Bolt Action: Armies of the Soviet Union: Third Edition is out now. Not picked up yours yet? Check out one last teaser from Warlord Games...

We’re continuing our series looking at the wonderful things you can find within the upcoming Armies of the Soviet Union: Third Edition. We’ve checked out the national special rules, and taken the road less travelled with some weird and wonderful units, and now it’s time to look at some changes – units which have seen a significant alteration from their original appearance in Bolt Action. We’ve also got a ‘bonus’ look at a couple of bits of iconic Soviet kit at the end!

Officer Team

We’ll start with the bosses – the good old Officer Team. These staples of every single Bolt Action force have undergone the same makeover as their enemies and allies in the Armies of… series, but with a Soviet twist!

Your Third Edition Officer can now have up to four comrades supporting him in action, with a choice of rifles, submachine guns, and pistols for all. Naturally, they also have the full range of Hammer & Sickle options as well. All this gives them the potential to fill several important niches, from low-cost pure ‘command’ roles to being kitted out as hard-hitting ‘kill squads’ to deal with high priority targets, but it’s the ability to take SN-42 body armour (if commanding Engineers) and the Victory Banner that makes them properly Soviet! With these, you can build them to be a lynchpin that anchors the morale of your force, or a hard-as-nails unit tasked with wading into the thick of the fighting alongside their troops. 

NKVD Squad

Sticking with the theme of keeping the troops in line, we’ve got the NKVD Squad. These feared political troops are one of the pillars of Hammer & Sickle, and of course they also have their own dedicated ‘core’ infantry squad.

At face value, they’re a really useful unit – Inexperienced or Regular troops with the Fanatics rule will always have a place in a force looking to get up close and personal with the enemy – and can either be equipped for fighting at range with rifles and an LMG, or for close quarters killing with as many SMGs as you like. They’re also one of the main beneficiaries of the new Guard Dogs, allowing them to spot Hidden enemies at a whopping 24”, and gaining Tough Fighters into the bargain!

Scout Squad

Finally, we’ve got the Scout Squad, much feared in the opening months of Third Edition for their ability to be tough, well-armed, and right up in your face courtesy of Infiltrators. These chaps have seen a pretty significant adjustment to bring them into line, while retaining their renowned ability to get across the table in a hurry.

No more mass Infiltrators, but one squad per Platoon can still get their sneak on if they’re kept as a 4-man unit. Instead, as a default, Scouts get Scouts Lead the Way which, as the name suggests, is just like the American Rangers Lead the Way! If that wasn’t enough ways to get them way up the board, they’ve also got Behind Enemy Lines to make Outflanking easier, meaning they really can turn up from anywhere.

Banners & Breastplates

At the start of this article, we touched on the Victory Banner and SN-42 body armour – let’s have a look at exactly what they do!

The Victory Banner is nice and simple – a buff to Morale to any unit in range that can see it – and a great opportunity to include a standard bearer in your force. It’s a universal wargaming truth that any army is improved by a nice flag, and no Soviet collection is complete without at least one red banner flying above it.

SN-42 body armour is a great bit of gear to have around if you’re planning to get stuck in with your Engineer Platoons at close range. Best used on Veterans to give them a serious survivability boost, it makes units wearing it a very tough proposition for most traditional anti-infantry weapons, forcing your opponent to commit heavy weaponry to dealing with them. That in turn opens up all manner of wonderful tactical possibilities. Wearing big lumps of metal does slow a man down, however, so it’s definitely worth investing in a couple of transports for your armoured troops, to get them where they need to be.

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Bolt Action: Armies of the Soviet Union is out now in the UK & US.

Read all about army special rules and weird & wonderful units in previous design diaries.

Browse Warlord Games' official miniatures on their website.

Explore the rest of Third Edition here.

• Bolt Action
• Design Diary