ScoutPL

Some basics considerations:

For any attack you will need a DISMOUNTED FORCE to seize terrain. Usually at least three maneuver elements (a platoon with three squads, a company with three platoons). These can be tasked as Support by Fire (to suppress enemy locations, one or two locations at a time), Assault (to actually move into the target squares), and reserve/exploitation (to reinforce your assault element or push forward as the assault element consolidates). The exploitation element can then become the SBF once they make a new contact, the SBF becomes your new Assault, and the assault force (probably a little depleted and resting/rearming) becomes your reserve/exploitation force. Rinse and repeat. This same structure can be used at the platoon, company and battalion level. Always select to have your infantry armed with some man portable AT weapons (Pzchk or BZ)

If you are playing a scenario or QB with relatively open terrain than purchase armor along the same guidelines (three elements).

Also in the attack its good to have a MOUNTED FORCE. I usually stick with just a platoon for this. Most commonly I will buy a mech company with HTs and cut all the vehicles except for one platoons worth. The intent being the HTs are for moving your assault and/or reserve platoons across open ground. The vehicles (if you keep them protected) can be used to shuffle platoons forward. If you were to buy an entire mounted company you would invariably have 70% of your HTs sitting behind a treeline doing nothing.

Support the attack with a MOUNTED GUN element. Depending on what you think your opponent is buying and what the terrain is like this can be met with a few cheap HTs with infantry guns or AA guns mounted, all the way up to a couple Panthers or Jumbos. The primary purpose of this element is to provide suppression support to your infantry. Set them up in what we would call an Attack By Fire position (far enough back to be safe from hand held AT weapons) and have them pound known and suspected enemy positions as your other elements move into position. They can also be used to reduce positions that might be difficult to seize due to terrain (like the lack of a covered route to the target squares). Other added benefits: these can serve as "Fire Brigade" element that can move quickly from one area of the map to another to provide emergency suppression. Also, they serve as a mobile AT capability in infantry dominated scenarios.

Buy some mtrs or arty, as much as you can afford. For most medium QBs this will be a 105mm battery or a couple 81mm MTR platoons. These work well for providing suppression as well as disrupting and/or dislodging forces that may be in defilade to your ABF/SBF. If you plan on the use of smoke early you can be sure to conserve enough ammo to fulfill that requirement.

So for the offense (german):
Infantry dominated QB (my preferred, I just work out beforehand with my opponent to keep vehicle purchases at around 30% of the total).

Three element infantry force:
2 Rifle platoons
1 Rifle platoon with HTs (251s with a 251/10)
MG platoon to provide more suppression, can be moved in HTs like rifle platoons
Company HQ

Mounted gun element:
2x 251/9s
1-2x HT with AA capability
and/or PZIVs or PZVs depending on your preference and what you can afford

Fire support:
2x 81mm platoons (offboard)

Start with a PzGr bn (be sure to set veteran status, morale, fitness, etc before purchasing)
Delete everything except for one company. (Once you are down to one company you can delete all the BN HQ assets.)

At the bottom chose your preferences for vehicles, AT weapons etc in the company (make sure it is still highlighted when you make these selections.)

Delete all the vehicles within the company except for one platoon.

Follow the above advice (womble's) on choosing your armored vehicles.
Purchasing fire support is pretty straight forward.

Armor dominated QB:

Dismounted force: I usually go with just one rifle platoon with HTs so they can keep up with the tanks. Buy two if you can afford it (with or without HTs).

Mounted gun element: This actually becomes your three element maneuver force. Three tank platoons, reduced to 3-4 vehicles each depending on what you can afford. Purchase a tank battalion and reduce it to a company.

2x HT with AA capability. These are good for providing area suppression when standoff is available, as well as the AA aspect.

Fire support: the same as above.

The point is creating a combined arms team that should be capable of handling most threats. I would recommend making sure you have backups for each system as well. In other words, dont buy one Tiger when you can buy three PZIVs. Having only one unit cover down on a task (ABF, SBF, Assault) is extremely risky and a bad idea.

Getting to know how to manipulate the purchase screen just takes experience. There is a process that you should follow and once you figure it out you will find it extremely versatile.

For example, try purchasing all of your units as regulars, get the force you think you will need and then spend your remaining points upgrading your key units to veteran or crack. Its not necessary that every unit on the board have a crack rating and you will figure out which ones you can hedge on. This procedure allows you to get within a few points of your max as well.

If this proves helpful to some I will add another one covering the defense.

Hey fellas, ScoutPL here.  Bil asked me to chime in.  This fight is from awhile ago (over a year I guess), so my memory for the detail is rusty but I think I can give you an idea what I was thinking.
Key to my plan was the open ground that existed between what I assumed was Bils front line (based on scenario intel and confirmed in the first few turns) and the actual objective.  Essentially, his line of communication from his forward trace back to his main position could be interdicted with fires.  So I set up a pretty strong Support By Fire position with my machine guns, Forward Observers, and one STUG.  I dont remember precisely, but I think there was an infantry platoon there for security, as well.
The main attack would consist of an end-run to my left, what Bil has labeled as AOA2.  I felt it offered the most cover and concealment and would force Bil to fight in two directions at once.  I had one ace in hand that made such an aggressive move possible: a few heavy trucks.  After the STUGs and a dismounted platoon proofed the route, I was able to move most of my company by truck to the Attack Position in two quick trips.  Then it became a slug fest as I pushed up the hill hedgerow by hedgerow.

