Tank Girl + Tamiya T55

Tank Girl

Tank Girl is a Reaper Bones 25 mm or small 28 mm model. It is a bit under-scale for a 1:48 tank but, given that she is a petite Asian girl, I think it works.

The tank is Tamiya's new T55 model. It is a great kit, fairly simple but fitting together perfectly.

As it is for wargaming, I left off some of the tinier bits: they would only drop off with handling.

T55

The T54/55 is arguably the most successful post war tank - around 100,000 built. It was a game changer. Conceived as a medium tank to replace the T34/85, it was so capable that it made production of heavy tanks like the T10 obsolete. Along with Western tanks like the Centurion and M48, it ushered in the Main Battle Tank era that persists to this day.

Size Comparison

When you compare the T55 model with a 1:48 model of a British Warrior, you realise how big are modern AFVs.

The T55 weighed around 36 tonnes. Its modern replacement, the T90 weighs in at 48 tonnes while a British Challenger 2 is 62.5 tonnes. Even a Warrior is 25.5 tonnes and that is without the heavy armour and large high velocity gun that make modern tanks so heavy.

Aidar Battalion, War in the Eastern Ukraine

SASM/Footsore Ukrainian Range

The Aidar Battalion, named after the River Aidar, was a Kiev Loyalist militia formed from volunteers in the Luhansk Region to fight Russian backed separatists. It rapidly grew to about 400 men and women.

The semi official unit utilised a variety of equipment and uniforms suitable for a light infantry militia.

The detachment above is equipped with Russian weapons and a mix of current and obsolete camo-gear.

Seven have assault rifles, the medic also carrying a disposable one-shot RPG 22, and is supported by a sniper, RPG 7 man, and a PK LMG gunner.

Unit Badge

The Adair Battalion became notorious for atrocities and far right politics - not unusual for either side in the Ukraine War. It was deactivated at the end of 2014 and reformed as a regular army unit.

Rear View

Not entirely issue headgear.

Close Up

The ubiquitous RPG7 - one of the most successful modern infantry weapons in the modern world.

Fire Team

Mote the medic bag and RPG 22 (or similar) on the first gunman.

A Range of Camo

A memoir from one of the Aidar fighters is available on Amazon.

Around 130 Aidar fighters/soldiers were killed between 2014-18, not all by the enemy. Drink and modern weapons are a lethal combination.

Spetnaz Альфа

Spetnaz Detachment

I bought these SASM Miniatures through their UK site: Infamous JT.

Unfortunately, for UK modern wargamers, SASM became Footsore USA and this appears to be the only source. Maybe they will be available in the UK Footsore site in the fullness of time. I hope so because this is a great range and I would like to buy more.

Lieutenant

I am not sure if this guy is speaking into a high tech communication system or flicking the Vs.

The Business End

Letting loose with a burst from a silenced assault rifle.

Overwatch

Peering around an invisible corner.

Blackstone Fortress Baddies

Servants of the Abyss

Have finished all the monster-models in my Blackstone Fortress .

More Lockdown work.

The bad people in the box consist of two identical sprues plus a small sprue of Obsidius Mallex.

Lord Obsidius Mallex and Bodyguard

These  appear to have allegiance to the Black Legion.

Traitor Guardsmen

There are two squads of heretics.

Spindle Drones

These are the semi-autonomous robots that repair/protect the Fortress.

Ur-Ghuls

The little horrors that live in Commorragh, Dark City of the Drukhari.

Negavolt Cultists

Heretic Mechanicus slaves.

Beastmen

What would any chaos force be without Beastmen?

Rogue Psychers

Armiger Warglaive

The Business End

This is the last model to paint from my Forgebane Box of miniatures. It is now complete, finished, done!

The Meltagun

I have given it a heavy stubber for self defence against unarmoured targets, and a meltagun to kill armour and monsters.

Reaper Chain-Cleaver

The Cleaver on its left fighting army is a great close combat weapon, agan for taking out vehicles and monsters.

All in all, a useful all-purpose unit.

Brazen Beasts Renegade Marine Warband

Brazen Beasts Daemon Engines

There are many, many  Renegade Marine chapters that are not just pale copies of the Traitor legions but interesting warbands with unique properties.

One of these is the Brazen Beasts, who follow Khorne but are not World Eaters.

One there was a chapter of Space Marines called the Golden Blades. In M37, daemonic intrusion struck  the planet Ghahalla and its Golden Blades garrison force. Daemon engines spilled out of the warp. The Blades came up with a cunning plan, painting blood runes on the engines to bind the daemons therein and hence control the vile machines.

This gave the Blades a large daemon engine 'tank-park' for future use but, ah, blood runes!!! That's, um, chaos magic, innit? And we know what happens to those who use chaos magic. Yup, the Golden Blades became the Brazen Beasts.

Now it seems to me that you don't just suddenly in the middle of a battle decide to use chaos magic. Logic suggests there must have been a certain amount of preparation involved. You know, reading evil tomes bound in human skin, sacrificing chapter slaves and so on. It all looks like someone was corrupted way, way earlier and maybe, just maybe, the whole thing was a set up.

Maybe whoever bound the daemon engines had summoned them first? Just a thought.

Anyway, the USP of Brazen Beast Warbands is that they are led by Warpsmiths, the one above controls a Forgefiend, Hellbeast and and Venomcrawler. He also has a unit of Minor Engines (for which I use Kataphron Breacher rules).

Brazen Beast Warband Daemon Allies

Brazen Beast warbands are always daemon heavy, the concentration of engines weakening the barrier between the universe and the warp.

For some reason the original techmarine who corrupted the Blades' garrison favoured Khorne - hence magic runes rather than magic spells, I suppose.

So the daemon part of my warband has Bloodletters, a couple of  Chaos Spawn, and is led by a Khorne Daemon Prince....I think he's the original corrupting influence - or at least, one of them.

Brazen Beast Traitor Marines Led By An Exalted Champion

The Beasts operate in small sections of five warriors but are otherwise standard Khorne Berzerkers.

Small sections, because they have a manpower shortage.

On Vigilus, the Beasts were allied with Abbadon the Despoiler (no they're not very bright). They disabled laser batteries allowing Abbadon to bring ships in for a low orbit pass. Unfortunately, Abbadon sort of blasted the batteries before the beasts could exit the area. Friendly fire issues - always an issue. Anyway, hence the manpower shortage.

Khorne Beastmen Cultist Led By An Exalted Champion

Fortunately, manpower shortages can be somewhat alleviated by cannon fodder in the form of beastmen (using ordinary cultist rules).

Exalted champions are usually marines but they do not have to be. Unusually unpleasant and brutal 'commoners' can be upgraded by Khorne is they shed enough blood.

This army is about 75 power points as a straight Chaos Marine warband.

Throwing in a Helldrake, Breachers and megavolt Cultis brings it up to around 100.

And the army is finished, for the moment, but when the lockdown ends....I rather fancy a Lord of Discord riding a daemon engine.

Chaos Marine Venomcrawler Daemon Engine

Venomcrawler, Head At Left

The latest addition to my new chaos army and I am pretty much there with this little beauty.

Wonderful model of a mechanical, daemon engine, spider.

From The Rear

Finished in my new army colours of red and bronze: guess which Chaos God they favour?

I added am IG ammo box in camouflage green to give a splash of colour.

From The Left

And the head is building a tower of skulls in honour of 'you know who'.