We’ve been answering your questions about the upcoming Armies of the United States: Third Edition, and with the book release under a month away, it’s time for the last of these intelligence reports. Previously we’ve looked at national special rules, new units, and weird and wonderful troop types, and today it’s the turn of some stalwarts of the US and how they’ve fared over the editions!
With the original Armies of the United States having soldiered on faithfully since the first edition of Bolt Action, it was high time for a refresh and re-work! Bolt Action: Third Edition provided the perfect opportunity for this – so let’s take a look at some units that have come over into the new book, and see what’s changed, and what’s stayed the same.
Officers
We’ll start with Officers! Every force needs them, and they’re more important than ever in Third Edition. In the first two editions, their profile was basically the same as every other officer team – one officer and up to two additional men, with a choice of weapons.
Officers are seeing some of the biggest changes across the board of any unit in Third Edition. In the get-you-by rulebook army lists, though, they were very similar (barring a pretty significant points reduction) to allow people to use their Second Edition forces right away. With the rolling out of each Armies of… book, however…
Much like in Armies of Germany, American Officers can now be fielded in far larger teams, making them a much more useful combat asset – combined with By Air, Land, and Sea, you can push this even further, with Airborne Officer teams able to field up to eight models! This flexibility meshes nicely with the wider American list, and ensures you can vary the team considerably to fit the theme and needs of your force.
M10 Tank Destroyer
From a unit with a big change to one that’s not changed too much at all – the M10 tank destroyer. A well-loved unit that’s given good service over the last two editions, the M10 is sure to keep on rolling right ‘through Third Edition. Let’s look at the stats side-by-side:
Same hull, same gun, same rules, and same options – it’s the M10 we all know and love! The only thing that’s changed is the points cost. Benefitting from the wide range of armoured vehicle points reductions, it’s had a nice little drop, making it even easier to include – perfect for those nice shiny Armoured Platoons that we’ve all been enjoying in Third Edition!
M2 Browning Heavy Machine Gun
Finally, we come to a true legend of the US military – the M2 Browning Heavy Machine Gun. Still in use to this day across the world, nobody liked their HMGs in the Second World War more than the Americans, and no US force is complete without at least a smattering. Whether you deploy them as teams, or stick them all over your vehicles, or both, let’s take a look at the statistics of this heavy-hitting weapon.
So, in terms of points and composition, no change required – it’s fine just as it is. It also stays as a +25pt upgrade if you want to stick it on your vehicles as a pintle-mount. However, things aren’t quite as same-y as they seem! Let’s cast our eyes to the weapon profile. You may recall that in Second Edition, HMGs had a 36” range, 3 shots, and a +1 Pen. Now, though… 48” range and 6 shots – twice as nice! This upgrade really brings crew-served HMGs into their own, making them a fantastic option for mowing down enemy infantry and light vehicles. HMG teams also now benefit from the By Air, Land, and Sea special rules, meaning that you can include them in any US force, with the correct crew. Furthermore, the doubling of the number of shots means that vehicle-mounted HMGs are functionally unaffected by the half-shots rule that arrived with Third Edition!
Armies of the United States: Third Edition is coming soon. Have you pre-ordered your copy?
