Okie dokie, I have decided that Crazy Kazaks are my future. When it comes to buying stuff, aside from the obvious (Coldfront and Beyond), what are the things that a new TAK player will want to buy? I guess this may make a reasonable addition to the TAK Primer/Guide as well once we get a bit of consensus going, so I will break it down a bit: What are the auto includes that every TAK player will want / need? What are the nice to haves? What are reasonable proxies/substitutes for missing models? What are some models to work with as the base for conversions? Bonus question: How many Dynamo's are enough and why is AVA 5 not enough.
Antipode assault pack is a must. It's just an incredible toolkit. For 25 points and 0 SWC, you get two orders (one regular, one irregular) amd three TAG-blending 6-6 camo sensoring puppies plus their controller, who is effectively an extra line Kazak with a smoke grenade launcher plus rifle. Spetznaz with HMG is almost an auto-include for long range fire that ignores partial cover and has shock-ammo. Tankhunter with autocannon is never a bad idea. Skip the Tankhunter with APHMG, though.
I will use (a few ) proxys in my TAK for a while! 1) There are no Frontoviks released, so I'm planning to use slightly converted Scots Guards. https://photos.app.goo.gl/dJ791fbjfF9w9AkU6 2) I'm going to use a converted 112. The old model is old so I'm going for this https://photos.app.goo.gl/4rrFxfeLyGQ8mcdV9 3) There is only one Strelok released, the one with SMG. I'm going to use it, but I also need one with shotgun. I'm planning to use the cold front scout. 4) Vassily Plushenko doesn't have any released model yet. I'm planning to use this converted Tankhunter for him https://photos.app.goo.gl/6sjWyNEjh7PybTiv9 5) Carmen and Batard doesn't have army models yet so I'm going to use an ordinary Antipode https://photos.app.goo.gl/ft5o4L3yABJVTmcV7 for Batard and EITHER a USArf Desperado https://photos.app.goo.gl/fFt9ah634ufj5FiY7 OR https://store.corvusbelli.com/products/bootleg/280842-0513-penthesilea-amazon-biker-special-edition for Carmen/Carlos 6) I don't like the Ratnik model so I'm converting a HMG Black Jack https://photos.app.goo.gl/m4VcUmi723PYckQCA 7) I don't like the K9 Antipode so I'm going to use an ordinary Antipode instead https://photos.app.goo.gl/vt9SS2oYhyQfRpZh6 8) There is no LGL line Kazak available, so I converted one slightly https://photos.app.goo.gl/1m3sGC5iCdV7qpEc7
You'll end up buying everything anyway, so doesn't really matter. You'll definitely need: Vet Kazak with AP HMG 4 fillers for your Vet Kazak, each starter box comes with 3 line kazaks (the old and ugly one and the new O:CF as well) HMG Spetsnaz, but why buy a single piece blister, when you can buy a whole box! Likely you'll never use the Sniper rifle, and occasionally the AD one, but Spetsnaz are cool, so just have them all. Then: Operation Coldfront has 3 line kazaks, which are a good base for your link, a boarding shotgun scout which you may or may not use but can proxy as another loadout, doesn't matter, looks good. AP rifle Vet Kazak, which is the specialist one, can be useful, or you can proxy the AP HMG one with it, if you don't have that one (but you will buy that one anyway), AP rifle Tankhunter is there to bring you glorious CoC whn your Voronin gets shot in the face. You can either take that for 30 pts, or Vassily for 39 pts, a better gun and ambush camo (and dogged, heavy pistol, Akrylat kanone upgrades.). I'm not sure you would use Ratnik, seems expensive, though B5 dual Molotok seems nice. Like bring your own Haris to work. So you definitely need to buy this box. Beyond Coldfront brings you Vassily, T2 marksman Strelok, T2 rifle Frontovnik. And you want all of them. T2 rifle Frontovnik is the general loadout for nearly everything, and Frontovniks shoot nearly (-1Bs) as good as a Vet Kazak (because they are Fusiliers with mimetism and can be in a dirt cheap link), with less survivability, so they are cool. Streloks are the rage now, and they don't have many sculpts (2). T2 marksman is a good weapon, especially with camo, though it seems to be a bit more expensive on the Strelok (along with the AP marksman rifle) than on other troops. Vassily is a CoC Tankhunter with a better gun. Or your LT with an FO, so your opponent knows which one you bring, but at least he's always a specialist, and has ambush camo to hide. You can notice that Vassily is an upgrade on a Tankhunter, because he's a character, but Frontovnik is a Vet Kazak in the making, an upgrade on the line kazak. Old Ariadna starter is also useful, they are ugly a bit, but you'll get 3 Line Kazaks, a T2 Vet kazak (with X visor, in suppressive fire), a Chasseur when you go vanilla, and some ugly Caledonian. You'll need an antipode assault pack, because it's cheap, lots of bodies, lots of sensors, roadblocks, cc threats, free smoke LGL, whatever. So here's a list: old Ariadna starter O:CF Ariagna half Beyond CF Ariadna half CF special something with Strelok and Antipode Antipode assault pack box AP HMG Vet kazak blister Spetsnaz box (or HMG blister) Later throw in some cheap bodies like Traktor Mul + Dozer and some Irmandinhos.
Ok, let's see Veteran Kazaks w/ AP HMG Line Kazaks 4 minis ( you need rife also line Kazak w/med kit and one for FO/Lt) Dozer w/ Traktor Mul Control Device Traktor Mul pack Streloks /w K-9 Antipode This will be your skeleton. If you want this in boxes - I highly recommend getting Operation: Cold front and beyond Cold front boxes, K-9 box, Vet Kazak w/ AP HMG, Dozer w/ control device, Traktor Mul pack. You need this because: 3 Line Kozaks as your support for core link w/ Vet Kazak (you will add one more Line Kazak or Frontovik - he is better) Veteran Kazak w/ AP HMG because it's your main attack pcs Dozer w/ Traktor Mul Control Device and 2 Traktor Mul for 24 points 3 regular orders pack Streloks /w K-9 Antipode - because it's stupidly powerful Next is up to you, but you must remember, that you need to get "Plan B". It can be: Tankhunter w/ AP HMG, Kazak Spetsnaz w/ HMG, Antipode Assault Pack (better to get two of this). Also, you will need to get Scout (w/ Ojotnik), Warcor.
