Desperate Measures Escalation Armies with the Battlefront Studio. Our advance copies of Desperate Measures have been circulating around the office and we’ve been inspired to get our 1945 Eastern Front forces started. We’re all stepping into new armies with new projects, so we decided to kick things off with an escalation league. Starting at about 600-650 points, here’s what the studio is building! Learn more about Desperate Measures here...

Mike’s Panzerkampfgruppe

Panzer Kampfgruppe (Confident Veteran) Panzer Kampfgruppe HQ   with one Hetzer. 85 points Combat Companies   Panzer Platoon   with two Hetzer 170 points Panzer Platoon   with two Hetzer 170 points Support Companies   Grenadier Kampfgruppe Platoon   with Command Panzerfaust Rifle / MG, one Grenadier Squad & one Weapons team. 450 points Total Points: 595 points

Background The story of my little Kampfgruppe is centred on the remnants of an encircled Panzerjägerkompanie. After a fierce battle with the Bolshevik hordes, all that remains are these five Hetzers and a handful of the grenadiers they have been dutifully supporting. They have bravely fought off the Soviet onslaught and bought a few days of respite. Their primary concern is to get back to the German lines with what they have and gathering up whatever help they can along the way.

Chris’ Panzer Ausbildungs Abteilung 500

Panzer Ausbildungs Abteilung 500 (Confident Trained) Panzer Ausbildungs Abteilung 500 HQ   with one Tiger I E. 155 points Combat Companies   Schwere Panzer Ausbildungs Platoon   with two Tiger I E. 280 points Weapons Platoon   Panzergrenadier Ausbildungs Platoon   with Command SMG team, one Panzerschreck team & three Grenadier Squads. 150 points Support Companies   Luftwaffe Light Anti-aircraft Gun Platoon   with Command SMG team & three 3.7cm FlaK43 65 points Total Points: 650 points

Background Of all the lists in Desperate Measures it was the story of Panzer Ausbildungs Abteilung 500 that really captured my attention. As a training school they had a pile of war weary Tigers and Königstigers with training crews, yet despite the odds they fought on past the loss of their tanks – hopefully this fighting spirit will be reflected in my Motivation tests.

Casey’s Panzer Ausbildungs Verband

Panzer Ausbildungs Verband (Confident Trained) Panzer Ausbildungs Verband HQ   with one Panther G. 145 points Combat Companies   Millere Panzer Ausbildungs Platoon   with two Hetzer. 120 points Millere Panzer Ausbildungs Platoon   with three Hetzer. 180 points Panzer Ausbildungs Platoon   with three Brummbär 150 points Total Points: 595 points

Background I’m a sucker for including as many different types of vehicles in an army as possible, which is why this part of the war is my favourite period to wargame. I decided to give my company commander a Panther simply because of its survivability.  I decided on a platoon of two and a platoon of three Hetzers because at 1000 and 1500 points I’m going to combine the platoons together into a platoon of four Hetzers and promote the other Hetzer to be the 2iC. My last platoon in my 600-point list is a Brummbär Platoon. That’s mainly there to take out gun and infantry teams. I’m going to paint the Panzer II F option for the Panzer Ausbildungs Platoon as well, just out of completeness.

Steve’s Tankovy Batalon

Tankovy Batalon (Confident Trained) Tankovy Batalon HQ   with one T-34/85 obr 1944 70 points Combat Companies   Tankovy Company   with three T-34 obr 1942 & two T-34/85 obr 1944 275 points Tankovy Company   with two T-34 obr 1942 & three T-34/85 obr 1944 305 points Total Points: 650 points

Background Though tempted by the Heroes in Desperate Measures, I actually settled on the regular ol’ untested troops.  I opted for a vanilla Tankovy company. I’ll rely on numbers to crush the fascist dogs, and the superior tanks made by the hands of the workers of the Soviet Union! The first iteration of my list is hilariously straight-forward!

