This is my first time designing a land vehicle but I'm honestly really happy with how it came out.
In the late 1960s, Lasafenia sought to improve the capability of their mechanized infantry in order to better deal with the high intensity scenarios that their tank divisions so often found themselves in. Lasafenia wanted to give their mechanized infantry significantly more firepower without sacrificing the infantry squads in question and as such the result was far larger than average. Anti-tank capability was also desired and they were able to see that ATGMs were the way forward, however a satisfactory ATGM design was still some time away. As such, they opted to use their existing supply of 105mm recoilless rifles. The specific model they used was designed with an autoloader allowing for multiple shots without reloading, removing the need for multiple launchers. The turret was designed from the start to have the rifle be easily removed and then replaced with an ATGM system once it was ready.
The resulting vehicle would be armed with a 25mm belt fed autocannon, a mag-fed 105mm recoilless rifle, a .55 caliber machine gun for dialing in the rifle, and a coaxial 7.5mm MG57. The vehicle carries three crewmen consisting of a commander, a gunner, and a driver. Most notably however is the nine man infantry squad consisting of a five man main team and a four main maneuver team. They carry a large amount of equipment as Lasafenia saw the vehicle's ability to transport large amounts of equipment as one of the main advantages of a vehicle such as this, and as such the squad carries both a machine gun and an antitank launcher.
They would prove to be fairly capable in service and the large carrying capacity was praised, but the cost was that the vehicle was more expensive than average and tended to be clumsy, especially in urban environments. The large size also earned it many nicknames, such as the "Battle Bus", "Chadwagon", "Caterpillar Fridge", and "Immense Chungus." After a few years of service the new ATGM entered service and the recoilless rifles were removed over the course of the following months until the entire fleet had been refitting, solving one of the major issues of the design. The concepts pioneered in the Inf.pz. 67 would go on to dominate Lasafenian thinking in the following decades.
"I don't need you to tell me how cringe my post is, I'm the one who posted it. I know how cringe it is."
Development of the Echidna began during the early 1990's as part of the 'Defence of Australia' policy that also led to the Bushmaster IMV. Created to partly replace the M113 in Australian Army service with an emphasis on self-deployment and sustainability, defence planning envisioned the vehicle being used within Australian borders against enemy raiding forces. With a 25mm Bushmaster cannon, 7.62mm co-axial machine gun and two TOW missile launchers in a modified Hitfist turret, the Echidna carries three crew and seven dismounts. The mission module of the vehicle was designed to be modular and could be swapped between other versions with relative speed and ease, including a 105mm fire support vehicle, 120mm turreted mortar, APC and anti-aircraft vehicle among other support variants.
A poll with options for the next challenge is also open. The three options are:
1. FRAM Can Challenge:
- Your entry should depict a fictional anti-submarine escort converted from a surface combatant.
- The surface combatant must have been commissioned or under construction before 2 September 1945.
- Conversion of the surface combatant to an anti-submarine escort must commence after 2 September 1945.
2. Modern OPV Challenge:
- Your entry must depict a fictional offshore patrol vessel.
- The vessel should be primarily designed for peacetime maritime security tasks.
- It should be in active service in 2022.
3. High Speed Oceangoing Ship Challenge
- Your entry must depict a fictional ship capable of 35 knots (40 mph, 65 kph) in sea states equivalent to 6 on the Beaufort scale.
- The vessel should be between 50 m (164 ft) and 150 m (492 ft) in length.
- As a conventional displacement hulls are unlikely to meet these requirements, non-conventional hulls are encouraged.
Both polls will run until the 5th of May, ending at 23:59 (UTC-12) - Countdown Timer.
Last edited by Kiwi Imperialist on May 3rd, 2022, 6:00 am, edited 1 time in total.
Next Challenge Poll Changes
The first requirement for the High Speed Oceangoing Ship Challenge has changed. If this challenge is chosen, submitted designs will need to achieve 35 knots in "sea states equivalent to 6 on the Beaufort scale" instead of "all sea and weather conditions". Scootia23 pointed out that the initial requirement was impractical. Acelanceloet also provided valuable feedback.
