Size matters

     One of the great things about playing with 6mm models is you can use accurately sized miniatures and still have plenty of room to maneuver.  For me the size difference between a tank and an infantryman is important, part of the emmersion of the experience. And when it comes to representing Ma.K it is doubly important as some of the vehicles are truly massive!  Here, I'll show you:

The "Nutrocker" (a Japanese misspell of Nutcracker) is HUGE, and sizing it so it compared realistically to the infantry was paramount.  It even dwarfs the Krote autonomous walker.

The infantry figures are from Darkest Star Games (disclosure: I am the owner of said company) and really show how the PKA suit is just a little larger than a "naked" troop, and though they are a bit more massive they are not outrageous and look as though one of the troops would fit inside just right.    One of the difficulties of printing models this small though can be seen in the PKAs panzerfaust, they break very easily if the mini is not carefully handled, and sometimes the shaft doesn't print at all!

Stay tuned for some WIPs!

 Prints and WIPS

The scale of choice for our Ma.K battles is 6mm.  Really darn small, some even call it "braille scale".  As no dedicated models are for sale from licensed merchants for the scale we have been making our own via 3d modeling and home printing.  The first few models, such as the below Sandstalker 232M, were made on my Epax 1x resin printer and I thought they came out quite well at the time.

Unfortunately I developed a pretty severe allergy to the liquid resin.  Anyone who has worked with the stuff knows that it is almost impossible to keep it from getting onto various surfaces or even your own skin. It's like magic, just appears in places it shouldn't be.  Luckily a friend has a really well dialed in Anycubic Photon which we will be using form here on out.  It really does an excellent job, as evidenced by these Pk40 Fledermaus and hover transports (based on a fan design by incredibly talented Maschinen Kruger).

The landing legs of the flyers are incredibly delicate, and I managed to 'ping' away a couple while removing supports both pre and post curing.  But look how fantastic they came out!  My Epax just couldn't get this sharp of detail and I may reprint some of my earlier models to get this standard.

More WIPs to come!

The Broken Hill Front

    World War VI was quite devastating for the Earth.  Not much more is said on this topic in the official SF3D/Ma.K background info, but for our campaigns we did a little chatting and decided that there was probably a small nuclear winter which gave way to an intense greenhouse type warming.  Melting ice caps flooded the old coasts, changed weather patterns and redistributed airborne soil and debris which could radically change environments.  Thus the healed Earth can be a bit different than the one we currently live on.

    Our first campaign is taking place in the official timeline in old Australia but in a backwater area of little importance.   There are 3 areas of concentrated military activity which can be called Conflict Zones.       

The Digger Conflict Zone juts into the new inland sea, called The Eyre Sea.  The IMA (Independent Mercenary Army) hold several mines and ore processing centers at the moment, but with the SDR having recently installed a new aerial warning and defense system in Northern Australia the continued IMA resupply by giant seaplanes and spaceplanes will become much more difficult.

 The Adelaide Breach Conflict Zone straddles with entrance into the shallow Mungo Gulf.  Having a spaceport with protected anchorages has allowed the SDR to maintain a strong foothold on both sides of the breach.  Newly arriving units are being fed from here northwards into the Digger zone, putting pressure on the IMA forces and holdings in that zone.

    At the start of our campaign it is September of 2884, the IMA  has most of the Canberra Conflict Zone under control with some SDR units holding out in a New Canberra under siege.  As the the noose tightens on the city the IMA Command has begun shifting forces to other areas, including reinforcing the North American armies.    This dispersion, coupled with the SDR advance from Port Adelaide, have brought our troops into conflict in the far flung edge of the Broken Hill Front.

    
 The above map is a very simplified form showing the various movement zones we are utilizing, as well as the general terrain type within these zones.  As there were both surviving records and continuous habitation of the area many of the place names have remained the same over the centuries (though they may not represent a future version of the original places).  This region was once very dry and scrubby, dotted with greatly distanced sheep grazing stations/farms.  Now there is a much greater abundance of jungle and forest as well as rich grasslands and agricultural areas.  The mines north of Broken Hill are once again in full production, with the facilities at Port Tandou providing easy export.  This area has been almost untouched by conflict, with the minimal SDR and IMA forces mostly acting to keep an eye on developments in the areas and only conducting patrol and harassment operations against each other when encountered.  A sort of "gentlemen's war" has been conducted between these long range patrol forces, with very limited combat and almost no collateral damage inflicted to infrastructure or civilian properties.  So far...