"WWII... In Spaaaace!!!" Topic

My next 15mm project is going to be pseudo WWII in Space, inspired by various things over the last few months, but especially the Fawcett Avenue Conscripts (link below) Gun Schwarm/FutureKom kitbashes.

I've decided on my future US & Japanese and standard future Germans, but I have a few requests for suggestions in the following areas:

- Germans: More space Nazis!
- British: 15mm versions of the ancient GW stormtroopers – denison smocks in space.
- Russians: Chunky, industrial looking blokes with a Pig Iron vibe, but still more uniform than post-apoc survivors.
- US: Walkers (preferably plastic) a la Dust Tactics that can be repurposed for 15mm.

Thanks guys!

the wpggamegeeks.blogspot.com

You could add japanese and french and chinese to the lot it would be more interesting…

I am doing Japanese as a main force already, but I think that I will be doing French and Polish as allies to the Imperial Anjevin and maybe Chinese as extant enemies to the Qaiqen (Japanese).

The main reason that I'm not doing too many nations to begin with is that I am trying to give each one its own space-flavour without making them tread on each others' territory.

If your looking for 15mm futuristic Germans have you seen Eurekas sci-fi Germans sold by fighting 15's in the UK

Yup, they're my go-to bad guys =]

Space Nazi or Japanese option: Rebel Titan Marines. They seem to be loosely based on the Jin Roh movie. link

Which GW Stormtroopers do you mean – the old beret-wearing ones? If that's what you want, the Micropanzer SAS Veterans are exactly what you want: link

Russians – by Pig Iron vibe, do you mean System Troopers or Kolony Militia? Something that reminds me of the 28mm figures on that blog is the Blue Moon Mercantile Bond. link painted: link

Dust Tactics style walkers – the Gear Krieg stuff at DP9 is 15mm. link

-Chris K.

Cheers clkeagle, I was just looking at the Rebel Minis Titan Marines and thinking they could work as HDL jaegers. The Micropanzer SAS look good – I like the heads and weapons, but I'm hoping I can find some models with a more Pegasus Bridge/Falklands vibe in their uniforms, otherwise I'll definitely be using them.

The Pig Iron vibe I was thinking of was the Militia/Feral vibe, that kind of long-coated chunky industrial look.

I like that Gear Krieg stuff, have you seen any that are "missing link" types between power armour and fully-fledged walkers?

Wow, thanks for the shout-out, Elohim… always glad to spur on hobby madness!

w.

@Elohim – there isn't much in the vein of the Militia/Ferals yet. Despite their popularity in 28mm, there are very few trenchcoated 15mm sci-fi troopers. The best option is 15mm.Co.Uk's Post Apoc warriors:

There's one missing link that has a chunky/industrial look. It's the Rising Sun MANITOU from Kremlin Miniatures. Very cool figure.

There are a few others, but they'd have more of an anime/high tech feel.

-Chris K.

Glad you liked the Blog- thanks for the plug Elohim! Good luck with your project.

GB

Great minds think alike. I was just considering a "Sci-Fi Stalingrad" project with infantry-heavy, low-tech Soviets vs. high-tech Germans.

For the Soviets I was originally thinking about the Kremlin Miniatures Cyberian Death Commandos:
link

However, clkeagle's post above made me start thinking about rag-tag Soviet heroes using the 15mm.co.uk Post-Apoc Warriors with some Rebel Minis Sahadeen heavy weapons and command thrown in for good measure.

For the Germans, I think a great option would be the Eureka Miniatures Sci-Fi Germans:
link

I'm not sure about vehicles, yet, though… Maybe Khurasan Red Lightning tanks for the Soviets and various high-tech gunships for the Germans?

@clkeagle
I may be revising my opinion on Space-Soviet armour doctrine on seeing that, I rather like it!

What are the other mecha/missing link ideas you had? Some will be for my TL3 Americans (it's a Tomorrow's War project), so hi-tech/anime might not look out of place next to GZG's New Israelis as airborne troopers.

@ wehrmacht and Greg B – it's quite alright, I've always believed in credit where credit is due – and this way I can blame you guys if it all goes wrong! =p

@ Golan2072

Well, I'm modding PSC's plastic Panthers in a shameless rip-off of the Fawcett street guys as "German" armour/APCs. The "Americans" will be using small walkers and Old Crow VTOLs, the "British" will have modded Shermans and the Russians will be footsloggers with a lot of medium tank support from KV-1s and T-34s.

I hadn't thought of using Sahadeen… Hmm…

I wasn't originally thinking Sahadeen, but they are very good wasteland figures.

