Ring, ring. Not the doorbell this time, but my phone. It was [Redacted] from Warlord Games. We’ve spoken a few times over the years, and every conversation ends the same way. He finds another game he thinks we should try. This time, it was Konflikt ’47.
You know me; show it to me to convince me, and we will invest if I think it’s worth it. Long story short, he did convince us with the game, but not as you might expect this to play out. We might not have gotten the correct product for convincing long-term gamers. Join us on an adventure through our emotions, laughs, and wallet drain in the end.
We started Konflikt ’47 where most people start.
Ring, ring, doorbell this time. A package. In all honesty, we forgot they offered an introductory set to convince us and the team. The box looks excellent, and I was eager to start looking into it. I did and found enough spreus for 10 US Marine Fireflies and 5 Stahltrupen for the Axis army. 5 versus 10 raised questions, but that was solved after the first try of the game. Building was a breeze and done in about an evening.
In comparison to the bigger brother Bolt Action, these models look way better than the standard troops for BA! As there is a lot to paint, and having fun while doing so is a pro to keep going. The stahltrupen don’t have any comparison in BA, so they just look bulky, and heavy. The pot helmets of the Nazi regime from history are portrayed as perfectly recognizable. Approved! Read this as that there is nothing wrong with the designs of the models!
What the Konflikt ’47 Introductory set does well.
Besides having nice models, there is also a book aimed and people who want to introduce themselves to wargaming. The book pushes you through 5 scenario’s with the first one being a 3vs1 and the last one an all-out war. 5 uses everything in the box, with all the rules that the models can do and extra rules. This moulds you into the game while not having to build everything all at once. This is a nice step away from all the companies that have you build everything before the first game. Even if you require some more models, this set is worth looking at for the price you pay.
Where the Konflikt ’47 Introductory set falls short.
and here comes the sad realization of this kit. It is aimed at people that have never ever held a model or played a wargame. These people rarely wander into stores like a game or model hobby store. They would certainly not be motivated to start something like a wargame. We, as true wargamers, opened the book, took the models, and started playing scenario 2. After 2 turns, we decided to go to scenario 5 and had fun.
Next to that, someone who is looking at a new wargame looks at big guns, fun new mechanics and insane units. Well, at least we are. The fireflies and the stahltrupen are great, but if you advertise a game with mechs, add at least one. A game designed to make people interested would do well with a small mech or so. Instead we get 2 cardboard cutouts that don’t impress enough to convince us to stock the introductory set.
It could just be that this is us as veteran wargamers speaking, and this might appeal to newcomers to the hobby; we don’t know. The cutouts didn’t impress us, even when using the stats. Needless to say, they ended up being really nice coasters for our drinks. Nobody has mecha coasters.
What still is fantastic is that the Konflikt ’47 introductory set has terrain in it, and sets with this price rarely do contain more than the absolute necessary to use. 10 points for team Warlord!
For whom is this set then?
Well, regardless of the cool coaster mechs, this is still a nice set to introduce players to the game without shoving 100 euros towards Warlord. If you have played Bolt Action, then you could implement some of those models to make a bigger beginner experience and still have loads of fun doing so. You should see these introductory sets as good for people that want to buy them as a gift when the receiver is not playing yet. If you don’t know the game and want to get in it without spending a wallet, this is still a good value set.
For experienced gamers, we would just recommend a full 2-player starter set, as that offers more hobby value. I do need to emphasize that by no means is this Konflikt ’47 Introductory set bad value, as the opposite is true. This is (approx.) 50 euros well spent.
We will keep using the set to give demos as the model count is perfect for small demos to show the game at conventions. Ironically, the thing that made us decide not to stock the Introductory Set is precisely what makes it perfect for demonstrations. The smaller model count keeps games short, easy to explain, and ideal for conventions or open days. We’ll definitely keep ours for that purpose.
Why we would recommend the 2-player starter instead
Why do we think the 2-player starter is better? Simple, more of the same, no coasters but real mechs to build, and the rulebook that explains everything instead of building as you go. This just felt better for us, but this should or could be different for you, dear reader. Konflikt ’47 just starts to shine with the weird war part, and fielding a Linebacker mech or Vogelspinne tank just backs up the awesomeness of this alternate war universe.
Experienced gamers would also benefit from larger units to employ more tactical decisions, and that is precisely where the game starts to shine. The whole rift dice mechanic and the tactical insight you need to survive/win the onslaught are only experienced with bigger units than 2×5 or 3×3 and a hero. The holy crap moment the linebacker comes flying in from the flanks off-warmap always impresses the opponent that is now scrambling to get its Vogelspinne in place to counter.
When experienced wargamers look at a new game, we don’t look at the infantry first. We look for giant walkers, ridiculous weapons, and the things that make us say, “I want THAT on the table.“
For players that have been playing Bolt Action, Konflikt ’47 is more cinematic action and gives the idea it doesn’t take itself too seriously, and that is 100% a good thing! The size of the models, the Weird War units, and just the way the rift is used in game all make this a fun game to experience bigger than the introductory set; that’s all, and that is a good thing instead of a bad one.
The Introductory Set did exactly what it promised: it introduced us to Konflikt ’47.
If you’re searching for a complete experience straight away, we’d recommend either the 2-Player Starter Set if you’re starting with a friend or one of the Starter Armies if you’ve already decided which faction you want to command.