unit and campaign markings

[MaliGn]

I've been musing on the use of unit markings by traitor astartes. Presumably they would have originally borne unit designation badges, campaign badges and the like. Surely this kind of mindset would be as drilled into these born soldiers as much as bolter drills and combat doctrine. Yet we seldom seem to use these kind of markings in our armies, I'd been wondering about how to go about trying to include some of this kind of iconography mixed with the dedications to the dark gods and am seeking some ideas and inspirations.

[Hellios]

Anything you want... I guess I would look at the Insignium Astartes (? the book with information about codex markings), or any information you can find about pre-heresy markings. Unless you have a specific legion in mind. However things get lost over time. The squads in your warband might be ragtag adhoc affairs. So the markings (if the marines still have them) may not match.

 

My Black Templars have markings that show how long they have served in the crusade. Some of them also have gifts that they have given by fictional allies. For example... the oldest templar in my crusade (background wise) has a wolf pelt.

 

You might be able to use the paint schemes of some legions. For example, with the night lords you might actually make the lightning patterns mean something. The number of forks might represent the squad number, or how long they have served.

[zyl-]

Something as simple as one arrow being dominant in the 8 fold path symbol could have meaning if you so desire. Different number of hydra heads, caution stripes running opposite directions or thicker and thinner bands, flys with hollow or colored wings, different horn patterns, more or less trophies.. it would be helpful to know what legion you are trying to fit this in with.

[MaliGn]

I'm working on Word Bearers, so I usually find myself cramming as many extra little knick knacks, trophies, ornamentation as I can, along with plenty of scriptures etc I was just hoping to represent votlw with campaign badges from Calth/Istvaan or similar as a particularly cruel and bitter mockery of their former allies.

 

I suppose I could just assign specific meanings assorted passages of scripture, maybe create a specific shape to the verses that can be replicated.

[Ammonius]

If you want to do this, then you should do it. Stuff like this is like naming everything in your army.

 

On one hand, if you carefully model your army with all kinds of allegiance marks and trophies from past campaigns that add up to a rich backstory then that's awesome.

On the other, if you give yourself room and add all kinds of allegiance marks and trophies from past games as time goes on, then that's awesome too.

 

On one occasion, I had a CSM unit on an objective get shot down to the last man, who managed to make cover saves and hold the objective for the win. I took the smallest skull decal I had and added it to a blank spot on his shoulder pad as a "Last Man Standing Commendation". From across the tabletop, it's a tiny white dot, if you can see it at all, but everyone knows it's there.