Weird IIWW italians?

[Katsuhiko JiNNai]

Well... mh, not so well after all  
I saw many weird IIWW germans (of course), american, japanese and maybe some british... but not italians  
I understand that italians are not the best bad guys for weird games about IIWW, but the blackshirts could be weird bad guys too (well, not SO bad as germans or maybe japanese, of course )

So now that I'm looking on pulp adventures and especially I have ordered my Pulp Alleys rules, I'm considering about what type of pulp/weird miniatures painting. Initially I thinked about again other weird germans (and maybe still I will do) but now I'm considering to do some different... some weird italians, maybe during 1939, one year before the war... Why only the germans and the other powers should do weird plans for rule (or save) the world? Italians could to the same, after all.

I'm looking about different producers, to find the miniatures that will be fine, probably I will consider some italians in desert uniform, blackshirt and sun hat (including some helmet and side head too). Their squad leader should be a more weird/pulp ruler with a different uniform, maybe with a different head on a normal officer, must still decide... I was thinking to use some few elite models using the Urban Wars Junkers (sci-fi/dieselpunk romans) miniatures too, changing their shotgun with an italian beretta SMGs or light machine guns, considering the obsession of the dictatorship about roman legacy it could not be a bad idea.... or maybe some conversions of the italian airborne paratrooper elite (with some gas mask helmets over normal bodies). I'm still evaluating all my options

What italians miniatures are better for using with other miniatures? Aren't the miniatures of IIWW wargames smaller that the miniatures from other sci-fi wargames? For example a copplestone casting miniature have the same size of a typical IIWW miniature? I was looking about perry miniatures and bolt action italians... for now... Thanks for any suggestions you could give to me.

[Admiral Alder]

I think that the only stumbling block for Weird Wars Italians is the comparative lack of a heavy industry base. Germany, USSR and USA all have lots of factories to research and produce their "weird" super weapons etc. But Italy probably would have to import such weapons from Germany.

[Bergil]

I'd be tempted to go with equipment that looked like some of Leonardo's contraptions.

As for infantry or characters I'd go with the Roman connection. Lots of plastic roman kits out there to play around with.

Oh dear, half tempted to try some of that myself 

Just my two lira.

[Katsuhiko JiNNai]

I think that the only stumbling block for Weird Wars Italians is the comparative lack of a heavy industry base. Germany, USSR and USA all have lots of factories to research and produce their "weird" super weapons etc. But Italy probably would have to import such weapons from Germany.

True, but not entirely true. The italians had few factories, this is pretty sure, but did something with the few resources they could use, an example could be the Jet aircraft Caproni Campini of 1940:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caproni_Campini_N.1
so theorically they could do some weird weapons too, not advanced as the germans this could be sure, but not even the other big powers could be equal to germans in weird science

[former user]

well, look at all the italian interwar innovations, they produced their own planes and tanks too - just because they were not a major power does not mean there is no industrial base in northern italy - they still make the best cars in the world, if anyone noticed....
the weirdness would probably express in the most stylish contraptions....

besides, if You want "weird italians", look at the sky pirates in "porco rosso" and combine them with the ones in "Laputa"

[commissarmoody]

besides, if You want "weird italians", look at the sky pirates in "porco rosso" and combine them with the ones in "Laputa"

This is a good rout. Also nothing says they cant do an Italian Indian johns, trying to protect or steal "The arch of the convent" in Ethiopia. More of a pulp rout.
All kind so hostel natives, and crazy locations to fight. don't forget the north African colonies also. Maybe they have to devel into ancient roman catacombs to find lost Roman magical technology or artifacts.

Maybe a mummy returns rout. Only a resurrected Cleopatra trying to find her new Mark Antony/ Julius Cesar. Or trying to find the Cesarean line, who actually was saved by two immortal former Legionnaires Lucius Vorenus  and Titus Pullo. Who now protect the family line from her agents and cultist.
them being immortal is a good way to explain how come they keep coming back after a mission gone bad. Of course being immortal warriors they are experts in all kinds of weapons.

[Sangennaru]

besides, if You want "weird italians", look at the sky pirates in "porco rosso" and combine them with the ones in "Laputa"

DEFINITELY.

[Totleben]

Sorry, I have no idea about suitable miniatures but what a genre:
- futurismo
- http://cartunia80.xoom.it/cartunia80/anteprime/miti_e_orrori/guerra_mondiale/Documenti/Il%20futurismo%20e%20la%20guerra.htm
- http://cartunia80.xoom.it/cartunia80/anteprime/miti_e_orrori/guerra_mondiale/Documenti/Manifesto%20futurista.htm

- fiat topolino d'assalto corazzato
- d'annunzio
- ...
 
