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Author Topic: Naming units and characters  (Read 10651 times)

Offline Artobans Ghost

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Re: Naming units and characters
« Reply #25 on: March 09, 2017, 01:03:52 AM »
That sharpshooter is bucking for a good handle. Wish I was witty enough to come up with something.
Mathi Alfblut Feb 4,2017 Simple, You gut the bastard with your sword, the viking way.
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Online Warlord

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Re: Naming units and characters
« Reply #26 on: March 09, 2017, 01:49:31 AM »
The marksman I would something like:
Hans 'killshot' Steiner
Not especially imaginative, but i can imagine his companions teasing him endlessly about his 'skill' in the local tavern. Perhaps you should have names for all the models in the unit, and each battle they take turns being the marksman. Then when you have a good game with a good marksman, you know who to properly promote!
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Offline GamesPoet

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Re: Naming units and characters
« Reply #27 on: March 09, 2017, 01:58:26 AM »
You can read some of the alpha draft materiel here . A bit was expanded from there with revisions. edits, and proofs. All told what I do have, I think was pushing 100 pages of random info, though I don't know where the most current draft resides, the file has been around through 3 hard drives of mine.
Thank you for the link! :icon_cool:
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Offline CarolineWellwater

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Re: Naming units and characters
« Reply #28 on: March 09, 2017, 03:39:26 AM »
(( Powderfan,

For your use, here's how some of my characters got their name.  Well… here are some of the dumb stories for how my characters (Champions, heroes, wizards, priestesses, etc.) earned their name.

Albrect von Metzger, my Elector Count.  Not sure where I got the "Albrect" from… but I think "Metzger" means "Butcher"… and I like the idea that my self-proclaimed Elector Count (as he's from Marienburg), is the son of a butcher. (I use the old Empire Pegasus Hero mounted on the old, metal griffon (the smaller one))

Pegias the Survivor… Spearman Champion.  I like the sound of "Pegias"… and he earned the title "Survivor", as he has a miscast foot, that I didn't notice till it was too late.  It makes it look like he has a hob foot.  And… when I was painting him, it was during my "I-suck-at-painting-eyes" phase.  I got so frustrated with his one eye, that I just gave him a big, eye patch to cover it.  And, at that point, I figured I'd give him a black ribbon, to represent him being a plague survivor.  So.. Pegias the Survivor.  ( I use the old champion with sword-arm stuck straight out figure for him)

Cossette the Touched.  I've always enjoyed the anime Le Portrait de Petite Cossette, and the name "Cossette" grew on me.  So… I named one of my sorceresses Cossette.  "The Touched" came about from her background story, in that the other Brets thought she was a bit "touched" in the head as a child. I would love to find out what "Touched" might be in French... but I don't want to use something lame like "Le Foul" or something like that, as she's not mad.  Just... child-eccentric.  She's only supposed to be in her late tweens, but has tremendous ability with Heaven's magic.  (I use the "Finecast" remolding of a Bretonnian sorceress on foot.)

Issabella von Hauptmann.  My other sorceress.  Issabella is a full-blood mage and nobility.  I decided she'd be from Estalia, in the vein of a "Dispossessed Don".  That is, she technically is a landed noble, but has long had her lands taken from her, by force.  Anyway, while Cossette tends to be level 1 or 2, Issabella is level 4.  She would not stand to use anything less than level 4 magic, as anything less would be unbecoming to one of her upbringing and lineage.  (For her, I use the Lucrecia Belladonna model for Issabella).

Hauptmann Janus van Fleet.  My BSB.  "Hauptmann" I think means "Head man" or something like that.  Janus is more supposed to be Dutch or Danish, not German… so I figured "Van" over "Von".  And so Janus van Fleet was born.  I guess, technically, I should try to use something Flemish or whatnot instead of "Hauptmann".  (I use the bannerman from Brangaza's Besiegers model for Janus).

Other names in my army:

Thomas of Haddelburg… and HIS MIGHTY CANNON.

Kampfmechanicus Weiss, Rocket Cart Officer

Combat Engineer Michal Krueger

Flashy Dan

Warrior Priestess Paetricia Senitoriae

Warrior Priestess Katarina Friez

Greggor Bloggosh, Master Marksman

Siegfried von Vanheim (Okay… this one I took from GW, but the name is pretty awesome.)

