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

The Reg Rush List

Breakdown

(x) denotes a vehicle-mounted weapons.

Notes and Analysis

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

There is a lot to like in this Starter Army. You get two vehicles (and both are usable in a single platoon) and besides the Pak 40, you can make good use of all the contents. Not only that, the plastic Grenadier sprue is fantastic. You get a pile of weapon options on each sprue and you won’t have a problem getting all the assault rifles, SMGs, LMGs and Panzerfausts you’ll need for a proper late war force.

As usual with these Starter Army breakdowns, I try to use as much of the contents as possible. And with this list, we get damn close. Of the 36 infantry models, this list uses 33. And with the exception of the Pak 40, all the other components are used. Always a good feeling knowing that the Starter Army is worth the money, well, at least from the standpoint of a usable army list. Now, let’s get into the list itself.

As the title suggests, we are focusing on multiple squads of regular infantry, kitted out for close assault. The core of this list is the three almost identical squads of 8 men. Each with x3 assault rifles, two Panzerfausts and a single SMG. The mix of weapons keeps these squads threatening at all ranges and allows for some serious close combat punch. Push the objectives with these squads and keep both your Medic and Lt close. These 24 Regs can dish out a lot of fire but you will need both the Medic and the Lt to keep them moving and effective.

An additional reason to keep your squads up and moving is that you are packing six of the best AT assets in Bolt Action. Each of those three squads has two Panzerfausts. And you need to close with those enemy vehicles before you can turn them into flaming wrecks. For the longer range AT, your Puma has a Med. AT Gun (nothing to sneeze at) and the Med. Howitzer on the StuH 42 is an effective AT weapon against all but the most heavily armored targets. All of this is to say, this list packs some excellent AT. Enemy armor (unless Super Heavy) should not be an issue.

And that brings us to another hot topic – the Puma. At 160pts Reg this Armor 8 wheeled vehicle comes with a turret-mounted Med. AT Gun with a coax MMG. That is an absolute steal. Also, it has Recce with dual-directional steering making it one of the fastest vehicles in the game. You can zip this bad boy all over the table to get those sneaky shots at those enemy tanks. And if you get caught in the open, you can always Recce away. I’m being serious, this is one of the best armored cars in the game. With the Puma taking fulfilling the main AT role, that opens up the Tank slot for one of my favorite vehicles, the StuH 42.

I’ve always felt that folks sleep on the StuH. Panzer IVs seem to get all the glory – but when it comes to HE, this is the one you want. Normally, I’d say we need to add some fixed HE. A big ol’ artillery piece like a Med. Howitzer or a Neb. But in this case? With this starter box? We have a real gem of a SPG – the StuH 42. I’ve been using one for several years and it’s never let me down. I have yet to regret bringing the StuH to the table. It’s very much ‘ol reliable.

To recap – push your infantry up with the Medic and the Lt. Use the Vet double LMG squad to lay down some cover fire. Keep the Puma in ambush position to engage enemy armor and to cover the StuH. If the StuH can push forward uncontested, it can rain absolute devastation. Medium Mortar for support and MMG team to cover a back objective.

Overall, I’m impressed with this Starter Army and I truly think this list would be a blast. Of course there are other routes to take. You can absolutely go full Vet with ARs and many, many more LMGs but I wanted to go with something that’s a bit of a deviation from the norm.

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What’s Next?

As mentioned before this is indeed a very good Starter Army. It is not really lacking anything in particular. Though If you intend to expand your army, and you probably will, I have the following suggestions for you:

• Get a Truck – I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. This army needs a transport. As much as I want to just ‘push it forward’, a 6″ Advance or a 12″ Run is just not fast enough. A Truck or two with MMGs on them will give you a massive boost of speed.
• Add a Flamethrower – You really can never go wrong with a Flamethrower team. If you want to lean even further into the assault army – a Flamethrower team is a solid addition.
• Swap the StuH for different HE support – As much as a love the StuH, it’s not for everyone. If you’d like to fill your Tank slot with some classic German armor, you’ll need to add your HE elsewhere. A Howitzer (Light or Med.) or a Neb. will do the trick.

– Andrew