Knights having Camouflage?

[chapter master 454]

I know knights are big and stompy but what is the verdict if one were to have their knight house wear a camo scheme instead of just solid colours. I mean Imperial Guard paint their super-heavies with camo schemes as well so why not knights?

 

Just thinking in my head that knights with some form of camo scheme would look really good, maybe just camo paint the bigger flat areas while still having the trim all gilded up in gold and silver.

[jeffersonian000]

Knight Houses tend to prefer their own livery, so they paint their Knights to represent.

 

Freeblades can do whatever they want.

 

But always remember that “tend” does not mean “always”. A House that excels at guerrilla warfare might eschew livery for camouflage, just like well known Chapters did in the Badab War.

 

Also, the best camouflage for anything size of Knights is geometric pattern that brake up the Knight’s silhouette.

 

SJ

[Stray]

Knight Households tend to have the whole 'I'm a Knight of old' brainwashing thing going on due to the effects from the Knights throne. Part of that no doubt re-enforces Household traditions, which includes proudly displayed Knightly liveries. Hiding wouldn't be on the menu for most, it'd be all about: 'Charge! At the enemy!'

 

That said, you're right. Given the varied planetary environments that exist in 40K, I don't see why camouflage wouldn't be useful even on something as a big as a Knight. I could totally see a group of freeblades embracing that.

[librisrouge]

I know knights are big and stompy but what is the verdict if one were to have their knight house wear a camo scheme instead of just solid colours. I mean Imperial Guard paint their super-heavies with camo schemes as well so why not knights?

 

Just thinking in my head that knights with some form of camo scheme would look really good, maybe just camo paint the bigger flat areas while still having the trim all gilded up in gold and silver.

 

 

Remember, lad, camouflage is the color of cowardice.

 

Seriously though, the only way I picture knights doing camo is if they didn’t realize it was camo. Your idea of doing the large areas but gold trim has merit, since the camo wouldn’t really work anyway in that situation. I can picture the knights being confused by others on campaign.

 

“Preposterous! Let me foes see their doom approach. Such livery has been in my house for generations and strikes fear in the wicked.”

[Battybattybats]

Back in 1st editions Adeptus Titanicus days many Titans were depicted having their carapace armour camo but the rest in legio colours. So from above you see camo.

 

That could work for knights too, they could be sworn to a Titan legio and so adopt the tradition, or adopted it in eras long past from such an alliance.

[Doghouse]

It's all about tradition I guess. Camouflage came into mainstream use long after medieval times in our history but forty kay is kind of the reverse because of the degradation of knowledge. Camo would probably have existed in some form when Knight titans came into use by the first stellar colonists, so there is no real reason that a house would not pick up this concept and have camo as their colours because of the ancient traditions of their world. Remember a lot of these worlds were settled a very long time before the Imperium came into being.

 

We only have depictions of Knightly colour schemes because we associate them with knights of our history and not knights of a future fictional history. 

[Cleon]

There's also the option for a knight heraldry which is 'sort of'' camouflage, so while Hawkshroud yellow isn't camouflaged in a wood, it's not far off on a traditional sandy desert, similar the red Mechanicus knights and the soils of Mars or Baal.

 

Just think of how your knights homeworld/traditions and your gaming table tie in and you can have whichever combination you want.

[Karhedron]

When in doubt, just recite the First Rule of Modelling.

 

1. They are my models so I'll paint them how I like!

[Stray]

When in doubt, just recite the First Rule of Modelling.

 

1. They are my models so I'll paint them how I like!

 

^^

 

Rule of cool >>>>>>> all other rules. For sure :)

[darnarth lysander]

Knight Houses tend to prefer their own livery, so they paint their Knights to represent.

 

Freeblades can do whatever they want.

 

But always remember that “tend” does not mean “always”. A House that excels at guerrilla warfare might eschew livery for camouflage, just like well known Chapters did in the Badab War.

 

Also, the best camouflage for anything size of Knights is geometric pattern that brake up the Knight’s silhouette.

 

SJ

That actually sounds like a kinda interesting idea, could someone give me an example of the sort of geometric pattern we're talking about though?

[Ahistorian]

Google caunter ww2, or ww1 battleship camo.

 

The Berlin Brigade has particularly cool geometric patterns.

[Stray]

 

Knight Houses tend to prefer their own livery, so they paint their Knights to represent.

 

Freeblades can do whatever they want.

 

But always remember that “tend” does not mean “always”. A House that excels at guerrilla warfare might eschew livery for camouflage, just like well known Chapters did in the Badab War.

 

Also, the best camouflage for anything size of Knights is geometric pattern that brake up the Knight’s silhouette.

 

SJ

That actually sounds like a kinda interesting idea, could someone give me an example of the sort of geometric pattern we're talking about though?

 

 

I gotcha bud:

 

The above confused the hell out of several hungry lions. 

 

They never expect a Zebra to be packing 30mm cannon.

[darnarth lysander]

Ah I see, Im actually quite familiar with Caunter and Dazzle camoflauges, I was thinking more like this when you said geometric:

What alot of people would call "digital" cameo sort of.

It seems like painting a knight with dazzle camo wouldn't be too good looking, and caunter is rather difficult to get righ.

Edited June 4, 2018 by darnarth lysander

[Magos Takatus]

 

 

Knight Houses tend to prefer their own livery, so they paint their Knights to represent.

