Wassa Posted July 1, 2019 Share Posted July 1, 2019 I notice both BA tactical marines and Death Company have ropes wrapped around their arms, legs, guns, and jump packs. What are they for or what do they represent? What colour do people paint them on their Death Company? I've followed the box/painting app that says Screamer Pink, but then they are a bit pink/purple for my liking. I can't imagine highlighting them with Pink Horror? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spagunk Posted July 1, 2019 Share Posted July 1, 2019 Ropes and bands are used in all sorts of different real world situations. Usually they're honor bands or in more rudimentary cultures (still real world) as promise cords.I think in the context of 40k, they just represent battle honors and the like. Don't think there is any other significance other than general flair.Personally, I tend to use some real-world analogies for cords: Golds/Yellow, grays etc. Death company are red to palette match the figure (black, red, bone). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black_Sky Posted July 1, 2019 Share Posted July 1, 2019 Mine are Doombull brown, agrax earthshade, tuskgor fur highlights. The ropes can also symbolise restraint and/or being bound by fate or nature. It really depends on you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machine God Posted July 1, 2019 Share Posted July 1, 2019 Perhaps they got the idea from the Black Templars but chose ropes instead of chains. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knight of the Raven Posted July 3, 2019 Share Posted July 3, 2019 The Blood Angels are artists. All it takes for them to add something to their wargear is that they find it pretty.They're also artists, so all it takes for them to use ropes is that it represents something they consider important in their culture.For instance, the 'X' shape is apparently linked to the Death Company for reasons I don't know. Ropes just so happen to be easy to cross into this shape, as shown by the box dedicated to this squad. I even have a power pack with two scrolls crossed into an 'X' right in front of me as I type this post.In fact, a quick count shows me there are exactly two ropes that aren't crossed on my sprues; and I didn't pluck many bits over the years.Out of universe, there's also the wish of the Design Studio to make the space marines with their own codices different. The one example I remember from an old White Dwarf was that Black Templars were given cylindrical lanterns whereas Dark Angels got spherical censers ('thuribles' is the technical English name, I believe). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderforge Posted July 3, 2019 Share Posted July 3, 2019 The gold braid of real world military officers dates back to the use of horses; officers rode horses, which needed to be tied up. The rope for this became symbolic over the years. I would imagine however that the Blood Angels would have a more spiritual reason, perhaps symbolic of martyrdom? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spagunk Posted July 3, 2019 Share Posted July 3, 2019 The "X's" or saltires are currently (as of 8th ed.) an homage to the wounds that Sanguinius received during his last battle with Horus. However the recent Book 8 for Horus Heresy actually indicate they originated from something more primal. In book 8 they do talk about how some members will color their armor black ash and use red crosses to signify a blood oath and possible impending death. It's an old ritual and definitely writes as the precursor to Death Company traditions. However one would argue that the writing for Book 8th was slightly flawed as it was half written out by the time Alan Bligh passed away. The current writer may not have been aware of what was intended or how these things came about but I digress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Majkhel Posted July 3, 2019 Share Posted July 3, 2019 The ropes can also symbolise restraint and/or being bound by fate or nature. It really depends on you. I absolutely love this idea! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xenith Posted July 4, 2019 Share Posted July 4, 2019 The ropes are there to annoy painters. The Voxcast with Jez Goodwin doesn't explicitly call out the ropes as being too much, but I think them being so annoying played a large part in going back to basics with Primaris. Your standard BA tactical marine is way more decorated and ornate than a plastic captain model, for example. It was upside down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wassa Posted July 4, 2019 Author Share Posted July 4, 2019 I quite like them, it gives them more detail. The blood drops and vials i have mixed feelings about though. Great when they're solid, but they're easily broken. Even one of the models on one of the BA boxes has a stub where a bit broke off! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MegaVolt87 Posted July 18, 2019 Share Posted July 18, 2019 I always thought the ropes were so your snacks couldn't run away? