General advice on Quick Battle purchasing?

[Javaslinger]

About to play my first quick battle... ever... in all time...

Let's say 1900ish points... First off, is that batallion level? Company level? Somewhere in between?

Infantry only... attacking a small town...

Not much to go on yes, but I don't have a clue where to begin, so lets start with that!

EDIT: Against an actual real life human being whom is battle tested and seasoned....

Thanks,

Ken

[Statisoris]

Which quick battle map? like "Large Rough (bocage) QB-127"

1900 points will be about 2 companies worth of infantry (Regular experience / Normal motivation) with extra support units and artillery tacked on or either two understrength companies of (Veteran experience / High motivation) with added artillery. I usually go with (Veteran Normal or Veteran High) for attacker stats.

Make sure you keep all of your higher command units on map, it will help with morale and overall better C2. So for 2 companies you will have your Battalion HQ and two Company HQ units on map to help out.

Here is a decent and safe setup (mostly veteran units, some regular, remove all jeeps/trucks)

-1st Battalion HQ (No HQ Support Team to save points) [uS Infantry Battalion]

--A Company HQ (No XO unit to save points)

---1st Platoon HQ

----1st Squad (No Bazooka if infantry only battle)

----2nd Squad (No Bazooka if infantry only battle)

----3rd Squad (Bazooka or Not to save points for other units)

---2nd Platoon HQ

----1st Squad (No Bazooka if infantry only battle)

----2nd Squad (No Bazooka if infantry only battle)

----3rd Squad (Bazooka or Not to save points for other units)

---4th Platoon HQ

----60mm Mortar x 3 (No Jeeps, 60mm mortars are deadly in direct fire)

----MMG x 2 (Can reduce to 1 to save points for other units)

--B Company HQ (No XO unit to save points)

---1st Platoon HQ

----1st Squad (No Bazooka if infantry only battle)

----2nd Squad (No Bazooka if infantry only battle)

----3rd Squad (Bazooka or Not to save points for other units)

---2nd Platoon HQ

----1st Squad (No Bazooka if infantry only battle)

----2nd Squad (No Bazooka if infantry only battle)

----3rd Squad (Bazooka or Not to save points for other units)

---4th Platoon HQ

----60mm Mortar x 3 (No Jeeps)

----MMG x 2 (Can reduce to 1 to save points for other units)

Artillery

81mm Mortars (On map is cheaper, short call in time, can direct fire but has less ammo vs off map)

105mm Howitzer (These are expensive but powerful, buy more 81mm if you don't want to spend points on this)

Extras

If you have points left over,

I would buy one or two scout teams and attach them to two different infantry platoons.

It would also be very handy to have at least one breach team with more demo charges if bocage is on the map.

[Ted]

Hey Stat, not having played a quickbattle yet myself I was wondering what you meant by "Make sure you keep all of your higher command units on map....."

Do you have a choice?

[Ranger33]

I've found having a couple jeeps or even better, trucks, around is almost always worth a few points. You never know when you will need to rush a certain unit somewhere. If this is infantry only though it won't be as important. If you have an FO I would recommend a dedicated jeep for him though. You should always try to give yourself as many tactical options as possible. Engineers also open up a ton of options on bocage and even none bocage maps. They are great for sneaking a tank around the flanks.

Going for Veteran troops with decent motivation and leadership will also pay off greatly. They hit harder, won't run as easy, and have a much better chance of recovering and getting back in the battle if they do break. Setting mortars to "Off Map" is also for the best if you aren't going to use them in direct fire. I had a whole mortar platoon wiped out by a lucky arty strike one time, lost 100 rounds worth of fire.

I'm only about an intermediate player so don't pay me too much mind if someone else disagrees.

Something I saw asked but never got a solid answer on: If you increase the motivation/leadership of the Battalion HQ, does that trickle down some amount of bonus to every unit under them? I know it costs a lot of points.

[womble]

Depending on the length of the scenario and size of map, some jeeps and trucks are good for mobility, as has been said, and also for ammo replenishment (or initial loadout for Thompsons...). If you've got bullets left when your opponent has run out...

[Michael Emrys]

Womble makes a good point about the ammo. Trucks carry a humongous amount and even jeeps can make a difference. In a long game, that extra ammo can make the margin between winning and losing...or drawing. Just make sure you don't expose them to hostile fire. They are also very fragile.

Michael

[A Canadian Cat]

Hey Stat, not having played a quickbattle yet myself I was wondering what you meant by "Make sure you keep all of your higher command units on map....."

Do you have a choice?

Yes, you can delete various higher level commanders. For example you can purchase an infantry battalion and delete all but two companies plus you can delete all the battalion level units including the battalion HQ.

Stat's recommendation is to *not* do that and keep the battalion HQ unit.

You can do the same thing with companies and keep the platoons but delete the company HQ.

[womble]

Yes, you can delete various higher level commanders. For example you can purchase an infantry battalion and delete all but two companies plus you can delete all the battalion level units including the battalion HQ.

That's not the case. You can only delete Bttn HQ if you have removed all bar one company from the Bttn.

You can do the same thing with companies and keep the platoons but delete the company HQ.

And likewise, you can only delete CoyHQ if you've gotten rid of all but one platoon.

Of course you can always delete the XO teams and HQ Support teams that are part of the HQ, I'm referring only to the HQ team itself.

