Black Templar shoulder heraldry

[Helias_Tancred]

Hail cousins!

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but for standard initiates the chapter symbol goes on the left shoulder, but what iconography goes on the right?

 

Is this the same for sword brethren, or can they wear a terminator crux on the left and chapter icon or something fancy (think Veteran such as Sternguard or Vanguard) on the right?

 

Thanks.

[Soldier of Dorn]

I've always thought they wear the Cross on both shoulders. But I'm hardly an authority.

[spedley13]

According to the original Black Templars codex, "The Black Templars proudly display their Chapter symbol on both shoulder guards, with the colour of the edge trims used to denote their role within the Fighting Company." 

 

Personally, I try to keep at least one shoulder guard true to that, but if I want to be creative I'll just do whatever I want with the other one. Gives the models character, y' know?

[AndrewChristlieb]

Yup we're pretty lax on that stuff. Still if you want to follow the book yes we do the chapter symbol on both shoulders. I mix it up some with veterans and HQ usually having a BT upgrade sprue on one side and a standard veteran "fancy" one on the other, but really go with what you like.

 

[tvih]

And in the current codex it also says cross on both, except the terminator wears the crux terminatus shoulder on the left.

 

I personally deviate a bit with my power armor models. On the left for veterans I use the crux terminatus usually, for initiates either the studded shoulder or cross, and on the right it's often one of the "special" shoulders on the BT upgrade sprue, sometimes the normal cross especially for veterans with the crux.

[rendingon1+]

I have a question regarding banners. On the image above there are examples of crusade banners and I don't quite understand how they work. The text states that Each crusade carries a banner but imagery and symbols on each of them could only apply after specific crusade was concluded. So my question is: are these standards made post crusade? And if they are (logically), what kind of banners BT use during said crusades? Just fighting company/houshold standard?

[Firepower]

I like to have fun with my heraldry.  One shoulder always has the standard cross (normally just in the form of the BT upgrade sprue bits) while the other always has some personal, custom heraldry (almost always including the cross) of his own.  Believe me, that gets hard to do once you get your Initiate count up into the thirties or forties. 

 

 

I have a question regarding banners. On the image above there are examples of crusade banners and I don't quite understand how they work. The text states that Each crusade carries a banner but imagery and symbols on each of them could only apply after specific crusade was concluded. So my question is: are these standards made post crusade? And if they are (logically), what kind of banners BT use during said crusades? Just fighting company/houshold standard?

 

I'd say it's more likely this was just an oversight by the author.  But it's entirely plausible the Templars whip up a campaign banner to carry into a Crusade, and one to mark it after the fact.

[SCOTT_FRANCIS]

I use a BT pad on the left and leave the right blank, that way it blends with the heavy weapons ( I don't fancy cutting out the pad of a Missile Launcher to add a BT pad).

 

The left pad is always the cross with skull pad from the upgrade sprue. The others I use on the right of the SBs and ICs.

 

A little OCD I know, but that's just me. 

[Sete]

I'm half tempted most of the time to invert the cross and the pad colour. So black shoulder pad and white cross.

[Firepower]

I'm half tempted most of the time to invert the cross and the pad colour. So black shoulder pad and white cross.

 

I always find the white pad sort of necessary to make the models 'pop,' though the inversion is the fluff standard for our Termies.  I just went with Sword Brother colors personally.

[Marshal Mattias]

I take great delight in being wildly inconsistent :)

 

My champion has the crusade badge emblazoned across one shoulder, while initiates get a random mix. Most of them get at least one BT upgrade pad, but the shoulder chosen varies. Some get simple hand-painted crosses, some get a shoulder full of script, some get multiple small crosses in a pattern or whatever floats my boat at the time. I 'generally' use the BT codex colour system for initiates/neophytes/swordbrethren and chaplains, (while ignoring the 'assault' red trims which i don't fancy), however my other HQs (or anyone with big veteran shoulder pads with the fancy rims/neckguards) might end up with any colour combination I feel like, maybe a gold trim or boltgun metal guard, who knows.

 

I'll leave all those standardised squad-markings and company designations to our Codex approved brothers. Ad-hoc is my code. 

 

On the banner front, I suspect there is always a big fancy banner to carry around. Helsreach describes Artarion carrying Grimaldus' personal banner into battle - maybe this is the norm, unless a crusade has become so notable that it gets a unique banner of its own? Marshal's heraldry or whatever - maybe decorated with badges from previous crusades he has led, or depictions of particularly epic victories?

