@Bagshot: Will check those out! My A10 is 1/72nd so its pretty big on a battlefield!
@Stooge: Thanks! As for the camo, doing proper digital was just too painful, so I just painted them grey and highlighted it, if it was 28mm I'd give it a proper shot, but on 20mm its just nigh impossible. Was a quick paint job, to skip the usual dramatics with having so many to do! Plus it may start to get far fetched when the post war stuff comes to play!
A Scorpion Burrows
خلافة
Caliphate
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The Army so far!
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The Black Berets, The Caliphates Land 'elite' whether these troops are to standards of their elite counterparts across the world from USMC, SAS or the Spetznaz is questionable, but their will to fight to the death and lack of fear makes them a trouble on the battlefield!
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Some figs need a bit of touching up on the bases! These Caliphate troops and their ride (an amphibious version of the BRDM??? Can't think for the life of me what its called!).
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This was apparently the first ever 'APC' the Sovs ever created, these vehicles were littered all over the Middle East, and are still used well into the 21st century, the vast majority are used as police or reserve vehicles, and are often deemed as pretty outdated, however if it works, then it can be used!
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The Caliphate purchased and put together a great number of these outdated (if not very famous) MiGs as training and reserve jets, during the Wars, they were often seen as light aerial support, and tasked to take down enemy Helicopter gunships, or attack supply jets, a number retained the Red Star, these being specifically bought of Russia's near abroad states such as Kazakhstan and in some cases retaining mercenary pilots from those states.
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The T-72 was considered outdated long before the 21st century began, however, even by 2021, these tanks were still in action and still plentiful in the Middle East and Africa. Although the U.A.E and its wealthy research institutions supported by the Caliphate managed to create upgrades to the T-72 creating the C-50, believed to be a match for the Chinese Type 99, produced in fairly substantial numbers Iran and some small industries in Syria (which were routinely bombed by Israel) However, the vast majority of T-72s remained mostly unchanged, but evaded being made a reserve tank like the T-55 and its variants.
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More T-72s (And helicopter) which of those three tanks is the odd one out?
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The most popular Helicopter Gunship for the Caliphate, unfortunately Russia had a habit of selling of the Second hand ones, causing a multitude of problems with the Caliphates own Helicopter fleet, by 2021, the Caliphate had formed mercenary battalions (most of them of Russian or Eastern European origin) who had their own far more advanced versions!
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After the fall of the U.A.E a large number of the states Leclerc Battle tanks remained in good condition. Unfortunately for everybody else, that meant that the Caliphate had access to one of the most advanced Battle tanks in the world, these formed the cherry on top of the Caliphates elite tank battalions, and were considered better than the Leopard 1 A4s acquired by previous Governments, and slightly better than the export Abrams taken from the Egyptian army when it joined the Caliphate. The Iranian Zulfiqar which had previously made it to the Elite battalions was down graded to the C-50 status.
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A T-72 gets a lucky shot of on an Italien Ariete during the Desert fighting in Egypt, a Italian brigade partook in the fighting, in a drive to close of the border with Libya before the Caliphate 14th Egyptian Army could attack the Libyan oil fields.
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Caliphate soldiers move up to secure the Ariete wreck, being cautious in case of armed survivors!
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On the outskirts of Luxor, Southern Egypt, near a warehouse, a combined force of British and American special forces with German armoured support attempt to hold of another wave of Caliphate Elite troops after the position being prepped by the Royal Artillery regiment comes under intense Aerial and Artillery bombardment.
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When all that stands between you and a bunch of angry natives is a bloke with a GPMG and a Marder.
