This is a kinda long read, so if you get the urge to claw your eyes out at the sight of text walls, proceed with caution.
Lastly, most of my vehicular units are operated by autonomous A.I. (artificial intelligence(and the indoctrination of A.I. into the E.C.A. has a pretty long history by itself.). I just thought I'd go ahead and say that because most things I see on here are minifig-operated.
Alright, here are the raw basics as far as history goes...
In some random part of the universe, there is the world of Akloria.
After the 29th Warring Nations Period (1804-1840), the five nations of the eastern continent formed a military alliance that came to be known as the Cour-Dhiou (pronounced “Core-Dyow”) Council (also known as the E.C.A./Eastern Continent Alliance). The objectives of the Council were originally to repel any invaders from the "Outer Regions"(foreign continents), research and collaborate on new technologies for the Five Nations, and to ensure prosperity for all in the Eastern Continent.
Super-basic map of the Eastern Continent on Akloria.
By the year 1913, a mechanical revolution spread across the world. The E.C.A. largely stuck to blades and bows until the year 1934.
In 1943, Germanians from the west invaded the Eastern Continent, but were unsuccessful despite inflicting heavy damage.
In 1966, the Galnonian continent, ruled by a tyrant emperor, waged a 33 year war of conquest against the Central Continent, eventually pulling the E.C.A. into the fight. The C.C.U. (Central Continent Union) and the E.C.A. formed an alliance against the Empire. In the year 1974, an alien super-empire known as the Azshurans came to Akloria and wreaked havoc. It wasn't long before communications between factions soothed the fighting between them, and thus a shaky (very, very shaky) alliance was formed. By that point it was pretty much a 3 vs 1 match against the Galnonians. They were eventually defeated, but with their defeat came a new war of its own: relationships between Azshurans and the C.C.U. grew very tense as arguments over colonization erupted.
It's now the close of the 31st Warring Nations Period in the year of 1999.
That pretty much sums of the history. Onward with the units!
Designed in 1954, the HV 1.5 Assault Vehicle has proven to be a powerful and versatile machine. Although it has now been mostly phased out of E.C.A. service, this unit still sees action in other parts of the world as a primary armored weapon.
Commonly known as the M.A.V., this glorified amphibious transport has seen action in pretty much every battle scenario since its introduction in the year 1960. The M.A.V. can be adapted to serve under almost any military role, from forward assault, to artillery, to heavy repair unit. It can carry up to 14 fully equipped soldiers, and has plenty of cargo space on the sides and top for transporting defensive turrets, extra ammunition, etc.
In the year 1973, the amphibious assault vehicle known as the Scorpion was created. This vehicle (yr1981 MkIII-B shown here) is moderately armored, and is capable of taking on open, urban, and artillery roles. The Scorpion has a fold-up dual-barreled anti-tank turret that also has two side-mounted small guided Arc Missiles for both anti-air and firing over obstacles. The Scorpion also boasts two frontal flamethrowers/MGs (pilot can toggle between the two), two jump seats for infantry to ride on, and an energy shield generator. This vehicle has proven itself numerous times against both the Galnonian Empire and the Azshuran Empire during its service.
An unmanned hovering Scorpion variant designed in 1984 has proven to be superior in almost all aspects of combat to its predecessors. It comes with higher-caliber anti-tank guns and MGs, two small but powerful front-mounted missiles, a directional static kill system designed to detonate hostile slow-moving projectiles that are in front of the vehicle, and twin jet turbines for temporary increased speed (imagine if a tank had the sprint ability).
A project that started in 1968, the Stinger AAV(yr1979 MkIII shown here) is a highly mobile unmanned hovering assault vehicle oriented for firepower and flank tactics. The Stinger boasts two high-caliber anti-tank guns, and a small dual MG on the front. It also comes equipped with a static kill system for taking out enemy missiles at close range.
The Type 4 Reconnaissance and Light Combat Hover Cycle entered service in 1982, and has since been a favorite for E.C.A. Shock Troopers and Officers. This vehicle comes standard with a dual under mounted MG and a missile mount on either side. The R.L.C.H.C. (I seriously need a better name for this) has limited carrying capability for storing the pilot's weapons.
In the year of 1991, the MB4 Assassin Artillery was produced and put in to service. Sleek, fast and deadly, the silently hovering MB4 Assassin is capable of precise long-ranged attacks that can leave even the strongest enemies in ruin, long before they ever get within range, thanks to its main gun, the "Hyper Cannon" (Something similar to a giant Gauss Cannon). The Assassin can also be employed as a direct-attack unit, making an exceptional anti-armor machine.
Often leaving mass destruction in its wake, the MB4 Purifier is sometimes referred to as the pinnacle of the E.C.A. Shock Branch. The Purifier is essentially an oversized mechanical infantry unit. Although there are numerous variants in service, most Purifiers now employ MkVI Hyper Cannons (Sort of like a Gauss Cannon). Purifiers are also frequently equipped with melee combat weapons for when the enemy gets too close.
The Purifier shown here wields a Hyper Cannon (right arm), prototype Plasma Projection system (secondary left arm attachment), and a large spiked drill-like melee weapon (main left arm attachment). This unit also has a micro missile pod (where the head would be if it was a human), dual small MGs (located on collarbone), a static kill system for neutralizing hostile projectiles, and a light shield generator.
