HOME | DD
Light-Tricks β 40k Imperial Navy Tattoo Concepts
Published: 2013-01-13 22:25:44 +0000 UTC; Views: 22671; Favourites: 345; Downloads: 1035
Redirect to original
Description
Note: I should point out, or make more clear, that these are just my concepts for tattoos for miniatures and not a true/fluff flavour piece - as such there are a few unknowns and undecided elements (such as the eye colour for the Eye of Terror/Maelstrom) At the moment that can be passed off in fluff terms in that sailors are generally a very insular bunch and tattoos in particular are marks of such distinctions and "in-groups". As I said below this is a first draft, and as the concepts become more solidified (suggestions welcome) I'll do a proper document and write some proper, flavourful text too. Treat this as a personal set of notes that I've just quickly dressed up as a "flavour piece"---
As ever this is a first draft and I'm still refining a few ideas - plus adding a few more. Some of you may know that one of my wargaming projects is an Imperial Navy Boarding Party, and I'm currently converting some 19th-century inspired ratings, so they definitely need tattoos. More information of all this can be found on the blog (part shameless self-promotion, part laziness) - gotflag.blogspot.com
Here's a little of the text from the main post.
As I'm sure the naval types amongst you will know, tattoos have been popular with sailors since the days of Captain Cook. Ever the superstitious lot, historic tattoos had (and still have today) plenty of meanings and symbolism - they brought luck, whether ensuring a sailor would find his way home or wouldn't drown or ensured good chances in a fight. They also marked certain milestones and achievements of sorts.
Of course there's quite a bit of varitey in the interpretation of tattoos and often there's personal meaning there too, but I wanted to have a go at representing some tattoos that the Voidsmen (and women) or the Imperial Navy might have. The designs above are all hastily drawn by my not-so-fair hand) with the exception of the aquila skulls which were borrowed from the Imperial font. Whilst some of the symbolism is similar to real tattoos, the imagery generally isn't - and where the historic imagery is requisitioned the meaning I've given it is different (the Navigation/Compass Star for example, that often had the same significance as my "Ship's Wheel").
I tried to keep the designs simple so that even I stood a chance of painting them freehand (albeit in very simplified forms), and tried not to echo any existing imagery already established in-universe.
Related content
Comments: 51
Thank you very much!
π: 0 β©: 0
Fantastic stuff! However, that isn't a reef knot, it's a figure-of-eight.
π: 0 β©: 1
Gah of course it is, when I get round to doing a proper version I'll correct it. Ta for spotting itΒ
π: 0 β©: 0
Cool! I love the small detail works of 40K like this stuff, it really adds weight and immersion to the universe: the tiny models and their life and death struggles are so much more believable when you know the meaning behind their markings.
Also: apologies if I've not replied to a comment or message of yours for ages, it's been a bit of a busy time and no doubt your reply has been lost in the bottomless depths of the DA inbox.
π: 0 β©: 1
Agh no worries, always appreaciate the comments whenever they arrive 
I personally feel it's more "grimdark" if there is some reality to their lives, that they're not just mindless numbers... sure they are to the Imperium, but they still should have a bit of life to emphasise the darkness.
Same with the endless armies of clerks, I prefer a Gogolian approach where they're not at their stations 24/7, but outside of their work they have pretty crappy lives and probably mostly talk about work
π: 0 β©: 1
That is a good point: there are parts of the Imperium that aren't drowning in endless war and even the bits that are, there's downtime between the fighting where the people sit back, relax, pray and talk about how godawful their lives are and how everything relates back to unending conflict.
π: 0 β©: 1
Very true, it would be a pretty dull, two-dimensional setting if there really were only war... and also, impossible.
π: 0 β©: 0
Love the idea. I'd like to suggest symbols representing ports visited; a ring with a sigil for the world or station in question; the Gates of Cadia, the plasma burst of Ryza, the stubber of Scintilla, the Omega of Ultramar...
π: 0 β©: 1
I like it a lot... The idea is great.
Although the Eye tatoo could too easily be seen as Chaos Worship by any on-board Comissar or passing Inquisitor (which are bound to comer and check the vessel for corruption after a fight near the Eye of Terror and I doubt such a practice could spread... Anything less obvious would be IMHO better (suggestions: a candle to represent constant vigil, a squid to represent surviving the tentacled arms of the Warp, etc...)
And I agree that, while tatoos for functions are a good idea (since even if you're moved from gunner to lancer, you don't loose your experience as a gunner), actual ranks would be problematic at least for those who are demoted, unless you also introduce "black tatoos": completely black areas that are meant to crudely cover tatoos that one doesn't deserve anymore (like in Sons of Anarchy when someone is banned from the club)
π: 0 β©: 1
Thanks very much.
I did think that about the eye, and then I thought sod it. I liked the look of it, it mirrors the "lucky" eye of Mediterranean origin. I prefer a more subtle grimdark in my 40k.
That's a good idea, I had considered a black tattoo as it were. However, in real navies however any rank tattoo you get stays for the most part. New rank, new tattoo.
π: 0 β©: 0
Good job, though why eels for torpedomen? And do lancers and pilots of fighters not have their own tattoos?
