Hard to believe, but it's all true, I started assembling these Heavy Gear walker back in 2016. They are suitable for both 10mm as large crewed mecha, and when used for 15mm games as smaller crewed mecha and robotic drones.
I drybrushed them first with off-white/light grey.
It's hard to see in these pictures but I've blocked in the grey on the undersides with GW Contrast Apothecary white (which is also a light grey). Then I applied brown on the sides, then green for the top surfaces.
I'm going for a simplified version of the scheme I did here.
These are meant to be what the Russian's use as combat armor in the Gate Walker universe. So I'll be using these as Russian Walkers for my Big Little Wars games. Makes sense, huh!
My intention is to paint up some power armor infantry to go along with these to make a playable army.
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Too sexy to be russian... ;-P
ReplyDeleteThings can look sexy. A lot of Russian tanks ooze style, but that counts for nothing if your training sucks, and Russian military training sucks donkey balls.
DeleteI for one am grateful that their training sucks. The West and Ukraine can revel in the opportunities this presents to bring the Russian leadership down a peg.
Of course, it sucks big time to be a Russian soldier having the reality weenie tear you a new one.
\\A lot of Russian tanks ooze style,
DeleteThat is not style. That is heritage. Historically accumulated pecularities -- that is damn interesting and deep things. Cultural artefacts.
From ingenious engineer Walter Cristy. Who was first one who devised that design with torsions (if you know/remember how tanks look in general)
Which then was geneticly inherited in all futher ones.
\\but that counts for nothing if your training sucks, and Russian military training sucks donkey balls.
That is not training. That is military traditions.
They was winning that way. Many times.
So, why bother to change ones strategy, if it winning one?
I think the English language barrier is getting in the way here.
DeleteStyle comes from precedents that comes from the history of design, which then become heritage. And yes, I know about Christie.
As for military tradition, Russia has a history of training that sucks donkey-balls. It's not entirely without reason for why that is the case, but their tradition sucks.
As for the complex question of winning one has to ask what have we learnt. And again, it's not entirely without reason for why that is the case, but times have moved on and the corruption within Russian society is preventing change.
\\I think the English language barrier is getting in the way here.
DeleteWell.
\\fashionable elegance and sophistication.
In general hardly appliable to a technical things, machines, buildings.
And even less to weapon (though, Franchmen are famous for that... what they tryed to do with their fleet).
\\a distinctive appearance, typically determined by the principles according to which something is designed.
Well... but that was NOT deliberate.
So, things that accidentally became "stylish"? I dount it.
As I said. Modern tanks of Russia... which are not modern at all... but that is how it is... all around the world, still.
They based on two distinct things:
success design of T-34 (angled armor plates, deasel engine. Cristie design of mechanics) PLUS spherical casting turret because that is the simplest and cheapest way.
That is all have roots in STRATEGY -- "strength in number" and as consequency of it "let women give birth to more".
\\As for military tradition, Russia has a history of training that sucks donkey-balls. It's not entirely without reason for why that is the case, but their tradition sucks.
DeleteWhat works and what not -- defined in battles.
And... though I undestand your attitude toward their barbaric practices.
But... that is not wise to dismiss enemy, on the base of lack of elagannce and grace. ;-)
Even ugly and unsophisticated enemy can throw a suckers punch.
I think that is someting you can add to your system too. ;-)
\\and the corruption within Russian society is preventing change.
I admire that overlooking attitude of Westerners toward Mother Rusha.
But... that is NOT corruption... that is their *natural* state.
Surely you will understand this ref.
DeleteIt is naive to think that they are corrupt, because they behave this way... daleks. ;-P
All of your above posts basically convinces me that the nuance of the conversation is lost is translation.
DeleteForm ever follows function, said by Louis H. Sullivan. Though a quote about architecture it is equally applicable to anything that has to be designed seems appropriate here. Including field expedient modifications, or ad hoc developments.
With regard to warfare practiced by the Russian, what they did was constrained by their history, The inability of the communist system to educate the masses to be flexible was restrained by the need to indoctrinate the citizens to Soviet ideology.
However, citizens however uneducated, were not stupid, and could see the disparity between what was said, and what was done. This IMNSHO is the root of the corruption, which to be fair is also present in the West.
As for the natural state argument put forward by your good self, in a word no.
A child of a Russian family brought up in by parents in another country would have the morals and values of their adoptive parents and country. Caveat, while some genetic traits would be unique to the child, and affect their demeanor, corruption is not an inherent trait; rather a response to environmental stimulii.
\\All of your above posts basically convinces me that the nuance of the conversation is lost is translation.
DeleteMost surely not. That is only my meager abilities to explain myself... in English(?). :-(((
\\Form ever follows function, said by Louis H. Sullivan.
For sure!
\\With regard to warfare practiced by the Russian, what they did was constrained by their history, The inability of the communist system to educate the masses to be flexible was restrained by the need to indoctrinate the citizens to Soviet ideology.
Sorry to say, but. That is... prejudges.
Things are exactly upside down.
That is *predecessor* of Soviet Union was inclined to hold people indoctrinated and uneducated.
More than 80% of population of Russian Empire, and merely all of peasants -- was not literate EVEN.
And that is the reason of its poor performance in a First WW.
Soviet Union tryed franticly to fix that problem.
With inevitable and contemporaryly understandable effect of bumpy road.
Their problem was NOT that that they succeed with (re?)education, and even less indoctrination...
But just TOO MASSIVE of inertia of old beliefs and prejudges... among "common folks".
So... after WW2 it all mostly fell into naught. So modern Rusha made complete U-turn to all that century old ideas and ideologems.
So. To sum it up.
That is NOT Soviet Union who turned people into "commie monsters".
