It's about as informative a label as you can get, where you develop characters, story, history... aka fluff for the models that you've built and that you use in your games etc.
As someone whose reason for hobbying might be graphed something like this...
There are as many different ways of fluffiffying Your dudes as there are reasons for hobbying in the first place (my graph is not comprehensive).
Campaigns
It's extraordinarily common for gamers to contemplate the glory of running and playing campaigns. The concept is multiple games played over several sessions with a big picture result at the end.
The reality is that campaigns tend to start strong and unless you have a particularly dedicated and forceful CO (campaign organiser) then it generally fizzles out within weeks.
This despicable pessimism is based on personal observation - people have full-time jobs, families, other commitments... what gamers refer to as 'Real Life' (or RL).
This is not to say that campaigns aren't a wonderful idea - the idea of applying concepts like resupply, building on victories or clawing back from defeat, is ace - it's just that unless you're living in a group house and have oodles of time on your hands and so do your mates then it's a tough ask.
Battle Honours
A concept I'm trying on for size is one I'm calling Battle Honours.
Partially in order to play-test my Templars list and partially in order to get better with them I'm on a campaign (pun intended) to try to use this army frequently, rather than swapping to a different army every session.
This also helps my local opponents work out what I have and what they do by playing them more frequently, and gives me experience 'muscle-memory-ing' the units and stats etc.
I mentioned at the end for the Big ol' Cancon 2020 Wrap Up that I'd done some this and that with campaign colours.
It's not a complex concept; just a matter of recording the actual, historical events that the army has been a part of. Each event or expedition gets a 'fluffy name' and a 2-tone colour identifier...
Here we have a Thunderhawk that has been part of both expeditions. It has two sets of colour tags on the side of the cockpit.
These Stormravens were part of the most recent event (lime/fuscia) only...
These infantry and Land Speeders were part of both expeditions...
So basically I'm using a short-side of the base to display the expedition colours. This might have the additional/practical benefit of identifying units from multiple formations that are jumbled up in big assaults etc.
Standard Colours...
The following section is in no way looking to endorse any paint manufacturer over another. It is however helpful to have a commonly available, unchanging standard - so the following are citadel paint colours that approximate the expedition colours.
Infernum Centralis Campaign - Cancon 2020
Diabolus Rift Intervention - CoD Convoy 2020
Shields...
So a chart in your lists book, markings on the unit's bases... you done yet?
Nope. I also decided to model and 3d print some little plaques which I will attach to their storage box. Still a WIP, but something like this...
6 printed, 2 needed = spares...
Spray painted with 'hammer finish' metal (silver)... because I had that sitting around.
Wrap Up
So nothing taxing like a novel or fancy articles or anything but something easy to keep it interesting when there are no dice to be rolled.
My dudes now have history and the records to back it up.
Update 20200331
The Templars have been rehomed in the largest size modifx bag available. Substantially lighter than the toolbox, plus lots of foam to keep them snug.
Managed to fit everything in, but I did lots of diagrams and model counts before pulling the trigger on it.
Whipped up a quick mdf plate to put the badges on. Velcro on the back given the bag already had a patch for it.
Until next time...
No comments:
Post a Comment