Things That Go Bump In The Night
The idea that classic monster archetypes freely roam the
battlefield is a common feature of the “Weird War Two” genre. Given the
horrific nature of total war and the long-speculated fascination that high
ranking Nazi’s had with the occult, it is not hard to see why. As a “Weird War”
game, Konflikt ’47 does not disappoint. The beasties of our childhood stalk
from our imaginations into the Bolt Action universe. In K'47, the existence
of these creatures is explained as a result of scientific exploration and
experimentation gone mad. That does not change the fact that we, for the first
time, can add werewolves, vampires and zombies to our BA armies. It is a great
time to play the game!
Of the four major nationalities covered in the Konflikt
book, only two nations utilise these genetically modified fiends. Today I will
be investigating and discussing the three new “supernatural” creatures
introduced in the K’47 German army list.
As we begin, I think it is again important to say that the
authors of Konflikt ’47 are quick to point out that these “super soldiers” are
not supernatural at all. In the story of the K’47 universe, after the atomic
bombing of Dresden in 1944, the Germans discover and partially translate
messages transmitted from a “rift” created by the dropping of the bomb. These
messages are interpreted by scientists looking for technology to give their
forces a needed edge on the battlefield. German leadership encouraged these scientists
and researchers to throw caution to the wind in their pursuit of new “wonder
weapons” that could be used against Allied troops. One of these new, secret
scientific discoveries was in the area of genetic manipulation of human beings
leading to the creation of our three new units types: the Totenkorps, the
Schreckwulfen and the Nachtjager.
Before getting into the specifics of each unit type, it is
important to acknowledge that all three possess a new special rule that really
defines them in the game. Horror. This rule represents the effect of being
attacked by terrifying mythical (up until recently) monsters. It has three
significant effects in the game.
One - Troops assaulted by horror causing
units must make an immediate morale check. Should they fail, the defending unit
cannot react to the horrific beasts AND must point blank fire or assault AFTER
the horror causers (point blank fire still happens before hand-to-hand phase to be clear). If they pass this check they CAN react but still point
blank fire or assault AFTER the horror causers have gone (again the point blank fire part of the assault phase is resolved before the hand-to-hand phase). This is massive in a
game where most combats occur simultaneously. This really helps units like the
Schreckwulfen and the Nachtjager who tend to be fielded in small quick, elite
units that could be decimated early by simultaneous combat.
Two – Any unit within 6 inches of
a Horror causing unit (friend or foe) suffers from a -1 penalty to morale. When
linked with my first observation, this means that units testing to react are
less likely to successfully do so, again helping the durability of these units.
This also means that should the horror causers win combat their victims are
more likely to break, run and be destroyed.
Three – Horrific units are immune
to horror. (Am I the only one that immediately though “MONSTER FIGHT!!!” when I
read this rule?)
Speaking of durability, all three
units also possess the “Tough” special rule. This states that should a model
suffer damage, the damage is ignored on an additional die roll of a 5+. This
means that these units are able to shrug off one third of the hits that they
would normally suffer unless they are hit by weapons that have a damage
penetration modifier of +2 or better. Even big scary beasts are taken down if
you hit them with a big enough weapon! It is important to remember that “Tough”
works in hand-to-hand combat even though the similar rule “Resilience” does
not.
The first unit I will be tackling
is the classic archetype of the shambling zombie. The Axis animated dead are
called Totenkorps and their use supposedly stopped the Allied advance long
enough for more advanced German wonder weapons to be brought to bear.
In the game they are 7 points a
model and are inexperienced troops. They do not have any ranged weapons or any
special melee attacks but they do have the “fanatic” rule and the ability to
ignore pins and morale checks. Interestingly, they are also slow and cannot be
healed by medic models. You can buy these guys in units of 6 to 24 and given
their cheap cost and extreme durability, for their point cost, I would go with
a horde of these guys if you are going to take them. Their ability to ignore
pins and morale checks means that you have to literally kill these guys to the
last man. In assault, the fanatic rule means again… that you have to actually kill
all of these guys to get rid of them. They are great for their point cost.
Because they are slow and cannot
deal out pins to others means that Totenkorps units should probably be used to
get to and park upon easy to reach objectives. Their use as a moving defensive
wall is problematic because you cannot shoot through your own troops but
enemies can fire through them for only a -1 to hit penalty, though sometimes
this is better than nothing. I fully acknowledge that there are more uses for
this unit that I have not fully explored yet. That said, I am definitely adding
a unit of 24 to my late-war Germans as soon as they are available for sale.
Up next are the rather exciting
Schreckwulfen. These genetically altered humans have had their DNA combined
with canine stock to create night fighting, giant lightning quick… Werewolves.
Awesome!
Unlike the Totenkorps shamblers,
the Schreckwulfen are fast. As in, they have the “Fast” special rule. This
gives them a basic move rate of 8” and a frighteningly rapid run speed of 16”.
They need this speed to get into close combat. They also do not have a ranged
weapon; instead, they have the “Tooth and Claw” special rule in assault. This
gives them an impressive three attacks per model in hand-to-hand combat. They
can also see in the dark and ignore the effects of smoke. Brutal.
These guys are balanced out by
their high point cost and their maximum unit size. They come as veterans and cost
20 points a model and you can buy them in units of three to six wolves. Because
they come in such limited numbers, German players must be careful when using
these specialised troops. Sure they will make a mess most small teams and/or
artillery pieces but an infantry unit that has the opportunity to stand and
shoot AND fire point blank will pull the teeth out of this unit before it has a
chance to swing in combat (even with the tough special rule). German players
must ensure that these guys are ideally assaulting previously pinned units that
have been whittled down a bit and have already activated. I am sure that not
all of these conditions are necessary to ensure a successful Schreckwulfen
assault but all three help. Remember that “Horror” makes a huge difference to
their assault rules (and helps to cut down on reaction fire if opposing units
have not activated).
I like Schreckwulfen a lot. I plan
on getting a unit of six as soon as I am humanly able to do so.
That leaves our flying chompy
friends, the Nachtjager.
Like the Schreckwulfen, the Natchjager
come in small units of two to four. They are 34 points each which makes them
almost twice what the wolves cost but they have a few special rules that really
make a huge difference to how they work. Like the Wolves, they can see at night
and through smoke and they have the “Tooth and Claw” special rule. They do not
have “Fast” though; instead they have a special rule called “Flight.” This
means that they can advance 12 inches and can ‘run’ 18 inches. When moving this
way they can ignore any intervening terrain as long as they do not end their
move in impassable terrain. This makes them an incredibly mobile and handy
asset to put pressure on your opponent’s forces and to get to those hard to
reach objectives.
They also have a special rule
called “Strong.” This means that they gain the “Tank Hunter” ability and gain
an addition +1 penetration bonus for every hit that they land in hand-to-hand
combat with a vehicle.
To be honest, I am not 100% sure
about how I will use these soaring terrors… yet. I am thinking that they would
be great at zipping up flanks to take out pesky weapons teams and small units
or to shred vehicles too pinned or damaged to get away. Like their canine
counterparts, I would assume that they need support from other units in to be
effective. That said, with support they are nasty at what they do and they are
more than capable of wrecking havoc throughout opposing forces.
Like the new weapons introduced in
my last article, I would not say that any of these choices are immediately over-powered. Though some of these units are undeniably brutal, they are expensive points wise, and are easily taken out by many of the bigger guns in the game.
They are also countered by large infantry squads whose point blank shooting can
really ruin a monster’s day/night. Each of these units has their pros, cons and
purpose in the game. I look forward to seeing how player list choice evolves as
these beasties become a more common sight on the table top.
