Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Add Reply
Naming units for Campaign
Topic Started: 26th December 2006 - 10:17 AM (340 Views)
Sammy the Squid
Member Avatar
Back to retirement!

As many of you know, my gaming group is currently running a large Campaign, and for unit Experience, every unit in an army must have a name or title. Now this is easy for some armies, but not quite so easy for horde armies like Skaven. This is made more difficult by the fast that they arent really unified...

So how would one go about naming basic Skaven units? (not Characters, thats easy enough...)

Thanks :)

- Sammy
"If the squidman can't do it, no one can!!"

Wins/Losses/Draws

Skaven Clan Rattenkrieg - 108/58/20
Dark Elves - 44/14/8
Hochland Empire - 33/14/4
Malkavian Vampires - 23/22/4
Beastmen - 50/25/2

Have not completed a Painting Vow since July 07!!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Lord Lughtigern
Member Avatar
The Mad Ratter.

hmmm, I'd go naming them after the unit champions (if there are any), such as "Blacktail's Claws" or "Rednoses's Reigndeer". Something like that.

Conversly, you could just name them things that represent what they do, like "The Dwarfstabbers" or "fastrunners".

Finally, there's just the naming them things that sound cool, like "The Darkshadow Panthers" or "Madtitans"

You get the idea!
Posted Image

Links you should try out:
Denizens of the Deep - Rules for Underground Campaigns
Warhammer Skirmish - The Lazy Man's Mordheim
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Mebob
Member Avatar
Pants are for the weak!
I would reccomend what Lord Lughtigern said, but you could be even more adventurous and call them names like "clanrats 1" etc, you oculd use this if your stuck for ideas on names of units, or just call them names like this temporarily as you think of proper names for the units
For proffesionaly made corsets visit:
Elegantly bound Classic looks for the modern woman

(click the name!)
Posted Image
Clan Notch (skaven)
Rukarthan 23rd and Order of Sanctuary (Imperial gaurd and Sister of Battle)
My Devaint Art account
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Bodacious
Member Avatar
Doomwheel Fanatic
I agree with mebob. Any self-respecting skaven general would call them nothing more than first clanrat regiment, second clanrat regiment... fifth clanrats regiment etc. They could get nicknames like the ones LL listed, but you have to earn nicknames right ;) .

Cheers,
Bodacious.
My Blog - My Army Diary - Twitter: @DaanofWar - Steam: DaanofWar
Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Morgoth
Member Avatar
The Ancient Evil

Let them earn names from their acomplishments as the campaign moves on:

as "Elfslayers", "The Runaways", "Mighty Moles" etc.
That will be very personal and give your gamestory an extra dimension.

But agreed: For starters just ClanRats 1,2 ......17 :P
Greetings from MorgothPosted Image Mostly Clan Eshin, occasionally Clan Husk.
Proud keeper of the Poking Stick of Doom, known to many a RPG-player Posted Image
Quote:
 
SingTheScreams:   "....we ain't no chaos-worshipping freaks. We be ratmen, and we do as we please......"

----- Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Stinkhair
Member Avatar
Dabbling GM. Clanrat loon. 6th Edition Aficionado. Bitter.

I'd start with a nickname too... just for the character...

Even if it's just a simple designation...

Krakkit-claw
Skarskitten-claw
Grüdisk-claw
Hashik guards
Farliken seventh battlerat claw

'Clanrats 1' is the worst of the worst. Avoid at all costs. At least name their home warrens or the rat they serve...

'Stinkhair's thirteenth claw' beats 'clanrats 13', even if the difference is almost nonexistent... ;)
Posted ImageI've flown with pirates twixt the stars of New Eden,
Fought across Lordran, slain dragon and daemon,
Wandered the Wastelands - the East and the West,
But U E dot net's what I like the best.
Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Sammy the Squid
Member Avatar
Back to retirement!

I cant really call the units 'Clanrat 1' etc. The units have to have some kind of basic name to earn experience... So I guess its back to the Skaven name generator for me! -_-

- Sammy
"If the squidman can't do it, no one can!!"

Wins/Losses/Draws

Skaven Clan Rattenkrieg - 108/58/20
Dark Elves - 44/14/8
Hochland Empire - 33/14/4
Malkavian Vampires - 23/22/4
Beastmen - 50/25/2

Have not completed a Painting Vow since July 07!!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Verminous Fang
Member Avatar


So, they have to have a name before they get experience? In the campains I've been in, they got a name after earning their first "level-up".

