QB as Brits

[Lt Bull]

Hello,

I have decided to try a QB as Brits for the first time after being quite happy with using US forces previously.  I do consider choosing the Brits as a bit more of a challenge if anything because I am giving up M1 Garands and Bazookas for bolt-action Enfields and PIATs.

I am wondering what others think of Brits vs US forces in QBs.  Who has better bang for buck? Any advice/tips etc?

BTW, its a huge QB with 7209 points and 40% armor max.

Also, can anyone explain why two seemingly identical vehicles have different rarity values?  This found in the Infantry Battalion (motor) B Co, 1st Plt (scout).  Happens in other platoons as well.

 

 

Edited September 21, 2015 by Lt Bull

[womble]

That puzzled me for ages: it's a radio. The uncommon one has one, the common one does not. It's a "quirk" of the way rarity is assigned. Sure, there weren't as many radio-Bren carriers in the establishment, but that's because the TO&E didn't assign them, not because they were in short supply relative to the levels the TO&E said they should be equipped, and if they were in short supply, the scout sections should have the option of having a non-radio bren carrier as a replacement for the radio-equipped one.

[Lt Bull]

That puzzled me for ages: it's a radio. The uncommon one has one, the common one does not. It's a "quirk" of the way rarity is assigned. Sure, there weren't as many radio-Bren carriers in the establishment, but that's because the TO&E didn't assign them, not because they were in short supply relative to the levels the TO&E said they should be equipped, and if they were in short supply, the scout sections should have the option of having a non-radio bren carrier as a replacement for the radio-equipped one.

Interesting. It is annoying I can't swap them out for the less rare non-radio versions.

[MOS:96B2P]

Interesting. It is annoying I can't swap them out for the less rare non-radio versions.

I think you can .... in a way.  I do this sometimes.  Delete the 1 Bren carrier from the formation.  Then go to single vehicles on the far left of the screen and purchase one without the radio.  Purchase it for 1 Section Scout.  It may cost more than the 55 purchase points but you should be able to get the rarity down to zero if that is what you are wanting.  

[womble]

You certainly can do that, but it's 15 points per carrier more. That's more than a 25% premium. Sure, the Brits are often struggling for rarity, especially if you want any Firefly available to counter Panthers "head-to-head", but it's a good illustration of a hole in the rarity system.

[Sublime]

Fireflies make up a lot for the lack of zooks. And the 25lbers are a great arty piece and a battery or two with TRPs is essential.

The light CW mortar is better used for smoke screen cover than direct HE. While the US 60mm is awesome in direct lay.

IMO besides Fireflies which only really have the main gun going for them (oh and CW Shermans dont get the .50 cal for the cmdr) the best CW tank series the CW has are Churchills. I usually buy one or two fireflies and handle them like eggs. Churchills can take on German tanks frontally and often bounce shots no other allied tank could. just make sure you know which variants are which. The 95mm variant is superb for infantry support I usually buy one of those. 75mm are good all purpose but I also usually buy one or two equipped with the 6lber as theyre the best AT Churchill able to penetrate Tigers frontally with certain ammo.

[Lt Bull]

All good tips.  What i am surprised though is just how costly in both points and rarity Cromwells are.  In fact I have yet to play a CMBN battle that features these distinctly British tanks.  For a QB they just don't seem worth it.  Anyone really think they are better than the Sherman?

Sublime, I agree with your evaluations however getting Churchills is almost a commitment to "fight fire with fire" and slug it out head to head with German tanks, which may or may not suit the players style.

 

[A Canadian Cat]

All good tips.  What i am surprised though is just how costly in both points and rarity Cromwells are.  In fact I have yet to play a CMBN battle that features these distinctly British tanks.  For a QB they just don't seem worth it.  Anyone really think they are better than the Sherman?

Well they hit about has hard as the 75 Sherman but they don't take as much of a beating - not that Shermans are stellar in that regard though either.  But they are fast.  Really really fast.

Sublime, I agree with your evaluations however getting Churchills is almost a commitment to "fight fire with fire" and slug it out head to head with German tanks, which may or may not suit the players style.

