The Hybrid Tournament

[Vanir Ausf B]

Can be penetrated is a lot different than likely to be at all. In my experience US 76s hardly ever penetrate Tigers or even Panthers from the front, and you.re playing a dangerous game that you.re very likely to lose if you try it.

I wasn't suggesting that US 76mm is a good choice against Panthers and KTs, only that there is not a lot of difference in it's effectiveness against them (the mantlets of the Porsche KT and the Panther are the same thickness, although the KT's has more curvature).

But you are probably correct in that if players know Big Cats are a possibility they will always choose to play as British anyways.

[Sublime]

Which sucks because I think the OP (and me as well) want to see more variety of units in a QB without taking away the fun of choosing force mixes you like, etc. I like playing as the Americans and against 95% of German force mixes this is a reasonable proposition. It's the 5% that everyone will choose again and again because it's a tournament and they want to win. There's a lot of fun in the game for me in the less used units, or units that frankly sort of suck compared to others. I guess I would never have played Italians in FI at all otherwise. Unfortunately though in most QBs I feel compelled to choose 'safe' units that wont get knocked around like rag-dolls if my opponent 'goes nuclear' on me with the German armor. Of course I could only play scenarios but there are only so many, and I like QBs too.

I mostly fear Panthers than anything else. They seem to be the most dangerous tank all around in the German arsenal in my experiences in the game. You hear that the high velocity 75 sucked HE wise but its never felt like it when it was my infantry getting shot with it. Tiger Is are next on the list. Actually on reflection, though I've only encountered it once, the Jagdpanther was the worst, though a game Im playing now a KT shocked me either by 'coming back to life' (being recrewed) or never being killed and just sitting there shocked in smoke for a few minutes. It's now wreaking havoc and so may end up taking the title from the Jagd.

[Sublime]

For the Brits I love all the Churchills. My favor has been borne out with them in my experiences and especially against them. I've had Panther 75s bounce off plenty of Churchills. but they still have a tough time dealing with Panthers and upwards. The best anti armor obviously is the 6 lber but I noticed in one of my games the tank 'refused' to target the KT. I was pretty surprised the AI judged it not worth revealing it's position. Especially since a firefly ~30m away was in action against the KT. Anyways otherwise the 6lber is hit or miss as far as kills but at least it penetrates. The 75mm churchill has all around armor and the cannons great for infantry support but I'd take the 57mm 6lber churchill if there were German armor around. Finally theres the 95mm Churchill, a particular fav. of mine. The heavy round does great anti personnel work and it has several HEAT rounds on it that will KO heavy German armor. Keep in mind this doesnt mean its meant to fight German armor, that's ideally for Fireflies or 6lber Churchills. It's job is to shell and lay smoke rounds (also great with the bigger shell) And though it has great armor for an Allied tank, it doesnt have great armor by German standards and you should still pop smoke and skulk around like a good Allied tank commander. For my Fireflies I usually take the IC. I feel its a slight compromise in that it's more common (by rarity points I dont factually know) and more likely to explode at first hit being an earlier model Sherman. Of course its a sherman so I can never plan on taking hits like I would commanding a German heavy tank, and its still best used as an ambush tank. Though using pop smoke and small movement orders with a cover armor arc on the whole game I can 'fire brigade' one tank around fairly well. M10s and Achilles I will not buy anymore if I have freedom to choose - I never have any luck with them whatsoever. Cromwells I've been quite unimpressed with. They're really fast but Shermans are fast enough for me and the Cromwells die like flies whenever I have them.

[Vanir Ausf B]

Does any one still use Fionn's Rules?

[poesel]

Yes - these rules make good games.

[Sgt Schultz]

Aye, Fionn's rules are a basis for my attempts to keep things reasonable, yet varied.

This tournament idea can be scaled down to either the "Large"(4282 points) or "Medium"(2560 points) size Meeting Engagement settings.

It can also use ian's wonderful purchasing instructions, and the points can be set to any number in between.

Any size smaller than the 6-7K area would most likely be more open to dis-allowing the long 88s.

However, as Vanir points out, the Big Cats absitively SUCK in wet conditions, so the utility of the uber-Kitties will decline over the length of the tournament.

Or did you think that the weather conditions rules were just pulled out of my butt to add complexity for its own sake?

Mud is a greater threat to a Jagdpanther than anything the Allies can field. Go ahead and roll those dice... You can rule with an iron fist in round 1, and be crying by round 4. ;D

I am a long-time disciple of Rune the great and sadistic. The late rounds' terrain, objectives and conditions will be as "tactical"(like deadliest catch skippers say it's getting 'nautical') as I can make them. What worked early may not work late, but low ground pressure and high mobility has a cost that may keep one from the late rounds.

It is all about finding what could have been/should have been the best TO&E for an armored/calvary Battalion under a commander just like YOU, if all the pieces could have been in place. Not historically accurate, but not some gamey mess of uber units. Regular Joes whose commander happens to be the son-in-law of the Army Group commander, if that helps you to suspend your disbelief.

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[Bud Backer]

The 2560 points range would be something I could eventually attempt.

Regarding the big Cats issue, wouldn't using strict rarity point rules sort of make it possible to have them but at high cost, thereby giving the purchaser freedom, rather than guaranteeing no long 88's, which is a whole other oddity, in a sense. I think the allies were afraid of the Kitties excessively, so having to worry there may be a rare one would seem fitting?

[Vanir Ausf B]

Regarding the big Cats issue, wouldn't using strict rarity point rules sort of make it possible to have them but at high cost, thereby giving the purchaser freedom, rather than guaranteeing no long 88's, which is a whole other oddity, in a sense.

It could help. The only fly in the ointment is the Panther, which was not a rare vehicle at all.

[Bud Backer]

It could help. The only fly in the ointment is the Panther, which was not a rare vehicle at all.

Yeah, I was thinking that could be true for some of them. But only one is "common" IIRC, so maybe it's just that one, perhaps it's next most available cousins that need be "banned". In other words, you can buy panthers, but they have to meet certain rarity levels, not the most common two levels.

[Sgt Schultz]

The thing about rarity is that is makes it more likely that some of the minor units that are excellent in their own right get swept under the Big Kitty rug.

Look at all the "rare" units in the purchase screen that are fine additions.

I will look into this again, with some test purchases. It has been a long time since I had rarity on, so this could be a viable way to go.

[Bud Backer]

The thing about rarity is that is makes it more likely that some of the minor units that are excellent in their own right get swept under the Big Kitty rug.

Look at all the "rare" units in the purchase screen that are fine additions.

I will look into this again, with some test purchases. It has been a long time since I had rarity on, so this could be a viable way to go.

I'm not hung up on the rarity idea, I was just hoping to make it easier.

[iMolestCats]

I would love to participate in something like this so count me in!