Warzone Resurrection: Imperial Special Forces “Black Berets”

So these minis have actually been sitting on my desk done and dusted for nearly two weeks now. So it is time to show them:

These are some Imperial Special Forces (ISF) for Warzone. Or to be more precise on the sub-unit… Black Berets. The Black Berets have always been my favorites in any incarnation of Warzone, mostly because I liked their Black and Grey uniforms. So there was no way for me not to paint  them one more time.

Their main mission is and always has been spacecraft boarding operations. And I think in this incarnation of the rules they are best suited for this. In this edition the rules the ISF got backpack teleportation devices. I think they are over the top on the average battlefield (and for that matter I could have done without them). But fluff wise they are great when it comes to boarding operations. No more docking to an airlock or cutting through the hull, giving the defenders time to mass their security troops there. You simply fly your shuttles close the the enemy ship and teleport into the next corridor. Sealed bulkheads or fortified corridors… no problem you simply teleport past those.

As you may have seen when I posted another unit, The Sterlings, earlier on, these minis are wearing gas masks, berets and diesel powered teleportation devices and those simply will not do in space. The backpacks were easy enough to change… simply remove the exhaust pipes and pistons and call it the nuclear version. While one can always assume their suits to be insulated and airtight (like any modern spacesuit), gas masks simply would not help. So I removed their heads and replaced them with full face helmets from Anvil Industries. Just like I did with the Sterlings, I removed they bayonets from their rifles (stat wise the models do not have them anyway) to give their rifles more of a carbine feel. I also fitted their carbines with a lot of halo sights and forwards grips to give them more of a commando look. The last two soldier got the Gehenna Puker Flamethrower… nothing clears a corridor faster!

So off to the painting table they were. I started off with the black armour and decided to paint their suits in a dark blue, to keep enhance their sinister looks. At this point I was slightly undecided which way to go. Black Berets usually have grey camo on their armour, but I already liked their looks as they were. The biggest problem was, that usually Imperial camo take large amoeba shapes edged in a light colour. But to be honest… every version I tried on these looked extremely poor and turned me off the idea. So in the end, I decided to break with the Imperial norm and go for a pattern of thin branch or lighting shapes. And it worked fine. Up next were the helmets and I always wanted something that enhanced their sinister looks. So a skull pattern was painted on the lower parts of the helmets. I have to say, the first one was OK, after another three I thought “why did I decide to do this” but after the 6th one (when I had found my mojo) they became fun. The visors were painted red as usual. Taking another break from the Imperial norm, I did not want their national insignia to stand out as much in blue, white and red. So I painted them in a subdued pattern of dark grey first, but that made them virtually disappear against the armour. In real life that would be the intention and fine, but here i wanted more contrast. I went for a de-saturated version in lighter bluish grey, which offered a nice contrast. The rest was just the standard fare, except that I did not paint their straps and holsters in green but black.

The last matter to decided upon was their bases. When I started, I had wanted to do the same trench and mud theme, that I have used with the other model for Imperial. Painting them, I realized, that mud would look strange on these and space ship corridors would be much better. Luck would have it, that just the week I finished the minis, my pads from the Basius 2 Kickstarter would arrive. One of the two pads was one I want to use for deck plates when my Alien vs. Predator minis arrive, so I decided to put them to the test. They worked out fine, after a few tests. I have to say though, that they are removed best using pliers to pull them up straight. The thin MDF bases I am using can cause some problems doing that, especially with the water you use as a mould release for the Green Stuff). So some of the bases, it did not work perfectly and the details look a bit soft, but I am still happy with them.

OK… enough talking on to the minis:

Black Berets (1st Squad)

Black Berets (2nd Squad)

Black Berets (2nd Squad, rear view)

Well I imagine you would not want to be in some huge steel coffin flying through space when these chaps come for you… or would you?