Motor Rifle Platoon - Slovetzia Lidova Vojsko (Slovetzian Peoples Army)

Demokratika Republika na Slovetzia

Slovetzia is located in the fold of the map in Eastern Europe.

Slovetzia is a tiny, insignificant (but don't say that to them) country in the mountainous Carpathians in eastern Europe, surrounded on all sides by vastly stronger, better-known and generally hostile neighbours. Well, the neighbours are sometimes hostile, sometimes not, sometimes even helpful. Most other countries, superpowers and supranational world entities ignore or, more accurately, remain ignorant of Slovetzia. This historical fact has no doubt contributed to the survival and freedom of the Slovetzian people and their nation from ancient times into the modern era.

Another fact that has ensured the survival and freedom of the Slovetzians is their martial strength, bolstered by their unflinching courage, of which all Slovetzians are immensely proud. Below is a manifestation of this Slovetzian martial strength in the modern era - a Motor Rifle Platoon of the Slovetzia Lidova Vojsko (SLV), the Slovetzian Peoples Army.

Slovetzian Motor Rifle Platoon, and typical supports (Battlefront Soviet Russians, Zvezda T-34/85 with conversion).

 

The SLV Motor Rifle units

Slovetzian Motor Rifle Platoon organisational chart

The Motor Rifle Regiments are the core of the SLV. There are two regiments, each of three companies and organic support units, including a tank company, mortar, light anti-aircraft (including SA-18s and 23mm AAA), anti-tank (including plenty of AT-4 Spigots) and light support platoons with AGS-17s and various heavy machine guns. In each Company are three platoons, usually with armoured transport (a variety of Soviet, Czech and Yugoslav-made vehicles) but sometimes carried only in trucks.

AT-4 and PKM.

MANPADs are grouped at the regimental level.

AGS-17s are often attached singly or in groups of up to three to the rifle platoons.

Despite their training and doctrine being focussed on mechanised offensive operations against NATO, the mobility, high morale and aggressiveness of the Motor Rifles means they are also the cornerstone of the SLV's anti-partisan efforts. SLV Reserve Infantry units make up the government garrisons around the country and conduct most of the patrolling. However, when rebel bases are located or the traitorous partisans reveal themselves by attacking in strength, the Motor Rifles are called upon to smash the enemy in detail.

Armour support

The pride of Slovetzian armour, the more modern Soviet-era Main Battle Tanks, are concentrated in their Tank Regiment, which is intended to move rapidly to cut off and smash any invasion through a series of brilliant operational pincer movements and dramatic armoured assaults led by the most daring and fearless of SLV officers. These valuable MBTs are not usually to be wasted and worn out in limited battles with Slovetzian insurgent traitors.

The Motor Rifle units find themselves supported by whatever AFVs are leftover, in particular, reconditioned T-34/85s that were given to Slovetzia in the distant past by Stalin. With Slovetzian ingenuity, these archaic tanks have received an Explosive Reactive Armour upgrade to keep them relevant. It should be noted at this point that theft and black market resale of ERA materials across the border is absolutely and totally not a thing in Slovetzia due to the loyalty of officers, Q staff and maintenance personnel, and there are severe punishments available to ensure this. In the hands of skilled and courageous Slovetzian crews, these vehicles will remain a threat to be reckoned with by a few any opponents.

SLV T-34/85 with Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA). (Zvezda miniature).

Hand-painted Slovetzian national symbol: the Boar's head on red and light blue-grey bicolour.

I used too much paint on this national emblem so it's a bit 3D.

The Slovetzian T-34/85 is a very limited conversion to a Zvezda plastic kit: simply attaching sections of square-gridded styrene sheet to represent the ERA blocks. If I was to do this again I'd use Green Stuff to make the ERA blocks rectangular, and add a cage of slat armour over the turret to intercept top-attack AT missiles. The tank could also benefit from ERA side-skirts and collar or something to intercept missiles that would hit the turret ring.

Very simple conversion work to up-armour the T-34 for the modern era.

What is Slovetzia?

Slovetzia is the fictional country from a forgotten 90s movie. I was looking for a setting for modern platoon-level or counterinsurgency games using Eastern Bloc equipment and I remembered Slovetzia as a suitable location: beset by numerous domestic problems, an insurgency and the meddling of outside forces. The sturdy Slovetzian people are also worthy of their own expanded lore and their own timeline, and I intended to do this for them through the medium of model painting and gaming.