Box Contents

The British & Inter-Allied Commandos Starter Army is a mix of plastic and metal models containing:

• x6 British & Inter-Allied Commando sprues (36 Infantry) – Plastic
• Commando HQ (x2 Officers, Medic, Forward Artillery Observer) – Metal
• Commando MMG Team – Metal
• Commando Medium Mortar Team – Metal
• Centaur IV CS – Metal & Resin

The Commando Support 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.

Third Edition Commandos! I’ve always considered the British & Inter-Allied Commandos Starter Army to be a great Starter Army and now with the new Platoon System we can really take advantage of the support weapons (Light Mortars and PIATs) included in box. Sadly we must leave the Centaur behind but it’s a fair trade to bring forth a fully Veteran Commando list.

Speaking of fully Vet, although not ever unit is a Commando, each one of our 14 Order Dice is Vet. Even without any armor this army has some serious staying power. It’s a combination of beefy Special Forces Infantry Section (Commandos) units and a swarm of Support Weapons. Let’s being with the Special Forces Infantry Sections. Each of those four squads has Tough Fighter and Behind Enemy Lines. All of them. Every model. Makes no difference if they are armed with an SMG, Rifle or LMG – these chaps hit hard in close combat. I’ve divided the squads up into roles. There are two six-man squads each with two Vickers K LMGs (five shots per LMG). These squads are built to provide devastating small arms fire. The other two squads are more mobile, and you should always be considering Outflank for them. Remember they have Behind Enemy Lines making their arrival all but assured. I dumped all the SMGs into one squad but splitting them out between both is another valid option. Feel free to adjust the loadout depending on your preference. So that’s the heart of the list – four Special Forces Infantry Sections spoiling for a fight. Now let’s get to the support elements.

Starting with the off-table artillery support. No British list worth its salt heads into battle without a Forward Artillery Observer. Why should these Commandos be any different? The ability to call in the Artillery Bombardment twice per game can be absolutely devastating. We’d be a fool not to bring one. We also have a Medic. Now, many players don’t see the value of a Medic – I wholeheartedly disagree. With a hefty base cost of 15pts per model, your Medic only needs to save two Commandos to “earn their points back”. That’s it, two. Additionally, when running an all-Vet list getting another Order Die for just 30pts is borderline auto-include. You can either have the Medic push up with your two assault units or hang back with the Vickers K squads to boost their survivability.

And now for the real punch. This list has six Support Weapons – all Vet and all deadly. Two Light Mortars, a Medium Mortar, a Medium Machine Gun and two PIATs. Three indirect HE units are perfect for targeting Fixed enemy units – go for enemy Sniper Teams, Forward Observers and Artillery. The two Light Mortars can fire on the advance, do not forget! The MMG provides additional small-arms fire at a distance and pair perfectly with the two Vickers K units. And finally, for AT we have not one, but two PIAT Teams. Yes you have to get with 12″, yes they are only two men. You’ll need to be sneaky and take risks to shutdown enemy armor.

As for the National Characteristic Army Special Rule, I’d go with Vengeance for this list. There are not enough Rifles to justify Rapid Fire and the squads are a bit too small to bring in Tough As Old Boots. Considering your playstyle, Up and at Em is also a valid pick.

Quick note on your Rifle Platoon Commander. I’ve got him listed as armed with an SMG but the metal model has a Pistol. It will be no trouble at all to remove the top of the Pistol and replace it with an SMG. If you so choose.

Poor Centaur CS. As with many of the Warlord Games Starter Army Boxes created during Second Edition, there is only one vehicle included, and you need two to make an Armored Platoon. Thus, we have no place for this fantastic SPG. Luckily, it’s no trouble to add in a Recce Carrier, MMG Jeep, or even a Humber Armored Car to “unlock” the Armored Platoon. The Medium Howitzer on the Centaur supported by a Humber is a nice little combo.

There you have it! A great all-infantry, all-Veteran Commando list that makes full use of the Support Weapon options included in the box. I’ve run my Chindits in a similar style – a strong core of Vet Infantry supported by a whole mess of Weapons Teams and Light Artillery.

What’s Next?

Thoughts and musings on where to go from here:

• Add mobility – One thing this list lacks is speed. It’s practically screaming for an Armored Car, such as the lovely Humber, and/or a light Transport. If you are not feeling the double-LMG fire support style, switch it up for more SMGs and toss a squad into a Truck.
• Add a Second AFV – We can’t just leave that Centaur off to the side! As soon as you add a second vehicle you can add an Armored Platoon and that will also boost you up to 1,250pts.
• Add a Light Howitzer – The British Light Howitzer is the best one in the game. Gun Shield, option for a Spotter and the ability to fire at +4 Pen. If the PIAT is tad too risky for your style, adding in a couple 25-pdrs is a fantastic option.
• Switch from LMGs to SMGs – Like all the Starter Army Box Breakdowns, these are just ideas from one author. Nothing is set in stone. Use what you like, drop what you don’t. There is a very valid SMG rush style list contained within this Commando Starter Army Box and it’s certainly worth exploring. If you don’t want to run the gun line of quad Vickers K, go for the SMG overload!

– Andrew

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