Space Ranger Down – Light Year Class Dreadnought

But even the most powerful and skilled of the Emperor’s troops can come to grief in this harsh universe.

Here is an image to bring a tear to any eye and friend. A Light Year dreadnought brought down by an Ork Horde who dance on the remains.

Space Rangers – Light Year Class Dreadnought

As an elite Space Marine chapter, the Space Rangers had their own Dreadnought – the Light Year class.

Many an enemy of the Emperor met their fate at the hands of a Light Year Dreadnought. Their last sight being the smiling face of that most renown of all Space Rangers, Buzz Light Year who gave his spirit and visage to the designers of the Space Rangers’ own dreadnought.

These images show the dreadnoughts supporting a squad of Space Rangers clear an area for the Emperor.

Banksia Man Eating Tree

On Terra Australis, there lurked a nasty tree in the bush, ready to ambush anything or anyone who came to close. Even the mighty Space Marines learnt to fear its mouths and tentacles.

Even in death the Space Marine fought back, stabbing the tree with his knife, but he still died while the mouths of the Banksia munched on his bones.

E

Eagle Dropship Space1969

The Space 1969 Eagle Dropship

The only realistic Dropship ever built.

During the 1969 campaign to drive the aliens off the moon, the Eagle dropships were used to land the assault troops.

An Eagle Gunship covers the drop into the hot LZ.

World Cup 1914 - at the Front

First Christmas World Cup match 1914

During the first Christmas of WW1 German and English soldiers played football between the lines.

Considering the circumstances, it was not surprising there was the occasional foul.

Anyway, I made this to use all those left over models from the Airfix German and British WW1 sets that otherwise just hang around.

The German soldiers are putting up their hands in that well known football response to any opposing player falling to the ground.

The British official on the sideline sees the foul and raises his flag.

The British soldiers enjoy the game from the sideline.

The British soldiers protest to the German officer who is refereeing the game while the German soldiers protest their innocence.

Other British soldiers rush to their comrade's aid or to take the free kick if given.

Die Rebel Scum

Star Wars Inspired Diorama

 In the attack on the Ice Planet to crush the rebellion (literally for some poor rebels), the rebels tried to ambush an AT-AT. Unfortunately they were not aware of the new weapon pod.

The Rebels try to get the AT-AT from the side. But the AT-AT is ready for them.

40K Space Rangers

Space Rangers

In the dark mists of time, when the Emperor was challenged he always sent for his most trusted troops, the elite of the elite, the SPACE RANGERS!

Space Rangers had the usual Marine equipment plus two unique features. First collapsible wings allowing them to drop from orbit, and second, a high powered close combat laser in the right arm of their armour.

They were the only one of all the Emperor's space marine chapters to be chosen as an action figure!

Here are a few of the remaining images showing the Space Rangers during operation “Trademark Infringement” in the war against the False Emperor Zurg.

The Space Rangers secure a communal food preparation store. Their motto - “we come in peace”

A close up of Commander Buzz and his blue utility belt.

A Zurg propaganda poster is defaced.

Space Rangers move into contact.

Another piece of Zurg's empire heads for the scrap heap.

Recon Unit "RC" gets some new orders for the next action.

A land speeder in the colours of the Space Rangers takes off.

Space Ranger rocket troops, motto “falling with style” take off to fight the enemy.

da Vinci Industries Automatons

da Vinci Industries

Introducing our newest product line of Automatons!

Eight feet high, covered in bronze armour, powered by the latest compressed air engineering, firing Girandoni Repeating Air Rifles and all controlled by the latest Babbage Analytical Engines.

These weapons will cause mass death on the battlefield and consternation in all the embassies in your capital. Don’t be the last to get some!

Automaton Features Front

1. Venetian Murano Ruby glass eyes.
2. Compressed air repeating rifle from Girandoni of Austria
3. Knees and legs – fully functional able to cross all terrain.
4. Arms – fully dynamic
5. Armoured in Bronze for soldiers and brushed Aluminium for squad leaders

Automaton Features Back

1. Dual compressed air tanks to last the entire battle.*
2. Quick release and swap
3. Neck, spine and other internal structures in steel
4. Babbage Analytical Engines – latest model and fully programmable.
5. Programmed by The Countess of Lovelace.

* depends on battle length

Automatons in action

Used for crowd control in your capital cities. At eight feet high, these automatons can over awe any uninformed protesters and bring them back to seeing the truth.

