Introduction
This is another write-up on still more Marcher Worlds model concepts I have had brewing in my own corner of the Thousand Worlds. Look back to my original article if you want to better understand my motivation behind why I homebrew model concepts, and feel compelled to share them.
Again, the visuals were created using Stable Diffusion Playground, and are more for the feel of the miniature idea than they are an accurate representation.
Hazard Zone Sweep Team
Conceptually, the Hazard Zone Sweep Team began as a desire to see both a multi-wound Marcher Squad and have some power-armor among their ranks. For a very mobile army, having a slow but more durable Squad would be a different niche as well to change up the playstyle a little. They are sacrificing speed for durability and firepower, making them ideal for taking objectives.
Hazard Zone Sweep Team:
DC3 Squad3 40mm
S4 M3 R4 D2 A4 W2
Plasma Stream: Ranged R10 Fire P4, Spray, Continuous Fire
Plasma Cutter: Melee R2 Beam P2, High Intensity, Cleave
As mentioned, the concept is that this unit trades speed for durability and firepower. The Sweep Team are good at ranged with a high-intensity option for melee, but can’t do both at the same time. If you can keep the arc on them they can just keep powering along thanks to Impulse Reactor, which feels fitting for slow troops who do the clean-up work. I liked the idea of more use of Environment Suit in the game, and thought it is a neat way to give these guys some added durability without just tacking on more ARM. The Compound Armor is a similar thought there as a way to add a touch more durability while still staying ARM 4. Finally, the Reserve Power Cells felt like a good spike for them: something handy but not guaranteed that it will get used all the time – they should feel like a Squad that you want to charge but then need to commit to keeping charged more often than not.
In my mind, the actual models would be wearing bulky exo-suits supporting oversized weapons and equipment, basically like the steam armor Boss MacHorne wears in her Riot Quest model. They would be wearing a full helmet with a breather attachment, representing the Environment Suit ability. Their weapons are basically a heavy flamethrower that can be shortened to be a blowtorch for close-combat. Naturally a large rubber cable-hose would connect the weapon to the arc receiver on the back. One squad member should be using the weapon as a flamethrower, with another looking like they are swinging it downward (a bit like one would a chainsaw, if used as a weapon); the final squad member should look like they are in motion with the weapon in more of a carrying pose at their waist.
Hazard Zone Demo Crew
Many Warcaster Squads use the same “chassis” but with a variation on their role in the battlefield. It is in this spirit that I dreamed up the Hazard Zone Demo Crew, presenting a “melee” option for the same multi-wound models. They feature all of the same core abilities, but with a different weapon and reversed focus from range to melee.
Hazard Zone Demo Crew:
DC3 Squad3 40mm
S4 M4 R3 D2 A4 W2
Turbo Hammer: Melee R2 Kinetic P5, Repulsor
Implosion Inducer: Ranged R6 Energy P2, High Intensity, Singularity Collapse
Like the Sweep Team, the Demo Crew trades speed for durability. They also have strong options for both melee and range, but can’t do both simultaneously. High Intensity and Singularity Collapse would be super-strong, but have to be handled with short range, slow speed, and only average RAT. The Demo Crew has some strong options for disrupting clusters of enemies if you can deal with the lack of threat range.
Visually, the Demo Crew would look a lot like the Sweep Team, but with a different weapon. I like the idea of the Demo Crew also using a single weapon that can be both melee and ranged. The Turbo Hammer would basically look like an oversized sledge hammer, but have some sort of emitter on the end cap to represent the Implosion Inducer. One of the squad models would need to be posed like they are firing this weapon to emphasize what this action looks like. The other two should probably be in some form of action pose, with one winding up the hammer to strike and the other carrying it across their chest while they are running as fast as their exo-suit permits.
Response Operative
With Warcaster having a strong emphasis on solos, I wanted to consider some ideas for useful solos to expand the set of options further for Marcher Worlds. The Response Operative came about as a desire to represent the Flight Pack ability more in the game, as I think it is a really cool charge ability that deserves inclusion beyond just a single hero model.
Response Operative:
DC1 Solo 30mm
S6 M4 R4 D3 A3 W2
High-Output Laser: Ranged R10 Beam P3, Armor Piercing
Fusion Bayonet: Melee R1 Kinetic P3
Mechanically, the Response Operative is designed to be charged up, fly up onto a Warjack that needs to be hurt, then spike for ‘Jack Hunter and go to town. The model’s DEF and ARM are only average, and it only gets 2 Wounds, so the Response Operative doesn’t have much staying power. Its role is to take down hard target Warjacks and then hope to not get shot.
For the model itself, I see the Response Operative having a compact laser rifle with the standard thick rubber cable out the back, holding it across their chest and looking upward as if they were about to take flight. I imagine the model looking a lot like the standard Rangers do, with light armor and lots of pouches. The backpack would be based around a single large rocket for flight options, and would look a bit bulky on the model.
Field Medic
The idea of a Field Medic is based entirely around a desire to have a solo with a spike to recall friendly units, because such a thing would be awesome to be in the game (we can really use more recall options without giving up deployment). From that desire I meditated on what sort of operative within the Marcher Worlds forces would make sense to be able to recall friendly units, which led me to think of a medical evac – with that, the Field Medic was born.
Field Medic:
DC1 Solo 30mm
S6 M3 R3 D3 A3 W3
Immobilizer: Ranged R6 Energy P3, Lock Down, Stun Module
Evacuation Protocol [spike to recall friendly unit within 5″]
As mentioned, the Field Medic is really focused on its Evacuation Protocol ability, and everything else is secondary. Spotlight is there to tease the idea that the Field Medic might be able to help as a spotter to counter Stealth. I felt like Repair was all but mandatory for a medic model, though it does step on the Combat Engineer a little here. Adding in Pathfinder and Spider felt like a good way to give the Field Medic some mobility without adding in raw speed or something like Slip Displacer.
For the Field Medic’s weapon I wanted to see something that basically felt like a medical instrument more than a firearm. I imagine that the Immobilizer would be something the Field Medic would use like a tranquilizer on friendly models, but could up the amperage to dish out some actual harm on enemies when called for. Lock Down fits that thematically, and the Stun Module gives a neat niche for the Field Medic if push comes to shove vs a powerful enemy.
For the model I imagine the Field Medic looks more like a hiker than a soldier, probably wielding some sort of scanner in one hand while looking at a wrist-mounted computer. The Immobilizer should be a large taser-like gun that is ready to be drawn if the need arises. The model should look well-equipped and ready for action.
Conclusion
Once again I hope you have enjoyed this view of the sort of models I would love to see added to the forces of the Marcher Worlds. If you saw some idea or concept you love, drop a comment about it below. If something here seems like it would be too good, I welcome those comments too.