I think keeping everyone on the same technology level would be better for balance.
Yes, it is cool to replace ‘ancient advanced magic’ with ‘modern/near future technology’, but unless the related resources are rare that’s all the players will use. No one wants to get stuck with a WW1-era bolt-action rifle when they can get an M-16 or newer …

Do the players know that they have been transported ?
Are they going to want to get back to their own time and space ?
Or is this simply an alternate reality setting ?

I’d pick these :
– Orks/Orcs/Goblinoids : Japanese or Soviets ?
– Dwarves : British
– Elves : Nazis
– Humans : Americans
–

Yes … this would make the Elves more evil, but I think that also adds a nice twist to the expectations of their behaviour, but it also fits with them often feeling superior to the ‘lesser’ races in a setting.

@pagan8th Americans ?

The only ones who could possibly be offended by something we do in a hobby are nations that support a certain cult that loves beheading people for showing cartoons …

Personally I wouldn’t bother with national boundaries, I’d use regional dialects.

In the UK we have so many different regional accents and there’s enough hostility between them to fill a world of fantasy races. I’m sure the same can be said of other nations.

Travel a few miles in England and you get the same.

For some ideas on race styles and background/ models, you could look up:

* flintloque/ slaughterloo from alternative armies (napoleonic)

* Panzerfaüste by Wessex games + Hysterical Games (ww2/ modern), with newer resin models including undead, cavalry, vehicles, trolls and troglodytes

* more models from Macrocosm (goblins, Halflings, dwarves) which were Hasslefree, and

* Rebel minis (elf, dwarf and evil elves)

Some images and (out of date) other details can be found at

http://wk.frothersunite.com/sc/pulp/ww2fantasy.htm