These historical characters, presented with a somewhat ‘Hollywood’ style, are here to add flavour to your armies. They may be included in future official publications, but in the meantime they are published in a ‘trial mode’, so you shouldn’t expect to use them in a tournament for example. Rather, we would like YOU to give them a try and let us know what you think – are these good fun? Too unbalancing? Should they be used in tournaments? Let us know on the forum.
Warlord doesn’t currently produce miniatures for all these characters, so feel free to use stand-ins, or even better, convert your own (and if you do, please post up a photo!).
John Basilone
John Basilone (November 4, 1916 – February 19, 1945) was a United States Marine Gunnery Sergeant. He was the only Marine in World War II to receive both the Medal of Honour (Guadalcanal) and the Navy Cross (Iwo Jima).
He served three years in the US Army in the Philippines before joining the Marine Corps in 1940. At the battle of Guadalcanal, his unit of two machine guns were mostly responsible for holding off a regiment-size Japanese assault for two days. When the Japanese finally called off the attack, only two of his men were left standing. After a brief period back in the US as an instructor, he was back into action at the Battle of Iwo Jima, where he distinguished himself for bravery and fighting spirit before being killed.
Cost: +60pts
Team: He is not a team, but instead may be added to one of your MMG teams, replacing the gunner, for the cost listed above.
Weapons: MMG!
Special Rules:
Gunny: Though he is a sergeant, John Basilone confers friendly units within 6” a +1 morale bonus, just like a second lieutenant. In addition, his MMG team does not have the Team Weapon and Fixed rules!
Chesty Puller
Lieutenant General Lewis Burwell “Chesty” Puller (June 26, 1898 – October 11, 1971) was an officer in the United States Marine Corps. Puller is one of the most decorated members of the Marine Corps in its history – being awarded, amongst many other medals, an astounding five Navy Crosses. He fought in Haiti and Nicaragua, World War II and the Korean War and was famous for his quick-thinking and aggressive leadership, in particular excelling at co-ordinating the operations of the available aero-naval assets with his infantry.
Cost: 265pts (Veteran)
Team: 1 officer and up to 2 other men
Weapons: Submachine gun, pistol or rifle/carbine as depicted on the model
Options:
Puller may be accompanied by up to 2 men at a cost of +13pts per man (Veteran)
Special Rules:
Semper Fidelis! Puller’s Morale bonus is +4 and the range of his ability is 12”.
Naval Fire Support: Puller can request an artillery barrage once per game, exactly like a Forward Artillery Observer.
Takeichi Nishi
Colonel Baron Takeichi Nishi (July 12, 1902 – March 22, 1945) was an officer of the Imperial Japanese Army and formerly an Olympic Gold Medalist at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics (equestrian show jump). He was a gallant soldier, in the eyes of many the embodiment of traditional Samurai fighting spirit. He commanded a tank unit at the Battle of Iwo Jima, with most of his tanks dug-in and used as static defences. Like the majority of the island’s garrison, he was killed in action in that battle. He can be fielded either as an officer on horseback, or as a tank commander, as described below.
Nishi on horseback
Cost: 175pts (Veteran)
Team: 1 officer (Colonel) on horseback
Weapons: pistol and sword
Special Rules:
Master Horseman: While mounted, Nishi has four attacks in assaults and moves 12” in an Advance and 24” at a Run. If dismounted, he has three attacks in assaults.
Nishi as tank commander
Cost: +55pts
Team: He is not a team, but instead may be added to one of your Veteran armoured vehicles for the cost listed above.
Weapons: as per the vehicle
Special Rules:
Tank Commander: Nishi confers the Command Vehicle rule to his vehicle, except that the Morale bonus conferred by the rule is +4 rather than +1.
Orde Wingate
Major-General Orde Charles Wingate DSO (26 February 1903 – 24 March 1944), was a peculiar British Army officer responsible for creating, organizing and leading British and Commonwealth special forces in the Middle East, Africa and Burma – his most famous creation were the Chindits. He was an expert and vociferous supporter of unconventional warfare, long-range penetration, unit re-supply by air, and many other fighting techniques that were later adopted by special forces worldwide. He died in a plane crash in India on his way back from Burma.
Cost: 200pts (Veteran)
Team: 1 officer (equivalent to a Colonel) and up to 2 other men
Weapons: Submachine gun, pistol or rifle/carbine as depicted on the model
Options:
Wingate may be accompanied by up to 2 men at a cost of +13pts per man (Veteran).
Special Rules:
Chindit: Wingate and his team have the same two special rules as Chindits sections, as described by the Armies of Great Britain book.
Tough fighters: Wingate and his team are Tough Fighters.
Infiltration Master: if your force includes Wingate, any friendly infantry Outflanking units that become available may enter the game either by their chosen short table edge, as normal, or from any point on the enemy side of the table!
Tadamichi Kuribayashi
Tadamichi Kuribayashi (7 July 1891 in Nagano Prefecture, Japan – March 1945 on Iwo Jima) was a writer and poet, diplomat, and General (Taisho) of the Imperial Japanese Army. He was the commander of the Japanese garrison at Iwo Jima, and his unconventional tactics – like forbidding the use of banzai suicide charges – allowed him to delay the vastly superior US forces assaulting the island for over a month and inflict heavy casualties on the enemy. It is believed that he led the final defence personally and was killed in action, but his body has never been retrieved.
Cost: 0pts (Veteran) – yes, that’s right, zero points!
Team: 1 officer and up to 2 other men
Weapons: Sword, submachine gun, pistol or rifle as depicted on the model
Options:
Kuribayashi may be accompanied by up to 2 men at a cost of +13pts per man (Veteran)
Special Rules:
Master Tactician: Kuribayashi’s Morale bonus is +5 and the range of his ability is 12”.
Don’t waste your life! If your force includes Kuribayashi and as long as Kuribayashi is alive, no friendly units can use the Banzai Charge special rule.
Dan Hewitson
Tom Mecredy
Craig Nixon