Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I don't know if this is as common as seeing grey's in a army. But I often name my character's in my army ex: Vindicare: Mr. Reconnaissance sniper. Lord Commissar (Lord Commissar Terrence) So I was just wondering. I just don't think the warhammer community isn't the "forge a narrative" type

A fair amount of my HQs are named as well as a few select models. Some are "Narrative" names like Warboss Scuzzer (with Squig Cornwalis) and Warboss Vankraken. Other names are more for humor like Dakkajet pilot Kenny Waaaghins (in his jet "Da Danga Zone") or Air Marshal Fiddy Teef and his grot gunner Grotty Yao (The plane being named "Dakka Proof").

A love a lot of my models but often times I just can't think of a great name for them.

Phaeron Krovekh of the Varantekh Dynasty.

I have a genestealer named Greg.

He always survives every battle.

EDIT: I'm not actually joking. The little bugger always becomes the sole survivor of his brood. Even his broodlord isn't this lucky.

Yeah most of my Nurgle army champions have earned names.
There is Plague Champion Decrepitus Nex for example, who earned a name after not dying to St. Celestine for about 5 rounds of close combat lol

 Vankraken wrote:
A fair amount of my HQs are named as well as a few select models. Some are "Narrative" names like Warboss Scuzzer (with Squig Cornwalis) and Warboss Vankraken. Other names are more for humor like Dakkajet pilot Kenny Waaaghins (in his jet "Da Danga Zone") or Air Marshal Fiddy Teef and his grot gunner Grotty Yao (The plane being named "Dakka Proof").

A love a lot of my models but often times I just can't think of a great name for them.

KENNY WAAAAGHINS...... Can I buy you a drink for that one? My sides were sent to outter spaces. Please return to sender.


My Legio Crucius Reaver Titan is named Ferrus Censura. She translates to Iron Judgement, its also a female reaver machine spirit....

Captain Andicar of Wings of Dawn VII company (not entirely Codex-compliant - II through VIII are all Battle Companies).

Captain Caius of V company.

Seargent Correnus.

Farseer Tayyana
Farseer Lokus

The Exarch of the Inevitable Truth shrine (as close to a name as I feel Exarchs should have)

And soforth.

Fleshing out the background, even if nobody cares, is a lot of fun.

my men earn names, basing details, and other such 'your dudes' qualities.

Praetor Rikard Zorr (leader of my DG. Has fought, wounded, and lived against (though with backup) Guilliman, Horus, Angron, Perurabo, and Mortarion)

Lord Commander Julius Tibbs (balsy Solar Auxilia commander: killed a traitor praetor in close combar)

Lasrifle Section Auxilia James bolmew (Wounded Perturabo in close combat, and lived to tell the tale, he also has an iron warrior shoulder pad on his base, and an astartes CCW to commemorate his accomplishment)

Bharring wrote:
Captain Andicar of Wings of Dawn VII company (not entirely Codex-compliant - II through VIII are all Battle Companies).

Captain Caius of V company.

Seargent Correnus.

Farseer Tayyana
Farseer Lokus

The Exarch of the Inevitable Truth shrine (as close to a name as I feel Exarchs should have)

And soforth.

Fleshing out the background, even if nobody cares, is a lot of fun.

Would love to hear the stories and battle tales.


I have an IG guy with two plasma pistols named Harry. He gets him self into some hairy situations. Like the time he stole an objective from a banebalde by himself. Whole squad wiped out in a point blank baneblade shot. He went on to be fearlessly vigilant and moved yet even closer to take the Objective with obj secured and swung the game in my favor granting me victory!

I have two Ultramarines Praetor. One in terminator army called Dominitician and another in power armor called Andovar. Or, as I like to call him, Hairgel.

My Empire general is named Karl Rottenfeld. Spoiler alert: He dies in the End Times.

In my first space marine army I named my two ironclad dreadnoughts Monroe and Monroe.

In fact I think you generally do that with a dreadnought, what with the nameplates and all...

Played a narrative campaign a few years ago with a small deathwatch army and named every model for the purposes of identifying them in the fanfic blurbs we would write up after every fight (it would frequently be about how Inquisitor Bridania would narrowly avoid death after being knocked off a multi-story building thanks to her handy helmet.)

I renamed all of my Necron HQs.

Overlord = Nemesor Zarithas
Illuminor Szeras = Illuminor Ithien
Anrakyr the Traveller = Kalivar the Undying (kind of a misnomer)
Vargard Obyron = Vargard Tiber

The only one I didn't rename is Imhotek. The others are based off of characters from a D&D campaign I ran wherein I played a Demi-lich inspired by the Necrons. So basically, I have a Necron army inspired by a D&D army inspired by a Necron army.

