Box Contents

The German Grenadiers Starter Army is a mix of plastic and metal models containing:

• x6 German Grenadier Infantry sprues (36 Infantry) – Plastic
• German Heer MMG Team – Metal
• German Heer Medium Mortar – Metal
• German Heer Medium Howitzer – Metal
• German Heer Pak 40 Heavy AT Gun – Metal
• Puma Armored Car – Plastic
• StuG III/StuH 42 Assault Gun – Plastic

We Have Armor List

Breakdown

(x) denotes a vehicle-mounted weapon.

Notes and Analysis

The objective of this list is two-part – 1) use as much of the Starter Army as possible and 2) make a List that works at a competitive level. Please keep in mind, this List was written using only the contents of the Starter Army.

The goal of this breakdown is to take a look at the German Grenadier Starter Army and see how we can adapt it to the Third Edition platoon structure. I don’t know what the future holds or if Starter Army boxes will be changed/updated but right now, we are looking at the one that is currently available as of Sept. 9, 2024.

What we have here is an army that contains four Platoons (the maximum number Warlord Games suggests for events). This is a mixed-quality force with Veteran and Regular units supporting each other. This Army List has eleven Order Dice which I suspect to be low for Bolt Action Third Edition, especially at 1,250. Keeping this in mind you will need to play cagey and exploit any opportunity that presents itself. Also, this is an achievement in itself to reach 1,250pts just using one Starter Army Box!

The core of this list is two 10-man Regular Heer Grenadier Squads with duel LMGs along with the StuH 42 and Puma. The double-LMG units can provide support from a distance and benefit from the Hitler’s Buzz Saw Army Special Rule allowing them to gain an additional die when shooting for each LMG. This will allow you to have effective firepower at a distance and help keep enemy infantry and soft-skin vehicles at bay. The Puma is an excellent addition and a valuable asset. It packs a Medium AT Gun with Pen +5 which can help take care of most enemy armor. More importantly, this unit has Recce which will allow it to escape from enemy attacks as long as it has not yet received an order that turn. The final core unit is our StuH 42. This beast of a Self-Propelled Artillery unit (SPG) has Armor 9 and a Medium Howitzer that uses a 3” HE template at PEN +3. This allows the StuH 42 to be a menace to infantry while also being a threat to vehicles with Armor 9 or less.

For our support units, we have the MMG Team, Medium Mortar, Pak 40, and a 10-man Veteran Heer Grenadier Squad with loads of Assault Rifles and a couple of Panzerfausts. Again with the German Army Special Rule, the MMG Team is a head above the other nations in the game getting to add an additional shot when firing. Keep this unit back with the duel-LMG squads to help provide a base of fire to prevent the opposing army from a quick advance.

Now we also don’t want the opposing army to just sit back and plink away at this army either. This is where the Medium Mortar comes in. HE 2” is very effective against infantry. Taking out Regular and Inexperienced infantry units with a damage roll of 2+, and can even give Armor 9 vehicles a hard time if you roll a lucky hit. This unit will make sure your opponent’s static units are not safe while in cover from all your LMG and MMG shots.

The Pak 40 is no slouch in the anti-armor department. It is a Heavy Anti-tank Gun with a Pen value of +6. This is effective against tanks up to Armor 10. Although this is another backline support unit, remember you have two vehicles in this army. Having a backline AT Gun in the right position can make your opponent second guess moving their armored vehicles and refrain from engaging yours if they have to move into the line of sight of your Pak 40. If the situation allows, giving this unit an Ambush Order can be an effective way to provide your armor some security.

Lastly, we have the Veteran Heer Grenadier Squad. This unit consists of 10 men. Veteran units do not get cleared off the table easily. Now this unit can be used in two ways depending on how the game is going, what mission is being played, and depending on your opponent’s force. If your opponent has an aggressive force that wants to push into your line, this unit can be used as a contingency plan. If the opponent gets too close this unit can rush in to make a counterattack and drive an enemy unit away. On the other hand, if you are pushing towards the enemy lines and the mission allows for it, this unit can push forward moving through cover to support your AFVs or be placed in Outflank (if the mission allows). This unit is armed to the teeth. It has 5 Assault Rifles with 18” range and 2 shots each and an SMG. That’s 12 shots from just 6 models. It also has an LMG allowing the unit to engage from up to 36” inches away. Equipping the unit this way makes it versatile. It can sit back and provide support or if needed it can move up and cause a lot of damage. But let’s not forget the Panzerfausts. These weapons are powerful! Be careful, however, the Panzerfausts are one-shot weapons meaning each one can only be used once. They pack a whooping +6 Pen so they can deal with the strongest tanks in the game if they come into the 12” range of the weapon and you roll your hit roll successfully. They can also be used to blast away enemy units that are taking cover in a building (new for Third Edition!). The Panzerfausts are effective at keeping the enemy armor at bay on both the defensive and offensive.

So there we have it! A mixed-quality list with two AFVs. We are limited to what’s included in the Starter Army box but I think this list will do just fine getting one started and for many more games after.

What’s Next?

Thoughts and musings on where to go from here:

• Get a Sd.Kfz 222 Armored Car – The armor in this list takes up a lot of points. A 222 could replace the Puma or StuH 42 with an effective AFV that costs considerably less. It is fantastic on the table and has Recce which allows it to survive longer in the game. It has a Light Autocannon that fires two shots. This gives it a higher probability to hit.
• Drop one or both of the LMG units – Add some MMGs. The infantry LMG units are great but you can provide the same backline ranged support for fewer points using MMG Teams. With the points saved, you can focus more on building Infantry units that are effective in close combat while still having ranged support.
• Autocannons – The Germans have more Autocannon choices than any other nation. These can be used along with your Pak 40 in the Artillery Platoon. They are great because they roll two shots per barrel improving your odds to hit. They also have the option to fire HE or AT rounds. They can be used effectively against infantry and Heavy Auto Cannons are even effective against many AFVs.

– Shane

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