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God has promised those of you who have attained to faith and do righteous deeds that, of a certainty, He will make them Khulifa on earth, even as He caused [some of] those who lived before them to become Khulifa; and that, of a certainty, He will firmly establish for them the religion which He has been pleased to bestow on them; and that, of a certainty, He will cause their erstwhile state of fear to be replaced by a sense of security [seeing that] they worship Me [alone], not ascribing divine powers to aught beside Me. But all who, after [having understood] this, choose to deny the truth – it is they, they who are truly iniquitous!" [24:55] (Surah Al-Nur, Verse 55)
The Caliphate often referred to as the Terror of the Middle East, formed under the shadow of a vast sand storm, the events of 2015 would forever remain within the memories of those who witnessed, supported and fought the Great Caliphate. Considered to be the final result of the Arab spring, the Caliphate was originally intended to form a great alliance of muslim nations that would ensure the freedom of those peoples who were considered faithful to Islam, and a terrible adversary to the heathen nations that surrounded it. Violently throwing of the old dictatorships and monarchies, in a series of rebellions which began in the closing months of 2010 and ultimately ended by December 2014, the Caliphate quickly and in most cases violently spread from its hidden H.Q in the middle of the Saudi desert, consuming territory until its borders met Turkey, the caucasus, Libya, Southern Sudan and Afghanistan. Iran considered to be one of the prime leaders soon counted itself out as the leading state amongst the newly formed 'federation' and soon Tehran was named capital. Steps were taken to quickly unify all the armed forces of the New state with varying degrees of success, new laws were passed, and at first the caliphate presented a very liberal attitude to all those who lived within its boundaries. 'Democracy' was introduced, however, all such talk of independence (though at the time very little) was banned on pain of death, and all nationalist parties that did not support the Caliphate quickly vanished into the vast Saudi desert.
Conflict quickly arose with such rapid expansion, in Iraq, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, the Governments quickly came to oppose handing power to a more central Government in Tehran, backed up by U.S bases in their states, and others in neighbouring Saudi Arabia, the Caliphate Government quickly ordered its budding army to prepare to invade and suppress the wayward countries, whilst various insurgent cells, alongside a growing terrorist organisation were encouraged to carry out covert operations against western influences in the Middle East. By March 2015, the Iranian Caliphate 1st Army invaded Iraq, crushing the mild resistance from Government forces, and after a costly assault, forced the U.S and Allied forces to withdraw into Kuwait. In the U.A.E Insurgents stormed Government buildings with various degrees of success, before a Caliphate Saudi tank regiment, by passing U.S bases in Arabia, advanced on the capital, after a week long battle along the outskirts of the city, the U.A.E surrendered. The U.S forces stationed in Saudi Arabia, began to withdraw as other numerous Caliphate forces closed in: outnumbered, and outgunned, the Pentagon felt it had no choice to get its people out. The Caliphate soon found itself fending of a myriad of attacks, as Israel, Kuwaiti, Free Arabian, U.S and even British Air and Naval forces began bombarding key areas across the Middle East. The U.S forces safely arrived in Kuwait, having met little resistance, a week later, the Caliphate Government ordered a general assault on the small country, and after weeks of fighting, the Government in Kuwait surrendered, handing power over to the Caliphate and demanding all western forces to leave. The U.S and its allies complied, and rapidly left the Middle East to its own devices. By 2016 the entire Middle East was under Caliphate control after Oman and Yemen caved in under pressure, Military reforms were introduced and soon the Caliphate was beginning to look like an extremely deadly foe. In 2017, Tehran ordered that Israel should be surrounded after fighting intensified, provoking the E.U and the U.S to take action, again war broke out, as the British in Cyprus, alongside a task force from Italy, the U.S, France and Germany launched a strike against the Caliphates largest supplier of fresh water - the river Nile in Egypt. The Caliphate realised the Wests aims were to cut of the only reliable fresh water supply they had, as of the end of 2012 all underground water reserves had practically dried up across much of the Middle East. And it was essential to ensure peace amongst troublesome tribes of Bedouins or tribes in Yemen or Northern Iran, who consistently fought the Caliphate for various reasons.
After a year of fighting, and much of Egypt occupied by Western forces, the Caliphate slowly withdrew pressure from Israel, and instead, created a line of fortifications around the border with the Jewish state. Allied forces withdrew, and after a month of suppressing outbreaks of lawless violence, Egypt was once again under full Caliphate control.
