A New Project

Good day all, in the process of updating, reviewing, and testing the 2nd edition of Battle Captains, my friend Matt and I embarked to create our own custom sci-fi armies. This endeavor was two fold; first we needed to thoroughly test the future era of the game, and second building an army from your imagination is loads of fun.

As I already have a custom starship fleet I decided to link the two, after all the Earth Soviet Republic needs boots on the ground once they have captured the orbitals. I began by scouring the inter-webs for .stl files I could use, either in whole or in part, to build a complete army. I also dug through my boxes of extra GHQ figures to flesh out the infantry. Finally, I built extensive TO&Es from division level down to section and incorporated a few lessons from the ongoing Ukraine conflict.

Over the last few months I have printed and painted and customized until this army was complete. Now I can field every conceivable formation of the Earth Soviet Republic.

The totality of the figures complete include 214 stands from MBTs, infantry, tracked and wheeled IFVs, and numerous support vehicles.

17xInfantry Sections

Source: Various GHQ Models

Every army needs its footsloggers to do the dirty work. Digging through my extra GHQ figures I managed to put together five platoon's worth of six man sections. Standard Soviet sections are a two man fire support team, two man AT team, and a two man assault/command team.

14xPower Armour Sections

Source: Home 3D Printed

Seeing as this project is sci-fi I couldn't not do power armour. Doctrinally, the Soviets use power armoured troops as urban warfare experts, utilising their plasma weapons to tear through reinforced concrete buildings. Operating in two fireteams of two men, the PA sections may appear brittle but can withstand significant punishment.

8xRecce Teams

Source: Various GHQ Models

A few more GHQ odds and ends got me some dismounted recce teams, primarily used by the Marine Brigades or Cavalry Divisions.

4xHMG Sections

Source: Various GHQ Models

Even in the far future, the machine gun is still a necessary weapon, although these ones are rapid fire coilguns capable of firing flechette dispensing SABOT rounds.

4xAT Teams

Source: Various GHQ Models

These AT teams use a portable launcher for the M64 'Trident' missile, a remote targeted, indirect, top-down attack munition.

5x125mm Mortar Teams

Source: Various GHQ Models

The Soviet marines cannot afford the weight cost of as many heavy artillery vehicles when establishing a planetary beachhead. Thus, the man portable mortar still sees service on other worlds.

2xSniper Teams

Source: Various GHQ Models

The weapon may be a 3km effective range, flight correcting, high velocity coilgun, but the sniper and spotter still follow the same principles recognizable in the 20th century.

2xObserver Teams

Source: Various GHQ Models

While the AI driven network environment of the Soviet ground forces enables fire support to be directed by individual fire teams, calling in fire support from orbiting warships is better handled by naval observers on the ground.

2xAir Defense Teams

Source: Various GHQ Models

When the overlapping spheres of the AA umbrella are occasionally breached, a man portable air defense weapon is still useful, in this case the M52 'Crossbow' missile.

8xM403 CDR-2 Recce Drones

Source: Home 3D Printed

Darting about the battlefield and rising above the tree line, the M403 recce drone provides expendable networked eyes at platoon level. Combined with the remote targeted 'Trident' AT missile, an infantry platoon can engage armoured threats without exposing themselves.

17xM211 HCV2-T 'Tiger' IFV

Source: Home 3D Printed

The 'Tiger' is the primary tracked IFV of the heavy and cavalry divisions. With internal space sufficient to transport a section of infantry, the M211 features a 95mm coilgun capable of firing flechette and an APS for incoming missiles and direct fire.

10xM211 HCV2-A 'Lion' IFV

Source: Home 3D Printed

The 'Lion' is the assault version of the 'Tiger' utilising the M37 thermobaric weapon to pummel entrenched positions into dust. Primarily used as a platoon commander's vehicle, the 'Lion' is the primary transport of the Soviet's power armour formations intended to provide overwhelming fire support during urban operations.

8xM211 HCV2-AT 'Leopard' Fire Support Vehicle

Source: Home 3D Printed

No matter the battlefield, a big gun providing direct fire is always welcomed by the grunts on the ground. Based on the same chassis as the 'Tiger' and 'Lion, the 'Leopard' uses its 118mm high velocity coilgun to support the infantry's advance with AP and flechette. Every infantry company in a heavy or cavalry division has an integral platoon of four 'Leopards'.

