Platoon Commander Replacement: 2Lt Aelius
Regular readers might remember my Death By Fluff post a few weeks back, where I looked at army background, and the contraversial practice of 'killing off' characters who really do die in battle, regardless of the time and effort spent on conversions and their battle records. Well, this of course means that Lieutenant Creticus, when he was cut to pieces in a recent battle, was gone forever.
All this means my officers have very 'real' heroics - if they do a blind charge, there really is a threat of them dying forever (rather than just being wounded and back in the next battle). It does, of course, mean also that I have to keep the army constantly supplied with new officer models. Their backgrounds are fairly easy (I haven't even written one for this chap yet), since they are all 'factory' officers straight from The Academy who will earn their spurs in battle, for real.
Anyway - to business. To prepare for the inevitable tide of officer casualties from my future games with Headologist, I'm building up a collection of models to use as stand-in commanders. Lieutenant Rhyn has replaced Creticus, and so this chap Lieutenant Aelius, will be ready should Lieutenant Galbrio die in battle. It's all very organised. This is just an ordinary Cadian officer on the normal 40mm base I use for character models. I should mention that he does, unusually wear Carapace Armour (most of the Second Battalion are dress troops in 'Mordian' uniforms). This is because I let my armies evolve over the course of a campaign. Although they might start off in dress uniforms, as replacements arrive they might be a bit better equipped and the unit will slowly accumulate odds and ends of equipment until they're a highly elite, ad-hoc battlegroup formation.
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| The crest for the First (or Praetorian) Regiment |
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| Second Lieutenant's pips, as rendered on Carapace armour |
Anyway, although he has an inauspicious background I'm sure he'll be taking up position in the ranks soon enough and earning himself a few medals soon enough! In the meantime, thanks again for reading and until next time, happy gaming.
The Colonel
He'll fit in nicely I think. Like the laurel on his pauldron, very well done.
ReplyDeleteAs to your practice of chopping officer casualties from your list.... Do they always "die" if they are removed ingame, or is there a chance that they may have perhaps gotten injured so much that they are unable to continue in that particular conflict? Is that something you considered at all, or perhaps it's a little too much for the book keeping? Could say do a roll post-battle to see what the severity of his/her wounds are and decide from there. Just an idea. (Seems sad to put so much effort into your lovely officer figs only to have to stick them on the shelf indefinately due to poor dicerolling. :)
Thanks a lot Dai :) as for the dead officers ... welcome to the dilemma of the fluffist. That's exactly my problem, and I try to get round it by using things like the Necromunda permenant injury table (Captain Nero has -1 I and -1 WS because of rolls on this table - deaf and blind in one ear/eye). But the ordinary 'mass produced' officers generally just die - although after he's been on the shelf for a while I might give him a new name and bring him back. The flip side of the coin is the realism you get, with real characters that have proper backgrounds. True human fragility and heroism in a universe of flying laser teeth death monsters. But as you say, it's heart-wrenching sometimes!
DeleteRIP Lieutenant Creticus, sniff sniff.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Lieutenant Rhyn will disagree about dying - being trained from a different regiment and all....
Lieutenant Marcus Rhyn: I'm not dead.
Imperial Dead Collector: 'Ere, he says he's not dead.
Colonel Scipio: Yes he is.
Lieutenant Marcus Rhyn: I'm not.
Imperial Dead Collector: He isn't.
Colonel Scipio: Well, he will be soon, he's an officer of the Palladian Guard.
Lieutenant Marcus Rhyn: I'm only on exchange!
Colonel Scipio: No you're not, you'll be stone dead in a moment.
Imperial Dead Collector: Well, I can't take him like that. It's against regulations.
Lieutenant Marcus Rhyn: I don't want to go on the cart.
Colonel Scipio: Oh, don't be such a baby.
Imperial Dead Collector: I can't take him.
Lieutenant Marcus Rhyn: I feel fine.
Colonel Scipio: Oh, do me a favor.
Imperial Dead Collector: I can't.
Colonel Scipio: Well, can you hang around for a couple of minutes? He won't be long.
Imperial Dead Collector: I promised I'd be at the Praetorian 40th’. They've lost nine today.
Colonel Scipio: Well, when's your next round?
Imperial Dead Collector: Thursday.
Lieutenant Marcus Rhyn: I think I'll go for a walk.
Colonel Scipio: You're not fooling anyone, you know. Isn't there anything you could do?
Lieutenant Marcus Rhyn: I feel happy. I feel happy.
[The Imperial Dead Collector glances up and down the battlefield furtively, and then silences Lieutenant Rhyn with the butt of his lasgun…]
It's definitely a tough go getting your Lt's pips and commissioning scroll in your universe, to be sure. So what happens to the character's miniature when the character cops it? Does the mini get retired as well?
ReplyDeleteThat turned out looking fantastic! Love the laurel wreath freehand - good stuff, man!
ReplyDelete@Col Ackland: I read that and got a much-needed belly laugh. Hilarious! I think I like the idea of the Dead Collector in the Guard regiment most though ... next week, the First Regiment goes on unarmed combat training. 'Ow to defend yourselves from fresh fruit!
Delete@MadPadre: Ohhh yes they don't come easy. To make matters worse, for the snobbish Praetorians getting commissioned from the ranks is a big no-no. The 'Third Lieutenants' are not even commissioned officers - a bit like Rico in Starship Troopers when he does the big bug operation at the end. The mini normally gets semi-retired, I might bring him back a few games down the line with a new name so as not to waste all that modelling effort!
@Mordian 7th: Thanks a lot! Yeah I've been pushing myself recently painting freehand stuff (mostly on historicals), and I've improved quite a bit. I'd never have thought I could paint something like that, it's just having a go and seeing where your limits are.
I really like the freehand painting on your Lieutenant, and your commitment to the fluff is impressive.
ReplyDeleteCheers Chris - as I say, really getting into the freehand painting now! I think I have a little bit of a competitive streak in me when gaming but my main love of the 40K universe is definitely the fluff!
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