The Scene US Special Forces

 I took a couple of photographs of my painted US Special Forces from The Scene.  Still a couple of extras to paint but I'm happy with these as a start.  I think I've probably posted some pictures of them before but they matched the Stoat gunners because of their DPM style camouflage.

Commonwealth special forces in action

The Guavan Defence Force has been developing its own armoured fighting suit technology by retro-engineering some of the wreckage from their earlier battle with Neo Colonial Commonwealth forces on Libellula.  The work is taking place in a isolated research facility...

The battlefield

GDF technicians have almost completed their work.

GDF techs at work.

The Commonwealth forces include two teams of specialist infiltrators armed with a mixture of assault rifles, SMGs and pistols, all equipped with suppressors.  They all wear active camouflage sneak suits.  The squad leader will accompany Team 1, he is also armed with an SMG.  Supporting them is the remaining Cyclops armoured fighting suit, this time with its stealth systems fully operational!  The troopers are all Troop Quality D10, Morale D10.  Due to their mixed weaponry they will roll a strange assortment of dice.
Team 1 shooting: 1D10 (assault rifle), 1D8 (pistol), 6D6 (3 SMGs).
Team 1 close assault: 9D10.
Team 2 shooting: 1D10 (assault rifle), 1D8 (pistol), 4D6 (2 SMGs).
Team 2 close assault: 7D10
These all assume firing at optimum range (+1D) with the bonus cancelled out by the suppressed weapons (-1D).
[Note - I realised afterwards that I got this wrong, should have been a single D6 per person for SMGs over optimum range, SMGs within optimum range should have rolled 2D10!)

Commonwealth raiding party ready for action.

The teams move in from the East, filtering through the woods and carefully avoiding the GDF wheeled gun drones that are on a perimeter patrol circuit.

Commonwealth special forces sneak through the woods.

Once in position, Team 2 pass their morale test and sprint down the hill towards the GDF fireteam on guard, engaging them in close combat.

They take the guards by surprise!

Unable to return fire because of the surprise generated by the sneak suits and completely outmatched, the guards are quickly overcome.

The sentries have been silenced.

Team 2 move swiftly round the side of the building and attempt to open the hatch.

Team 2 prepare to make their entry.

Passing their TQ test they get the hatch open and move inside.

Team 2 move inside.

Team 1 move up and as Team 2 crack the second hatch, they dash inside to attack the GDF techs.

Attack!  Team 1 move through into the garage.

The GDF techs decide that their reaction to this charge will be to run for it - they're not paid to take on special forces!  The sprint as fast as their little legs will carry them, out of the building and down the track.  Seeing the commotion, the GDF infantry fighting vehicles start to move towards the building.  Squads of troops follow suit.

The techs run for it but the IFV moves in.

Alone in the workshop, Team 1 set charges on the crate of components, the captures fighting suit and the handily parked GDF scout car.

Team 1 set the demolition charges.

Team 2 provide covering fire to keep the escape route clear.  They take down one of the GDF troopers whilst avoiding taking any casualties themselves.  The GDF squad miss the next turn while they administer first aid to their severely wounded comrade.

GDF troops take casualties from Team 2's covering fire.

The GDF wheeled drones cease their patrolling and move towards the disturbance.  Having evaded detection thanks to its stealth equipment and adaptive camouflage, the Cyclops catches a drone by surprise.

Cyclops Fighting Suit prepares to fire on a GDF gun drone.

It successfully destroys the drone, but an IFV and a squad of troops round the corner of the building.  The Cyclops succumbs to a lucky shot from the IFV's light autocannon, the shells finding a weak spot in the armour and rupturing the fuel cells.  The pilot is killed instantly as the Cyclops erupts in flames.

GDF troops spot the Cyclops.

Team 1 emerge from the building and leap straight into combat with a squad of GDF troops. 

Team 1 locked in combat with GDF troops.

They wipe out the opposition and Team 2 do likewise with a second GDF gun drone.  There is nothing they can do for the Cyclops pilot but he has covered their escape.

Having defeated the immediate threats the Commonwealth forces prepare to escape.

