Basic infantry do not grab headlines, yet they quietly decide battles.
In a game full of mechs and Rift-tech, rifle squads still carry scenarios. They hold ground, plug gaps, and punish monsters that slip through. Moreover, they shape your army’s story on the table. Consequently, they are the glue that keeps your flashy tools working.
Same Names, New Purpose
It is tempting to view Konflikt ’47 infantry through a Bolt Action lens. However, their job differs in this weirder war. In Bolt Action, riflemen are your core assault and scoring engine. In Konflikt ’47, they live in optional slots and supporting platoons, yet they matter just as much. Therefore, they anchor plans while power armour and walkers chase glory.
K47’s fractured setting rewards kitbashing and bold themes. You can portray veterans skeptical of Rift-tech or units starved of supply. Additionally, you can mix parts across plastic ranges and sprinkle in K47 bits for instant 1947 vibes. Field repairs, scavenged gear, and unique weathering sell your narrative. Ultimately, every squad becomes a vignette as dice turn story into purpose.
Roles That Win Scenarios
Objectives need bodies more than brilliance. A cheap rifle squad can march, sit, and score while elites roam. For example, Veteran Riflemen with a pair of BARs stay tough and threatening at range. Meanwhile, your premium walkers and power armour focus on decisive fights. Consequently, you free firepower without abandoning mission play.
Monsters terrify, yet infantry tame them with launchers. British PRIAMs, Axis panzerfausts, Japanese Yoroi-kumi, Soviet RPG-1s, or American ATRDs add bite. Shaped Charge still mauls Rift horrors like Schreckwulfen on twos. Furthermore, Anti-Tank Launchers let small squads unleash a d6 volley once, spiking damage on elite targets. With a timely officer Luck point and point-blank positioning, ordinary soldiers swing matchups.
Veteran squads also tax your opponent’s clock. A ten-man Stubborn unit in cover soaks orders as well as fire. Push early in a carrier, dismount onto an objective, and screen with the transport. However, you do not need to win the firefight outright. You only need to force multiple enemy activations away from your key assets. Therefore, your anchors convert time into victory points.
Even heavy armour can be bullied. Inexperienced Tough Fighters with Tank Hunter threaten stationary behemoths like the Wotan. Yes, you will lose models getting in. However, a swarm can land a Pen 9 result against its 11+ value. Soviet Guts boosts make the charge nastier still. It is risky, but four throwaway squads can pressure a single super-heavy and reshape the board.
Cheap Bodies, Harsh Tradeoffs
Shirkers cut points but demand care. They double Pins and test for every order. On paper, they look disastrous. Nevertheless, a twelve-man unit for sixty points is real scenario tech. Park them on a backfield objective in cover and let them waste enemy orders. They will not win fights, yet they can win missions by existing and absorbing attention.
The Company They Keep
Basic infantry thread through more than Assault Platoons. Recce and Engineer Platoons boost bodies without robbing Specialist slots. Artillery and Heavy Weapons formations are often crewed by these same troops. A humble Heavy AT gun still slings Pen 6 across the board. Moreover, guns and howitzers only fire because someone brave carries shells under fire. Even Rift-tech lists collapse without that backbone.
Closing Thoughts
Konflikt ’47 dazzles with walkers, power armour, and Rift lightning. Still, match points are earned by squads that move, hold, and trade. Riflemen bind plans, bait monsters, and bleed time from enemy activations. Additionally, they are your best modeling canvas, telling your army’s story amid crackling weird science. In the end, the extraordinary needs the ordinary to function. This is why there will always be room for the rifleman.
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