Cardinal von Kolt

Unit Names for some of the units I tend to use:

19th Issenguard Militia (Spearmen)

Vanheim's 75th Cavalry

Von Kolt's Marshalls

Gyr's Falconers

Long-and-the-short of it, just come up with names you like.  The story will often grow outside of the name anyway.  Just as Thomas… AND HIS MIGHTY CANNON.  Anyway, hope that helps you some with ideas.


Offline Fidelis von Sigmaringen

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Re: Naming units and characters
« Reply #29 on: March 09, 2017, 10:48:09 AM »
The marksman I would something like:
Hans 'killshot' Steiner

Killshot would be Todesschuss. More ironic would be Kopfnuss (literally: headnut) or Hirnbatzl (brainsplat) - both actually referring to hitting someone's head with the fist or fingers.

A historic name would be Matthäus Hetzenauer, said to have been the deadliest marksman of the Wehrmacht in WWII.
« Last Edit: March 09, 2017, 10:51:15 AM by Fidelis von Sigmaringen »
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Offline Baron von Klatz

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Re: Naming units and characters
« Reply #30 on: March 09, 2017, 12:37:54 PM »
Off-topic post but I enjoyed that swordsmen taking down a zombie dragon part so much that I sketched it. :-D



(Gotta work on sketching fumes)

Looking forward to you posting pics of your army! :smile2:
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Offline Artobans Ghost

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Re: Naming units and characters
« Reply #31 on: March 09, 2017, 12:42:06 PM »
Nice name fluff Caroline. Certainly brings life to the characters and army.
Mathi Alfblut Feb 4,2017 Simple, You gut the bastard with your sword, the viking way.
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Offline Konrad von Richtmark

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Re: Naming units and characters
« Reply #32 on: March 09, 2017, 01:45:36 PM »
Hauptmann Janus van Fleet.  My BSB.  "Hauptmann" I think means "Head man" or something like that.  Janus is more supposed to be Dutch or Danish, not German… so I figured "Van" over "Von".  And so Janus van Fleet was born.  I guess, technically, I should try to use something Flemish or whatnot instead of "Hauptmann".  (I use the bannerman from Brangaza's Besiegers model for Janus).

Hauptmann does indeed mean "head man", and it's actually the German word for an army captain (whereas "kapitän" afaik refers specifically to sea captains).

He could plausibly be a Marienburger. Some WFRP background material about Marienburg showed it to be somewhat Dutch-inspired.
The only good thing about 7th ed heads is that they look particularly inbred and superstitious which is perfect for Stirlanders

Offline Fidelis von Sigmaringen

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Re: Naming units and characters
« Reply #33 on: March 09, 2017, 01:56:01 PM »
Kapitein would be the rank in Dutch. The word "fleet" is not Dutch, though. If you are intent on retaining the meaning "fleet", then it would be Vloot. Or you could use Vleet , a term for a fishing net several kms long for herring, now mainly used in the expression bij de vleet (in abundance).
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Offline Mathi Alfblut

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Re: Naming units and characters
« Reply #34 on: March 09, 2017, 03:38:00 PM »
If you are nice you can name him Mathi Alfblut von Siegfriedhof.  :closed-eyes:

He is the most die hard stirlander you will ever find. And he managed to become Arch Lector in the end. Beat that!

Oh, and remember GW made it personal, not you!

Offline Fidelis von Sigmaringen

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Re: Naming units and characters
« Reply #35 on: March 09, 2017, 03:48:13 PM »
Mathi Alfblut von Siegfriedhof - he may have died hard (the old lecher), but he died...
« Last Edit: March 09, 2017, 04:31:18 PM by Fidelis von Sigmaringen »
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Offline Powderfan

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Re: Naming units and characters
« Reply #36 on: March 09, 2017, 03:55:28 PM »
Off-topic post but I enjoyed that swordsmen taking down a zombie dragon part so much that I sketched it. :-D



(Gotta work on sketching fumes)

Looking forward to you posting pics of your army! :smile2:

That's awesome.

Offline Powderfan

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Re: Naming units and characters
« Reply #37 on: March 10, 2017, 06:24:27 PM »
Testing posting a photo.



Fingers crossed.

