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Well, I've finally decided to take the plunge into early war armies as I know someone starting a campaign centered in 1940. As such I think that since I now know how the game works (kind of ) I can start an army thats a little more difficult to use than my MW Panzerkompanie. I still want to run an armored list, though I can't decide between running a French or German armored group. As such I've made a couple lists, and wanted thoughts on which of them is the most competitive, as well as alternate army suggestions.

Compagnie de Combat
Company HQ w. 1 Renault Char B1 bis - 185

Battle Tank Platoon w. 3 Renault Char B1 bis - 550
Light Tank Platoon w. 3 Hotchkiss H35/H39 (1 long, 2 short) - 160

Medium Combat Platoon w. 3 Somua S35 - 310
Chasseurs Portes Platoon w. 3 Squads - 175
47mm Anti-Tank Gun Platoon - 120
All Terrain Towed 75mm Artillery Battery w. 4 guns - 290
25mm Anti-Aircraft Defense Platoon w. 2 guns - 45

Total 1835 points

The other list is as below
Czech Panzerkompanie
Company HQ w. 2 Panzer 35(t) - 165

Battle Tank Platoon w. 4 Panzer 35(t) - 335
Battle Tank Platoon w. 4 Panzer 35(t) - 335
Battle Tank Platoon w. 4 Panzer 35(t) - 335

Schutzen Platoon w. 3 squads - 180
Mixed Panzerspah Platoon w. 2 2cm & 2MG - 150
Motorized Light Artillery Battery w. 4 guns - 360

Total 1860 points

Any thoughts anyone can provide on either list is appreciated!

orkboy232 wrote:Well, I've finally decided to take the plunge into early war armies as I know someone starting a campaign centered in 1940. As such I think that since I now know how the game works (kind of ) I can start an army thats a little more difficult to use than my MW Panzerkompanie. I still want to run an armored list, though I can't decide between running a French or German armored group. As such I've made a couple lists, and wanted thoughts on which of them is the most competitive, as well as alternate army suggestions.

Compagnie de Combat
Company HQ w. 1 Renault Char B1 bis - 185

Battle Tank Platoon w. 3 Renault Char B1 bis - 550
Light Tank Platoon w. 3 Hotchkiss H35/H39 (1 long, 2 short) - 160

Medium Combat Platoon w. 3 Somua S35 - 310
Chasseurs Portes Platoon w. 3 Squads - 175
47mm Anti-Tank Gun Platoon - 120
All Terrain Towed 75mm Artillery Battery w. 4 guns - 290
25mm Anti-Aircraft Defense Platoon w. 2 guns - 45

Total 1835 points
!

I can't offer advice on the Panzer Co., as I just started building mine but I am a long-time French player so here goes: French tanks basically suck. Even with the changes to One-Man Turret in 3ed., tanks are basically pillboxes that move. Now, realize that this isn't a terrible thing and it works...if you think like the French high command during WW2. French tanks were subordinate to the Infantry. France never saw the value in forming dedicated armoured companies and, other than the Somua (and perhaps the F36) they could not operate well without combined arms support. Therefore, it's usually best to leave the tanks as support option in a motorised, recon, or infantry company.

First, Chars are beasts. They look cool. But they are NOT Matildas and are much too expensive for what you get. If your opponent takes an 88mm battery or Bunkerflaks, you're ; with a 40" range and a good field of fire, your Chars won't make it past the second turn. Awkward Layout and Slow make the Char a sitting duck most of the time. The do one thing well and that's act as objectives sitters in a support role because, as I said above, they're really semi-mobile bunkers. Renaults are about the same.

Hotchkisses are OK light tanks but they are hampered by the short range of their guns - the Long gun is your friend. This can be mitigated by fielding hordes of them or once again using them as support tanks. The Somua is a good tank and will probably be even better in 3ed and I think and Escardon de Combat will do really well now.

Chasseurs Portes can be cool but they are basically more expensive Fusilliers with a Slow transport and lacking Mounted Assault....

47mm ATGs (as well as Laffly TCCs) are great and the 75mm mle 1897 can be absolute killers. Take advantage of the Quick Fire rule by taking as many as possible...

Take 3 25mm AA guns. They are excellent in all-round close defense against aircraft, infantry, and many tanks. I love my AA Defense platoon in my FV force.

Well if Char's aren't all that effective for the points, I will probably switch over to a medium tank group instead.

