It’s an exciting time for British Commonwealth players! Many of you will have pre-ordered the new plastic Mk I and Mk II Heavy Automated Infantry, and next week we’ll tell you all about their updated rules, plus the brand new Automated Platoon. First, though, we’ll explain how the brand new British Commonwealth models are going to work in Konflikt ‘47.
First up is the Mk IIC Automated Director. This is a new leader for your British Commonwealth Platoons, and really what makes the new Automated Platoon work as a whole. It functions as a Platoon Commander and can issue Snap to Action! orders, though it doesn’t give a Morale bonus to friendly troops – not a problem for Automated Infantry who all have the Fearless rule. Like the Mk IIs, it removes the First off the Line rule from nearby units that have it, so long as both units have an Active Rift Die. We’ve taken the opportunity to streamline this rule, which we’re now calling Data Transmission, and put it on the Mk II unit profiles because it’s clearer, and also allows us to combine with other rules more easily (more on that in an upcoming article).
As you’d expect for a Mk II, the Director is Damage Value 7+ and gets Hard to Kill, plus it can be accompanied by up to two more Mk II Infantry, with the option to upgrade their weapons. Speaking of which, it comes armed with an M21 Light Tesla Cannon, giving it some impressive firepower. It also means it gets two Rift Dice, to activate the Tesla Arc or to use its special ability – Command Relay. This allows the Automated Director to issue two orders to units with the Computational Systems rule anywhere on the table. This is a powerful ability in its own right, but as we’ll reveal in the next article, the Platoon special rules mean it could be truly game-changing.
We also have everyone’s favourite robot – the iconic B for Bertie. His story seems to have really resonated with people, and has been a highlight of the Konflikt ‘47 narrative so far, so naturally we had to bring him to the tabletop. As a Hero he can be seconded to any British Commonwealth platoon, but because of his itinerant and unpredictable nature he can also be included in US armies. Expect to see him popping up to save the day on battlefields everywhere!
On the tabletop he sits apart from your force organisation, not being able to issue or benefit from the Snap to Action! ability. That means he’s the first Hero who can’t function as a Platoon Commander – his motivations are far too obscure to lead others! Although only Damage Value 6+, he’s pretty difficult to put down, with Hard to Kill and 3 (count ‘em!) points of Luck.
His Active Rift Enhancement gives him the chance to rain down retribution on enemies who have the audacity to shoot at his friends. Called Protection Subroutine, this ability allows him to exhaust a Rift Die when a friendly unit within his line of sight is the target of a ranged attack. He can then make an Advance, though he can only shoot at the enemy unit that fired. Crucially, Bertie does not need an Order Die to do this, and can do it even if he’s already activated that turn. This is one of those really evocative rules that should create plenty of those cinematic moments on the tabletop, turning the tide at critical junctures in the battle.
On top of all this, he can Infiltrate, and has the option of automatically passing tests to enter the battlefield when Outflanking, so he can pop up pretty much anywhere. On the face of it, he doesn’t have massive damage-dealing capacity, being armed with a dependable HMG, or crazy Rift abilities like other Heroes, but if used intelligently he can really mess up your opponent’s battle plans – he’s the ultimate ‘spanner in the works’ character, and besides – who doesn’t want Bertie in their force?
In the next article we’ll look at how these new units slot into the new Automated Platoon structure. Be prepared to line up some combination moves!
Ready to lead your marvellous mechanical men into battle with leaders of steel?
