Devil's Charge Exposed! Part 2: The Americans

Alright, I hope you enjoyed part one of our Devil's Charge preview!  Again, if you want to hear a general review please listen to Episode 40 of our podcast!

The US have several lists available to them!  Read on to see how they stack up!

Perimeter Outpost

• Rated Reluctant Veteran.  (note: I don't think they get the "Why We Fight" special rule, but I'm not sure.  See below)
• All platoons in a Perimeter Outpost start the game dug in, no matter the mission
• Fortified Company with 2 required combat platoons and a required outpost fortifications addition.
• HQ is 2 carbine teams and 1 trench.  Can upgrade them to SMG teams and add 3 snipers.
• Up to 4 Outpost Platoons.  HQ squad with a command rifle, bazooka, and LMG + 1 trench line.  1 or 2 Rifle Squads with 2 rifle teams and 1 trench each.  Base cost is 115 for this.
• Can replace 1 rifle team per rifle squad with a bazooka for +5 points.
• Can upgrade the command team to an SMG for +5
• There is an optional weapons section where you can add an M2 60mm Mortar for +20, an HMG for +25, and a 57mm AT Gun (late) in a gun pit for + 30.
• Then you have an optional fortifications section with up to 2 wires, 1 minefield, and 1 AT obstacle.
• Weapons platoons are fairly standard: 81mm mortars, A&P Platoon, AT Platoon, Cannons etc (See General Support below)
• Support is similar to the rifle companies.  Can get up to 2 tank platoons, 1 TD/towed TD which replaces a tank etc.
• Has access to both Calliopes and Rocket Launchers (up to 2 batteries of rocket launchers actually!)

Rifle Company

• 2 options: 2nd Infantry Division and the 99th Infantry Battalion (separate).  CV and CT respectively.  Lots of notes on how to use these options to represent other infantry divisions.  
• 2nd Infantry has Winter Training: Can double (truscott trot) through difficult terrain. 
• Delaying Action: Can re-roll the first failed company check.
• The 99th Infantry uses all of the special rules for 2nd infantry PLUS the 2 below
• 99th Infantry Battalion (separate) has Survival training.  Teams are mountaineers AND may double time (truscot trott) through difficult ground.  Nice!
• 99th inf: Scrounge a ride.  You MUST buy trucks for your HQ and platoons at +5 points.  HQ gets 2 jeeps and the platoons get 2 trucks (can be US or German or whatever)
• WHY WE FIGHT: This rule applies to several forces in the book.  You get "British Bulldog" vs SS Platoons.
• Audie Murphy: He's pretty neat.  +35 points to replace the command team of a rifle platoon.  He's fearless vet.  
• If you fail a warrior save, he doesn't remove anyone else- just goes on fightin'.
• Re-roll skill tests to hit a bunker
• He has tank assault 3
• He can make a recon move (but not the rest of his platoon- it's okay if he gets out of command).  Plus he doesn't suffer the +1 to range in artillery.
• You can (instead of fielding him as a team) field him as a .50 cal bunker plopped on top of an objective.  He can also spot for artillery as a bunker.
• The core Rifle company looks more or less like you'd expect support wise.
• Notable exceptions include: 
• 2 HMG platoons 
• TWO tank destroyer platoons in different slots!  Yowza!  
• 2 AT platoons (See General Support Below)
• Up to 2 Roadblock Strongpoints (See General Support Below)
• Provisional Artillery (See General Support Below)
• Scrapyard Tanks (See General Support Below)
• Calliopes, Rocket Launchers, and artillery (see below)
• 155s without pre-requisite 105s!
• EITHER an AOP or Air Support.  Must choose! (see below)
• The 2nd can replace all rifle teams in a rifle platoon with SMGs for +5 per section.  
• You can swap up to 1 rifle team in any or all sections with a bazooka for +5.  That is in addition to the HQ section bazooka!

Engineer Combat Company

• Confident Vet.  Use "Why we Fight" as above.
• Boy Scouts: Can replace the 3 barbed wire placed from a Pioneer Supply Vehicle with Booby Traps.
• Mission Tactics
• HQ is 2 carbine teams.  Can add 2 57mm guns and up to 3 bazookas.
• Core combat platoons are exactly what you'd expect (Standard Combat Engineers)
• except you are mounted in dump trucks.
• Same options as usual: Add up to 4 'zooks, replace the HMGs with rifles.
• Can add a PSV for +25
• Can add an armor 0/0/0 Dozer.  Rated as very slow tank.
• Can fit your trucks with .50 cals
• The core company is 2 requisite engineer combat platoons with a max of 3.
• Weapons platoons are improvised MG platoon and an improvised recon platoon.
• The improvised MG platoon is either 2 or 4x M1917 or 4 M2 .50 cals
• The improvised recon is up to 3 patrols each with 2 recon jeeps armed with a .30 cal.  Can replace any or all with a .50 cal for +5
• Support is pretty good:
• 2 Roadblock strongpoints (See below)
• Just 1 "tank" slot for both tanks and TDs
• Can get 2 Armored Rifle platoons in support.
• or 2 Parachute rifles.  
• Field arty and AAA options.  A bit light on the "fun" stuff like Calliopes, but a solid choice still.

