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No, in this time line Hitler is an undead ghost, all armies use upgraded weapon variants of their 1944 armaments (US having M1 assault rifles, the Germans modified MP44's etc.) and aliens plan to take over the world!

Forge World Newsletter #296

Mikhail Kalashnikov started working on what would become the AK-47 already in 1945. What is the year in DT?

Some more Dust releases have been unveiled:

Last month, we announced the release of a new playable faction for Dust Tactics, the Sino-Soviet Union (SSU). Today, we are thrilled to announce more reinforcements for the SSU, and a welcomed addition for Allied commanders. The SSU Specialists, SSU Rifle squad, and also the SSU Hero Pack join the SSU forces. Meanwhile, the Allies gain a new Medium Combat Walker that can be deployed in two awesome variants: the Cobra and the Rattler.

The latest additions
The soldiers of the SSU have a strong affinity for sniper rifles. In fact, the SSU fields their snipers in pairs rather than teamed with a spotter. This gives the SSU Sniper Team more raw firepower than the Axis or Allies sniper teams. Softening the enemy front and even damaging walkers, the SSU Sniper Team is a valuable addition to any SSU force.



Directing artillery is the main purpose of the SSU Observer Team. These two man units find and relay the positions of vulnerable targets to the SSU’s biggest and most destructive guns. Many generals have cursed their lack of foresight for ignoring these seemingly harmless squads in favor of more obvious threats, a mistake most do not live long enough to make twice.

Accomplished longshots
Picking off opponents from afar, the SSU Rifle Squad uses two Widowmaker rifles rather than the assault weapons like flamethrowers or heavy machine guns. The advantage of reach can be pivotal on the battlefield, and the SSU Rifle Squad can engage many enemies before they are in range to return fire.



Far from defenseless in a close-quarters battle this squad unleashes their light machine guns in order to rip apart foes that get too close. The grizzled soldiers that make up the SSU Rifle Squad are prepared for any battlefield situation.

The heroes of the SSU
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. In fact, he is the first Legendary Tactician in Dust Tactics. In addition, his Acid Thrower melts any soldier or vehicle that stands in his way on the battleground.

SMERSH agent Red Yana is an extraordinary fighter. When she has an advantage in a battle, she knows how to capitalize on it, carrying out relentless assaults. Brandishing a Grenade Launcher, she is quite capable of leading a squad in an absolutely devastating offensive.

One of the rising stars of the SSU, distinguished tank commander Nikolaï is a crack shot. Although some walkers may be tougher or more agile than his, no pilot can match his uncanny marksmanship. When Nikolaï engages an enemy walker, it’s a safe bet that the enemy will be reduced to a mere pile of scrap.



Great strides
Two new walkers are available in the MCW M3 expansion. To combat airborne threats, the Allies have developed the Rattler, a Medium Walker that fulfills an anti-aircraft role. The 40mm AA gun has abundant reach, and this tank also has ample anti-troop capabilities. The pilots of the Rattler must have superior reflexes in order to ground flying threats, and they receive ample training reacting to rapidly changing combat conditions.

Mounting a large Phaser weapon to a walker produces an intimidating creation. The Cobra is that creation, and it is utterly destructive. While Phaser technology can be somewhat unpredictable, when a blast from the Cobra’s 180 Watt Phaser Gun hits its target, the value of this advanced weapon cannot be denied. No doubt Axis and SSU commanders will be well aware of this electrifying walker.



Additionally, the MCW M3 expansion comes with pontoons to convert either walker variant into an Amphibious Unit. These units can move over land and water with ease, giving the Allies a new advantage in the global conflict.

These new expansions offer SSU and Allied commanders new paths to victory. Remember, these units, and all of the Dust Tactics units, can be used in the upcoming Dust Warfare. These new Dust Tactics units will be available in the second quarter of 2012, after the initial SSU expansions detailed in the previous Dust Tactics announcement article. Check back next month to see the devastating new Axis walker!

If I recall correctly it fires a large ball of electricity at its targets. I'll need to ask Mel for a confirmation on this though. sweatdrop

In a nutshell Dust Tactics uses special dice of which four facings are left blank, while the remaining two have cross hairs on them. In most cases, unless specified otherwise, to hit and pass any other test you need to roll cross hairs on your dice.

Now lasers have the "laser" effect, meaning that for every cross hair you roll you may re-roll that die to see if you do additional damage. Say my five laser grenadiers fire at five Recon Boys, meaning they each roll one die. I get three blanks and two hits. I may now re-roll the hits and get another hit, meaning I do three damage on the Recon Boys unit.

Phasers are energy weapons that have a different way of firing. Most phaser weapons have a stat-line that lists their rate of fire as Y-Z where Y represents the amount of dice you may roll per firing sequence and Z representing the amount of damage dice you may roll per cross hair you roll. For example, my Honey is about to open fire on that same squad of laser grenadiers because ******** those guys! It's 120W Phaser gun has a rating of 2-3 when firing at infantry, meaning I first get to roll two dice to see if I hit and then get to roll three die per hit made to see how much damage I wreak on those techno krauts.

As for the SSU walker with flame weapons, if it is anything like the Allied Hot Dog it will eat through anything with ease.

When do we get pictures of the SSU walkers? :]

Any news on any Brit/Jap armies?