QB purchases- mine and yours

[Krautman]

I like playing QBs on maps downloaded from the net. This way, you have the advantages of both QBs and scenarios: An excellent map and an enemy force you do not know.

What i would like to know is which troop types you prefer in QBs, and which amount of points you spend on them.

Playing as germans, i usually buy plain vanilla riflemen, because of their ammo amount of 50. The Panzergrenadier units have more firepower, but they're much more expensive, and their amount of ammunition is too low imho. Of course, if available, i choose Jäger 42 squads (2 smg type riflemen). Later on, the Füsilier units are very useful, but both '43 and especially '44 variants are expensive. If there's enough purchase points, i go for the Füsilier 44S company- two Füsilier 43 squads (2 smgs,1 lmg,6 k98s), one smg platoon and some organic hMGs. I almost never use Pioniere, Volksgrenadiere, Sturmkompanie or Jäger 44.

Anyway, when playing germans, i try to spend as few points on the expensive infantry as possible, and rather go for the excellent german support units; hMGs and infantry guns. Often, i use the hardly historical combination of 1 inf. cpy, 2-3 hMGs and 2 75mmIGs plus AT gun(s) and an arty spotter.

Even on the assault, i use lots of towed guns-two 37mm PaK can give a horde of BT-7s a hard time, and which bolshevik doesn't fear the almighty 150mmIG? Small guns can even be moved by the crew at reasonable speed.

As standard AT, the PaK40 -if available- comes in handy. At long ranges, it is from my experience superiour to most tanks, whose HE shots are inaccurate at 500m+ (direct hits on the AT gun are obviously not possible in CM).

The germans have useful and affordable arty; i prefer 81 and 105mm (low rarity; i play 1250p. at most)

The hardest time for the germans is imho 1942, at least before the PzIVF2 becomes affordable, and late war, with lots of russian smg infantry.

Talking about tanks- In 1942, i consider the short-barelled PzIII almost useless, and prefer towed guns. After that, of course, PzIV long and the occasional Tiger rule. 80mm front StuGs in 42+43 spoil the fun. In late war games, the Panther is great. But its turret is vulnerable - the JgPzIV(70) late model has a very well armoured upper hull, if you get it into a hull-down postion, it will fight off horders of T-34s.

Occasionally, i purchase a Flammpanzer II or III.

Playing as russians, i buy more infantry, which is cheap and effective. While smg squads are imho superiour in any terrain, i also often go for the 3-smg-types, just as recon A, 42B or 43 type; they rule at short ranges as well and have more ammo. Again, i don't use engineers.

With the exception of the hMGs, the support units are excellent: Mortars have an ungodly amount of ammo, and the flamethrowers have twice the range of their german counterparts and cost half as much. They're slow, but on the defense that doesn't matter.

The russian arty is the god of war: Lots of ammo and large calibers; i always buy a couple of spotters for prep barrages. (No conscripts if the other units are all medium or high quality, that's gamey)

As AT, the 7,62 will suffice, and the weak side armour of german AFVs makes even the 45mm useful beyond '41 (also consider the metal shot ammo). A good amount of ATRs will render enemy lightly armoured vehicles useless.

The T-34 is cheap and useful throughout the game. I don't like the IS due to its low rof. Against big cats, the SU tanks come in handy.

[Cannon-fodder]

As for infantry, I take almost all rifle squads - their firepower at 100-150m beats smg squads, plus they have the ammo depth to keep up the momentum in a battle. I tend to take a small reserve of SMG squads, which I use to close to 50m or less with the enemy, while my rifle squads blaze away at 100-150m. I've noticed that CM players tend to be a lot happier about high casualties than real generals, so I guess thats why SMG squads are somewhat over popular - some people I've played with just won't open up with infantry before 60m or so.

As for tanks... Well, I'm not that experienced a CMBB player, and despite my wide reading on the eastern front, I tend to just go for vanilla, low rarity armour. I like T-34s throughout the war, and SUs are great once you get the really high calibres in late war:) With Germans I'm not too clued up, but I like my Stugs, Panzer IVs and Marders.

Support weapons are always the area of most experimentation for me... on defence most of my budget goes on them. On defence I get plenty of HMGs to scare the enemy on their advance and hopefully tear the attack up a bit. I also invest heavily in AT guns - later I use them as low-ammo Anti Infantry guns too. I can live without flamethrowers, but on some maps it pays to come armed (cities, but then strats totally change for urban environments). I've also recently started getting sharpshooters to plink TCs.

Also, have you considered 'playing blind' scenarios - where neither side has seen the scen before. I've been doing a bit of that recently and, while it can lead to some dodgy games, is also quite refreshing.

Well, that's my unworthy addition to the debate... It'll be interesting seeing what some of the experts have to say!

[Panzer76]

A general OOB (for a standard 1500 pts battle), may vary with date:

Germans:

collage

1 Platoon of Stugs (for AT work)

1 Coy of inf

1 Platoon of Stummels (for close HE support)

1 150 mm Gun + transport

1 105 mm FO

For the Sovs there is much more variation. (which is also why I prefer playing as Sovs)

Early Stug and Tiger years I always bring a 57mm ATG and tries to get captured Stug myself, makes for a nice surprise

I also always try to get a 120mm FO. More bang, and 5 min delay is not too bad.

Later years, I like the IS-2 (great if you know how to use it, see here for an example:

http://forums.mzocentral.net/index.php?showtopic=4176&st=0?entry84874 )

, the SU-85, T34-85 and best of them all, the SU-100.

Inf, I try to get half the portion SMG heavy and the rest Rifle heavy (recon).

And as noted, bring dirt cheap 45mm ATGs and ATRs, because it's very likely the Axis player will bring HTs and/or ACs. Also, they can penetrate the weak sides of axis armour. I once KOed a Hetzer with an ATR

[ April 25, 2005, 03:53 AM: Message edited by: Panzer76 ]