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Author Topic: 'Sexing Up' the British  (Read 7895 times)

Offline MidLifeCrisis

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'Sexing Up' the British
« on: October 29, 2012, 11:26:12 AM »
Hello Chaps,

I am reasonably new to Weird War II but  my imagination has been fired by such an eclectic melting pot of ideas, borrowing as it does from sci-fi and pulp through to Gothic horror and conspiracy theory madness.  There’s the Germans armed with flying saucers, tentacled beasts summoned from beyond, zombie hordes and all sorts of unethical laboratory badness; there’s the US utilising Tesla tech, atomic science and Golden Age superheroes fighting on the frontline and then there’s the British with… um…  some tanks… on legs.

Now I may be missing something here, I certainly haven’t read all the background fluff that’s out there, but the British seem to be a pretty dull and uninspiring choice.  Maybe commercial games manufacturers run out of steam once they get beyond advanced rules for Captain America vs. Nazi battle mechs or maybe the problem lies with a lack of potential WWW2 concepts in British popular culture, I’m not sure.   However, having seen the creativity on display throughout LAF I’m sure this situation can be soon remedied.

So here’s your mission should you choose to accept it – ideas for making the British an exciting force to play in a WWW2 setting with their own unique units and distinct flavour.  I'm up for anything, no matter how bizarre, but I think it should feel plausibly rooted in British culture (even if it isn't).  I have a few ideas of my own but would love to see what you guys can come up with.  Please unleash the weirdness…

TTFN
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Offline Damas

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Re: 'Sexing Up' the British
« Reply #1 on: October 29, 2012, 11:49:55 AM »
Well, just spitballin' here but in a couple of moments thought I have the following:

A revived Court of Camelot, a selection of knights armed with the latest in experimental 40's tech, all uniting behind General Sir Arthur Pendragon; wielder of the mighty Excalibur, his personal modified Cromwell Tank.

The League of Extrodinary Gentlemen (40's version).

Albion Giants, ancient defenders of the Isles roused by the descration of their home by the German bombers, imbued with the long history of Britain.

The undead 9th Legion, roused from their hidden graves to march against their enemies, the Tribes of Germania.
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Offline tnjrp

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Re: 'Sexing Up' the British
« Reply #2 on: October 29, 2012, 12:12:20 PM »
And I though you were going to be talking about how the Brit ladies supposedly have on the average greatest bust size in all of Europe -- and how to depict that in miniature form, obviously 8)

Arthur is certainly a good choice, I'd prolly like to go with that tho I would make him the actual (pseudo)historical Once and Future King, come to save Britain at the hour of its deadliest danger. This on the basis that it would probably require the least amount of special house rules to work out under any given WWWx system. If the project doesn't need to be commercialized, I suggest stealing wholesale from Camelot 3000:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camelot_3000

The Brits also have some pretty peculiar superheroes to use or to adapt, such as Big Ben:
http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/b/bigben.htm

Many more here:
http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/e/earlyuk.htm
« Last Edit: October 29, 2012, 12:23:47 PM by tnjrp »

Offline Michi

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Re: 'Sexing Up' the British
« Reply #3 on: October 29, 2012, 12:20:32 PM »
England´s capital is in urgent need of a proper public transport system. London transport got its red AEC Routemaster doubledecker buses recently, but there is trouble coming along: The evil Reich has launched V1 flying bombs and other mean things against the city. The battle of Britain is raging and the public transport has to be protected to keep the city alive. Rocket scientists were developing the ultimate answer to the threat from above and finally produced the backpack for flying conductors to guard their bus or tube train.
Young women from all over the country volunteer for London´s new air service. They are chosen for light bodyweight and agility, equipped with the all new backpacklauncher and swimsuit-styled flying combinations for aerodynamic reasons. Armed with a powerful Lewis 2.0cal. repetition assault gun, they are destined to throw themselves against those flying bombs to gun them down before they reach their destinations. The girls become famous for brave and daring deeds. Nobody knows, who they really are, because they have adopted typical London Transport names, but it is rumoured that many of them are young nobles andit is said that even members of the Royal Family were taking flying lessons with those backpacks. The forces have already begun testflying them as well, yet with no good results, as the weight of a fully equipped soldier is too high. Meanwhile the men are collecting cigarette pictures of the young flying ladies...

