Camospecs, parade schemes vs camo and staying lore accurate.

[Spider Jerusalum]

 As a fairly new player I am a little confused about how the schemes work. When i look on camospecs some factions have parade colors listed but also say that they us appropriate camo when in combat and that's pretty clear, however some factions have only parade colors mentioned and I am a little unsure if that means that those units always use parade colors(like Sword of light) or if they can also use camo.
 For example i painted my clan mechs a military drab scheme as i prefer a more military look, and as I was pretty new to the setting I wanted a fairly faction agnostic scheme until I was more familiar with the different clans. Now that I have read a bit more I was inclined towards Clan Sea Fox but looking at their camospecs they only seem to list them as using parade colors, so my question is do Sea Fox always fight in parade colors or would it be lore accurate to have them in camo/drab?

[Lorcan Nagle]

It's one of those parts of the universe that's left vague, partially to allow players to do what they want on the tabletop.  Some notable units tend to go into the field in their parade ground colours because it'll intimidate their enemies - like you see 30 assault 'mechs coming your way and they're black with red trim?  That's Zeta Batallion and you're screwed!  But a lot of units will do camo when they see fit, which will coincide with the whims of whoever's writing a story or painting their minis :D

[warriorsoul]

 The gold standard Camo Specs uses is the text description of the paint-schemes. Usually it will say something to the effect of "uses a parade scheme of blah-blah when not in appropriate camo". So you would go to the Camo Specs site, read the unit description, and go from there.

 The Master Unit List is also the official reference material for what specific 'mechs you would want to use for canon unit composition.

 However, all that being said, I'm not aware of Battletech having a strict tournament scene where you'll get turned away for failing to do this nor will an army of disgruntled lore fanatics show up at your house either, so I wouldn't sweat it too much.

[warriorsoul]

 I think you can just chose camo from the camo entry and apply it to whichever 'mech, but don't quote me on that, some of the Camo Specs veterans can probably weigh in and clarify.

[SteelRaven]

Rule of cool. Many prefer parade scheme because they think it looks cool on the table. Myself, I like the aesthetics of camo to give my minis a more combat ready war machine look. I also like camo means I can have the same mini represent different factions in different games (that said, allot of units use Red outside of the Sword of light) Go with whatever you think looks best or whatever you are comfortable painting. This isn't 40K, you won't be punished for not having the right unit colors for a particular scenario.

[Rebel Yell]

Rule of cool. Many prefer parade scheme because they think it looks cool on the table. Myself, I like the aesthetics of camo to give my minis a more combat ready war machine look. I also like camo means I can have the same mini represent different factions in different games (that said, allot of units use Red outside of the Sword of light) Go with whatever you think looks best or whatever you are comfortable painting. This isn't 40K, you won't be punished for not having the right unit colors for a particular scenario.

+1  I'm all about camo and the same mini being able to rep different factions also.

[Joel47]

I used to do all generic camo, but I found I'm enjoying the challenge of some of the faction-specific paint jobs, either parade or just their own unique pseudo-camo.

[klarg1]

I used to do all generic camo, but I found I'm enjoying the challenge of some of the faction-specific paint jobs, either parade or just their own unique pseudo-camo.

That’s me. I really enjoy both parade schemes and camp options. Whatever motivates you works.

[warriorsoul]

 I almost only do faction paintschemes. (I actually HATE camo because it does its job too well and obfuscates the lines on the Battlemechs) Thing is, if you're gonna be doing by-the-book canon faction paint-schemes then you're also probably gonna want to invest in decals and/or free-handing insignia. To get something to be truly "canon" and "lore accurate" may actually end up being a lot more work than it initially appears to be, at least I found it to be the case. Battletech is closer to a historical wargame than something like Warhammer 40K that has a literal "Chaos" faction that could be conceivably painted in almost any kind of way.

 I do have a handful of generic green army drab Inner Sphere 'mechs intended to be mercenaries. I think it's a good idea to always have a unit of stuff that can be whatever it needs to be in the moment.

[Psycho]

I think you can just chose camo from the camo entry and apply it to whichever 'mech, but don't quote me on that, some of the Camo Specs veterans can probably weigh in and clarify.

It is very rare for any unit to completely exclude appropriate camo; Sword of Light and Zeta Battalion being the most prominent.

As others have said, even that level of specificity only matters if it matters to you. Same with restricting yourself to faction/era/unit appropriate 'Mechs. What the schemes do for the average player is to mark a force as a faction; you see purple 'Mechs with blue and red striping across the table, and you know you're against some FWL Militia. A lot of people find certain factions and units appealing and choose to use them; the scheme then means something to them. It's like rooting for a team, so you wear their colours.

As a bit of history, the majority of scheme descriptions come from the Field Manual series of books, which detailed the various regiments/galaxies dating to around 3058-62 in-universe. How much detail was included in those was up to the authors of those books. As part of a larger entry that was limited in space, those descriptions were often brief and may have left out what the author felt was understood by the reader (like that camo is okay).

