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Bofors AA Troop - Deep Dive

Bofors AA Troop (BBX74)

Bofors AA Troop - Deep Dive

By John Lee

With the Bulge British release, several new units have been added to the range including the re-release of old kits with plastic upgrades. This box contains three resin trucks and three plastic Bofors AA Gun sprues, complete with crews and ground mounts, so you can switch between the self-propelled or the towed version. 

In the game, you can take either option as a support unit in the Force Diagram. Both versions cost 4pts for three or 8pts for six. You can’t mix and match – you choose one or the other.

LB211 LB120

Looking at the stats for both versions, they have a 4+ save. The 40mm AA Gun has a range of 24” with AT7 and FP4+ making it useful for taking on light armoured, infantry and gun teams. Take a full complement of six and you can put out 18 dice whilst stationary or 12 dice on the move! The self-propelled version, being truck mounted, is relatively slow with an 8” tactical and terrain dash, 14” cross country dash, and impressive 36” road dash with a 5+ cross check. The towed version can be manhandled either 2” with a terrain dash or 4” with a cross country or road dash and cross check of 6. If you take the towed version, you may want to grab a Soft Transport command card for +1pt so you have the option to move them during the game if needed. Hey, then you can use the trucks in the box to do that! Excellent.

This unit has the Gun Shield rule meaning that if you fail the 4+ save, your opponent still must roll a firepower check (if shooting through the gun shield). Even though they have a 4+ save, the unit itself is Confident Veteran Careful. Careful is the best armour in the game so use it to move your unit around undercover. The self-propelled version also has the Gigantic rule which means they cannot be placed from ambush at close range.

Bofors SP AA Troop

Using them in the game, I would recommend taking either six self-propelled guns or three towed guns depending on the points you have available and what role you want them to play in your force.  If you only have a few points, and you want something dedicated to helping support defending an objective and/or defend other assets from aircraft, then take the three towed guns. They can be dug in to protect them and provide another layer in your defences. This would suit an infantry-based army. For the more offensive or mobile army, take the six self-propelled guns. Maxing out the unit makes it more survivable and mobile, giving you options. I feel they can make a mobile reserve to help protect your flanks and your rear areas or can be used to protect your tanks as they advance from roving enemy aircraft or provide supporting fire for assaults. The other reason I like this unit is that it can go toe to toe with the German Flak Half-tracks. Whilst it has a 4+ save, with its gun shield, it can help negate that against the 5+ firepower check from the triple 15mm guns. They are also careful, which are harder to hit, and the AT7 gun can shred the enemy’s half-tracks FA1 easily.

There you have it! Another great multi-use kit that can add some flavour to your force. I hope this has been of some help. Enjoy!

John Lee

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