by A dawn of ashes over Caen
On a bleak morning in January 1947, a freezing, relentless drizzle drowned the ruins of Caen. The city was nothing more than a skeleton of stone, a landscape of gaping scars left by the infernos of the summer of 1944. The world had tipped into an even greater horror: a few months earlier, in March, the apocalypse had fallen upon Dresden. A new kind of atomic lightning had reduced the city to ashes. Yet the millions of German dead had not ended the war. They had reignited it, armed with new and terrible technologies.
Amid this end-of-the-world wasteland, a frail little figure moved about: François. The boy scavenged through the entrails of the dead city, prying fragments of metal and wood from the rubble to fashion toys for the other children at the orphanage.
Suddenly, the deathly silence was torn apart by a mechanical wail, a hydraulic groan all too familiar: the servomotors of a Schienenkanone. It was one of those new steel monsters, the walking war machines the “Fritz” were now deploying across the front. François clearly heard orders barked in German. He threw himself into the depths of a shell crater, his heart hammering in his chest.
A hundred meters away, the iron carcass advanced with predatory heaviness, crowned with a turret mounting an oversized cannon. Despite the grey daylight, a sickly, almost supernatural green glow seeped from its technological innards. At a sharp gesture from their officer, the accompanying infantry froze and crouched, ready for combat.
From the west came the droning thunder of a squadron of C-47s. The aircraft flew low over the shattered ruins. “The Yanks…” he muttered. Paratroopers, equipped with their new jump packs and brandishing futuristic weapons, poured from the planes. They plunged onto the German lines from the sky. Amid the roar of turbines and the rattle of machine guns, the battle was joined…
Why Konflikt’47?
Maurice: This game builds on the Bolt Action system and shares many of its core mechanics. However, it offers a very different approach, beginning with its alternate-history setting. Konflikt ’47 embraces a far more narrative-driven take on scenarios. It steps away from the strict framework of the Second World War and gives players an original and imaginative playground.
Units with distinct national characteristics, inventive and downright fun weaponry—and above all, chaos. That’s what won me over. On the one hand, its compatibility with Bolt Action (most vehicles and units from Bolt Action can be fielded in Konflikt’47) is a real strength. On the other, it offers a completely different way to play and to craft scenarios.
Finally, Konflikt ’47 could strongly appeal to Star Wars: Legion players—science fiction fans looking for a change of scenery while keeping a foot in the realm of imagination—as well as Warhammer 40,000 players who might be pleasantly surprised by a system that delivers a different and refreshing gameplay experience.
What drew me in
As a miniature wargaming enthusiast—and a roleplaying gamer as well—the ultra-narrative dimension of Konflikt ’47 immediately captured my attention. After exploring the dedicated website, I found myself imagining an entire campaign built around this system. I want to return to simple pleasures: telling stories through miniature gaming.
The ability to highlight individual heroes—something Konflikt ’47 allows, unlike Bolt Action, which feels more “anonymous” in that respect—also greatly appeals to me.
You can find the official Konflikt’47 website at the following link:
