So I thought I'd review my list, and what worked and what didn't...
My list was:
Gepanzerte Panzergrenadierkompanie (Grey Wolf)
| Gepanzerte Panzergrenadierkompanie HQ (Confident Veterans) | |
| Add Panzershreck team | 125 |
| Gepanzerte Panzergrenadier Platoon - 3 sections | |
| Command Panzerfaust SMG team | 230 |
| Gepanzerte Panzergrenadier Platoon - 3 sections | |
| Command Panzerfaust SMG team | 230 |
| Schwere Panzer Platoon - Königstiger (Henschel) | 690 |
| Anti-tank Gun Platoon - 3 7.5cm PaK40 guns | 155 |
| Puma Panzerspäh Platoon - 3 Sd Kfz 234/2 (Puma) | 150 |
| Rocket Launcher Battery - 3 15cm NW41 | 105 |
| Warrior Dietrich von Saucken | 65 |
... and as previously explained, it was designed to go up against a horde of tough allied tanks lists, from the new Market Garden books... which didn't really materialise...
I only really had one game against an armoured opponent; Russells T34 horde, but in that game I struggled to get any decent lines of fire due to an excess of terrain on the board. As it happened it didn't really matter, as Russell pretty much broke himself upon me, like waves on a rock...
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| ... a "rock" ! |
In other games where the Paks and KTs had armoured targets they acquitted themselves well, but this only really happened in two of my games... so in the end, I have to say the two King Tigers were really a waste of points...
The Nebs performed adequately, as they usually do, nothing spectacular but always useful.
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| "Fun! - look at the mess I can make with these!" |
The Pumas again did what they could, but I often feel, a cheaper Recce platoon could achieve what they do. I wouldn't have the AT option of the Puma but that's not really the Puma's job! And once you commit the puma to firing, it is invariably knocked out in return fire...
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| Recce with a big gun! |
The Paks were predictably good against tanks but little use attacking against infantry for the most part...
So being a mechanised force I mostly found my list trying to attack Infantry companies, and invariably falling just short of the mark...
Whether I didn't have enough platoons, or couldn't motivate when necessary, I just didn't seem to have enough 'umph' to push it over the finish line.... so, this has made me have a rethink... which breaks down roughly like this...
I need to play to the Mechanised Companies strengths;
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| Mechanised mayhem! |
To my mind a mechanised company is designed to attack infantry, and do it quickly, swamping a defence with numbers and weight of fire, in as short a time as possible. The typical German combat platoon of 7 elements often isn't enough to carry the day, so you often need a tandem tag team with two platoons working together for the main attack. Having a third, will be able to tie down other enemy troops that would otherwise move to reinforce where the main attack is going in...This means having three combat platoons, or two plus a pioneer platoon.
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| Pioneer Stuka zu Fuss! Bring your own artillery with you! |
Next up, to attack successfully motivation is the key. Being Whermacht Heer, and thus 'Confident' means only a 50/50 chance to motivate, whether its to unpin, tank assault, keep fighting on through an assault or whatever... 50/50 is simply not good enough to reliably attack. Even with a CO or Higher Command reroll, it can still let you down...
So that means upping the morale of your troops. There's no guarantees in this game, ... I have recently witnessed both Brit Paras and Soviet Shtraf roll snake eyes for motivation at key times,... but a 3+ morale, with a reroll for a CO is much better odds to push on for that win... than I am used to with the regular Heer troops...
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Going SS, has positives and negatives...
The obvious positive is better quality troops, but the negative means these are more expensive in the game, thus meaning less points to spend on other required force elements. However, some of this can be mitigated when one studies the support platoon options for SS forces. These often get smaller 'quirky', platoon sizes, compared to the Heer forces, meaning you can still have a bit of recce or a bit of artillery, enough to get the job done, in a no frills sort of way.
Adding in an extra warrior higher command team, can also mean you can be reliably attacking over two areas at once, both with motivation rerolls, or if you lose a commander, you still have a back up...