Wayne’s Hero Tankovy Brigada

Hero Tankovy Brigada (Fearless Trained) Tankovy Batalon HQ   with one T-34/85 obr 1944 95 points Combat Companies   Hero Tankovy Company   with three T-34/85 obr 1944 280 points Hero Tankovy Company   with three T-34/85 obr 1944 280 points Total Points: 655 points

My first stage comes to a total of 655 points. I plan to make both Hero Tankovy Companies four tanks each and add a Hero Tank-rider Company, a Hero Medium Assault Gun Company (with SU-100s) and a Hero Anti-aircraft Platoon (with ZSU M17 MGMC). I have yet to decide on a unit to base it on, so a little research will be in order to help me decide. Eventually I’ll probably expand it out to make it a full-strength Tankovy Batalon so I can run it as either.

Mike Haycock’s Cat Killer

Srednly Samokhodno-Artillyerskly Polk (Confident Trained) Srednly Samokhodno-Artillyerskly Polk HQ   with one T-34/85 obr 1944 70 points Combat Companies   Medium Assault Gun Company   with four SU-100 310 points Medium Assault Gun Company   with three SU-100 230 points Total Points: 610 points

Background This regiment has been re-equipped with the newest and deadliest Soviet assault Guns and are eager to prove to the Germans that their “Big Cats” no longer can Roam the battlefield with impunity.

Victor’s Hero Tankovy Brigada

Hero Tankovy Brigada (Fearless Trained) Hero Tankovy Brigada HQ   with one T-34/85 obr 1944 95 points Combat Companies   Hero Tankovy Company   with three T-34/85 obr 1944 310 points Hero Tankovy Company   with three T-34/85 obr 1944 230 points Total Points: 655 points

The idea behind my Hero Tankovy Brigade is that these guys have survived the Spring offensives and it's next stop Berlin! Some of the crew would have newer tanks, while others have managed to stay lucky and haven't lost theirs to a Panther round. This gives me the opportunity to experiment with air recognition markings that were used at the very end of the war. Some of the tanks I will paint without these markings and do them a lot more weathered and beat up to depict the rag tag nature of Tankovy companies at this time.

I'm looking forward to my first try at plastic 15mm tanks, and the next platoon I add will be 3 SU-100's, also coming out in plastic early next year.

Sean's Panzergrenadier Kampfgruppe

Panzergrenadier Kampfgruppe (Confident Veteran) Panzergrenadier Kampfgruppe HQ   with one Company Command Panzerfaust SMG team, one 2iC Command Panzerfaust team & one Panzerschreck team with Sd Kfz 251/1 half-track. 115 points Combat Companies   Panzergrenadier Platoon   with Command Panzerfaust MG team & three Grenadier Squads. 280 points Panzergrenadier Platoon   with Command Panzerfaust MG team & two Grenadier Squads. 205 points Total Points: 600 points

Background Unlike most of the other guys I don’t really have a story for my unit. The main reason I decided to collect this force was that it would be my first foray into collecting Germans and what better base to start from than a pair of Panzergrenadier platoons. The Panzergrenadier Kampfgruppe from Desperate Measures also appealed to me because of the amount of gear the troops have. With platoons full of Panzerfaust MG teams who can perform mounted assaults these guys are quite capable against any opposition. Taking the Veteran option also means that their high points cost cuts down the number of figures a new collector, like me, will have to paint!

Andrew’s Panzer Ausbildings Abteilung 500

Panzer Ausbildungs Abteilung 500 (Confident Trained) Panzer Ausbildungs Abteilung 500 HQ   with one Panther A. 145 points Combat Companies   Schwere Panzer Ausbildungs Platoon   with two Königstiger (Porsche). 445 points Support Companies   Luftwaffe Light Anti-aircraft Gun Platoon   with Command SMG team & three 3.7cm FlaK43 65 points Total Points: 655 points

Background During an intense fight, a few tanks band together in desperation to hold off a Soviet advance on a key AA emplacement. During the battle, the commander’s tank was destroyed so he has commandeered a Panther as a replacement. My force is the story of these outnumbered tanks and AA gun teams, cut off from the rest of their force and under constant air strikes and assaults. These brave troops teams will fight all odds to hold out till reinforcements arrive. This surely calls for some desperate measures!