We often get together with friends to watch football. If we’re lucky enough that one of our teams is available on TV, we can watch at home. Or (since they are often out of market,) we have to go to a sports bar. Some friends came over the other day, and my wife got a little football banner to put out on the front porch for the occasion.
I got to thinking (the activity that usually prompts these little literary anecdotes,) about battle standards and military flags. They don’t make a lot of sense now, except in parades or special ceremonies, but as recently as the late 1800s (and dating all the way back to the earliest days of organized warfare,) signs and flags were necessary to help organize forces. Imagine a football game, but with a few hundred players on each team, and no referees. Now take away the rule about “personal fouls,” and give all the players weapons. It would be pretty difficult after the first snap of the ball to get everybody to line back up for the next play without a way to signal to your players. However, with a visible rallying point that was brightly decorated with your team’s colors and symbols, you’d stand a much better chance of showing your guys where to get together and regroup.
Historical tabletop wargames usually include units carrying battle flags (think of the US Civil War Battles or Napoleonic Wars.) Although the contestants of the game can clearly see their miniature forces while standing over the table, the flags add both a sense of realism, and colorful visual interest to the field. The same holds true in fantasy and sci-fi wargames. Probably the most recognizable example are the ones by Games Workshop. So much so that the term “Warhammer” has been genericized to mean any brand of tabletop wargames in some countries.
Since the early 1980s, Warhammer Fantasy Battle has included units with fantastical war banners, incorporating the glyphs and icons of those fantasy armies. White Dwarf magazine often had examples for players to cut out and use on their units. I have several of those magazines on my shelves. They are all widely available with a Google search for “Skaven banners” or “Dwarf battle flags,” etc. if you don’t already have original magazine versions.
I really enjoy incorporating battle flags into my miniature units. They are a great opportunity to add a little colorful whimsy, and because I don’t actually play the wargames, I can use them in any way I choose.
I am NOT bound by your silly game rules!
The first flag is one of GW’s ready made goblin banners, painted as if it were a tiny acrylic coloring book. I found it online last week, and painted it the other day. It’s pretty simple, but also very iconic of the original fantasy armies.
This second one is a goblin that I 3d printed in resin.
I accidentally made him about 20% too small for the other guys in his unit. Rather than toss him out, I kitbashed him into a standard bearer, standing tiptoe on a little pile of skulls. I think he’ll be pretty cool once he’s completed.
This third example is a freehand Space Marine Grey Wolves banner I painted in the late 80s. The pole and attached miniature have been lost over time, but I found the flag itself among some loose, broken stuff in a box. The additional text that was glued below the wolf is missing. The paper is pretty thin and creased (in addition to the intentional battle damage I added at its inception.) But maybe I can shore it up and make it usable. With a little creativity, it may yet again serve as a rallying point for some tiny pretend badassery.
-Toph