The events of the Polar War caused the involved nations to reconsider many aspects of their military doctrine and organization. Some military thinkers pushed the idea that airborne forces need to be expanded beyond simple paratrooper operations. Opponents of this theory argued that the type of static warfare that such a unit would be suited for is not common enough on Terra Nova to justify its existence. The events of the CEF invasion however caused this to be revisited. Much more static, perpetual contact situations formed across the planet. This broke with the more fluid style of warfare seen in previous conflicts.Traditional paratrooper units still retain their function as large scale assault forces that can strike deep in enemy lines. They are equipped to handle any foe and hold onto territory until reinforcements arrive. This type of massed assault is not suited to breaking a defensive line however and several nations on Terra Nova have developed a solution to that.
These new units all share a general structure and mission although the details and some equipment vary across militaries. The purpose of these formations is limited insertion of small units with the goal of preparing a static enemy position for an immediate assault. These units are optimized or raiding supplies and dispatching enemy patrols. They are not supplied for more than a few days of operation and lack heavy firepower to capture enemy positions. Interestingly, these units also tend to favor simple, reliable machines and electronic warfare capability. More advanced units are reserved for special forces while heavier units are prioritized to paratrooper units. In the Northern Guard these are called Air Assault Squads while NuCoal has the Airborne Pathfinder Units. The southern equivalent is called the Aerial Insertion Cadre which was first used by Mekong forces pushing towards Yung An. Its success caused the other southern armies to adopt the unit.
Using Specialist Combat Groups in Heavy Gear Blitz!
Constructing a Specialist Combat Group is a bit different than a normal Blitz! combat group. Instead of picking the role and secondary role for the unit and filling it how you please, you must instead adhere to strict rules for composition, which may even include only running specific variants or upgrades. In exchange for adhering to this rigid formation, you may be able to run some models in a Role they may not normally fit in, or gain access to some unique options.
These groups may not be given secondary roles, and are only able to be used in armies from the force they come from, unless noted otherwise. They may however have any upgrades permitted by army and sublist rules, so long as the composition requirements are still met. Restrictions on the number of a specific variant apply as normal, for example, if a Specialist Combat Group is taken in the SK role, then model variants without SK+ may only be taken twice.
Paratrooper Squads
The composition of the combat groups differs between different armies, but the bonuses are the same regardless of faction.
CNCS Air Assault Squad
This combat group is available to all North forces.
Combat Group Composition:
This combat group must contain between 4 and 6 models, chosen from the following list:
- 0-2 Jaguar
- CGL must be in a Jaguar if any are used.
- 2-4 Para Hunter
- 0-2 Para Cheetah
AST Aerial Insertion Cadre
This combat group is available to all South forces.
Combat Group Composition:
This combat group must contain between 4 and 6 models, chosen from the following list:
- 0-2 Black Mamba
- CGL must be in a Black Mamba if any are used.
- 2-4 Para Jager
- 0-2 Para Iguana
Airborne Pathfinders Unit
This combat group is available to all NuCoal forces.
Combat Group Composition:
This combat group must contain between 4 and 6 models, chosen from the following list:
- 0-2 Cuirassier
- CGL must be in a Cuirassier if any are used.
- 2-4 Chasseur Paratrooper
- 0-2 Jerboa Paratrooper
Note: Jaguar MP and Nemesis Jaguar may not be used in CNCS Air Assault Squads. Snakeye Black Mamba may not be used in AST Aerial Insertion Cadres.
Combat Group Rules
- Airborne Specialists: This combat group must use airdrop special deployment. Models in this combat group will roll for a target number of 3+ instead of 4+.
- The combat group is the SK role, regardless of the role of any of its members.
- This combat group may not select the Capture objective, but may select Raid instead.
Shop Paratrooper Squads
