The Soviet VCM


Designation: Advanced Base Construction
Manufacturer: Arkhangelsk Tank Factory
Country of origin: USSR
Mass-produced at: Soviet War Factory

Key features:

• Converts into a Construction Yard
• Dual ballast pontoons for naval travel
• Fully articulated robotic construction arm
• Comfortable ‘Dome’ crew compartment



The world got its first glimpse of the new Soviet Mobile Construction Vehicle following a devastating earthquake near the small hamlet of Smedznegorsk in Ukraine. Aid organisations and the media are broadcasting footage of a huge vehicle and its surprisingly small crew distributing prefabricated building components to the residents of Smedznegorsk. With thousands of people left homeless and menacing clouds on the horizon heralding the approach of a massive freezing rain storm, the government began to realise – too late – that its initial relief effort had been rather meagre and somewhat belated. The cameras continued to film journalists left speechless with amazement at the sight of a miniature town that had sprung up in record time. The structures themselves were grey, drab and fragile, but they were warm and dry – a welcome substitute for the rubble that had once been homes.


Soviet troops often refer to the Construction Yard as ‘Little Basil’ because of its architectural similarities to St Basil’s Cathedral.

Following these events, VCMs were spotted on the outskirts of the Soviet Union, boosting the economy even in the Union’s poorest regions. Although it was clearly modelled on the Allied VCM, the Soviet Union insisted that its new vehicle had been designed purely for internal reconstruction efforts, citing numerous investigative reports on the VCM’s use in the field. Operated by civilians, the Soviet VCMs appeared to function entirely without military support and apparently lacked automated construction capabilities. Given this scope, the vehicles appeared to be unsuitable for military trials. As the Soviet army appeared to continue using more traditional, basic construction methods, the media began to openly question the military utility of the VCM.

This was categorically refuted during one of the open conflicts of the current war, during the uprising in the Central Asian city of Samarkand; Allied reconnaissance aircraft captured images of the Soviet VCM, which had rebuilt a neighbouring province, rapidly redeploying all modules and civilian workers and withdrawing from the reconstruction zone. In a devastating surprise offensive, Soviet forces appeared several days later via a fortified bridgehead, successfully aiding the civilian uprising and driving the Allied presence out of Samarkand. With their secret revealed, the fleet of Soviet VCMs then sprang into action. Almost overnight, a myriad of military bases suddenly appeared across the globe – each centred on and created by a VCM – spawning a first wave of Soviet forces to crush the Allies.


Whilst their discipline is less rigid than that of military standards, civilian VCM crews are dedicated and patriotic.

The Soviet VCM has since become an iconic symbol of popular uprisings. When not engaged in combat operations, the vehicles and crews continue to serve communities devastated by the global conflict, and the monolithic grey structures initially viewed with suspicion in Smedznegorsk now house a staggering number of homeless people. With every village rebuilt, the Soviet army is supported by enthusiasts and those deprived of their civil rights, often leaving each sector with another full team of trained Workers. VCM crews remain civilians and have little difficulty switching between their two roles, working alongside military personnel to build a new base one day, and the next day, to rebuild a civilian school. As with the military conflict and the struggle for the loyalty and sympathy of the civilian population, VCM crews are on the front line in both battles.


Reconnaissance on the battlefield has at least revealed the following facts about Soviet VCMs:

• I like to get about- With six independent tracked pods, the Soviet VCM is extremely mobile and capable of traversing any terrain accessible to other Soviet vehicles. It can transition seamlessly from land to water by deploying a pair of ballast pontoons.

-We can build it– Like its Allied counterpart, the Soviet version of the VCM can deploy as a Construction Yard, both on land and at sea. Capable of constructing a full range of structures on the battlefield, the Construction Yard can easily revert to its mobile form to move to a more advantageous Emplacement.

-To be clear- The Construction Yard is unable to construct an entire structure and redeploy at the same time. Instead, an external civilian construction team is required to build structures from the foundations up at a predetermined Emplacement. This leaves the structure vulnerable to attack whilst it is being built.

-Large and Vulnerable - Both the VCM and the Construction Yard are unarmed and vulnerable to attacks from enemy units. Commanders are advised to provide military escorts to ensure that this important vehicle/structure is not destroyed. Of course, enemy ground units can be crushed by this Mastodon.