COG Troopers

Last night I painted up a few quick troops, intended for use with 5150, but really they'd work for just about anything. I used old Warzone Bauhaus Hussar troops, the single piece metal sculpts that still hold their own to today's standards. I painted them to represent the new COG troopers that are in the "Infestation" rules expansion. Their fluff is posted below.

As you may be able to tell, the paint jobs were quick, after clipping off their pickelhaube points, I started off giving them all a black undercoat (flat black spray paint). I dry brushed a little dark gray (craft paints) all over to give their armor some depth and definition. Next I painted (again, mostly drybrush) their rifles an olive green (Reaper) followed up with some brighter green details (GW paints). Their visors got white lenses, and I went with a dark skin tone on the helmet-less models (dark flesh base, vermin brown highlight). For basing, I used three parts fine black railroad ballast and one part gray; giving it a bit of an urban feel. Overall, for being quick and easy paintjobs, they still came "out all right"; at least well enough to hold their own as part of the scenario I painted them for. The Bauhaus symbol is a nice touch on their shoulder pads because it looks just like a machine cog to boot!


Rear view.


Closeups of the standard trooper; with and without helmet.

As defined by the newly restructured DEPARTMENT OF HOME SECURITY (DHS), a “covert operation” is one intended "to influence political, economic, or military conditions off-world, where the involvement of GAEA PRIME will not be apparent or acknowledged publicly." To better complete these operations the “functional arm” of the DHS was formed. This agency is known as the COVERT OPERATIONS GROUP or COG. Whereas a “clandestine operation” emphasizes the concealment of the operation a “covert operation” emphasizes the concealment of the identity of the sponsor.

The STAR ARMY carries out clandestine operations while COG carries out covert ones. And these operations are only restricted by the imagination of the DHS. Possible but unverifiable COG operations include ambushes, training military forces, mapping, prisoner extraction, rescue and recovery, raids, sabotage, surveillance, tapping into communications, hacking into computer systems, black mail and other “stings”, setting up business fronts, inciting and fermenting revolution and a host of other things. The only restriction is that these operations can only be carried out against enemies of GP. However, there has been some debate as to who defines these enemies, and how rigorous a criterion is applied. COG operatives are not subject to military supervision and on occasion GP military forces have unexpectedly run into evidence of suspected COG operations where no “friendlies” were expected. In some instances COG operatives have acted, in the guise of “private contractors”, as advisors to Star Army (SA) operations. If there is a need for COG and the Star Army to interact, it always comes from “high up” and the two forces do not always share a sense of camaraderie. It’s a known “fact” that you never put ISS and COG together in the same place at the same time.

COG operatives come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are recruited from a variety of occupations and places. Both males and females are recruited for COG, the only restriction is that all candidates are genetically BASICS. COG answers directly to the Director of the DHS and he or she only. At this time there is no estimate on the number of COG operatives nor indeed, has the existence of any such organization been publicly admitted by any GP official.