Brigade Models - Neo-Sov Conscripts

As mentioned before Salute, our 15mm Neo-Soviet forces are gaining several new packs of conscript infantry. There are four packs altogether – infantry (9 figures – six riflemen, squad leader, rocket launcher and LMG), support weapons (8 figures – 2-man missile squad, two 2-man gatling teams, plasma gun and sniper) and command (6 figures including a splendidly-hatted Kommissar and a comms specialist with satellite backpack). The final pack is a 32-man platoon which consists of two infantry and one of each of the other packs.

SF15-1264 – Conscript Infantry (x9) – £3.50
SF15-1265 – Conscript Support Weapons (x8) – £3.00
SF15-1266 – Conscript Command (x6) – £2.25
SF15-1270 – Conscript Rifle Platoon – £11.00

Sculpted by Martin Baker, these figures were originally owned by ArmiesArmy but as far as we know have not been previously released.

INCOMING..... 15mm Neo Respublik Support Bots

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I'm personally delighted to have an opportunity to review the new Neo Respublik Infantry Support Robots from Khurasan Miniatures.

Jon took an idea of mine for AI support weapons, ran with it and working with the talented John Bear Ross brought to life a model that was far better than my original expectations.

Really? Yes. This is a well designed model that's believable and it's on the cusp of being either human or alien tech. The kit comes with MRS (pictured), autocannon pods and individual missile hard points. See below:

The legs are sturdy enough to take the weight of the model and the ball joints fit perfectly into robust sockets on the underside of the chassis.

You can choose your load out and mix and match as you see fit. I personally prefer the weapons to those that came with the Federal Army DIMOG Armoursuit and will be using the spares from the Support Bot to upgun my DIMOG.

There are more pictures on TMP (here) and the 2D renders from my original post on Dropship Horizon back in December (here).

To give you an idea of the size of the beast, here is the exploded model next to a RH Models 20mm Sci Fi  Neo-Soviet figure:

A versatile model for 15mm, 20mm and 25mm Sci Fi gaming that will bring firepower with a touch of elegance to the tabletop.

Cheers

Mark

 

20mm Neo Sovz

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RH Models 20mm Neo Sovz

These painted 20mm Neo-Sovz from Rolf Hedges were picked up on eBay to start off my Neo Sovs for Tomorrows War. They have a certain Rogue Trooper Norts vibe about them which appeals to me.

I will also use them as Near Future Spetnaz in more earthbound Ghost Recon/Call of Duty: Modern Warfare inspired games. 

Cheers

Mark

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Under the Radar..... Neo-Soviet Kombine Ramblings

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Back at the end of June I wrote about the suitability of the Flames of War 15mm WW2 Soviet Sapper-Engineer Flamethrower Platoon to become Traveller/Traveller Book 4: Mercenary mid-tech Infantry with laser carbines (Click here). Well, PROJECKT KOMBINE has been progressing under the radar since then.

My vision is a planetary Götterdämmerung! Continent sized cities are the battlefields, in a dystopian "diesalpunk" future inspired by Berlin 1945 and Grozny 1999-2000.

Initially I was thinking of only using the Flamethrower platoon figures as a Mid-tech energy weapon armed force. At this point I saw them very much standing alongside RAFM's ex-Traveller/Striker Mid-Tech Infantry. Discussing the project offline initially with Master Chef and latterly with Eli, I'm now aiming towards a Lower Mid-tech urban combat force which has a mix of high velocity Gauss neo-assault carbines (PPSHs) and early technology energy weapons (Laser/Plasma or similar).

Neo-Soviet Kombine
Urban Assault Batnova

To reflect the newness of this 'emerging' technology on TOE, one Plashnya per Kompnya will be armed with energy weapons. One box of SU803 Sapper-Engineers and 2 boxes of SU804 Sapper-Engineer Flamethrowers will give me a Batnova of 3 Kompnyas or preferably two understrength Batnovas.

The project received a boost when I discovered this superb Soviet era urban 'ameoba ' camouflage suit, which just felt like it had the correct Sci Fi and Neo-Soviet look and combined with helmet visors added from greenstuff would move the figures away from their more obvious WW2 origins.

At the moment I'm looking at using traditional FOW style bases for these miniatures and to make my life easier, the 4 man urban bases from The Scene are certainly worth considering.

Here's a rough impression I created as part of my 'mood board' to help me visualise the overall look of the Neo-Soviet Kombine urban combat force - naturally they will look better on urban terrain bases and to excentuate the urban devastation I've purchased a tub of GF9 Ash Waste Flock to try out.

For AFVs I'm looking at a mix of wheeled, tracked and early Grav technology. WW2 era T70s converted into troop carriers, Battlefront M3 Scout Cars (in lieu of a decent BTR 40), Skytrex BTR152s and GZG (grav) Light Gun/Scoutsleds.