Hey fellas, ScoutPL here.  Bil asked me to chime in.  This fight is from awhile ago (over a year I guess), so my memory for the detail is rusty but I think I can give you an idea what I was thinking.
Key to my plan was the open ground that existed between what I assumed was Bils front line (based on scenario intel and confirmed in the first few turns) and the actual objective.  Essentially, his line of communication from his forward trace back to his main position could be interdicted with fires.  So I set up a pretty strong Support By Fire position with my machine guns, Forward Observers, and one STUG.  I dont remember precisely, but I think there was an infantry platoon there for security, as well.
The main attack would consist of an end-run to my left, what Bil has labeled as AOA2.  I felt it offered the most cover and concealment and would force Bil to fight in two directions at once.  I had one ace in hand that made such an aggressive move possible: a few heavy trucks.  After the STUGs and a dismounted platoon proofed the route, I was able to move most of my company by truck to the Attack Position in two quick trips.  Then it became a slug fest as I pushed up the hill hedgerow by hedgerow.

Hey fellas, ScoutPL here.  Bil asked me to chime in.  This fight is from awhile ago (over a year I guess), so my memory for the detail is rusty but I think I can give you an idea what I was thinking.
Key to my plan was the open ground that existed between what I assumed was Bils front line (based on scenario intel and confirmed in the first few turns) and the actual objective.  Essentially, his line of communication from his forward trace back to his main position could be interdicted with fires.  So I set up a pretty strong Support By Fire position with my machine guns, Forward Observers, and one STUG.  I dont remember precisely, but I think there was an infantry platoon there for security, as well.
The main attack would consist of an end-run to my left, what Bil has labeled as AOA2.  I felt it offered the most cover and concealment and would force Bil to fight in two directions at once.  I had one ace in hand that made such an aggressive move possible: a few heavy trucks.  After the STUGs and a dismounted platoon proofed the route, I was able to move most of my company by truck to the Attack Position in two quick trips.  Then it became a slug fest as I pushed up the hill hedgerow by hedgerow.

Hey fellas, ScoutPL here.  Bil asked me to chime in.  This fight is from awhile ago (over a year I guess), so my memory for the detail is rusty but I think I can give you an idea what I was thinking.
Key to my plan was the open ground that existed between what I assumed was Bils front line (based on scenario intel and confirmed in the first few turns) and the actual objective.  Essentially, his line of communication from his forward trace back to his main position could be interdicted with fires.  So I set up a pretty strong Support By Fire position with my machine guns, Forward Observers, and one STUG.  I dont remember precisely, but I think there was an infantry platoon there for security, as well.
The main attack would consist of an end-run to my left, what Bil has labeled as AOA2.  I felt it offered the most cover and concealment and would force Bil to fight in two directions at once.  I had one ace in hand that made such an aggressive move possible: a few heavy trucks.  After the STUGs and a dismounted platoon proofed the route, I was able to move most of my company by truck to the Attack Position in two quick trips.  Then it became a slug fest as I pushed up the hill hedgerow by hedgerow.

Hey fellas, ScoutPL here.  Bil asked me to chime in.  This fight is from awhile ago (over a year I guess), so my memory for the detail is rusty but I think I can give you an idea what I was thinking.
Key to my plan was the open ground that existed between what I assumed was Bils front line (based on scenario intel and confirmed in the first few turns) and the actual objective.  Essentially, his line of communication from his forward trace back to his main position could be interdicted with fires.  So I set up a pretty strong Support By Fire position with my machine guns, Forward Observers, and one STUG.  I dont remember precisely, but I think there was an infantry platoon there for security, as well.
The main attack would consist of an end-run to my left, what Bil has labeled as AOA2.  I felt it offered the most cover and concealment and would force Bil to fight in two directions at once.  I had one ace in hand that made such an aggressive move possible: a few heavy trucks.  After the STUGs and a dismounted platoon proofed the route, I was able to move most of my company by truck to the Attack Position in two quick trips.  Then it became a slug fest as I pushed up the hill hedgerow by hedgerow.

Hey fellas, ScoutPL here.  Bil asked me to chime in.  This fight is from awhile ago (over a year I guess), so my memory for the detail is rusty but I think I can give you an idea what I was thinking.
Key to my plan was the open ground that existed between what I assumed was Bils front line (based on scenario intel and confirmed in the first few turns) and the actual objective.  Essentially, his line of communication from his forward trace back to his main position could be interdicted with fires.  So I set up a pretty strong Support By Fire position with my machine guns, Forward Observers, and one STUG.  I dont remember precisely, but I think there was an infantry platoon there for security, as well.
The main attack would consist of an end-run to my left, what Bil has labeled as AOA2.  I felt it offered the most cover and concealment and would force Bil to fight in two directions at once.  I had one ace in hand that made such an aggressive move possible: a few heavy trucks.  After the STUGs and a dismounted platoon proofed the route, I was able to move most of my company by truck to the Attack Position in two quick trips.  Then it became a slug fest as I pushed up the hill hedgerow by hedgerow.

Hey fellas, ScoutPL here.  Bil asked me to chime in.  This fight is from awhile ago (over a year I guess), so my memory for the detail is rusty but I think I can give you an idea what I was thinking.
Key to my plan was the open ground that existed between what I assumed was Bils front line (based on scenario intel and confirmed in the first few turns) and the actual objective.  Essentially, his line of communication from his forward trace back to his main position could be interdicted with fires.  So I set up a pretty strong Support By Fire position with my machine guns, Forward Observers, and one STUG.  I dont remember precisely, but I think there was an infantry platoon there for security, as well.
The main attack would consist of an end-run to my left, what Bil has labeled as AOA2.  I felt it offered the most cover and concealment and would force Bil to fight in two directions at once.  I had one ace in hand that made such an aggressive move possible: a few heavy trucks.  After the STUGs and a dismounted platoon proofed the route, I was able to move most of my company by truck to the Attack Position in two quick trips.  Then it became a slug fest as I pushed up the hill hedgerow by hedgerow.