A Standard Color for the Republic Troops during the Clone Wars
Allow me to present to ya- Republic Standard Colors for REPUBLIC Battalions, not just clone legions. (Colors designed by me for an AU I have where the Clone Wars lasted for around 8-9 years instead of 3-4).
These colors would be ordained on most clone units by the 3-4th year of the war, with it mostly applied to units that didn’t already have their own colors- and with some units actually ADDING their own colors atop of the existing paint. While others willingly used the colors, either in the stock look- or in patterns that were hopefully unique only to them. This means not many units would therefore NOT be in pure white unless they were fresh off Kamino or a whole unit was wiped out and hasn’t been outfitted in colors yet (or they issued new replacement armor).
Credits to Elmengu on DevianArt for the base clone model (TCW styled P1- I just modified it for P2) and MarkusStarkiller on DevianArt for some attachments (Commander’s Visor Cap Brim)
For a very long time, I noticed that I didn’t very much like the pure white clone armor during it’s phase 2 life, being that it was said that clone battalion’s were almost always unique in the sense of markings and such- and this WAS the Galactic Republic, so I expected something to be done to help give the clones that look of White for the clones (and later shift into imperial) and Red tones that the Republic was practically synonymous for with how much of their vehicles and ships were ordained in the colors.
So, using the references from the games, shows and movies, I found a nice tone of red that is close to the old colors used by the CG during the earlier stages of the Clone Wars. ^_^
At first I wanted to use colors directly tied to the Old Republic, showing how, as the war dragged on, the Republic military was slowly returning to the shape it held during it’s olden days- but then I had a thought…Why not mix it with the CG’s old colors and show how it’s darker for a reason (imo at least)?
The Clone Wars marks the end of The Republic thematically with all the subtle hints to the emergence of the empire and such a lot already- so why not use the color as another way? The colors of the old Republic troopers were brighter and more in line (albeit more on the orange/warm side of things) with what we’d see on Phase 2 Coruscant Guards, and I feel like this would be done on purpose to bring the people of the core at ease upon seeing troopers in the BRIGHT red colors.
Meanwhile the republic’s colors grew darker as the war dragged on, we had people like Tarkin, Ozzle, and Screed come into power during the war, people who just brought the republic further down with corruption, lack of morales or ethics. So as the war goes on, we see the colors that represent the Republic get more faded, it either becomes more desaturated, or darker to symbolize how the republic is slowly dying, losing its ways and being forced to sometimes commit vile acts in the aim of ending the Clone Wars in a victory that the Senate, the very institution the Republic was structured upon, wants.
And even without the themeatic sense for it- the idea of RED being the Republic’s choice of color is just such a clear choice- from the fact that we see MULTIPLE battalions, legions and security forces all throughout the Republic in many sources of media using shades of red- just look at Thire’s unit, a shade of red for the CG that I believe was used a little after the War began and replaced with what we saw on Coruscant later on during Fox’s intro and tenure as head officer.
Then we have Fil’s unit, idk if he was officially stated to be part of the CG/Senate Guards or not, but his troopers had red colors- then we had the 91st Reconnaissance Corps under Neyo, and in Cannon- we also have a different subset of the same legion under Windu with less bright- but more warmer shades of Red that is reminiscent of Pond’s shade of red.
Shades of red have ALWAYS been part of the Republic’s identity, and the troopers who serve the republic during the Clone Wars, ESPECIALLY the Clones themselves would more than likely be super patriotic or supportive of the GAR as a institution- meaning their colors and themes would and should at least try to mimic that of that of the Republic. Like if we saw TK styled troopers during the clone wars- (ie, in fics or whatever) THEY SHOULD BE in red to help symbolize the republic- and they can still maintain their foreboding nature as viewers/readers would KNOW what they ultimately represent, but at the time- they simply would play PERFECTLY into the role of “transitional” when you look at them.