Panzergrenadier Zug & Fliegerfaust Grupper review.
For those of you following a ‘Tale of 2 Leopards (If not why not!) , you will know that BF has given Breakthrough Assault some Leopard goodies for review/preview. I have been hard at work on the 2 x Panzergrenadier Platoons (Zugs) and a Fliegerfaust Grupper. So without further a do lets see what you get in each blister.
Panzergrenadier Zug,
Each Zug can make 3 x MG Panzerfaust teams plus 2 x Milan teams and will be on sale late July for £8.00. Additionally each blister also contains an HQ team to act as your company command. Here is what you get,
I was impressed with the casts, which were clean with minimal flash allowing a very quick clean up. I hate this process and I was pleasantly surprised how quickly I could get them ready for priming. There are a nice variety of poses, including some firing rockets as well as prone MG teams. I was slightly disappointed to find no back blast on the Milan model in the same way as the US Dragon. I quite liked the effect.
Game wise the platoon is on the small side but makes up for it with its punch. Capable general AT rockets, MGs and 2 x AT21 Milan shots means that this little platoon has quite the punch. Thats even before you add their Marders to the equation. I certainly wont be leaving home without a platoon of these.
The blister also serves a dual purpose and can be made up as a Panzeraufklarungs Kug which swaps the Marders for the wheeled Fuchs and swaps a Milan for more MG teams.
Fliegerfaust Grupper
This blister contains enough models to assemble 6 x redeye teams to make a Fliegerfaust Grupper at a cost of £16.50 and released in late July. Attached to your infantry platoons these give you some point defence AA with ROF FP5+. Basically a German version of the Soviet Gremlin team. Here is what you get.
The models have very similar poses to the Gremlin teams with both standing and kneeling launchers, plus some supporting riflemen and a NCO looking through his binoculars. Again the casts were clean and a dream to clean up.
What I do like about these teams is that they have quite a presence on the table. Assembled on a large base with 6 models (3 with launchers) the stand feels suitably busy. It also makes my Panzergenadier Zug feel a bit bigger when attached!
To take these models in your list you must first field Gepards and/or Rolands. Basically you can take as many Redeye teams as you have Rolands & Gepards. When ive been making lists ive found them a great way to spend the remaining few points you have in your army. They may not be hugely powerful but their long range helps to create a over lapping field of fire with your Rolands/Gepards. Also if you don’t have the Marders and their Anti helicopter rule because you have gone with a Panzeraufklarungs Kug, they become a really nice cheap anti helicopter option.
Painting
I basically followed the painting guide in the Leopard book using the Vallejo conversion chart for the Team Yankee colours I don’t have. Also I swear by Lifecolour’s NATO Green, the BF on seems way to bright.
The inf were all attached to lollipop sticks with blue tac and primed black. Then using an airbrush, I base coated them in Grenadier Green which is very similar to Vallejo Green Grey. The webbing, Milans and launchers were painted with Cobra Drab and the G3 rifles and helmets with NATO green. I used GW flesh for the skin as it has a lot of pigment and goes on well over the base coat. Finally the boots were painted back and a dark grey was applied to the metal parts of the weapons.
Next all models were washed with ordnance shade (similar to Army Painter Dark Tone) and left to dry. I then highlighted the uniform the original colour to brighten it up. The webbing and launchers were highlighted with a 50/50 mix of Cobra Drab and US Drab. The faces were highlighted with the base colour and the helmets drybrushed with NATO green to bring out the netting.
It was a really simple process but I think produced some good results. I based them with a mix of bushes and flowers. I also added a single tuft of purple heather to the stand of the platoon commanders to make them stand out, rather then have to paint something on the base.
Conclusion
The new German Infantry certainly meets the high standards that were set with the US and Soviet. Nice clearn suplts with sharp detail make them quick and easy to paint. All the better to get them on the table to face the hordes of the USSR. The Panzergenadiers my be a small platoon but pack a real punch especially when you add the Marder to the equation. The Redeyes add to the already mpressive German AA and should stop those pesky hinds and SU25s plugging your Leopard 2s!