That is "common folk" mentality that overturned all progressive ideas of "first in the world government of workers and peasants" -- workers and peasants just NEGLECTED that need to govern over themself. And happily given up that burdensome duty... to a first who was eager to have such power.
People like Jugashvily -- criminal and murderer.
So do they just here and now. Look at Prigojin and Kadyrov.
\\However, citizens however uneducated, were not stupid, and could see the disparity between what was said, and what was done. This IMNSHO is the root of the corruption, which to be fair is also present in the West.
DeleteYep.
Natural for a person from country of democracy and human rights... and duty to be citizen.
But... contre-factual. ;-)
What you call "corruption" there.
Is just "natural and traditional way of deciding what is good and wrong, and doing anything and everything".
In Asia. ;-P
Problem of Rusha -- that is deep disparity -- between innrmost desires of commoners... and yoked on them rules of Western World. Rules of law and democracy.
And that is... their way to UPRISE against that YOKE.
And better if that uprising will not spread across the World.
Because of 8 billions of us... still too many who are that traditional...
\\As for the natural state argument put forward by your good self, in a word no.
DeleteI understand how that argument look to you.
Like turn to that nasty "racism"... and that is no-no-no in your world.
Believe me. It's is *NOT* what I meant.
There is NO placation of racism in my words. Neither apparent, not implyed.
That argument of "naturality" is about that obviously *natural* idea, like -- if there is rain, you'll open your umbrella or will try to hide from it other way.
Cause -- Action.
Determinism.
Russian Empire. Soviet Union. Russin Federation today -- they doing all that NOT because of their "innermost nastiness".
But.
Because of natural causes.
Thier geography. Thier demography. Their state of mind. That stemming from all other previous historical factors...
\\corruption is not an inherent trait; rather a response to environmental stimulii.
DeleteYep.
You said it yourself.
There is no PRE-determinism.
But still, there IS determinism.
Like.
That is IMPOSSIBLE to be herbivores/vegans for a people of far North -- because there FREAKINGLY NO VEGITATION there.
So, they need to hunt for that sweet neat snow-whitish baby-seals... and not eat bananas and drink coconuts. ;-)
Accidentally... I was watching a vid toady. Which ultimately resolves our discussion here.
DeleteBut making both of us right. Or equally wrong, if you wish. ;-)
Moment is... Recently. Russains DID IT deliberately -- that play with outer apearance. That you cleverly summarised as "A lot of Russian tanks ooze style".
But.
They do it for the superficial reasons -- for their tanks to look "stronger".
But, without making REAL improvments. Or even changing anything AT ALL. :-))))))
That is basicly is Mascarade.
Or Potemkinskie Villages building.
Which is their historical trait. From old times.
Means, that's natural thing, from their side. ;-P
I assume it was this video Why Russia cannot become a democracy?
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hOZ74kij2M
I would mostly agree with you with one caveat, it's not that both us were wrong or right, but that we brought a different frame of reference to the discussion, and the video brings a third.
Naah.
DeleteIt seems it's just that hard for Westerners to understand sheer wastness of continental space.
Just look at the map.
How more and more sparcely it becomes -- network of roads and habitable places...
Russia just stuck in a state of Eternal Frontier.
And on that frontier... rule of fist is nearly one and only one way possible.
To connect and communicate that territory.
And secret services needed to control Capital City.
As it was in all of the History. Of all of the World.
Yeah. That is multifaceted topic. Interleaving of history, geography, economics, politics and who know what more...
But point of descrepancy was my lack of information -- I was not looking too much into that "new" russian tanks. Means, past anything post-soviet.
I only knew that it was modernizations and refurbishings...
But... that was not enough to groke your point about "ooze style".
That's all.
As for this topic about "democracy in Rasha"...
hardly this blog is a good place for such topics.
Thing is... actually, there is very simple test to that "ooze style" feeling of yours. (I cannot do that... my look is too pragmatic, to assess such things)
DeleteThere is lots of mods and refurbishings on the same base of T-(6|7|8|9)X soviet tanks.
Ukrainian. Polish. Cheh.
I can give you some links, if something.
Will they "ooze style" too? Or not?
Those look really nice.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Pete.
Thank you. Probably too nice for the country they represent, but them's the licks... or something... I don't know... I'm just making shit up.
DeleteThe made up wars are the best kind. They do look good.
DeleteNice walkers, Ashley. Given what we now know, they should arguably be a lot less shiny, have a few looted carpets and washing machines tied to them, and probably bits missing ... like a leg, or a missile launcher :-)
ReplyDeleteRegards, Chris.
Roger that on more storage! However, they only look shiny 'cause this is just the basic colours to check the camo scheme works, and I've been doing all the fancy painting tricks on them since I posted this pic. Expect updates... soon... ish... ;-)
DeleteHow to say it...
ReplyDeleteI see our conversation as most interesting. But same time I'm conscious that it could be otherwise for you.
Hope not.
Well, it is fruitful even. As that back and forth arguments revealed to me important, but rearely percievable truth about myself.
I, as most of us mere mortals, seems like have same usual bias of percieving myself as "objective thinker" and on base of it "undenyably right".
But our converstaion showed that I do not posess even mere cognitive ability to see that something do "ooze style"...
So... my curiosity tickling me.
About that experiment. What do you think about it?
What your "spidey sense" could tell you about other versions of "soviet main battle tank" designs?
Here is Polish Twardy(Hardy)
Or Ukrainian Oplot
It's okay, everything is copacetic, but conversations on blogs have a finite limit. The fact we can have this exchange without falling into insults says it's okay too. The Ukrainian upgrades are super sharp (as in they've done what was needed, and the results are a delight for model makers).
DeleteMany can be said here... but I will restrain myself, courteously. ;-)
Delete