Raumjager Heavy Weapons
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Tell us your ideas for a heavy weapons set for the Raumjager. Post of pics for inspiration. Help us get this one rolling!
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How about going back to Imperial Germany for a little inspiration and making the absurdly long and cumbersome Tankgwher?
Could be on a bipod mount of a pintle? Basically just a comically oversized rifle made to bust armor would be cool.
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If we are talking anti tank rifles, I remember suggesting this a while ago on facebook https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solothurn_S-18/100
Pretty much good to go and with a few cosmetic changes if you want it to be an energy weapon.
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The sadly deceased Dust 47 Luftwaffe forces might have some inspirations.
Updated Fliegerfausts (man portable ADA)?
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Lascannons, heavy bolters, rocket launchers, etc. mounted to sci-fi kettenkrad chassis.
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Something like the M-25 CDTS mini/smart grenade launcher - seems like light troops would want a multipurpose weapon system that could fire a variety of grenades.
A bullpup anti-materiel rifle like the Barret XM-500 or the GM6 Lynx.
Maybe a mini-missile launcher like the Chinese mockups:
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When I experimented with Raumjäger Heavy Weapons, one I started with was a 37mm PAK in 1:48 scale that I added another barrel on top of. And I am pretty ok with the result, so I think it would be worth at least to consider to also use one of the more iconic artillery pieces, scale it down and make it a bit more SciFi. Like the PAK, the 88 mm FLAK or the Flakvierling(as Berggeit mentioned). They are all recognizable german weapons, that I think could be used in some way.
I also believe the Panzerfaust and the MG 08 and could be used in some way. I think I would prefer the MG 08 over MG 42, since it is alot bulkier and I think that lends itself better to the kind of SciFi I read Death Fields as.
While I do love JTams Kettenrad idea, I believe it might be better in a Raumjäger Cavalry box.
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The Raketenwerfer is pretty sci-fi already and fits the theme.
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Seems to me like the Raumjager do have a more modern-futuristic look to them than the standard WWII fare - I've not seen them close-up yet, but I believe they're even armed with rifles that look suspiciously similar to G36 type weapons, if my eyes and memory aren't deceiving me.
With that in mind, that Raketenwerfer or especially that streamlined PAK anti-tank rifle look like they fit the bill rather nicely, especially if given a 28mm heroic sci-fi make-over.
The Panzerfaust3 and MG5 look like they would be right at home with these guys:
A sci-fi kettenkrad does sound like fun and could be packaged up with multiple small arms, but if a small vehicle kit were made, I think I might slightly prefer something loosely based on the Fennek armored car for general sci-fi use:
Like @Chris Guy says, going off of the Grognards set for guidance, though, I think a sci-fi PAK type anti-tank gun, some sort of sci-fi plasma cannon, some sort of mortar, maybe a minigun of some sort, and some officers and a couple small arms (like a sci-fi Panzerfaust3) would fit perfectly and make a great start. I like the sound of a missile launcher, too.
I do think a kit with some different sorts of sci-fi weaponry might be more interesting to me, though - drones and robots, for example, such as Aliens style sentry guns, a tracked auto-gun, a flying drone, or the like:
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Here is my idea or two:
Since the Raumjagers are based on WW2 Fallshirmjager so I would draw my inspirations from there. In Grognards HW box we have choice of 4 weapon types and two mounts. Heres the list of my propositions:
Mounts:
-tripod: classic german Lafette tripod for mg34 and 42, can be set up higher or lower depending on available cover:
The other one could be either based on kettenkrad or even better a plate base used for 20cm flak.
Maybe with option to attach wheels to it, or make them fold down a little like on ZSU23-2 mount
Or simplified version of old Sabre Platform model from 40k: smaller, without the walkway but with optional piece to make the mounting point higher for some weapons?
Weapons:
- Autocannon- Flak 38 is an obvious choice but i would keep it single barreled one, like one pictured above. Would make the gunner sit beside the gun so the piece would not be too big.
-Quad light autocannon/mg/ AA gun: something similar like this but mount 4x mg34 in 2x2 arrangement. Maybe if combined with "high" option on the tripod and extended peg so standing soldiers ca operate it, make it look like impromptu AA gun the original was.
I would also make the guns separate so they could be used as standard MG`s for the infantry, maybe with optional bipod.
-Mortar: Maybe a standard mortar with its own bipod and recoil plate or Panzerfaust/panzershreck.
Fliegerfaust is also a nice choice.
-Direct energy weapon: Laser cannon based on Pak38 37mm gun. Just add muzzle like those on
Cannon fodder rifles and/or cover the rest of it in a perforated shroud like on MG34?
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@Travis Johnson I'd definitely be interested in an hard plastic exo-suit design, armoured or unarmoured. I've actually got a couple from the endure the stars boardgame and some from the Sedition Wars boardgame.
(Pics from internet search).
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So I'll address the elephant in the room. Any Raumjager heavy weapons sets that have weapons roughly equivalent to GW ones are going to sell inordinately better. I just saw a PAK chassis lascannon equivalent on Shapeways going for 35 dollars. At that point getting a WGA heavy weapons box with a PAK chassis laser cannon, automatic cannon, and some other heavy weapons becomes a no brainer. The good news is that making roughly equivalent types that fit the Raumjager is relatively easy as all GW weapon types are also based on historical weapons.
Based on the Grognard heavy weapons kit having 4 types of heavy weapons and taking the best of what others have presented a Raumjager kit could include:
Laser Cannon on wheeled PAK chassis.
Automatic Cannon on wheeled PAK or flak chassis.
(Admit it, you've wanted one in your army for 23 years since seeing it in Private Ryan.)
