Primaris company and unit marking coherency

[pawl]

Hey all! I've got a question about armour markings...

 

In the pre-Primaris years unit markings were fairly easy to keep on top of - Tactical #1-6, Assault #7&8, Devastator #9&10, repeat for each company.

 

Now that individuals are trained for multiple roles across multiple armour variants, however, the whole thing seems a bit more confusing. Two or three different squads (or even 2/3 different characters) could all wear the same company and squad designation and it could technically be correct if they weren't fielded at the same time, no?

 

Do you have a system for your markings, do you make it up as you go, or am I being far too pedantic about this?

[TheNewman]

I had squad markings for a while but I found it too limiting when I was actually putting lists together. I also know from experience that GW is all too happy to change legal squad options and I'd just as soon not have to redo all my squad markings because they decided that only Devastator squads can carry Lascannons or whatever.

[Closet Skeleton]

Individuals have been trained for multiple roles since 5th ed made tactical marines the end of a training system starting in the reserve companies, its not a Primaris thing. The markings are on the armour, if a battle brother changes armour and squads he doesn't keep his previous markings.

 

Characters have always been able to change to terminator armour or ride a bike and that doesn't change their rank so I don't see that mattering at all.

 

My mostly complete Primaris battle company just uses the same old markings as ever. The extra fire and close support squads then get the above 10 numbers and I still haven't hit 100 marines in spite of having maybe 15 squads. If I get to over 120 I might just start painting up squads as from reserve companies since I'll have to break company purity to add veterans in anyway.

 

 

I had squad markings for a while but I found it too limiting when I was actually putting lists together. I also know from experience that GW is all too happy to change legal squad options and I'd just as soon not have to redo all my squad markings because they decided that only Devastator squads can carry Lascannons or whatever.

I only put markings on the battle company (the primaris are my second one) I made as a hobby project, I did give up flexibility but that didn't matter in friendly games. Not a problem Primaris really have.

Edited November 30, 2021 by Closet Skeleton

[pawl]

Individuals have been trained for multiple roles since 5th ed made tactical marines the end of a training system starting in the reserve companies, its not a Primaris thing. The markings are on the armour, if a battle brother changes armour and squads he doesn't keep his previous markings.

Perhaps I have misunderstood things slightly then, I don't know.

 

The way I saw it under the old system Brother Dave (second company, third squad) was a tactical marine, no matter where he was deployed. For tabletop purposes this meant that only one unit of models should bear the markings of 2ndCo/3rdSq

Under the new system Brother Dave (second company, third squad) could be deployed as an intercessor (regular, assault or heavy), infiltrator or incursor, meaning that as many as 5 units could be modelled with the same designation and it could be the same marines in different situations.

 

Again, maybe I'm just overthinking it!

[Helias_Tancred]

Hey all! I've got a question about armour markings...

 

In the pre-Primaris years unit markings were fairly easy to keep on top of - Tactical #1-6, Assault #7&8, Devastator #9&10, repeat for each company.

 

Now that individuals are trained for multiple roles across multiple armour variants, however, the whole thing seems a bit more confusing. Two or three different squads (or even 2/3 different characters) could all wear the same company and squad designation and it could technically be correct if they weren't fielded at the same time, no?

 

Do you have a system for your markings, do you make it up as you go, or am I being far too pedantic about this?

 

It's still the original squad schematic as you noted, plus there are additional allocated numbers up to 20. If it's a *new* Primaris squad that is where they go. If say your 3rd tactical squad is all primaris, then they get the 3rd squad number/icon (for some chapters). 

 

On your second point, yes they could. You're right.

 

For Blood Angels we use icons and not numbers. My 1st and 2nd tactical squads are intercessors and they wear the standard 1st and 2nd squad identifier on the right knee. Now my assault squads have the 7th and 8th squad designators, so my new Inceptors I gave 12th squad markings. My Hellblasters got 11th squad markings, because my Dev squads have 9th and 10th squad markers, etc. You'll find the expanded squad markings in the space marine codex, or in my case the Blood Angel codex supplement. 

 

I hope this explains it for you.

[Lord_Caerolion]

This is no different than an old Assault Squad being able to deploy as an actual Assault Squad or a Bike Squad, Assault Centurion squad, or in Land Speeders.

 

You’re not correct that Third Squad could deploy as Assault Intercessors or Incursors, as while those are Troops, they’re both Close Support. A squad can deploy as any unit with its same designation, whether Battleline, Close Support, or Fire Support. It’s not tied to Troops, Fast Attack, or Heavy Support in any way.

As Third Squad is Battleline, they can only be Infiltrators, Intercessors, or Heavy Intercessors, the Primaris Battleline units.

 

7th and 8th Squads could deploy as any Close Support squads (Inceptors, Incursors, Outriders, or Invader/Storm Speeder crew.

 

9th and 10th Squads can deploy as any Fire Support squads (Hellblasters, Aggressors, Eliminators, Suppressors, or Eradicators).

Edited December 1, 2021 by Lord_Caerolion

[pawl]

This is no different than an old Assault Squad being able to deploy as an actual Assault Squad or a Bike Squad, Assault Centurion squad, or in Land Speeders.

 

You’re not correct that Third Squad could deploy as Assault Intercessors or Incursors, as while those are Troops, they’re both Close Support. A squad can deploy as any unit with its same designation, whether Battleline, Close Support, or Fire Support. It’s not tied to Troops, Fast Attack, or Heavy Support in any way.

As Third Squad is Battleline, they can only be Infiltrators, Intercessors, or Heavy Intercessors, the Primaris Battleline units.

 

7th and 8th Squads could deploy as any Close Support squads (Inceptors, Incursors, Outriders, or Invader/Storm Speeder crew.

 

9th and 10th Squads can deploy as any Fire Support squads (Hellblasters, Aggressors, Eliminators, Suppressors, or Eradicators).

Apologies - I haven't owned a marine Codex since something like 3rd ed, as I'm not a gamer. You clarified the gist of my point though, thanks

[jaxom]

The one thing Lord_Caerolion didn't cover, which goes back to

 

could all wear the same company and squad designation and it could technically be correct if they weren't fielded at the same time, no?

 

is that Primaris squads are more often fielded in subunits compared to Firstborn. Subunits are not the same as combat squads. For example, the close support 8th squad might be deployed as an inceptor squad (six marines, which could then combat squad into two units of three), an outrider squad (three marines), and an Invictor warsuit (1 marine). Depending on the mission, those squads may not be fielded in the same area. On the table top that could translate to them "not being fielded at the same time," and they would all share company and squad number markings. 

 

Personally, I think subunits are easier to keep track of compared to combat squads. Subunits are distinguished by models, while combat squads are identical.... How have others kept track of different combat squads? 

[Lord_Caerolion]

I don’t regard combat squads as having different markings, or anything to really differentiate them, as they’re an ad-hoc formation that’s often used on the fly. They’re a 10 man squad that’s just temporarily split up to achieve an objective.

[MadGreek]

 

Personally, I think subunits are easier to keep track of compared to combat squads. Subunits are distinguished by models, while combat squads are identical.... How have others kept track of different combat squads? 

 

I use a "Corporal" who has markings that pick him out, and he would be the "leader" in a Combat Squad scenario.