The Caliphate since then has been constantly in a state of fluctuation between Cold and Hot wars between its neighbours, as well as its western and Eastern foes. It was discovered during the 2017 Egyptian invasion that the Caliphate had laid out plans to control all of North Africa, and attempt to subdue Somalia. It had been encouraging piracy across the world, and was linked to arming various jihadist groups in the Caucasus, Pakistan, China and Indonesia. The Caliphate did until 2020, have very good relations with the Chinese PRC, who supplied the Caliphate with advanced arms (since the weaponry captured during the Caliphate War of 2015 of Western Origin had either been blown up or broken down) and felt the relationship essential to keep open the newly built railway network along the Ancient spice trade routes, as well as the Suez. All that changed during the Crescent moon rebellion of 2019 when a Jihadist army formed in the Chinese province of Xinjiang soon made itself known to be a puppet of the Caliphate Agenda. The Caliphate became self-reliant, sly, and most of all effective. Its neighbours began to actively arm themselves against it, and the old animosity between Europe and Russia faded in the wake of increased aggression. However do not be foolish to think the Caliphate represents all of the Islamic peoples. During 2018, an event left in the dark as the worlds media turned their attention to the 'Katrina in the Med' a vast destructive storm that tore through southern France, a loose alliance of clans from Waziristan, through Afghanistan to the mountains of Tajikistan and of to Northern Iran formed a coalition opposed to the Caliphate, in Yemen, Tribes actively sought to undermine the local authorities, and the Kurds continued their war for an independent state.
World War 3
From 2021 onwards the Caliphate enjoyed unparalleled access to almost every major theatre of war during the Nine year World War. For the Caliphate however the war had truly started since its very formation, since all that changed was the intensifying of the conflict (though there was nothing easy about the Caliphate war and Strike on Egypt) In the year 2019, the Caliphate was already in a series of small scale wars with Great Britain, who from its bases in Cyprus, commenced large raids against the Islamic Empire. Border skirmishes with Turkey, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan with Georgia and South Sudan supported by U.S forces also adding to the aggro (Northern Sudan became a part of the Caliphate, which greatly annoyed Chinese and Western oil industries) were fairly common. But by 2022, the Caliphates greatest adversaries in the form of the U.S and China were at war and soon the forces opposing them were starting to weaken as fighting gripped much of the world. Furthermore, Britain which had declared neutrality had collapsed into Civil war by this stage, and its bases in Cyprus were thus rendered useless. Tehran thus ordered a great surge, as much for environmental as well as political reasons. Much unknown to the rest of the world, the vast deserts and dry lands that covered the Middle East and the Sahara were quickly expanding at a damaging rate, evaporating fresh water supplies and killing of crops and livestock. By 2023, the Caliphate invaded Afghanistan, coming into direct conflict with the tribes, the Government and the Chinese, it soon unleashed devastating attacks on Turkey and the Caucasus, drawing the attention of Europe which quickly sent its forces to be rid of the Caliphate invaders. In Africa, the Caliphate Forces began raiding bordering states, taking supplies. Tehran here however decided that logistically it only had enough spare resources to support a campaign to capture sections of the nile running outside its zone of control such as Souther Sudan and the Blue nile in Ethiopia, but it would be unable to fully conquer those states completely. Demands to invade Libya were postponed and violent battles between conventional and insurgent troops on either side took place. Tehran decided the best possible course of action was insurgency, and soon began prompting extremist groups to fight for its cause, forming The African Jihadist Corps, lead by Somalian warlords to old Hamas or Palestinian Liberation Army members. They soon formed an effective force against state Governments, tribes and warlords, and eventually found themselves at odds with the Chinese corporate funded African Liberation Army, or its opposite number the Western alternative Free African States Volunteer Force, and numerous other sorts.
By 2026 Little to no progress was being made however on either front, and forces were diverted to stage a large invasion of Libya and Ethiopia with A.J.C support, but was ultimately bogged down. By 2027, Tehran ordered Israel to be blockaded by a large fleet to stop Arms and aid supplies entering the besieged country in preparation for a invasion, the fleet proved logistically unsustainable, and just as soon as it reached breaking point, was hit by a Israeli Air and Naval forces, leading to a humiliating defeat, the invasion was called of when Israel threatened to go Nuclear after a few brief costly campaigns around the border regions. By 2029, the civil war in Britain was over, and the new government proposed the formation of the 'New Commonwealth' a Expeditionary force from South Africa, supplemented by British and Canadian Volunteer brigades as well as elements of the Mercenary company Blackwater landed in Ethiopia, forcing the Caliphate to withdraw. Tehran ordered an all out withdrawal from afghanistan when rumours of a plague from China was said to be spreading across the border killing of the Chinese forces and Afghanistan's natives with ease.