Offline Gneisenau

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Re: Naming units and characters
« Reply #38 on: March 10, 2017, 09:56:51 PM »
It works, and looks good :-)

The marksman I would something like:
Hans 'killshot' Steiner

Killshot would be Todesschuss. More ironic would be Kopfnuss (literally: headnut) or Hirnbatzl (brainsplat) - both actually referring to hitting someone's head with the fist or fingers.

A historic name would be Matthäus Hetzenauer, said to have been the deadliest marksman of the Wehrmacht in WWII.

Or just name him "Wilhelm Tell".

Offline Shadespyre

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Re: Naming units and characters
« Reply #39 on: March 12, 2017, 11:10:56 AM »
I found it useful to type corny fantasy names into Google translate until the German (or Dutch, or Latin or whatever) words that came back looked like a good name!

Offline Rowsdower

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Re: Naming units and characters
« Reply #40 on: March 12, 2017, 02:30:25 PM »
I speak German [roughly as I pieced it together from war comics] I sometimes name my miniatures [usually Empire ones] after bad German puns; I.E
Fier Sturn: Engineer [name translates into 'Fire storm']

Offline Fidelis von Sigmaringen

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Re: Naming units and characters
« Reply #41 on: March 12, 2017, 05:06:23 PM »
No doubt you want to write Feuer Sturm, as Fier Sturn does not mean anything in German...
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Offline Padre

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Re: Naming units and characters
« Reply #42 on: March 12, 2017, 06:21:58 PM »
He did say it was a 'bad' German pun - thus, perhaps, the bad German?
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Offline Fidelis von Sigmaringen

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Re: Naming units and characters
« Reply #43 on: March 12, 2017, 11:53:24 PM »
Doesn't work in any case, as there is neither a {[bad German] pun}, nor a {[bad] German [pun]}.
« Last Edit: March 13, 2017, 12:19:07 AM by Fidelis von Sigmaringen »
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Offline scrubber

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Re: Naming units and characters
« Reply #44 on: March 13, 2017, 12:56:13 AM »
Powderfan, jealous there's two bits of battle field in a box scenery in that photo that I never got. Here's hoping that the Gothic stuff comes back soon.
Your Officer of musket must then get called "Sharfshutze" behind his back.

Offline Rowsdower

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Re: Naming units and characters
« Reply #45 on: March 13, 2017, 01:44:38 AM »
Sorry about the misspelling. I'm dyslexic

Offline Padre

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Re: Naming units and characters
« Reply #46 on: March 13, 2017, 06:20:42 AM »
Doesn't work in any case, as there is neither a {[bad German] pun}, nor a {[bad] German [pun]}.
So you're saying it's extra bad at being bad? That's too bad.
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Offline Fidelis von Sigmaringen

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Re: Naming units and characters
« Reply #47 on: March 13, 2017, 09:27:29 AM »
Sorry about the misspelling. I'm dyslexic

Just pulling your leg, you know. So, I will not even mention that srubber mispelled Scharfschütze.

On a side note: it is still a common misconception that witchhunts are something medieval. In the Middle Ages and Renaissance,  it was a marginal phenomenon. The hight of the witchhunts was in the 17th century, so the Modern Period. The number of victims are often highly inflated. Modern research puts the  total number of people killed at around 25.000 within the HRE, and 40.000 to 60.000 for the whole of Europe. 

Some more names of historical persons involved in witchhunts in the HRE:

Alexander von Haslang zu Haslangsreut, Grosshausen und Reid
Vincentius von Berg
Johann Gottfried I. von Aschhausen
Johann Adam von Bicken
Franz Buirmann
Hermann Cothmann
Johann Georg II. Fuchs von Dornheim
Julius Echter von Mespelbrunn
Philipp Adolf von Ehrenberg
Dietrich Flade
Dietrich von Fürstenberg
Peter von Greyerz
Daniel Hauff
Johann Schweikhard von Kronberg
Balthasar Nuss
Sebastian Röttinger
Georg Scherer
Heinrich von Schultheiß
Johannes Trithemius
« Last Edit: March 13, 2017, 09:41:02 AM by Fidelis von Sigmaringen »
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Offline Victor

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Re: Naming units and characters
« Reply #48 on: March 13, 2017, 12:14:26 PM »
Just dropping by to state that I am not a fan of bad German names and puns for Warhammer characters and units - for me, it taints the setting and I don't like.

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Re: Naming units and characters
« Reply #49 on: March 13, 2017, 10:45:36 PM »
The lizardman book must really frustrate you.
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