NCE has been getting better and better! Their latest unit "Team Kukri" has a very nice, Battletechy look to it, so I picked them up. Fortunately Shapeways has also been getting better at their work, and cheaper - Frosted Ultra Detail is way cheaper than it used to be, and the quality of the cleaning is better. These are painting far better than any previous ones I've gotten, including the Ultramarines.
These guys, for my First Upheaval "Not-Quite-Near-Future" setting, these guys are part of the three-brigade-strong Pontifical Swiss Guard, who are helping to defend Central Italy against ZPDR invasion, alongside their ENSPUN and Southern European Union allies.
This is just the prototype tank, an Ariete 75P Semovente tank destroyer with a 7.5cm stressed plasma beam in the turret - it's derived from the Ariete C5 Main Battle Tank, which it serves with. This is the first unit of the St. Nicholas Brigade. The St. Sebastian and St. Martin brigades (Mechs and Mechanized Infantry, respectively) will follow.