These are my TF2 MLP inspired designs for the mercs! Lots of bonus info on them below!!
I poured a LOT of nerdy details into their designs and I hope it’s noticeable!
I’ve seen a few MLP designs for them before but didn’t think their skin tones or bright colors suited really them, so I referenced real horse breeds and coats. I picked breeds that reflected their nationalities, and if there were none strictly from their homes I went for breeds that were commonly used in the area. Cutie marks were chosen similarly to their coats/breeds. I’m not personally a big fan of their marks just being their merc uniform emblem; they’re all adults and have experiences outside of their current job, so I figured their marks would make sense for what they do now but also reflect them as people (or ponies!). Some things I chose based on the character’s vibe, this mostly influenced coat colors/markings but I did make sure their breeds can have them first.
If anyone is interested or knows too much about horses, I’ve got some notes about each merc:
Engineer: Made him an Appaloosa because they’re a well-known American breed and have big personalities. If engie had a darker coat I would’ve made his spots look similar to oil splattered on him from working (maybe I’ll do this for blu engie). He’s an earth pony because he doesn’t feel like a guy who would rely on magic or flight to do his job, all his accomplishments come from intelligence instead. It’s hard for me to imagine him as anything other than a palomino, it’s just his vibe. I kept his monkey wrench in his cutie mark since it was common for the game’s era, but also added wires since all of his machines presumably use them.
Scout: Quarters have lots of history in New England, but also in racing. I wanted his breed to reflect his agility and home. This is also why he’s a pegasus, scout is light, fast, and also has a gun called the winger, it was meant to be. I gave him a red roan coat because it’s bold and flashy like scout himself. His cutie mark obviously comes from his love of baseball, and I imagine he played it a lot in his youth and the skills he picked up from the sport transfer to his merc job. Maybe not in a practical way, but enough to help him zip around and bonk ponies in the head well enough.
Soldier: A mustang for obvious reasons: they’re wild, very American, and a symbol of freedom. He is also a pegasus because of his in-game weapons. I’d like to think he still rocket jumps normally but glides back down to the ground with his wings similarly to the b.a.s.e. jumper. I was inspired to give him a buckskin coat based on Spirit’s. I think that movie is something soldier would really love if he could watch it. I made his cutie mark an eagle clutching dog tags to show that his talent is patriotism and loyalty to others.
Spy: It was hard for me to decide on a breed for spy that wasn’t a giant French draft of some kind since that build of horse doesn’t suit him. I did end up going with a draft anyway but a smaller one since all other breeds I looked into were very rare/extinct/merged with another breed. I also wanted spy to have a coat color that suited him but also made genetic sense for scout. This was very difficult to pull off without worrying I’m inaccurate, but I also know leaving all other realities obscure gives me some slack. In the end the blue roan really suits him I think, just as broody but pretty as spy thinks he is. Spy is a unicorn because of his weapons. I imagine instead of his machines he uses a brief spell to go invisible or disguise, and maybe instead of the spycicle he uses his horn while spell casting. Not sure if spy would enjoy stabbing ponies with his horn, but it’s kinda cool to think about as a weapon replacement. His cutie mark definitely ties into his role as a spy since he has to act while disguised. I think he originally got his mark from being a casual actor in his youth.
Heavy: He is a big Russian draft horse because heavy is a big man. These horses are very large, suited for the cold, and are great at hauling/carrying large loads like his mini gun. Heavy is quiet, works hard, and is smart, so an earth pony reflects this gentleness he has. Similarly, heavy in lore wasn’t always a gunman and protected his family for most of his life before being a merc. His bear cutie mark symbolizes his gentle bust strong protection of people he loves, but I also thought it would be fun to make it something that enemies wouldn’t suspect danger from (because his mark is too cute for a merc).
Sniper: His breed was also hard for me to choose, but I went with a staitonbred since they have lots of history in Australia and New Zealand. I gave him a grullo coat to reflect his bushman living since grullo's are often wild and have more primitive markings. Sniper is a pegasus mostly based on vibes rather than his weapons, but I think being able to fly helps him reach great sniping spots. His cutie mark was inspired by a snippet in the TF comics where he mentions he used to love slingshotting as a kid. I think this ties in great with his current job since you have to have good aim and patience to snipe.
Pyro: His design was the hardest out of all the mercs for me. I didn't want him to look too boring/similar to his human design, but that's difficult when removing his mask and suit ruins his character's magic. His whole body like his merc self is completely covered in a suit, so his true colors are unknown. I tried to make pyro's personality be the highlight of his pony self, and I think his accessories help. He has a horn and wings he made himself because for one reason or another he wishes he was an alicorn (there’s also a few of scout’s and sniper’s feathers in there lol). Maybe he likes them because they're pretty? Powerful? Who knows, interpret this desire he has however you'd like. Kept his cutie mark fire since that IS pyro's whole deal.
Medic: I couldn't really nail down any German breeds that worked for him, so he's an Arabian. This breed has lots of history in Germany and neighboring countries and has a big personality, which I thought worked great for medic. I made him a dapple grey because it looks white (like his lab coat) but the dapple gives him some pretty speckles. Medic is a unicorn because I think magic would be heavily involved in his work. I think he uses crazy spells in conjunction with his medical knowledge when he heals or does his weird experiments. Gave him a medical cutie mark since he loves it so much, and I tried to make it have sorta dark undertones with the tools laid on top of the cross.
Demo: Last but not least, the Scotsman! He is a fresian draft for their curly mane and tail, coat color, larger build, and significance in the British Isles. These horses are super versatile similar to demo and his range of weapons. He is a unicorn because demo has been around magic from a young age and because unicorns are Scotland's national animal. I don't think demo uses his magic very much if at all, I think he's very paranoid since his eye socket got cursed. His cutie mark had to be some kind of explosive since it's his heritage.
TYSM if you read all that!!! I really wanted to share my nerdy reasoning for their designs, not sure if it's obvious I really like horses lol :p