Having dispatched the nearest opposition, both assault teams make a rapid getaway over the hill and into the woods there their sneak suits will hide them from pursuit.  Behind them the charges detonate, destroying the captured Cyclops and crate of recovered technology.  Despite the loss of another Cyclops (too badly damaged for the GDF to recover anything this time), the mission is a success for the Commonwealth!  The GDF meanwhile have 4 dead, 4 seriously wounded and a few other light injuries.

Team 1 make their escape.

A quick, fun game to play, a chance to try out some special forces with a range of different weapons in Tomorrow's War.

The cast:
Commonwealth special forces: Rebel Minis SAS
Guavan Defence Force: GZG OUDF troopers
Guavan techs: GZG gun crew in berets
Cyclops suits: GZG
GDF vehicles: DLD Productions "Kamodo" AFVs and Matchbox "Stoat" scout car

Special Forces ideas

I've decided that I need some special forces types for certain missions.
 
I do have a set of Rebel Mini's SAS, but they're more of an anti-terrorist or hostage rescue mixture of figures with gas masks and anti-flash hoods, armed mainly with pistols and SMGs.  The force I most commonly use in games are my NAC Marines from GZG, so I'm going to use them as the base figures.  The majority of their equipment will be the same as that carried by the regular troops, so there are only two main changes that I'll want to make to them:

1) Head swaps.  I'll be replacing all the heads with some of GZG's replacement heads, probably those which include night vision goggles.  I haven't decided whether I'll have 8 with goggles or split a pack so that 4 have goggles and 4 have something different.  I could give them gas masks, though I've also been considering some MPs.  If I get Jon's other pack of replacement heads I could use berets or something similar to help differentiate them from the other Marines.  Of course, I could just get the "NAC Marine in Berets" pack for my MPs, which would be a whole lot easier...

2) Weapons.  My special forces team will use the standard marine assault rifle, but with a large sound/flash suppressor attached.  I plan to cut off the existing barrel and drill a hole into which I will insert a thin piece of brass rod.  This rod will act as an attachment point for some brass tube to form the suppressor.  I could fix the tube directly onto the barrel as it comes on the figure, but I don't think that would stand up to much handling.  I don't want to be forever hunting for the loose suppressors rolling around in the figure case ready to glue them back on!

An artist's impression of the finished product.  I'm happy to report that the artist has been given the sack after producing this poor quality image.  Hopefully the physical result will turn out better than this (and without a curious greenish stripe along the bottom).

Colour scheme will need to be different from the normal troops, probably a dark grey/black so that they look suitably menacing.  If I go for MPs as well, they'll be painted to match the regular troops, but with one or two changes such as coloured shoulder pads to emphasize their
importance.  (I imagine they'd have coloured, elasticated patches they can pull over the armour panels, easily removed if they get involved in fire combat.)

Special Forces team

One of my most recent orders was placed during the sale at "The Scene".  I acquired a small patrol boat, a special forces team, a couple of packs of battle robots, some zombie hunters/survivalists, and some agents from the authorities.  I also tried a few of the miscellaneous items, some hatches to add to my buildings and a couple of packs each of ammo boxes and missile cases.


I was impressed by the speed with which the order arrived, despite a warning on the web site that it might take some time because of the backlog.  The models are very nice, plenty of detail and full of character.  I've got a backlog of other GZG, Rebel, CMG and 15mm.co.uk models to paint, but I couldn't resist making a start on a few of the new arrivals.

The US Special Forces are coming along nicely, here are the first 4 nearly finished (SF04, SF01, SF07, SF02, plus SF05 didn't quite make it into the photograph).

The patrol boat (B001) was very easy to clean up and put together, just an evening's work to paint.  I'm thinking that some of GZG's seated NAC marines might go nicely with this kit, and one of the standing gunners will fit behind the machine gun (though he might need a small box to stand on to reach the right height).  It's already taken part in one battle, but sadly the enemy never approached the river closely enough for me to use it!

My heavy battle androids (HAD001) are almost finished too, they're going to be special assault cyborg troops for one of my armies.  I have already got some Tomorrow's War stats worked out for them.