Join Matt and myself as we discuss the new British rules and how you should adapt your army!
First of all we apologize for any audio issues we are still getting used to this format, the lapel mics are in the mail!
World War III – British – Advice for New Players
Beyond my advice in the video I wanted to give some more targeted advice in this article about the best place to start when building a British army. This will be for players who want a tank army as well as those looking for a cheaper infantry-based force.
For both groups I highly recommend the British Challenger 2 Starter Box as it has a ton of vital or utility pieces for either approach
- Initial Cost: Challenger 2 Starter: $120
This gives you some heavy hitters in the Challenger 1s and 2s as well as more base line units for a tank formation. The Gazelles are great for more aggressive lists, and the Paladins can provide some great (if pricey) self-propelled artillery. From here it really depends on which way you want to go next
Infantry Armies
- Mechanised infantry Platoons -2 or 3 ($27.50 ea.)
- Commando and Parachute Support Weapons – 1 ($39.00)
- 105mm Field Battery – 1 ($39.00)
Wile not a complete army this give you a really solid base to find out what you like to play and what you need. With the Challenger 2 box you have a lot of options in how you build your lists and to round out some gnarly infantry lists. The infantry platoon boxes allow you to build any British infantry options which is just amazing! The only limitation is that if you want to go in a mechanised force you will need some transports but I don’t think that is required for the Brits given how good the Commandos and Paras are. All told this (plus the Challenger 2 box runs you between $253-$280)
Tank Armies
- Challenger Armoured Squadron or Challenger 2 Starter – ($120)
- Chieftain Armoured Troop -( $55)
- Anti-Air (Choose 1)
- Tracked Rapier – ($68)
- Towed Rapier – ($23 (x2))
- Spartan Troop – ($44)
- Mechanised infantry Platoons -($27.50)
For tank armies you can go in a few directions. If you want to focus on the Challenger 1 you can go with the Challenger 1 Starter, or just buy another copy of the Challenger 2 Starter. I think the Chieftain formation is a strong option as it is much cheaper and the strength of the Brits is their infantry. The nice thing is that either starter gets you enough Warriors to combine with an infantry box to build a mechanised unit. The one point in favor of the Challenger 1 Armoured Squadron is that it gives you enough Challenger 1s to run a full formation on its own.
This army is more expensive, you are looking at around $367-$390) with some flexibility (you could drop the Chieftains if you know you want to lean into the better British tanks.
World War III – British – Advice for Current Players
- Challenger 2 Starter: ($120)
- Commando and Parachute Support Weapons – 1 ($39.00)
- Towed Rapier – ($23 (x2))
- 105mm Field Battery – x2 ($39.00 ea.)
- Mechanised infantry Platoons -($27.50) If you have less than 3 already
For the returning British player there are a lot of things worth buying here. It’s hard not to say “buy everything!” as the new kits are 100% worth your time. I would prioritize things in the following way. The Challenger 2 starter has bunch of the high impact units with the new helos being an intriguing option (plus you can sell of the extra units you may not need).
I think the new infantry focus makes the Commando and Para weapons options a must-buy alongside the 105s as they make for a tough formation. You could probably slim down your 105s if you wanted to focus on the mortars. The Mechanised platoon box is just there if you don’t have 3 already as a large para or commando formation looks very strong!
I am not 100% sold on the Apaches as they are expensive and their ability to remove Gone to Ground conflicts with their missiles, and most players are assuming the Brits will be running Harriers and bring AA anyway, so choose wisely. I think Towed Rapiers may be a really strong option going forward, especially if you want to save points for more infantry or tank goodies.