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frater Antodeniel Posted July 21, 2019 Share Posted July 21, 2019 In term of Symbols, the ropes, like the chains, can be interpreted as a mark of bonding. It is a sign that one individual have bounded itself to a group or undergo a trial that allowed him to join the group. For example, in tradition, Celtic Marriage involve the handfasting of a rope around the couples wrist as sign of the bound that bind them. On the same note, rope is used by monk to fastened their robe and well as their crux, for rope is also a symbol of simplicity/humility/poverty. The fact that Blood Angels models possess ropes bound to their power armour is fitting. It may suggest that the Battle Brother have achieve some sort of trial when joining his brotherhood, or succeded in mastering one of the Virtue that is mentionned in the Blood Angels fluff, or it may also be a sign of mourning for a fallen brother, a mark of the bound the battle brothers shared and still survived in spirit. As for the Death Company it could mark the fact that they share their Primarch vision and are bound to follow his ultimate fate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joeker Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 In my 'head cannon', non-DC troops with DC markings - usually crosses on shoulders, extra ropes etc etc - are mourning close brothers who've joined the DC. Our tradition is that when any brother joins the DC, brothers close to him also adorn their wargear in remembrance of their lost brother. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnorriSnorrison Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 In my 'head cannon', non-DC troops with DC markings - usually crosses on shoulders, extra ropes etc etc - are mourning close brothers who've joined the DC. Our tradition is that when any brother joins the DC, brothers close to him also adorn their wargear in remembrance of their lost brother. Only if you build your marines using the DC sprue :P the Tactical Sprue doesn’t utilize crosses at all I think. Snorri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Majkhel Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 In my 'head cannon', non-DC troops with DC markings - usually crosses on shoulders, extra ropes etc etc - are mourning close brothers who've joined the DC. Our tradition is that when any brother joins the DC, brothers close to him also adorn their wargear in remembrance of their lost brother. Only if you build your marines using the DC sprue the Tactical Sprue doesn’t utilize crosses at all I think. Snorri Actually they do sport ropes, some of them crossed as well Antor Delassio miniature from Death Watch als has ropes (although not crossed) on his jump pack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnorriSnorrison Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 In my 'head cannon', non-DC troops with DC markings - usually crosses on shoulders, extra ropes etc etc - are mourning close brothers who've joined the DC. Our tradition is that when any brother joins the DC, brothers close to him also adorn their wargear in remembrance of their lost brother. Only if you build your marines using the DC sprue :P the Tactical Sprue doesn’t utilize crosses at all I think. Snorri Actually they do sport ropes, some of them crossed as well Antor Delassio miniature from Death Watch als has ropes (although not crossed) on his jump pack Good call! The ones that don’t cross seem to hold gems and vials though, perhaps that’s just a way of attaching them to the armour? Generally, I don’t think it means that much outside of the DC sprue. GW kinda went with it as one re-occurring detail for Blood Angels, just like Space wolves get their talismans and necklaces with teeth, etc...on their sprues. Snorri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blindhamster Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 Blood Angel's tactical squad and arguably death company are good examples of why less is more. I always had to mix in regular kits with both to make them less over the top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panzer Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 Though for Blood Angels it makes sense to be over the top considering we are the artistic bunch who individualise our armour all the time. It just becomes a problem if you either want to paint a lot of models quickly with rather low efford or when to differentiate between veterans and regular units (apart from the colour scheme). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joeker Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 I give all veterans Gold Helmets, so that helps (except when they're helmetless...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panzer Posted July 23, 2019 Share Posted July 23, 2019 I give all veterans Gold Helmets, so that helps (except when they're helmetless...) (apart from the colour scheme). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joeker Posted July 23, 2019 Share Posted July 23, 2019 I give all veterans Gold Helmets, so that helps (except when they're helmetless...) (apart from the colour scheme). yeah, reading helps.... hahah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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