Who Wants To Live Forever

Who Wants To Live Forever: Fielding The Hero Tankovy Brigada From Desperate Measures with Gavin van Rossum The new Soviet forces in Desperate Measures provide superior options for the Flames Of War Late-war battlefield. They have learnt all the harshest lessons of warfare from their ruthless German teachers and are now applying them across Eastern Europe and finally, Germany herself.

Despite the extreme losses in Soviet formations that occur right up until the fall of Berlin, the men that survive each fight carry the lessons on as frontoviks and teach the reinforcements better ways to fight. Meanwhile new and improved equipment continues to reach the front and German weapons are turned against their previous owners.

The Hero Tankovy Brigada is a new Soviet list for the Late-war period releasing Hero armoured platoons from the limitations on company based movement and shooting applied by the Soviet National Special Rule of Hen and Chicks. This allows the smaller units to move in the same manner as their German opposition and the Western Allies. This means they can choose which tanks remain in place for superior shooting and which move forward to an improved position, with no additional penalty for either. As your Weapons Companies and Support Companies are also all Hero units they also benefit from the Luckier, Smarter, and Sharper rules. Many support Companies gain a large benefit from the special rule Smarter by rolling Skill Checks and hitting in bombardments on 3+, so be sure to take advantage of the excellent Soviet tube and rocket artillery forces.

Heroes Of The Soviet Union Luckier Your men have come through the cauldron of war. Most have been in action non-stop since Operation Bagration, nearly a year ago. They have learned to survive, and the luckiest, smartest, sharpest of these have become Heroes of the Soviet Union. If the Company or 2iC Command team is Destroyed, your opponent must roll a 5+, rather than the normal 4+, when rolling for Warrior Team Casualties (see page 106 of the rulebook). Smarter Many years of war have made the Soviet soldiers veterans. Once in combat, they know what to do and how best to do it. They persevere, though still plagued by incompetent leadership and an influx of poorly trained or ill-prepared replacements. Teams from Hero platoons and companies pass all Skill Tests on a result of 3+. In addition, when firing bombardments, Hero companies roll to hit as though they were rated as Veteran. Sharper Years of training on the job means that tank crews have become familiar with their tanks and they know how to get the most out of them. Hero platoons and companies do not use the Hen and Chicks special rule.

List Building For The Hero Tankovy Brigada The core of the Hero Tankovy Brigada remains the battered but effective rebuilt and newly capable tanks of the Soviet war machine. Crewed by survivors from over three years of war and equipped with new designs granting superior firepower and crew protection, these forces will push the Fascist war machine out of Russia and subsequently out of the illegal conquests of Eastern Europe. There are many reasons to play the Hero Tankovy Brigada, the most essential one to me is to finally get to play Soviet T-34s without Hen and Chicks! Units equipped with the improved T-34/85 obr 1944 can now challenge German armour directly while the lighter T-34 obr 1942 units move to flank and root the enemy from their hiding places with courageous Tankodesantniki. With their new special Hero rules of Luckier, Smarter and Sharper they bring their experience to the battlefield and are much more dangerous to their foes. The compact Company size means they no longer have to wait for the slower tanks to line up for the charge, and can trust their fellow Heroic Countrymen to be in the right place without the Leytenant yelling at them. In a Hero Tankovy Brigada none of the Hero platoons and companies uses the Hen and Chicks special rule. This frees them to make the best decisions for individual tanks, within the usual Command distance rules.

