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Hello!

Based on a 8 year old design/idea of bulky armored space expeditionary forces, here comes some WIP renders of the unit.

The old design was a space suit + armor, however now i have added a 2nd stage/level in between which is space suit + exoskeleton.

Level 1: space suit (it has no weapon nor accesories yet) that consist in a suit with several layers, giving balistic protection (equivalent to "NIJ 3A"), radiation protection, heat/cold protection and has air purification gadget.

This suit is used when no mayor threats are around, to explore new worlds, patrol known ones, being in reserve or just to get out of the space ship to do repairs/maintenance.

Level 2: adds the exoskeleton, to gain MUCH higher strengh, load capacity, to use heavy tools/weapons, melee combat if needed, and the structure itself gives some extra protection.

Level 3: via magnets, adds plates (10mm to 30mm thick, superior to "NIJ 4") attached to the exoskeleton frames; these plates are for heavy duty tasks, heavy combat, special missions, only reserved for the genetically improved super humans soldiers that compose the Astral Corps: the Astral Sailors.

Astral Sailors basic functional unit is composed by 7 men: 1 Sargeant, 1 engineer (also operates anti-vehicle weaponry), 3 riflemen (1 with medical equipement), 1 corporal (Sarg. assistant, uses heavy fire weapons to support) and 1 Specialist (uses heavy mele/ranged weapons to fight big/strong enemy units):

Next image shows the AS size: 32mm to eyes against a normal sized human who is 28mm. He is using the basic spacesuit.



Here is the "level 2", wearing the exoskeleton; at this stage the super soldier can use the proper weapons to engage higher/stronger/moer resistant threats than average (other humans/humanoid species).



And Level 3, full armor and some weaponry: the back pack is used to storage magazines and/or grenades (rifle man), engineer has bigger back pack to storage field mines, tools, and energy for his plasma gun (also used to weld/repair)





Helmet is closed with the mask:



ANd a variant without the chest/head plates protection to be able to have more mobility to fight with the machete (could be handling a 2 handed mele weapon too)

Guys! I love these! Fantastic designs that make me think of classic sci-fi like Starship Troopers by Heinlein or The Forever War by Joe Haldeman. Very functional look. I would really like to see some handheld guns or underslung guns on the arms. Having useable hands strikes me as almost a necessity for these types of suits.

 Gallahad wrote:
Guys! I love these! Fantastic designs that make me think of classic sci-fi like Starship Troopers by Heinlein or The Forever War by Joe Haldeman. Very functional look. I would really like to see some handheld guns or underslung guns on the arms. Having useable hands strikes me as almost a necessity for these types of suits.

Hi!, they will have underslung heavier weapons, and 2 handed mele wepaons, or one handed + shield.

However, the weapons are modular, meaning that while in the render you see the weapon ocuping his arm, you can opt not to put it there and he would have his hand in the air, having a underslung weapon in his other hand, or a grenade/mele weapon .

Also, all plates except hands and feet are modular, allowing to build each trooper as you wish (the models will be in "level 2", with the exoskeleton).

Is that a Sontaran, or what is that?

I was going to yell "I hate you, Phantom Spaceman!" from Venture Brothers, but I was afraid my fan club wouldn't get the reference. He never does.

Love the diving suit feel they have. I also thought of The Forever War when I saw these.

 Menhir Games wrote:

 Gallahad wrote:
Guys! I love these! Fantastic designs that make me think of classic sci-fi like Starship Troopers by Heinlein or The Forever War by Joe Haldeman. Very functional look. I would really like to see some handheld guns or underslung guns on the arms. Having useable hands strikes me as almost a necessity for these types of suits.

Hi!, they will have underslung heavier weapons, and 2 handed mele wepaons, or one handed + shield.

However, the weapons are modular, meaning that while in the render you see the weapon ocuping his arm, you can opt not to put it there and he would have his hand in the air, having a underslung weapon in his other hand, or a grenade/mele weapon .

Also, all plates except hands and feet are modular, allowing to build each trooper as you wish (the models will be in "level 2", with the exoskeleton).

That doesn't sound optimal. I've found that I prefer a well composed miniature cast in as few of parts as possible for every medium except HIPS plastic. I don't want to spend my evenings gluing on tiny little armor plates.

Modular feet also sounds like a pain. How committed are you to the idea of "modularizing" all those little fiddly pieces?

Happy to hear there will be underslung weapon options.

Yes, i consider that (however hands and foot WONT be modular) , and for that reason i will have both versions:

Poses in "level 2", that can be used as such, and could have attached the restof plates (as mini zodiac knights figures) , and in the hand, poses already in "level 3": fixed armor plates, except weapons and back packs.

This would allow me to see how "popular" would plates become, and.. if they dont sell well, hey! i still would have the poses in level 2, which are totally functional, i would just lose a spin casting rubber mould that prodces armor plates.

