Cadian decal numbering

[Wassa]

How do you guys choose what decals to put on your cadian troops shoulder pads?

 

1. The easiest option is to have the same number on every single shoulder pad, but then you end up with a lot of wasted transfers.
2. Different numbers for each squad, but then you have to have spare troops to account for the special/heavy weapon guys that may swap in.
3. Different numbers for each squad, but then a separate number for the special/heavy weapons guys.

 

 

Also for your vehicles, whether cadian or not:

 

1. Same regiment number as above (if applicable), or for all of your vehicles?
2. Different number per vehicle type.
3. Different number for every vehicle.

 

 

I'm tempted to go with 3 & 3 just to have some variety.

What do you guys think?

[Bmseifer]

Following :) This is something I'm debating also. Was thinking if I should also use some kind of color coding on different troops/tanks

[Kinstryfe]

If I were using transfers and numbers, I would probably do the same number for each squad, representing the Regiment number (Cadian 217th, etc). I'm not sure I would do unit numbers unless being brim and proper and tidy was part of my regiment's background. In my mind, unless it's the first battle of a campaign, I imagine that squads would be restructured to account for casualties, equipment malfunctions (plasma go boom), and other unforseen tragedies, and I just can't imagine that your typical guardsman places much priority on repainting the numerals on their shoulderpads while hunkered down in a trench. I would probably even go so far to make the odd guardsman a straggler or survivor from a different regiment, but I'm a bit odd like that, so I'd have 95 guys with 217, plus three with 412, one 17, and a 732. You could actually micromanage and have your battleline squads drawn up from squads from different companies within a regiment. Sergeant, Vox, and Lasgrunts drawn from the Cadian A Regiment, X Infantry Company, while special and/or heavy weapons are drawn from a different company within the regiment and have a different number (in this case denoting company designation rather than regiment designation). So a full squad of the Cadian 100th could have 7 members bearing 13 for the 13th company, and 3 bearing 75 for the 75th company. That way every special and heavy weapon trooper you paint could all have one number and be swapped around as well as everyone having the same number army wide

 

Vehicles I did play with numbering, and basically numbered them as though they were part of a squadron with similar vehicles. So my 3 Basilisks were 1, 2, and 3, Leman Russes were in 3s regardless of type, and so on. In cases where I had only one or two of a tank type like my solo Hellhound, it was sometimes numbered 2 or 3 anyway, just because. I would say there is merit in both open 2 and 3 for vehicle numbering. Infantry regiments very rarely have their own heavy armour; part of the post-heresy breaking down of the Imperial Army into the Imperial Guard/Astra Militarum was making regiments reliant upon each other so they couldn't rebel as easily; so any substantial battle tanks are most likely going to be their own regiment. Exceptions would be transports, which would most likely belong to the Infantry regiment (or cavalry regiment if fully mobile). So having the Cadian 217th Infantry supported by the Cadian 134th Armour makes more sense than them flouting the rules. As for tank numbering, I'd wager regiments/companies do it both ways you mentioned, so I'd say that's open to whatever you prefer.

 

Edit: on the subject of colour, that adds another layer. So Leman Russ Squadron 1 could be three tanks numbered 1, 2, and 3 in or on a particular colour. Squadron 2 would have a different colour. Kind of like how Space Marine Companies are colour coded. Actually, Space Marines are pretty much the definitive in setting use of colour coding.

[WarriorFish]

Almost all transfer sheets will be mostly what you don't need so I wouldn't worry about that :) I have the regimental number on the left shoulder only, means I don't need to worry about squads ;) I mark my tanks my type (so Hellhounds go from 1 - 4 etc), though I've been a bit lax with transfers on recent models so need to get round to that.

 

Markings can be as complex or simple as you like so don't feel like you need to cover everything :tu:

[Wassa]

Yeah I seem to only have 3 cadian transfer sheets for 10 squads so that is another reason that's tilting me towards using different numberings for each!

[Imperator Deus]

I used the numbers on one shoulder pad to differentiate squads, and put a symbol on the other shoulder to differentiate platoons. For example I'll have one platoon with the spade symbol, another with the diamond, maybe one with a skull, etc. For the vehicles I'm doing a similar thing. I have two Conscript squads, but I'm not sure what to do with them yet. I want each one to be attached to a different platoon, so I'll probably put the platoon symbol on one shoulder, but I'm thinking I might not put squad numbers. I think I remember reading somewhere that raw recruits are massed together into Conscript squads with any survivors being doled out to the infantry squads as replacements, so I thought I might leave their squad numbers blank, or maybe paint a white stripe instead of a number as a call back to White Shield squads.

