Of colour schemes and iconography....

[Saa]

After much deliberation and inspiring conversation with 1000Heathens, I too have decided to release my 40k Word Bearers and Ultramarines into the wilds of eBay to fund my new 30k Word Bearers project.

 

It's a project that has rekindled my love of painting as I'm literally frothing at the prospect of my incoming Forge World package. However, my fluff gland has gone into apoplectic overdrive with regards to colour scheme and markings.

 

Here's the dilemma.....

 

40k WB are red. Pre-heresy WB are granite grey.

 

40k WB have the screaming demonic face as a shoulder icon. Pre-heresy WB have the book and flame.

 

Yes yes Saa, I hear you say, what's your point? Well I'll tell you.

 

There seems to be a trend of painting WB as red for 30k as they were amongst the first to get new issue power armour 'during' the heresy. Now that doesn't sit too well with me purely from an aesthetics perspective. I've painted a lot of red. I fancy a change. However 'my' desire to paint grey is potentially going against the timeline etc (tbh this is a minor issue I can accept that not all WB were 'rearmoured') so unless I'm missing something dramatic, I'm gonna stick to grey with the exception of maybe a few elites in red.

 

The real ballache for me is the shoulder emblem. FW have just released the beautiful book and flame pre-heresy shoulder pads, and I was all set to burn my funds on a tonne of them......until.....you see the WB artwork in Massacre, showing granite grey WB with the new demonic face icon......facepalm.

 

Now I'm well aware that 'it's my army I can do what I want' etc etc. But I'm proper anal about the details. So, the question I ask, in particular to fans of the XVII, what colours and icon would you choose?

 

I should add that from a personal view, I don't mind so much mixing red and grey troops but I want the icon to be uniform throughout.

 

Another addition of thanks to 1000Heathens who inspired me to paint the army as tanned skinned religious fanatics as the challenge in skin tone is one I've enjoyed practicing and has been divergent from the usual tones I paint.

 

Saa

 

....or something like that

[grand_master85]

I'm doing the same as you and I'm sticking to the grey armour with the book aflame symbol. I would have thought that only the Gal Vorbak wore the daemon on fire symbol, whereas the rest of the Legion used the book aflame. Look at the Kor Phaeron and Ashen Circle minis; they don't have the screaming daemon head on them at all :-) but I'm biased, and not such a fan of red or the '40k' era Word Bearers symbol

[Conn Eremon]

Grey Bearers are best Bearers.

 

By Isstvan V, only the Gal Vorbak wore crimson. By Calth, the Legion had almost entirely shifted. So pre-Heresy, grey. Early Heresy, beginning to shift to red. Mid-Heresy and onward, red.

 

As for the symbol, cannot help you. I would assume it went with the colors.

[Saa]

I'm doing the same as you and I'm sticking to the grey armour with the book aflame symbol. I would have thought that only the Gal Vorbak wore the daemon on fire symbol, whereas the rest of the Legion used the book aflame. Look at the Kor Phaeron and Ashen Circle minis; they don't have the screaming daemon head on them at all :-) but I'm biased, and not such a fan of red or the '40k' era Word Bearers symbol

Whilst I'm 'inclined' to agree with you brother, go check the artwork for WB in massacre, they're granite grey but with the screaming demon icon. This is where my issue stems from :(

 

Saa

 

....or something like that

[grand_master85]

I havn't seen any pictures from Massacre of the grey guys, one presumes this is in the latest White Dwarf?

[Saa]

I'm unable to provide a link as I'm using my phone but on this page on this forum in the 'how come WB are shown twice' thread, Kol has provided a picture of what I mean. A tactical WB marine in granite with a screaming skull icon :)

 

Saa

 

....or something like that

[Conn Eremon]

Are you referring to this image:

 

http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Images/FW/Events/preview-uk-2013/Traitors.jpg

 

Or this one:

 

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc69/bleachit54/wb3_zps1b3ecbe2.png

 

Either way, it is only showing the Red Bearers with the daemon symbol and the Grey Bearers with the burning book.

 

Edit: I am using my phone too, so no excuse! :p

[grand_master85]

This is what I thought; it's always been the way that the granite grey armour showed the book aflame symbol, and the red armour showed the flaming daemon skull. I don't think there is any cross over, not that I have seen anywhere

[Saa]

Are you referring to this image:http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Images/FW/Events/preview-uk-2013/Traitors.jpg

Or this one:http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc69/bleachit54/wb3_zps1b3ecbe2.png

Either way, it is only showing the Red Bearers with the daemon symbol and the Grey Bearers with the burning book.

Edit: I am using my phone too, so no excuse! :p

Oh my days. This is what happens when you look at pics on your phone, outside in the blazing sunshine. *cough* I stand corrected gentlemen as does my friend who I'm now berating for pointing it out to me. So.... The dilema diverts now to ......red or grey WB as a cohesive scheme to fight the many battles of the heresy with ;)

 

Saa

 

....or something like that

[grand_master85]

See, the red was worn for the majority of the Heresy, but...I'm still going Granite Grey. Then again, they're allies of my Emperor's Children, who are based to represent Istvaan V.

It's down to personal taste I guess, but there are a lot more red WB out there than grey :-) so nice to see more of the 'pre-Heresy' scheme than the 'Heresy' era one

[Bryan Blaire]

I wouldn't limit myself, unless you really just have no interest in painting red armor. But I like my armies with multiple paint schemes. :D

[Kol Saresk]

Also, I know its a bit difficult to do so, but if you read the writing in the pic, those are Gal Vorbak, of which there only fifty. So the majority of the Legion will be grey: +1.

 

The fact that alternate schemes existed after Istvaan V(the Vakrah Jal with their silver helms) means that if you so choose, you can write up a background where a group their armor grey. Perhaps they swore an oath that they would wear grey until the died, so they may sanctify their armor in His blood.

[Saa]

if you so choose, you can write up a background where a group their armor grey. Perhaps they swore an oath that they would wear grey until the died, so they may sanctify their armor in His blood.

My fluff gland paused. Reread that quote. And then purged all the excess adrenaline from my system. Not only does that appease my sensibilities but it's genius. Many thanks Kol. Granite and flaming books.

 

Until we can atone for our sins of false idolatry of the false emperor, we shall bear the grey until his blood stains our armour worthy of the red.

 

Saa

 

....or something like that

[spu00sed]

Why don't you mix them together.

 

Grey with the fire book for regular marines.

 

Red with the daemon skull for veteran squads

 

Terminators and characters with the red grey combo and your choice of symbol.

 

Representing the shift in colour scheme

 

And totally off topic

 

How cool does the Emperors Children marine look n the traitor line up? Everyone else looks like they don't know how o clean their armour