I may do all the writing around here, but I am not the one running around shooting and blowing stuff up. I leave that kind of stuff to the experts. I have noticed that when it comes to the Dust 1947 game there is actually surprisingly little information out there when it comes to paint jobs and tactics. I decided to try and fill that gap like a WWE wrestler coming into the ring, but lets be honest it's more like a high school wrestling match. I would attempt to help alleviate some of this issue with some tactica discussion and insights that I see in my local meta (mostly my living room). This is all my personal opinion and in no way should inform you on what is going to help you take over the world of super-competitive game tables, but maybe I can give you an idea you didn't think about. Who better to start with than the tip of the American (Allied technically, but still mostly American!) spear, the United States Marine Corp. Semper Fi!
Thankfully, the USMC Demolition squad's job is not something I would consider on the subtle side of warfare. If you go for a pickup game or to a tournament, you are gonna run into walking tin cans and tanks that have something against you. I can't think of a better way to remove them than by running up to them and handing them a present in a shape of a dufflebag full of boom. The unit is competitively pointed at 5 AP and is easily slotted into marine-based armies. The 31 dice you will get against infantry 1 at range 2 is going to pretty much remove them unless they get some great cover saves and they have a hero to soak some of the pain.
These boys may have a tough job getting up a board that isn't the standard two mat game unless they are supported. Newer scenarios like the ones in Paradise Lost have the boards getting bigger with more distance to cover, but I believe that the Allies have some decent tools to help make up for this. One of the easiest ways to do this is put a tank in front of them to block line of sight or throw them in a heavy walker with transport. I think that both of these options will slow the unit down and potentially create an opportunity cost of not just getting up the board, but it is better to have them as an option than to see them die fruitlessly.
Obviously, just throwing in a hero will help considerably by giving the unit some added durability from the Hero's wounds. Due to the close nature of their jobs I think that any of the heroes with close range weapons like shotguns and machetes will do the job very well. I honestly think that in some form or another, all of the marine or infantry 1 heroes can facilitate this unit fairly well, but lets take a more focused look.
The main goal of the unit is to come in and either blow up a unit or tank without being shot or blown up before they get there. Diver gives the unit access to infantry ace which gives the squad that perfect long bomb 5 square run and smash or a even better 3 square sustained attack. If you are using Diver's platoon you have the added benefit of being immune to suppression thanks to his Brave, otherwise the squad will get his 3 dice for brave, or brave from the USMC platoon.
Machete Mack comes in two flavors, angry or angrier. Wonderfully, the melee-orientated and the range-orientated ones both help the squad out with scout and trail blazer. This means that if you are playing on a smaller map and your opponent gets a little frisky and puts something within 5 of your deployment zone then you get to give them a present. Since the unit will most likely get hit hard after they do the deed, I think the cheaper 7 AP melee Mack may be a slightly better choice since the charge may put him out of position for the officer actions. It just means you get to watch the guy take his shirt off!
Trail blazer also gives you the hilarious opportunity to run through enemy units and get to units your opponent didn't even think were at risk. Sweet command squad you got behind your tanks, don't mind me blowing them up! Mack can also help the squad out if he is not joined to them with his officer actions. Move the unit up aggressively and just pray that you can get the reactivate action off. This isn't encouraged unless the Demolition squad can place itself in some cover or out of line of sight just in case the reactivate doesn't go off, but sometimes you just have to go for that Hail Mary.
Frank comes with nothin's easy to ignore suppression and has a pleasant point cost of 7 AP. His gun is great at mowing down and suppressing units that get in the way, but that is about where it ends. The ability to ignore suppression can be pivitol at certain points, but I believe the previous two heroes help this unit just reach that the next level of pain.
Jimmy and Tom can also be used as wound soakers and extra firepower, but they are obviously better suited for being in walkers so I would use one of the others before them.
USMC Demolition Squad
Da Good
- Solid infantry-based anti-tank choice.
- Can obliterate most infantry in close range easily.
- Competitive point cost at 5 AP.