Thanks for the inspiration :-)

[gary42]

Or maybe they have all the magic, biblical stuff that Hitler is typically looking for.  Perhaps they use some of the smaller magical items to protect the big ones that they know are too powerful for anyone to use!  I like the idea of a force based on the look of the Roman Legions!  They put on their breast plates and sandals when Adolph comes looking for the Spear of Destiny they've been hiding in a ruin in Egypt!

Fun stuff!

[Glenn]

I'd be tempted to allow them to have opened the sealed vaults within the Vatican now  that its Italy's darkest hour..type thing

strange occult science from Leonardo and other renaissance types that the holy see had suppressed but now allowed to see the light of day

perhaps ghostly soldiers of those who'd bravely but futilely fought the British in the desert in 40/41 before the arrival of the D.A.K.

the black shirts would make for good fanatical but ill equipped rabble types and lets not forget the likes of the Folgore, genuinely brilliant soldiers, throw in a mix of German fallshirmjaeger stuff and you could have a fantastic air mobile drop squadron ready for landing on Malta or even on allied aircraft carrriers in the med.

[Katsuhiko JiNNai]

Undead immortal skeleton legionnaries could be a nice idea too, maybe the legions lost during the battle of teutoburg rise again for serve and protect the Emperor (they think that the King of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele III is the new Roman Emperor), and they still see the germans as barbarian enemies of the Empire. An immortal vampire Cleopatra trying to ressurrect is lost love is nice too (but she is still an egyptian).
For a force of italians, the grunts could be the blackshirt and the elite some airborne paratroopers from folgore, with autoblinda AB40, sahariana car (the armored cars were excellent vehicles), cute small CV33 tankette and other nice vehicles. Maybe some weird dieselpunk mecha as a M13/40 tank with hydraulic legs Always the same problems with M13/40 tanks, but well it have legs now  

Fighting against german forces to find the spear of destiny could be an idea too for an adventure. And is pretty sure that italians have many colonies in africa, so it was easier for them to beginning their explorations to find secret treasures in the dark africa. I forgot Porco Rosso from Miyazaki anime too Sure there are plenty of sources for weird italians after all

Vatican special forces fighiting against the germans to seal the ancient secrets of world could be interesting too. Maybe some dieselpunk templars, swiss guard and other secret orders to defend the church.

[Sangennaru]

Or this:

[Katsuhiko JiNNai]

Or this:

ahahah the old "Il Fiero alleaten Galeazzo Musolesi" from the Sturmtruppen italian comic 
Mh, maybe a miniature conversion could be done for him

[commissarmoody]

Here are some starter miniatures off the top of my head.

http://us-store.warlordgames.com/collections/italy

http://www.westwindproductions.co.uk/catalog/index.php?cPath=126_149

http://www.westwindproductions.co.uk/catalog/index.php?cPath=126_187

http://us-store.warlordgames.com/collections/italian-airborne

I think the Secret of the Third Reich German Para Drop trooper separate Para trooper heads would make good proxies for the Folgore, helmets with gasmasks.
Shouldn't need to convert them to much aside from that. Their uniforms look pretty advanced for the era.

[Katsuhiko JiNNai]

Here are some starter miniatures off the top of my head.

http://us-store.warlordgames.com/collections/italy

http://www.westwindproductions.co.uk/catalog/index.php?cPath=126_149

http://www.westwindproductions.co.uk/catalog/index.php?cPath=126_187

http://us-store.warlordgames.com/collections/italian-airborne

I think the Secret of the Third Reich German Para Drop trooper separate Para trooper heads would make good proxies for the Folgore, helmets with gasmasks.
Shouldn't need to convert them to much aside from that. Their uniforms look pretty advanced for the era.

Thanks for the suggestions, the para drop troopers could be a fine idea.

The bolt action miniatures have a good size comparison with other miniatures?
I could buy some italians with sun hat and some head with helmet and side hat too.
However seem that all the miniatures have a jacket over the shirt, so the blackshirt will be not easy to see. I could need some italian only with shirt.




The soviet heads with helmet and gas mask could be fine for the italian paratroopers, The helmet and gas mask seem near to that one used from the italians.





I could paint the German Para Drop troopers with the italian paratrooper camouflage:



probably the second version, in summer/desert uniform. (excellent for desert and jungle too)

Maybe I have find some bitz for a nice conversion of a blaskshirt captain too (near to the captain littorio, but with helmet too), after some surfing I've done on the web

just considering some cadian command legs, use the left jacket and the head with helmet and gas mask and it will be fine.

Where I can find accessories of italians? I need some SMG and light machine guns, and maybe other.
I don't find a 28mm L6/40 tank miniature and sahariana car. At least CV33 tankettes, and AB40 armored cars are available.