 

Freeblades can do whatever they want.

 

But always remember that “tend” does not mean “always”. A House that excels at guerrilla warfare might eschew livery for camouflage, just like well known Chapters did in the Badab War.

 

Also, the best camouflage for anything size of Knights is geometric pattern that brake up the Knight’s silhouette.

 

SJ

That actually sounds like a kinda interesting idea, could someone give me an example of the sort of geometric pattern we're talking about though?

 

 

I gotcha bud:

 

The above confused the hell out of several hungry lions. 

 

They never expect a Zebra to be packing 30mm cannon.

 

What with your avatar, I can't help but imagine that as your personal mode of transport now. :p

 

The idea of Imperial Knights sporting camouflage doesn't sit well with me but I stand firmly in the "Paint 'em how you want to" group.  

[Stray]

 

 

 

Knight Houses tend to prefer their own livery, so they paint their Knights to represent.

 

Freeblades can do whatever they want.

 

But always remember that “tend” does not mean “always”. A House that excels at guerrilla warfare might eschew livery for camouflage, just like well known Chapters did in the Badab War.

 

Also, the best camouflage for anything size of Knights is geometric pattern that brake up the Knight’s silhouette.

 

SJ

That actually sounds like a kinda interesting idea, could someone give me an example of the sort of geometric pattern we're talking about though?

 

 

I gotcha bud:

 

The above confused the hell out of several hungry lions. 

 

They never expect a Zebra to be packing 30mm cannon.

 

What with your avatar, I can't help but imagine that as your personal mode of transport now.

 

The idea of Imperial Knights sporting camouflage doesn't sit well with me but I stand firmly in the "Paint 'em how you want to" group.  

 

 

Avatar?

 

This is my passport photo! :P

[Trixie]

Rule of cool here I think, if you like the camo then paint it. to hell with anyone else.

 

Whilst it is not a camo scheme, the Castigator in this youtubers video has a very unusual and 'camo-ish' scheme that is not without merit and very unique amongst knights.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvcnvCc-8lg

 

Not my work but I do quite like how different it is.

[chapter master 454]

Was mainly wondering about the lore but yea, Rule of Cool trumps all rules!

 

Now my only issue is picking which house my knights represent! (despite being my own house)

[Trixie]

Try them all and see what suits your lists and playstyle I guess. I am a Malinax fan from 30k so I am in the same boat as you if I wanted to play a 40k knights list.

[jeffersonian000]

From a lore standpoint, the Knight Houses of Ryza would have rust colored Knights just like the Ryza Skitarii, which matches the color of the rust dunes of Ryza.

 

That’s enough of a presedent to justify camouflage for other worlds.

 

SJ

[Canadian_F_H]

Personal opinion time.

 

Step out of the game space and into a realistic extrapolation of the kinds of warzone knights might fight in. The real threat to knights is the same threat to big tanks, or armoured vehicles in general.

 

Long ranged artillery, missiles and aircraft ate traditional threats to armour, and of course orbital bombardment.

 

And I'm not talking about the relative close quarters of a 4x6 table that equates to what. 5 or six feet per inch? A diagonal greatest distance of 432 to 518ish feet?

 

Before reaching that CQB space the knight slogged for miles thru terrain that may have required a winding path while fighter bombers screamed overhead... camo, just gets the knight up close. Once the 40 foot walker is within a tenth of a mile you won't miss it regardless

[Vel'Cona]

I don't like the idea of camouflaging Knights simply because they're so huge and cool-looking, I feel like the bright colours are a requirement :P

 

If you want to do it, however, I'd definitely be interested to see the results :)

[slitth]

The are several thing to consider.

 

If a unit are use as a visual weapon to demoralize the enemy, then camouflage would not be use.

And I would expect the knight to be used as such.

They are as much a propaganda weapon as a anything else.

 

Then there is the effectiveness of traditional camouflage against anything that would engage a knight.

I would expect that most enemy would have the sensors that would make traditional camouflage.

Thermographic targeting would probably be very effective when targeting a knight.

 

The mentality of the knight would also have a big effect.

As librisrouge said "camouflage is the colour of cowardice."

You don't want to lose standing among your peers.

 

Perhaps smoke launchers would be an acceptable alternative?

[walter h]

I think camouflage would be acceptable a dazzle pattern would be excellent. The tabbard ,and the shield with heraldry.

[jeffersonian000]

There are a number of modern militaries that use specialized camouflage as their ceremonial dress uniforms, so it’s not unheard of.

 

SJ

[Sword Brother Adelard]

Bit of a thread necro here, but I'm about to try a Caunter scheme on my Adeptus Titanicus Knights. I've opted for Caunter on them as it's pretty straightforward to spray. Whereas on my Titans I've gone for a dazzle scheme similar to the one Lysander posted. The ones I've done so far have turned out pretty well.

 

My initial reasoning was that I thought it would be slightly funny to cam up a titan, but, having done the research, I'm pretty convinced that a dazzle scheme would work reasonably well on something like that.

 

Unlike regular camouflage such as is worn by troops or vehicles, which is designed to actually hide the object in question, the theory behind dazzle camouflage accepts that the object will be visible. (Like with ships) but aims to make it more difficult to hit the object. One of my favourite examples I found described were ships which had fake bow waves painted on their prows in WW1, these would make the ship look like it was moving at a different speed than it really was, making it harder to hit with a torpedo.