A quick pose with the heavy machine gun/gatling.

That looks cool, but I would honestly prefer a much smaller gun. That looks like a gun a mecha would carry. While I'm wish listing, hopefully there is also something not Gatling gun style, which makes it look very retro to my eyes.

Will these be offered in metal or some other material? I remain excited.

Yes you are right, i will make a more rectangular (thinner) weapon and single cannon, i will keep that galtling (and make some modifications) for other use (mecha/vehicle).

The tecnology of this troops are high capacity batteries, actually the weapon specialist will have powered mele weapons , and a antimaterial rifle railgun.

The idea of using that tecnology is that big weapons would have really small recoil, allowing the use of big weapnos with one arm (that was the idea of gatling, big but almost recoiless), thansk to the use of a exoskeleton, but still, the heavy weapon will be modified.

ABSOLUTLY STUNNING!!!

I love you , Phantom Spaceman. What a big gun you have!!!!

What I would suggest is different big guns like that, such as a tank gun, a missle, a muti-barrel tank gun, and ... a shrubbery!

These guys would look great as brass painted, or like old school diving suits.

Grot, i am sorry to say that it had to be decreased in size now is a mini gun "gatling"... the previous design was quite "voluptuous" ...


Please take in count this is a fast posed model , meaning is has stretched polygons in articulations, it was made as a sketch to see how to place the gatling.

Now he has a bigger back pack, he carries the machete, grenades and has a feed belt

In the 3rd pic i added a PLACEHOLDER (not finished) shield, as this unit is meant to give heavy cover/supress, and in the worst of cases would cover the retreat of the rest of the squad, action to which a nice shield would be "handy".

Missile launcher "railgun": less recoil, cheaper ammo, light weith= more rounds, more maximum range; perfect.

Fast posed model to get an idea of the look:

What are the bumps for?

Camo pips. They draw the sniper's eye away from the center of mass.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
So, resin or metal?

Really loving the whole look here - well done!

judgedoug wrote:What are the bumps for?

What do you mean by bumps.. the rivets? they reinforce the joints of the layers that build the armor plates, hwever i will flatten them, otherwise they look like old days round headed rivets...

BobtheInquisitor wrote:Camo pips. They draw the sniper's eye away from the center of mass.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
So, resin or metal?

i prefer metal because it is easier and cheaper to produce, and would leave resin for the vechicules ,. resin for small parts can be a pain in the , and that would increase costs.
However while will start in metal, i am designing them to be compatible with plastic moulds.. but that wont happen "soon".

Alpharius wrote:Really loving the whole look here - well done!

Thanks! :

After some days! I have been working on the parts, and have made properly posed examples:







Also, "modular weapon" to sastify those petions regarding weapons, now you can put 1, 2 or none of the side plates of the hand-weapons:





so, here are the 3 rifleman using these parts:

Hello! After some time i have finished the tactical squad of the Astral Sailors. The squads are always composed as minimum by 7 men. Four of each military units forms/create a higer unit level; this means that a platoon is made of four 7 men squads + 1Lt = 29 men, four 29 men platoons + 1Captain + 1capt assitant makes a company of 118 men and so on.


External support units as explorers, light vehicules, personal carriers etc etc are yet to be done!

I really like these guys great new fresh looks for the genre - all except wolf head who just looks off, both in terms of "why do staff sgts wear wolves on their heads" and "that is a odd looking wolf head". I would move it up a little if you haven't cast it yet, personally, to get more of roman standard bearer look and less of "this guy's head is a wolf". Minor quibble though - keep up the great work!


Automatically Appended Next Post:
This:


vs This:

Hello, yes, that was a test, the idea was having the Sgts having the regiment insignia over their heads, my first try was with a wolf, i may put a "stick" coming out of his back and having the insignia on top, or maybe just a samurai-like flag

Like this (but smaller, and coming from the center-middle of his back:

Samurai back banners don't really work in cramped spaceships with bulkhead doors...

I think I’d like a squad of these just in the spacesuits. Maybe with some sort of shoulder rank insignia.

I too would be more interested in space suit versions. A cool space beast head on the top of the helmet would be great.

 kestral wrote:
I too would be more interested in space suit versions. A cool space beast head on the top of the helmet would be great.

They give me a kind of old school Sontaran vibe.

Hello! yes, both versions will be available,.. at first my intention was to make the space suits in such poses that you could put them the armor pieces, as if they where Zodiac Knights toys, but that would be nasty in 28mm, so i reserved that for the arms and helmet only.

Would you prefer the verison with or without the exo eskeleton?

In the other hand: while actually in the chest they have a oval plate to indicate the RANK of the soldier, i did a small OPTIONAL banner that has both a regiment insignia, and a plate to indicate the rank of the leader and unit he is leading (squad, platton, company, batallion or regiment)











The banner would be for use in open battle field/operations rather than using it on small spaces like the interior of a space ship /building