4xM211 HCV2-M 'Mongoose' Mortar Carrier

Source: Home 3D Printed

The 'Mongoose' is a turretless variant of the M211 chassis emplacing a 125mm autoloading mortar within the vehicle, capable of firing HE or phosphorous rounds.

10xM328 LCV4-T 'Cheetah' IFV

Source: Home 3D Printed

The LCV4-T is the primary transport for Soviet marines as weight of equipment is a serious consideration for their rapid response brigades loaded on navy transports. The 'Cheetah' is reasonably fast while carrying two sections and its RWS features a 28mm rapid fire coilgun.

6xM328 LCV4-C 'Blackbuck' Fire Support Vehicle

Source: Home 3D Printed

The 'Blackbuck' replaces the 'Cheetah's coilgun with a 125mm mortar, integrating indirect fire support down to platoon level.

13xM328 LCV4-R 'Mustang' Recce Vehicle

Source: Home 3D Printed

The M328 chassis is the perfect platform for an armoured recce vehicle. Using the same 95mm coilgun as the 'Tiger' IFV, the 'Blackbuck' retains enough seats in the back to carry a four man recce team.

10xM231 UCV2-T 'Wolf' Light Transport

Source: Home 3D Printed

No matter the army, no matter the planet, a light and fast light transport always has a role. The 'Wolf' is ubiquitous in the rear echelons of every Soviet formation.

2xM231 UCV2-R 'Jackal' Light Recce Vehicle

Source: Home 3D Printed

Utilising the same M231 chassis as the 'Wolf', the 'Jackal' features enhanced surveillance equipment including an extendable mast useful for fire direction.

6xM265 UCV3-T 'Mule' Heavy Transport

Source: Home 3D Printed

Rarely used by regular Soviet formations, the 'Mule' is the primary transport of the Territorial Brigades. This 40t massive transport can move three sections onto the battlefield but is lightly armoured and unarmed.

5xM305 UCV1-T 'Grizzly' Utility Transport

Source: Home 3D Printed

A legacy system still used in a secondary role, the 'Grizzly' has its uses in second line duties and as part of the Territorial Brigades.

1xM305 UCV2-C 'Oxen' Command Vehicle

Source: Home 3D Printed

The 'Oxen' fills much of the M305 chassis with communications equipment to fulfill its roll as a command and control vehicle.

18xM299 ACV2 'Jaguar' MBT

Source: Home 3D Printed

The primary MBT of the Soviet ground forces, the 'Jaguar' is a 106t monster. Its 132mm coilgun can put a magnetically accelerated round down range at nearly 7km/s or shred exposed infantry with a massive flechette round. Advanced armour is backed up with an APS capable of engaging missiles and direct fire weapons.

2xM400 SCV6-AAA 'Elephant' Laser AA Vehicle

Source: Home 3D Printed

Based on the chassis of the older 'Lynx' tank, the 'Elephant' uses a 12PW X-Ray laser to engage medium range air threats.

2xM400 SCV6-AAM 'Cobra' Missile AA Vehicle

Source: Home 3D Printed

Replacing the laser of the 'Elephant' with the M47 'Onager' missile system, the 'Cobra is intended to provide protection from high altitude air threats.

2xM245 ECV3-B 'Rhino' Engineer Breaching Vehicle

Source: Home 3D Printed

The 'Rhino' is a fully autonomous vehicle capable of performing basic engineering tasks including the breaching of obstacles and minefields.

5xM384 UCV5-CM 'Hyena' C-RAM Vehicle

Source: Home 3D Printed

Based on the M384 utility chassis, the 'Hyena' provides C-RAM (counter-rocket, artillery, and mortar) protection to command groups and high value targets.

5xM384 UCV5-AAM 'Sand Spider' SHORAD Vehicle

Source: Home 3D Printed

The 'Sand Spider' mounts the M52B 'Kunai' AA system to engage low flying air threats.

5xM384 UCV5-AT 'Scorpion' AT Vehicle

Source: Home 3D Printed

The M59 'Shuriken' missiles on a 'Scorpion' are a highly effective, remote targeted anti-tank system usually fired from hidden locations and directed onto target by drones or spotters.

The Soviet ground forces are complete, capable of fielding a wide variety of battlegroups. My intention with this force was to be a little conservative with the futurism perhaps being better referred to as modern plus. I have planned another more ambitious force embracing more extreme sci-fi concepts that I will tackle when my muse speaks.