On the battlefield, a line of Automatons makes a lasting impression on your enemy’s morale. Don’t be the last to get them on your continent.

G.A.S.L.I.G.H.T. Statistics

Leader

Shoot 10

Scuffle 9

Save 10

Weapon Repeating Rifle

Squad Members – Extras

Shoot 9

Scuffle 9

Save N/A

Weapon Repeating Rifle

 Battlefield Assistance Programme.

Talk to our representative about our battlefield assistance programme. This means any damage or warranty repairs can be made in the field by two factory trained mechanics.

Here an automaton gets a quick re-programme plus a tank swap and adjustment.

Satisfied Customers

The Papal States ordered a squad of nine automatons and one squad leader. Here is what Monsignor Peppi had to say: “On Saturday the Automatons marched through the market. On Sunday the Church was packed and the donation plates over flowing!”

20C Part 1 - Background

Background

In the early years of the 20^th Century in a parallel universe (two to the left, four back and three clockwise) the German Kaiser took a fateful decision that would change the course of history. After a meeting with his navy chiefs, when he heard of the new British dreadnoughts that completely outclassed his navy and how much money it would cost to rebuild his navy to match the British, he was depressed, but still decided to go out to lunch with Count Zeppelin (The Count was paying).

At lunch the Count expanded on his new idea that ships and navies where soooo 19^th Century and that the future belonged to the country who controlled the skies. The Kaiser went back to his palace reinvigorated, with his head held high, a smile on his face, a full stomach and the satisfaction of leaving the Count to settle a substantial bill.

The next day the Berlin Times carried the following headline “GERMAN NAVY FOR SALE!” and then below it: “Kaiser Announces New Zeppelin Force To Control the Skies  - Deutsche Luft Korp”.

It went on with a quote from the Kaiser “The British can keep the oceans – Germany will own the skies! We don't need to go through them, we can just fly straight over.” The Kaiser was praised across the world for his peacemaking efforts in stopping the naval arms race.

The French Ambassador immediately cabled Paris and the French Military high command heaved a sigh of relief. Now they would have the time to re-build the army they had dreamed of. Based on the lessons of 1870 and on their observations of the 1905 Japanese Russian war and with the technology of today – it would be an army designed as pure offensive "guerre à outrance" and they would show the world and Germany how to wage war. They announced their new doctrine - “La Guerre éclair” – lighting war. They chuckled to themselves and called in the engineers and designers.

That day when the news reached London, the Admiralty cheered and went for dinner early and the champagne and port flowed freely into the night. The admirals' laughter filled the Navy Club's dining room. How could a German Zeppelin match a destroyer let alone a battleship of the Dreadnought Class , and they laughed at how one of those new fangled air planes would just bounce off the armour and leave a nasty oil stain for the sailors to clean. “Put in an order for extra detergent!” yelled an Admiral to much laughter.

But in the following week, after the hangovers and laughter were gone, during a discussion on budgets for the next few years the enormity of the Kaiser's decision suddenly hit home – no German Navy meant a much, MUCH smaller British navy. NO new Battleships! A naval building program that required a navy that was larger than the next two largest fleets combined was no good when those two fleets only had one old battleship each. Something would have to be done, and done soon, before the parliament worked out the implications – careers were at stake!

Luckily, the fertile mind of First Sealord Churchill sprang into action and, with a little help from Mr. HG Wells and a few ingenious engineers, produced Landships. Ships of the Line that would track across the land carrying all before them just like battleships at sea. Finally the British Navy would really control the world. Code named “Tanks” to hide the program from the army until they were well underway, the Navy took to the land.
                                                         

With the end of the battleship arms race, each country had plenty of money to spend on their favourite weapons and in just a decade's time after the factories had worked overtime, they were all ready and willing to test them out.

Thus the arms race was changed forever and history branched off in a new direction, but it still was marching to war.

The question was never “if” there would be a war but only where and when.

Unfortunately for the Belgians, one of the many “Where’s” was Belgium, the when was 1917. Belgium shared borders with both France and Germany, plus offered easy access to the British army across the Channel. No one knows how it really began. After the war was over, each country swore that it was defending Belgium's neutrality against the other Empires. While in 100 years, Brussels would be the capital of an empire that stretched from Ireland to Poland and from Norway to Italy, this would be no comfort in 1917.

The Battle for Belgium began!

In the sepia tones of the early 20^th Century, there was only WAR!