Produced in 1977, the MB2 Light Flamer has been surprisingly effective in several fields of combat. It was originally designed for clearing garrisoned soldiers from structures, but has also succeeded in jungle warfare, urban street combat, and even in rural scenarios. This machine is capable of entering buildings and in some cases, even riding on other vehicles (For example, the jump seats of the Scorpion). Its main weapon (as you would probably have guessed) is a small flamethrower. Lastly, it has a static kill system for taking out missiles (The MB2 Flamer's use of the SKS results in immobility for the next turn as it taps into the vehicle's limited engine power).
The MB2 Mobile Beam Cannon, put in to service in 1981, was designed to serve as a long-ranged anti-material weapon. Although deadly if left alone, the MB2 M.B.C. lacks the armor necessary to take serious hits from enemy tanks.
The MB1 Guardian Beam Cannon (introduced in 1980) is one of the strongest defensive weapons currently employed. This turret is frequently deployed as an offensive weapon via drop pod, often making it very hard for enemy units to retaliate. The Guardian's main cannon is capable of hosing down waves of targets or focusing its fire on a single unit to deal intense damage. Additionally, it has a quad missile rack for taking down light aircraft, and a Tesla Kill System for taking out missiles, electrocuting nearby infantry, or frying enemy vehicles.
The Deployable Heavy Shield Generator(entered service 1985) has been used on several occasions where defending key assets was a vital objective. The D.H.S.G. forms a "bubble shield" around itself and anything that's close enough to it (current radius is 5"), creating adequate protection. However, the D.H.S.G. is only capable of sustaining the shield for 3 turns(and 4 turns to recharge), so officers must be smart about using it.
The MB4 Sentinel (1986) was created with heavy defense in mind. The Sentinel is fast and agile, and is equipped with a 6-barreled Artillery Cannon for short to mid-ranged bombardment, as well as a beam weapon for piercing light armor and infantry. The Sentinel is also highly capable of charge attacks geared towards mowing down infantry with its two large frontal blades. It also uses a Next Gen. Tesla Kill System for stunning infantry and taking out missiles. Lastly, it has a light shield generator.(Note, this unit was mainly made to bolster numbers. Although I needed a unit like this, I would have preferred making it with something other than Bionicle parts. Unfortunately, my resources were too limited for constructing such a thing, and thus, this thing was born as you see it now.)
Here are two of my primary infantry officers: the resourceful Conductor (rank equivalent of General) Juan Olsina (left) and the intelligent Xia Fahn Tei (right). Typically, Olsina employs mid to long-ranged support weaponry while Xia sticks to a beam rifle of his own design.
A trio of E.C.A. Shock Troopers is shown above. The Shock Troopers are known for heavy armor, high mobility, nearly unmatched combat capability in the Cour-Dhiou. The one on the left holds a T9 Anti Tank Rifle (must deploy to fire due to extreme recoil), the guy in the center is wielding a dual shoulder-mounted MG rig capable of taking on light armor, and the trooper to the right has a quad-barreled machine gun(if not deployed, is essentially less accurate).
Dual MG Shock Trooper coming out of a drop pod.
After several years of a prototype stage, the Annihilator MkI finally entered limited service by the year 1999, just in time to face the threat of the Azshuran Empire as an intense cold war loomed in the air. The Annihilator is a massive, four-legged, plasma-breathing behemoth capable of being deployed from an E.C.A. Orbital Armory right in to the battlefield. The Annihilator can emit an EMP blast, temporarily disabling nearby mechanical units, both friend and foe. This unit also has a very powerful plasma beam weapon for obliterating hostile units, whether armored or not (not insta-kill, but still considerably powerful). Secondary weapons consist of two medium Rapid Fire Plasma Beam cannons mounted on the sides of the main gun, and a rear-mounted Plasma Projection System for torching aircraft and pretty much anything else in range. The Annihilator is additionally equipped with two Next Gen. Tesla Kill Systems for frying infantry, light armor, and missiles that get close. Basically, this is the pinnacle of the E.C.A. military. (Notes: This unit is the "Monolith Class" unit for the E.C.A. It is extremely expensive to put on the field, and due to its seemingly noobish/overpowered nature, I don’t like to deploy it. The main exceptions are for highly large-scale combat against the Azshurans (seriously, have you seen that army? IT'S HUGE!) and sometimes against the Galnonian Empire (They have multiple tanks the size of Apollyon's Vindicator!))
Group shot of several E.C.A. assets, some of which weren't included earlier in the post.
So, that's the bulk of the E.C.A. so far. What do you think? For better or worse, I'd like to hear your feedback! But please, if you desire to shred my army, I ask that it is done in a constructive manner (not that I have ever seen rudeness on this forum, but still).
P.S. - I have not really done much of anything with these guys for 4+ years, and several designs are based on stuff I had over 9 years ago (Nostalgia baby!), so I'm well aware that some of this stuff is garbage. Also, the tank at the top of the post I had since I was four years old, so I keep it in the army for sentimental purposes, I suppose.
-ish, but otherwise fine. My favorites are the Hoverbikes, and the Beam cannon. The color scheme of the Hoverbike is pleasent.
