Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I have a friend who is doing an IG army that he says he wants to be exactly like the USSR, except in space. I understand it's not really an "offensive" army, not here anyway, and GW already has created a similar canon army, but what do you think are good guideline for not getting too far or heavy handed with it?

I'm also wondering I didn't go too far either:
http://en.sturmkrieg.com/Category:Sturmkrieg

It's Dondrekhan who's building the other army BTW.

Use Conscripts and Infantry Platoons heavily. They're dirt cheap, they can be taken in massive units, and nobody cares if they die. Consider taking Penal Legionnaires too, as historically the USSR did actually form suicide regiments out of those convicted of cowardice or breaches of discipline.

Avoid Veterans. Don't take a lot of Chimeras, unless every single Infantry Squad has a Chimera and you advance with, like, fifteen of them simultaneously.

Make heavy use of Commissars (duh). Consider taking Chenkov, to REALLY want to emphasize the 'wave assault' nature of the army.

Take at least one Master of Ordnance, to maximize the amount of Happy Fun Artillery that gets rained down upon the enemy. Use him recklessly, even if your own infantry are nearby.

Take significant amounts of cheap armor and artillery; Leman Russ squadrons with no sponsons, Hydras, and Ordnance Batteries. Spending the majority of your points in Heavy Support might be appropriate!

Basically; lots of boom, lots of infantry models, not much that moves fast and no really elite units.

EDIT: Oh, wait. Are you asking about fluff, or army list advice?

You gave good advice. I have noticed though that Chenkov is actually pretty bad. The other suggestions work well both fluff wise and game wise.

I did have more in mind toward what sort of themes are acceptable, without going too far. Dondrekhan said he wanted to use a hammer and sickle, but I was slightly opposed to allowing him to upload pictures of it.

I want to make sure I don't take it too far so it isn't un-40k or offensive. I don't think Dondrekhan has a risk of being offensive as much as being un-40k.

It's hard to become 'un-40k' by going too over the top; rather, you're much more likely to be 'un-40k' by not going far enough!

I don't think I'd recommend the actual hammer and sickle symbol; use some other symbol, still recognizably Soviet but more general in application. The Red Star is a good one; other appropriately Soviet-esque symbols could be used too, such as an upraised fist. The goal would be to get a symbol which convey the same mood, without actually being identical; the hammer and sickle is so specific that I don't think it would really be appropriate.

Basically, you want to make it SLIGHTLY more generic; 'USSR in space' still isn't exactly the same as just 'USSR', and I wouldn't model it as such. Rather, take all the same ideas and apply them to a similar culture.

Perhaps some 1/35 soviet models? The B-4 looks a bit imposing:


Also, soviet vehicles tended to be drab green all over. Except in snow, where they were white-washed, and at Stalingrad, where they weren't painted.

If your friend want USSR army then just use a LOT of infantry and a LOT of Basilisk.
Throw in some Leman Ruses en masse to.,

BeRzErKeR wrote:It's hard to become 'un-40k' by going too over the top; rather, you're much more likely to be 'un-40k' by not going far enough!

I don't think I'd recommend the actual hammer and sickle symbol; use some other symbol, still recognizably Soviet but more general in application. The Red Star is a good one; other appropriately Soviet-esque symbols could be used too, such as an upraised fist. The goal would be to get a symbol which convey the same mood, without actually being identical; the hammer and sickle is so specific that I don't think it would really be appropriate.

I think that's a good start. One of the ideas I had for my own army was a yellow thunder hammer and power sword on a red flag, which is almost identical but is distinctly 40k at the same time.

BeRzErKeR wrote:Basically, you want to make it SLIGHTLY more generic; 'USSR in space' still isn't exactly the same as just 'USSR', and I wouldn't model it as such. Rather, take all the same ideas and apply them to a similar culture.

That's all true. Sort of what I was thinking, though I still worry at times about being too heavy handed. The Sternkampf/Oktoberfest revolution is also supposed to be based on the French revolution too. I've also been trying to convince Dondrekhan to do a Rotstein army, which would basically be the same thing since it would be helpful to have multiple people doing Sturmkrieg armies.

wtf, why not go all out? The vohastians or whatever they are called are perfect.

Instead of making your own blatant 40k real life inserts, just play Vostroyans and DKOK/Steel Legion.

