Konflikt ’47: Commisar Gregor Drugov
Commissar Gregor Drugov is a formidable figure within the Soviet Political Commissariat. Known for his imposing stature and aggressive nature, Drugov’s fervent dedication to the Rodina propelled him swiftly through the ranks. He was one of the first to volunteer as a human test subject for the Ursus initiative. Although they were formidable, the mighty Ursus soldiers were atavistic in nature, lacking imagination and tactical thinking. A new process had been formulated to overcome this shortfall. It was intended to create a being with all the strengths and advantages of an Ursus, but with the advantages of human intuition and party-educated reasoning.
Drugov was singled out as an ideal candidate for the new process and readily agreed to the ordeal ahead. He died three times on the operating table due to the extreme bodily manipulation he endured, but each time Soviet science brought him back to life and the agonising process continued. Drugov survived, and after a lengthy recovery he did indeed exhibit many significant physical enhancements of an Ursus but without their bestial side effects. Despite these modifications, Drugov’s trademark ferocity remained undiminished and, if anything, was felt to be considerably enhanced.
Drugov’s shock assaults have proved so effective that both Allied and Axis forces have been given standing orders to terminate Drugov with extreme prejudice wherever he may be encountered. So far, no soldier or agent has succeeded in this task.
Konflikt ’47: Captain Leo Bianchi, Special Service Force
Captain Leo Bianchi is one of the Paragon program’s best kept secrets. Whilst the light of propaganda shines on the exploits of ‘Slammer’ Samuels and his ilk, Leo Bianchi and the Paragons of the Special Service Force (SSF) operate in the darkness, executing those less-savoury orders that originate from the White House.
Unbeknownst to the outside world, not all Paragons are made the same. The program continues to pursue many avenues of genetic research in an attempt to perfect or improve upon the template of Harris Samuels. Leo was subject to an alternative process, and though it was successful in augmenting his musculature, it also resulted in some disfigurement. Leo was thus inducted into the secretive sub-division of the Paragon program, one which very few outside of the upper echelons of S-1 have any knowledge of.
Given the rank of Captain, Leo Bianchi was assigned to lead the newly created Special Service Force (SSF). Despite his mutations, Leo continues to display unquestioning subservience to his S-1 masters, executing a covert and sanguinary campaign against the foes of the United States.
Konflikt ’47: Svetlana & ‘Nina’
Even before the commencement of World War Two, the Soviet Union placed a far heavier emphasis on the practice of sniping than the other major powers. A great many from this school earnt the distinction of Hero of the Soviet Union plying their deadly trade. Svetlana Volkova is one of the most successful.
Born in the midst of the chaos of the Russian Revolution of 1917, Svetlana was orphaned as a child, and brought up in a state-sanctioned orphanage program. She and many others like her were conditioned to serve the newly formed socialist state from a very young age. As a teenager, in the mid 1930s, she was identified as an ideal candidate for sniper training; and displayed an aptitude for the practice far in excess of most of her peers, earning the Voroshilov Sharpshooter award at the age of 18. She has served in the Red Army since the commencement of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union.
As the Rift War heated up, Svetlana bore witness to an ever more exotic menagerie of genetically altered foes within her scope. In late 1945 she was invited to be genetically enhanced at Science City Nine in the manner of the Daughters of the Motherland, but she refused, arguing that her worth was apparent without any such enhancement, and that were such a procedure to fail, it could dull her senses and render her talents ineffectual. Many other female snipers did not get the benefit of choice.
As one of the Soviet Bloc’s most gifted and consistent snipers, Svetlana has now been promoted to Lieutenant and outfitted with an experimental version of the ‘modal’ PTRS-46 Pulya-Poykbi weapon. However, the weapon’s weight has necessitated an unwelcome compromise – that she be partnered up with a Daughter of the Motherland, known simply as “Nina”, to serve as a spotter, and whose enhanced strength is sufficient to carry the heavy equipment.
K47 T-34/ZP Medium Tank
Few weapons of war better reflect the Soviet way of war than the T-34 medium tank. Upgraded in 1944, the latest mass-produced models feature a powerful 85 mm ZiS-S-53 gun, providing effective anti-armour capability against Axis heavy tanks. The increase to a five-man crew has improved operational efficiency and along with the tanks balance of firepower, armour, and manoeuvrability make the T-34/85 a crucial weapon. The successful development of the turret mounted Zvukovoy Proeyektor has allowed the rapid deployment of the T-34/ZP variant in growing numbers.
