Questions on SLDF and Clan paint schemes

[Nips]

So, having more miniatures than obvious unit assignments has me digging into the DEEP LORE, and I'm coming up a little short finding answers to these questions.  Mind helping a bit?

1.  The SLDF used drab on everything, sure, okay.  But the Royal Black Watch adds a tartan for detail!  Did any of the other Royal, or standard even, units add an accent or detail that was middling-to-extremely obvious?  Or am I relegated to Drab Forever for every SLDF machine I paint?

2. When did the Clans fully adopt their paint schemes?  Would they have done this by the time of Operation Klondike, or did it happen later?  (Kinda hoping early, as an excuse to paint some obviously IS 'mechs in Clan colors and have it make any historical sense)

3.  Do any units in any Clan do anything to keep the original paint scheme on isorla they claim?  Like, say a Goliath Seeker finds a small cache and it has an SLDF Mech...is it possible that they keep the drab on the body, and repaint just the arms or legs?  Or say a Ghost Bear wins some Falcon isorla, is there any case where they would preserve some or all of the Falcon paint scheme? (Yeah, I know, kinda weird question.)

[klarg1]

So, having more miniatures than obvious unit assignments has me digging into the DEEP LORE, and I'm coming up a little short finding answers to these questions.  Mind helping a bit?

1.  The SLDF used drab on everything, sure, okay.  But the Royal Black Watch adds a tartan for detail!  Did any of the other Royal, or standard even, units add an accent or detail that was middling-to-extremely obvious?  Or am I relegated to Drab Forever for every SLDF machine I paint?

2. When did the Clans fully adopt their paint schemes?  Would they have done this by the time of Operation Klondike, or did it happen later?  (Kinda hoping early, as an excuse to paint some obviously IS 'mechs in Clan colors and have it make any historical sense)

3.  Do any units in any Clan do anything to keep the original paint scheme on isorla they claim?  Like, say a Goliath Seeker finds a small cache and it has an SLDF Mech...is it possible that they keep the drab on the body, and repaint just the arms or legs?  Or say a Ghost Bear wins some Falcon isorla, is there any case where they would preserve some or all of the Falcon paint scheme? (Yeah, I know, kinda weird question.)

1. There is precedent for nose art and other minor customization for SLDF units. (See the cover for Filed Manual: SLDF) It's also reasonable to assume that they used camouflage when helpful. I am not aware of anything more formalized.

2. I don't think there is a canon answer for this. I have seen suggestions that Klondike paint schemes might have resembled later alpha galaxy paint schemes, but that isn't a canon answer. Maybe it's tied to when various galaxies or clusters were first formed?

3. I haven't heard of anything like that, but it's a fun idea. I don't think there is any canon precedent for it, but I could see the Blood Spirits doing something retro-SLDF. It could easily happen for the short term for freshly captured hardware in the field, but I don't think most clans would keep it that way for long. Totemic pride is a big part of clan culture.

[Kerfuffin(925)]

I can only offer my thoughts on 3.

Of anyone the seeker Scorpions would be the ones to keep a scheme, but probably only if it was from some ancient cache. For Clans might is right. If your colors lost they must suck. Maybe a bondsman might try and get away with it, but if they are still somewhat openly pining away for their old clan why was their bondcord cut? Unless it was pressed back into service immediately repainting would be one of the first jobs right after recalibration of the nurohelmet.

Tl;dr: Clans might is right, sucks to suck. Symbolism is important to them

[worktroll]

2. When did the Clans fully adopt their paint schemes?  Would they have done this by the time of Operation Klondike, or did it happen later?  (Kinda hoping early, as an excuse to paint some obviously IS 'mechs in Clan colors and have it make any historical sense)

I had the same challenge - the best answer I got was "The CSO artists did an Op Klondike diorama years ago, and they used the respective Alpha Galaxy paintjobs".

You can check out my effort here if you want - it was a lot of fun!

[Weirdo]

I had the same challenge - the best answer I got was "The CSO artists did an Op Klondike diorama years ago, and they used the respective Alpha Galaxy paintjobs".

You can check out my effort here if you want - it was a lot of fun!

What did they use for the Jade Falcons? Gamma is their premier Galaxy, and as far as we know, they didn't have an Alpha Galaxy until just before the Jihad.

[phoenixalpha]

1.  The SLDF used drab on everything, sure, okay.  But the Royal Black Watch adds a tartan for detail!  Did any of the other Royal, or standard even, units add an accent or detail that was middling-to-extremely obvious?  Or am I relegated to Drab Forever for every SLDF machine I paint?

