BT: Unit Naming Conventions

[Schlitzaf]

When I get back home in a couple months, my friends are letting me Neo’s in Biker Squads. I’ll be using the template of 8th Crusader Squad despite grievances I have with it (Neophytes being 11 not 10 points). And honestly my issue...is what should the name of the Squad be?

 

Gospel or Apostle (I.e Messenger)

Cavaliers/Paladins/Knights

 

I’d want something evocative and in line with Marshall/Castallen/SwordBrother/Crusader. A generic but specific name. Knight and Cavalier is too generic. Paladin is to heavily tied to GK SuperTerms while Crusader Squad vs Crusaders are less of an issue. Teutonic or Reconquista could work. But using name of an actual order or Crusade I feel is against the spirit. Crusader Squads are named Crusaders. That said, I think actual Crusade Names could work as line as the name feels like it could fit.

 

Reconquista is something I like for that reason. Conquistador however is a close second in line with Crusader but gets the term across. Any second opanions?

[Marshal Arthur]

So is this a bike unit? In that case I’d go for something that reflects mounted combat. Maybe Ritterbruder? A strong name that acknowledges their role as riders. Or Questors?

[Hawklynn]

One of my favorite "Old English" words for messenger is, "Harbinger." It has a nice ring to and sounds kind of hardcore. Hell, back in high school (forever and a day ago) I had a heavy metal band called "Harbingers of Death."

[Marshal Wolfhart]

Funilly enough, an initiate is called "Paladin" in the German 4th ed BT codex, long before Grey Knights even HAD paladins ;)

I'd also consider traditional cavalry names like uhlans or cuirassiers, though that, being late middle ages/renaissance, differs a bit from the early medieval crusader theme Templars overall get across.

[Hawklynn]

Crusaders on horseback during the Holy Crusades were often Knights as they were individuals who held land and could raise the horses. At the very least they were attached to a land owner as part of his personal guard (think Orlando's entourage in Kingdom of Heaven). Keep in mind that these were the guys with plate armor for themselves and their horses and big ass weapons. These were called Cuirassiers, or heavy cavalry.

 

You then have Dragoons who were considered medium cavalry, but started off as mounted infantry (the mount was only used to get to a good fighting position and then left with an attendant).

 

Hussars were light cavalry units with cloth or light leather armor and standard mounted melee weapons. These guys were used to flank enemy positions and for quick rear assaults.

 

Specialty cavalry units were not big in European armies, with the exception of some mounted archer units (but those were still favored more in the Far East), until the advent of gun powder. 

[Schlitzaf]

Dragoons are a good choice. But it’s important for them to feel Crusadaric. Hussar, Harbringer and Riddeterbruder, don’t feel Crusadaric, Dragoon while lacking a similar issue immidaitelys calls up elite armored knights.

 

It should be a name you can innately associate with Holy or Crusading. Paladin are honestly the name I think best fits. But if we should likely have a second name to separate or make it distinctive from the GK Variant.

 

They should have the finally have two of the three aspect.

1) Very evocative. Of Mounted or Army Holy Warriors. If this fits the second two need not.

2) It should be easy to say or write. Riddebruter could work, it would just sound weird.

3) It should have a harsh sound (Crusa’der, Sword Broth’er). Or more specifically a sound that would not be out of place of with Marshall/Castallen/Crusader Squad/Sword Brother/Emperor’s Champion.

If something is too archaic or too enlightenment of sound out of place. Dragoon fits in with the Marshall/Castallen terminology. Hussar while matches, draws image of something like Vostroyans (atleast for me).

[Sword Brother Adelard]

What about Chevaliers? 

 

In the later Roman Empire, the classical Latin word for horse, equus, was replaced in common parlance by the vulgar Latin caballus, sometimes thought to derive from Gaulish caballos.^[12] From caballus arose terms in the various Romance languages cognate with the (French-derived) English cavalier: Italian cavaliere, Spanish caballero, French chevalier (whence chivalry), Portuguese cavaleiro, and Romanian cavaler.^[13] The Germanic languages have terms cognate with the English rider: German Ritter, and Dutch and Scandinavian ridder. These words are derived from Germanic rīdan, "to ride", in turn derived from the Proto-Indo-European root reidh-.^[14]

[Firepower]

Destriers?  Technically that's a horse and not a cavalry soldier, but it sounds cool. :P

 

There's always Lancers.  Especially if you are the kinda cool guy that gives his bikes lances ;)

[Schlitzaf]

That could work, the only potentially issue is Chevalier might be hard to write. Hmm the second and final thing would be this, is should we add “Biker”. Biker Chevalier, Chevalier Bikers, or just Chevalier. Finally I think the biggest thing in its favor.

 

Black Templar Chevalier (Bike) Squad. Has a nice and good ring to it. Flows nicely from to first B to the D. I think is evocative enough, to be recognizable as Knightly. While it sounds slightly out of place considering Marshall and Castallen just make me think German and this is more French. I think it works out well either well.

 

While it might sounds in out place with the part of the army. It’s in continuity enough to not break suspension of disbelief. And final question. For names of the components.

 

I am going with “Lancer Brother” for the Sword Brother equivalent.* Initaite and Neophyte Bikers. The Attack Biker is renamed Questor Bike. Should the components see a rename or just go for the basic?

 

*I know it should be Sword Brother, but I like having the Sgts be named according to the squad they lead. If I ever get around to make a Intercessors Crusader, I’d like do a new name for that Sgt Variant too.