[Marshal_Roujakis]

I do it differently...

 

All Neophytes get 1 shoulder pad with the Chapter symbol emblazoned on it... typically the left... they don't carry any other CHapter symbol besides that one, because their training is not yet complete... the right shoulder pad has their markings or scriptures.

 

All Initiates, Devastators, Assault Marines get a heraldic cross on each shoulder pad, white pads with a white cross and black trim colors... there are no Devastators or Assault Marines within the Templars after all... they are all Initiates who just use the Codex Astartes loosely...

 

All Sword Brethren carries a Black Shoulder Pad with red trim and a red cross on their right shoulder pad with their left shoulder pad carrying their own personal heraldry... (keeps me from going crazy trying to make heraldry for each and every marine) the left still usually denotes the heraldic cross of the Templars. Terminators have their own heraldry on one shoulder pad and the Crux on another. Sword Brothers give their heraldry to the squads that they lead and they display tokens of it on their armor.

 

Chaplains have a black Shoulder Pad with a white cross, the other pad varies.

 

Techmarines have a White shoulder pad with a Black cross and a red trim and the standard mechanicus shoulder pad. (Red Pad with the cog icon and silver trim.

 

The marshal is the only one who carries the Crusade Badge as part of his personal Heraldry.

 

The Emperor's Champion, the Honour Guard and the Marshal are the only ones which have golden trims, denoting that they are closer to their founder Sigismund, first captain of the Fists.

[Soldier of Dorn]

For what it's worth, someday, when I finally come back and do my Black Templar Crusade, they'll all have unique heraldry, but still incorporate the Cross somewhere. Mostly because I've always wanted a Blanche-style army, and Templars are the ones I would do that with.

[Lippy]

So being a marine newb, I did worry about this when planning my crusade (which is still in its infancy).

 

I began putting one Templar Upgrade shoulderpad (with cross&skull) on the right shoulder, and a black white one on the left.

To my dismay, the heavyweapon arm has a shoulderpad already there. I'm not quite skilled/precise enough to get that changed, so figured I'd just put the Templar Pad on the left arm when needed. So all my heavy weapons will be the same and the rest of the initiates will have it on the right.

 

When I build up the confidence (probably never) I'll probably handpaint another cross on the blank shoulder. Just because that's how they're 'meant to be'.

 

And when I get to Elites and HQ's they'll have them as in the image above.

[Honda]

When I build up the confidence (probably never) I'll probably handpaint another cross on the blank shoulder. Just because that's how they're 'meant to be'.

 

 

I hand paint mine as well and all I can say is that it is a skill that can be learned. Some of my earlier versions were...not so good. What helped me get better is to use a mechanical pencil and mark the end points of the Maltese cross as that helps quite a bit.

 

ASCII-vision sample

 

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[Marshal Mattias]

That's clever... I might try that, cheers!

[Firepower]

I use the 2 X method myself. But yes, it takes practice. Guess that just means you'll have to make a lot if Templars, hm? ;)

[Psykic_scribe]

Just to add a different technique  , I use my art pen to outline a four-bladed "Y" shape (it is easy to align opposite "tops") and fill in carefully from there.  It doesn't always fill in evenly -depends on how fine/good my brush is and how steady my hand/eye on the day.  Needs LOTS of good light whatever method you chose !

 

On the banner issue, if the Marshal is going to make planetfall, I am sure he will take an eye-catching rag with him to let everyone know.  Whether he modifies it for the trophy hall on his battlebarge or burns it in disgust afterwards depends on the outcome.    FYI, I love inventing and painting banners - wish I had more time for them. 

[DBadger]

I know that we have our setup above, but after experimenting I am just really not a fan of black shoulder pads.

 

How bad would it be to just use red trim to denote sword brethren?

 

Assault squads may get a diagonal stripe behind the Maltese cross.

[Marshal_Roujakis]

Changed my Devastator and Assault Marines Fluff a little bit...

 

They are now Initiates who have exemplified the use of Power Armor, but are looking for their specific niche within the Chapter... they just went with like minded Individuals who use Jump Packs or Heavy Weapons to get the job done... but it also has a drawback that there will be no Bolter wielding individuals within the Devastator Squad...