Wars End and the coming of the Jinn.
[/u]
By 2030, Tehran was facing a water shortage crisis, but was soon greeted with the news the war was over, and in a seemingly transformed world, with entire states wiped of the map. By 2031 internal strife caused the Caliphate to close all its borders, then without warning, a sand storm covers the Iraqi city of Basra and the Iranian city of Ahvaz, survivors report an unnatural glow to the sand storm as it roles in before sightings of strange creatures now haunting the alley ways and abandoned houses of the buried cities. The Caliphate Government becomes divided, one side claiming it is the arrival of the Jinn, whilst the other utterly dismissive of such sightings calling it the tales of scared human beings. Either way, thus far no one has thought to have ventured into the region to understand what is truly going on, since the area has now become a hot spot for violent sand storms.
Decided to throw my 28mm stuff into the mix. These are for more squad based, less expansive battles between elite forces of the various sections. These were arguably some of the first miniatures I actually seriously started of with the hobby on. So the paint job is here and there! Minis are from Red Star.
Last War Chronicles: Elite forces.
Between Warriors and Bears
The Russian Spetsnaz has earned some renown around the world, however whether this fame has come from true acts and facts or mere fairy tales (fairy tales and myths being a dominant theme of the 20th to 21st century) what has not been questioned is their potential to cause an ever increasing amount of aggravation against the enemy. None more so than the Alfa Group. Specially trained to not only counter sabotage, insurgent and terrorist activities, they themselves are more than capable of conducting a number of destructive operations against their enemies. Even before the war, Afla group like much of the various Russian Special forces groups were battle hardened. By the time war broke out, these troops were dealing more pain than they themselves were enduring, and were arguably, the force that rescued the Russian Federation from complete collapse.
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The Spetsnaz in the years leading up to the war were hard pressed to handle the ever increasing threats to the Russian Federation, both within, and without. In the year 2012, it was clear that the fighting in the North Caucasus was in no way going to calm down. However, as fighting in this often volatile region, between the Federation, rebellious groups from Chechens, Jihadists, Ethnic nationalists to the Regional power of Georgia increased, Alfa and other specialist groups found themselves hard pressed and were nearly torn apart by rising political and ethnic tensions inside Russia. In order to survive, Alfa, and much of the Spetsnaz themselves consolidated a form of identity or belonging to their unit not uncommon amongst fighting forces around the world. Soon becoming an active player in the battle between the Russian Nationalist/Fascist movement, Ethnic Nationalists, Communists and Government supporters, Alfa often switched sides in order to survive often at odds with fellow Russian military units.
By 2016, the coming of the Caliphate drew Alfa away from the storm brewing in its home territory, as Russia came close to the brink of civil war, the Kremlin ordered those units not loyal to its corrupt cause to the near abroad to conduct operations against raiding Tribes and Caliphate operatives. By 2017, Alfa found itself in South America again placed out of reach and out of mind, guarding, training and fighting various groups, from Governments, to terrorist organisations, drug cartels and more, in the interest of a Government back home, slowly coming under the control of a vast Crime cartel. However, with the start of the Third world war some years later, Alfa would be permanently changed by the appearance of one of its newest members. Anatoli Titov born and raised in the town of Novodvinsk placed on the edges of Siberia. It would be this rough, aspiring individual, who would come to walk the footsteps of the Russian states old Soviet heroes, and be one amongst many to save a crumbling nation. His ideals were to become dominant amongst many of the newer members of Alfa during the war.
World War 3
When China declared war against Russia, in a surprise assault on its Eastern territories, Alfa was one of the first on the scene, outmanned, outgunned, and supported by an army that was ill equipped and unprepared for such an assault, Alfa found itself clinging to survival, fighting of Hordes of PLA forces that split across the border in waves.
