Blood Ravens Dreadnought Personal Heraldry

[ElectricPaladin]

I recently converted my dreadnought - destined to be fielded as a missile/las hellfire dreadnought, but the arms are effortlessly swappable, so that could change - to have a banner. Awesome! The only problem is, what is my dreadnought's personal heraldry? I don't know. I'd be tempted to go with a "standard" Blood Ravens banner, but I've already put a standard banner (vermillion field, dark silver raven, red blood drop, surrounded by a golden border) on the back of my terminator sergeant. My dreadnought, as the "survivor" of even more battles than a veteran terminator sergeant, deserves something a little more special.

The other problem is that I've only just started to learn the ins and outs of freehanding. I'm not bad at it - right now I'm freehanding all my shoulder pads, both tactical arrows and blood raven symbols - but I have my limits. So, I need an idea that I can easily translate into a few simple geometric shapes and add details to (ie. the From The Warp method).

Help me brainstorm? What do you think would be cool, but achievable?

[DrLove42]

Battle diorama

The FW salamanders dread, one of his shoulder pads is a motif of his last battle as a marine, holding off hundred of stealers before being injured and interred.

Depict his greatest battle moment, the one that made his worthy of saving in a Dread, not just consigned to the dead pile

[ElectricPaladin]

Battle diorama

The FW salamanders dread, one of his shoulder pads is a motif of his last battle as a marine, holding off hundred of stealers before being injured and interred.

Depict his greatest battle moment, the one that made his worthy of saving in a Dread, not just consigned to the dead pile

I really, really like this idea, but it's probably beyond my limited freehanding ability.

[Kyban]

Maybe delve into his background a bit? Include something to symbolize his company, achievements, or purpose.

[Wolfshade]

I was thinking you could have his own heladry in terms of a simple shapes on a sheild, with the raven overlaid. Similar to Grey Knights heraldic devices. Wiki has a good article on it and the different rules and shapes.

[ElectricPaladin]

I like the "proper" heraldry idea. That feels like something I could manage. Let me finish brainstorming his background, post it, and see what comes of it.

[Nemesis]

Another, more difficult way perhaps is to make your own waterslide transfer. You can buy sheets of waterslide, in clear or white, from a number of hobby outlets. Just find a pic you like, shrink it to size and then print it on the paper. You'll have to seal the printed picture to prevent the water from making the ink run, there's various products out there for that. Anyhoo, it's about the only way you can have a nicely detailed pic on a large flat surface.

[ElectricPaladin]

I made something up - any thoughts for heraldry?


• • •

Amun Har, Warden of the Western Gate

Amun Har was recruited from the shrine world of Thulahn three hundred years after the Blood Ravens emerged from the fires of the Alpha Legion insurrection that destroyed their historical records. Wary and cautious, even for such a famously intellectual chapter, Brother Har rose slowly through the ranks, favoring reliable service to the bold heroics that would have speeded his ascent. Amun Har served without distinction in Tactical Squad Apophis of the 9th Company until he achieved the rank of veteran. He was then returned to the 9th Company as Brother-Sergeant Har and given charge of Devastator Squad Sacmis, where it was thought that his steady and reliable nature would shore up the courage of the former scouts under his command.

As a sergeant, Amun Har achieved the distinction that he had never sought, and his squad was soon known for its valor and grit. Under Brother-Sergeant Har’s command, Devastator Squad Sacmis held the line against Warboss Manstompa Megakilla’s Deffnobs during the Cleansing of Obscurus, earning the Marksman’s Honor and the Imperial Laurel in the process.

Death found Amun Har in a minor conflict on the Night World of Essyradror, where the Blood Ravens answered the call of Eldar from Craftworld Lugganath, who had promised secret lore in return for aid in a conflict against a different faction of Eldar. The battle went poorly for the Eldar, and soon they found themselves fighting in defense of their own craftworld. Amun Har and Devastator Squad Sacmis were given charge of defending a part of the craftworld called “The Weeping Gate of the Ever-Setting Sun” – or simply “The Western Gate,” as the Astartes chose to clal it.

The tide of battle turned abruptly when the members of an obscure Eldar sect known as the “Harlequins,” who had previously sided with Craftworld Lugganath, abruptly switched sides, claiming that Lugganath’s promises to the Astartes were in violation of Eldar beliefs. Sending the rest of his squad to warn his captain, Amun Har took up his missile launcher and remained behind to hold the gate himself, which he did for more than 90 Terran standard hours. When he was found, still clinging to life despite terrible wounds and strange Eldar poisons, he was surrounded by dozens of charred Eldar corpses.

For his heroism, Amun Har was interred in a dreadnought. He still prefers to fight with the lascannon and missile launcher that he favored in life. Amun Har retains the same dutiful and reliable personality that defined him in life, though he has a marked dislike for Eldar of all types, claiming that they cannot be trusted.