African Defense

Faction: Martian Sympathizer
Nationality: German
First Colorway Appearance: Armstrong
Figures in Colorway: Armstrong (1/12), Heavy Bramble (1/6, 1/12)

Africa was the most violent and intense theater of the Great War. Africa was divided nearly in half (vertically) between the Earth Coalition and Martian forces. Germany and its African Defense force were originally part of the EC but that all changed when Germany and its military became the first Martian Sympathizers.

African Defense force doesn't have any direct ties to the real world. The closest would be the Afrika Korps.

The bots (all two of them) that make up the African Defense don't share similar color schemes. They share similar decals but both take on different looks based around animal stripes and spots. This gives African Defense a more haphazard and non-uniform look. Its also a definite theme with the bots using animal like camouflage.

The Heavy Bramble sports red, yellow, and grey as it's primary colors. It also has tiger like stripes covering sections of its body. The Armstrong's main colors are brown and black and has hyena like spots covering its main body. Decals for both come in white and black.

Decals

Note the AD09 on the arm

Note the AD on the body and the 09 on the right shoulder (our left)

Found on both the Armstrong and Heavy Bramble is an AD09 decal. A variation of this can be found on the Armstrong with AD and the 09 being separated on the front of the bot (AD on the body and 09 on the right shoulder). The 09 without the AD can be seen on the Heavy Bramble as well. The AD stands for African Defense and the 09 might refer to the specific unit the bots are apart of in the African Defense as a whole.

Note the black cross on the launcher

Note the black cross on the body

Balkenkreuz

Another common decal on both African Defense bots is the balkenkreuz (black cross with white border or just the flanks themselves). The balkenkreuz (English: Balkan's Cross) came about in WW1 when it was used on German aircraft and was further refined in WW2 when it became a common symbol across German forces.

There are two different balkenkreuzs on the Armstrong. They are both the standard balkenkreuz with a black cross surrounded by a white borders. The first is a balkenkreuz with thick white borders on the front of the Armstrong. On the Armstrong's jump pack their is a balkenkreuz with a thin white border. Luftwaffe aircraft from WW2 also sported these same balkenkreuz seen on the Armstrong (fitting for the bot that rocket jumps across the battlefield).

The Heavy Bramble is sporting a variation of the balkenkreuz. It has the black cross but thick white border is absent and the cross flanks are white instead of black.

Note the four lines on top of the jump pack

Note the four lines on the right shoulder

Both the Armstrong and Heavy Bramble sport four lines on multiple areas on their bodies. This might look familiar as they are the hooks of the swastika with the main cross missing.

This raises a number of questions for the WWR universe. Is the Nazi party still around? WW2 must of gone a lot differently then (it already kind of has if Germany has forces working outside of its borders like the AD). Does this similar but different symbol refer to a change of some sorts? Questions like this are a little too big answer with a colorway breakdown (might be a future article talking about specific and interesting aspects of difference from the WWR world and ours).

Note the skull spitting bullets

Note the white hand on the main body armor

Both bots have one very distinct and very different decals on them.

The Heavy Bramble has a white severed hand with its fingers slightly flexed (like its trying to grip something. In a way it bears similarities to a zombie hand (you know the one coming out of the grave or is cut off). This might be a symbol of defiance against the EC.

The Armstrong sports a skull that is spitting bullets out its mouth. This might be in reference to death from above (the Armstrong is a semi-flyable bot). It could also be connected to Totenkopf and the use of death's head symbols in the German military in WW2 (are we the bad guys?).

 Sayings

Note freiheit on the launcher

Note the saying on the chest plate

On the launcher and on the left chest plate of the Heavy Bramble is the word freiheit. This is German for freedom.

Also on the chest plate below freiheit: um jeden preis. When put together with freiheit this translates into: Freedom at any price.

With the African Defense being a Martian Sympathizer force this is probably in reference to freedom for the EC. For the African Defense it seems they are more then willing to lay down their lives to help the Martians win or stop the fighting.

Names

Armstrong: Fridel - No real world connections