United States

NB: THIS IS A PREORDER PRODUCT AND RELEASES IN LATE NOVEMBER Bring death from above and support the US Fireflies with the heavily armed Linebacker Jump Walker! Following the disastrous drop assault on Collegno in 1946, the limitations of the original M2 Mudskipper series became clear. While a perfectly satisfactory design, the Firefly jump infantry were in need of more versatile fire support when they dropped into combat. American designers developed an extensive series of refits for the Mudskipper to increase its tactical flexibility. An M21 Tesla cannon and innovative new universal mounts for secondary weapons enabled the walker to be quickly configured to face a wide variety of threats, more articulated legs and feet were much more resilient to the pressures of high-impact landings, and a new control system enabled it to be piloted by a single crewman without loss of utility. The new variant was dubbed the M2A5, and officially considered a continuation of the Mudskipper line rather than a distinct vehicle, but crews and Firefly troopers alike quickly dubbed it the ‘Linebacker’. The combat debut of the new model came in May 1947 when 200 Linebackers were rushed to the front line to help breach Axis lines during the siege of Stuttgart during Operation Valentine. This highly detailed, multi-part plastic kit allows you to assemble a Linebacker armed with its signature M21 Light Tesla Cannon on one arm, and any from a variety of options on the other, Twin HMGs, Twin Automatic Cannons, or Twin Super Bazookas. It also mounts an MMG in the “nose”, which can be substituted for a flamethrower. The model comes with a clear plastic canopy (which can be assembled hinged), allowing you to see the pilot nestled inside. In games of Konflikt ’47, a Linebacker is a formidable weapon, capable of darting around the battlefield thanks to its jump mechanic, or even deploying anywhere on the table from Reserve to bring its firepower to where you need it most. Coupling this mobility with its Light Tesla Cannon means you can exhaust a Rift Die and unleash a deadly Tesla Arc.

Fast and lightweight, the Pondskater was designed to replace scout cars in US service, a task at which it has excelled.

While lightly armed and armoured, its speed is its primary defence, and in the hands of a skilled crew, a Pondskater is a very slippery customer indeed!

The US army has poured substantial resources into their Armoured Infantry programme and is now producing specialist armour with enhanced radios for its commanders. Enabling the creation of entire battalions of armoured companies, any platoon that contains at least two Armoured Infantry squads may be led by an Armoured Officer instead of the normal officer HQ selection.

When the scientists leading the Rift-tech Tesla weapons programme offered the US military a lighter and smaller version of the Tesla cannon that had been so successful on the Sherman chassis, the military leapt at the opportunity. The addition of the Tesla cannon on the M8 gave recce units more firepower and an increased versatility against infantry whilst maintaining enough anti-tank capability to threaten their Axis counterparts such as the Spinne and Puma. The lack of recoil in the Tesla Scout system meant very little work was needed on the chassis, although the weight of the batteries has shortened the lifespan of the vehicle’s suspension and gearbox; a worthwhile sacrifice from the crew’s perspective.