Russian VSF Force. any recommendations?

[drownte]

I'm starting a Russian VSF force and I've picked up 5 Parroom Russian soldiers and a Clockwork soldier to start but as far as landships, aeroscaphs, and guns (i.e. gatlings,nordenfelts, or vickers-maxims) what is a distinctive Imperial Russian flavor. For the Landships I was going to go with a conversion to a tsar style tank of the 1/35 RPM Models Minenraumer Kursk 1943 for a big one and for smaller ones I was going to convert some copplestone armored cars into steam cars by removing the turrets and putting pedestal,naval  style guns. As for aerscaphs I was thinking of a torpedo boat / submarine approach small aeroscaphs with aerial locomobile torpedos and light naval guns based on a Delfin Class  submarine from like 1900. (suitably modified of course) Any ideas would be much appreciated. Oh and for heavy weapons and artillery I was gonna use Russo-Japanese war Russians from Redoubt Enterprises, has anyone used those models before?

[Sterling Moose]

I have a small force :

http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=25864.0

 

[Mr.Marx]

I have some too. http://dinky-bloggity-blog-blog.blogspot.com/2011/06/something-little-more-orthodox.html

I dident realise that I haddent updated my russians in so long. Have to add that to the to-do list. Ive probably painted a hundred chaps since I posted that!

[Hammers]

How about a Baba Yaga class self propelled pillbox on chicken legs?

[Svennn]

You could easily do a Brown Bear version of my VSF Chinese contraption



Svennn

[Melnibonean]

Look to the Russian army during the Crimean War and you may get some inspiration.
Russians have always been associated with big guns and large quantities of them.

Maybe some jump troops shot from a Katyusha type set up that get propelled out of rocket tubes toward the enemy.
Or a leg kickng, sword swinging Cossack dance troupe.

[The_Beast]

Big just about everything, armies, 'tricycle' tanks, tethered helicopter spotting platforms...

Minenraumer, both the Kursk and the smaller (MDPM-13?) waddler are archaic enough, but how to Russify...

Doug

Edit: I fear I may have just seen a different view of the same minenraumer. Apologies for my regular confusion, which is already in progress. ;->=

[gloriousbattle]

I don't remember seeing what scale this is supposed to be, but, in any case, you can never go wrong with naval infantry.  Regardless of scale, you can almost certainly get WWII Morskaya Strelkovy http://www.wargamestore.com/images/T/file00caac72d70343839fa47a3659a90187-01.jpg , which are perfect for the Tsarist period if you just paint them in the appropriate colors:



@ about 3:25.

Also, naval troops for whatever nation seem to 'feel right' in a VSF campaign, as the navy often gets the new toys, and might well be crewing a land battleship.

That's how I've done it, anyway.

[gloriousbattle]

Also, whenever you deal with a Russian force, IMHO, it is important to remember that Russia is BIG.  It is important to consider who you are going to be fighting.  The Germans? Rebel Basmachi?  The Japanese?  The Ottomans?

VSF is fantasy, by its very nature, of course, but a Russian army will look very different, depending on where it is located.  My Russians fight my Turks, and so include a lot of Tartar and Cossack cavalry.  Your force may be very different.

[area23]

Great War Miniatures do really nice Crimea russians. Brigade Games do interwar russians. Artizan has some fitting thrilling Tales russian characters.

I'm planning to do Great War krim characters with headswaps: I bought West Wind's french weird-WW2 heads with gasmasks and Adrian helmets. pretty nice (but not pictured on their site). West Wind also do great were-bears.

[Bullshott]

First decide on the overall look, approximate date and campaign theatre of your force. This, along with cost of getting your army from the multitude of suppliers, will probably shape your force. Where are you based?

Also, start with the core regular units you need - its best to pick up vehicles gradually as you work out what will work best in your force.

Askari in the US do a good range of 1870's Russians in both summer and winter dress, including cavalry and artillery. . With such a complete range you would only need to add specials.

Some ideas:

Vehicles with external wood burners - like this one from Ironclad: [url]http://www.ironcladminiatures.co.uk/shop/article_steam03/Steam-3.html?shop_param=cid%3D10%26aid%3Dsteam03%26]http://www.askari-minis.com/webstore/index.php?cPath=42&sort=3a&page=1[url]. With such a complete range you would only need to add specials.

Some ideas:

Vehicles with external wood burners - like this one from Ironclad: [url]http://www.ironcladminiatures.co.uk/shop/article_steam03/Steam-3.html?shop_param=cid%3D10%26aid%3Dsteam03%26 (perfect for Siberian forests)

Faberge automatons (like your Parroom clockwork soldier)

Cossacks with lances tipped with magnetic or sticky bombs - perfect for mad charges on enemy armour

[FramFramson]

I have a small force :

http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=25864.0

 

Nice use of several Mage Knight figures there! 

[drownte]

Wow thanks guys! This honestly is the best forum I've ever been on you guys are amazingly helpful!