Cav Recon

• 2 list options: Mechanized and Tank version.  Each with CV or CT options.
• All get to re-roll one die for reserves or for scattered as per Patton/TFA
• Get WHY WE FIGHT as above.
• The Mech version has 2 requisite Cav Recon patrols.
• With 2 Light Tank weapons slots
• An assailt gun weapons slot
• Support options with 1 "tank option" (Tanks, TDs, Towed TDs), 1 Towed TD slot, 1 infantry slot w/ ARP, Rifles, Engineers.
• 2 Artillery slots (including provisional arty)
• The Assault gun battery can get up to 6 Scotts.
• The Tank company version is essentially the same as the mech except the combat platoons and weapons options are swapped (light tanks vs cav recon and visa versa)
• The light tank platoon is either:
• M5A1s (at roughly 50 points for CV and 40 points for CT)
• M24 Chafees at about 85 for CV or 65 for CT.

General Support Options

• These guys are all priced based on what unit they're with (RV for Perimeter Outpost, CV for 2nd Infantry, CT for 99th infantry)
• If they aren't with a specific unit, they usually have CT or CV options- but not always
• A&P Platoon- up to 7 pioneer teams.  Can add 2 additional bazookas and a supply truck
• AT Platoon.  Can be equipped with either 3 57mm AT guns OR 3 bazookas plus command.  Then each section can add +1 bazooka!  Thus you can have 6 bazookas rollin around with a commander.  I like it!
• The I&R Platoon is 4 recon jeeps (1 .50 cal, 3 AA MG jeeps).  You can replace a jeep for a Bazooka recon jeep for +5.  Can replace any or all jeeps with .50 cal jeeps, armored recon jeeps or armored .50 cal jeeps!
• You can dismount at the start of the game replacing each jeep with either a rifle team or LMG, a .50 cal jeep with a rifle team or .50 cal team, and a bazooka jeep with- you get the idea.
•  CALLIOPES!  (CT) You can get either 2, 3, or 4.  They are 40 points each.  Each Calliope counts as 4 guns firing.  They have a marker that shows the whole battery is loaded.  Once you fire you remove the marker.  If you fire again immediately, roll a skill test for each team to see who can actually fire.  Or you can not move and not fire to get the marker back for the following turn.  16 tubes!  12"x12" re-roll misses.  AT 2, FP 5+.  Calliopes can't assault and have to break off if assaulted.  Their main gun doesn't work, but they do have a co-ax and hull MG.
• Scrapyard Tank platoon is basically a hodgepodge of CT tanks.   Max of 5 in total, minimum of 3. Up to 3 M5A1 Stuarts, Up to 2 M24 Chafees, up to 2 Priests, up to 3 M4 or M4A1, up to 1 M8, 1 155mm SP, 1 M36 Jackson, 1 M10 (late)
• A Roadblock Strongpoint is at its most basic 2 Pioneer rifle teams, 1 Bazooka, and 1 M1917 HMG with a trench line, a booby trap, a minefield, and a barbed wire entanglement.  Confident Vet for 170.
• Can add 1 more rifle, 1 more bazooka, 1 more booby trap and a trench (operating section) for + 55
• Can add a weapons section with another M1917 HMG, minefield, and wire for +90
• Add a 57mm in gunpit for +45.  OR an M5 3in Gun (late) with gunpit for +60.
• Add an AT Obstacle for +100
• Replace any or all M1917s with a .50 cal for -10
• TANK PLATOON has 2 options
• 1 is equipped entirely with M4A3 76s at about 140 ea for CV and about 110 for CT
• Or you can do similar to BGG with a base of 4 M4/M4A1 and upgrade them. No Easy 8s!  But there are Jumbos
• You can now get vet Jacksons in the TD unit!  485 for 4.  Whew!
• Towed TDs seem about the same
• ARPs are only available trained
• Same with Armored AT Platoon (which comes from the same unit)
• Parachute Rifles are 265 for 7 Rifle/MGs, 1 zook, and 1 60mm mortar.  FV duh.
• 155s no longer require 105s to be fielded.  
• You can take 4 M1A1 Long Toms at 325 for vet or 250 for trained.
• Long Toms are The same as regular 155s in bombardment, but are AT 13, FP 1+, bunker buster in direct.  Their bombardment DOES have 104" range though... if you have a really big table!
• Provisional Field Artillery is cool!  You can use captured stuff.  All of the captured stuff is ROF 1, but still- 4 captured 88s in OD is a neat idea.
• Can get 88 Flak36s, 88 Pak 43/41, 88 pak 43, German 10.5s or 122s or 15cm.  All are available in 2 or 2.
• Though you have a staff team, they cannot use Time on Target.
• Can buy high speed tractors to tow em around
• Rocket Launchers!  These are basically the same as the Soviet rockets.  AT 2, FP 5+/  135 for 4 trained launchers.  Add extra crew for +5.  Comes with an observer.
• Can field cool AAA like Bofors and .50 cals, Bofors and quad .50s and heavy AAA with the M1 90mm.
• Air Support is P47s.  Can add Rockets for +30, and Close Air Support for +25 (re-roll # of planes)

Whew!  Lots of stuff!  Hope you enjoyed that!