Incoming: New Konflikt ‘47 Starter Armies!

It’s a great day to be fighting the Rift War! Today sees five new Konflikt ‘47 starter armies hit pre-order – one for each faction – and these are rather different to their predecessors. For one, there’s significantly more plastic in each box, and there are also a few brand new models and equipment options sneaking their way into the game! Rules for these will be added to the free PDF army lists and the App in time for their release, but for now let’s take a look at the boxes themselves.

Soviet Bloc Elite Operational Group

The challenge of supporting the lethal Ursus infantry in combat has led to the formation of specialised Operational Groups by Soviet Bloc commanders. All ‘conventional’ infantry have been discarded, leaving only DM-40 Molot walkers to support the rampaging bears. This force is brutal and unsubtle – it hits hard and fast!

We’ll start with probably the most eagerly anticipated set of the lot. That’s right – the Soviet Bloc have their starter army at last, and it’s an absolute brute of a box. Your entire infantry core is made up of terrifying Ursus infantry, ready to chew their way through the foe with tooth and claw (and hammer!).

Leading the bears is the box-exclusive Platoon Commander. He’s recognisable as the original starter army exclusive model, but as so few people got a chance to get their hands on him then or at this year’s Open Day, we decided to bring him back! We’ve taken the opportunity to replace his banner with an alternative standard – a hammer and sickle, rendered in glorious Soviet steel – and he’s the only model in the whole box who’s made of Warlord Resin rather than plastic.

This box is your first chance to get your hands on the brand new plastic DM-40 Molot medium walker – two of ‘em, in fact! The new kit is absolutely packed with weapon options, including some which aren’t in the rules yet, allowing you to tailor your Molot to your exact list requirements. Don’t worry, we’ll be going in-depth on the new sprues and rules before they come out, but for now all you need to know is they’re coming, and they’re a joy to build!

Axis Sonderkampfgruppe

Typical of Axis combined-arms formations fighting across Europe, the Sonderkampfgruppe pairs the mailed fist of the Stahltruppen with the restless dead of the Totenkorps, backed up by scuttling light walkers. Capable of both rapid movement and direct confrontation, it’s a versatile force ready for any challenge.

The Axis have had plenty of plastic lavished upon them in the first year of Konflikt ‘47, and the Sonderkampfgruppe starter army can be thought of as a bit of a ‘greatest hits’ collection of these kits. Happily, that makes for a pretty handy force on the tabletop too! The infantry core combines plastic Totenkorps and Stahltruppen for maximum damage resistance, and this hardy (if slow-moving) bunch are backed up by speedy walkers – a brace of Vogelspinne and a Nachtzehrer, to be precise! This gives you plenty of mobile firepower, and you can build the Nachtzehrer kit to keep your Totenkorps alive longer (Un-alive? Less dead? More undead? You get the idea… -ed.) or as an Infernospinne to bathe your foes in flame!

In charge of the whole show is the Warlord Resin Stahltruppen Platoon Commander, who you know and love from the previous Axis Starter Army. He’s a great model, and an obvious choice to lead this force, so in he went. As with the Soviet commander, he’s the only non-plastic model in the whole box!

British Commonwealth Automated Battalion

As Commonwealth forces deploy ever-increasing numbers of Automated Infantry to the front lines, it has become commonplace to find them making up the bulk of entire formations. The Automated Battalion is one such force, pairing a stout core of Automata with the human-crewed firepower of the Percival. This force puts out an enormous amount of automatic firepower, and can gun-fight against virtually any foe it might face.

British Commonwealth players have been enjoying their new Automated Platoons, and this Automated Battalion starter army takes that concept and dials it up to eleven! If you like Mk Is (and who doesn’t?), this is the box for you, with 20 of these marvellous mechanical men forming its heart. Leading them is a Mk IIC Automated Director and a squad of MkIIs, giving you both plenty of Data Transmission and heavier firepower, and all of these models are plastic.

