DIY ideas, please comment.

[GrandMagnus]

Greetings brothers. Yesterday during my latin classes at college my mind started drifting and I started thinking about the DIY chapter Im working on, but suddenly I get a great idea for another chapter: A mesoamerican (Aztec, Mayan, Tlaxcallan) chapter. Now Im aware that the Rainbow Warriors are inspired on this, but there name is ridiculous and I dont quite enjoy their colour scheme. Anyways I, thought out some ideas and I want to hear your opinions. 

 

First, the general concept. A space marine chapter founded on a jungle planet (like Catachan), who recruits from the local head-hunting feral tribes. Their geneseed could be either from Corax or Vulkan, the first because of a "hunting the enemy" warfare technique and the second as a kind of "master artificiers" feel (I have a colour scheme for both). The only city on the planet would be the chapters fortress monastery, called the Golden City (inspiration taken from the "El Dorado" mith), hidden away withing a deep almost impenetrable valley. 

Chapter customs and traditions could inclide wearing pelts/skins/feathers from feline animals, giant lizards and predatory birds. Collecting skulls (head hunter tradition), warpaint/tattoos, scally armour tabards and capes, horns and teeth from predators covering or decorating their armour, animal shaped helmets (the kind with fangs and such). More or less follows the codex astartes in chapter size and organization but with a few modification. A specialists company of "hunters" (more or less like the ravenwing of the DA), a fast striking-stalker company. Oh, and a non caucasian skin colour.

They have a bit of a religious tradition from their previously lives in the tribes, where the names consider the Sun God to be the Emperor and the Moon God to be Horus and these 2 battle eachother night and day. Its of course a reference to the HH and the Aztec religion where the sun god would fight all night.

 

Now here I have 2 colour schemes and a name that suits them. Each of them are inspired on diferent images from the mesoamerican tribes:

 

Jaguar Warriors: This one is inspired in the "stalker in the woods" kind of feel and is the first mental image I made for myself (and personally the one I like the best). I can imagine him standing among the trees, on a rocky outpost, with a spear in one hand, covered in trophyes, with a highly decorative armour and a long scally cape behind his back. Maybe some sort of horned crest on the helmet. Using bits from WHFB for decoration on the armour, etc. Im only worried here that it might look too much like the mantis warriors?

 

http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/7136/owqe.jpg

 

Sun Warriors (or Warriors of the Sun): More inspired on the striking "holy/mithic warrior" feeling, giants armoured in gold and sharp blue tabards and pauldrons. Not so much the sneaky tipe, but definetly master artificiers. Again, imagine if you will a golden warrior, blinding sun light reflecting off his armour, with a long sky-blue silk cape and tabard floating in the wind, wielding a spear or a mace. Horns a bla bla bla.

 

http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/6082/ro66.jpg

 

What drew me most to this idea is that the tipical knight-space marine, although very awesome and fits in well with the whole gothic feeling of the empire, has been seen so many times but Aztecs are a not so common in SM armies. But the barbaric feel of this kind of warriors also turn me off a tiny bit, just like the space wolves do, because they dont seem to fit the essence of the Imperium (but that feeling might just be mine).

 

Thats all folks, please comment and critic, I would really love to hear your input :)

 

Cheers, Anaziel.

 

 

 

 

[Prefect Apollyon]

The former sound better, I'd love to see Aztec themed armies.

 

Having said that the colour scheme is far too similar to the Mantis Warriors.

[Messor]

Interesting ideas, and certainly conducive to a Chapter. I would go with the second scheme, though I'm not 100% sold on the blue, at least not without another color or symbol to break it up. It would be very fitting for the Chapter to simply fall in place in local legend with such a mystical and god-like appearance, so that even if natives did see them, they would simply associate them with the lore they've grown up with.

[GrandMagnus]

PA: Yup, thats what I was afraid of. Any suggestions?

