Project Draftdodger: Part 3

See here for part 2.

 

In part 1, I described Krieg Combat Engineers as something adjacent to Kasrkin or Scions, and on reflection, that’s a touch misleading. Combat Engineers do have a similar statline to those elite units, and a similar position as a small specialist squad rather than the rank & file. Engineers however end up a bit more low tech by comparison, and regular Krieg have more direct and more diverse firepower per point, depending on how you count. What Combat Engineers have instead are a number of otherwise uncommon weapon types and an obscene amount of explosives. These are basically trench raiders, with a Scout move and are technically capable of being equipped as a mêlée unit, but are actually known for putting a significant amount of mortal wounds on something.

 

Having decided that Bulldogs would be a good basis for such a unit, I decided to experiment in kitbashing a minimum sized squad and its weapons. The combat shotguns were an initial problem, as the Bulldog rifles where the wrong shape, and I struggled to source an alternative I liked. The Stargrave Mercenaries sprue did present an option I would later return to, but in the meantime I opted to modify some cannon fodder guns with new barrels and drum mags. These looked pretty good, and this gave me confidence to try making a handflamer, but I really should have remembered how delicate such work is. This is why you start small, so you can catch bugs before you go all in. With the remote bomb and operator I got a bit silly. The bomb is a glorified token, so it doesn't matter too much what it looks like, while the operator just needs a remote. Thus I built a crude carriage with a skull on it, (sourced from old Imperial Strongpoint terrain IIRC,) and then plonked a resin bit that resembles artillery shell on top. Yes. This is oversized and dumb. But it's clear what it does. The operator meanwhile got a PDA to control it, and a cup of tea to enjoy.

 

 

Look engineers are builders, right? Same thing. Builder’s tea is a thing. They are already wearing high visibility orange. What more do you want? For me to take the setting seriously?

Anyways, As I noted last update, I wanted to batch paint my models, so I made another squad of five along largely the same lines. I used the aforementioned stargrave option for shotguns, something that eased the process. There aren't many of those per box though, so as and when I make more, I'll probably have to go for cannon fodder kitbash anyway. I'm not planning to make more immediately though, as I want to playtest them a bit first. One concern I have is diminishing returns on a third squad, as you can't use a stratagem twice in a phase, and if you're running three sets of engineers, that’s a limitation you will feel. There's also the somewhat unusual way these squads scale up to 10; you don't get more bombs or specialist weapons, but you do get 5 shotgun dudes for a piddling 25 points. Its not mandatory, but I can see a case for extra bodies for improved objective play. Some minor tweaking to both sets on the Wednesday was then followed by leisurely painting over the week. The plasma pistols proved a recurring problem though, not staying on or together, prompting modifications rather late in the process. While I did attempt to sculpt some additional armour in places, I don't think it came through very well. That said, they turned out OK. I don't think I’m really getting better as such, but I am getting more efficient. At the very least I was glad of some new brushes I got recently, tiny ones help with the goggles and such.

Speaking of rules and play testing, I am still impatient for my copy of the new codex. In the absence of a general release, I decided to source a loose special edition example from eBay. At time of writing, I have yet to receive it, but assuming nowt goes wrong, I'll be in the position to play test in time for the next update. The continued absence of a release date and base size for both the Krieg Command and Krieg Heavy Weapons is also an irritation. I have ideas with respects to these, and I may deviate from my original plan. I find myself leaning towards the "Castellan Command Blob" as a backfield option, but we'll see. I don't think I need two Krieg Commands if I properly modernise my existing two Platoon Commands. Of course, GW would post a preview for a pre-order a few days after I ordered the codex, mere minutes after I finalised this paragraph.

 

I thought something like that might happen. 

Still, I don't think I overpaid, and I should have the last of the information I need by Sunday.

Up next: Krieg battleline.