[thedancingjoker]

I personally ejoy Parade schemes because they help the mech "pop" especially when you use a contrasting color for the basing material.  When I do paint camo schemes I then have to wreste with the dilema of putting them on a base that matches them, which makes sense but doesn't "pop" or a contrastign one at which point it looks silly.  That being said I don't think I've ever met someone who would give you a hard time over saying that your camo-painted mechs are a specific unit, with a couple of expections for VERY distinctive units.

[Failure16]

I think it all comes down to painting them how you want to paint them in that you derive enjoyment from that activity alone. For example, do I need a Winfield's Regiment/Brigade force, since I'm a FWL player? No, but their green-over-black livery is snazzy and I'll have a force to go against my ALAG force if I ever feel like it...and I can use up some of my unallocated lights and mediums as well.

If I have several hundred 'Mech models, I don't need them in two forces alone. That would be boring to paint and there would be no reason to even have that many since even in AS you probably are not fielding two regiments head-to-head. But force-building, procurement, and painting is a part of the hobby for me even more than the actual playing nowadays. Everyone sees that part differently.

Or maybe you have a long-term campaign in mind. No sense embarking on some grand '14 Marik Civil War adventure if you are just going to have green-versus-tan on the table, right? ( Okay, you can if you want and still have fun, but, again, this is about personal enjoyment of a situation, not feasibility of a concept like getting a campaign/game on.) Get ready for all the colors of the rainbow to represent the different regiments involved to increase the immersion, and the enjoyment.

[Spider Jerusalum]

Thanks fro the responses guys. I have done a bit more research on schemes and have decided to use Clan wolf as the scheme I have painted is basically an exact match for the Wars of Reaving cover, so just need to add some decals. I also have quite a few "extra" mechs from when i went a bit crazy buying force packs so will probably try my hand at a more lore accurate Sea Fox scheme as well.

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

Another reason I like parade schemes, besides ones listed here, is that when you have multiple copies of the same mech on the table it's easier to remember which one's which if they've got distinct paint jobs.  I've been in more than a few games where there would be, say, three Warhammers and one of the players would always be reaching for the wrong one because they all had fairly similar looking camo paint schemes.

[marauder648]

And don't forget that at the end of the day, unlike say 40k where if you have an Ultramarine force you've got to do them in those specific colours, there's nothing in Battletech that says you have to do that.

If you want to paint a specific unit, then yeah you can use their parade camo to make them stand out. But there's nothing that says you can't paint your 'mechs poo brown with lime green stripes on them either :)

[guardiandashi]

I tend to paint my units in "parade" colors because it makes them more distinctive, which makes them easier to tell apart.

to use an example lets say I am using a group of the same units as my force, I had a (non canon) unit that had:
2 masakari's
1 Dire wolf
2 marauder II's

5 Gargoyle (clan omni)
5 Man O War

15 Timber wolves (madcat)
2 Marauders

1 bushwacker
2 Raptor (prime) Draconis combine omni
and I can't remember the rest.

the problem being if you put all those on the field (map) if the timberwolves are all painted the same other than say a unit # its real easy to accidentally (or on purpose) use the wrong mini for the record sheet.

on the other hand if they are painted differently like: grey overall.  grey with a blue limb, blue overall, etc. then you note the record sheet with a description IE blue twolf, grey twolf etc it helps match them up and its harder to make errors or cheat.

one that I did years ago was I had 2 classic crusaders painted in a red and grey scheme, and a blue and grey scheme. blue the forearms, shoulders, lower legs, backpack, and the upper chest (front) the rest of the unit was painted grey.

sort of like https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kent.net%2Frobotech%2Fmecha%2Frdf%2Farmoured_veritech.shtml&psig=AOvVaw3c1z7E4BPb6OMeWgDVrmGW&ust=1692029216798000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBAQjRxqFwoTCJjwwZ-C2oADFQAAAAAdAAAAABAL

the red one had all the blue pieces painted red instead.  this makes them look like they can be part of the same unit, while still being visually distinct

[StCptMara]

I tend to prefer Parade Schemes.

It makes the units easy to identify at a glance, and identify when there is something "special" about a warrior (Example: 3 Sword of Light  and one Otomo 'mech on the field).

Also, I tend to be of the idea that the elite regiments(Steiner Royal Guard, Otomo and Swords of Light, Davion Guards, etc, etc) want you to know just who is killing you. They don't get their reputation by being quiet, after all. (Though, I totally expect Death Commandos might show up in camo...or in the colors of the local militia...)

And, another benefit of parade schemes is: they look cool(well, excepting the Civil War era Davion Guards, which is just gaudy). This means when someone walks by your game while you play in public, they are going to help catch eyes.

That said, my own 'merc unit? I am thinking hard of making their parade scheme be Tree Line Camo, as that is fun and (relatively) simple to paint. compared to other camo schemes.

[Scotty]

And don't forget that at the end of the day, unlike say 40k where if you have an Ultramarine force you've got to do them in those specific colours, there's nothing in Battletech that says you have to do that.

