Seeking shelter from an Axis Ludwig, Allied Captain Joseph Brown led his tattered squad into an abandoned warehouse. He turned to his comm officer. “Call in, and let them know we’ve got a combat walker pinning us down out there.” His officer started to reply, but his voice was drowned out by the sounds of wood shattering and the rapport of heavy machine guns. Three Axis soldiers marched heavily into the warehouse. It was difficult to see them for the darkness and obstructing rows of crates, but they appeared to be wearing some kind of heavy armor…

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce that reinforcements are on their way! In the fourth quarter of 2011, two armored squads will storm their way into Dust Tactics . The Allied Red Devils represent the British 3rd Paratroop Brigade while the Axis Heavy Recon Grenadiers excel at hunting down enemy squads.

As Axis forces launch a massive invasion of Scapa Flow, hoping to steal top-secret ASOCOM technology from the Allies, both sides unveil advanced, new battle armor and weaponry. But this new technology is expensive and difficult to produce, meaning generals have to think carefully how best to utilize their armored squads in the war.

Squad killers

The Axis Heavy Recon Grenadiers march onto the battlefield in some of the toughest armor in the game. Their battle suits grant them damage resilience and render them immune to Allied small arms munitions. Even at close range, they can shrug off some enemy machine gun fire. Then, when they retaliate with their MG 44 zwei, the response is lethal.

While their MG 44 zwei fails to threaten the more heavily armored combat walkers, a shrewd general knows there are better uses for the Heavy Recon Grenadiers than confronting walkers. Their combination of armor and weaponry makes them an excellent unit for neutralizing enemy squads, and with the rules for structures introduced in Operation SeeLöwe , the Heavy Recon Grenadiers can take the fight to squads in places where walkers can’t go.

Dropping in for a blast

Parachuting into the thick of battle, the Allied Red Devils sport battle armor and 60W Phaser Guns to survive the initial rush of Axis infantry and send great pulses of energy blasting through the streets of Scapa Flow. If they manage to drop in close enough to their enemies, the Red Devils can also use Rocket Punches to crash through the hulls of the heaviest walkers.

Players commanding this paratroop brigade will want to time their arrival for maximum impact. Their battle armor may protect them from light infantry weapons, but the squad is best utilized against armored targets, not enemy squads. Their phaser weapons allow the Red Devils to target any medium walker–and even some heavy walkers–at range, and those they can’t blast with their phasers, they can slam with their rocket punches. The general’s job will be to keep them out of harm’s way long enough to let them smash through key enemy units.

Enter the hero

Both the Red Devils and Heavy Recon Grenadiers provide players new options for getting the most out of their armored heroes. And heroes who join these squads may provide them the guidance and grit they need to reach and eliminate their primary targets.

Allied players should consider guiding their Red Devils with the premium hero from the Summer 2011 Game Night Kits , Action Jackson .

Axis players can explore the benefits of having their Heavy Recon Grenadiers follow the lead of armored hero, Lara Walter , from the Revised Core Set .

Whether a hero joins these units or not, their battle suits give them the edge you need to take the fight to your enemy. Look for the Red Devils and Heavy Recon Grenadiers to blast onto the battlefront in the fourth quarter of 2011!