Olgerth Istaarn Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 I have had an obsessive idea lately to retire my current sergeants and build four new ones - because the ones I have were built at the "dawn" of my 40K days when I was a lot sloppier with my building and lacked some essential tools. It's a rather crazy idea, since they are all magnetized, and it will involve a lot of work. But when something gets in my head, I eventually tend to do it. I cannot, however, decide whether to give them backpack banners or use more conservative backpack topper, like this guy. I have rather well-done freehanded backpack banners that I could salvage from the old sergeants, so obtaining banners themselves isn't an issue. Indecision, however, is. I'd like to see what others think on the subject. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/219468-to-banner-or-not-to-banner/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vindicatus Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Speaking from a purely tactical and fluff in a battle standpoint, banner-poles on officer-type characters is a no-no. Having gone through marksmen training, we're taught to look for the leaders and pick them out of a crowd in a stand up, army vs. army fight. Guys who have their hands on their hips, wear pistol belts instead of standard issue rifles, who do a lot of pointing or have someone following them around with a radio are all key indicators. Having a banner whipping around overhead just paints an arrow on your head to say "Shoot this guy, he knows what the duece is going on." Speaking from an artistic standpoint, I think it's pretty awesome to have your guys all flash-and-dashing. Solution? You need Red Shirts hovering around your squads to soak the hits. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/219468-to-banner-or-not-to-banner/#findComment-2617427 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hemal Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Marine banners are to proclaim that the Angels of Death are after you. It makes no difference if teh enemy tries taking out the (often harder and better protected) officers or other marines. I'd say go for it! Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/219468-to-banner-or-not-to-banner/#findComment-2617496 Share on other sites More sharing options...
WingsOfTheFalcon Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 I generally just use the backpack toppers, mainly because with the full banners they are hard to fit into travel cases. That said a well painted banner is the making of a unit. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/219468-to-banner-or-not-to-banner/#findComment-2617512 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyrox Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Some of my Sergeants have them, some just have backpack toppers. One or two can look nice but one in every squad is a bit much for me Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/219468-to-banner-or-not-to-banner/#findComment-2617717 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zujara Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 I like the banners, but they make the model a lot harder to transport and it seems to break off a lot in cases. I prefer the toppers for that reason, but if you have nice freehand banners those would look a lot better. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/219468-to-banner-or-not-to-banner/#findComment-2617755 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave the Twisted Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 As a heraldry nut, I'd say you can't go wrong with lots of banners. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/219468-to-banner-or-not-to-banner/#findComment-2617812 Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassWave Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 Try finding a way to magnitize the banner arm to the marine, that way you can just take his arm off for easier transportation. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/219468-to-banner-or-not-to-banner/#findComment-2617833 Share on other sites More sharing options...
averykess Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 use brass rod for the banner pole and drill a fairly deep hole in the top of the backpack. Don't glue this so it is removable for transport! Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/219468-to-banner-or-not-to-banner/#findComment-2617854 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olgerth Istaarn Posted January 14, 2011 Author Share Posted January 14, 2011 On the somewhat-related note, pinning banners is a must. The shaft is thick enough to take the smallest drillbit on our beloved pin vise, and the backpack is deep enough to do quite a bit of drilling. Once you have them pinned, those suckers aren't going anywhere; I've dropped one of my sergeants pretty hard once and the banner didn't budge. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/219468-to-banner-or-not-to-banner/#findComment-2617868 Share on other sites More sharing options...