For my Space Marines, I have:
Captain Marcus Dane,
Chaplain Armand Levesque (Yes. His name is Chaplain Bishop. What? You wanna fight about it?)
Brother Gregori Zola (Terminator Librarian)
Brother Ector Tremaine (PA Librarian)
PFC Ricky (whichever tac marine happens to do something incredibly stupid/badass)

My SM battles are full of cries of "Dammit, Ricky!"

I have named every infantry model in my IG Catachan army, MT army, and Inquisition force. Its over 200 models at least. Most of the names are my friends, characters from shows I watch, or inside jokes between friends. I also made ample use of the Tough Guy Name Generator. My favorites are Tim Curry (who killed Kharne in a challenge by dying and then using his spite to turn Kharne into a spawn, so I believe), my dog Copper (Games Day cyber mastiff), my wife Lil' Hotness (female commisar model), and Sammy Hagar who killed a demon prince with a krak grenade to the head on overwatch.

 MechaEmperor7000 wrote:
I have a genestealer named Greg.

He always survives every battle.

EDIT: I'm not actually joking. The little bugger always becomes the sole survivor of his brood. Even his broodlord isn't this lucky.

Hehe. I have a Tac Marine I named Gallahad who like never ever dies.

Does the paid version of Battlescribe contain a feature to record names your squads and characters?

All of my Crimson Fists characters have names, or are in the process of earning them. So I have Captain Rodrigo Diaz, Chaplain Gerome, Ancient Vidar, Brother-Champion Bermudez, Veteran Sergeant Felix, Sergeant Beren, etc.

Most of the names come from Spanish history or national myths to give them consistency, but some are made up out of whole cloth. I also have a short biography for the most important characters - nothing fancy, just enough to explain where they got their wargear from and what the markings on their armor means.

I also award them purity seals and other honorifics if they accomplish something truly outstanding.

Then there's Brother Julo, who wields the plasma cannon in the 2nd (Tactical) squad. Brother Julo is a terrible marksman and always misses or overheats, which is probably why he has the plasma cannon - he's the 5th company's worst soldier so they're hoping the plasma cannon will kill him off!

Other people in my club have named my models. I don't even remember the names but they've named my RT Hunter Killer and the five individual 2nd Edition guys in my Termagant squads... Really disconcerting when you have to ask what squad Timmy is in when Timmy is apparently your own model.

 jasper76 wrote:

Does the paid version of Battlescribe contain a feature to record names your squads and characters?

It sure does.

All of my HQs and unit leaders get names. Ordinary guys only get a name as a reward for doing something cool on the tabletop.

I have a Space Marine Tactical Sergeant with two power fists. His name is "Sarg Fisticuffs."

Just some of my named characters

Kan kicka (a runtherd that likes putting grots in their place so much that he underwent deffdredd surgery just to kick around the most pretentious of all grots, killa kanz )
Tide smasha, (a tankbusta who used to be a trukk driver that ounce rammed a riptide that dared to death or glory him.)
Teefstompa, crisis stompa, dreddstompa. (A stormboy who's evolved to a nob biker and then to a warboss on bike...he likes stompin)
'Ead Cleavah (a MA warboss that has only one goal in life: kromp, loot, and serve his master the "big 'un"....ounce a smart git of a deathskull questioned the amount of goals that fit in "one", now ead cleavah has another head in his collection. )

It's one of my most favourite parts of my games! Literally named ALL the HQ's, units, transports and tanks! I used to play Empire, so I try and fit in some ol' fashioned Empire names into my list, and other times, I just go with something else for a specific reason!

So far for my IG army from the grand planet of Hoch (Who in the campaign I'm in all go about i their ship of choice, The Bismarck!)

Commander : Heinrich Wolfe
Primaris Psyker : Grand Psyker Balthasar
Priest : Ol' Gregory
Vet Squad : The Hochland Hunters (In campaign so far, these plasma wielding, cloak-donning gits are tasked to hunt Tyranids with their BS5 and Preferred Enemy too, led by their trusty Sergeant Grimm!)
Dedicated Transport Chimera : The Faithful Hound
Vet Squad : The Grenadiers (Also led by the Other Brother Grimm, these ones are tasked with an all together different kind of hunt...Tank hunting! )
Dedicated Transport Chimera : Hoch's Fury
Leman Russ Eradicator : Wilhelm (The Billionth, by how many times it goes boom!)
Hydra : The Blue Swatter (Bringing the blues to the Red Baron!)

I do. I call my AOBR warboss "Boss Fart" and my Squig-Boss "Spinetwizta Faceata"

I got incredibly....involved with some soon to be not as problematic substances one night and when I awoke I found that nearly all of my 300+ orks had a name painted onto the base.