I'm in no rush. This is a labour of love and I'll probably not get round to painting and basing until I have time off work at the end of October/beginning November. But, it's something fun to pull out and crack on with when I need a break from my mainstream Sci Fi projects.

Drasny Provovnik!
Mark
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Life Work The Universe......The Generals Tent

Given the mixed weather this week it comes as little surprise that it's Wimbledon and lawn tennis season already.

June in Kinkydeenshire

Not really my game, but no warm blooded man should ever pass up the opportunity........and far prettier to watch than rugby. Whilst my mind lingers on beautiful Russian figures.....at the end of last month I ordered both the Flames of War WW2 Engineer-Sappers and Engineer-Sapper Flamethrower sets from Maelstrom Games. Ostensibly for and Berlin '45 Gotterdammerung and Weird World War Two games. You may remember that I discussed the potential for using them as Sci Fi Retro-Neo Soviet troops in a previous post.

Flames of War SU803
Soviet Engineer-Sapper Platoon

Well, the miniatures arrived and are bloody brilliant! They are so stonkingly good, I'm going to make them into one of my core Sci Fi armies.

I want to especially highlight FOW's Sapper Engineer Flamethrower Platoon (SU804).

Flames of War SU804
Soviet Engineer-Sapper Flamethrowers

I was instantly smitten by the figures as they spilled out of the pack! Give these guys visors, a comms link on the side of the helmet and they will make perfect classic Traveller/Mercenary mid-tech Infantry with laser carbines, straight out of the original Traveller Book 4: Mercenary book.

The downside is that there are only 16 figures in a pack, with no officer/NCO miniatures, or heavier squad support weapons - so you'd need to purchase the standard Engineer-Sapper platoon pack for these and convert as necessary if you wanted to represent a full leg infantry platoon - However command and support elements can always be provided by APCs, drones and UAVs, especially with Future War Commander, where I will use them as the dismounts for my Hykranian mech infantry forces.

But this project is more than just putting minis on the table. I don't mind admitting that these Engineer-Sappers have given me a huge element of gaming nostalgia for the Traveller Book 4: Mercenary games of yesteryear that I want to capture again.

Cheers
Mark

15mm WW2 Red Army female soldiers

Whilst on the Neo-Soviet theme, Soldadets (TMP nom de guerre) has submitted WW2 Red Army female soldiers to the Eureka Miniatures 300 Club program.

You can read more about it here on TMP: "Eureka 300 Club: WW2 Russian female soldiers" Topic

It's going to be interesting to see what sculpts come out of the project, and if there will be any potential Soviet WWW2 Zombie fighting heroines. I'll pop for 10 minis for my WW2 Soviet collection, not an earth moving number, I know, but it helps Soldadets project along.

The Red Army Heroine in the photo on the left would be fine in 15mm and could be enhanced by the addition of a Plash-Palatka rain cape.

One of my favourite ever wargame minis was a Platoon 20 Soviet figure standing with a PPSH, wearing pilotka sidecap and Plash-Palatka. He was just the epitome of Soviet soldiery.

Now, I also came across the box art below from a set of 1/35th scale Soviet WW2 miniatures.

If you can image our heroine in the photo above, in same pose but given skirt and boots with overcoat draped over shoulders in a similar manner to the female soldier in the box art - would this make a better character figure? Or should the figure in the box art be an additional figure representing a female Red Army survivor, armed with a PPSH?

Would you prefer a more combatative pose - stalking forwards perhaps, PPSH at the ready?



Cheers
Mark


p.s. A present has arrived this morning in the post, a gift from Heather, as a small token for letting her have the cats and subsequently enduring this reaction to them....BLOODY STREETS: The Soviet Assault on Berlin, April 1945 by A. Stephen Hamilton.

I have no excuse now not to forge on with my Götterdämmerung. Bum! I can feel a Race to the Reichstag game coming on....oooh - FOF or Crossfire, FOF or Crossfire? - wait, I have an idea, something else entirely.......!

Mark

Kitbash of the Week No.2

Hykranian BMP2R

I've decided upon a Neo-Soviet feel for my FWC Hykranians. Therefore Kitbash No.2 demonstrates what can be achieved by mixing and matching between manufacturers. A Hykranian BMP2R.

Once again we see the hover skirt from GZG's V15-15A, the hull from V15-43A, but in this case the turret comes from a QRF Soviet/CIS BMP2. A little while back, Geoff at QRF was happy to sell smaller parts such as this turret for £1, to stimulate and encourage kitbashing, but it's worth checking if you feel inspired to ensure this option is still open.

There's a small hole in the top of the turret for a Soviet Spigot(?) Missile, but I thought it could be better used for either one of the GZG radar/sensor options or the Missile System, which is available separately as V15-ACC3.

Cheers
Mark