Each time I sign up to a new FoW tournament I spy on the entries of other players. 99% of cases, the roster is overloaded with tank and infantry lists but there are very few players using armored car lists. The best example of this is the latest Polish Nationals tournament where 40 of the 43 lists were either tank or infantry. Only 1 player decided to go for an armoured car list!
To me, this is a sign that players are not really comfortable using this type of company for competitive play. This raises two main questions: why and how to address these issues?
The first one is pretty simple to answer: because you are automatically screwed when defending in battles with the mobile reserves rule.
So how would I build an armored car list that can do a good job in all types of missions?
1. First of all, forget about going trained. The reason for this is that you pretty much have 0 armour on your little guys. The main strength of your platoons comes from the fact that you are hard to hit and you hit hard in return. Use it.
2. Include at least 3 platoons that can fight on foot if necessary. This is needed to field a stable defense when you have to defend in a battle with the mobile reserves rule. This probably means 1-2 of infantry and 1-2 of gun platoons.
3. Go for 8 platoons. Your basic platoons in armored car lists are fairly cheap. You should be able to field 8 platoons at 1650+ points. Build 4 strong platoons and 4 supporting platoons. This will allow you to field a decent force on the table when you are forced to reserve some of your units due to scenario requirements.
4. Use a-t guns and self-propelled tank destroyers - avoid slow, heavily armoured tanks. You need to be flexible and hard-hitting. Anything that limits your ability to kill large numbers of tanks/guns quickly works against you.
5. Do not use artillery. Artillery is a good way to deal with targets when you are attacking but on the defense it will only hinder you (which is a topic for another blog entry).
6. Include smoke if possible! You will need it to fight tanks on the defense as well as prepare assaults or isolate strongpoints on the offensive. Do not forget to use it :)
Having these in mind, here is a sample list that I played testing for a 1500 points tournament:
HQ: 1x Puma
Platoon 1: 2x Puma
Platoon 2: 2x Puma
Platoon 3: 2x Puma
Platoon 4: 3x Pak40 + transport
Platoon 5: 7x Panzerpionier + faust + transport
Platoon 1: 4x Marder III H
Platoon 1: 4x StugG
Platoon 1: 2x 15cm Nebelwerfer + Pak40 + transport
Hint: On the defense, you start with the pioneers, paks, stugs and nebelwerfers on the table.
What is your experience playing armoured car lists or mechanized forces in general?
To me, this is a sign that players are not really comfortable using this type of company for competitive play. This raises two main questions: why and how to address these issues?
The first one is pretty simple to answer: because you are automatically screwed when defending in battles with the mobile reserves rule.
So how would I build an armored car list that can do a good job in all types of missions?
1. First of all, forget about going trained. The reason for this is that you pretty much have 0 armour on your little guys. The main strength of your platoons comes from the fact that you are hard to hit and you hit hard in return. Use it.
2. Include at least 3 platoons that can fight on foot if necessary. This is needed to field a stable defense when you have to defend in a battle with the mobile reserves rule. This probably means 1-2 of infantry and 1-2 of gun platoons.
3. Go for 8 platoons. Your basic platoons in armored car lists are fairly cheap. You should be able to field 8 platoons at 1650+ points. Build 4 strong platoons and 4 supporting platoons. This will allow you to field a decent force on the table when you are forced to reserve some of your units due to scenario requirements.
4. Use a-t guns and self-propelled tank destroyers - avoid slow, heavily armoured tanks. You need to be flexible and hard-hitting. Anything that limits your ability to kill large numbers of tanks/guns quickly works against you.
5. Do not use artillery. Artillery is a good way to deal with targets when you are attacking but on the defense it will only hinder you (which is a topic for another blog entry).
6. Include smoke if possible! You will need it to fight tanks on the defense as well as prepare assaults or isolate strongpoints on the offensive. Do not forget to use it :)
Having these in mind, here is a sample list that I played testing for a 1500 points tournament:
HQ: 1x Puma
Platoon 1: 2x Puma
Platoon 2: 2x Puma
Platoon 3: 2x Puma
Platoon 4: 3x Pak40 + transport
Platoon 5: 7x Panzerpionier + faust + transport
Platoon 1: 4x Marder III H
Platoon 1: 4x StugG
Platoon 1: 2x 15cm Nebelwerfer + Pak40 + transport
Hint: On the defense, you start with the pioneers, paks, stugs and nebelwerfers on the table.
What is your experience playing armoured car lists or mechanized forces in general?
Putting Nebelwerfers on the table in defense can be risky, I see they have a PaK40 for defense but it still will not be enough. Unless you can screen them really well with the rest of your force.
ReplyDeleteThat is true, although I think that the flexibility of the platoon (smoke + extra a-t shots) make it worth screening. Also, this is one of the 3 foot platoons allowed on the table in a mission with mobile reserves. For no mobile reserves, I would go for: StuGs, Marders, Pioneers, Pak40s.
ReplyDeleteI know, you like GERM most in this game :P, but what would you fled for US.
ReplyDeleteThey lack mechanized assault but have their own rule for mechanized companies.
I never played mech company yet. Still having in mind options to makeover US infantry into mech. But maybe it is good topic for other Article. I bet new players ( as I still consider myself) starts either with tank or Infantry - so how to go smoothly from them to mech?
Yes, a good idea for an article - will cover this later on.
ReplyDeleteA company that I really like, however I checked it on fowlists and it totals 1595 pts ;)
ReplyDeletePanzerspah Company HQ (p.91) - CinC Sd Kfz 234/2 Puma (50 pts)
ReplyDeleteCompulsory Puma Panzerspah Platoon (p.92) - Command Sd Kfz 234/2 Puma, Sd Kfz 234/2 Puma (100 pts)
Compulsory Puma Panzerspah Platoon (p.92) - Command Sd Kfz 234/2 Puma, Sd Kfz 234/2 Puma (100 pts)
Puma Panzerspah Platoon (p.92) - Command Sd Kfz 234/2 Puma, Sd Kfz 234/2 Puma (100 pts)
Panzergrenadier Anti-tank Gun Platoon (p.83) - Command SMG, 3x 7.5cm PaK40 gun (155 pts)
- Kfz 15 field car, Kfz 70 truck per PaK38 gun (5 pts)
PanzerPionier Platoon (p.89) - Command Pioneer Rifle/MG, 6x Pioneer Rifle/MG, Kfz 15 field car, 3x Kfz 70 truck (205 pts)
- Replace Command Pioneer Rifle with Command Pioneer Panzerfaust SMG (10 pts)
Panzer Platoon (p.73) - Command StuG G or StuG IV, 3x StuG G or StuG IV (380 pts)
Tank-Hunter Platoon (p.153) - Command Marder III H, 3x Marder III H (260 pts)
Rocket Launcher Battery (p.159) - Command SMG, Observer Rifle, Kubelwagen, 2x 15cm NW41 rocket launcher (75 pts)
- Kfz 15 field car, Sd Kfz 11 half-track per gun (5 pts)
- 7.5cm PaK40 gun, Sd Kfz 11 half-track (55 pts)
1500 Points, 8 Platoons