thoughts on banners (from the punk new guy)

I think a banner should signify something important to the unit and be a message to the rest of the army. Being the Lizardmen are a little different from all the other races, I would imagine their banners would be something that doesn't quite translate. I could see a saurus banner having the Horsehead nebula on it or a lunar eclipse, maybe even a spiral galaxy. But that really wouldn't cause fear in the enemy and I think the Lizardmen would understand this. To that end, I think they would then try to make the most terrifyingly simple banners imaginable. I wouldn't expect a banner of butchery and gore like the Beastmen would have or maybe a daemonic Khornate would be, but something similar. I could imagine a banner that universally signifies to the enemy that here comes death; you have entered a world in which you know nothing about and for your hubris and ignorance, you will die. I think their banners should signify to the lesser races that you have unknowingly knocked on deaths door and it has answered. No remorse, no pity, no mercy, you are not welcome on the sacred ground that is Lustria. We have watched a 1,000 pathetic attempts at civilization rise and crumble and yet it is we who remain. Yesterday you came as explorers or conquerors, but today you are food. How in the world could I best represent that on the banners? Thoughts?

 

I actually like your star banner ideas. Not sure the lizardmen care much about the enemy's reaction to their banners. Fear, joy, it's really of no interest i'd imagine. Maybe the skinks. They're kind of vicious as far as battle tactics so i've read. But i dont think the saurus or slanns really get into that sort of thing. More into their own intrests, or the slann's rather.

 

AWESOME post. So many things to muse on. I love the space themed banners idea.

I don't have any thoughts on how you can achieve the more abstract banner ideas. Modern Art's not my thing. Would the lizards care about intimidating with their banners? I think they would be more concerned with what a particular unit's place was in the old one's plans, what they represent. That's what I assume the banners would represent.

On that thought, you could let your imagination go. Maybe a stick figure painting of dead non-tailed beings? An egg, clutched in a fist. Several shades of purple.

 

Also you have the skaven pelt banner (real model) it consist of a skined skaven fron the clan pestulance in a stick, the very sight of it drives the lizardment into a frenzy rembering that the skaven poisioned their spawing pools.

 

Great writing. I have several ideas; don't know if they're any good to you:

1). In many myths, the egg symbolizes birth and creation of the universe or Earth. In Greek mythology, a celestial egg crack open. The top half of the shell becomes the sky, the bottom half becomes Earth and the insides of the egg gave rise to life on Earth. Lizards have eggs...

2). The Phoenix symbolizes rebirth, regrowth, rejuvenation, eternity, etc. Maybe you can have a phoenix bursting out of an imprisoned egg.

3). A meteor. If it's good enough to kill all the dinosaurs in the world, it's good enough to scare off any armies

4). Pandora's box or similar item. It signifies the carelessness and gullibility of those who opened it (in this case, whoever faces against the LM doesn't know what they're getting into).

Just throwing ideas out. I won't get offended if you say that it sucks/doesn't work.

 

I'm diggin the egg concepts!

 

Actualy Lizardmen have spawning pools.

 

LIES!

 

I've sort of gone forward with the whole Aztek, Inca, Maya feel for the army, so looking at their artifacts I think the geometric patterns, stylized lizards and snakes and feathers seem to work well, although I guess you want a whole different direction.

FWIW, the one that I really love is the circular stone calender, which signifies that everything that's happening is part of the greater cosmic plan. Other things that might fit this theme? A sundial? Something circular for sure anyway.

 

I'm groovin on the geometric patterns too. I just didn't know where to go with the idea. I love the Aztec, Inca, Mayan theme of the Lizardmen, but I didn't want people to be too comfortable with them. I'd like to do a Robert E. Howard (creator of Conan the Barbarian for all who might not know) approach, where some things seem familiar, but not too familiar. My worry with the Central-South American theme is that it might not make the army..."pop?" With that being said, I DO LURVE that circular stone calender too and I was thinking of sculpting one to put behind my Slaan. I might try to add some Chinese froo-froo in there just to make people take a second glance.

 

Lots of good icons here: http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/aztecs/calendar.jpg

 

If I could, I'd like to do a spinning war banner; maybe three different pictures (it wouldn't really spin, but you get the idea). I also plan on basing the models on broken checkered stone (what else!) and would like to put a similar design on the banner, maybe going stark with black & white. I'm really digging the whole egg concept though. So many possibilities...