1) Name of home warren/province/clan
2) Unit task
3) Color of unit (works well when the army is a "growth" army and has multiple unit colors).
4) Flavor element (no, not chocalte - Skavenade!)
5) General's name

It also depends on if you want an "organized" feel or a disorganized sense.

Warlord Stinkhair's Seventh Claw
Retch'tik's Red Flankers
First Clanrats of the Middenheim Marauders
The Buttery Paws of Skryre (for globadiers).
Slayer of Stormvermin (would be my rattling gun - that really is all they seem to kill)

It really does work to give skaven units names that sound regimental. They are, after all, copying the surface societies as much as they can, and really doesn't mean that they act like the regimented surface dwellers. If this is a "buy it and build it" campain, you can even mark their unit standards with appropriate heraldry (The Seventh Claw might have a large claw with a roman numeral seven superimposed on the claw) or marking on the uniform in the case of units without standards. Oh, and slaves can be called "Front line holistic support squads". :P
Go forth my brethren, that we shall nibble at the roots of the old world!

We are the rats in the shadows. We hold the blades of corruption, aimed at the very heart of the Old World. We are The Council of Thirteen.

Second place in the UnderEmpire painting competition!

Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Bassik Dwarveripper
Unregistered

Using hybrid names from different languages, wich all have something to do with Skaven.

"knaagtail"
"Bruinvlag"
etc.
Quote Post Goto Top
 
scrivener
Member Avatar
*toot*

I'd personally go with Stinky's and Verminous' idea. Claw denotes a clanrat unit and sounds better than "clanrat unit". The personalized name being descriptive of their appearance or location/character they are assigned to can help make it easier to remember which unit is which. e.g. Greybannner Claw, Daggertail Claw, Mosswarren Claw, Queekpaw Claw... I like the way it's organized and yet not too codified.
hannanibal
 
*Angry mob assembles*

"WHAT DO WE WANT!!??"
"A THINNISH, WATERY PAINT WITH A GREENER TINGE THAN AGRAX EARTHSHADE!!"
"WHEN DO WE WANT IT!?"
"QUITE SOON PLEASE AS MY LAST POT IS RUNNING OUT!"
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
cole
Member Avatar
Warlord
You could name tham after us ^_^ ...
Posted Image

If you want this banner use this: http://i13.tinypic.com/47sjml5.jpg
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Underlord Burrows
Member Avatar
The Ever Shiny, Muse and Co Cookie Cutter

As well as those suggestions above you could name them after what they have done within the campaign already. There level increase is due to their reputation soley after landing on the island. Add some descriptive double speak and there we go.


Underlord Burrows
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Dreamless
Member Avatar


If the units contain champions ten why not call them after them.
Posted Image
Assasin of Twighlight
*kills VVolt*
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
garthvader
Member Avatar
Can You Dig It?
you could always do the napoleonic wars fashion and name them like the 13th brigade.... then again that sounds a little to imperial gaurdish but i like what LL said nicknames are cool like naming maybe a unit for what its battlefield role is (with out giving away to your apponents to much) like kritticks creepers (nightrunners) or fetstit's rabid zealots (plaugemojnks) etc.
Happyness is like wetting yourself everyone can see it but only you can feel its warmth [size0](Shamelessly stolen from a dude at 40konline)
painting vows
1 completed
2 failed

If you are looking for artwork Here be it

Posted Image
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Sammy the Squid
Member Avatar
Back to retirement!

Quote:
 
you could always do the napoleonic wars fashion and name them like the 13th brigade....


I was going to do that if I had ended up using my Empire army, since it sounds really cool and suits Empire perfectly... Its just not Skaveny enough though, so Ill reserve it for the Empire guys...

I like alot of the suggestions though. Im naming most units after the character that accompanies them or the unit champion. Others, such as Monks, have names kind of like garthvader suggested...
However, as time goes on, their names will be modified slightly by their experience...

- Sammy
"If the squidman can't do it, no one can!!"

Wins/Losses/Draws

Skaven Clan Rattenkrieg - 108/58/20
Dark Elves - 44/14/8
Hochland Empire - 33/14/4
Malkavian Vampires - 23/22/4
Beastmen - 50/25/2

Have not completed a Painting Vow since July 07!!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
« Previous Topic · General Wargaming Discussion · Next Topic »
Add Reply