An automatic belt fed grenade launcher on PAK chassis. (What the 7.5 light infantry guns would have evolved into). Any resemblance to a heavy bolter is incidental.
A mortar. Perhaps similar to the Gragnard one but mounted on a plate similar to the German 5cm one. (So bizzare, so over engineered, so German).
And finally if there is room, arms with Panzerfaust/ Panzerschreck/Panzerfaust3 sci-fi equivalents.
SUPER BONUS points for a sci fi Kettenkrad that accept the heavy weapon and shield on the back. Creates a more mobile weapons system with decent ammo load.
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Mortars and missiles based on man portable V1 and V2 rockets would be rad.
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I think the exo-suit idea is brilliant. By itself, it's the equivalent of a forklift or similar small construction/utility vehicle, but optional armor and weapons could be included on the basic frame to turn it into power-armor.
It doesn't really need a separate figure to be faction-agnostic - in fact, it's probably more useful with an integral, generic figure, which doesn't look much like any particular Death Fields army (a generic jump-suit like the black outfit the guy in the first exo-suit picture is wearing, or generic light armor of some indeterminate sort, with three or four different pilot heads in goggles, industrial masks, mining hats, or whatever, would be fine.) Otherwise, a lot of modeling or an unnecessarily complicated kit would be needed to fit whatever poses your given figure would be in, where a generic figure would be in exactly the one pose needed to make sense. As long as the head is separate to allow head-swaps, I think that alone would be plenty to clearly identify which faction the pilot is part of: the various Death Fields factions have some fairly distinctive gas-mask heads that, combined with th generic body painted up in team colours, would surely do plenty to give the pilot a uniform look that would fit the rest of whatever faction it's assigned to.
I think the exo-suit models would get the most bang-per-buck with plenty of modular custom options for different cockpit designs, different hands, different styles of armor, and the like, so that two gamers could easily each build a set of exo-suits for their respective armies, and have them look different enough on the table to have been made for different teams/armies.
Options for claws for lifting heavy loads, saws and other tools of different sorts, communication gear, and various heavy weapons on standard mounts, too, to weaponize it further: standard mounting "hardware" would allow these bolt-on weapons to be swapped to other vehicles, too: the bolt-on flame thrower or rail gun might be mounted instead on a motorcycle or light truck or tripod or other hypothetical vehicle, for example, or weapons from future model kits might be mounted on the exo-suit using the same connection. (I haven't seen the Grognard set yet, but based on the review I saw the other day, I think those weapons mounted on their tripods and carriages with this sort of standard connection - that same standard connection point would be pefect!)
Even as-is, though, I can imagine the scratch-built customizations would provide a lot of variety: polystyrene rods and card to scratch-build armor, for example, or spare missiles from scale model helicopters and jets to glue to the exo-suit arms....
Whatever the case, a good exo-suit/power-armor kit with, say, parts for two suits with an assortment of armor and weapon options could probably be done as its own boxed set, and would surely sell well: all sorts of sci-fi games can make use of the basic power-armor and even exo-suit idea, especially one that allows enough customization to fit the model into the game or faction's style.
And, all that reminds me: I really really hope Wargames Atlantic and the folks behind Iron-Core bring back that Eisenkern Stormtrooper Accessory set, with its great robot-mule models (but hopefully with simplified legs - the mules' legs make the WA giant spider legs seem easy to assemble!). I think the Raumjager and Eisenkern stuff suggest a similar enough aesthetic that accessories for one woud work great with the other:
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many great ideas in thist thread. I would say, since the Raumjäger are based on Airborne/Paratroopers their heavy weapons should look "light" ( yea I know) and airmobile. So Panzerfaust, Light machine Gun on small bipod etc... NOT as heavy and cumbersome as the Grognards HWTs.
I would love to have crew thats lying down like a sniper team.
Also: I would love to see some autonomous gun vehicles, actually I am in the process of scratch building some but I am sure coming from a plastic kit they would look way better.
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Thinking about sci-fi Kettenkrads fitted with heavy weapons made me think of the modern real world equivalent.
The air mobile Wiesel. An extremely light and small chassis that gives increased firepower and mobility to air mobile formations.
Autocannon:
TOW missile launcher:
Mortar:
There's an ambulance and air defense artillery variant too.
Still like the Kettenkrad better though ;)
But think about this fluff:
The same pressures that drove the Bundeswehr to create the Wiesel and the Russians the BMD (air mobile forces often find themselves outgunned and without mobility) would drive the isolated in space Raumsjager to adapt the equipment they had and knew. AKA putting heavy weapons on a sci-fi Kettenkrad.
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For a sci-fi PAK gun, I would suggest something closer along the lines of a Pak40's carrage, because I think it has a sleeker and more passably modernish shape than the 36, which has an awkwardly high and narrow shield.
And since I love me my rocket launchers, I'd love to see a Panzerfaust 3 available as well, to fit with the more Bundeswehr-ish weapons carried by the current box.
And well, the MG42/MG3 is probably the defining German machine gun, so it'd be a shame to go without it in some form for the heavy weapons.
Now something I think would be very visually unique and fitting with the look of the Raumjaegers would be a teched-up version of the Nebelwerfer 40, a breech loading mortar that almost looks more like a tiny howitzer than a heavy mortar.
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Wouldn't the heavy weapons the fallschirmjager actually used the most historically be the obvious option for inspiration maybe along with some sort of Jinro style power armor (though you do have the Iron Core sets in the schedule so that maybe kind of repetitive I guess):
Maybe a Para drop vehicle instead if Germany had one at the time, though that might be more than you want to do right now.
Could also do Goliath mines with added turrets:
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