The Republic of Baja California: A Spectre Operations Imagination

[Ultravanillasmurf]

Interesting stuff.

You might want to look at Empress WW2 American Jeeps as a source of 1/50 scale transport.

For crew, the US crew might be a good source as might the Empress Modern British vehicle crew (designed to re-crewing Airfix 1/48 vehicles).

http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=101291.msg1359198#msg1359198

I think it was Chargedog who chose a palette of colours for his PMC, paint one figure's trousers one colour and use the same colour for another figures jacket. It ties them together.

[Olsson]

Thanks for the comments.

I will be sure to look into those Empress jeeps, some sturdy vehicles fit for traversing the arid areas of Baja will be much needed, perhaps even the odd Cold War tank for the National Army! Still trying to gather terrain to be able to play a first proper game of Spectre but slowly getting there. Made a second house with some balsa wood window borders to mark them out more as Wyrmalla suggested, still trying to chase down plasticord and foamboard locally, might turn to Amazon in the end.

Finally mostly finished with my PMC group of six as of tonight, might just go around and either paint the border of the base the same desert or make it pure black all around for all. Quite happy with them, I feel like I am getting better at painting Spectres more "true" 28mm in comparison to what I am used to in the Warhammer franchises.

[ErikB]

Excellent theme!

[Olsson]

Painted up the Spectre Insurgent Kill Team which I expect I will use as the more Elite forces of Ejército Nacional due to their more Russian style weaponry and equipment to fit into with the Soviet past of the faction and rumored connections to modern Russia. Another attempt to do camouflage this time in more of a group setting, it all turned out a bit mured post-wash and made me think if I should aim for more contrast, although that would of course be less realistic.

But these will be remnants of the Baja Special Forces which sided with General Pedro Diaz Pezuela after he was desposed as military dictator in 1992, in the Spectre rules I would play them as Professional with tricked out AKs, body armour, grenades and the works. Will be especially intresting as they can be used to mentor the otherwise subpar Ejército Nacional forces raising them up to Professional stats too when not working as a singular unit.

As I imagine the Ejército Nacional still keeps training camps out in the jungle and deserts it also brought to mind potential future scenarios of raids upon such encampments.

[Mako]

On a suggested story-line sidenote, the entire police force of Acapulco has been disarmed, and their body armor taken away, as they are being investigated for colluding with the criminal cartels.

Surprised they wouldn't lock all of them up, in the interim.

The military and other units have had to step in to help police the town/region.

[Olsson]

Would be an intresting development! Especially as it'd explain why there's such a lack of police presence in places. Isn't always easy to find good police miniatures, although I expect I might pick up the Spectre SWAT or similar at some point to use as federales.

[Ultravanillasmurf]

Isn't always easy to find good police miniatures,

If you want police without body armour, there is always the Crooked Dice Law Men.
http://www.crooked-dice.co.uk/wp/product/lawmen/
http://www.crooked-dice.co.uk/wp/product/lawmen-with-shotguns/
http://www.crooked-dice.co.uk/wp/product/hero-cops/
If I remember correctly, Chargedog uses them.
(Comparison in the SASM review here: https://hntdaab.co.uk/blog/tag/special-artizan-service-miniatures/).

With the exception of the Hero Sheriff, mine are still work in progress.

[ErikB]

Don't forget Anvil Industries' regiments.  You can make almost anything from that series, including SWAT.

[Ultravanillasmurf]

Don't forget Anvil Industries' regiments.  You can make almost anything from that series, including SWAT.

Good point.
Chargedog was going to review them a while back (and due to incompetence I did not get any at Salute).

[Olsson]

Ejército Nacional

Ejército Nacional or EN, also known as the National Army is the most prominent threat to the Baja California Republic in the 21st century. Its name and origins are drawn from the military of Baja California as it served during the military dictatorship of General Raul Arista and later Pedro Diaz Pezuela. Due to the nation's close relationship with the USSR during the Cold War they were largely equipped and trained in a similar vain as the Soviet republics and other allies in the Americas such as Cuba. As a military they never served in armed conflict with another nation but struggled with internal conflict and regular border disputes the Mexico.

The creation of the EN as it is known today occured in 1992 when General Pezuela was deposed from power and sentenced to death for crimes against the people. In a chaotic chain of events which are much disputed to this day, with different theories putting blame onto parties such as the CIA, FSB, Mexico or stranger still, Pezuela managed a violent escape with the aid of the soldiers meant to be guarding him and fled the capital of Baja city. The true terror of this event however was not the escape of Pezuela but the mass desertion of the Baja Armed Forces that followed as what is estimated to be as many of four full regiments.

It was not long after the escape that Pezuela showed himself oncemore, now declared the General of the National Army with the stated goal to abolish the new democratic goverment which he has decried as american cronies selling out Baja California and its people to the United States as well as declaring his own sentencing an assassination attempt cordinated by the CIA.

In the decades since the EN has been a well armed and dangerous rebel element within the unstable nation, some of those very same soldiers that deserted in 92 still serving beneath the aged General to this day as well as having passed on military training to many young men who put many of Baja California's problems at the door of the United States and believe prosperity will return to the nation should Pezuela be reinstated, as the General continues to proclaim.

Estimates done by American intelligence suggests that the EN number around 13.000 as of 2016 with a majority of them having received military training. They have been noted to be organized into their own regiments with their own specialties including a mountain regiment and "special forces" which are rumored to be taken from soldiers of the Baja Republic which has deserted after receiving training by the United States.  They have been reported to be in possession of heavy weaponry such as mortars, Cold War-era APCs and increasingly modern small arms of eastern european make leading some to suggest a modern connection to Russia.

The EN rose to prominence on the world stage after a series of terror attacks upon both Baja City and La Paz in the mid 2000s in the form of bombs and a brief but violent occupation of parts of La Paz. This culminated in a response from the UN which has posted peacekeeping forces in the region ever since and increased the military aid of the United States to the democratic goverment.









Painted up the first of the MENA regulars to work as basic soldiers for the EN forces, decided to go with the samo camouflage as I did with the EN special forces guys so they can fit together as well as apart.

[Olsson]

Pictured: Richard Corwell, lawyer and known associate of the Baja Cartel together with a close protection agent. Corwell has recently become a person of interest to both the Baja Californian goverment and the United States after chatter emerged of a terrorist organisation seeking to use the Baja Cartel's extensive smuggling network to move across the border into the United States. The two countries have begun a joint operation to locate and apprehend Wright as it is suspected he has vital intel regarding the communications between the organisations.

[Marine0846]

Very cool back ground story.
Look forward to reading what you do next.

[Westbury]

Ref Mexican law enforcement we used the Tiny Terrain Models law enforcement pack - my memory is you get a choice of heads, we chose the helmeted version to be our federal police. Nice figures. Also do cartel figures.

[Olsson]

It's an on and off project! Since I have to do most terrain stuff from scratch when it comes to moderns it is a slow burn but I do enjoy writing up the setting. Also getting a new appreciation for mexican history. Will check out the Tiny Terrain models! I know I have considered getting the Spectre SWAT Team and paint it up in camo colours to represent the Baja Armed Forces since they are meant to be switching over to the US platforms but need to look less equipped than the US Army options.

[Olsson]

Returned to paint some modern miniatures after a hiatus away, slowly going through the ones that already were prepared. Just two more militia/cartel members to join the fray.