15mm Wargaming for Fun and Sanity: United Nations Space Command and my backstory

United Nations Space Command Troops and my backstory.

This is one of forces I've built up over the last couple of years ready for Harder Than Steel. They are better suited to a larger game than Flying Lead, but I allowed for smaller forces in my lettering method. Each squad is identified by a letter and the position on base denotes its zone of influence. By picking figures from different units I can have a smaller force with individual lettered troopers.

Firebase 54's CO was fuming. He'd asked for a regiment to sweep his perimeter for snipers and all he'd received was a bland promise of UN help. Two hours later his perimeter was rocked by a series of groundbursts. Then smaller smoke rounds. Nothing, no call, no information!

The UN turn up. Not a regiment but one small vehicle. It comes in loud and proud, opened up with the crew clearly visible, stops two meters above the strip and the crew starts waving. Then there's the music, bagpipes played loud. By now the command team are having fits.

A call, incoming prisoners at the front gate. Well, this is something they can relate to and they move like a herd of cats with a single purpose. What they see strikes them, for once, dumb. A gaggle of green around the gills civilians lead by a mature woman screaming insults, each pushing a green domestic rubbish bin. Behind them come two sniper teams each comprising the sniper, his second and a little robot.

The UN Sergeant is a very short woman with the look of a mahogany caged panther. “Here's your snipers. Civilian volunteers with low powered hunting rifles and a bin. They dug them in around your perimeter, lived in them, fairly safe from AP mortar shells (unless a direct hit) and detection.” She waits patiently. “I'll hand the rest over to the civilian authorities, but the leader (nods to the woman who is still educating the troops with local invective) is ours, took a lot of planning ability to get this handful to contain your forces.” She looks around and smiles. “I need to borrow a truck and driver”.

I got into 15mm (from 6mm) SF due to Hammers Slammers. But I drifted off due to the emphasis on the sexy mercenary units while ignoring the indigenous forces. I'd prefer to do the locals with some support.

Having a backstory is great, but why are they there? How did they get there? Extraction? Resupply? Support?

I have sort of a miss-mash of a backstory:

Dr Who, covers my Daleks. In the official history following the Morvellan plague the Daleks split between the Rebel or Faction Daleks and the Empire restored by Davros. These factions fought human colonist. The first contact was in the 1950's with two time travelling factions pitted against a special force raised from the Royal Air Force Regiment*, that later formed the core of the British contingent of the United Nations Intelligence Unit.

Ground Zero Games, the “Tuffyverse” as used in Jon's rules. Here is the Pan African Union, Japanese Corporate forces and the United Nations Space Command. There's no big leap to see these as the colonists under attack by Dalek forces. The (GZG) alien mercenaries do service as Ogron (Dalek allies) pirates and the Ixx (with Khurasan mounts) are my “elder race”.

Khurasan Miniatures, everything comes with an excellent backstory. The Llurgs are my most used alien, cropping up everywhere starting from Medieval Japan (so far), rural America to any colony.

The Felid not-Kzin as Kzin, go figure. The Exterminators do service as my not-Daleks.

15mm.co.uk are providing some interesting aliens and animals, plus cultists and the Space Raptors who are “the new kids on the block”.

I'm a long time Larry Niven fan, so his Known Space and Man/Kzin wars are always in the back of my mind. Perhaps I should include some Goldskins.

So in summary, we have

Two Dalek factions on the border of known space. Plus their Ogron pirate allies.

Ixx, an elder race.
Kzin in conflict with human forces.
Pan African Union and Japanese colonial forces.
Alien races of varied technological level.

Holding them all together is the concept of United Nations troops and/or Space Command (UNSC)

GZG makes two ranges of UN troops. Light(er) infantry UNLI. Heavier infantry with jump packs. UNHI. I also add Brigade Models power armour as Super-heavy Starship Trooper (book) proxies. UNSHI

Getting Them There

The force I have made is that capable of being delivered by a light cruiser (CL) in the Full Thrust Tuffyverse, being a reinforced platoon either an all-infantry force or a mechanised force. Considering the jobs a CL gets (go and have a look over there, escort this) the bulk of my force is light infantry. Jon has been very generous and provided a large range of figures. Mission specific forces may be different. This is where the heavier and ultraheavy infantry comes in with jump-packs and possible orbital insertion.

SAW team with MANTIS.

UNLI

Light infantry is a relative term for well protected and equipped infantry, usually above the standard of any human opponent. Which leads into their role. Dropped and supported by ships boats, I see them in a security, police action, low to medium conflict in support of local forces (as above) or against. Avoiding costly urban conflicts unless with the proper support. Hunting Llurg in the boonies or Ogron pirates. Robots are used as a force multiplier.

Armour Piercing Sniper team with its FLEA.

4x 4 man squads each augmented by robotic elements. A squad double SAW element and a micro missile launcher as standard.

One squad can be upgraded to an anti-vehicle by equipping the infantry with buzzbombs, an armour piercing sniper rifle and a light missile launcher teams.

2 light scout/IFV vehicles provide transport for specialist teams or spotters.

I have several specialist, command and spotter teams that allow for a wide range of missions.

Mantis Frog and Flea

Robots. For the moment these also double up with my Japanese until I find some suitable replacements.

Mantis 2 heavy SAW weapons used as a direct support asset slaved to a trooper or SAW no.2 usually provides flank support or point. This a mix of a 2mm Germy walker and spider drone.

Flea a small robot mounting a grenade launcher usually slaved to a sniper's no.2, designed to deliver indirect fire support, anti-armour or smoke marking. A larger version the Frog is available primarily used as an anti vehicle role. Both from Germy via GZG.

Beetle is the slowest robot, armoured it carries a top mounted plasma launcher for close in support, it is an upgraded version of the ultraheavies flamer. Usually slaved to a trooper or officer. One of Brigade Models excellent 6mm range. Designed by guess who?

UNHI The adoption of a lift pack dispenses with the need for APC type vehicles and the heavier support/special forces suits take the role of other main battlefield weapons.

UNHI and UNLI officers

The weapon is much heavier than the light infantry version as they are supposed to be very advanced power armour. As well as packing a punch it looks like it has a grenade launcher. I see these as a match for a Kzin, hold their own against Imperial Dalek drones but not conquest army veterans. I have included a separate urban conflict team for when the big stuff starts flying.
2x4 HI squad plus specialist sniper and micromissile launcher teams.

Same urban specialist task force.

I have yet to do robotic support, which needs to be more mobile than the LI's walkers.

UNHI team

Ultraheavy, note the relatively small main weapon. This tempts me back to Traveller, Starship Trooper and the Flamer. A relatively vicious close range weapon intended to inspire fear. These are the force to stand up to a Dalek conquest army in all it's heavy metal glory.

2x3 plus specialist missile launchers and SAW. Repeated urban specialists. I see the ultraheavy as being able to take on, and fulfilling the role of, armoured vehicles in conjunction with their lesser armoured brethren.

United Nations Intelligence Teams. Reconnaissance Unit. This is a specialist squad tasked with investigating the aspirations of alien races and stopping them. In game terms having a super powerful unit is boring, it either wins instantly or falls apart due to lack of numbers. I would give such a unit a difficult series of tasks such as capturing specific equipment or personne

* The Royal Air Force Regiment in not an army unit, it is funded by the RAF to provide base security.