Indeed - here is one of my opponent's taking on multiple StugIIIs at once.

 

[Sublime]

I hate Cromwells. Absolutely loathe them. Yeah theyre fast but not much faster than Shermans. The Churchill IMO is about as distinctly British as you can get. If you have GL try out the Mk I id buy it in normandy if I could. Love the hull mounted 75mm and the 2lber on the turret. Also CW Stuarts dont carry canister like US Stuarts do.

The Anzac forces and Canucks have some interesting inf carriers - such as the defrocked Priest thats like a large early APC with a MG mount. I dig those.

The Challengers those apparently were very rare seem to be pretty similar to Cromwells but I found them a cooler experience and a little better than the Cromwell. Seriously I cant go on enough about how lousy the Cromwells armor is, it makes a Sherman look tough, and the 75mm cannon is nothing to write home about for it, the sherman, or churchill for AT work. It does well enough for infantry. But I find the ideal CW all purpose tank force has at least 1 firefly with 1 churchill 6lber, 1 churchill 95mm, and a couple 75 mm churchills preferably the latest X model which has superb armor. If you can buy two fireflies or add a stuart or two to that.  The 95mm Churchills are excellent for infantry support and then you also get the specialist models - the AVRE which fires a ridiculously large shell and the crocodile which shoots a flamethrower at a pretty long range. The Churchills arent the quickest tanks in the game but they do move quick enough for game purposes and hardly ever bog. Historically they were famous for getting over almost any kind of terrain. They also come with about 9k rounds of Besa MG ammo so you can literally spray mg fire the entire battle just about without running out of ammo.

The CW infantry platoons work handily enough. Often i prefer them over Americans. If I know Im gonna have a tough armor battle i choose them. If i know itll be more infantry oriented with only a couple tanks at most I take Americans.

Interestingly the assault engineer CW units and recon teams are probably amongst the most flexible infantry units for the Allies in the game. They come in three man teams  One packs a 51mm mortar and rifle. One packs a Bren. The leader carries a Sten.

 

[A Canadian Cat]

I hate Cromwells. Absolutely loathe them. Yeah theyre fast but not much faster than Shermans.

LOL I'll have to test that speed difference but my impression is they are as fast as Stuarts.  I know technically they have worse armour than the Shermans but lets face it if a German 75mm get a hit they are both dead.  Shermans don't take a beating any more than Cromwells do one just dies harder but they are still both going to be toast after any solid hit.

The Anzac forces and Canucks have some interesting inf carriers - such as the defrocked Priest thats like a large early APC with a MG mount. I dig those.

Same.  You know I bugged Steve every chance I got to include kangaroos in the pack and I have yet to play with them.  Damn I have to shed some of my extra projects and get creating those scenarios that I had in mind when I was bugging him. Sigh - need 30 hour days or three day weekends...

The Churchills arent the quickest tanks in the game but they do move quick enough for game purposes and hardly ever bog. Historically they were famous for getting over almost any kind of terrain. They also come with about 9k rounds of Besa MG ammo so you can literally spray mg fire the entire battle just about without running out of ammo.

Yes, that ammo load out is wild.  In Seven Winds I had a Churchill tank camp out along the road and hose down the church steeple with MG fire for the entire game.  It never let up and it still had ammo left.  Awesome.

Interestingly the assault engineer CW units and recon teams are probably amongst the most flexible infantry units for the Allies in the game. They come in three man teams  One packs a 51mm mortar and rifle. One packs a Bren. The leader carries a Sten.

Oh, yeah I love having those guys to play with.

[Bulletpoint]

I feel that once I start hand-picking my force for Quick Battle, I lose a big part of the fun. Because then it turns into a case of cherrypicking to maximise the efficiency, and it means I'd tend to only choose a small subset of the available units.

In Normandy for example, I'd never rationally choose armoured infantry, because they are made for long range engangements, and lack the SMGs and automatic rifles for bocage fighting. I feel it's more fun to roll the dice and work with what you get (apart from those cases where the computer selects completely bizarre combinatons..)

Of course not saying you must agree, just a couple of reflections.