Tomorrow's Wars - Democratic People's Republic of Glory (DPRG) - North Korean in spaaaaace!

One of GZG DPRG packs. Picture from manufacturer's website.

Having recently received By Dagger and Talon, and reread Tomorrow's Wars background... While I had initially pegged one of the main faction, the Democratic People's Republic of Glory (DPRG), as "Chineses in space", the concomitant release of Khurasan ultra-modern North-Koreans made me reconsider...

Ground Zero Games actually has an officially licensed range of Tomorrow's Wars miniatures, including some DPRG infantry. And although I'm pretty sure they'll be up to GZG standards and impeccable sculpts and casting, they don't "sing" to me and my feeling is "just another line of near-future infantry".

 The DPRG fields two main tiers of troops: the Democratic People's Army (DPA) is "a mixture of conscipts and volunteer and is haphazaedly trained and equipped" while the Democratic People's Guard is "comprised entirely of volunteers and soldiers cherry-picked from DPA's best units" (quotes from Tomorrow War's rulebook).

Khurasan North-Koreans in flapped hats, also available in helmets.
Picture from manufacturer's website.

See me coming? In my imagination, the DPA does now look like Khurasan North-Korean, while the DPG will equipped with the Nova Respublik Crimson Army equipment...

Sure they've got 20th century AK-Something, but honestly, with the similarity between the 40s AK-47 and the 90s AK-101, it wouldn't stretch my disbelief too much to have DPA fielding a AK-200 or 300 and call it a re-chambered, polymer-made, possibly 3D-print low-cost high-reliability (no-so-)near-future weapon. Just paint them something less middle-of-the-20th-century (i.e. loose the wooden parts). Which is exactly the road Tomorrow's Wars takes: the Imperial Russians use AK-200 Advanced Combat Rifles and DPRG a local knock-off, the AK-400.

With plenty of near-future not-russians vehicles to choose you've got pretty much you need for a full DPRG contigent. Some favorites of mine: the variants of the Red Banner MBT will make great Chonma-Ho or Dear Leader, the new not-BTR is exactly what the DPA needs and the not-Hind doesn't really fit any official DPRG  vehicle, but it's too good of a model not to use!

Nothing ground breaking in all that rambling, but chalk it on sheer personal preferences, Soviets in spaces wasn't doing anything for me while North-Koreans in Space has me all excited... 

Khurasan Nova Respublik infantry.Picture from manufacturer's website.

I'll probably add a third tier of troops: irregular peasant soldier's, using some Vietnam-era VC minis (maybe those) as cheap canon fodder, or alternatively has insurgents for some internal policing actions.

What would be cool to go with those (John: hint)...

• A couple of Nova Respublik troops with the the NK flapped hats would be really cool and enhance (like it needs it!) both that range sexiness  on its own and it's compatibility with the NK.
• A couple of caracterfull VIP (Dear Leader and wife) would make great characters, objectives, pulp vilains... Something a bit like those excellent African dictator, wife and kid (28mm unfortunately) by Matakishi's Tea House. 
• And maybe a couple of female body guards (parading with leg above the waist would be funny, but not terribly usefull on a game table; I'd rather go for some sensible pose).