The Dust Tactics (& Dust Warfare) News and Rumors Thread

Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you:

No adverts like this in the forums anymore.
Times and dates in your local timezone.
Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance.
Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely.
Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net.

If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

**jedi76**

I suppose those small Phasers will ignore armor for dust warfare too. Seems silly if so. Vaporizing heavy walkers with a little raygun

Must have the weapon teams. Are those bases the same size that walkers are on or some new mid sized base I wonder?

**BrookM**

Those bases look walker sized to me.

**Floris**

The base for the Heavy Weapon Teams are the same size as those for the Walkers.
(the unit has a single profile and three health points)

**RogueRegault**

So, the Axis get a long range laser or flak cannon while the Allies get Red Devils that get an extra move instead of Air Drop.

**em_en_oh_pee**

RogueRegault wrote:
So, the Axis get a long range laser or flak cannon while the Allies get Red Devils that get an extra move instead of Air Drop.

Yea, the Allies aren't getting crap for Hades it would appear. However, lets hope we see some more from the next book.

**Some_Call_Me_Tim?**

Check this out! http://darkfuturegaming.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/dust-warfare-update.html

The rumor is that FFG is looking to make the heroes from the Dust Tactics campaign boxes and the orig. core set available to Dust Warfare players in hero boxes much like the $20 ones already available. I sure hope it happens!

_Tim?

**Pael**

Man this game gets better and better!!

**BrookM**

http://new.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_news.asp?eidn=3556

Oh look, a walking Chimera.

It is the year 1947, and World War II continues to rage and spread to new battlefields. In the streets of Zverograd, the SSU mount a desperate defense against Allied and Axis forces. From the tops of the city’s few remaining buildings, soldiers fill the air with bullets and pave the streets with blood. Combat walkers march through the alleyways and dominate city squares. Amidst the chaos of crossfire, army commanders on all sides seek new ways to seize control of key tactical locations.

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce the upcoming release of the Axis Armored Transport and the SSU’s KV-3 Heavy Walker, two tough new units for Dust Tactics and Dust Warfare!

Axis Armored Transport

Axis generals respond to the ubiquitousness of enemy fire by deploying their new Axis Armored Transport. This hulking transport unit is a new sight on battlefields around the world, and its ability to shelter valuable infantry as it carries them safely past light rifle fire has granted new tactical advantages to the Axis military.

Axis engineers have developed two primary configurations for the Armored Transport, each of which features Advanced Reactive Fire, Carry Capacity: 6, and six hit points to keep troops out of harm’s way.

The first configuration, the Prinzluther marks the game’s debut of the Command Vehicle skill. Any unit with the Command Squad skill or NCO Command Squad skill that takes shelter within its plated hull can still communicate with the outside world via the Prinzluther’s modern communications arrays, antennas, and radars. Furthermore, such a squad gains additional benefit from this extensive collection of communications technology. Not only can a squad issue directives from safely within the vehicle’s interior, it may, once per round, reroll any failed die results when checking to see if it can successfully use one of its special abilities.

The success of the Prinzluther inspired the transport’s second configuration, the Sturmprinz. The Sturmprinz is becoming ever more popular among Axis officers fighting in rough terrain. Its mobility and large transport capacity has made it one of the most popularly requested vehicles among Axis battle groups worldwide. More heavily armed than the Command variant, the Sturmprinz can transport six soldiers on the inside with its Carry Capacity, and can still carry six more Tank Riders on the outside. While only those soldiers riding on the inside receive full protection, those on the outside can use their weapons and help safeguard the Sturmprinz itself.

KV-3 Heavy Walker

Meanwhile, the SSU gains traction on the battlefield with another powerful walker capable of flushing out their foes and then holding the ground they secure. Built up from the chassis of a captured Axis “Luther,” reinforced, and equipped with the SSU’s most effective armaments, the KV-3 Heavy Walker can be configured into either the Babushka, a lethal anti-infantry machine, and the Matrioshka, which provides SSU armored divisions with a solid antitank unit.

Proud heir to a long line of heavy tanks, the KV-3 M “Babushka” was designed to break up infantry assaults with its brand new rapid-fire guns. This powerful walker can level an incredible amount of firepower against troops and lightly armored targets, though it lacks reliable antitank weapons. Nonetheless, the Babushka has enough health to weather a few shots, which is all it needs to make short work of enemy infantry.

