Stalin's Bears (SUAB07)
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A Complete Soviet Army with Rulebook and Army Book Included |
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Stalin's Bears (SUAB07)
Includes Flames Of War mini rulebook, Berlin army book, a Hero Guards Heavy Tank Regiment HQ with IS-2 tank, a Hero Guards Heavy Tank Company with three IS-2 tanks, a second Hero Guards Heavy Tank Company with two IS-2 tanks, a Guards Hero Heavy Assault Gun Company with three ISU-122 heavy assault guns, and a Hero Tankovy Company with four T-34/85 obr 1944 tanks.
Check out Stalin's Bears in the online store here...
Vehicles designed by Tim Adcock and Will Jayne
Figures design by Matt Bickley
Painted by Aaron Mathie
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Flames Of War
mini rulebook
A complete A5-sized (21cm x 15cm) rulebook with everything you need to start playing Flames Of War.
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Berlin
A 100-page book featuring the desperate battles on the Eastern Front as the Soviet Red Army assault the German capital city of Berlin, while the rag-tag German forces mount a final desperate defence.
Find out more about Berlin here...
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The IS-2 obr 1944 tanks |
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IS-2 obr 1943 |
The IS (Iosif Stalin) heavy tank in often referred to as the “tank of victory” in Soviet sources. The development of the IS series of tanks started in late 1942, but only really gained momentum in 1943 as a response to the performance of the German Panther and Tiger tanks at the battle of Kursk. Its main disadvantage of the gun was its huge, two-part ammunition, which was difficult and slow to load, and only allowed 28 rounds to be carried. But it proved slightly lighter and faster than the heaviest KV model 1942 tank, with thicker front armour and an improved turret design. |
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IS-2 obr 1944 |
The definitive and most numerous variant of the IS-2, the 1944 model is sometimes referred to as the 'IS-2m' - note the lower-case 'm', not to be confused with the IS-2M, which was the modernised version used in the 1950s. It carried the same D-25T 122mm gun, but with an improved breech mechanism for slightly faster loading. However, with its unweildy two-part ammunition, it was still fairly slow, so it retains ROF 1. Its main difference was a simpler cast hull front, which was easier to produce and replaced the stepped front with a smooth, sloping glacis. The result is the IS-2 obr 1944 has 11 front armour in Flames Of War. |
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The IS-2 in Flames Of War
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Armour
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Name
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Mobility
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Front
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Side
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Top
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Equipment and Notes
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Weapon
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Range
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ROF
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Anti-tank
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Firepower
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IS-2 obr 1943 |
Slow Tank
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10 |
8
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2
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Co-ax MG, Turret-rear MG.
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122mm D-25T gun
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32"/80cm
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1 |
15
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2+
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Breakthrough gun. |
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IS-2 obr 1944 |
Slow Tank |
11 |
8 |
2 |
Co-ax MG, Turret-rear MG. |
122mm D-25T gun |
32"/80cm |
1 |
15 |
2+ |
Breakthrough gun. |
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Turret-rear MG
While not very practical for long-range shooting, a machine-gun mounted in the back of the turret is perfect for discouraging boarders in an assault.
A Turret-rear MG may not shoot, it is purely defensive.
In assault combat, if a hit from an Infantry or Gun team is allocated to a Tank team armed with a Turret-rear MG, the team that scored the hit must take another Skill Test.
- If they pass the second Skill Test, the assaulting team gets past the machine-gun to hit the tank and the tank must take an Armour Save as normal.
- If they fail the second Skill Test, the machine-gunner managed to keep the infantry at bay and protect the tank, and the assaulting team fails to score a hit.
Bailed Out Tank teams do not benefit from their Turret-rear MG.
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No Saves from Big Guns
Some weapons are just so powerful that there is no chance of surviving a hit from them. These heavy guns are often mounted in tanks and self-propelled guns designed to break through enemy defensive lines.
Infantry teams, Gun teams, Passengers, and Unarmoured vehicles automatically fail their Saves when hit by a Breakthrough Gun or a Bunker Buster. This does not apply to Artillery Bombardments.
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The T-34/85 obr 1944 tanks |
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T-34/85 obr 1944
After encountering the Tiger and Panther tanks at Kursk, it was decided that the T-34 needed to be upgraded. This was done by creating a new turret that allowed an extra crew member to be added and replaced the 76mm gun with an 85mm gun, creating one of the most successful tanks of the war.
With a three-man turret, the commander was free to command the tank, leaving the operation of the gun to his gunner and loader.
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The T-34/85 obr 1944 in Flames Of War
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Armour
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Name
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Mobility
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Front
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Side
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Top
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Equipment and Notes
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Weapon
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Range
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ROF
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Anti-tank
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Firepower
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T-34/85 obr 1944 |
Standard Tank
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7 |
5 |
1
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Co-ax MG, Hull MG.
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85mm ZIS-53 gun
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32"/80cm
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2 |
12 |
3+
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The ISU-122 assult guns |
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The ISU-122 assault gun featured the powerful 122mm D-25S anti-tank gun, mounted in the hull of an IS-2 tank. The troops greatly appreciated the heavy assault guns, describing them as "Nekrasivo, no spasibo!" ("Not pretty, but thanks!")
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The ISU-122 in Flames Of War |
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Armour
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Name
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Mobility
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Front
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Side
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Top
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Equipment and Notes
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Weapon
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Range
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ROF
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Anti-tank
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Firepower
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ISU-122 |
Slow Tank
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9 |
7 |
2
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122mm D-25S gun
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32"/80cm
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1 |
15
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2+
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Breakthrough gun, Hull mounted, Volley fire. |
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Hull-mounted Guns
Some tanks mount weapons in the front of the hull instead of in a turret to save weight or to make them easier to produce.
A hull-mounted weapon mounted in the front of a vehicle has a 180-degree Field of Fire covering everything in front of a line drawn across the front of the vehicle. If the weapon is mounted at the rear ofthe vehicle, the Field of Fire covers everything to the rear of a line drawn across the rear of the vehicle. |
Stalin's Bears Box Contents |
Contact the customer service team at [email protected] if you have any issues with any of the components. |
Flames Of War mini rulebook |
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Berlin – The Soviet Assault on the German Capital, April-May 1945 |
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T-34 Track & Accessory Sprues (x4) |
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T-34 Body Sprues (x4) |
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Note: Stalin's Bears is intended to include 4 T-34/85 obr 1944 tanks, which were a mainstay of Soviet tank forces in the Late War period. However, because the sprue includes two turret options, you can also choose to field them as older T-34/76 tanks if you prefer. |
IS-2 Sprues (x6)
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ISU 122/152 Sprues (x3)
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Note: Stalin's Bears is designed for a balanced army list which includes 3 ISU-122 assault guns, armed with the powerful 122mm D-25S anti-tank gun. However, the same sprue also lets you field these vehicles as ISU-152 assault guns, which excel at bunker busting, if you prefer. |
Tank Commander Sprues (x3) |
Bedspring Armour Sprues (x3) |
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Tank commander figures are a good way of instantly identifying command vehicles. This sprue features six tank commanders suitable for any Soviet armoured vehicle.
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In 1945 the Soviets began to fit mesh spaced armour to the side of their tanks and assault guns to give added protection against weapons such as the Panzerfaust. This became known as bed spring armour, due to it looking like the sprung base of a bed. |
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