 

All of my painted Russes (all variants) have the battle-axe with lightning bolts transfer from the Guard vehicle sheet, and they'll all be numbered 1 through 11 when I am done (with each variant numbered in groups of 3, ie Vanquishers are 1-3; Battle Tanks are 4-6; Punishers are 7-9, etc.). I haven't figured out what to do with my Tank Commander yet. I was thinking of making it tank 0, or possibly using the letter C. I'll paint it last to give myself some time to mull it over. For my artillery (Basilisks, Manticores and Hydras) I decided to use the A, B, and C transfers.

 

I did toy with the idea of using some kind of colour code on the Infantry's shoulder pads and maybe a stripe on the tanks' hulls or turrets to indicate infantry platoons and tank companies, but ultimately decided against it - though I still think it's a good idea too.

[Mekhitar]

I painted by hand, rather than transfers, but...

 

Right shoulders had the regiment insignia. Cadian for you; my guard’s home world is Vendola, though I use cadian rules. Their insignia is a painted V-chevron outlined in white. I gave each platoon a different color v: yellow, black, green, gray...

 

Left shoulders had the numbers you are talking about. I split my lasgun guardsmen into teams of 10 (including the sgt). They each got 3 numbers/letters, representing company platoon, and squad. Like the US military, the company names are letters. In my case, with 80 lasgun guardsmen, I split them into 2 companies of 40... A (“Abel”) and E (“Easy”) company. The next number is the platoon, and the last number the squad.

 

So, A21 - Abel company, 2nd platoon, first squad.

 

Platoon commanders share the company and platoon markings but are not part of a squad, so, A20.

 

Company commanders share the company marking but are not part of a platoon, so, A00.

 

I kept all the special and heavy weapons teams different (so they can be moved around and subbed into any squad): HM1-HM3 for the mortar teams, SP1-SP8 for the 8 plasma giardsmen, etc. I made all the heavy chevrons silver and all the special chevrons gold.

 

It works out well, and you can tell who is in each side by side infantry squad just by glancing at their shoulder chevron color. (I also use anvil minis dragoon heads for the sgt, so their helmet crests match the chevron color of the squad they lead.)

 

I like the way it all looks.

[Mileposter]

I follow what it says in the Codex - so the numbers are squad numbers on the left shoulder and the right bears the platoon mark. The command squads have the two digit numbers with the skull, and heavy weapon squads start with a 0 or 00.

 

Even without this being dubbed 'official' for Cadians, it makes things visually diverse while still being uniform. That really fits the aesthetic of my homeworld. (Non Mars aligned industrial world, so Cadian neat and tidy appearance with Vostroyan rules)

 

Tanks I still haven't figured out, though - Codex gives that they should be delimited by stripe on the front side treads while the numbers are for individual tanks... But I haven't actually painted one up yet.

[Inso]

How are your Cadians going to learn to work together if you keep swapping them about from squad to squad?

 

Each squad should be numbered as a squad and they should remain equipped as they are... if you need other options, put another squad together and give them a different number.

 

It seems simple to me... ;) :D

[crimsondave]

I spent too much time thinking about mine. My regular infantry is out of the 144th Lycian Line Infantry Regiment. 1st Division of the Line infantry Corps, 4th Brigade of the 1st Division, and 4th Regiment of the 4th Brigade. Therefore they get 144th on the left shoulder and the guard skull wings on the right.

My vets are out of the 265th Mechanized infantry, so they get 265th on the left shoulder and a spade on the right designating elite status.

My Leman Russ tanks are out of the 317th Armored regiment. They get 317 both sides at front of the hull, an "A" at the middle on one side designating company "A", and a single digit number at the back on both sides 1 to 5 as I have 5 LR tanks. I also use other symbol designations that aren't that interesting to explain.

My Manticores and Basilisks are part of the 450th artillery regiment (only 1 division, so 4th Brigade 5th Regiment and "0" to make it 3 digits.) Basilisks are company A, Manticores are company B, and each have a single number like the Russes.

My Chimeras are part of the Mechanized Infantry so they are numbered 265, but I may add a couple to the 144th.

I put my Hellhounds and Scouts in the 144th as Line Infantry Support just because. I had a hard time deciding where they fit so, after asking opinions on the board, I just picked a spot.

My sergeants are designated with 144 or 265 on the left and a diamond on their right shoulder rather than a guard winged skull while platoon commanders have 144th or 265th left and skulls on the right and company commanders have 144th left and brass aquilas right I picked up from Forgeworld. My Line Infantry Corps general has brass aquilas on both shoulders. My Lord Marshall (head of everybody) is a 3rd party character mini that I decided didn't need any transfers.

 

I did it oddball like this because I wanted to use transfers but I also wanted to be able to swap my guys around without having their designations mismatch.

 

Sorry, you asked.

[Aothaine]

I think that just having the company number would be important. Squads are going to be mixed up and moved around all the time. A good example of this is Band of Brothers. After the drop they were just grabbing who ever they could and sending them on missions. Having squad markings would be super cool for Mordians or maybe Vostroyan but I get the feeling that most of the other Imperial Guard Regiments just use their guys as fodder until Space Marines show up.