 

I went with the Red Trim, White Pad with a Black Cross for both of them, showing specialty... once they are satisfied, they can join a Crusader Squad, being specialists who use Power Weapons or Heavy Weapons for the squad... but they lose the trim color and go back to black... it's sort of a short course that they do to become proficient in weapons that they haven't wielded... once they have reached proficiency, they can have a squire similar to other Initiates...

 

Black Pads aren't so bad... they work nicely with my Chaplain... you could do that too, but I guess that the point of going full black is to denote the color of Sigismund during the Siege of Terra, where apparently his armor was all black... it's technically your design, up to you what you want to do w/ it...

 

Maybe some photos of your experimentation, so we can give you feedback as well?

[+Chaplain Matthias+]

Personally I hate red on black. So my SB's get a white pad, black cross, and gold trim. They also get red tabbards. Chaplain gets a black pad, white cross, and gold trim. When I get assault or fast attack, I'll do the standard red trim. My special/heavy/power weapons guys get a red diagonal stripe on the right shoulder pad. I normally keep my right pads blank so I can add trophies, inscriptions, and purity seals when my dudes achieve great things.

[Gerhard]

I only use the cross & skull pad on my sword brothers. Reason is two-fold. I don't like how they look when it comes to white and black. So for normal initiates I use the transfer sheets. I find they look much better and cleaner on shoulders because I want the cross to look super straight and neat. Ive not been able to manage to get a super neat cross with black on white on the normal initiates. Second reason is I find that they only really look good when using them on both shoulders. Since I treat units like Vanguard Veterans and Sternguard Veterans as Sword Brother specific units as well, all those type of units get a red/black upgrade kit shoulder on both sides. That way I stay true to the original codex colors, and get the finishes and fluff I like best.

[Marshal Reinhard]

As has been said about the original question, Templar wear crosses on both sides. When it comes to my crusade I pretty much follow the official theme detailed in the scan above. As its got few obvious holes in it, most notably the only HQ detailed there being chaplains, I've done a few additions.

 

Marshals get black crosses on white pauldrons with gold trims. I also use this for the Emperor's champion and Honourguard. Sternguard, Vanguard, Command squads and other "veterans" for their part get the swordbrethren colors along with terminators. I keep everyone's helmets black, save for apothecaries and techmarines.

"Devestators" are just another configuration of crusaders so they get the standard black cross, white pad, black rim. Makes it easy to switch them around with the other crusader squads if I want to switch up heavy weapons.

 

The thing I completely abuse and have since the inception of my crusade is crusade badges. On top of not actually having my own badge (can't design a cool one to save my life) I completely haphazardly toss around made up and existing badges as thoughtless decorations all over my crusade. There's no reason or rhyme to my placement of additional decorative crosses either. Some initiates get some of their kneepads painted white and a black cross trasnfer added. Some keep it black and get a white cross. A few have facial crosses painted on their helmets. Red crosses are mostly limited to swordbrethren and other higher ranking members, and some terminators have the same shield motif repeated as something to akin a personal heraldry. But otherwise its a complete mess.

[DBadger]

As far as possible my figures will have the standard Maltese cross on each pad, but because I am using models from an old army that aren't necessarily easy to convert, I will be coming up with some loose fluff as to why they might not. Perhaps they may wear crusade honours, or maybe for some reason they lose a cross due to surviving a defeated crusade, or something.

 

Where possible though as I get money to do so I shall be removing any special pads and replacing with plain and pure Maltese cross.

[Slackmaster]

Most of my Initiates have the now-OOP pewter Templar shoulder pads from GW. The right shoulder is the cross and skull, and the left is the cross and laurel/scroll. Unfortunately, these are now hard to find and I have started to run low on these, so I've had to make do.

 

For my squad-leading Sword Brethren, one shoulder is the cross and skull from the BT Upgrade Sprue, and the other the pewter cross and laurel. For my specialists such as my apothecary, I'm leaning towards going with the specialist marking on the right, and the cross and laurel on the left, even if it may or may not be entirely supported fluff-wise.

 

As for those pesky heavy weapons shoulder pads, well, they're not fighty enough to get their own scroll, so I'm thinking I'll pick up those Shapeways Templar crosses for those and what remaining pewter cross and skull pads I have.

 

When I first painted the army, I tried to denote squads by the colour of the shoulder pads, using red/black black/white white/red, etc, but I've since come to the conclusion that I don't much care for the looks, and I think I'll embark on a new crusade to change it and standardise a bit.