What are the other mecha/missing link ideas you had? Some will be for my TL3 Americans (it's a Tomorrow's War project), so hi-tech/anime might not look out of place next to GZG's New Israelis as airborne troopers.

GZG Cyclops Walkers or ArtCrime Production Valkyries. They are both in that same size class – more of a battlesuit than a true mech.

For another option that size with a chunky/industrial look – try the Khurasan Federal DIMOG walkers.

-Chris K.

Space Nazis!

YouTube link

Some excellent inspiration here, I think this film is going to inspire a lot of wargaming when it comes out.

@Elohim

If you'd like something a bit anachronistic (but, hey, isn't WWII in space anachronistic as well? ;)), here is a Khurasan Red Banner (based on the T-55) MBT which I built up as the Red Lightning Laser Tank and primed, but didn't get around to painting it yet:

Also, I think that a few 15mm.co.uk "Light Tanks" would make good B-10-style armoured cars:

I'm getting intrigued by this idea… Clunky, low-tech Reds with ragged foot soldiers, tanks and armoured cars and a few clunky walkers vs. high-tech Fascists with better armour, better walkers and maybe VTOL gunships…

Ordered several MANITOUs and a command pack from Kremlin Miniatures, as well as 3x Post-Apocalypse Survivors packs from 15mm.co.uk. Once I'll get more money I'll start getting the tanks as well for my Reds.

Are kremlin miniatures any good?

They don't seem up to par with releases from Rebel Minis, GZG or Khurasan.

From what I've heard, Kremlin minis look much better in practice than on their site.

Reading this thread got me thinking; after all, the Eastern Front is, IMHO, the most interesting part of WWII, and both the Soviets and the Nazis work well in sci-fi/PA versions. So I brought up the idea of a literal "Stalingrad 2072" campaign (i.e. Reds vs. Fascists clashing in 2072 in the ruins of Volgograd) in a conversation with my spouse – and wargaming partner/rival – Hannah, and she was intrigued!

So this will be my main PA project from now on. There would be three factions: Reds (low-tech, but with gas masks), Partisans (very low tech, no gas masks for most of them, some disfigured by bioweapons) and Fascists (heavy armour and good guns for each trooper. Tech would be a bit more advanced than today, with powered armour, light mechas, lasers and VTOLs, but no gravitics or sentient robots.

The setting is Stalingrad AKA Volgograd AKA Stalingrad again in 2072, 35 years after a major nuclear war and in the midst of a severe nuclear winter. The Red Army of the Stalingrad Kommune, emerging from the Volgograd University's cellars, fights the invading White Legion over the access to the Volga and to the nearby Baku's oil reserves. In order to bolster the defences against the fascist White Legion, the Kommune organizes various surviving groups outside of its main territory into Partisan detachments to harass the fascists' rear.

The ruleset I'm thinking about is GRUNTZ.

The minis I'm thinking about:

Reds:
15mm.co.uk Post-Apocalyptic Survivors as ordinary Gruntz
Rebel Minis Sahadeen Heavy Weapons packs as Attachments
Kremlin Miniatures MANITOUs as powered armour
Kremlin Miniatures command pack as Company Commanders
Khurasan Red Lightning tanks as armour
15mm.co.uk "Light Tanks" as armoured cars
(hopefully if I'll get the money) a Peter Pig Armoured Train

Partisans:
Mainly 15mm.co.uk Rim Mercs as Gruntz
Khurasan Heroes and Villans of the End Times (with green stuff coats) for colour
Khurasan Mutants of the End Times (Forsaken) for colour
15mm.co.uk "Light Tanks" as banged-up armoured cars

Fascists:
Eureka Miniatures Sci-Fi Germans for all infantry
Rebel Minis gunships for air support
Critical Mass Games ARC Fleet Walkers as armour

Thoughts and Imput will be welcome!

Eureka Miniatures Sci-Fi Germans I've painted:

@Moqawama: the Kremlin Miniatures figures are top notch. There just aren't many different poses or weapon options.

If you're playing small games that only need a handful of figures, or you're multi-basing and aren't as concerned about pose variety, then they are perfect. I use both types of MANITOU as elite support for other lines' infantry, and the Cyberian infantry will form the core of a future Alien Squad Leader force.

-Chris K.

Hmmm… I've thought a little bit more about the Reds and I'm considering making them into a more rag-tag force ALA most forces in Metro 2033. Their main infantry weapon would be an improvised SMG (similar to the WWII-era PPS-43 or to the Bastard from Metro 2033); their "powered armour" would be clunky modified industrial lifter exoskeletons (represented by Kremlin Miniatures Rising Sun MANITOUs); and I'm even considering either giving them armoured cars (15mm.co.uk HOF Light Tanks) or Tachankas (i.e. technicals – using the Khurasan Rockjumper pickup) instead of usual tanks.

