My Grand Unifying Background (GUB)

The Terran Alliance logo, should
be fairly easy to paint

With my minis across the pond (somewhere in customs at JFK according to the tracking system) and well on their way to Jason from Micropanzer, it's quite time to settle on a painting scheme! So here is the first part of my thinking process....

With quite a few kilograms (and euros) of unpainted lead and resin on my shelves, for various manufacturers and range, I spent ages agonizing and generally procrastinating on a global painting plan...

The latest idea is to split my collection in two big meta-faction: 

• On one hand the Terran Alliance will be made of various mostly human armies using relatively low tech/near future equipment (i.e. mostly wheeled, tracked or legged stuff with a few cutting edge early grav).
  
  Sub-factions will/could include: 
• The Terran Marine Corps: the ground forces branch of the Terran Navy, a federated space force under the control or a federal earthwide government (think United Nations on steroids)
• National (or meta-national) armies: US, China, European Federation, Pacific Federation, Russia, the works...
• Colonial Defence Forces more or less affiliated to one of the above nations...
• Private concerns like big corps security forces and private military companies
• Minor alien forces affiliated to the Terran Alliance
  
• On the other hand the Galactic Council will regroup mainly alien armies usually using higher tech stuff and with a more space opera feel. For sub-factions I have, so far, the not-Tau (I should come up with a better name) and the Organisation of Unobtainium Exporting Planets and its Robot Army but a lots of other ideas spring to mind:
• Pretty much any 15mm company alien empire can be member of the council (e.g. Khurusan's Pelagic Dominate or GZG's Crusties)
• Some 28mm armies' background can also be adapted to fit (e.g. 40K Tau or Infinity Combined Army)



And the Galactic Council...

• A force of Council enforcers/stormtroopers might be a good idea too...

Most of my minis should be able to fit in one of those two (with a few exception like hive-minded killing machines à la Aliens/Tiranyds/Space Demons). This organisation should allow a pretty good flexibility with an eye for campaigns: two clear sides into which to group armies while still a loose enough structure to allow armies of the same side fighting each other without stretching one's disbelief too much. Some minor alien races will probably have the options of alligning themselves with either side to facilitate strength matching...