 

Messor: Any suggestions to complimentary colours, maybe red? The idea of gold and blue is loosely based on the Total War: Medieval Aztec faction, who use those colours and also because the gold could represent the sun and the blue the sky. Stuff like that.

[RazorDaemon]

I like the idea of Aztec warriors too, it sets them apart a little more and you're able to do more crafting and modeling. I like the first scheme, but it is extremely similar to Mantis Warriors. That being said, we have several examples of similar schemes with Chapters, so I would just have some minor tweaks to it, like maybe the two schemes together, essentially the top scheme with more gold. That way you still have the Jungle green, but more of the golden warrior aspect without being solid gold, like a man in armor resembling a god.

 

A different tweaking idea may be blue, but not the bright shade used there. A more natural, subdued shade would work there, like the green you used isn't a vibrant Dark Angels green or Salamander Green, do the same with blue.

 

Also with Aztecs you have so much already at your disposal, combine Dark Angels bits with Raven Guard (Granted the RG are mostly from FW), you have your feathers and bird skulls/heads.

[Messor]

I think red would fit well, and it might not even have to be part of the armor. If they have blood spattered weapons or armor, that'd be a great contrasting color. Bright red symbols would also be effective.

[GrandMagnus]

I will keep tweaking the colour scheme, see what I can get. 

 

Another subject I started thinking about tonight as my dog woke me up and I couldnt sleep: Weapons! Obviously the bolter, flamer, chainsword, heavy bolter, etc All fit in perfectly with a few feathers and trophys, stuff like that. But what about power weapons? I have seen RW with lizardmen weapons as power weapons, but Im not fond of that idea. I would rather give them regular swords. I know I know, doesnt fit the aztecs, but WAIT I have a fluffy reason (and easthetical reason): While their armour is modified, covered in feathers and trophys and they paint their faces, all of which serves to tie them down to their native culture, the use of "medieval/european" weaponry and the use of Imperial motifs (laurels, aquilas.) could help give them that Imperium of Man conection. From a fluff perspective you can consider that they "ascend to demi-goods" when they are chosen which is why they are granted "weapons of sky/gods", shining pieces of glowing steel (power weapons). 

 

Any thoughts?

[Uberlord Gendo]

/tg/ actually did an Aztec chapter a while back, here are some images for inspiration in... waves his hands around.

http://1d4chan.org/wiki/File:Tenocitan-pattern-armour.jpg

http://1d4chan.org/wiki/File:Bjag-chaplain.png

 

Anyways, that whole awesome weapons == europe could rub some people the wrong way as it could be read as implying that awesome technology must be based on European stuff and to become European is to ascend.  I get what you're saying and I agree that it makes a lot of sense and think that people reading that into what you're doing are missing the point.

On purely aesthetic grounds, I can see the jump being a bit jarring.  Likely if they use standard pattern weapons, they'll decorate them in accordance with the aesthetics of their homeworld.

 

 

I think using standard power weapons makes sense, though you could also try making custom power weapons by shaving down sprues and sticking in power weapon blades to make a macuahuitl.  (I agree that the Lizardman ones just don't look right for marines.)  Alternatively, you could use power lances ala eagle warriors.  Perhaps they make use of atlatl as well?

Also, depending upon how much they go for the whole jaguar warrior deal, they might fight in a way that they see embodying the Jaguar, sort of as a totem.  As a result, lightning claws might be popular weapons.

 

Anyways, I really dig the idea and look forward to seeing how the project progresses.

[RazorDaemon]

Using some of the standard Power Swords etc doesnt really need a reason. It would be more like they were already issued those, and then went out of their way to craft other, specialty ones, that are Aztec themed. Either way, you can use both medieval and aztec or just one no problem. They did occasionally implement "swords" though, it was usually wooden with blades of obsidian inserted on the edges. Either way, nothing wrong with using the broadswords that come standard, using DA weapons will often give you the attached feathers to them too.