Considered by many in the SSU to be the best caliber antitank weapon ever designed, the 152mm gun, once adapated and married to the first captured “Luther” by SSU engineers, gave birth to the famed KV-152 series. Afterwards, Soviet engineers went further, adapting it to the newly developed KV-3 chassis. Thus, the model “K” was born, and it quickly proved itself to be a deadly machine. Now, the KV-3 K “Matrioshka” is now requested by nearly all SSU armored divisions. This solid antitank unit is designed to go head-to-head against enemy armor, and it does its job well.

Together, the Babushka and Matrioshka create a force that few enemies are capable of withstanding. In tandem, these two walkers rip apart troops and vehicles alike, making the KV-3 a winning addition to SSU forces engaged in the world’s deadliest war zones.

Pre-Painted Premium Miniatures March Straight to Battle

As soon as these Dust Tactics units are available at retailers near you, we’ll also have professionally pre-painted versions available on our webstore through our Dust Tactics Premium line. Each Premium Edition miniature is painstakingly detailed according to the art scheme developed by Vincent Fontaine, master painter and Dust Studio’s Art Director. These Premium Edition miniatures are as close as you can get to the world of Dust Tactics without having to seek shelter from incoming mortars and laser fire!

Whether you wish to customize your own vehicles or field any army of battle-ready, pre-painted Premium Edition units, these upcoming expansions add muscle to your army. Look for the Axis Armored Transport and KV-3 Heavy Walker to arrive in the fourth quarter of 2012.

**Duncan_Idaho**

More like a walking SdKfz. 251/1 D.

**BrookM**

Yeah, it's a Hanomag with legs, but the description of the command version just reads like a Chimera to me.

**MightyGodzilla**

Totally new to this game (aka don't yell at me!)

Wow I really like the aesthetic of these Dust Tactic models. I really like the multi legged spider tank walkers.

What scale and what medium are models in?

**BrookM**

28mm Heroic, more or less.

Plastic for the most part, pre-primed in a single colour, assembled and all, with some loose parts for different weapon options.

**plastictrees**

The vehicles are all very detailed, hard, model kit plastic.
The infantry is, generally, more rubbery, with less crisp detail. Pretty much identical to the AT-43 or Confrontation pre-paints.

**Duncan_Idaho**

Nope, mini quality is better tha AT.

**Necros**

I kinda wish they would sell them as model kits instead of pre-built.. even if it was a special order unboxed kind of thing you order on their website.

**MightyGodzilla**

Mold injected plastic? That's pretty damn cool. Any idea about the scale of the models? 1/72 (my personal favorite), 15mm, HO Train scale, etc....

It's worth revisiting that spider tanks are pretty damn cool. And if they're mold injected plastic like model kits I might have to buy a few. I'll need another job. Or hell I might have to just open up a game store!

**BrookM**

28mm / 1:56 comes to mind, or 1:48 if looking for compatible model kits to go with the range.

**RogueRegault**

This game is very quickly becoming Axis vs. SSU with Allies as a small outlier force.

**BrookM**

Allies will get their reinforcements sooner or later. Hopefully.

**Maelstrom808**

Units available or soon available
SSU - 17
Axis - 16
Allies - 15

So not a huge difference in units, and considering the upcoming expansion is SSU vs Axis focused, it's not surprising. Patience will be rewarded, and in the meantime, Allies still have double Firedrop lists that generally wreck everything else.

oh and...

The Axis soldiers took cover as the tank approached, but to no avail. Rolling forward on its treads, the IS-48 A “Karl Marx” rounded the corner, swiveled its turret, and fired two beams of energy down the corridor that ripped through buildings and debris and metal and flesh alike. The Axis Luther exploded in a spray of shrapnel as the soldiers’ last cries were drowned by the crackle of the superheated air. The skirmish was done as soon as it had begun, and Commissar Captain Nikolaï Dimitrievich Starinov had earned yet another spotless victory.

The time has come to infuse your SSU army with a heavy dose of heroism. The SSU Hero Pack Expansion for Dust Tactics and Dust Warfare is now available at retailers everywhere and online through our webstore!

The SSU Hero Pack introduces three exceptional heroes to lead the forces of the SSU into battle. Yakov Pavlov is well known for his leadership on the battlefield, SMERSH agent Red Yana is an extraordinary fighter, and Nikolaï is a distinguished tank commander and crack shot.

