Where do you draw the line on historical minis?

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**Elbows**

I'm not a big fan of censorship. If you want swastikas on your models, go for it.

On the flip side, I'm fine with a person refusing to play you because they find it distasteful, etc. Likewise a privately owned shop can ask you to leave if they feel like it, etc. That kind of freedom goes both ways.

What I don't agree with is head-in-the-sand "let's try to forget this happened" type of censorship, etc. That's just a dangerous way to address historical events, regardless of how bad it may have been. This extends to "let's not paint something X colour because it might start to begin to appear like it may represent...". No. Just stop.

**EmberlordofFire8**

Im against building 40k armies to match any real-world thing, unless GW states that it is so (rainbow warriors...). Theres someone on YouTube that has an American Space Marine army, and i actually cringe ever time i see it.

`Merican Marines?

HERESY

Football Tyranids?

HERESY

WW2 Guard?

HERESY

Ember

**Maniac_nmt**

AllSeeingSkink wrote:
Where abouts in India? Clockwise or right facing is the most common orientation in Hinduism and Jainism which is the same the Nazis used. Some say the clockwise version is a symbol of light, the sun, evolution and the god Vishnu while the left facing one (not the one the Nazis used) is darkness, night, involution and the god Kali. I don't know how many Hindus actually believe that though. When it comes to Hindu temples I've usually only seen the right facing version, sometimes in walls they'll do brickwork what looks like a right facing version from inside but left facing from the outside.

Apparently Buddhists prefer the left facing version, I guess I haven't been to many Buddhist temples to see.

To be honest I don't really know much about the Hindu version in spite of a large chunk of my family being Indian and Hindu Most of my preceding generations converted to christianity and didn't have a lot to do with Hinduism after that. I only go back to India every 4 or 5 years, while the family is lovely it's not usually my destination of choice for a holiday.

When we were in Jaipur the swatstika was plastered on everything under the sun. At least I think it was reversed. It wasn't cockeyed like you usually see, but straight up and down. So that could have been why I think it was reversed.

Certainly any Indian army bringing cannon should have it, as the canons were often painted with it or had it forged on for luck.

**Elbows**

The swastika as we now know it was used...damn near everywhere. From India to Native Americans (also Indians...), Finland, the United States...heck even a Canadian women's hockey team:

It's one of the few instances in history where we really managed to demonize the heck out of a single symbol. No one could get away with using it nowadays in Western culture.

**Azazelx**

When I visited Christchurch Cathedral in New Zealand (before it was destroyed by earthquakes) I noticed that the interior tiling was filled with repeated, tilted swastikas integrated into the pattern. According to wiki it was built between 1864 and 1902. So, you know - it's a symbol that was used/co-oped by Christians as well, pre-1930's.

**AegisGrimm**

About the turn of the century, it was basically all the rage to have swastikas all over anything, as it generally was a symbol of everything from hope to good luck in nearly every culture on earth through history. As far as I know it was not co-opted by Christians in any time recently, it seems to go way, way back.

**Hawky**

Historical miniatures should have all iconography no matter what, as it represents a real thing.

For fantasy/scifi miniatures, I find innapropriate to paint swastikas, hammers and sicles and all other totalitarian political/religious symbols or distinctive features but I would have no problem playing against it. (it's still a game, right? No place for raging emotions)

Next thing is a parody. I actually like parody armies, if it's obvious that's a parody.

**SorataZ**

For historical/real life stuff, of course I would go with the correct symbols, wether they're Nazi, Soviet, ISIS or whatever.

On things that are clearly meant to be fantastical, like Warhammer 40,000, I would not do it since there, the army is supposed to be the way I personally envision it, which means my own iconography and stuff... and stuff like swastikas or hammer&sickle symbols don't fall under this.

If someone uses such symbols for their fantastical armies, I would have a bit of suspicion on them, but probably still play against them (following the usual stuff like rules and basic decency, of course).

**DeadGaurd**

I'm going to have to agree with the majority of people here, for actual historic minis I think it's fine to use the symbols, swastikas, sig runes, hammer and sycle... ect.

For none historical minis I think its ok to use colorurs and camo paterns, but I'd avoid any of the symbols.

*edited for spelling errors, stupid phone.*

**A Town Called Malus**

The Imperium has its own fascist iconography, such as the double headed eagle, many of which already draw inspiration from historical sources.

So I don't see why you would need to import real world iconography to play up the fact that the Imperium is fascist when its in universe symbolism is already doing it.

For historical minis, I think they should be historically accurate, within the boundaries of your gaming group. So some gaming groups may be full-on 100% accurate down to the last swastika, whereas others may just want the camo pattern and uniform colours to be right and don't care about whether your SS infantry have the SS iconography on their collar, in which case it is up to you whether or not you add those kinds of details.

**Noble Korhedron**

dracpanzer wrote:
xraytango wrote:
Actually only the Nazi Swastika is banned, what is on that plane is the Landkruz and is found on modern German equipment.

Spoiler:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Leo2A6M_li.jpg/220px-Leo2A6M_li.jpg

Check out the top of the tail...

URK!! Alright, I see your point; but you have to admit, that swastika is T-I-N-Y!!