Arena Rex Forums

Something I was pondering. In most miniature games where models (either from the same race or not) are divided into "factions", there tend to be some sort of official or semi-official colour scheme for each faction which is promoted as part of their character. The most obvious probably are GW's Space Marines, where Blood Angels are red and Ultramarines are blue. But you also have something like Warmachine, where Cygnar are blue and Khador are red. And so on. These official colour schemes don't mean that you *have* to paint them that way, obviously, but the colours are part of the identity that the designers promote for the factions in question.

Area Rex seems to be a lot looser when it comes to faction colours. Consistent faction colours are there when you look at the pictures of painted models in the webstore gallery, but I'm getting a vibe that there isn't that much focus on them and they're just there because the painters felt like doing it that way. Which kinda makes sense - since ludii are not kept separate when it comes to cohort construction, it makes sense for each player to paint all their models in a similar colour scheme, regardless of ludus, or even have every gladiator painted in their own unique scheme. Because you can mix and match gladiators from different ludii when you build a cohort if you so desire.

It's interesting that when looking at the gallery, you can try and glean faction colours both from the painted miniatures, but also from the colours of the faction dice. So:

- Ludus Magnus have red dice and mostly red-painted models (only Septimus has no red on him that I can see).
- Legio XIII have blue dice and deep blue on all their models.
- Morituri have green dice and light blue on all their models (odd).
- Zephyri have bone-white dice, but not that much consistency when it comes to models (a couple of models feature green prominently, but others don't, and mainly just have generic earthy colours).

So as in the examples I mentioned earlier, there seems to be a distinct red faction and a blue faction, but the others are a bit more unclear.

I think once I start painting, I'll experiment a bit with colour schemes, but I have some ideas. I definitely want to have distinct ludus colour schemes. Thinking of going an official-looking red and light grey for Ludus Magnus, but a mix of yellow, pale green and grey for the Morituri. I see myself mixing grey into the colour scheme of all my models, so even if I mix them, there would be some visual consistency.

Anyone else have any thoughts on what colours they think go well with the different factions?

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My Arena Rex painting log

Apparently the plural of ludus is just ludi (lewd-eye) according the the rulebook, not ludii (lewd-ee-eye) as I wrote above. Live and learn.

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My Arena Rex painting log

I keep thinking about how I would want to paint a Zephyri gladiator in terms of colours.

I'm torn because I really like the raven theme that they have in their symbol, and the wind/air theme in their name, which to me suggests some kind of black/blue colour. But blue is already taken by Legio XIII, and the large version of the raven symbol also has a kinda green colouration, and I like the idea of them having some kind of green on them. So I'm playing around with the idea of a black/blue/green palette. Might work, but I'm not sure.

Just daydreaming at the moment, as the only gladiator of theirs that I'm really attracted to at the moment is Hroka, and she's not at the top of my list of models to get.

(I also don't mind just thinking out loud and chatting to myself on forums, this much should be obvious by now.)

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My Arena Rex painting log

Didn't notice...

I think color-wise everyone needs to choose his or her own preference. I settled my colors from the very beginning. Even though gladiators can be chosen freely, to me I like the style of a unified look.
Therefore, I stuck with the following (as can be seen in my painting thread):
Ludus Magnus: red/bronze
Legio XIII: blue/silver
Zephyrii: brown/green/white
Moriturii: teal/white/gold

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Sheijtan's ARENA REX Experience

Those colours you describe are the same kind of associations I get from the different ludi, so I think they make a lot of sense. I completely agree that everyone should pick the colour schemes that appeal to them personally. I just personally like it when I see connection to what I see as the "official" schemes, because it gives me a feeling that the models look "in line" with the published material, which appeals to me because it adds a feeling of consistency in the game world.

The thread in your signature only shows painted Magnus and Legio models though. If you have more, post them posthaste!

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My Arena Rex painting log

Those ar the models that are done already. A few more are already glued, but Zephyrii are not yet built and Moriturii are not yet purchased.
I am taking it slowly with the TT hobby at the moment, therefore, money goes out a different way into a different hobby .

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Sheijtan's ARENA REX Experience

Gotcha. I'm glad to hear that you do the same thing as me - plan out what colours you are going to paint models that you don't yet own in advance.

Do you still play the game once in a while?

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My Arena Rex painting log

Will have some demos this friday within my gaming club.
It is basically one of four systems I play, none of which really regularly.

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Sheijtan's ARENA REX Experience