The fighting was fierce, none more so than in the city of Khabarovsk, which soon replaced Stalingrad as one of the worlds most bloodiest battles. Both sides fought fanatically, Russia to maintain its home ground, and the Chinese to escape the vast expanse of toxic death behind them, created through years of industrial expansion. Alfa became connected to the places in which they fought, from the valleys and plains of the East, to the vast mongolian desert, and the wind swept icy cold wastelands of the far north. Losing men at every turn, finally the Russian Armed forces managed to draw a line in the sand, bogging down and weakening the invading forces watering them down until they could no longer afford to take ground. This temporary relief ensured that the occupants of the East narrowly missed nuclear oblivion, the Kremlin becoming desperate as its Eastern forces were pushed to breaking point.
The desperation within the Kremlin however would none other than bring all of Russia to war. Whilst most of Russia's inner turmoil had been reduced by the threat of outside invasion, to the East, to the West, a new threat grew.
In the year 2025 the Kremlin stretched in its war effort against the Chinese, and attempting to gain the favour of its otherwise rebellious subjects, ordered that all grain exports to Europe, the Far east (save for India its ally) to be put on hold and funnelled to the East and to the frontline against numerous foes in the near abroad. Soon afterwards, the Kremlin demanded that all gas and oil exports to all outside states be shut of, as with all natural resources. The result was catastrophic.
Less than a month after the order had been fulfilled, the E.U, demanded that a Coalition of its states, headed by Germany invade and occupy Russia's western and most productive regions. Hastily Europe's armies were mobilised, and soon launched a ferocious Blitzkrieg against the Federation. However, Russia was this time, not going to allow itself to be unprepared for the event of another attack by another neighbouring state. Its Western forces had already mobilised, and were merely looking East, Alfa had been withdrawn from the Chinese front, and placed on the border with Finland, its mission top secret to all but the highest members of Russia's military.
As the rumbling thunder of Leapord and Leclerc tanks rolled across the lightly guarded Russian border, the Western defense forces guns simply turned to face the new enemy, and within a week, the two sides were at a stalemate outside Moscow.
As Europe poured its all against the Russian forces on the mainland. Alfa, and a large contingent of Russian troops moved into Finland, under the cover of a large aerial and artillery bombardment. Alfa soon infiltrated a number of Finnish defensive spots, and after fierce fighting, Helsinki was surrounded and besieged, with those Finnish forces unable to reach the capital, left to withdraw into the north, to fight a sporadic series of battles, with little effect.
During 2026, Alfa was ordered to spearhead the invasion of Sweden, the Spetsnaz group was ordered specifically to hold the city ransom and, with the supporting Russian force, use it to create a hopping point onto mainland Europe. Anatoli, and a large number of Alfa voiced their disapproval against the move, coming to the conclusion that such a move would break the western defences stretching them beyond a point where they could efficiently take on the European invaders. Nevertheless, the Kremlin demanded that either its plans be carried out, or Alfa and its members would be hunted down and killed as traitors. To support the gesture, droves of Nationalist thugs, were marched into occupied Finland to keep the army in check, Mercenaries and Fanatics armed to the teeth with a wide array of weaponry followed the every move of their military counterparts, leading to outbreaks of violence and sometimes death. Atrocities by the bluntly named Death Battalions became widespread, with little thought as to who would be targeted.
Then in the opening months of 2027, the Russian Baltic fleet, having raided across much of the Baltic coast, carried Alfa and the invading forces to their destination, tearing through the ice choked waters they soon came into view of the city of Stockholm. The Cities defenders had come to be reinforced by contingents from Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Finnish troops and on that fateful day, the exiled British army. Alfa were the first to dismount and press forwards trudging over sea ice, to end the countries renowned ability to have never fought a war since the 1800s.
Alfa would remain in Sweden until Russia's withdrawal in 2030, the campaign having left only a handful of Alfas members alive. Upon returning home, they were rounded up by the KGB and sent to a reopened Gulag in Siberia on the grounds of having not fought hard enough for the motherland. As Anatoli and his comrades plotted their escape, they were completely unaware of the terrible virus that had infiltrated their overcrowded camp in the form of Chinese POWs, nor the gnashing of teeth, and empty groans that followed in its wake.