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In more than one Gaunt's Ghosts book there's a bunch of really cool names for tanks and I'd like suggestions as to names for my armor. Tanks are all Imperial Guard of course. I'm also open to other fun things to make them look "lived in"

I think of Guard as less pious and more rough around the edges so they would choose names from themes of stuff they like such as whoring, gambling, and drinking. Whore's Promise, Easy Eight, Frank and Beans, Meat Hammer, Jupiter's C**k etc.

I did a Baneblade and called it Heart Breaker. My second choice was going to be Dirty Girl but I went with less weathering - http://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/588778-.html?m=2

I've always imagined Guard flyers having kinky nose art like WW2 airplanes. That would be cool to see modeled, and I'm sure it would be easy to get decals for it from model airplane kits.

David Drake came up with (or perhaps 'borrowed' from his own military experience) quite a few for his "Hammer's Slammers" series of books.

Two-Star, Nameless, Flamethrower, Herman's Whore, The Plow, Hoodoo, Hula Girl, Deathdealer, Widowmaker, Warmonger, Warrior, Queen City, Honey Girl, Gangbuster, Hole Card... the list goes on and on.

A search for 'tank nose art' turns up all sorts of stuff. Mostly airplanes, but tanks, motorcycles, and even various miniatures show up as well (40k, Battletech, and Renegade Legion I recognized, there were some others I didn't). All sorts of ideas to be mined there.

Dirty Deeds

Lived in? well get some packs, bedrolls, tarps, tools exc. Tankers don't have a lot of room and a lot of that ends up on the outside of the tank. I think Tamiya makes some stuff like that.

I think in the novel Imperial Glory one of the ace pilots is reprimanded for the art on his aircraft - the Mechanicus had complained to his new CO IIRC.

I think its a great idea and should look great modelled

Just google WW2 tank model kits. You'll find a crap-ton of inspiration. Twist some of the names a bit with 40K flavor and you're set.

Bug Stomper - We endager species.

Just name or images? I seen a tau reverse flyer thing painted to look like boobs..... It was interesting to say the least lol.

 SQRT(-2) wrote:
Dirty Deeds

Lived in? well get some packs, bedrolls, tarps, tools exc. Tankers don't have a lot of room and a lot of that ends up on the outside of the tank. I think Tamiya makes some stuff like that.

And her sister tank Dirt Cheap

Honestly, your best bet for a LOT of inspiriation is just google Warbird Nose Art, and "Painted Sherman Tank" And you can get a lot of ideas for what you're after. Like said above you can take the themes and twist it to something more 40k but "Nose Art" as a whole has always been "Personal" for the Crew or "Pop Culture" (For the time) References.

Elbows' recommendation is spot on. GIs were notoriously cheeky. You can also google "WWII graffiti" or "sherman tank graffiti" and dig thru the images. You'll find plenty of inspiration.




This is just the tip of the iceberg.

Look up ww2 nose art.

I can guarantee that painting shark mouths around tanks would look amazing.

My two Guard tanks (5th/6th ed days).

The hammer. Modular loadout. Battle cannon, punisher cannon, demolisher canon.



and the Slammer. Vanquisher.


Yes, I have read the books.

Names, kill marks, graffiti. Nose art too.

Anything the bored guardsman may decorate there tank with. F your good free hand, battle sister pin up on tanks flanks?

Totally tempted to call my command tanks "Shake" and "Bake" now

Shake on the cannon, bake on the flamethrower?

Dont forget the kill count marks, worn out areas of people walking back and forth and climbing on things, oil leaks, rust, and all the other fun tank related weathering stuff.

its super fun and looks really good at times.

Oh also id avoid too many IRL pop culture references unless you can really 40k them up. it tends to be super obvious and a bit cheesy instead of cheeky. it can kinda detract ya know?

Definitely put a slogan on that says "I only signed up to meet space nuns". Do it, do it now.

Bonus points for "with or without plastic surgery". Hint hint GW

Use some of the names that Iain Banks used for his Culture spaceships... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_spacecraft_in_the_Culture_series
So Much For Subtlety, seems fitting for a tank.

An Imperial Guard player I know has the following painted on his vehicles (these are a select few of my favourites):
"Just Married" - written above the rear door of a Chimera
Google 'Hello Exterminatus' - that on a Valkyrie, good and cheeky as it should be
"I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll" - cut off by the end of the barrel of his Baneblade's main gun
"This ain't genocide, this is rock and roll" - on the side of another Superheavy
"Bug Spray" (and variations thereof) - on each of his banewolf whatevers (I forget the names of the variants) with the chemical weapons