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So I randomly roam through Dakka reading, a story here, a battle report there, when I see in Rumors a tidbit about new terrain. Without fail, there was be someone piping their displeasure about all the skulls that GW has to have on everything. I get a good chuckle from this, but last night was different.

I'm trying really hard to finish my current armies and get some of the mountain of terrain I own built. Minor projects like basing and fixing broken bits on Eldar skimmers. Well last night I finally got to one of the two Shrine of the Aquilas I have. I wanted to get it off sprue, trimmed of mould lines, and ready for paint.

While watching the Lakers dismantle the Suns and peeking at Dakka every so often, I get Shrine clipped and begin trimming. Few minutes into it I'm piecing together the Eagle head to see how it fits on wall. Then I see it, in the left eyeball of the Eagle, a skull. I bust out loud "WTF are they doing?" of all places to put a skull. Normally I don't mind the skulls and actually like them on certain pieces of terrain, but the eyeball of an Aquila Eagle?

When the gentle laughs and asking what's wrong by my wife, I tell her. She looks at me and eye rolls. Just a random moment in time.

So where have you found skulls on GW models and just wondered, WTF is that?

I sanded all of them off of my Imperial Guard army

I think the skull in the Eagle's eye is some pretty cool symbolism if you really think about...

Monster Rain wrote:I think the skull in the Eagle's eye is some pretty cool symbolism if you really think about...

The vision of those leading the imperium will lead it to death?

That's one way of looking at it. Or the gaze of those leading the Imperium is death to their enemies.

That's the thing about symbolism, it's open to interpretation.

How about that Khorne Lord standing on a hipe of skulls, or the Skulltaker, who have a cloak made out of skulls?

When first edition metal Terminators came out they had a skull on the pauldron. It was quite a lot of work to file them off.

The recurring skull motif is an important part of the general heavy metal aesthetic of 40K, designed to appeal to teenagers.

Wait, is the eagle with the eye looking towards the past or the future? I don't feel like looking one up!

Skulltaker may be excessive but in a good way.. Anyone can fill a pit with skulls.. But to make your own cloak out of skulls? Quite the skilled tailor..(skailor?)

I find it overkill to the point of desensitization. Its just assumed that a model will have at least one skull somewhere. I dont, strictly speaking, hate the skulls or find them annoying. I kind of just dont care anymore; they have no meaning anymore. Frankly, i feel like painting a pink SM army with a lot of flower motifs, just because you know those would be some bad mofos.

WARBOSS TZOO wrote:

Monster Rain wrote:I think the skull in the Eagle's eye is some pretty cool symbolism if you really think about...

The vision of those leading the imperium will lead it to death?

Of course, that's what multiculturalism gets us. If every Guardsman looked like a Cadian we'd be fine, but we've got Tallarn Desert Raiders, Attilans, Valhallans...it's only a matter of time before it all comes apart.

The worth of a man can be judged by the amount of skulls depicted on his person. Try playing "count the skulls" with 40k artwork, see how many you can find on a single character. I think about 15 was my best.

Actually I kind of like the whole Imperial Skull motif; it's just another example of how the Imperium is corrupt and circling the Pit of the Ruinous Powers. Faced with the decay and stagnation of technology, encumbered by decadent leaders, assailed by mutation and corrupt politics, and at constant war with itself and external elements.

The worth of a man can be judged by the amount of skulls depicted on his person. Try playing "count the skulls" with 40k artwork, see how many you can find on a single character. I think about 15 was my best.

You must have this many skulls on your person to ride...

I added more skulls to my Skulltaker. I put him on a base that was a pile of skulls.

Last year I went to Chichen Itza and some other Mayan ruins while on a trip to Mexico. It really changed my perspective on the 40k skulls motif. Previously I was pretty ok with it in a campy, over the top style. Walking around those ruins though, it's not nearly as over the top as you might otherwise think. It's hard to tell now because so much of the ruins are gone, eroded, or faded, but there are skulls and death symbols everywhere. Literally racks of skulls, murals of decapitations, bones everywhere, and so on. It's fairly well in line with 40k skull styling, and it's all true, real culture.


But, to the original question, I think my favorite skulls are the ones in the center of purity seals. Unless the cast is really good they're not there at all, and unless you're super super careful about painting thinly the detail just gets overwhelmed and they're lost and either way you can't see them unless you're super super close to the model. An almost entirely useless detail, but, still, there are skulls there, and that pretty much sums up the motif right there.

For GW:
Skulls + (Fur x horns) - eagles/medieval heraldry = EVIL!!!

I think what annoys me more than the skulls is the over-sized armour. I know power armour is supposed to be massive, & I like that, but Im pretty sure there are certain angles you couldnt raise your arms to with those shoulder pads.

That & all tubing going into the sides of peoples heads. What happens when someone wants to take off their armour after a hard day's slaughtering? are they just left with two great gaping holes in their heads?

The amount of skulls is insane. one of my friends was painting one of the GW buildings and just when he thought he had painted all the skulls he found more, and it just keep happening!

Skulls are GW's way of saying "this is our terrain/miniatures/Vehicles". Funny, maybe, but I think it's a very intentional way of branding their own merchandise. By packing on the skulls they make their product less-usefull for other games, and by extension making other lines of miniatures less compatible with GW product.

I knew I was getting a bit brainwashed when I looked at the Pegasus Cathedral kits and cought myself thinking. "Where are the skulls?"

Temple of Skulls was way over the top for me. Those giant skulls were ridiculous. What creature are they from?

*shrugs*

It's the same thing as the Blood Hero with his Blood Greaves and Sanguinary Blood Sword and Mark of Black Bloody Bloodiness on his Blood Bolter with Sanguinated Blood Bullets.

Now all the spikey bits on chaos models. Those are downright irritating...

The Ork Trukk has a skull on its gear stick. You can't even see it when the model is fully constructed.

Flashman wrote:The Ork Trukk has a skull on its gear stick. You can't even see it when the model is fully constructed.

Yes, but that is appropriate. What else would an Ork use?

Makes me think of one of those Over the top 70s-ish illustrations I remember seeing. In the style of Rat-Fink IIRC.

The Dreadnote wrote:The worth of a man can be judged by the amount of skulls depicted on his person. .

Actually, the skulls are counted only in case of a tie.

The true worth of a man is judged by pauldron size and hat size.

Other than some Kroot Hounds, the Tau are rather skull free

Acardia wrote:Other than some Kroot Hounds, the Tau are rather skull free

High Elves and Eldar (Dark Reapers aside) are fairly skulless too...

Kilkrazy wrote:The true worth of a man is judged by pauldron size and hat size.

I thought it was judged by his... *ahem* "shoe size."

Kilkrazy wrote:

The Dreadnote wrote:The worth of a man can be judged by the amount of skulls depicted on his person. .

Actually, the skulls are counted only in case of a tie.

The true worth of a man is judged by pauldron size and hat size.

Beware the Thousand Sons!

Kilkrazy wrote:

The Dreadnote wrote:The worth of a man can be judged by the amount of skulls depicted on his person. .

Actually, the skulls are counted only in case of a tie.

The true worth of a man is judged by pauldron size and hat size.

And his collar, don't forget the collar.