π: 0 β©: 1
Thanks very much. Eels are used for torpedoes as it's a U-boat reference, the German term for torpedoe is eel (or "aal"). Lancers do have their own torpedoes, the trident. Pilots may be getting their own tattoos (as I say this is basically a few draft ideas dressed up), but the key thing is about divisions an in-groups and out-groups in real life navies, and to make themselves distinct, pilots may not get tattoos at all. Much like engineering ratings in real navies refer to decks as floors and ropes as chains (which I've reflected here, I think it's in this version at least). Hope that helps
π: 0 β©: 1
Just realised the second reference to torpedoes should say tattoos. I really should stop writing on here when I'm tired lol.
π: 0 β©: 0
If this isn't fluff, then it should be. Really awesome work, mate. Cheers!
π: 0 β©: 1
Thanks very much, no this is just my random ideas rather than official fluff lol
π: 0 β©: 0
Quite the gem- awesome work.
I take it you've seen "Master and Commander; The Far Side of the World?" The "Hold Fast" tattoo is a prominent feature of an old salt in that movie.
One thing I noticed- no tattoos for engineerium ratings?
π: 0 β©: 1
But of course 
π: 0 β©: 0
I'm wondering if officers who started from fighters/bombers pilots (if it's PLAUSIBLE [XD]) make tattoos too if they want.
nice
π: 0 β©: 1
My fluff is based very much on historical elements (where GW or FF haven't covered it, or where there explanations are a bit naff). I imagine the number of Officers that are commissioned from the ranks is pretty rare, but not impossible. Warrant Officers are more likely, but still not common. But once they are an officer they're part of another group, and ships are all about in-groups and out-groups. The Warrant and definitely Officer culture would mean that they wouldn't get any more, and the ratings that were the tattooists aren't likely going to want to tattoo someone who's out of that group (sure the newly made officer could order them, but I like to think there's some subtlety left in the setting that GW or Black Library haven't drained out of it yet).
On the other hand, I imagine that they would keep their old tattoos and in some cases still wear them with a certain form of pride. But of course, that's just my interpretation...
π: 0 β©: 0
These are really awesome! I might be using one for a RT game soon.
π: 0 β©: 1
Thanks very much, let me know which ones you use
π: 0 β©: 0
Please do, that's what they're here for
π: 0 β©: 0
I love your flavor things, like this and the medicae packet.
π: 0 β©: 1
Thanks very much
π: 0 β©: 0
Wow! Sooooo cool! I want to make something like this for my Dark Heresy campaign
π: 0 β©: 1
Cheers very much, that would be cool
π: 0 β©: 0
This is really cool, but you mean "monograph" (written by one person) rather than monogram (an initial letter).
π: 0 β©: 1
Ah curses, you're right, I quickly changed it form Treatise lol. As a copywriter I should know better...
π: 0 β©: 1
I was also curious about the uncertainty concerning the colour of the Eye of Terror/Maelstrom tattoo. Would it not have been possible for the worthy scribe/scholar to have simply *asked* a voidsman the relevance of the different designs/colours? Presumably he must have made the acquaintance of many whilst researching the monograph.
The rank-related ones are also tricky. Surely a rank-based tattoo should be adaptable such that higher ranks can be added as additions to the original tattoo; otherwise there's going to be trouble finding somewhere to add a new rank (and don't get me started on what happens if someone gets busted down a rank). I would suggest making a distinction between tattoos of rank (considered poor form and not normally done) and tattoos of *status*. A long-serving combat specialist, after all, is unlikely to climb the ladder of authority without getting bust two or three times; but his compatriots are likely to afford him (or her) high status
π: 0 β©: 4
Missed a bit there too, there already are distinctions of status as opposed to rank. It's not menat to be too precise, but vague and an a little esoteric, allowing anyone that wants to use them o put their own spin on it. Whilst there are some "adaptable" tattoos here already, such as the cutlasses, I like the idea of the approach being a little messy, reflecting the old Navy vs Army trope of sailors being quite "un-military", but still effective. But as I said before, that's just *my* take on it.
π: 0 β©: 0
Ah egads, writing on the phone is not a good idea, apologies for the fragmentary response. As there's only two ranks then most probably have the two tattoos as they do now. It's perhaps not a common practice but I wouldn't necessarily think of it as being perceived as bad form - although I I think it would be if a Guardsman were to do it etc. I suppose that's the good thing about the 40k setting, there's plenty of room for us to have our personal interpretations.
π: 0 β©: 0
It's a good point though, but presupposes that they are going to be busted down repeatedly. There's only two ranks you're going to get tattooed, if you make it beyond Leading tattoos are going be frowned upon. I'll have to do a little research into what happened in reality, just out of curiosity mainly
π: 0 β©: 0
Yup - but this was just a quick turning of my own notes for in game tattoos as mentioned in tbe description, and I'm not sure yet
With ranks, that's what's really done in modern and historical practice.
π: 0 β©: 0
Brilliant work on these. I lvoe the explanations behind them.
π: 0 β©: 1
Thank you, some of them aren't quite set in stone yet, but getting there
π: 0 β©: 0
This is awesome, would love to see one of these for the guardsmen or perhaps chaos marines might be interesting
π: 0 β©: 1
I might think about that one, Chaos was my first love back in the mid 90s
π: 0 β©: 1
that's a good point about the length of tradition
π: 0 β©: 1
Still a good idea though, I imagine there'd be a lot more cultural differences, so Tallarn would have a different tradition from Vostroya etc. Could be fun to do. Doing some tribal markings for my DIY Space Marine Chapter at the moment.
And thanks for the watch
π: 0 β©: 1
Glad I could help, and np on the watch, this and a few other bits have me interested in seeing what you do in the future
π: 0 β©: 0
Thanks very much
π: 0 β©: 0