Each of these extraordinary individuals greatly bolsters the strategies of the SSU forces they support. In previews, we looked at the tactics and impacts of both Yakov and Red Yana. Now, as you consider whether or not you want to deploy these heroes to the frontline, we’ll take a look at the expansion’s third hero, Commissar Captain Nikolaï Dimitrievich Starinov.

Nikolaï

While Nikolaï can theoretically join up with any SSU infantry squad with two armor to give them a little extra spine and firepower, no SSU general would dare to do so! This is because his Pilot skill makes Nikolaï far more effective behind the controls of one of the SSU’s most powerful tanks.

While piloting a tank, Nikolaï bolsters the vehicle with his Take Aim (Pilot) skill.

As an example, the IS-48 A “Karl Marx” is arguably the most powerful ground vehicle in the world, but though its Tesla weaponry can eradicate entire firing lines of troops and walkers, it can also be tricky. The tank’s Heavy Tesla Gun fires a beam of energy that tears through everything in its line up to a range of six. Still, while it functions like both a flamethrower and a laser in terms of avoiding cover, dealing massive damage, and exploding on its hits, its gunners get just two dice to make their shots count. Taking a sustained attack greatly increases your chances of success, but adding Nikolaï to the increases them even more. Furthermore, Nikolaï’s ability truly shines while firing the Karl Marx’s deadly Heavy Tesla Gun because his hits have two times as much a chance of exploding as those by any other pilot.

The SSU have labored long and hard to master the VK technology used against them by Axis forces, and as they now catch up, Nikolaï helps their forces make the most of every tank they’ve got!

Leadership You Can Use

Each of the heroes in the SSU Hero Pack Expansion possesses tremendous skills that can guide your SSU army to victory. Fielding one or more of them greatly enriches your available tactics and allows you to better customize your strategy.

The SSU Hero Pack Expansion is now available at retailers everywhere as well as online through our webstore.

Players looking to find these miniatures professionally pre-painted according to the art schemes by Vincent Fontaine, Dust Studio’s Art Director, can find them available in our Dust Premium-Edition Miniatures webstore.

**Some_Call_Me_Tim?**

Dang it. Every time I get some more Dust units finished, FFG announces even more that I want! Arrrrgh!

_Tim?

**em_en_oh_pee**

Some_Call_Me_Tim? wrote:
Dang it. Every time I get some more Dust units finished, FFG announces even more that I want! Arrrrgh!

_Tim?

I don't have that problem - I play Allies. :/

Might wind up getting some SSU, since they seem to be getting all the goodies. Who doesn't want those new KV-3 Walkers? Or the tanks?! Too nice.

**Duncan_Idaho**

Scale is 30mm or 1:48.

**RogueRegault**

Do pilots get to exit vehicles in game?

When you figure it out, Take Aim is an extra 1 in 9 chance per die to hit. Don't know if that's worth a hero slot and half the cost of a tank.

**Pael**

Yes heros can disembark and embark just like soldier units in a transport. Page 20 of Zverograd book.

**judgedoug**

Duncan_Idaho wrote:
Nope, mini quality is better tha AT.

As the owner of about a thousand AT-43 and Dust figures, they are pretty much exactly the same, with AT-43 having better quality sculpts from the last few releases (most notably, the Oni Super Zombies and Cog Gunmen and Hunters). Dust are a little more pliable (with the exception of the first run of AT-43 plastics, which were really bendy), which made it very easy when I converted a ton of the Laser Grenadiers into ONI Korps infantry.

**Duncan_Idaho**

Then you mast have different thousands than me. The quality and detail has gotten better since AT. Flash is less, details on minis are visibly better, etc.

**judgedoug**

Duncan_Idaho wrote:
Then you mast have different thousands than me. The quality and detail has gotten better since AT. Flash is less, details on minis are visibly better, etc.

If you don't have any of the Rackham Entertainment releases that I mentioned, then that's probably true.

**Alpharius**

I'm confused now - who has the latest sculpts and paints, and which are better?

**judgedoug**

Alpharius, doesn't matter, as Rackham & Rackham Entertainment have ceased to exist and AT-43 is no longer available.

I am by no means saying DUST figures aren't high quality - they are VERY high quality and very cheap (especially when ordered online - miniaturemarket.com for instance is where I get my DUST figures, and usually at 30% off)