Major Rags

I will only use a Halftrack if I'm Allied and need to move mortars quickly. Then you might as well get a mortar HT most of the time. They can't hide as well as mortar crews, but they have a lot of rounds. The Allied small AT's can be towed with a jeep and if I need big guns I get an Airborne howitzer that can be towed with a jeep. If I'm German, I buy gun tractors for hauling heavy weapons and guns behind the front line. Squads walk or ride tanks.

Does anyone know if the company HQ gives a bigger bonus than a platoon HQ. I'm guessing that the Company HQ would have a level higher, like the difference between a Vet Platoon HQ and a Regular. But I don't have anything to base that on.

I use regular soldiers and veteran AT and tanks. Each company will usually have one platoon HQ with good morale and/or combat bonuses. When in command control, these platoons will perform as vets. If I need a really good platoon, I will buy an airborne unit (if available). They usually come with a multi-bonus HQ, since they are considered the elite units of their armies. This is sometimes a gamble. Occasionally the HQ won't have any bonuses. Tanks may need to be upgraded to take advantage of optics. Most must be at least regular to be able to use advanced optics and some, like the Panther with the dual range optics, must be veteran. Don't every buy a non-veteran Panther. Even without the optics issues, a veteran tank or AT gun will fire faster and usually more accurately than a regular unit. Getting of the second shot before your opponent can be critical to your survival.

Spare me the e-mail.

Post edited [ January 20, 2005, 07:47 AM: Message edited by: Major Rags ]

I don't think you have the ability to set a barrage up on Turn 1 unless you are the attacker in an attack or assault. It'sa not realistic to know that the enemy is in a 200 meter-wide strip ahead of you in an engagement that is not attacking a fixed position. In real life you would waste a lot of ammo and give away the element of surprise by letting him know you're in the neighborhood.

Smoke, smoke, smoke... Screen the Sherms with smoke so that you can flank the armor. Take advantage of the Sherms speed and fast turret. Especially against Stugs and other turretless armor. The only way you can kill a Tiger/Panther/Hetzer/Stug with a 75mm Sherm or Stuart is with a side shot.

If you really want to kill Russkies buy a Strumtiger w/300mm naval gun. It has 13 rounds (for 1100 pts w/rarity) and takes 3 minutes to load. But it makes a BIG bang.

I think the Morale bonus is best. I had a 76 mm crew down to 1 crew member still returning fire after killing two Panzers and wounding a third. He had a ++ Morale HQ in command. Without a command HQ AT crews will bail in a heartbeat. Stealth is best used for moving or ambushing infantry and AT/FT teams. Attack bonuses for the front of the thrust or the core of the defense.

I found that a leader bonus goes a long way to providing staying power for any IG or AT unit. I try to put a Morale and Stealth bonus HQ in control. I've had AT guns in foxholes or rough terrain take 3-4 casualties and still return fire. Put a Morale,Stealth and Combat bonus on an AT position with forward cover and they can wreak havoc on a flanking AFV's.

I use it when I've got folks in cover in front of trenches or reverse sloped defenders. They can spot and, if they get spotted, withdraw to the trench (where the HQ unit is). There is a morale hit, but if they are vet troops they usually won't drop to panic level. They can recover in about a minute if the HQ has a morale bonus (less if it's the double bonus). Two if it doesn't. I think where they withdraw to may have an impact. When they withdraw to a fortification like a trench they seem to regroup faster.

My friend and I have been playing some QB tank battles. Trying to get a good balance has been the issue. Currently the Russians get 125% force bonus which allows you to get a bunch of rookies or a few more tanks bu all upgraded to vet and crack status. The Germans get a -50% ammo loadout which prevents Panthers from sitting on a hilltop plinking at T-34's all game. This forces the Germans to hold fire until the kill probability comes up at closer range, which makes the Russians more effective. In order to win the Germans have to achieve at least a 2:1 kill ratio. If the Germans lose 12 tanks to 15 Russain losses, the Russians win because their tanks will be replaced in a week and the Germans won't get replacements for much longer, if at all. Any ideas on how to tweak it for better balance?

An AT gun in woods/rough terrain with a Morale and Combat bonus platoon HQ in command is very difficult to KO. I had a 76 dueling with Pz IV's and a Tiger while under mortor fire that continued firing for seven turns. It took out a Stu, 2 IV's and gun damaged the Tiger and contiued firing with five casualties. I think it may have been a "fanatic unit" too. I had another game where 3 37mm guns in rough terrain with a double morale bonus HQ took an entire FO load-out of 81mm and German tank fire at 1000 yds. After the smoke had cleared one gun to a direct hit but the others just took cover and got up to return fire. Without the command bonuses a lone AT will run after the first couple of near misses.

Back up at least 20-25m from the mine marker. And don't have anybody else in the area or they'll get fragged.

This is why I gave up Miniatures. Everybody wants to debate the rules or the initial setup or the bonuses or the reality. "How can the Spanish get an attack bonus!!??" "In real life the French cavalry would never route" It's a game and a darn good one. My hat's off to anyone who spends their otherwise valuable time to build scenarios and such, so I don't have to. I've tried to build some and it takes a long time to get it right.