The last requirement for the proposed FRAM Can Challenge has also changed. It now reads "Conversion of the surface combatant to an anti-submarine escort must commence after 2 September 1945". Consistent with the other two requirements, the term 'surface combatant' is now used instead of 'destroyer'. If this challenge is chosen, anti-submarine conversions will not be limited to destroyers.
Finally, for the purposes of the Modern OPV Challenge, an aircraft is not an OPV.
If you have already voted and these changes have impacted your choice, you should be able to edit your response by visiting the same poll link and choosing "Edit your response".
Congrats to everyone who entered! Really excellent work, I think this is one of the best and most competitive challenges we've had to date. Looking forward to seeing the results, but in the meantime my own opinions:
Psychicumbreon: Standard (if chunky) IFV with the usual fare. Nothing to complain about, especially given your lack of time or ability to flesh it out as I know you wanted. I'd say it needs some shading work and extra detailing to make it really stand out, but it's a good start and believable.
Gollevainen: Lovely work, especially like the countershaded rivets on the side skirts, I think that was handled well. The dismounts are excellent, though I would have liked some legend so I knew roles, etc. The IFV itself is attractive and believable, and the smaller details like the torsion bars are well represented.
Illuminati: Hot damn, where have you been this whole time?? My jaw is on the floor with this one. The exaggerated shading on the rivets really make it pop, and the turret "clutter" is utterly spectacular. The dismounts are also excellent, especially the camouflage on the infantry, rounding it out well. Amazing work.
JCSTCap: I expected nothing less from the master himself, and you did not fail to deliver. Here, I think the dismounts really make this entry special. It feels like a real vehicle, with real people, and the addition of the cartoon on the side of the IFV helps reinforce this. The IFV itself is no slouch either: the turret is expertly done given its complex shape, and the camouflage is beautiful.
Bevillia: Another name I don't recognize, and another great entry. The early IFV heritage is evident when compared to something like the Schutzenpanzer Lang, and it's good to see another earlier IFV like my entry. The detail work is excellent, though I'm not sure if the lack of black lines on the suspension is standard for the style (though I do think the suspension is done well), and the shading and tracks are perhaps a little simplistic, though I may be nitpicking at this point. The dismounts are stellar, having individual poses for each is really tough (I know from personal experience) and the detailing work on them is great. The helmets could potentially use some work, but apart from that the dismounts I think are close to the apex this scale can achieve.
UncleStas: I'll be honest, I used your IFV a lot when designing and detailing my own, and I took a lot of cues from this entry in particular. Don't worry, I didn't steal anything from you apart from ideas, lmao. Great entry, though I do concur that it's not got the detail I've come to associate with your mastery of the style, and it is by no means bad. I think the camo and the angled missile above the turret help it to stand out though. One of the smaller entries, if I'm not mistaken, and I would have liked to see a writeup of some kind but if you were strapped for time I understand.
BillKerman1234: You're always gonna get at least one entry that's really out there, and yours is definitely that entry. A World War 1 IFV, huh. If it fits the definition... It's simple but that's expected for the time. I think the rivet marks and boundaries between the individual plates on the side are subtle but sensible. I'm not really sure what to say about it as there isn't much precedent for it, but it's definitely a cool vehicle and not ridiculous or unbelievable. The dismounts are pretty well done, and given the amount you had I think making them unique is out of the question, but I think the helmet shape isn't quite coming through and the uniform could use some beats from other uniforms made in the scale, though I may be nitpicking here again.
WesleyWestland: Must be bigger on the inside, otherwise I'm not sure how those guys fit in there. Good entry though, suspension and tracks are well done, but its rather light on detail outside of that in my opinion. Once again, different poses for the dismounts are immediately a plus, but something about them feels... old. They seem sorta Fr*nscale like, and that isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's just something that stood out to me. A nice entry, and I think the smallest one by size?