wise_crak Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 modelwise and game wise YES! modelwise: they look awesome if painted up right! can give a little history of the squad! game wise: give it to the captains number 1 - his right hand man - second in command! not only does this share the bling out amoung the squad but also makes sense fluff wise the captain is now a smaller target and second in command is shown to be respected as he gets to hold the squads banner! then when you combat squad them it looks just as awesome! Wisey :) Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/219468-to-banner-or-not-to-banner/#findComment-2617912 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blindhammer Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 I say go with removable banners. For the longest time banners have been a must for my sergeants, but then I got to thinking about urban combat and came to the conclusion that the banner & pole would be a major hindrance when moving in buildings and tight spaces. "alright lads, you go in and flush out the enemy, I'll wait outside with the banner..." Maybe the banners actually have telescoping poles and roll up into a tube for such situations rather like a projector screen. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/219468-to-banner-or-not-to-banner/#findComment-2621723 Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShinyRhino Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Never been a fan of back banners, myself. Too Shogun to for me, not to mention tactically unsound. I use all mine for objective markers instead. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/219468-to-banner-or-not-to-banner/#findComment-2621947 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irabrai Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 I say go for them. Looks awesome and its a good way of getting some more artistry in the army. I tend to magnetise the back of the torso and the front of the backpack and glue the banner on the top, all that you need to do for transport is to use 2 slots for the sergeant. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/219468-to-banner-or-not-to-banner/#findComment-2621962 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hemal Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 Banner poles are indeed telescoping... Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/219468-to-banner-or-not-to-banner/#findComment-2622697 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ishida Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 I'm an old enough hand at this game that I remember when a ten-man Tactical Squad had two banners in it, had to mark the leader of both demi-squads. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/219468-to-banner-or-not-to-banner/#findComment-2633327 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tamwulf Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 40K is just as much of a modeling/artistic expression of your skills as it is a game. Personally, I like the background fiction idea that some Space Marines are hundreds of years old (some thousands), and they wear the same power armor. To distinguish themselves, they add heraldry to their uniforms. Sergeants reach a point where they get to represent the entire squad and it's history as well as their own. The Captains, Chaplains, Librarians all get to show off their colors. Colors are what you call the personal heraldry of a particular person/unit represented in flags, trophies, and any other acuter min easily visible to the enemy . Way back when (talking like Dark Ages/Renaissance), certain famous units would actually march to a battlefield and have such a fearsome reputation, that all they has to do was unfurl the colors and the enemy would concede the battle, pack up, and go home. Do I use Standards? Yes, though I am no free hand artist and they are pretty simple. I use them more to distinguish which squad is which on the battlefield. Now that rare earth magnets are readily available and small enough, I should get to converting my banner poles. I get tired of them breaking off all the time. :/ Closing thoughts: It's just silly comparing 40K to real life. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/219468-to-banner-or-not-to-banner/#findComment-2633361 Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZombyWoof Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 I had a similar question a few days ago, somehow I missed this post in search...I plan on using banners for my tactical sergeants so I can see where they are on the table, not to mention the coolness factor. My plan is to pin the banner to the backpack, then magnetize the backpack and model so I can paint the banner at my leisure, or swap them around different models. As far as painting, I figure I'll keep it simple with chapter colors/decals, and squad type/number decals. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/219468-to-banner-or-not-to-banner/#findComment-2634190 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Octavulg Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 If you have banners, banners are awesome. On-armor heraldry is even more awesome. But banners are awesome, too. Accept the banner. Revel in it. And should anyone mock your banners, poke them in the eye with the pole. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/219468-to-banner-or-not-to-banner/#findComment-2634192 Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShiftyWolf Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 In my opinion I believe having a big banner stuck to your back would be kind of bothersome, I mean space marines already have a hard enough time getting through doorways, especially their chaos counterparts. A big banner stuck on your back would make you kind of clumsy in my view. I think it would be better if you could get someone in your squads to be like banner bearers and just have the sergeants with the topper thingies, best of both worlds and no silly backpack banners. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/219468-to-banner-or-not-to-banner/#findComment-2634279 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psychosis Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 I'd say toppers for sgt's and banner for vets or commanders. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/219468-to-banner-or-not-to-banner/#findComment-2636273 Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarbonBased Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 I have toppers for the Sgts and a Backpack banner bearer in each squad. I think it looks great. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/219468-to-banner-or-not-to-banner/#findComment-2639626 Share on other sites More sharing options...
LardO'Blood Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 At first I had banners on all my sergeants, now I'm regretting it because I hate painting them and it is a pain to pack them in any type of case. I think the only time you should use a banner is on a captain or if the squad members have lots of back pack toppers. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/219468-to-banner-or-not-to-banner/#findComment-2639651 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Son Of Khaine Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 Well if we take the Ultramarines series (can't remember the exact title of the book I'm thinking of) each company has two Veteran Sgts and a Captain (along with his Command squad) I imagine the Vet Sgts are some what like lieutenants,leading various attacks and counter attacks whilst the rest of the Company engages the enemy head up under the Captains command. So in short I usually give my two most distinguished looking Sgts banners,my Captain usually just a topper as he usually runs with his Command Squad which includes his Banner Bearer. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/219468-to-banner-or-not-to-banner/#findComment-2639777 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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