First up, Fleet-wide MARs: Flame Retardant Armour and Incendiary Rounds (Primary Weapons). All models in the Polish-Lithuanian fleet have these MARs, when applicable. Flame Retardant Armour will really help out against incendiary heavy fleets such as the Empire of the Blazing Sun, as well as French Heat Lances, meaning that you have a better chance of surviving that early Blazing Sun rocket barrage to get in close, and you have less to fear from getting into Heat Lance range of the French. Incendiary Rounds are on all Primary weapons in your fleet, giving AP-removal abilities to the Land Dreadnought, Landship, Bombard and any flyer bigger than an Interceptor. With these guns extending to Range Band 3, there's a good chance of having removed some opposing AP before reaching boarding distance.
Also, all Polish-Lithuanian Flamethrower weapons are now Heavy Flamethrowers, inflicting an extra raging fire token every time an attack causes at least one raging fire token to be added.
The Fleet Commodore for the PLC has some very entertaining abilities relating to flamethrowers: With Fire and Sword, and Incineration Protocol- Both once per game, sadly. The first allows the PLC fleet to shoot and board a target in the same activation, provided it was only shot at with flamethrowers, and grants the attacking AP the Ferocious MAR. Because sometimes, a target really has to die. The other allows flamethrowers to use normal ordnance damage rules. Since flamethrowers can combine fire, this gives the PLC a single use hard-hitter attack- often 18AD in any full squadron.
Modified Units
Zamiec Sky Fortress
The Zamiec has increased in cost 30 points, and for that increase, we get a small handful of upgrades (including fleet wide MARs):- Additional fore flamethrower, both of which are now heavy (Meaning an extra fire marker whenever you inflict one!)
- Upper turrets are now "Raised Turrets (P)" and have 270 degree arcs, meaning we can now get three turrets on a target. Turrets also have Incendiary Rounds and have gained 1AD at RB1
- Flame Retardant Armour
- Streamlined Hull, which means that in a straight line, it will keep up with your medium tanks
- Deck Crews and +1 to Tiny Flyer Complement, meaning that it's now a full carrier.
- Combat Drop (Infantry, 2) is now Combat Drop (Mechanised Line Infantry, 2), making the infantry more flexible. On the downside, Combat Drop (LZ5, 4) is 10 points more.
- +1 AP, bringing it up to a more average AP count.
WZ6 Szpada Medium Tank
The Szpada is up 5 points and has had some tweaks. The additions reinforce the role of the Szpada in the PLC fleet.- First up, the flamethrower has +1AD, and is heavy.
- Fuel Reserves has been added.
- +1 maximum squadron size, now 2-4.
SWZ3 Palnik Flame Tank
One of the biggest wins in the updated units for the Commonwealth, the Palnik used to be a bit of a joke- a unit whose sole upgrade was to make them less vulnerable to their squadronmates dying. Now, they're a very viable choice. Here's why:- 10 points cost reduction, and Flame Retardant Armour is included in that price.
- +2AD on flamethrowers, which have been upgraded to heavy.
- Fuel Reserves and Vulnerable instead of Combustible Cargo- meaning it no-longer explodes when the enemy looks at it funny.
- Attachment is now 1 rather than 2, and is specific to Szpada Medium Tanks, but has a second Attachment MAR, allowing one to be attached to a Rarog Landship.
ZB2 Burza Bombard
Notice the lack of "rocket" in that name? The bombards are no-longer a rocket armed oddity. An interesting experiment while it lasted, but rather lacklustre, especially as they cost a whopping 75 points. They're still the same price, but are simply a terrifyingly focused conventional ordnance weapon.- The gun itself is a fixed channel gunnery weapon and has lost the ability to attack at RB4, but has 7AD and Sustained Fire (2). As primary weapons, they also benefit from Incendiary Weapon.
- An extra inch of movement, as they'll need to move more to get into effective range.