The fascists, on the other hand, would be like the Reich from Metro 2033 or the Enclave from Fallout 2 and 3 – using remnant military gear stolen from various bunkers around the city.

What do you think?

To Golan 2072.

I don't know, if something defined WW2 was the massive use of armoured forces by almost all of the opponents involved and that's true ESPECIALLY on the Eastern Front.

If you take tracked tanks out of your pseudo-Soviet forces you make your project into something different from "WW2 in the Future", it may be equally cool or perhaps (I hope for you) even cooler, but "WW2 in the Future" will be not…

Well, so the tanks are still in! Khurasan Red Lightnings, here I come!

Ah, ok, it seemed to me from your last post that you chose to do without the tanks…

Elohim,
check out the backround writing for Rusted Faith. The setting is from DreamForge for a 28mm game not yet released, but I think you might get some inspiration from their ideas and if and when the rules come out I am sure convertion to 15mm won't be hard. :)

Hmmm… I have all the minis I need for the Soviets, but which vehicles do you recommend for the Germans?

Try this out for your Germans

link

Thanks – definitely fitting (one per squad as APC). What about heavier armour/tanks? Maybe some Critical Mass Games Arc Fleet walkers as walking tanks?

link

My Germans from my Blog…

@Stepman3 NICE!

I like them! What is that armoured vehicle?

It definitely is a converted soviet SU-76 from a larger scale, like 1:76/1:72.

The roadwheels and especially the front plate are sure telltale signs.

Not 1/72. It's a FoW SU-76 with some lazer gun bit from the junk box…and thank you…

Which tanks would you recommend for 15mm Space Germans? I was thinking about clunky walkers as "walking tanks" but I'[m open to suggestions.

link

try here…

Sorry Stepman, I thought I had edited the scale bit when I gave a second look at the picture, but evidently I didn't hit the right button.

As for the DP9 Panzergeher…nice but one would need to "spacify" them a bit…it could be a nice conversion job though!

To Golan2072: could you upload a pic of the 15mmco.uk "Light Tank" with some Eureka Germans close to it? To get an idea of its relative size!

@Moqawama – I'm not at home right now (visiting my mother for the weekend), but once I'll get back I'll post a photo. Maybe these will fit the Germans well!

@Moqawama – here you go:

Would that work as a Light Tank for the Germans?

Do you think that this 15mm.co.uk Light Tank work as a Light Tank for the Germans?

For the Soviets I have the HUUUUUUGE Red Lightning from Khurasan, so I'm thinking about making about 4 Fascist scout tanks (using this 15mm.co.uk Light Tank) vs. one big, bad Kommune Red Lightning (as a Heavy Tank or maybe even an Assault Tank).

The light tank from 15mm co.uk seems the right size to be a scouting/recon vehicle like the daimler dingo/sdkfz 222…I could buy some for my forces as well.

I'd be wary of giving humungous tanks to the pseudo-soviet forces, after all the actual Red Army in WW2 discarded almost all of its heavy tanks quite early and soldiered on for most of the war with a comparably light/medium design in the guise of the T-34, though of course your mileage may vary…

hmmm… What about the KV-1, IS-1 and IS-2?

Alternatively, which 15mm tank models look like a futuristic T-34 and which look like a futuristic Panzer-III?

Which 15mm tank models do you think look like a futuristic T-34 and which look like a futuristic Panzer-III?

The 15mm.co.uk and Kremlin Miniatures figures minis have just arrived!

Red Infantry (15mm.co.uk Post-Apocalyptic Survivors)

Red Officer and Commissar (Kremlin Miniatures)

Red Cavalry (Kremlin Miniatures Rising Sun MANITOUs)

Red Infantry, Commander and Cavalry comparison shot

Fascist Scout Cars (15mm.co.uk HOF Light Tanks)

Do you think this GZG Light Tank will work for a light Soviet tank?

To Golan:

the GZG tankette is sweet!

for pseudo-T-34s and pseudo-Pz.III I would suggest you to start from 1:72 kits of less known modern-contemporary tanks and make liberal use of Plasticard and Green Stuff to achieve your own highly original designs, what do you say?

As for a previous comment from you, please consider that the IS-2 tank weighed just 43 tonnes, less than a Panther and as such was more in the "Medium" class of late-WW2 tanks rather than an outright 'heavy' (King Tiger and Jagdtiger weighed 69 and 72 tons respectively!)

This could be a good idea, though the GZG tankette is still tempting… :)