Iron Cross Command Cards Preview

by NDNG_Dane

Let’s take a look at the new Command Cards for the Eastern Front German players.  There are 50 cards in the new Iron Cross command cards deck.  The cards range from soft-skin transports to Warriors and almost everything in-between.

Though I am not normally a command card player, I do plan on picking up this pack. These new Mid War command cards allow you to spend points to buy special rules, special formations, special leaders and special weapons.

There are even two Brandenberger SpecOps cards that allow you to move objectives and squelch your opponents’ artillery radio traffic to remove ranged-in markers.  Though I won’t go through all 50 cards, I would like to share a few with you.

Units & Formations

Pioneer Company:  OK, I have to admit, I was disappointed when I didn’t see the Pioneer Company in the Eastern Front book. However, I was happy to see the option in this card deck. No brainer here, for three points, infantry teams in this company cross minefields on a 2+ and Infantry teams dig in on a 2+. Unfortunately, these units do not get AT 4 like Pioneers were famous for in V3.

SS Grenadier Company:  Field a Fearless, 3+ Motivation, Grenadier Company for eight points.

STUG Assault Gun Batteries:  This card allows you to form your beloved STUG Gun Company with 2-3 STUG platoons.  Your HQs tanks are: five points for a 75mm short barrel and nine points for a 75mm long barrel STUG.

Croatian Rifle Company:  For four points, turn your generic Grenadier Company into the iconic 369^th Infantry Regiment that fought in the Red October Factory.  The Croatian Rifle Company passes its counter-attack morale check on a 3+.

Weapons Systems:

 Panzer-Knacker: For two points, one of your Panzer Grenadier Platoons, Grenadier Platoons and Assault Pioneer Platoons is issued AT-3 grenade bundles with a FP 1+ for one use. Must take!

Looted KV-1:  Yes!  You too can field one of these behemoths in your force for 10 points.  It’s ‘payback’ time watching your opponents’ shells “ping” off the armor of this beast.  Your Independent KV-1 team cannot charge into contact nor can it take an objective.

Looted T-34:  This fun card that adds flavor to your Eastern Front game.  Interestingly, you can take two, Looted T-34s, for seven points each.  Your Independent T-34 team cannot charge into contact nor can it take an objective.  Still, it’s fun to have a couple of these running around your Soviet opponent’s backyard.

Goliath Remote-Control Bomb:  It’s hard to imagine any Eastern Front Urban game without these R/C tracked bombs.  For two points, when your unit leader passes a Skill Test, your opponent’s infantry or gun team is hit with an FP 3+ weapon, their unit is pinned down. Infantry and gun teams must re-roll successful saves.

SpecOps:

Brandenburger Radio Intercepts:  What ranged in maker?  On a roll of a 3+, remove your opponent’s ranged in maker.  This can be very handy for three points

Warriors:

Feldwebel Limbach: This Assault Pioneer Leader has a Follow Me rating of 3+ and a Unit Last Stand rating of 2+.  At four points, Feldwebel Limbach is a must add to your Pioneer Company on the Eastern Front.  Rejoice with glee as Feldwebel Limbach leads your “Sturm Keil” platoons through the Red October Factory.

Josef ‘Sepp’ Allerberger:  Some of you may notice a similarity between ‘Sepp’ and his predecessor, Major Koenig.  I can’t imagine playing an Eastern Front game without a sniper in play.  Snipers in Iron Cross are already good.  For five points, your Uber-Sniper (no he doesn’t dive a taxi) negates your enemy’s attempt to be Concealed and Gone to Ground.  An enemy team hit by ‘Sepp’ must also re-roll successful saves.

Albert Dressel:  Feldwebel Dressel is a Panzer Platoon Leader.  For five points ‘smiling Albert’ allows you to re-roll two to-hit rolls.

Special Abilities:

Charmed Life:  Give your formation commander a second to pass an Armor or Infantry save (including re-rolls) for a mere two points.  This is a no-brainer.

Pinpoint Accuracy:  if you field any artillery, find the one point for this skill card.  Your HQs unit calls in Artillery on a 2+.  Note the fine print on the bottom of the card:  Your Formation must be a Panzer IV Company.

Tiger Ace:  This is one of the reasons I started playing FOW in the first place.  My first purchase was the Tigers Marsch box set.  This card represents the reason why FOW gamers field Tigers. For five points you have a chance at:  Deadly Gunner, Rapid Fire, or the wild card – Chose one of the above!  This truly represents the flavor of the Tiger Aces on the Eastern Front.

Panzer Ace:  This is another card I am glad to see.  This card brings back a lot of the period flavor of the game that I enjoyed in the previous versions.  For a mere three points, you get a chance at: Precise Gunner, Every Shot Counts and the ultimate Elite Crew!  Though I am not sure clever tactics is worth 3 points, any of the other Ace skills are.

Fortifying a building:  For two points, the building your HQs unit occupies becomes a Fortress giving Infantry teams in that building a 2+ save.

Conclusion

This card deck, will greatly enhance the flavor of Eastern Front games.  Every Urban board should have a fortified building.  It’s hard to imagine an Eastern Front game without Assault Pioneer Companies, Panzer-Knackers, and remote-controlled Goliaths.   For the hard-core players out there, Field Armies now include SS Companies and even a Croatian Company.

I have been waiting for someone at BF to bring back Tiger Aces.  There has been some heated discussion in our local gaming group, The Huntsville Irregulars (cough-cough shameless plug), that these options should be included in the Iron Cross book.  However, the flexibility is there to use them or not.  Head on down to your FLGS and pick up a deck.