We’ll start with a look at what you’re working with – three Stahltruppen, a Stahltruppen Officer, five Nachtalben, a Vogelspinne, and a Panzer IV Ausf. X. While few in number, this force is full of heavy hitters and can absorb enormous punishment. Trust in your armour, don’t bite off more than you can chew, and get your Rift-tech working – these are your keys to victory.

Stahltruppen

At the core of your force are a trio of Stahltruppen. These armoured monsters are immune to small arms fire, and capable of toting a whole lot of firepower of their own. Kitted out with LMGs or StG 44Z, they can absolutely shred any unarmoured infantry that get within range, and the option to take Panzerfausts and a light anti-tank gun makes them a genuine threat to enemy armour as well. In desperate circumstances, these heavy weapons also make for useful monster-killers – it doesn’t matter how genetically enhanced you are, a high-velocity AP shell to the chops will give you something to think about!

Stahltruppen work equally well on attack or defence, but a particularly nasty trick is to get them into a nice piece of heavy cover – ideally on an objective – where they suddenly become very hard to shift indeed. Their armour renders them immune to Pins from weapons without a Pen value, and the Vormarsch! Rift ability ensures that, even if they do start taking Pins, you can get them moving reliably. If you want them to be even more survivable, consider upgrading them to be Fanatics, allowing them to simply ignore most of the horrors of the Konflikt ‘47 battlefield.

Stahltruppen are tough as nails, but they still have their vulnerabilities that you need to be aware of. Massed shots with +1 or +2 Pen can present a real problem – it doesn’t matter that they need 5s or 6s to kill your troops if your opponent is rolling dozens of dice! Heavy machine guns, autocannon, and particularly the M1X1/2s wielded by US Fireflies can all spoil your Stahltruppen’s day, so it’s always worth focussing on these threats early on, or keeping your heavies out of line of sight until they’re needed. Similarly, monstrous close combat units like the Ursus can really do some damage with their Deadly special rule. Use your firepower and gun them down before they get too close!

As befits the leader of such an elite force, your Platoon Commander is also clad in Stahltruppen armour, enjoying all of the benefits that brings. His abilities as a Hero, however, are where he really shines, and we’ll look at those in conjunction with the army special rules.

Nachtalben

Your other infantry unit is a 5-man (although ‘man’ might be a bit of a stretch…) unit of Nachtalben. These sinister, genetically ‘improved’ troops are your advance guard and ‘screening’ force, and give you some serious mobility – perfect for countering any pesky Fireflies. They come with a bevy of special rules to support this, with the triple threat of Infiltrators, Fieldcraft, and Fast ensuring you can put them exactly where you need them. Combined with Fanatics, and Deadly (2) if you get them a Surging Rift Die, this is a unit that can absolutely ruin someone’s day in close quarters, or hose the enemy down with short-range fire from SMGs, STG 44Z, or MP 40SzL. If all that wasn’t enough, you can use their Schattentanz Rift ability to flip their Order Die to Ambush after they’ve executed an order! 

Phew – that’s just a bit to take in! What it means is that your Nachtalben, while few in numbers, are a surgical tool, perfect for taking out enemy infantry and seizing objectives while your Stahltruppen move up. You do need to exercise some caution when using them, however. A Damage Value of 5+ might seem plenty when dealing with normal small arms fire, but against Rift-tech and weapons with a Pen value, you’ll find the Nachtalben melting away if caught in the open. Use their speed and abilities to get into good cover or out of the line of fire, and they’ll stay alive much longer – and while they’re alive, your opponent has to keep track of them in their plans.

Panzer IV Ausf. X Mit Nachrüstsatz Panzerläufer

Okay, that’s a bit of a mouthful – we’ll call it the Panzer IV X for this article! It’s a Panzer IV on legs, with a Schwerefeld Projektor up top, and it’s your main ranged hitting power – used well, this beast can absolutely devastate the enemy with its Gravity Pulse Rift ability. Your absolute priority should be ensuring that your Panzer IV X has an Active or, even better, a Surging Rift die on it every single turn. If you can do that, your enemy is in for a world of hurt as 3” templates rain down anywhere within 48”!

This terrifying firepower means that any sane opponent will look to take your Panzer IV X out as soon as possible, and it’s not exactly what you’d call a small target. With a DV of 9+ it’s durable, but by no means immune to big guns, Rift weaponry, and infantry anti-tank weapons like ATRDs. Make enemy anti-tank weaponry your first priority for elimination (your Nachtalben are great at this), and laugh maniacally as your opponent realises the gravity of their situation.

Pz.Kpfg. II Vogelspinne

Think of the Vogelspinne like the vehicle equivalent of your Nachtalben – fast, sneaky, and packing a surprising punch. This scuttling beast can get to wherever you need it, and get out of trouble again in a hurry, courtesy of its high Movement Rate and Recce special rule, and can be configured with a variety of turrets for engaging different targets. The Maschinen Schwere is your best bet here, as not only does it become a Rift Unit (and add another Rift Die to your pool), it’s also got the aforementioned Gravity Pulse rule, albeit on a slightly smaller scale than the Panzer IV X. Use your Vogelspinne to get forward and support the Nachtalben, while the Stahltruppen and Panzer IV X close in on the foe – if you do it right, your opponent will be forced into an impossible choice as to which half of your army to engage.

With only an 8+ Damage Value, you do need to be careful about leaving your Vogelspinne in vulnerable positions, as there are a lot of things on the Konflikt ‘47 battlefield that can destroy it if they get a hit. Keep moving, use cover as much as possible, and pick your targets wisely – ‘strike and fade’ is the order of the day here.

Army Special Rules

This starter force is designed to make great use of the Axis Konflikt ‘47 Army Special Rules, giving your troops a boost to their already prodigious capabilities. Let’s see how they can help you bring about victory for the Green Vault.

Our Salvation

Rift Dice are absolutely key to this force – you want your Schwerefelds Active or Surging as much as possible – so this is a hugely welcome bonus to help you avoid those dreaded Exhausted results.

Hand of the Green Vault

Continuing the theme of Rift Dice, Hand of the Green Vault gives you another one for free, courtesy of your Platoon Commander getting a point of Rift Mastery. Remember, he gets one for wearing Stahltruppen armour, and he can buy another point of Rift Mastery as well. Three Rift Dice for one unit? It’d be rude not to!

Schwerefeld Mastery

This one is massive, and the big reason your Panzer IV X should always be taken as Veteran. A Surging Rift Die right off the bat for the Schwerefeld Projektor? With a bit of dice luck, you can set the tone for the rest of the game, making this a hugely powerful rule for the Starter Army.

Hardened Veterans

Your Stahltruppen and Nachtalben don’t care about losing their unit leader? Handy when the bullets start flying, meaning these small squads might just stay in the fight a little bit longer – crucial when you don’t have many infantry to begin with!

Buzz Saw

Everyone loves extra shots, and this is great for turning your Stahltruppen into anti-infantry ‘lawnmowers’ if you load them up with LMGs.