Another bonus to SS forces is they often have additional special rules, so check your briefing, whether Totenkopf on the Eastern front or Das Reich or Hitlerjugend on the Western front... every little helps...
If you are forced in to the defensive against a tank force, just keep you heads down, and load up with Panzerfausts, and Panzershreks, and have a mobile tank platoon in support that can be your AT ambush... tank commanders tend to get a bit twitchy about assaulting crazy 'Faust men, or pioneers... it tends not to end well for them, especially if you can keep motivating to have a go back at them (3+ with a reroll), and even if your command 'faust team goes down, German 'mission tactics' means it swaps back into action with a team in command keeping the vital Panzerfaust alive through the assault...
Here's a sample list I have knocked out;
Grey Wolf.
SS Panzerkampfgruppe (Mechanised Battlegroup) Totenkopf
SS Panzerkampfgruppe HQ 2 x Panzerfaust SMG teams
Fearless Veteran
| Add 2 Panzershreck teams | 170 | ||||
Gepanzerte Panzergrenadier Platoon - 3 sections | |||||
| Command Panzerfaust SMG team add Panzerfaust MG team | 280 | ||||
Gepanzerte Panzergrenadier Platoon - 3 sections | |||||
| Command Panzerfaust SMG team add Panzerfaust MG team | 280 | ||||
| 375 | ||||
| SS Panzer platoon - 4 Panzer IV H | 400 | ||||
| SS Heavy Panzerspäh platoon - 2 Sd Kfz 231 8rads | 90 | ||||
| Rocket Launcher Battery - 3 15cm NW41 Fearless Trained | 90 | ||||
| Warrior Dietrich von Saucken | 65 |
This gives a 6 platoon force, with 3 core attacking platoons, lead by sufficient fast recce to push back any ambushes. Mobile tank support is available as is some artillery fire for smoke and pin requirements to aid the assault going in. And an extra higher command warrior, for rerolls, and an aid to getting early reserves. Simple, straight forward, and in your face!
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| 8Rad - useful, fast, cheap recce... |
And if I have to defend against armour, I have pioneers, all tank assault 4, and plenty of panzerfausts and panzershreks as a deterrent, and the 4 panzers will be an 8 shot ambush...
I have left out AAA as I feel this force is going to be mixing it with the enemy quickly so 'wave-offs' will likely occur, and the Nebs will have to luck it out! I don't have spare points to waste on Sporadic German air support.
I will no doubt experiment with subtle changes to the force, but I feel the core will remain the 3 combat platoons or 2 plus the pioneers, with the 8 Rad recce. I may play about with the number and type of panzers, the type of artillery and whether I try and squeeze in air support or not. Again this force list has a huge amount of support options available... identifying what will be key, to how you plan to play them, is the vital bit.... 'All killer, no filler' ... is a helpful mantra...
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| Totenkopf |
[There are other 'flavours' of SS troops; eg Wiking from Grey Wolf, who are rated Fearless Trained... I haven't quite nutted these guys out as yet... to me it seems a little odd to be able to motivate for the assault, only to fluff the attack rolls, being trained... I have also read that trained troops make good shooty armies, as they would be less expensive in points allowing you to get more troops with thus a greater volume of fire. I guess making them Fearless aids in unpinning to keep firing? Still not sure with these guys as yet...]
-----o0o-----
Wait, whats that... the pitter patter of footsteps fading into the distance... no doubt a bunch of soviet spetznatz have been viewing my forces assembly area and will now be reporting back to Red command... ;-)
Have I just given the game away and spoiled the surprise! ? ;-)
POSTSCRIPT DISCLAIMER
Please note this is a gaming blog about playing with toy soldiers. I am not politically advocating nor glorifying SS 'activities' in any way - but do have a respect for the high morale and combat effectiveness of the Waffen SS troops during the hostilities of WWII...