[GrandMagnus]

I see what you mean Uberlord, that some might consider it to be an indicator to "europe is superior", although I in no way feel like that. In fact people who start going into details like that about a miniature wargame based on a futuristic society like that of the 41st millenium are, well, insane. I like the lightning claw idea though.

I can see the most popular close combat weapons in the army being: chainswords (they resemble the aztec swords a bit...), power lances and lightning claws, with the occasional power fist, sword, axe and mace (on the last 2 it would be easy to find a sort of native feel).

Another point is I dont want to exagerate the aztec feel. Sure they come from tribal societies but when they become space marines the become Adeptus Astartes, so while they still addorn themselves they adopt a bit of the general imperial culture (maybe something traditional that was passed down by their first chapter master, who Im considering could be a Salamander). Think about most salamanders artwork, they look like imperial space marines but they still have that little touch that sets them apart from other chapters.

Im starting to like this concept. I already had planned on doing a more medieval knight-crusader theme for a DIY, but that is so common its almost boring. I will se what I end up doing... I will post some chapter fluff in a few days now that I have the weekend to write in, so you can comment on it.

I really appreciate all the critics and ideas brothers

EDIT: just added a small change to the green colour scheme, thoughts? By removing the yellow helmet they look less like Mantis Warriors.

http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/8595/ph7q.jpg

[Lord-Captain Cepinari]

Perhaps a planet of scorching deserts and steamy jungles, where for centuries the descendants of the original colonists warred with one another for captives to sacrifice to their gods for their favor. A rainbow serpent of knowledge, a burning obsidian mirror of death, a young and beautiful flower of fertility, and a raging jaguar of warfare.

 

Then came the servants of the one true god, who slaughtered the high priests and reduced their great temples to rubble.

 

Perhaps now the people live in great cities, while deep in the jungles the old ruins remain, waiting...

[GrandMagnus]

Thanks for the input you have a few points I already thought of, but not eactly like that:

 

Humans colonize the planet which would be known as Yuk'Hatan (Yucatan inspired), a planet of jungles and steppe lands. During old night their cities where destroyed and claimed by the jungle, the people became feral tribes. They form a basic religion based on hunting (head-hunting) and warfare, praising the sun as a god. When the Imperium arrives the Emperor becomes known among the tribes as the sungod, but no cities are built on the planet it is instead left intact by decree of the Emperor. In the 35th millenium the planet is chosen as a Adeptus Astartes homeworld, the only "city" on the planet being their fortress monastery the City of Gold or City of the Sun.

 

This is the basics I have. Im working it out with fluff alongside the other chapter I am working on.

[Omega Striker]

When I was reading your write up, one thing struck me.  

 

Don't worry about the color scheme so much.  It's one of the least important things about your chapter, even though at heart you want them to look awesome.  Too close to the Mantis Warriors, you say?  Well, take a look at the blood angels and their descendants: Red on red over red.  Each chapter uses red as their main color, and then chooses one other to highlight.  Gold, white, black, blue, etc.  There's not a lot of variation.  

 

If it's too close, do an orange and green theme.  Orange was a big deal to the Spanish when they arrived in these american empires, and i think it would work well with your main green color.  Give it a try, and see what you think.

[GrandMagnus]

Huh, its a good idea brother Omega, I tried changing the yellow with orange, here is the result:

 

http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/4478/e61q.jpg

 

Thoughts? In my opinion I still think yellow suits them better.

 

And if anybodys interested here is the colour scheme for my other DIY chapter (still to be named):

 

http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/706/nku4.jpg

 

Its a more traditional space marine chapter, like the Imperial Fists.

[RazorDaemon]

The orange is fine too, between it and yellow comes down more to personal choice. You can also go with actual gold, that would set them apart from Mantis, and add to the Aztec style, the gold of the gods in the green of the jungle.

[Prefect Apollyon]

I like RazorDaemon's idea for Gold replacing yellow. Aztec win.

[GrandMagnus]

Hmmm, then maybe green armour with gold trim and yellow pauldrons. Add a lot of gold details to the armour to get that craftsman look maybe.