Here they are: The London Transport Flying Conductors Corps or simply the "Guardian Angels":














Offline MidLifeCrisis

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Re: 'Sexing Up' the British
« Reply #4 on: October 29, 2012, 12:41:01 PM »
Liking the King Arthur idea, returning to save Britain in its hour of need.  Can’t imagine Churchill relinquishing high command but I can easily imagine Arthur leading  a crack squad on a Heroes of Telemark style raid deep behind enemy lines.

Bizarrely there is a precedent for this.  Arthur Askey tried to take on the Germans with Excalibur back in 1942.

http://www.britmovie.co.uk/films/King-Arthur-Was-a-Gentleman_1942

The Camelot 3000 mob might look a touch out of place on the Western Front, but I'm sure we can issue them with some khaki capes and tunics.

And I though you were going to be talking about how the Brit ladies supposedly have on the average greatest bust size in all of Europe -- and how to depict that in miniature form, obviously 8)

By 'sexing up' I didn't mean coming over here with your nylons, chocolate and fancy cigarettes and making free with all the girls (again) ;)

Here they are: The London Transport Flying Conductors Corps or simply the "Guardian Angels":

Genius.  Good to see those gels saving on fabric for their uniforms as part of the war effort too.


Offline jp1885

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Re: 'Sexing Up' the British
« Reply #5 on: October 29, 2012, 12:49:46 PM »
A few more ideas...

Celtic Druids summoning treemen?
Ghostly bowmen or the Angel of Mons a la Arthur Machen?
Witches (see Bedknobs and Broomsticks!)
Also don't forget that back then we still had an empire, so there's a wealth of exotic troop types and mythology to fall back on (Zulu warriors with SMLEs, Canadian wendigos, multi armed Indian goddesses etc.)

Offline tnjrp

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Re: 'Sexing Up' the British
« Reply #6 on: October 29, 2012, 12:52:20 PM »
The Camelot 3000 mob might look a touch out of place on the Western Front, but I'm sure we can issue them with some khaki capes and tunics
Well, there's no reason to steal the look, only the concept of Arthur and Merlin having risen and the knights (and their ladies, if needed) having reborn in various guises.

Merlin is sometimes supposed to have been a Druid so that could allow using all sort of weirdness from the Celtic side of the mythic Britain as well.
« Last Edit: October 29, 2012, 12:55:51 PM by tnjrp »

Offline Thantsants

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Re: 'Sexing Up' the British
« Reply #7 on: October 29, 2012, 01:06:45 PM »
Jp1885 beat me to it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0rRPU_cvGg

St George and his Dragon - modified Crocodile tank?

A bit more sinister and probably not in keeping with the Brits in WWW2 (not that familiar with the setting but this topic caught my eye  ;)), but Porton Down chemical weapons troopers?

Radar taken to the next level and used in offensive and defensive ways?

I know there was a pigeon guided missile that was designed and never commissioned in WW2 - got to be some other applications for the flying vermin!

Secret Agents with Bond style gizmo's and gadgets?


Offline jamesmanto

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Re: 'Sexing Up' the British
« Reply #8 on: October 29, 2012, 01:29:18 PM »
Well radar was discovered by some boffins trying to invent a 'Death Ray'. Maybe they finally got it working?

I like the Mad Padre's 'S Commando' for Occult Secret Ops. http://madpadrewargames.blogspot.ca/2012/08/the-fearless-vampire-killers-2-padre.html

Offline MidLifeCrisis

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Re: 'Sexing Up' the British
« Reply #9 on: October 29, 2012, 02:10:22 PM »
Bagsie the Death Ray!