- Movement 3/5
- Great choice for the marine-based platoons due to gaining brave or fearless with Diver.
Da Bad
- Infantry 1 is squishy, but that's not their fault.
- No medium or long-range firepower.
- Due to threat to armor and the majority of infantry, will have target on their back from the very beginning.
Thoughts and Ideas
Thankfully, the USMC Demolition squad's job is not something I would consider on the subtle side of warfare. If you go for a pickup game or to a tournament, you are gonna run into walking tin cans and tanks that have something against you. I can't think of a better way to remove them than by running up to them and handing them a present in a shape of a dufflebag full of boom. The unit is competitively pointed at 5 AP and is easily slotted into marine-based armies. The 31 dice you will get against infantry 1 at range 2 is going to pretty much remove them unless they get some great cover saves and they have a hero to soak some of the pain.
These boys may have a tough job getting up a board that isn't the standard two mat game unless they are supported. Newer scenarios like the ones in Paradise Lost have the boards getting bigger with more distance to cover, but I believe that the Allies have some decent tools to help make up for this. One of the easiest ways to do this is put a tank in front of them to block line of sight or throw them in a heavy walker with transport. I think that both of these options will slow the unit down and potentially create an opportunity cost of not just getting up the board, but it is better to have them as an option than to see them die fruitlessly.
Obviously, just throwing in a hero will help considerably by giving the unit some added durability from the Hero's wounds. Due to the close nature of their jobs I think that any of the heroes with close range weapons like shotguns and machetes will do the job very well. I honestly think that in some form or another, all of the marine or infantry 1 heroes can facilitate this unit fairly well, but lets take a more focused look.
The main goal of the unit is to come in and either blow up a unit or tank without being shot or blown up before they get there. Diver gives the unit access to infantry ace which gives the squad that perfect long bomb 5 square run and smash or a even better 3 square sustained attack. If you are using Diver's platoon you have the added benefit of being immune to suppression thanks to his Brave, otherwise the squad will get his 3 dice for brave, or brave from the USMC platoon.
Machete Mack comes in two flavors, angry or angrier. Wonderfully, the melee-orientated and the range-orientated ones both help the squad out with scout and trail blazer. This means that if you are playing on a smaller map and your opponent gets a little frisky and puts something within 5 of your deployment zone then you get to give them a present. Since the unit will most likely get hit hard after they do the deed, I think the cheaper 7 AP melee Mack may be a slightly better choice since the charge may put him out of position for the officer actions. It just means you get to watch the guy take his shirt off!
Trail blazer also gives you the hilarious opportunity to run through enemy units and get to units your opponent didn't even think were at risk. Sweet command squad you got behind your tanks, don't mind me blowing them up! Mack can also help the squad out if he is not joined to them with his officer actions. Move the unit up aggressively and just pray that you can get the reactivate action off. This isn't encouraged unless the Demolition squad can place itself in some cover or out of line of sight just in case the reactivate doesn't go off, but sometimes you just have to go for that Hail Mary.
Frank comes with nothin's easy to ignore suppression and has a pleasant point cost of 7 AP. His gun is great at mowing down and suppressing units that get in the way, but that is about where it ends. The ability to ignore suppression can be pivitol at certain points, but I believe the previous two heroes help this unit just reach that the next level of pain.
Jimmy and Tom can also be used as wound soakers and extra firepower, but they are obviously better suited for being in walkers so I would use one of the others before them.
Conclusion
Yup, units solid in my book and will be in almost every marine list I make. Thankfully, Mack's platoon can use them as one of the combat choices, and they fulfill the role that I love as a movement 3 infantry unit. Do to my giving nature, I think that throwing a bag filled with presents is just something that really speaks to me. I believe this custom should be shared throughout all gaming communities.
Maybe I am crazy (like Jimmy), but I am always willing to listen to what other people think. What do you guys think about these crazy devil dogs? Leave a comment and be sure to sign up to get notifications when I finish writing one of these things.
I would expect a painting guide for these guys soon since I had a real tough time trying to figure out what the studio did for their paint jobs.
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