Soviet iconography is not particularly distasteful but using it unaltered would fit about as poorly as that of any other recent real world organization. Imagine seeing a 40k army fighting under the Stars and Stripes. Not exactly offensive but it would look darned silly. Like berzerker suggested file the serial numbers off so it's still clearly inspired by the USSR but not just directly dropping Soviets into the 41st millennium. There's already existing official fluff along those lines.

If you're thinking about special miniatures the Valhallans look less funny than Vostroyans.

Get as many guardsman as you can, give them all red coats and give 1 gun for every 2 men.

Oh and have one really awesome sniper.


I feel like I've heard this story before...

I'll offer a nice bit of advice: If you play mainly at a FLGS then buy the 28mm russian infantry from the Plastic Soldier Company. €20.50 gets you areound 50 soldiers and 3 machine guns. This is essentially a platoon for a fraction of the cost at GW. They have very little in the way of assembly and the quality is pretty darn good.

Raxmei wrote:Soviet iconography is not particularly distasteful but using it unaltered would fit about as poorly as that of any other recent real world organization. Imagine seeing a 40k army fighting under the Stars and Stripes. Not exactly offensive but it would look darned silly. Like berzerker suggested file the serial numbers off so it's still clearly inspired by the USSR but not just directly dropping Soviets into the 41st millennium. There's already existing official fluff along those lines.

If you're thinking about special miniatures the Valhallans look less funny than Vostroyans.

That's basically my thinking too. I've also been trying to make sure I don't get too obvious with the references, or only draw from one source.

richierua wrote:I'll offer a nice bit of advice: If you play mainly at a FLGS then buy the 28mm russian infantry from the Plastic Soldier Company. €20.50 gets you areound 50 soldiers and 3 machine guns. This is essentially a platoon for a fraction of the cost at GW. They have very little in the way of assembly and the quality is pretty darn good.

I just saw those; they look really good. Most of the time I just go with Dondrekhan to one of the local independent hobby stories, so non GW models wouldn't be a problem.

I like the idea, since IG is very similar to the Red army in many ways.
You have the choice of lots of infantry, chimeras and barrage and go motor rifle, or tank heavy and be guard tank army. I like the idea of doing a guards airborn or spetsnaz force with a few Valk's.

Do you think I'd be breaking the fourth wall too much to mention that the people from Sturmkrieg are both German and Russian, but still subtly the same way the fluff mentions the Emperor was born in 8000 BC in Anatolia? I think the German version actually says that Sturmkrieg ancestors came from Siberia in the third millennium.

The Imperial Guard IS the USSR. As others have said, plenty of infantry, and lots of tanks/artillery.
Don't bother with the whole sending wave after wave of men to die, though, unless your only source is German propaganda.

Inquisitor Ehrenstein wrote:I have a friend who is doing an IG army that he says he wants to be exactly like the USSR, except in space. I understand it's not really an "offensive" army, not here anyway, and GW already has created a similar canon army, but what do you think are good guideline for not getting too far or heavy handed with it?

I say go for it. I'd like to see this army. Use the Vostroyans!



Actually, considering the cost, it would probably be cheaper to use Forge World's DKoK than Vostroyans. Cadians would be fine, too. I hate Catachans.

Which of these do you think is the best:

Instrumental,




or in German,




or does it break the fourth wall?

Here's pictures of the paint scheme for the vehicles. How do you like the gray and red colors?

When the man in front gets shot, the man behind picks up the rifle!

I would do something to highlight the absurd wastage in human life that the russians employed during ww2. IG has a special character that does this admirably, I believe.

GreatGunz wrote:When the man in front gets shot, the man behind picks up the rifle!

I would do something to highlight the absurd wastage in human life that the russians employed during ww2. IG has a special character that does this admirably, I believe.

He isn't actually any good though.

It has also been stated before that such an army would be heavily based on Nazi propaganda, and so should be avoided. I think it's a good overall idea though. It also might have to do with the particular phrasing though.

The important thing to make sure that the army is not "biased" or trying to promote a particular agenda in any way.

Dheneb wrote:Perhaps some 1/35 soviet models? The B-4 looks a bit imposing:


Also, soviet vehicles tended to be drab green all over. Except in snow, where they were white-washed, and at Stalingrad, where they weren't painted.

Looks good. I'll definitely try using that at the local FLGS as a Medusa or a Basilisk.

I also a have a few 1/35 scale T34s to use as Leman Russes. They're long at that scale, but that's an advantage to your opponent, so no one should complain.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

I found this video:




The multi turret tanks would probably fit in well 40k, if I could find a model. The helmet designs also look good, though they would be better off and easier to do in the artwork.