LZ5 Rygerz Small Tank
Sadly, these beauties have lost Fast Target. A moment of silence, please. On the upside, no-longer in the utterly backwards class of "models in a boarding fleet that have 0AP".- No more Fast Target, but does have Small Target.
- Removed Limited Availability. Now we can take hordes of the little things!
- Has 1AP. Praise be!
- Loses Electrical Defenses and Rapid Fire, but gains Sustained Fire (Ack Ack, 1).
Replaced Units
A couple of the previously available units have been replaced with similar with a new classification- the Grunwald Land Dreadnought and the Rarog Landship, instead of the previous Land Dreadnought and Landship options.Grunwald Land Dreadnought
On the forums, just after new PLC units had been confirmed, I may have pondered about the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth modifying a Kursk by removing the Ablative Armour and adding speed and fire. The Spartan gods were apparently listening to my prayer that day, as the Grunwald is exactly that. The biggest change is the replacement of all that "bridge" nonsense with a Heavy Flamethrower. Emphasis on Heavy. So, in comparison to the old Kursk:- First, we're paying 20 points more for the basic version, 230 points.
- Losing Ablative Armour, but gaining a Shield Generator.
- Losing one point of DR.
- Losing 2AP, but losing Conscript Crew.
- Losing a turret to make way for the shields.
- Losing Sturginium Boost.
- Losing Sheaf Fire.
- More manoeuvrable: 1" turn limit instead of 2".
- Turrets can hit at RB3
- The mortars have been replaced by one Bombard Battery with 10AD at RB2&3, and Sustained Fire (3).
- One bloody huge 12AD Heavy Flamethrower.
- An extra inch of movement- on average, faster than the Kursk.
- The Squadron Support upgrade is 5 points more, but supplies four of the fantastic LZ5 Rygerz.
Rarog Landship
For the same price as the Belgorod, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth can take the Rarog Landship. Compared to the Belgorod:- As before, no Ablative Armour, but it does gain a Shield Generator instead.
- +2" movement but loses Sturginium Boost.
- +2HP.
- 7AP without Conscript Crew, instead of 9AP with.
- Weaker broadsides.
- Polish-Lithuanian gunnery on the Turret and Fore and Aft guns- Less dice at close range, but with RB3 firepower. Fore and Aft guns are now primary, so gain Incendiary Rounds, and the Fore guns can link with the Turret.
- +1" minimum move.
- No option for Rocket Jammer/Mimic Generators.
- Gains the same 12AD Heavy Flamethrower as the Grunwald.
New Units
The main expansion of the Polish-Lithuanian forces has been a significant boost to their air power. Previously, they could borrow some of the less exciting Britannian and Russian air units. With the update comes a set of flying units that actually fit the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.Gryf Flame Blimp
The real mainstay unit of the new flyers, the Gryf is a barrel of fun. Very fast, very fiery, and very scary in a boarding action, the Gryf should find its way into many PLC lists. Here's the salient points for the flyer:- Cheap, only 60 points each.
- Standard medium flyer toughness, supplemented with a Shield Generator.
- 5AP and Dash and Elan, making it a fairly strong boarder.
- Fast- 10" move with Streamlined Hull.
- 6AD Heavy Flamethrower for making the bad mans go away.
- Swift Ascent for important tactical bailing.
Grom Gunnery Blimp
Pretty much a Gryf with the fire and boarding swapped out for more guns. Also restricted with Limited Availability.- 25 points more expensive.
- Loses Fuel Reserves and Dash and Elan.
- Moves 2" slower.
- Loses 1AP and 1AA
- Loses the Heavy Flamethrower
- Gains two Primary weapons- a Turret and Fore Gun.
Szabla Interceptor
And finally, a good anti-air choice for the PLC. Lightly armed in terms of gunnery, but heavy on the anti-aircraft MARs.- 30 points
- Fast, at 14" with Hit and Run and Swift Ascent.
- Weak secondary Fore gun, but 2AA with Sustained Fire (AA, 1) and Air Hunter on all weapons.