I think you can get rid of any commander you want in the scenario design tool, but you can't in the QB purchase screen.

[A Canadian Cat]

You have a bunch of excellent advice. The only thing I would add would be - consider a sniper team or two. On the attack it really depends on the terrain and your plan if they will work out. A sniper team is excellent at locking up a flank if they can have a good hiding place and a lot of open terrain around them. I recently used two sniper teams to deny movement through a field on my left flank. They were able to hide in the bocage and hit targets 400-500m across open ground. Initially they had assault gun support but only for the first few minutes. Those two teams were able to totally lock up the flank and deny the whole side to the enemy.To be effective they need some open space to cover so they are not always needed or useful.

When I do get snipers I always crank them up to elite and high motivation. Doing that only moves them from 23 points to 27 points and they perform really well - even out of command. Just be careful what you ask them to do because they will do it. Even if you ask them to do something insane.

[A Canadian Cat]

That's not the case. You can only delete Bttn HQ if you have removed all bar one company from the Bttn.

Yes you can. I did it before I posted to be sure:

What I have selected in that screen shot is a collection of companies with no on board Battalion HQ unit. I did it in the quick battle purchase screen.

[Michael Emrys]

That's not the case. You can only delete Bttn HQ if you have removed all bar one company from the Bttn.

I disagree. I routinely remove the battalion HQ and all its immediately subordinate units before I remove any companies. You do have to remove the immediately subordinate units before you are allowed to remove the HQ though, IIRC.

Edit: I see that ian.leslie's post demonstrates the matter even more clearly.

Michael

[womble]

Ian, Michael, I stand corrected. It's wierd though, because I've tried to do exactly that in the past and it simply wouldn't let the higher echelon be deleted. I'd bet money on it. Maybe it changed in 1.01...? Maybe I just hadn't deleted the XO etc.

[Javaslinger]

So is the consensus that all of the extra XO's are worthless except for gamey buddy aid's? Or does having a battlefield saturated with leadership units improve overall C&C?

[Michael Emrys]

Maybe I just hadn't deleted the XO etc.

That's what I'd put my money on. I had something similar happen to me and then somebody on the board straightened me out. There are usually at least three or four "staff" units directly attached to the battalion HQ that have to be deleted before it will let you delete the HQ.

Michael

[womble]

So is the consensus that all of the extra XO's are worthless except for gamey buddy aid's? Or does having a battlefield saturated with leadership units improve overall C&C?

Having XO units 'improves overall C&C' in the sense that when your Btn/Coy CO gets nailed your XO unit will take over and maintain C&C.

[Statisoris]

Having XO units 'improves overall C&C' in the sense that when your Btn/Coy CO gets nailed your XO unit will take over and maintain C&C.

I have never lost a Company Commander or Battalion Commander while being the attacker. I just try and keep them in a safe but useful position that maintains decent command and control links. The extra 17 points for a US (Veteran/Normal) Company XO could be spent on upgrading something much more useful like an Arty unit to higher experience for faster fire times, an armored unit to higher experience or you could add +1 leadership skill to 1-4 units for those 17 points.

[womble]

I have never lost a Company Commander or Battalion Commander while being the attacker. I just try and keep them in a safe but useful position that maintains decent command and control links. The extra 17 points for a US (Veteran/Normal) Company XO could be spent on upgrading something much more useful like an Arty unit to higher experience for faster fire times, an armored unit to higher experience or you could add +1 leadership skill to 1-4 units for those 17 points.

Fair point, wrt "purchasing efficiency". Given the "initiative disadvantage" of being the defender, and the associated greater likelihood of not being able to keep your HQs out of danger, would you say the points are worth it for a defender?

[Statisoris]

Fair point, wrt "purchasing efficiency". Given the "initiative disadvantage" of being the defender, and the associated greater likelihood of not being able to keep your HQs out of danger, would you say the points are worth it for a defender?

Yes, I would say they are hypothetically more worth it for a defender. The reason I say hypothetically, is that your HQs are definitely at more risk like you stated, however, the defender starts with 1230 less points in a (Attack/Medium) Quick Battle. Due to this large 38.7% point disparity, I would tend to spend all spare point on units that would directly increase firepower.

In defensive situations, I do end up eventually losing Company HQ and Battalion HQ units in the fight, but this is usually after my main defensive force under command of the Company HQ in question has already been technically beaten.

In the end I would say it depends on the situation and map type. Under some situations, I feel it would be worth buying your XO and Battalion HQ support teams. One of these situations might be if you have a company of infantry that you expect will be able to withdraw from their initial positions after taking an initial beating. In this case, the Company HQ might be at more risk from fresh attacking forces in the initial assault and the company XO might be needed to take over command of the remaining defensive forces after falling back. You would need to make sure and keep your XO teams safe in this situation or they are not serving their purpose though.

[Andrew H.]

For an attack, I usually like 105 for off-board and 81 for onboard arty. I'd use at least some of the 105 for a prep bombardment, but schedule it for 5 (or 10, depending) minutes out - some players will keep troops back in the first couple of turns to avoid 1st turn prep bombardments.

The onboard tubes can follow to deal with strongpoints as you identify them.

But if it's a very large map and you don't think you can predict where the enemy troops will be, you might be better off with a bunch of 81mm tubes onboard, though.

Also, IME arty is generally more effective in wego battles; in RT a halfway competent player will move troops as soon as the arty starts falling.