The 1250 Point List For a lean and mean 1250 point list the core units are made up of a T-34/85 Brigada HQ tank and Hero T-34 Companies at their full strength of four tanks. The first Hero Tankovy Company consisting of T-34/85 obr 1944 is very capable at engaging and defeating enemy medium tanks while the second Hero Tankovy Company of four T-34 obr 1942 with additional Tankodesantniki Tank Escorts can engage light armour, guns and infantry to free up your superior anti-tank assets to do their jobs. With the Hero rule of Smarter meaning the T-34 obr 1942 pass Skill checks on 3+, this means they can breach Very Difficult terrain such as buildings on a 3+ and hit in Assaults on a 3+, with Tank Escorts also getting this benefit to give a great chance to decimate the enemy on the first round of assault. If the position looks too tough or tight for tanks due to terrain you can soften it with fire and send in the Tank Escorts until sufficient space is made. The Hero Tankovy Brigada receives a major boost with the inclusion of big brothers, three of the massive IS-2 obr 1944 in a Guards Hero Heavy Tank Company, with deadly .50 cal AA MGs and improved frontal armour of 11! These will lead the attack, can survive the worst the enemy can throw at it and push through enemy positions to bring final victory for the Soviet people. The force is kept informed of the enemy positions by a Hero Light Armoured Car Platoon of three BA-64 cars, much improved by making Skill checks on 3+ for Eyes & Ears as well as Disengage checks. This list leads with the Hero Heavy Tank Company, screened ahead by the Hero Armoured Cars, while the T-34 Companies conserve their strength and pick their moment. The force doesn’t need to prove their mettle to their superiors by charging headlong, they have earned some leniency to take some time to whittle the enemy from afar while making Smarter decisions on when to concentrate their force and strike hard. You have four great mobile platoons that can fully use available terrain against your enemies, include excellent heavy support and the ever useful recon platoon to push back ambushes and reveal enemy forces. As your Companies are smaller than the usual Angry Green HordeTM, you can finally get to use smaller sections of terrain on the board to fully Conceal or even hide your forces without having to suffer Bog checks to hide in woods or other rough terrain to squeeze in all of the treads.

1250 Point Hero Tankovy Brigada (Confident Trained) Hero Tankovy Brigada HQ   with one T-34/85 obr 1944 upgraded with SMG Tank Escorts. 95 points Combat Companies   Hero Tankovy Company   with four T-34/85 obr 1944. 330 points Hero Tankovy Company   with four T-34 obr 1942 upgraded with SMG Tank Escorts. 270 points Support Companies   Guards Hero Heavy Tank Company   with three IS-2 obr 1944 upgraded with .50 cal AA MGs. 465 points Hero Light Armoured Car Platoon (Fearless Trained)   with three BA-64 with two Armoured Cars upgraded with hull-mounted PTRD anti-tank rifles. 90 points Total Points: 1250 points

The 1500 Point List Ever since Flames Of War version one, 1500 points has been the perfect medium points limit for Late-war lists as it forces hard choices on your list build exercise, while generating decent sized forces to crash together. This force is designed to strap on more blades to your Swiss Army Knife and explore some options in the plentiful Support Companies.   The first change to the list is removing the lovely IS-2 obr 1944s, despite being powerful engines of destruction they are also a large use of points, limiting the exploration of options. Replacing them in the sudden gaping lack of high-end Anti-tank work are three excellent Hero SU-100s in a Hero Medium Assault Gun Company. These tough and impressive chassis will threaten the enemy from afar and curtail movement outside of good cover. Not only do they benefit from the Hero rules but they also have the excellent Cat Killer rule, allowing them to reroll misses at long range.

Cat Killers The medium self-propelled guns were used as long-range anti-tank weapons to support tanks and infantry against German tanks. Assault guns from a Hero Medium Assault Gun Company do not use the Volley Fire special rule. Instead, assault guns from a Hero Medium Assault Gun Company that did not move in the Movement Step may re-roll failed rolls To Hit when shooting their main guns at platoons with all teams more than 16”/40cm away.

This means the SU-100s best use in an overwatch role vouching for safe travel of your Hero Tankovy Companies, who now welcome a third Company of excellent medium tanks to the Brigada force. Four more T-34/85 obr 1944 make an excellent addition to the force; they are a threat to enemy forces, are more survivable than the elderly T-34 obr 1942 and pack a solid anti-tank punch. Backing up the force is the ever-reliable Light Armoured Car Platoon for your vanguard, and some Hero DShK trucks for fragile but decent AA support; best kept in the rear. Both platoons are much improved by the Hero rules, with the Recon succeeding Eyes & Ears checks to reveal Gone To Ground enemies on 3+ and the AA platoon scoring .50 calibre hits on aircraft on 3+.