I think the SLDF used Olive Drab and that was it. I imagine like nation states today - there is a colour scheme - you will adhere to it as the equipment for the SLDF as most militaries back then were assigned to them and they were property of the SL/Houses. Unless it's a wierd and wonderful display unit I imagine its Olive Drab 100%

[Weirdo]

You could always go mostly drab, but choose one of your units to be an ace pilot whose exploits have earned them the right to a unique scheme of their choice. (This is why one of my SLDF Pumas is a bright pink instead of drab, with "Borth" painted on one side.) As others have said, you could also break up the drab but giving some of the other machines nose art.

[worktroll]

What did they use for the Jade Falcons? Gamma is their premier Galaxy, and as far as we know, they didn't have an Alpha Galaxy until just before the Jihad.

Dunno ... none of the Op Klondike minis on CSO are from the Falcons.

And to be honest, the "Marthe made it" makes very little sense. As retentive as the Clans are, no Alpha?

[Psycho]

Adding a few thoughts as best I can:

1. SLDF is olive drab. We're leaving open the possibility of variant schemes, but there currently aren't any (I'd have to check if we've got the RBW noted in canon in the SL era, or only appearing later). Personally, I also wouldn't be opposed to tan (check Deneb Light Cav.) or grey/white (CSA Kappa), given references to those.

2. Best bet is Alpha for the respective Clan. Yes, the Falcons are an issue there. We've never gotten an explanation for the Falcons either.

3. In canon, no. Whatever works in your game...

[Weirdo]

I always figured the original Falcon Alpha was destroyed or disbanded due to their culling early in their history.

[klarg1]

I always figured the original Falcon Alpha was destroyed or disbanded due to their culling early in their history.

That was my assumption. It's hard to imagine they just randomly skipped alpha and beta at the start.

[Tangoforone]

In regards to 3, I recall a story of the Word of Blake beating the snot out of the Wolf's Dragoons on Outreach; eventually the Dragoon pilots just started raiding whatever equipment was available and would hastily paint a logo on it, since apparently they went feral, which just means they gun down whatever they see without the logo.

It's very specific, but that would be the sort of situation I see a force keeping captured unit paint schemes. Could be a cool mercenary thing to do though.

[Xan]

For #3 in Malicious Intent Vlad (soon to be Ward) commented that the Jade Falcons had repainted the absorbed wolf mechs in the amount of time it took for him to be dug out and then challenge the absorption of the Wolf Clan (which I feel was about three days?), and he had to fight in a Jade Falcon painted Mech.  So it appears the Falcons at least put a lot of emphasis on getting their colors on things quickly.

Now if the captured Mech was assigned to an Sohloma unit, I could see the paint job being done rather rushed, and not well, so if you wanted something that still retained the original paint scheme with just a few updates this might be an option.  Those would likely not be front line Omni mechs though and just what ever IS scrap the unit could beg/borrow/steal.

[Luciora]

https://camospecs.com/unit/star-league-era-sldf/

There are 2 other color schemes mentioned and I plan to do a take on the Niops one in the future.

[Psycho]

Nice. Happy to have my previous comment now be wrong. 

[Empyrus]

This may be late but there may be another SLDF option:
https://camospecs.com/unit/kappa-provisional-galaxy/
"Kappa paints its equipment in classic Star League colors: white and gray, with blue and silver trim."
While that might be an error, the Star League using special paint jobs for certain occasions seems plausible to me.

EDIT Oh, wait, seems that Niops Militia scheme is the same one?

[Luciora]

I'm very partial to that color scheme.     and its not drab!  Is Kappa PGC a former militia group? Would make sense then to keep the scheme.

This may be late but there may be another SLDF option:
https://camospecs.com/unit/kappa-provisional-galaxy/
"Kappa paints its equipment in classic Star League colors: white and gray, with blue and silver trim."
While that might be an error, the Star League using special paint jobs for certain occasions seems plausible to me.

EDIT Oh, wait, seems that Niops Militia scheme is the same one?

[mikecj]

I always figured the original Falcon Alpha was destroyed or disbanded due to their culling early in their history.

There was a story on that.  I'm looking to see if I had it from BattleCorps.  Roosterboy probably knows it.

IIRC, Michael Ustone was a ringleader and Alpha Galaxy was the center of the plot and got Culled.

Roosterboy reminded me.  The story is Sorrow of Eden by Alan Brundage.  Beta Galaxy rebelled but significant elements of Alpha joined.  Khan Hazen disbanded both.  Loyal members from Alpha built the Falcon Guards.