Company HQ w. 1 Somua S-35 - 105

Medium Combat Platoon w. 3 Somua S-35 - 310
Medium Combat Platoon w. 3 Somua S-35 - 310
Light Combat Platoon w. 3 Hotchkiss H35 (all long guns) - 205
Light Combat Platoon w. 3 Hotchkiss H35 (all long guns) - 205

Cavalry 25mm AT Gun Platoon w. 4 guns & Laffly W15t Trucks - 75
Fusiliers Portes Platoon w. 3 squads - 165
All Terrain Towed 75mm Artillery Battery w. 4 guns (1 w. turntable) & Laffly S20TL Trucks - 300
Deep Reconnaissance Platoon w. 5 Panhard AMD 35 - 165

Total - 1840 points

Better than the first list?

orkboy232 wrote:Well if Char's aren't all that effective for the points, I will probably switch over to a medium tank group instead.

Company HQ w. 1 Somua S-35 - 105

Medium Combat Platoon w. 3 Somua S-35 - 310
Medium Combat Platoon w. 3 Somua S-35 - 310
Light Combat Platoon w. 3 Hotchkiss H35 (all long guns) - 205
Light Combat Platoon w. 3 Hotchkiss H35 (all long guns) - 205

Cavalry 25mm AT Gun Platoon w. 4 guns & Laffly W15t Trucks - 75
Fusiliers Portes Platoon w. 3 squads - 165
All Terrain Towed 75mm Artillery Battery w. 4 guns (1 w. turntable) & Laffly S20TL Trucks - 300
Deep Reconnaissance Platoon w. 5 Panhard AMD 35 - 165

Total - 1840 points

Better than the first list?

Not bad. It's always a better idea to max out your squads in each platoon though so you are forcing Ld tests early and the 25mm AT platoon isn't going to do much that your tanks can't. I'd do:

Company HQ w. 1 Somua S-35 - 105

Medium Combat Platoon w. 4 Somua S-35 - 415
Medium Combat Platoon w. 5 Somua S-35 - 520
Light Combat Platoon w. 3 Hotchkiss H35 (all long guns) - 205

Fusiliers Portes Platoon w. 3 squads - 165
All Terrain Towed 75mm Artillery Battery w. 4 guns (1 w. turntable) & Laffly S20TL Trucks - 300
Deep Reconnaissance Platoon w. 5 Panhard AMD 35 - 165

Total - 1875 points

ancientsociety wrote:Hotchkisses are OK light tanks but they are hampered by the short range of their guns

Against infantry, yes. Against tanks, my experience has been that they're extremely ineffective. AT4 means that the target needs to have FA 0 for the Hotchkiss to achieve a 50% penetration rate (and then you need to deal with a 50% FP rate...). In and of itself, that's not so bad because the Hotchkiss has heavy enough armor to survive a hit or three. But many of the Hotchkiss's opponents have ROF 3, which means that they're quite capable of getting that hit or three in just one turn of shooting.

The R-35 takes all the disadvantages of the H-35/39 short-barrel, and adds Slow Tank to the mix as well, making it even worse.


As stated, the long-barrel is significantly better. The reason for that isn't just the extra range. I've found that AT4-AT5 seems to be the demarcation line between "can't quite cut it" to "just effective enough to be encouraging".

Well I think I will wind up using the list that ancientsociety wrote for the French. Does anyone have comments on the Czech panzer list?

orkboy232 wrote:Well I think I will wind up using the list that ancientsociety wrote for the French. Does anyone have comments on the Czech panzer list?

Good luck with the French! Be aware that you could also take Motocyclist Fusilliers for the same cost as the Portes and would be able to use them as both infantry and recon platoons...

As far as the CzechPz list is concerned (and take this with a grain of salt since I don't yet play Germans nor have I faced a 35t list), realize you are taking what are essentially 38(t)s with the Unreliable trait for a points reduction of under 5pts/tank. Also, the list is illegal as at least one platoon must be a Panzer II platoon and the points values are off

I wold definately bump the 35(t)s up to 38(t)s. The points are there in making your list "legal" with the addition of the PzIIs, and there is no reason to take unreliable unless you want to.

Missed the panzer II platoon completely. New list below

Company HQ w. 2 Panzer 38(t) w. recovery halftrack - 180

Panzer II Platoon w. 5 Panzer II C (late) - 280
Battle Tank Platoon w. 4 Panzer 38(t) - 350
Battle Tank Platoon w. 4 Panzer 38(t) - 350

Schutzen Platoon w. 3 squads - 180
Mixed Panzerspah Platoon w. 2 2cm & 2MG - 150
Motorized Light Artillery Battery w. 4 guns - 360

Total 1850 points