Shipbucket

A pair of uniforms from the Grand Army of the Nordic Federation, post 2017 reforms, displayed in a visualized format by a display book.

_________________
Born too late to explore Earth, too soon to explore the stars, just in time to waste time on the internet.

A book on hypothetical "end of 40k" taking setting references into account.

Following the reforms of the legions of the Empire of Canada in 2025, Osprey publishing began preparing books for each of the legions troops.

This selection here, of the 6th legion, is a wild variety of troops. The 6th legion is mechanized overall, and also retaisn the special duty of being entrusted to fight other legions in combat on the emperors orders.
To the left, is a truck driver of the Death Corps reserve armoured brigade, in desert camo.
In the Center, is a commissar of the Stratford longbows, a light infantry and mechanized division. Seen here, she is armed with a custom bow, as most officers and men carry them in this division.
To the right, are the Chem-Dogs, 12th penal legion. This is an independent airborne battalion of those sentenced to work in the penal legions, and are typically used in air-drop operations to distract the enemy, allowing the rest of the legion to smash into the opponent. He is seen here in winter camo.

Armies of the Late American City-State Period 2150 - 70 follows the decline of the United States from a globe-spanning hegemonic power to a
collection of cities on the American East Coast which began with Warlords of the Silicon Age Collapse 2030-60. Armies of the Late American City-State Period 2150 - 70 depicts a period of transition as the mercenary companies once favored by the independent cities of North America declined in favor of state armies, as a direct result of the growing cost and complexity of continental warfare. At the same time, the political landscape of North America was shifting. Cities began to band together in alliances like the Deseret League or Ohio Valley Coalition, larger polities engendered larger conflicts, replacing the "small wars" that had defined much of the previous century.


A1: 2nd Lieutenant, 6th Ranger Battalion, Raid on New Market, August 2149
The equipment this officer wears has been composed from several surviving photographs and unclassified DoD records, as it was heavily classified for many years after its initial deployment in the middle of the century. The equipment worn represents both the cutting edge of military science and a clumsy imitation of what would have been standard issue in the pre-nuclear period. He wears an M40 protective cap (typically issued to tankers) under his M22 steel helmet in place of the more traditional liner, equipped with an HS28A1 radio headset, which is linked to the PRC-M2 portable radio transceiver worn over his back. This allowed communication ranges up to three miles, depending on terrain and antenna used. However, the M40 protective cap caused the M22 helmet to sit higher on the head than was typical, and as such the steel helmet was often discarded. Attached to the front of the helmet is a pair of M1 Night Optical Binoculars, which allow the wearer to see the infrared light emitted by the Light, Infrared, T44 which is mounted to his M3 SMG. The unit is powered by a battery on the rear of the helmet, which further increases weight and decreases the flexibility of the wearer.


The combination of the M1 binoculars and T44 light rendered obtaining a sight picture nearly impossible, and so doctrine at the time focused heavily on point shooting and volume of fire in order to overcome the disadvantages of the issued night fighting equipment. While this typically presented little issue, especially considering the limited, 150m range of the night vision system, it did render the operator incredibly vulnerable in cases where more advanced night vision was present, as was seen during the failed raid on Red Bank. In the Appalachian region, however, engagement ranges rarely exceeded the equipment’s capability, and thus it proved less of an issue.


Aside from the M22 helmet, this officer is protected by the M38 Demi-Cuirass, which consists of 1mm plates of the same Hadfield manganese steel as his helmet, covering the vital organs of the body from both back and front, as well as providing frontal protection to the groin. The assembly weighs some 3 and 1/2 pounds, and was considered adequate protection against most pistol rounds, shrapnel, and 7.62x51mm rifle rounds at long range. However, it was cumbersome, and made movement awkward, and was often worn only in part or gone without entirely, although surviving reports from men assigned to leading assaults indicate it was not entirely hated. Some examples would eventually make their way to special police units in later years, where they enjoyed a mixed reputation before being replaced with more modern aramid vests in kind.


This individual also wears a privately purchased canvas chest rig which contains four cells for submachine gun mags, two pouches for grenades, two pistol magazine pouches, and an M19 leather holster in place of the standard M37 suspender system. It is likely styled after the chest rigs worn by many mercenaries, who were often responsible for training the nascent commando units of the growing State armies even as the relevance of private armies declined.


