So the Dark Age minis never came up with Free Worlds League colours, so for my DA-era FWLM unit I decided to go classic - the Fusiliers of Oriente. Specifically the 3rd, who (as far as we know) survived the breakup of the League. Specifically this unit is presented at or around 3149, when units involved in the fall of the Principality came back with some nice Regulan
loot kit issued to replace combat losses.
The Fast Assault Lance is made up of a Marauder II MAD-6M, Emperor EMP-6M2, Anzu ZU-J70, and Warhammer IIC 8.
The Fire Support/Direct Fire lance consists of a Sarath SRTH-1OA, Catapult CPLT-C2, Longbow LGB-8V, and Ostwar OWR-3M.
While the Recon Lance is composed of a Phoenix Hawk PXH-1c "Special", Phoenix Hawk L PXH-11K, Dasher II 3, and Hammer "Peinhammer" HMR-3P.
The armour company from the 4th Zion Heavy Armour is actually quite light, but nonetheless supports the heavier Mechws well: platoons of Main Gauche IFVs, Joust BE700s, and Scimitar Mk IIs.
Finally, the infantry from the 76th Oriente Rifles is an experienced, all-mechanised battle armour company. The platoon of Achileus suits use a pair of Zahn transports, the Phalanxes ride inside the Main Gauche IFV with the Longinus MAG platoon riding on the outside, and the Tornado PA(L) platoon - well, they specialise in urban clearance, and ride in their custom "Battle Bus"- a Morningstar CCV captured from the Capellans, stripped of all its electronics and most of its weaponry, providing more than ample carrying capacity for a platoon of armoured infantry.
So the Marik DA battalion is done, filling in that gap in the Grand Plan. It's my 60th unit, and the 10th this year. It gave me a chance to use some 'Mechs I'd be unlikely to use otherwise, and I had a lot of fun painting them up.
I do like the "Clown Cars"- the Main Gauches with double the fun. I'm biased - I designed that variant - but it has always appealed as one of the best IFVs, with an ideal weapon for BA support and general hilarity. Yes, a turret would be nice, but you just have to use wingmen, as it were. And the Scimitar IIs are some of my favourite minis - these are DA ones, but the IWM ones arn't much smaller.
Plenty of 'Mech mods. Specifically, the Phoenix Hawk and the
Fenikkusu Taka:
The big'un is a DA mini, the little'un an IWM mini with MML arm from a DA PXH-L, and 'Mech taser from a DA Manteuffel. Until a HXK-L mini comes out, this is going to do nicely. ANd I think I got a nice dynamic pose, more or less by accident - while it has more pieces than I would really like, they fit together really well.
And last extra - two years ago I needed an Anzu before the mini came out, so I scratched one up. I think it came out OK .. the mini is, however, nicer ;)
Questions, comments, critiques all sought. Don't leave me dangling, folks!
Cheers,
W.