Looking for suggestions on how to mark out SM n IG as Navis Nobilite allies

[Gamiel]

As the title say  I'm looking for suggestions on how to convert/kitbash/paint space marines or imperial guardsman to mark them out as being close allies to a Navigator house (or the Navis Nobilite as a group) and/or having worked alongside it/then for some time.

 

Do people have any suggestions? 

[apologist]

If you're after a 'canon' answer, the nearest equivalent I can think of is the example of forces indentured to Rogue Traders (from the Rogue Trader era). Here, the Rogue Trader's symbol would be added to the armour; either on the Guard's chest shield or shoulder pad, or on the Marine's leg or shoulder. 

 

A similar approach would work nicely here, with the symbol of the Imperial Navy (winged capital 'I' with a stylized ship's wheel) featured on a Space Marine pauldron in place of, or beside, the tactical marking; or on the Guard as a marking on their helm.

 

Beyond that, the world's your oyster. A physical trinket or sigil worn on a sergeant or squad leader 's belt would be an alternative, as would something more decorative – perhaps a symbolically wavy border applied to the edge of an element of armour?

 

[Brother Tyler]

Another example from the Rogue Trader era, and continuing to use a Rogue Trader instead of the Navis Nobilite, is the wearing of a special tabard bearing the color and badge of the Rogue Trader, as shown in the image below.

 

 

You might check out the novel Wolfblade by William King. It covers a period of time when Ragnar Blackmane served as a member of the honour guards for Navigator House Belisarius. It has been a very long time since I read it so I don't recall offhand if the Wolfblade members bore any special markings. There may be some other descriptions regarding other Chapters/Houses/Regiments in the lore, but I'm not up on my Black Library fiction.

[Bouargh]

EDIT: Ooops... Did not see the mention to Wlfblade was already done...

 

 

What you could do by simple painting/decals is selecting a comon army or campaign badge for all.

 

Otherwise you can go more extreme ways and substitute the squad marking by a house marking or other common icon. just like they did on the cover art for Wolfblade:

 

 

but do not commit the heresy to veil the Chapter´s emblem. The machine spirit of the power armour would not forgive it. (Concretly it means bad luck at dice throws...)

 

This is for example a small thing I plan to edit as custom decals for such a unit, allied to the navigator house (as it will be scaled down a lot it should be fine with laser printer):

 

Edited November 18, 2022 by Bouargh
Corrigendum

[Gamiel]

Having given this some thought I would say that to mark out a Navigator House allied force you could do stuff like:

- Exotic items and wargear, going from elite-but-standard stuff to archeotech and xeno-tech (van Saar, AdMek and Eldar Corsairs are good for this). Also, pets: like monkeys (AoS have some), Necromunda animals, and smaller xeno-beasts.

- Jewellery and similar things (like animal pelts) showing the Navigator House’s opulence and that they have been to exotic places where they could get those things.

- Things that say voidsmen or having spent long time in the void. Like pale skin, gaunt heads (van Saar n Delaque heads are likely good for this), and whatever more people can suggest.

- Things that are pirate- or seamen-ish. Like three-corner hats, colourful coats, boat hooks, and whatever more people can suggest.

- Possibly some/much jury-rigged armour/equipment/weapons and/or combining armour/equipment/weapons from different eras/marks/standards to show that they had to get creative or reuse stuff that normally would have been put among the groups artefacts when they have been beyond normal Imperial space where they can resupply and make proper repairs.

- Banner/s showing the House’s symbol. Possibly by having the force’s banner be split or quartered showing both the force’s and the house’s symbols, or having three quarters of the banner showing the Force symbol/colour and the last quarter showing the House’s symbol/colours. Or maybe there are more then one banner in the force, with one showing their colours and the other showing the House’s. Or the main banner show’s the house’s colours while the force’s colours are shown on back-banners.

- The House’s symbol and colours on the one of the pauldrons (suggests the right one for Space Marines).

- Esoteric-ish bits and symbols (AoS have lots of stuff for this), and astronomical stuff (the Celestial Hurricanum/Luminark of Hysh box is gold for that)