A2: M3A2 "Fullback" Powered Infantry Armor, Life Guard of the Duke of New York, 2158
While exact numbers for pre-war power armor production are difficult to verify, the M3 and its variants were one of the most numerous types, with many examples having been relegated to National Guard service and storage depots in favor of the more modern M4 "Cornerback". It is thought that at least five thousand examples were produced before nuclear weapons fell on the Lima factory complex, with some estimates ranging as far as high as eight thousand, although it is likely that true figures will never be known. It is no surprise, then, that these armored suits would survive the decline of the United States and find themselves in the service of the warlords and despots of the post-nuclear period.


By the middle of the century, both attrition of machines and declining availability of spare parts made operating power armor an increasingly difficult, expensive proposition. The much-romanticized armored knights errant that had once decided the outcome of entire inter-city conflicts had long since faded away, and most remaining examples existed within private armies and in the hands of the increasingly wealthy city-states. Such is the case with this example, which is one of sixteen units that formed the core of the Duke's household guard, of which two examples survive - with the armor depicted being based on an example in the Arms and Armor collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.


The armor is depicted in what would have been a typical configuration in its time, equipped with an M2 Heavy Machine Gun in 12.7x99mm, and a three-cell 120mm rocket launcher, likely loaded with incendiary munitions for clearing infantry from entrenchments and structures. The former weapon was a popular choice for supplementing the rare, often temperamental automatic cannons that had been originally designed for use by power armors, as both spare parts and ammunition were widely available, although sometimes inconsistent in quality. Surviving receipts seem to indicate that most M2s purchased by the Duke of New York would have arrived at considerable expense from Mormon arms traders, or from the overseas Guild Arsenal of Herstal.


A3: Militiaman, Third Battle of Independence Pass, September 3 2160
This militiaman is equipped in a style typical of continental troops, one of the thousands mobilized by the city of Twin Lakes to contest the Red Butte Khanate's monopoly over trade conducted through Independence Pass. While it is indicative of the declined state of the Khanate that such a challenge was raised, there were no less than three separate battles fought in and around the pass, as control of the heights overlooking the pass exchanged hands multiple times, each army often being forced to retreat at the point of the bayonet. While the exact outcome of the Third Battle of Independence Pass is still the subject of some debate, it is widely agreed that an unseasonably early snow and the arrival of a relief column from Cheyenne Mountain were able to prevent another indecisive stalemate.


Most of the militia raised on both sides of the conflict were equipped out of their own pocket, with most being attired in a mix of military and civilian gear, with identification accomplished only by strips of colored cloth tied around hats and arms. While this did render the wearer somewhat conspicuous, this was considered less vital than the need to clearly delineate friend from foe. Red or white typically detonated troops aligned with Red Butte and its allies, while blue and green were typical of Twin Lakes.


The soldier depicted here wears a soft kepi-style cap in place of a steel helmet or skullcap, typical for irregular forces in this time, as comfort was preferred to the relatively minor protective benefits of most contemporary helmets. Expense represented another issue, as a good helmet would often cost several weeks of much-needed wages for a piece of equipment that would see little use under typical circumstances. It is likely that much of the military equipment he wears, such as the web gear or the shelter half worn as a cloak would have been purchased as military surplus from one of the neighboring city-states. Much of the other equipment, such as the wool trousers or the short, mackinaw-type overcoat he wears would likely have been produced as household goods, as goods from the wool mills further East were not widely available in the region.


Finally, he is armed with a Gunderson Model 2119 repeating rifle, likely chambered in the common 6.5x48mm round, which was favored for its flat shooting characteristics, especially at long ranges. The weapon possessed a five-round internal magazine fed by a hinged cover on the right side of the rifle. If he was lucky he would have several spring-loaded chargers for filling his rifle, as well as a number of loose rounds stored in 20-round cardboard boxes, with a typical ammunition load consisting of around 120 to 200 rounds of ammunition total. This often proved inadequate, and many surviving accounts mention carrying one or two spare bandoliers of ammunition for prolonged engagements, with some even mentioning as many as four.