Also in plastic (meaning this is actually the first ever all-plastic Konflikt ‘47 starter army!) is the brand new Percival! Developed from the American Grizzly, but taken in an entirely British direction, this kit builds not only the Percival you’re by now familiar with from its resin incarnation, but also the fearsome Hornet and a brand new third variant. We’re not going to reveal its name or loadout just yet, but we encourage everyone to take a look at the pictures and speculate wildly! All in all, the Automated Battalion is very shooty, and very cool.

United States Rapid Deployment Force

US commanders frequently make use of Firefly jump infantry as ‘fire brigades’ to intervene whenever an enemy breakthrough looks likely. Pairing the ultra-mobile Fireflies with walkers for heavier fire support, a Rapid Deployment Force can strike hard and fast, exactly where it is needed, redeploying before the enemy can counter, and ready to attack again in moments.

You knew this one was coming for the US! The Firefly and Linebacker plastics have been doing sterling work since this edition launched almost a year ago (how has it not even been a year?!), and naturally they make up the bulk of this starter army. Like his Axis counterpart, the existing Warlord Resin Firefly Platoon Commander reports for duty here, and as with his opposite number he’s the only non-plastic model in the box.

The jump troops aren’t alone, though – they’ve called in some heavy support, in the form of the new plastic Grizzly! This stalwart of US army lists has had a massive plastic glow-up, and the new kit builds not only the ‘basic’ Grizzly, but also the rocket-slinging Bruin and the ‘no-kill-like-overkill’ gunbus known as the Kodiak! We’re incredibly excited to show off the new Grizzly kit alongside its cousin the Percival, and there are even some surprises on the sprues for you!

Empire of Japan Long Range Penetration Group

Imperial Japanese commanders often deploy the elite Ghost Attack Infantry as spearhead forces, using their Rift-tech to outflank and confound the enemy, softening up defensive positions for an armoured breakthrough. When paired with the very latest in Japanese tank design – the up-gunned Chi-Nu – the Ghost units can reap a fearsome toll on any enemy force.

The arrival of the plastic Ghosts from Shinobi Space has allowed this starter army to materialise on the battlefield. With the Ghost and Shadow squads forming its (sneaky, stabby, shooty) heart, it’s a flexible and hard-hitting force which can run rings around opponents if used well. Continuing the trend, the Platoon Commander in Assault Frame Heavy Armour returns from the original starter army, although he can be sidelined in favour of a Ghost Infiltration Platoon Commander built from the plastics if you prefer.

Traditionally, Japanese forces have struggled a little with their tanks, often forced to retrofit older designs like the Chi-Ha with Rift-tech weaponry. This is the case no longer, as a pair of top-of-the-line (and brand new plastic!) Chi-Nu medium tanks complete this army. These are no ordinary Chi-Nu, though, as both feature a completely new turret, mounting two Shiboru Cannon barrels – we wonder what the rules could be for those! These vehicles give you a great firebase for your Ghosts to manoeuvre around, and add that bit of armoured ‘oomph’ that Japanese players have been looking for! These turrets are made of resin, and drop right into the plastic Chi-Nu, allowing the kit to do double-duty with the more mundane Medium Anti-tank Gun if you prefer.

Nearly All Plastic!

You’ll see that the introduction of new plastic infantry and vehicle kits have allowed us to bring you almost entirely plastic starter armies for the first time in Konflikt ‘47. Of course, all plastic is the goal, and we’re going to keep working towards that with all our might. This means that, in the fullness of time, we’re going to want to update these armies again. That doesn’t mean these are ‘limited edition’ or destined to disappear soon, but we wanted to let you know that this isn’t the end stage of these forces. As more and more plastic kits come out, we’ll be revising, updating, and improving – but of course, all the models you’ve bought will remain fully supported in the rules! We aren’t taking units away – we’re just adding more!

You’ll notice that several of these new starter armies contain brand new plastic vehicles which aren’t currently available individually. Don’t worry, these won’t be ‘box exclusives’, and they’ll be on individual sale as well in the not-too-distant future!