Also, mention of Bond reminded me that a certain Commander Ian Flemming worked for British Intelligence during WW2 and, amongst other things, proposed several operations involving the Great Beast himself Aleister Crowley.  There's a scenario in there for sure. 

Offline HerbyF

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Re: 'Sexing Up' the British
« Reply #10 on: October 29, 2012, 02:18:59 PM »
The cartoon series "Gargoyles" has a lot of story lines around the revived court of Camalot. Set in current times, wouldn't be hard to take it back 60-80 years.
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Offline Red Orc

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Re: 'Sexing Up' the British
« Reply #11 on: October 29, 2012, 03:50:56 PM »
No reason (as the 'English' are a mix of German, Scandinavian and Celtic-speaking people) that the Brits couldn't have 'Germanic' or Norse-inspired stuff as well as Celtic. Maybe Wodnesbarrow in Wiltshire - now Woodborough - really was the barrow of Woden, and antiquarians find Gungnir there. In Tom Holt's book 'Expecting Someone Taller' Siegried's treasures, the Tarnhelm and the Ring of the Niebelungen, come to England with the Anglo-Saxons - maybe they could be used.

There's the Herlathing (the 'assembly of Herla') which is a version of the Wild Hunt that you could use. Brownies, pixies/piskies, the Duergar, Cu Chulain (he was from Ulster, so would presumably fight for the Empire), the Black Dog (maybe someone finds a way to tame it?), there's a bunch of mythological creatures to be plundered...

Or you could go technological. British engineering in the 19th century was at the forefront of world technology. Mass production probably came later to the UK than Germany or the US, so there's not quite the same level of tech, but there was a tradition of craft production and indeed mad inventors. Think of Caractacus Potts (and his dad) in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Heath Robinson, and Professor Branestawm.

Offline FramFramson

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Re: 'Sexing Up' the British
« Reply #12 on: October 29, 2012, 03:59:56 PM »
I SWEAR this exact thread has appeared in Weird Wars before... I am getting the most uncanny sense of deja vu here!

*searches*

Ahahaha! Found it: http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=37341.0  In that thread, Steve F quite rightly points out that the British already have plenty of REAL WWII weirdness, without even delving into Fantasy!

A modern/reincarnated/risen King Arthur with some Round-Table company (either risen as well, or modern stand-ins) also seems to be a popular choice. Anything historical, really, given how important history is to the Brits.
« Last Edit: October 29, 2012, 04:04:40 PM by FramFramson »


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Offline mattblackgod

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Re: 'Sexing Up' the British
« Reply #13 on: October 29, 2012, 04:32:51 PM »
Maybe mix a bit of Harry Potter into the mix?

Britain had troops from across Europe serving here. Polish, French, Dutch and Norweigan spring to mind possibly more. Perhaps some of thier supernatural or extraordinary forces joined the Brits too?
 
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Offline MidLifeCrisis

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Re: 'Sexing Up' the British
« Reply #14 on: October 29, 2012, 04:56:27 PM »
I SWEAR this exact thread has appeared in Weird Wars before... I am getting the most uncanny sense of deja vu here!  

Cheers for link.  Sorry for covering old ground.  Taken together both threads have some great (and some mental) ideas and have given me plenty to chew on.  I'm certainly feeling more inspired and excited about a WWW2 British project now I can see how it might work, so a heartfelt thanks for all the suggestions.  Right, I'm off to look at 15mm commandos and knights and working out what I would need to kit-bash a not-Dalek...

Britain had troops from across Europe serving here. Polish, French, Dutch and Norweigan spring to mind possibly more. Perhaps some of thier supernatural or extraordinary forces joined the Brits too? 

I think it's safe to say Arthur's boys will be drawn from the best of the best. 

 

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