1500 Point Hero Tankovy Brigada (Confident Trained) Hero Tankovy Brigada HQ   with one T-34/85 obr 1944 upgraded with SMG Tank Escorts. 95 points Combat Companies   Hero Tankovy Company   with four T-34/85 obr 1944. 330 points Hero Tankovy Company   with four T-34/85 obr 1944. 330 points Hero Tankovy Company   with four T-34 obr 1942 upgraded with SMG Tank Escorts. 270 points Weapons Companies   Hero Anti-Aircraft Platoon   with three DShk trucks. 65 points Support Companies   Hero Medium Assault Gun Company   with three SU-100. 320 points Hero Light Armoured Car Platoon (Fearless Trained)   with three BA-64 with two Armoured Cars upgraded with hull-mounted PTRD anti-tank rifles. 90 points Total Points: 1500 points

The 1750 Point List When I want to get some Big Toys on the table but not have to cart around too much, then I find 1750 points to be a good higher end of Late-war points. For the Hero Tankovy Brigada this means you need to be concerned about the best the Germans can throw at them, so you need your best options available. At this points level the new list brings out six shiny new platoons all with great new functionality and better ability to exploit weaknesses in your foe. The core continues as a platoon of four T-34/85 obr 1944 and four T-34 obr 1942 with Tank Escorts, backed up not only by the Hero SU-100s from the 1500 point list but also the IS-2 obr 1944 from the 1250 point list. This gives you two very capable support platoons that are able to fight a frontal slugging match, as well as two medium tank platoons. Both T-34 platoons are able to combat enemy infantry and guns, with the T-34/85s able to do competitive anti-tank work while the T-34 obr 1942 are superior in assaults. The force also receives the superior skills of the Hero Spetsnaz Platoon, which gets a fierce anti tank boost with a Command Panzerfaust team. This makes them very angry and dangerous Russians who have to be constantly held in check in their primary role of Recon Scouts, rather than sneaking off in their captured halftracks to cause havoc and raid their enemies’ rear areas. Finally the last new addition is the Guards Hero Rocket Mortar Battalion of BM-31-12 Katyushas, firing 300mm rockets with a powerful 1+ Firepower. Use this Rocket Mortar Battalion to Pin the enemy and destroy anything that fails its saves. Empowered by Smarter these Super Heavy Rocket trucks not only hit enemy on 3+ with their massive bombardments but they also can use the new Mobile Rocket Launchers rule to evade counter battery fire and remove their Smoke Trails on a 3+. Two rocket trucks with extra crew give you a solid bombardment to soften up enemy strong points for your tanks to unravel and destroy.

1750 Point Hero Tankovy Brigada (Confident Trained) Hero Tankovy Brigada HQ   with one T-34/85 obr 1944 upgraded with SMG Tank Escorts. 95 points Combat Companies   Hero Tankovy Company   with four T-34/85 obr 1944. 330 points Hero Tankovy Company   with four T-34 obr 1942 upgraded with SMG Tank Escorts. 270 points Support Companies   Hero Medium Assault Gun Company   with three SU-100. 320 points Guards Hero Heavy Tank Company   with three IS-2 obr 1944 upgraded with .50 cal AA MGs & SMG Tank Escorts. 495 points Hero Spetsnaz Platoon   with Command Panzerfaust SMG team & one Spetsnaz Squad with two Captured half-tracks. 110 points Guards Hero Rocket Mortar Battalion (Fearless Trained)   with Command Rifle team, Observer Rifle team & two BM-31-12 Katyusha with extra crew. 120 points Total Points: 1740 points

The best reason to collect the Hero Tankovy Brigada is to get access to the excellent T-34 chassis in a Soviet force that is not held in check by Hen & Chicks. Reinforced by the incredible IS-2 obr 1944 and other Hero platoons, your force becomes a very manoeuvrable collection of tank platoons. It is an ideal force to showcase the Red Army of 1945’s increased skill at warfare; developed during their terrible battles of 1941 and 1942, solidified in 1943 and 1944, and finally allowing Russia to become the steamroller that wiped Europe clean of the fascist empire. ~ Gavin.