We've decided to take a look at the different vehicles that are going to be coming out over the coming months for Gale Force Nine's Tanks: World War II Skirmish Game.

We're kicking things off with a look at The Depot and the Soviets which will be out in April and then later in June. Let's see what they're bringing to the tabletop...

ISU-152 Expansion

Leading the way we have this kit which allows you to build both an ISU-152 and an ISU-122. The sets will allow you to build either of the two variants for this tank giving you different options for gameplay with each.

"The heavy ISU self-propelled guns weighed almost 50 metric tons and combined three battle roles: assault gun, tank destroyer, and artillery. The ISU- 152 could deliver devastating explosive shells at range while the ISU-122 boasted better armour piercing capabilities."

I really like the look of this tank and it certainly seems like it would be able to deal the killing blow to other pieces of armour. It looks front heavy and mean with plenty of armour strapped to the front, more in the case of the ISU-122. The 152 variant however comes with the additional Big Gun rule meaning you can deal out some extra damage.

IS-2 Expansion

Following in the footsteps of that behemoth we also have the IS-2 and IS-85 expansion pack. This tank has a deadly namesake and seems like it was just as fiery as the man it was named after...

"Named after the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, the IS series of heavy tanks was designed to help the red army break through enemy positions. Its gun fired heavy high-explosive shells that could destroy enemy tanks, entrenchments, and bunkers alike."

So, named after Stalin eh? Well, I can imagine this tank needs to do well on the tabletop or the crew might find themselves getting discarded back to the box. The Heavy Tank ability that both of these tanks have also mean that you can dive right into the action and not worry too much about your flanks.

SU-100 Expansion

We're back with another tank destroyer as we look at the next batch of expansion content. This time it's the SU-100 and SU-85 kits which give you some fast tanks.

"The SU-85 and SU-100 were built on the excellent T-34 chassis, replacing the turret with a hull mounted gun. These assault guns were nicknamed ‘Cat-killers’ for their ability to knock out heavy German tanks like the Panther and Tiger."

As mentioned above the SU-85 version of the tank has the Fast rule allowing it to rush forward and get into better positions. This means you can take out your opponent with a well aimed shot to the side armour.

T-34 Expansion

Last but not least we have potentially the most well known set of tanks. The titles of each certainly appear more often than the other tanks we've seen so far here. Check out the T-34 and T-34/85 variants of the tank below.

"From it’s first encounters in 1941 the T-34 would become one of the most influential tank designs of the Second World War. The T-34 was continously refined over the years to increase effectiveness and decrease costs, allowing vast numbers to be fielded at once.

Eventually, the T-34/85 variant was built to combat the appearance of heavy German tanks."

Both of these tanks are fast and come with the rules for coordinated fire. The T-85 tank is better in all areas but you pay extra for the pleasure of using it on the battlefield.

So, that's the Soviet tanks - which one is your favourite?