Red Bear is their Allied volume. It contains the Soviet, Poles and Romanians. The Soviet forces cover everything from infantry to tank forces, with forces representing the regular Red Army troops as well as Guards forces.
The backgrounds allow you to follow the success of the Red Army as they push the Germans and their minions back towards the Reich, reclaim their territory, and liberate Eastern Europe.
Soviet New Stuff
As well as the familiar forces from Stalin’s Onslaught, Hammer and Sickle, River of Heroes, Stalin’s Europe and Fortress Europe, Red Bear contains a number of new forces or previously Flames Of War website PDF forces.
The first of these new forces is the Pulyemyetno-artillyeriyskiy Batalon (Machine-gun Artillery Battalion). This is a Soviet fortified company made of many weapons and few men designed for static defensive positions. Its Combat Companies are made up of MG teams, Maksim HMGs, anti-tank guns, anti-tank rifles and mortars with their own trenches and gun pits. They come with their own Artillery Group of 76mm ZIS-3 guns and can take obstacles to further hinder the enemy.
They also have rifle division infantry, artillery and assault gun support for the counterattack.
The Peredovoye Otryad (Forward Detachment), which has previously been on the website as a PDF intelligence briefing, represents the ad hoc units put together to lead a Soviet advance. By forming a mixed all-arms formation the commander of a Peredovoye Otryad was able deal with whatever enemy they encountered, whether to breakthrough the line and lead the rest of parent unit forward, or to go around a strong enemy and lead the attack in a new direction. The force’s combat companies consist of one tank company and one infantry company. Additional tanks, infantry and artillery can be added to cater the force to your needs.
Despite its seemingly archaic origins the Gvardeyskiy Kazachiy Polk (Guard Cossack Regiment) proved an important element in the success of the Red Army in 1944. Alongside the Tank and Mechanised Corps, the Cavalry Corps lead the way in the breakthrough and exploitation operations after the shock troops had busted through the Axis lines. The Gvardeyskiy Kazachiy Polk includes mounted and dismounted cavalry troops with their own supporting tanks, artillery, mortars, machine-guns and anti-tank guns. They can also field Cossack Warrior Podpolkovnik Pavel Kamnev. This is a fast and aggressive infantry force!
They have also added Legkiy Samokhodno-artillyeriyskiy Polk (Light Self-propelled Artillery Regiment). This allows the Soviet player to field SU-76M or SU-122 assault howitzers en masse. This makes an interesting alternative to the Tyazhelyy Samokhodno-artillyeriyskiy Polk (Heavy Self-propelled Artillery Regiment) with its heavy ISU assault guns.
Another of the new forces in Red Bear is the Partizanskiy Brigada (Partisan Brigade). This force allows you to field Partisan guerrillas against German security forces.
You can even have armored and motorized support as the success of Operation Bagration breaks through on to the Partisans area of operations.
In Red Bear you will find a selection of Warriors, some of which have undergone a review and have had new rules introduced.
Hen and Chicks
We have also introduced a new version of the Hen and Chicks Special Rule. The new rule reflects the actual tactics of Soviet armored formations more smoothly. The new rule allows them to fire on the move, but they now get an addition +1 to the score required to hit. However, there is no such restriction to the tanks’ machine-guns. If the whole platoon (Soviet Company) remains stationary they fire as normal. The new Hen and Chicks rule gives them a little more firepower overall, so we have increased the points of Soviet tanks with ROF 2 or more. However, they have also recognized the penalty new rule has on ROF1 vehicles and they have come down in points.
Polish New Stuff
Red Bear also includes the Polish forces of the Warsaw Uprising. The Batalon Armii Krajowej (Home Army Battalion) consists of the irregular forces of the Polish Warsaw underground. Using home-made and captured weapons they stood up against oppressive German forces in a bid for freedom.
Romanian New Stuff
The Romanians in Red Bear are unusual in that they can be taken as Allied, fighting on the side of the Soviets, or Axis, fighting alongside the Germans. Up until August 1944 they fought in the Crimea, Southern Ukraine and Romanian with the Germans against the Soviets. On their defeat they were forced to change sides and fought the remainder of the war against the Germans. In addition to the Battalion Puscasi (Rifle Battalion) first featured in Stalin’s Europe, you can now also field two tank, a motorized infantry, and a cavalry company.
In the Companie Tancuri (Tank Company) you can field Romania’s older light tanks like the R-2 and T-38. The R-35 Vanatorul de Care (R-35 tank-hunter) introduces a new variation on the French R-35. To improve the performance of this old tank the Romanian fitted a captured Soviet 45mm gun. The Companie Tancuri Medii (Medium Tank Company) offers more options in improved firepower and armor. The Romanians were supplied T-4 (Panzer IV H) tanks and TA (StuG G) assault guns by the Germans and continued to use these after their defection to the Allies. Both tank companies are supported by motorized or armored infantry and TACAM tank-hunters, of which two new models are on the way.
The Companie Vanatori Motorizata (Motorised Infantry Company) represents the motorized cavalry and the infantry of the armored division. They are mounted in trucks to keep pace with the tanks and are supported by the full might of the division.
Romanian Companie de Cavalerie (Cavalry Company) fought mounted or dismounted and your can field the company as either or a mix of both. Fast on attack or stubborn on defense the cavalry are the elite arm of the Romanian army.
The Battalion Puscasi (Rifle Battalion) can now be fielded fighting in Hungary allied to the Soviets or defending their homeland allied to the Germans. Depending of the option you select you have support options from either nation, but not both. Whatever you choose you can have the support of excellent Romanian troops such as the TAC 43 Resita 75mm gun, one of the better anti-tank guns produced during the war.
Other Features of Red Bear
As with the Normandy books, Red Bear has also undergone a thorough points review resulting in a number of reductions in the area of gun platoons and infantry platoons containing MG teams.
Red Bear also includes Soviet, Polish and Romanian special rules. These have been updated and revised as required.
It also includes Fortification placement rules to be used in conjunction with the Fortifications rules in Das Book. Like Grey Wolf we introduced strongpoint-based fortifications.
At the back of Red Bear you will find painting guides for the Soviets, Polish and Romanians. The Polish section includes a model guide and other modeling suggestions. All throughout the book there are many inspirational color photographs of Flames Of War models.
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