Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth: Charge!

You know what I don't see enough of? Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth players. As a faction, I'd love to see more of them on the tabletop, and an expansion of the units they can choose from. Not that mine have struggled so far- even if land core games are a bit rarer than the naval fare of most of Dystopian Wars. As a dominion faction, the PLC are often overlooked compared to their Russian allies, but there's a very good reason to play the PLC- they're the underdog. With a pure Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth list, you can be sure that you are brave defenders of your homeland, from all comers- especially those damned Russians!

Of course, the question arises; "How do I play my Polish forces?". You're not the Russians, crushing all beneath a wall of steel. You're better. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is remembered in history for one of the greatest and, more importantly, most stylish heavy cavalry to storm across the fields of Europe. Let history be your guide, as they say- the lance, cavalry charges, and sheer insane bravery play a part in using a Commonwealth army- and it's clear that this has gone into the models that make up the Commonwealth unit options. I don't think Spartan could have done a better job of getting across the idea of a cavalry charge in the form of thousand ton tanks and flying aircraft carriers than they have with the troops of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

The units of the PLC move faster than just about every other equivalent, with their Szpada medium tanks moving at more than a range band a turn, and their Zamiec Sky Fortress moving 2" faster than most other flying carriers. It would be a shame to neglect this frightening turn of speed, and few foes will fail to be intimidated by squadrons of medium tanks, backed by the aforementioned Sky Fortress charging forward at full speed. With fast movement, you can get the PLC up close and personal, and use precise firepower to eliminate the most immediate threats. After the mediums hit home, the squadrons of Rycerz small tanks can strike from cover to remove even more enemy targets, and use Hit-and-Run, combined with their Fast Target. The Rycerz is 25% more expensive than most small tanks, but for good reason- they're the fastest, and currently toughest small tanks around. For even more fun, take the Combat Drop(Small Tank, 4) upgrade for your Zamiec, and you're almost guaranteed to get a squadron of small tanks right in the heart of the enemy line, without losing any while closing in.

Boarding with the PLC is not something to base your strategy around- their sub-par AP numbers mean that they're not going to have much luck unless the target has lost some AP already. This is perfectly possible with judicious use of flamethrowers, but generally, you'll find that just using them as a reliable source of single damage points on most targets, and a useful way of blunting enemy AP in boarding-focused fleets.

So, we have our 'lance'- a spearhead of mediums backed by a Sky Fortress, with small tank support. But what about other options? We'll start with the Kursk Land Dreadnought. Stick one of these not too far from the lance, and use the mortars to soften up your enemy. If the enemy focuses on the Dreadnought, then the lance will be in better shape to cause havoc, and if they focus on the lance, there's three big turrets bearing down on them. And if they focus on neither, you're probably going to take less damage overall, so win-win. If you're really determined to board, then the Hawk-class Scout Rotors are (Despite opinion of many Britannian players) a solid option to follow up on scorched targets, and are fast enough to be wherever those targets are. As of recent updates, the Commonwealth also gains access to the new Orlov heavy tank, Minsk tank destroyer and Poltava light tank, all of which add some potent weapons to the mix, though I've generally leant upon the sheer intimidation factor of the Land Dreadnought. The Minsk seems like the best choice of all the new units, as it makes up for the PLC's lack of cheap bombards. In the end, though, all that matters is making a glorious charge into the enemy ranks at full speed, and that's what your core Polish-Lithuanian units will do best.

Really, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is a list for someone who cares about faction flavour, and really wants to avoid Conscript Crews. The standard Russian Coalition list has more choices and more theatres to fight in, but they'll never have the same style that the Commonwealth has. And when it comes down to it, why else are you playing a game with the White House and St. Paul's Cathedral on tracks?