The View from the Turret

AT-43 — U.N.A. Close Combat Troops

Posted on 12Apr08 Updated on 08May08

Rackham recently released some new U.N.A. Close Combat units for AT-43. First up is the new U.N.A. Shock TacArms. These were previously unseen troops and the last of the TacArms from the U.N.A. Army Book to be released. The Shock TacArms ship three to a box with one leader figure and two trooper figures plus two unit cards (sergeant and troop). The Shock TacArms are the typical TacArm design but sport the new winter camo paint scheme. It is a jagged scheme of medium gray with off-white patterning. There is also some sensor detail picked out in red, green and black. Instead of the typical backpack the STs have a G-Pack jump pack that is similar to, but larger than, the one sported by the Wing and Shock Troopers. The pack is black with yellow striping and some white lettering. Unlike previous TacArms the pack is the same for the sergeant and the only differentiating feature for the leader is a different sensor array on the front of the suit. This is hard to see from a distance and players may wish to add an indicator (spot/diamond decal, etc) to the base for easier identification during play. For weapons the STs carry a Flamer and a Powerlance. The Flamer is black with a mustard-colored cannister and the Powerlance is black with yellow striping and a silver spike (or possibly long rod penetrator). The Powerlance has an impressive stat of 11 for penetration. Overall the Shock TacArms look very good even though I am not a huge fan of the designs of either weapon especially the Powerlance. I think the Powerpike looks more menacing.

Also released were the Shock Troopers. The Shock Troopers ship six to a box including a leader and a Flamer figure. Only two cards are provided, leader and Flamer, but the Flamer card has the regular trooper specs as well. Surprisingly the Shock Troopers vary a bit from the pictures seen in the U.N.A. Army Book. They now have G-Packs and their equipment belt sports what looks like a grenade and some other device. The G-Packs are the same as on the Wing Troopers but without the smoke plumes. Also missing are the combat knives and triple-lens helmets seen in the book. Of course anyone with a few packs of Star/Steel Troopers probably has extra helmets they could easily use. The poses are very dynamic and look good. Coloring is the same as the Star/Steel Troopers except that the goggle lenses are a ridiculously bright orange. For weapons the Shock Troopers have a black SMG and a Powerpike. The Powerpike is a nice design and slightly reminiscent of the classic Chain Fist on the early Games Workshop Terminators.

Besides the orange goggles there are a few issues with the Shock Troopers. One of mine was missing a G-Pack and a number of the Powerpikes were bent (easily fixed). The Powerpike and fist are modeled as one unit and a couple of mine had fallen off. Most annoying are the faces. Face painting continues to be a problem for Rackham. One pack of mine had faces that were all almost white. The other pack was better but still too bright. This continues to be an area one may wish to touch up with paint. As always, if you are buying these in a store be sure to check each box carefully to pick out the best ones.

All in the all the figures are typical AT-43 U.N.A. and it will be interesting to see how the close combat troops fair in games.