SG15-J03 - Japanese Power Armour

The conclusion of my Ground Zero Games Japanese Corporate Troops painting project - power armour.

As you can see, we have a squad leader with a couple of very chunky swords.  They have small cables running into them so presumably they are power swords/vibroswords or something similar.  He also has 2 banner-styles fins containing sensors and communications gear.  Next in line are a pair of identical troopers armed with tribarrel support weapons, making good use of the power armour's extra load-carrying capacity.

The bottom row comprises a trooper with some sort of square-barrelled heavy weapon.  Maybe it's some sort of heavy flechette gun or launcher.  Finally there are a couple of troopers armed with paired shoulder-mounted missile pods which are obviously the same as the single hexagonal-fronted one carried by the heavy weapon trooper in the normal infantry set.

 I've followed a pretty similar colour scheme to the regular troopers, using Vallejo beastly brown and charred brown with GW red gore on the shoulder pads, backpack grilles and lower leg details.

The commander has the little sensor windows on his back fins detailed in green for a bit of contrast.

 Finally a comparison photo so that you can see how a normal trooper measures up against one in power armour.

I've seen several other reviews where people have commented on the "teddy-bear" shape of the helmet!  They are quite cute.

Power Armour

The latest powered armour suits are currently being issued to units.  These new suits retain the features which have made power armour so effective but add new abilities to enhance their effectiveness.  It is envisaged that the 2 types of armour will function alongside each other for many years to come.  Though similar in appearance, there is little commonality of parts between the 2 designs, so they will not tend to be mixed within units.

Left to right: missile trooper, standard trooper, tribarrel SAW gunner

The older suits have a characteristically chunky appearance with the head sunk between the shoulders for added protection.

Rear view of old style power armour

Different back mounted pods provide attachment points for missile pods, SAW ammo packs or other useful items.

New style power armour equipped with grenade launchers (left) and LSWs (right)

The new suits have lowered the shoulders, resulting in an increase in situational awareness from the better view.  With newer technologies, the armour can be slimmer and more flexible without sacrificing any protection.  Units tend to be equipped with an even split of light support weapons and grenade launchers.

Rear view of new style armour showing manoeuvre packs

An enhanced firepower and manoeuverability pack adds to the effectiveness of the new armour.  In addition to making it jump capable, the pack includes 2 triple barrelled grenade launchers, one firing over each shoulder.  The grenades will usually be either smoke or high explosive depending upon mission requirements.

Comparison shot of old and new style power armour suits

These are the old & new versions of Ground Zero Games' NAC Power Armour.  They're painted in the same standard brown/grey/green camo as my other NAC troops.

My Tomorrow's War stats:

Old style armour:
Confidence: High
Supply Level: Normal
Tech Level: 2
Grid: Yes
Armour: Powered 3D
TQ/Morale: D10/D10
Weapons: Basic troops have assault rifle
Special troopers have either:
Tribarrel SAW (Med AP:2)
Missile pods (AP:2 AT:1(L))
Notes:
Advanced Sensors
Active Trauma Treatment
Intimidating
Inspiring


New style armour:
Confidence: High
Supply Level: Normal
Tech Level:3
Grid: Yes
Armour: Powered 3D
TQ/Morale: D10/D10
Weapons:
Troops have either LSW (AP:1)
or Grenade Launcher (AP:2 ATL:1(L)
Notes:
Advanced Sensors
Active Trauma Treatment
Intimidating
Inspiring

Manoeuvre pack adds:
Shoulder Grenade Launchers (AP:1 AT:1(L))
Makes armour jump capable (Move 8" standard / 16" rapid)

Power Armour

I've known for some time that my armies have been lacking in that most important of SF staples, Power Armour.  The figures have been sitting in my "to be painted" box for some time but all I managed to get partially finished were a few Critical Mass Games Kaamados Vivipara and Agaamids (of which more on another occasion...)

A dig through the collection of little polybags in the box provided me with a few human power armour figures who were purchased to help remedy this omission.  Various figures are part way through painting (with several test pieces complete), but these 6 are the first complete set I've finished.  They are Ground Zero Games' SG15-N03 Neu Swabian League Power Armour.  In the bag are a commander with sensor pack, 2 missileers with shoulder-mounted missile pods, a SAW gunner with under-arm gun mounting (reminds me of a GW Terminator assault cannon) and 2 standard troopers.  As often seems to be the case with the older GZG power armour figures, the guns seem a bit small and ill-defined, but apart from that I really like these figures (even if they have super-slim waists that a fashion model woudl die for!)

Base colour is Humbrol 93 acrylic matt Desert Yellow.  Camouflage stripes of 50/50 mixed base colour and Vallejo Reflective Green (it's an olive drab colour, not sure where the "reflective" bit comes in?) were added, I didn't want the green to be too sharp a contrast.  Edges of the green stripes had a smaller dab of Vallejo Cold Grey here and there.  Base was painted with Inscribe Acrylic Sand Yellow.  I was going to paint the back of the knee joints in a darker colour, but I rather liked how they've come out with the shading, so left them as they are.

Vallejo sepia ink over the whole figure including the base.  Humbrol desert yellow drybrush across the entire figure followed by Vallejo bone white.  Weapons are picked out with Vallejo Cold Grey and washed with Vallejo black ink.  Visors are GW red gore with appropriate highlights/shadows and finished with GW red ink.  The commander has received a matt black sensor dome over his left shoulder and the stalk on the right shoulder has a red lense which received the same treatment as the visors.

I'm pleased with the camo, it gives a rather subtle effect, exactly what I was after.  I admit that at normal viewing distances on the 15mm battlefield it'll just look a uniform dull greeny-yellow-brown colour, but as I spend far longer painting figures than actually playing with them, I don't mind!  Click on the pictures for a larger view, showing all the detail which will never be noticed during the games...