Review Konflikt'47 Festung Europa
- Nicholas Smith
- 9 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Greetings one and all,
Today, we’re going to dive into the newest addition to the K’47 universe, Festung Europa. So get ready, because no matter what side you play, nobody is coming out of this one the same.
What is Festung Europa?
This is Volume One of the Rift Wars, published by Warlord Games and is a supplement for Konflikt ’47. This book covers the Soviet and Allied attempts to capture Dresden and, how each attack simply fed the Totenlegion instead. We get a page of lore about each faction's hero character and what their roles were during the years' events, with only the Japanese not getting more than a passing mention (but rest assured, The Rift War Volume 2: Invasion Amerika will have plenty of Japanese action in it).
So, beyond the advances in the timeline and lore, what else is Festung Europa? Well, several scenarios allow you to play key battles in the story's campaign, be it “Fell the Giant”, where the USA tries to destroy one of the mighty Sturmriese, or “Havesting the Dead”, where the Axis try to convert as much of the opposing Soviet army into Totenkorps. Each scenario has alternative rules, allowing for different army compositions and objects, which makes for a fun gaming experience.
As a slight aside, the artwork in this book is amazing, and if Warlord Games ever wants to do digital downloads or posters, I will 100% be buying them.
Structure and Flow
Festung Europa is divided into 8 major sections (some of which are larger than others). The first section is all about setting the scene and going over what has occurred in the world since the D-Day landings at the start of 1947. It also includes a lovely map at the end of the section.
We then move on to Operation Valentine, the USA and the Commonwealth. This was the preparatory operation to clear Axis airspace to create flight paths toward Dresden. This operation saw the encirclement of several Festungs and the destruction of many Sturmriese.
The book then pivots to the Soviets and their operation to capture Dresden in Operation Pluto, which is a massive Soviet ground invasion leaping from city to city, deploying Zvukovoy Maraki (harmonic towers) before advancing. This attack pits the rage and fury of Commissar Gregor Drugov against the cold logic of Von Zögling and ultimately, the vast manpower resources of the Soviets, which only acts to swell the ranks of the Totenlegion.
Next comes Operation Touchdown. This is what Operation Valentine was preparing for: a mass drop of fireflies, linebreakers and paras into the city of Leipzig. Their objective was to capture the Dresden rift. Among their ranks was Roberta Wells and her “eggheads”. Unfortunately, after a good start, the attack gets bogged down by the arrival of the Totenlegion, newly reinforced with the bodies of soviet troops and soon fallen Americans. This caused the commanding officer, Colonel Harrison, to order a withdrawal back toward elements of Operation Valentine. However, Wells goes AWOL and heads to Dresden anyway, forcing the 109th airborne to follow her to prevent her capture.
The book finishes with the ending of Operation Valentine, which has been ongoing since 14th Feb till 10th Oct. Parts of the 109th do manage to get back behind friendly lines, but Axis counterattacks force the allies back, and by the operation's end, the new defensive line runs from Karlsruhe to Ravensburg.
Summary
Of course, what I’ve provided are really only the most sparse of cliff notes. The storytelling in this book is brilliantly laid out, with several twists and turns that I wouldn't want to ruin for anyone. There are new scenarios that allow you to play out the most important battles of the book, and they all feel really unique and fun.
Overall, this is a great first volume into the World of Konflikt’ 47, and I heartily suggest any fan of the setting pick up the book, and if you buy it from Warlord directly, you’ll even get a Roberta Wells model that can lead you into terrible tactical decisions too.
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