It has improved my enjoyment immensely. Also there's nothing quite like listening to the fantastically super srs names created for someone's space marines. My personal favorite was Andronicus Dawkins of a renegade chapter who rejected the religion of the emperor and sought enlightenment through science and atheism, but the brainwashed masses of the imperium just won't listen to them....

Some of my various Daemonic characters;
- Tzaphak'naah Doomscribe, The Feathered Fatechanger, Tzeentch's Malice - a mighty Lord of Change who is the true mastermind of all my daemonic hosts.
&
- Tzaal'Ra Chamon, Infernal Conjurer, The Burning Doombringer, Tzeentch's Gaze - (waiting for the new plastic kit) a lesser Lord of Change who wields the Eternal Blade.

- Haar'akty Spirit Swallower, The Great Woebringer, Tzeentch's Burning Emissary - a Daemon Prince, who for now is subservient to Lord Tzaphak'naak, but like all Tzeentchian daemons schemes to one day usurp those who command him.


Some of my various Tzheralds;
- Tzaal Pharos'Ka, The Burning Omen, Scribe of Destinies, Tzeentch's Prognosticar - a Herald on Burning Chariot, who's recently come into possession of the Everstave, with which he can lay down a torrent of mutating warpflame.

- Dha'amun Hyktsos're, Blazing Brightwind, The Golden Mutator, Tzeentch's Word - a Disc riding Herald w/Exalted Locus who also carries the fabled Grimoire of True Names. (or at least, copy no. 1,924,543,999,999 or thereabouts, since every army in existence apparently owns one! )

- Tzaar'Quaysh, The Altered One, Accursed Conjurer, Tzeentch's Traveller - a Herald with the Greater Locus of Change, (roll a D6 for Str each turn), who carries a devastating Mutating Warpblade, and mocks his opponents by assuming a shape that reflects the darkest nature lurking within a mortal's soul.
Easily my most fun, if not exactly 'best' Herald, but it's hilarious to see how many characters he can turn into Spawn each game, while he and his unit of Horrors have also amassed a pretty decent list of tanks they've gone Super Saiyan and flipped across the battlefield!

- Tzeen'Dhaazyr, The False Prophet, Blessed Warpweaver, Tzeentch's Stormcaller - a Herald w/Exalted Locus and the Paradox, who commands my other large unit of Horrors and wrecks havoc with his powerful magics.

Plus my pair of Exalted Flamers, known as 'The Cinderseer' and 'The Radiant One', who round out my main HQ's.

While none of my unit champs get names, as they're unworthy of such titles, each of my units is named, such has the Pink Horror unit known as 'The Coruscating Host', or 'The Infernal Flameseers' who are unit of Tzeentchian Flamers, etc...


Likewise, when I get around to fleshing out the few units of Khornate & Slaaneshii daemons into a full on army, I've already got names planned for all the various HQ characters & units.

All my Deathwatch are named, suits them well.

A full half of my Ultramarines Second Company are individually named too. Each marine in one of the demi-companies is named, Sergeants and grunts alike.

They're led by Acting-Captain Hadris Aurelius, whose exploits have been recorded on Dakka.

My Cadian 13th are led by Colonel Ibrahim Gisgo, whose origin tale can be found in the same place.

never name your models after yourself. Especially if people don't know that you game, 'I was killed by my plasma cannon.'

buddies, sure. but never after yourself.

I name the leaders of each of my forces, and I'm working on the grunts

Space Marines- Ultramarines 2nd Co. Lead by Captain Vandris (still haven't figured out a first name)

Guard- Gaian 15th Rifles, lead by Colonel Jeremiah Taylor

Dwarves- Dwarf Lord Harkan Ironfist

 carldooley wrote:
never name your models after yourself. Especially if people don't know that you game, 'I was killed by my plasma cannon.'

buddies, sure. but never after yourself.

I know a guy who named a terminator after himself- even wrote his name on the base.

But I've got a few names. I've got Warboss Blitzgrab, because he's a thieven' git, and Big Mek Bulletmuncha. Everyone else has to earn their names. I have one Meganob named Bigz da Titan Slice-a, since he took down an imperial knight after his squadmates only got 2 wounds on it or so, and Bigga Fang, who managed to take down a wolf lord in a challenge somehow.

All my Tanks have a name. Big or small. Those that don't have one I just havn't gotten too yet.

A handful of troops have names. But usually only because they did something awesome.

ex: Private Grif and Lieutenant Simmons (after RVB), were a Plasma Gunner and Melta Gunner (respectively) in my command squad that managed to shoot down a Hell Drake (back when they first came out). Said Hell Drake managed to survive a barrage from a Squadron of Hydras, and even a shot from a broadsides railgun.

I have plenty of named characters in my army! Though, since I switched over to 30k Word Bearers, existing special characters now share the same space.