only charge that each PAGK (by far the bulk of my forces) gets is a Roman numeral from I through X. I (done as =I=, a bit of a pun on my part) is the justicar, and X is my incinerator, though I may paint an "identical" model to represent the same soldier with a psycannon.

 

Alternatively, this could just as easily be done with Japanese or our own Arabic numerals.

 

This means I can use the rather limited "approved" imagery for my GKT. I may also allow justicars an additional ordinary on their arms if I have any ideas left over.

 

The net result has actually been a visual improvement, as each squad looks more unified, as I put the charge in the same place for each model within the squad. I hope this helps other GK painters as much as it did me.

 

-Silent Requiem

 

PS. Sorry for the thread-o-mancy. If I could post without "bumping", I would.

[Aidoneus]

Sounds neat. Is it possible to get a photo of a whole squad, so we can see the overall effect?

[Narthecium]

Seems like someone might know a few SCAdians? ;)

[Silent Requiem]

Aidoneus: I'd love to get some pictures up, but I have no means of taking such photos right now. If that changes I'll definately post some.

 

Narthecium: While I was (very) briefly involved with the SCA, my study of heraldry actually relates to one of my other passions, the study of identity. It is my own view that much of (western) society's current problems stems from the fact that people no longer have a clear idea of who they are, as groups or individuals, and they often search for identity in the wrong (or at the very least, destructive) places.

 

This has led me to study the various ways that cultures have tried to create or preserve a sense of identity throughout history. One of the most powerful tools, the use of symbols, is best exemplified in heraldry. The psycological impact of heraldry (while less well documented than the form) is very powerful, and functions on several levels simultaneously.

 

-Silent Requiem

[Narthecium]

Right, got what you're saying. But I think the masses might appreciate it if you made stuff a little less flowery, I've always found simplicity is the best way to communicate ideas. :P

 

(That's just a tease btw.)

 

I learned a lot about heraldry through the SCA -- grew up with parents who were very active in it. Of course once I hit about 15 or so I decided I'd much rather chase girls than play knight, so off went the SCA and I've been to maybe one event in the past ten or eleven years. Your article is pretty complete and stands up to scrutiny. ;)

Edited December 11, 2007 by Narthecium

[krewl]

SCA ...?

[Narthecium]

Society for Creative Anachronisms. It's a re-enactment group.

 

Y'know how you see those Civil War reenacters on TV, where they replay great battles in Civil War History? Same sorta thing, but the SCA is all about more medieval times, you'll see everything from people dressed as samurai of feudal japan to vikings to hoplites to...the list goes on and on. But many of the "purist" SCAdians (the self-given term for those who are members of the SCA) have a big thing with everything being "period," that is, accurate to the time period from which it comes. No science fiction stuff, no fancy fake armor, none of that kinda stuff.

 

And heraldry is a large part of it, there are entire huge groups in the SCA devoted to accurately knowing heraldry and reproducing authentic "Coat of Arms" or "Arms" or "Devices" however they are termed by the user, to use on your own armor and shields and whatnot.

 

And when I say armor and shields, I'm talking 12-16 guage steel, totally authentic (often handmade as well), and the "swords" they use are 3-4 inch thick pieces of ratan (a very strong, durable wood) that they beat the tar out of with. People regularly walk away with concussions and broken bones from it.

 

It's like hardcore nerdom. :(