Dalamace: A moving, mineclearing pillbox. The amount of suppressing fire this thing would be able to dish out is ridiculous, and I love it. It's crazy, hilarious, and completely believable. You're also breaking new ground with a lot of your equipment, so you probably had little to go off of, which makes it more impressive. The mineclearing equipment, while I have seen done in this scale before I believe, is a really complex shape that you handled well. There is stuff all over the place on this vehicle, and that makes it sorta hard to interpret what is where, but I think that's unavoidable with this vehicle and I can't say I have any critiques in that regard. Once again, posed dismounts are a big plus, and the way you've done it makes it really feel like they have personality. I feel like I know exactly the kind of person Gideon el-Hashim is, and that is a definite plus. Really cool stuff.
Charguizard: Alright buddy, I get it. Enough with the shenanigans, this isn't a diorama challenge. On a serious note though, the vehicle itself is as you'd expect from the Char G. Zard himself. The shading is subtle but I still feel as if I can interpret the shape, and there's a lot of small details which make it pop. Not to mention the vehicle itself is quite attractive. I think there's also a lot going on behind the scenes, and that it's a very well thought out entry in general, having seen what the back side of the open door looks like without the chap blocking it. The dismounts (or diorama part, more accurately) are reaching what I consider the limit of what this scale is capable of. Angled, posed, with unique expressions, at some point you should just draw them. Well executed though, and the little detailing like the logo (?) for the AU itself make this a real demonstration of skill.
Panzerfaust: Another new face, though you've been on the Discord a while as I recall. A half-track in 1949 is a bold choice, though not one which I think should be dismissed out of hand. The shading and detailing is rough, but the improvement I've seen from you in this regard has been promising and I encourage you to continue drawing. The design itself isn't anything outlandish considering it's a halftrack, and I can believe it, even if it's a little anachronistic. Early areas to work on I think would be working on the shape and then using shading to represent it, and then using what's already been drawn (which is a lot) to detail stuff like the road wheels and cupola better, which I think would make this a competitive entry. A good start, and I'm looking forward to seeing what else you do in this scale.
Rundrewrun: Brabrams: Revengeance, basically. A chunky lad, and one I think could probably go toe to toe with actual tanks given it's impressive array of weaponry. I do think the gap between detailing done by Dalamace on the Abrams chassis you modified (such as on the suspension) and what you added on yourself is noticeable, and I think this entry could have done with more work though I know you had to rush to get it done. A bit of missed potential I feel, but by no means a bad entry.
Soode: Never underestimate a man with the drive to win. You really pulled out all the stops for this one. As always, extremely technically impressive, and exhaustively detailed. The vehicle ain't a looker (in my opinion) but every little thing feels purposeful, which is to me the sign of someone who knows their stuff. The dismounts are good, and I appreciate giving us the weapons separate from the soldiers themselves, as this sorta fulfills the purpose of the scale which is to be easily taken and edited. Given the amount of work you do which we don't see I'd imagine that this vehicle could be physically built to the details you provided. Excellent work.
Kiwi Imperialist: Another chunky boy. Loving the camo on some many of these entries, it really adds to them. Overall a well detailed entry, though I will say I think it falls short a little as far as shading goes compared to some of the others on display. That said, the bar is set so high in that regard its hard to fault you for this. The dismounts are posed well and the weapons are done nicely. A generally solid entry.
Aiseus (me): I suppose I'll give my thoughts on my own entry. I wasn't able to make the dismounts as detailed as I would have liked given that I barely finished as is. I am very happy with the vehicle itself, though I would have liked to shade and detail the hull under the skirts and around the suspension better. The cupola and driver's viewports are also not great and I could probably have done more work on them. With that in mind, I still think my own entry is very solid, which is something I usually can't say with honesty.