The original issue of hand grenades was also considered insufficient by many veterans, with many claiming that the Second Battle of the Pass was lost for lack of sufficient explosives to stop large-scale infiltration efforts as night fell on the heights. By the Third Battle of the Pass workshop-produced “Jam Tin” grenades began to show up in large numbers, utilizing ammonium nitrate to avoid materials such as guncotton used in the production of high explosive shells, which were also being expended at prodigious rates. These improvised weapons were sometimes unreliable, but were available in large numbers and considered an acceptable stopgap.

The commanders of Hellas during the constitutional crisis



The coup committed by the rogue army was rather an unexpected scenario for the Oppositional forces. But yet they were able to not only put an end to the KLK party but also stopping the Rogue
Army of creating a military junta.

In this book it is explained how the commanders and its forces acted and worked during hellas darkest month.<
"Spoiler" -----

On Cover:
Left: Antonios Mihalis was the commander of Msspoun (!Not Swat). During the start of the crisis he ordered under the command of Nassiadis the arrest of all KLK members during the brawl in the
Government palace in Thessaloniki. During the one week heavy fighting they were involved in heavy clashes against the rogue army and later in the following weeks the arrest of the last
KLK members. A
Middle: Vassilis Architis was the commander of the 14th Special Operations Command "Otus", he was responsible for the suppresion of the rogue army efforts in Thessaloniki and consantinople
and later personally with a small team rescued the former royal family that were targeted by the rogue army generals. Vassilis later died after a shootout with escaping members of both
KLK members and rogue army generals.
Right: Grigoris Iakovos was a four 5 star general of the high command of hellas, he was one of the three key members of the army coup. Under his command he orderd the kidnap of the former
royal family and the sabotage action on a portugese freighter. Grigoris was shot dead on 19th of January in Cairo.

The background of the covers shows slightly a photograph of two police officers hitting a politican member of "United Hellas".

_________________
I am Mauser

The Ubamenid War 5520-5523 (1)
Victorious Flock Infantry

A1: Boronthian Mate 1st Class, Xaggi Garnerrea, Raid on Qasra City, 5522.
Mate Garnerrea, Number 6, 3rd Platoon, B Company, 88th Naval Infantry Regiment, equips a suit of power armour known generically as “Gunman”. This specific suit is a Bargi Heavy Industries Model 460, known in the Navy by its designation 60A33-3, of 2nd Imperial War vintage, and carries a semifixed 70mm low recoil gun on its shoulder as an optional module. The other shoulder is dominated by a sensor turret. The suit is depicted with no hand weapons but would have a graser pistol and a resonator sword stowed away in the backpack. Not the most pleasant environment, Boronthian troopers can live, sleep and eat inside their void ops rated suits for days on end, but generally prefer to be rotated out if possible. Being barred of using atomics by RoE, Mate Garnerrea achieved four kills on Ubamenid infantry and downed an aerospace gunship with his shoulder gun during the raid on the Qasra floating city, on planet Basdar.

A2: Chikol Master Kiki Awao, Battle of Junbei Colony, 5521
Master Kiki Awao, Platoon 2IC and commander of the dismounted element of 1st Platoon, A Company, 37th Naval Infantry Regiment’s Mechanized Battalion, is depicted wearing a white Model 490 infantry normal suit with a commander’s backpack. She carries a 00G3-3 autogun, six 05E1 multimode grenades and is surrounded by two Model 501 cambots. Most clothing equipment can change colour via digital imput, but joints tend to remain in their original colour. On her wrist is projected a hologram of her CO. During the battle of Junbei Colony, the environment was considered hostile enough to warrant the use of normal suits for dismounts. Most infantry were equipped with power armour, but a few formations were selected for the final assault phase of the colony and thus remained unequipped. Fortunately for them, the Ubamenids surrendered quickly after Guard 2nd Class Lorin of WARDIV 77 neutralized the Ubamenids’ last line of defence, a custom boutique kaiju guardian nicknamed Sandy.

