The Orruk Warclans love to fight – in fact, it’s no lie to say that their entire culture revolves around conflict. The swamp-dwelling Kruleboyz are an unusual breed of orruk, for they prize deviousness over brute strength. To the Kruleboyz, winning by underhanded means is worth more than claiming victory in a straight fight – and they're very underhanded indeed...
Ardboy Big Bosses are veteran Ironjawz with an eye for the battlefield and enough bellowing presence to browbeat their lads into line. Only the toughest of Ardboys survive long enough to become a Big Boss – these formidable warriors can turn a boisterous orruk horde into a disciplined killing machine that advances in a semblance of formation before crashing into the enemy like an armoured fist.
Zoggrok Anvilsmasha is a legend amongst the Ironjawz, for he has mastered the art of hammering the destructive force of the Waaagh! into iron, stone, and bone. Accompanied by Klonk, his rockbrow squig, Zoggrok uses his 'bashin' tools' to channel Gorkamorka's power into the weapons of orruks gathered around him. These green-hot blades thrum with wrath, eager to unleash their raging energy in combat.
To be a Tuskboss, an orruk must claim mastery over a particularly ferocious Maw-grunta – an utterly monstrous hog, with enough brute strength and dim-witted determination to batter through anything in its path. These mounted warlords lead the charge by steering their stampeding behemoths straight into the enemy lines, striking down foes left and right as the beast barrels forward with explosive impact.
Brute Ragerz hurl themselves at the biggest and meanest foes, swinging huge two-handed weapons with brutal force. They're driven by frenzied arrogance, desperate to overcome the humiliation of a previous defeat – few things are more dangerous than an orruk determined to prove just how ’ard they really are.
Regiments of Renown are storied mercenaries who wander the Mortal Realms, offering their services to whichever armies will help them achieve their own ambitions. Led by warriors famous and infamous alike, these dogs of war recruit like-minded soldiers to join them in their quests to fill their coffers and grow their reputation.
The armies of the Soviet Union had many weapons at their disposal to counteract the threat of German armoured formations – from orthodox anti-tank rifles, oddball 'Molotov Cocktail’ throwers and the unconventional use of dogs as living anti-tank mines.
Like the soldiers they commanded, many Soviet officers were inexperienced and lacked training at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. Stalin’s ruthless purge of officers of the Red Army in 1937 had denuded the organisation of leadership and left deep scars in the survivors’ minds.
Like the soldiers they commanded, many Soviet officers were inexperienced and lacked training at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. Stalin’s ruthless purge of the officers of the Red Army in 1937 had denuded the organization of leadership and left deep scars in the survivors’ minds. Throughout the war, showing initiative was seen as a dangerous trait, and most Soviet officers would follow their orders to the letter even if they meant marching their men to certain death.
The T-34/76 first saw action in late 1941, and was a significant leap forward in tank design – a rugged, no-nonsense anatomy and wide tracks enabled it to cope with the mud and snow of the Eastern Front. It married the perfect combination of thick, sloped armour and an efficient gun, along with extreme sturdiness, reliability, ease of manufacturing and maintenance.
The T-34 series, with its sloping armour, changed the principles of tank design during the war. The sloping, angular layout of the T-34 increased the effective armour thickness and also saw a larger proportion of shells deflected away than penetrated its armour. The introduction of the T-34 into action saw German tank design follow suit with similarly angled armour on the likes of the Panther and King Tiger. As German tank design came to the fore, the Soviet war machine once again raised the bar with the T-34/85.
What do you do when you are told to upgrade an already giant metal monster that took a whole new generation of tank to actually deal with? You make it bigger and make it louder. The IS-2 is that very same beast, made as a competent replacement for the KV series and it was a far better designed machine than its predecessor.