The Gear Krieg background features more then just cool walkers and some Infantry ideas. The setting is oozing with cool superscience ideas. One of the most interesting concept for me are the super science tanks.

T-34 superscience tanks

The above tank platoon consists of superscience tanks and conventional T-34/85.

T34/85 Sn Sonic Tank

Sonic Projectors - Sonic weapons were developed by the Kriegsmarine for the Walrus amphibious Panzerkaempfer, though this weapon was also fitted to a number of Panzers and used in a land-based role.

Like their German counterparts, Russian scientists also became interested in the applications of sound as a weapon. Concentrated sound waves caused exposed vehicle crew and infantry to experience nausea, disorientation and unconsciousness within a wide area. However, troopers wearing heavy armour and vehicle crew inside their tanks were protected from this effect. The weapon was indiscriminate as well, and Russian troops were often caught in the effects of their own weapon. Nevertheless, the Russians, hard-pressed to find any weapon to combat the Germans, eagerly mounted these large rotating dishes on the tops of T-34 tanks and sent them into the field in considerable numbers. Modeling Note: I used a Battlefront FoW T34 tank and fitted a small Satellite dish to the turret. The dish is from GZG 15mm SF building fittings.

T34/85 H Thermal Tank

Thermal Ray - Russian scientists were also fascinated by the immense defensive potential of Russia's harsh temperatures, and started to work on technological means to control heat for defensive purposes. The result was a series of special "thermal rays," capable of generating localized heat and cold zones.

Modeling Note: Again a Battlefront FoW T34 tank was used. The Thermal gun is from one of the GZG 15mm SF building fittings.

T34/85 T Tesla Tank

Modeling Note: I used a Battlefront FoW T34 tank and fitted the DP9 Tesla gun to the turret. The Tesla gun is from the Allied weapon pack of DP9. To make it look more fitting to the tank I shortened it to 3 “dishes”.

PzKpfw VIII Schwebepanzer “Mantikor”

The Mantikor (or Manticore) is a jet powered Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) design that enabled a tank to attain an altitude of a couple of meters during flight trials. It used an ingenious design of liquid oxygen, superheated and fed directly into the jet engine intakes, to create additional thrust. By use of carefully placed thrusters and hull design, they were able to lift a sizeable platform into the air.

The full background will be featured in a future book. I liked the concept right from the start and always wanted a suitable model. There is only one picture of the Mantikor in all DP9 GK books, it looks like a Panther without the tracks with a laser as main armament and two big jet engines.

The conversion is based on a FoW Panther hull and crewman, two jet engine of a 1/100 Me 262 plane, a laser from DP9s Axis weapon pack, Miliput and lots of imagination! See for yourself:

PzKpf VII Uller Ausführung M “Rhino”

This Uller variant is mentioned in DP9s book “Fighting Vehicles of the Modern Age.

This Uller variant, based on a similar Donner model, was armed with a powerful 88mm gun. The cannon was mounted in a fixed position in the main hull, with aiming being taken care of by the suspension. The model was never officially released, the conversion proposed is pictured above.

Since DP9 is currently starting to make some additional walkers and weapons, it may be possible to get them into producing some additional guns. I scratch build the above shown side mounted 88mm gun. Maybe it will be the base for future designs.

Iosef Stalin 2 Tesla

The Soviets had the advantage in electrokinetic and Tesla guns in the GK background. According to the Gear Krieg books they experimented with many tank hulls, one of the successful ones was a tank based on the IS-2.

The conversion is again based on a FoW tank, the Tesla gun is from the Allied weapon pack of DP9, the additional heat sink on the engine deck is from the GZG 15 mm building fittings and the plastic heat sink might be GW Tau parts (I am not sure - they came out of my “bits” box)...

Su-85 EKC

Gear Krieg Background:
One application of Tesla technology was the EKC "electrokinetic cannon," a combined energy projectile weapon of great destructive potential. The Soviets based this weapon on schematics from reverse-engineered German "Thor's Hammer" artillery guns, applying the same principles they had used to shrink the Tesla ray.
The result was a rudimentary combat railgun small enough for common battlefield deployment. Firing large armour-piercing rounds at velocities far faster than normal cannon rounds, the electrokinetic cannon became the primary weapon of the Russians' new SU-series tank killers.

The conversion is based on some Gear Krieg artwork. I used a cheap Armourfast Su-85 1/72 kit to start, the EKC is made of plastic-rod with additional plastic pieces to represent the outside magnetic projectors. Crewmen by AB, engine deck superscience stuff by GZG.

KV-2 T - Heavy Tesla tank

As said above, the Soviets had the advantage in Tesla guns in the GK background. According to the Gear Krieg books they experimented with many tank hulls, one of the first ones was a tank based on the KV-2 since the turret was big enough to hold a full sized Tesla gun.

The mini is a simple conversion based on a (Trumpeter repaint - see before conversion here) 1/72 KV-2 with AB crewman. The gun is straight from the DP-9 Allied weapon pack, the turret side mounted Tesla Coil is made from wire, a washer and the 1st dish of a DP-9 Tesla gun. Works for me.

KV-2 with some 20mm THQ Casting and Italeri 1:72 Russian Infantry.

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