A3: Synthetic Barrika Automation Model 0377 Combat Robot, 4th Platoon, A Company, 301st Naval Infantry Regiment.
Belonging to a batch produced by the old Federation, over a hundred and fifty years ago, this robot was nicknamed “Ziggy Pop” by the organics in its unit. Older robots are valued and kept in service since they have been grandfathered by law out of Synthetic Sapient status. Previous stable releases of combat intelligences can still be loaded on frames, but they're meant to operate with sapients and have to have a sapient designate and order the engagement. This sort of combat AI by law cannot be used in, along, through, over or 15km near civilian structures, installations or inhabitants. Anything more advanced than this is classified as near-sapient or sapient and thus generally the latest releases of sapient combat AIs are used, which have to be given citizenship after a 6 year term and allowed to retire. The Victorious Flock has pushed repeatedly for the government to move the threshold of sapience on robots to no avail, so these old robots are carefully maintained and cared for, as they present a good alternative to exposing an organic infanteer to enemy fire.

_________________
w o r k l i s t :
Hatsuyuki-class Escort Ships . . . <3

lol vampire spacesuits

_________________
The Chinese people are not to be cowed by U.S. atomic blackmail. Our country has a population of 600 million and an area of 9.6 [million sq. km]. The United States cannot annihilate the Chinese nation with its small stack of atom bombs. Even if the U.S. atom bombs were so powerful that, when dropped on China, they would make a hole right through the earth, or even blow it up, that would hardly mean anything to the universe as a whole, though it might be a major event for the solar system.

Polls Now Open
The submission period for the Men-at-Arms Challenge has ended.
Please consider rating each entry here.
Options for the next challenge can be ranked here.
Both polls will remain open until Thursday 17 August 2023, ending at 23:59 (UTC-12). Countdown Timer

Options for Next Challenge
Boomer Challenge
1. Your submission must depict a fictional submarine.
2. The primary mission of the submarine should be the deployment of ballistic missiles at sea.

High Speed Transport Challenge
1. Your submission must depict a fictional high-speed transport (APD) capable of moving personnel and materiel across the ocean rapidly.
2. The vessel's maximum speed should exceed that of traditional transport ships.
3. Your high-speed transport should not be a new ship, but a conversion of an existing surface combatant.

Late Cold War Corvette Challenge
1. Your submission must depict a fictional corvette.
2. The corvette should be first commissioned between 1970 and 1991.
3. Its standard displacement should be between 500 and 2000 tonnes.

Research Vessel Challenge
1. Your submission must depict a fictional research vessel*.
2. The vessel must be a watercraft which carries out research at sea.
* This category includes survey ships.

First Submarine Challenge
1. Your submission must depict a fictional submarine.
2. The submarine should be the first submarine built or operated by its respective country.
3. It must be completed before 1900.

A Note Regarding the Boomer Challenge
In response to a question on Shipbucket's Discord server, I have eliminated 'nuclear' from the second requirement of the Boomer Challenge. This means that submarines similar in concept to South Korean KSS-III would be permitted. If this change has altered your preference for the Boomer challenge, please visit the poll again. There should be an option to "Edit your response".

Challenge Results
The community poll for the Men-at-Arms Challenge has closed. I wish to thank the 22 people who responded, including those who answered my call on the Discord server earlier today. The fifteen people who participated in the challenge also deserve praise, as it is they who keep these challenges and Shipbucket alive. Moving on to the results, if this were a race, it would be a photo finish. Only two points separate first and second place. Our winner, with a total of 379 points, is El_Snow who submitted Zephyrian Army at War 1970-2020. While standard Soldierbucket figures have their place, El_Snow's entry is a great example of complex poses and intricate detail captured well in the Shipbucket style. I am very impressed by the camouflage which looks natural despite the small scale. Good job! In second place with 377 points is Charguizard with The Ubamenid War 5520-5523 (1) Victorious Flock Infantry. Action is combined with unique character design and excellent drawing skills to create quite the scene. Great work! Third place goes to our very first entry, Edusa's Army (1811-1861) by Mr. Sinny, which attained 344 points. I had expected an entry from this time period, but I imagined something far more mundane. The uniforms are wonderful and it really shows what you can accomplish with more or less standard Soliderbucket poses. Excellent work!





The Boomer Challenge is now open to all who are interested.
Listed in order of popularity, the other options were: Research Vessel, High Speed Transport, Late Cold War Corvette, First Submarine.