This is not currently true and arguably hasn't been in the way you meant it for a number of years.  Ask anyone who plays 40k how they feel about blue Iron Hands. 

[carlisimo]

In the Inner Sphere, it's probably only elite units like the Sword of Light or Davion Brigade of Guards that make a point of fighting in their parade colors.  I'm not sure it's said explicitly, though.  Everyone else is likely to paint their mechs for a campaign.  The Clans... it's harder to see them using camo, outside of Clan Nova Cat and a few specific galaxies.  Certainly a lot of the books show other Clans fighting in their parade schemes.  Your call, though.

I do think collecting and painting is more fun if you pick a faction and a unit and go all-in on them.  It'll inevitably backfire when the writers do something you don't like, but in a way it's more interesting to be invested than to be able to just switch sides.  Your painted mechs wouldn't be far from Clan Sea Fox's Fox Khanate.  Keep in mind it's the text description that's canon, and you can interpret it pretty freely. 

But most importantly: painted is cooler than not painted.

[Charlie Tango]

I prefer using parade schemes, mainly because it is more eye catching on the table.  But it is truly a matter of personal preference; you do you.

[worktroll]

(I actually HATE camo because it does its job too well and obfuscates the lines on the Battlemechs)

Trick is to do camo "not so effectively". I've seen really accurate depiction of digital camo on BT minis, and yes, the result is a blur. There are tricks though ...

1) Give the whole mini a base coat in one colour - green or brown, most likely
2) Use contrast patches or stripes in another colour - eg. brown or green, or dark green, or light brown. Do it bigger than "real".
3) Use a wash to bring up the panel lines
4) Colour bits in metallic (eg. drybrushed over black) - heat sink grilles, accordion joints, gun barrels, other joints, weapon feeds.
5) Use trim colours to brighten the mini and bring attention back

The result isn't "realistic" - I tend to use the term "enhanced realism". These 12th Falcon Regulars are in "Auscam" camo:



The broad brush, red missile tips, and a little jade trim help draw attention. Similarly, these Hell's Horses Delta Galaxy are "red desert MERDC", but with enough details to catch the eye:



So yes, aim for 'flashy' camo - it's not realistic, but it looks real-ish, and highlights the mini. IMHO, of course.

[klarg1]

I tend to prefer Parade Schemes.

It makes the units easy to identify at a glance, and identify when there is something "special" about a warrior (Example: 3 Sword of Light  and one Otomo 'mech on the field).

Also, I tend to be of the idea that the elite regiments(Steiner Royal Guard, Otomo and Swords of Light, Davion Guards, etc, etc) want you to know just who is killing you. They don't get their reputation by being quiet, after all. (Though, I totally expect Death Commandos might show up in camo...or in the colors of the local militia...)

I'm pretty sure the Sword of Light regiments were explicitly fluffed as using the flat red color for all occasions. I don't know about the others, but it would fit.

[BATTLEMASTER]

I rattle rattlecan everything in olive drab and use colored tape on the bases to mark duplicate chassis and teams.  If I'm up for it I will paint NATO 3-tone woodland camo.  I don't have enough patience or skill for parade paint.

[Ghaz]

I rattle rattlecan everything in olive drab and use colored tape on the bases to mark duplicate chassis and teams.  If I'm up for it I will paint NATO 3-tone woodland camo.  I don't have enough patience or skill for parade paint.

A lot of parade paint schemes are fairly easy to do. Which parade paint schemes are you referring to?

[IAMCLANWOLF]

Sorry for the really old, really crappy pics here, but it's been a hot-minute since I've had a moment to paint-up anything (I'm working on it). While I prefer the boldness of parade schemes on the TT mostly. I also love how a good flat camo scheme can shift the interest from the paintjob to the miniature (sorry I do not have a good example of this, personally, but if I may share this link showcasing AutumnEffect's work... https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php/topic,81750.0.html ). I really want to pick up miniatures in flat camo to let my eyes sort out all the details up-close and get a feel for the shapes. What I'm trying to say here; I think there is a strong argument to be had for both camo and parade schemes. Variety is the spice of life. And we all know; "he who controls the spice, controls the universe."     

[VensersRevenge]

I do parade schemes only. I find them more fun to paint, generally easier to get table ready paintjobs done, and to be honest I find camo on multi-story walking warmachines with a nuclear reactor running is kind of silly

[IAMCLANWOLF]

I find camo on multi-story walking warmachines with a nuclear reactor running is kind of silly

<shrug>

[Charistoph]

I use my own personal schemes, for the most part.  This is because I make lists available for other people to play every week, and it makes it easier to identify which ones are mine when it comes to return them.

[Ghaz]

<shrug>

The camouflage works well when the plane is on the ground, with a little bit of camouflage netting to further break up the plane's silhouette as it's intended to do.  Doesn't work to well in most cases when it's in the air though.

[tassa_kay]

<shrug>

That... doesn't look any less silly.