Schodact: The party bus arrives. An interesting entry, though a little anachronistic seeming. I think it could have been more compact for the nine man squad and three crew (mine was significantly lower profile and smaller and I measured out the space, making sure to give some extra, and I had only one less dismount), and I wonder about the survivability and viability of such a vehicle, but drawing quality is definitely excellent. I think some of the shading along the side is somewhat simplistic, and the cupolas could use a little more work, but the suspension and dismounts with their weapon loadouts are excellent.
Tigerhunter: A World War II French IFV. Huh. Honestly, I think this is my favorite entry in the running, and it's not close. The shading and detailing to represent the shape is incredible, the suspension is gorgeous, and the aesthetic makes it hard to believe that it isn't a real vehicle. And that's not even mentioning the dismounts (just draw them bro this is ridiculous) and camo.
Rowdy36: Wheels! Yes!!! I wanted to do a wheeled vehicle but started with a tracked one and felt a little committed. Lots of little things here make this entry stand out to me, apart from the wheels though. The tow cable, little chain (rope? chain? idk) attached to the ramp from the troop compartment, the subtle riveting and plating, overall good stuff. The 7 man squad size does intrigue me, and I'd like to know more about this vehicle.
Ok, time for my final thoughts. Again, I think this challenge brought out some of the best work ever done in this scale. All of you did a great job and I look forward to future Soldierbucket challenges if the level of quality is going to be this high. With that in mind, however, I do think the focus of the challenge should remain in the scope of what was originally asked for. I've had this issue with some challenges before, with one particular name that comes to mind (he will know I mean him), though I think limiting the variants and views has helped in this regard. I'm not saying the extra stuff isn't well done, but at some point it feels like an arms race for who can do the most ancillary content to wow the audience the most. Fast forward like 5 years and I'm expecting SB challenges to include a background, a Soldierbucket cut in of all the commanding officers, the facilities the ship was built in, a cut-away of the powerplant and room structure, diagram of armor scheme... Need I go on? This isn't to take away from the work some of you do and I think your commitment to feasibility is admirable. I just think the challenges should remain within the scope of what was initially asked for. Anyways, FRAMcan for the win, and Aiseus out.
Charguizard wrote: ↑May 1st, 2022, 11:26 pm
You are aware of how old the fiddy cal is right? Regardless these BESAs are not '40's vintage, they're newer marks fired by an electrical solenoid, a feed cover that can open from either side, a bolt with dual tracks that could feed from either side, and a reversible belt feed pawl, ejector, and feed chute. They're still BESAs on account of having the same action, and the Royal Armoured Corps sticking to 7.92x57. The infantry does operate the TADEN as a GPMG firing .280 British, same as their rifles.
Ya know that's fair, and the L4 Bren stuck around till the 90s. I just thought they would have tried to stick a GPMG into the thing instead, like coax M240s and MG3s. Then again, like I said, MOD logic.
The community poll for Shipbucket's Infantry Fighting Vehicle Challenge is now closed. 25 people evaluated 18 entries. Thanks to everyone who took the time to provide an honest, meaningful score. The members of our community who worked tirelessly create an entry also deserve a pat on the back.
In first place with a total of 449 points is JCSTCap and the PANSOF Pangolin. This entry also achieved the highest Design Quality score and was a mere four points behind the top Drawing Quality score. Personally, I was really impressed with the Pangolin's shading and inclusion of detail. It really captures the image of a real infantry fighting vehicle. Congratulations! Following close behind JCSTCap is Charguizard who received 445 points for their FV511 Gladiator. While the Gladiator itself is an impressive creation, Charguizard's figures really set their entry apart from the rest. The decision to create a scene was a bold one but I think it definitely paid off. Great work! In third place with 434 points is Soode and the BSCh-8D. It was interesting to see sensors and protection systems laid out alongside the standard ammunition, weapons, and tools. Good job! TigerHunter1945 is also deserving of special mention as their AMC-Renault VCI achieved the highest score in the Drawing Quality category. The figures were amazing!
