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For a few editions of 40k something has felt off when I look over the model range. For years I couldn't put my finger on what was off.

Looking at some 2nd and 3rd edition armies and it suddenly dawned upon me what has been off all these years.

A complete lack of back banners, and also what banners we have now have a design already sculpted into them. Very little chance for unique banners.

Does anyone else miss the banners, or is it just me showing my age?

I don't miss them. I use to clip them off. I'm not sure I even like Banner wavers in this edition.

I still have a few models with back banners. They lend a certain charm and aesthetic to models from an earlier age. I definitely prefer just the pole so one could customize his own banner with personal artwork. I can't say I miss them so much as I find them interesting on occasion. If I really want want I'll add my own.

They disappeared along with bright red models and goblin green bases

They aren't all gone. Alive and well in DE.

I love me some back-banners. If transporting them was easier, I'd have more. The little "back pack icons" things are terrible looking though, so I don't use any of those.

I didnt really notice, I never put them on the model or always removed them.

They always snapped off in my experience with the exception of Azrael whose backpack just sort of hangs on.

GW noticed that overly-tall models take up an irritating amount of space when they're being transported.

It's because no-one wants to get shot right in the heraldry!

I mostly remove them, so I haven't really noticed. That said, there are still hand-carried banners.

 AnomanderRake wrote:
GW noticed that overly-tall models take up an irritating amount of space when they're being transported.

Definitely not why they quit making them. They don't care how you transport figures. I mean...they make this for crying out loud:



But why they did cancel making them is likely because they used to have to provide colour banners in codices and White Dwarf that people could paint or copy and cut out, etc. It was technically more work for them. With little pointless icons strapped to packs they just put them in the kit and don't have to worry about extraneous art.

I was never a fan of the paper banners. I don't think they look right, at least without a lot of effort. Just really stood out and looked weird to me.

The sculpted ones are ok, like the Primaris Ancient and such.

I think it's very situational. The Dire Avenger Exarch one looks awesome. Putting one on a Marine Sarge, not so much.

I thought they were cool at first, then in practice I think they are horrible.

Orks still have plenty of bosspoles, but they are usually trophies and icons now rather than banners.

When I first started playing back in 3rd I thought they Space Marine back banners were terrible. Now I actually like them.

With the new and craptastic LoS rules they are not worth it.

Eh, rules are secondary considerations to models though. That's as easy as "are we counting banners" - "no" - "okay". Problem solved. Only tournament folks would have to worry about it.

While I am partial to a Regimental/Company/Platoon/Chapter Standard/Banner the idea of clearly identifying your command structure to your enemy seems somewhat counter-intuitive, so I don't do it and never have.

 Dysartes wrote:
It's because no-one wants to get shot right in the heraldry!

Ah, if only GW actually had that much self-awareness.

I have a number of them and like the space for freehanding. My SO, on the other hand, absolutely loathes them and snapped them all off at the beginning of 8th when the "tip of the nose" line of sight got brought back.

I hated the backpack banners since I can’t freehand at all and the old sticker banners never looked good. Plus the easy breakage and transport inconvenience.

My old 2nd ed sgts and captain have them and nothing newer.

I hated em they just snapped off too easily.

I like them, and big backpack icons. Makes it easier to pick the models up. But I wouldn't use them in 8th because they count for LoS, which is really dumb.

 stonehorse wrote:

Does anyone else miss the banners, or is it just me showing my age?

Neither. I hated them when they were current.

They looked atrocious, broke easily, and wearing a target is a terrible plan for leaders.

I loved them and miss them.
Gave individuals more character and made an army look great all laid out with a few banners interspersed.

 AnomanderRake wrote:
GW noticed that overly-tall models take up an irritating amount of space when they're being transported.

Hardly the reason seeing GW keeps making models harder and harder to transport. Having got back to LOTR it's blessing on how much easier it's to transport. Uruk-hai pike warriors are the worst.

My Orks have back banners for Mob Boss and Character models. Would not be without them. Have no problem with LOS, as they are all removable - simple addition of plastic tube to rear of the base, and plastic rod that fits into it. Makes transport easy, too.

Put some Heraldry into your Heresy, some Banners into your Blood Angels, you won't regret it.

They broke off in your storage case.

While interesting, back banners were always a bad idea on gaming pieces as game pieces need to be shoved into cases and transported, and back banners needed a slot in the case much bigger than was standard. GW's old cases, and by extension, many non-custom-cut cases on the market, offer rectangular slots about the size of a regular bolter marine. Anything larger, from a back banner to a full standard bearer, needed to cut permanent slots in the material.

This lead to a sergeant or back banner taking up an unnecessary amount of space while also being prone to breaking off, as there is only a single small connection point on a thin rod.