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Hey guys,

I'm very new to FoW and am creating an army centered around the 101st Airborne. I'm having some trouble deciding on what kind of support to take. I'm trying to decide between 81mm parachute mortar platoon, or 75mm pack howitzer platoon. They are both similar in points costs, have the same number of guns, and the same motivation and training. Which do you think are the better option and why?

Pack howitzers can direct fire and pack a reasonable punch against light (and side) armour, they can also do this in defensive fire. They're also AT 3 in bombardments which means you can damage armour with them.

Mortars have the advantage of a 1st attempt reroll to range in.

I'd go for both as two sources for smoke/pinning is invaluable for trackless paras

I used to run the mortars but I am now switching over the pack howitzers for several reasons. I also tend to run a 2nd battery of something, typically 105s.

Mortars always had two major drawbacks: range and lack of a spotter. The pack howitzers have much great range and a spotter.

Even better, the pack howitzers also have a staff team! This means that now you can really get some good synergy going with all those special US arty rules.

I run both pack and Mortars.

Reaver83 wrote:Mortars have the advantage of a 1st attempt reroll to range in.

I'd go for both as two sources for smoke/pinning is invaluable for trackless paras

col. krazy kenny wrote:I run both pack and Mortars.

I would run 2 sets of Howitzers over one mortar and one Howitzers.

Howitzers are better for the US as they get Time on Target, can repeat bombard, can combined bombard and can use an AOP.

For only 10pts more it's a no brainer really.

Thanks Ben

Could you not still do some of those with the howitzer/mortar combo? By that I mean, the howitzer staff team allows for ToT and using an AOP to spot, and the "Hit 'Em With Everything You've Got" rule doesn't specify that the other platoons added need a staff team. So you are shooting with the howitzer team (using ToT and the AOP) and then get to add the mortars using HEWEYG. Is this true or am I being far too optimistic and missing some rules (which is probably more likely given how new I am)?

You may be right, I have always played it that they both need Staff teams, but that doesn't mean I'm right. But I would still go with the Howitzers on the strength of the other reasons anyway.

My old army had a mortar platoon and a Howitzer platoon and in about half my games I wished I had Howitzers instead of mortars. The extra 24 inch range made a massive difference in missions where you play lengthways.

Thanks ben

Good to know. Thanks for your input everybody.

Just wanna throw this out there:

American mortars don't need spotters. US rules mean ANY Platoon Command Team, the CiC or 2iC can spot for weapons platoons or combat platoons (like mortars) without the +1 to range in.

So what you have is great anti-infantry artillery and great smoke. They won't do much against tanks, that'd be a pretty last-ditch maneuver.

 Elector wrote:
Just wanna throw this out there:

American mortars don't need spotters. US rules mean ANY Platoon Command Team, the CiC or 2iC can spot for weapons platoons or combat platoons (like mortars) without the +1 to range in.

So what you have is great anti-infantry artillery and great smoke. They won't do much against tanks, that'd be a pretty last-ditch maneuver.

The howitzers can also use any Platoon Command Team, the CiC or 2iC can spot for weapons platoons or combat platoons as the Howitzers are weapons support options in the Market Garden Book for the 82nd Airborne.

Ben

 Grey Hunter wrote:

 Elector wrote:
Just wanna throw this out there:

American mortars don't need spotters. US rules mean ANY Platoon Command Team, the CiC or 2iC can spot for weapons platoons or combat platoons (like mortars) without the +1 to range in.

So what you have is great anti-infantry artillery and great smoke. They won't do much against tanks, that'd be a pretty last-ditch maneuver.

The howitzers can also use any Platoon Command Team, the CiC or 2iC can spot for weapons platoons or combat platoons as the Howitzers are weapons support options in the Market Garden Book for the 82nd Airborne.

Ben

The OP is focusing on the 101st, though I didn't know the 82nd could do that, pretty neat.

 Elector wrote:

 Grey Hunter wrote:


The OP is focusing on the 101st, though I didn't know the 82nd could do that, pretty neat.

Missed that (or forgot it), but yeah very neat trick for the 82nd.

82nd artillery was 319th (former 319th member). A glider borne arty unit with 75mm pack howitzers. The arty piece did not need a deflection or quadrant mechanism or collimator. It was pretty much "iron sight" when fired. Info I see so far on this doesn't seem right...3-6 rounds a minute I think is sustain rate of fire. My experience with one was at Camp Stanley South Korea. We shot that thing at 1700 hundred every weekday firing blanks. Being a bunch of gun monkey's they screwed around with it at a range up the road from the camp. In one minute they pounded out 17 rounds in a minute (blanks). How is this piece played in game?

It plays like a light howitzer. It is great as smoke cover or tossing against infantry to pin them down but it won't do much against tanks or things with Top armour (or if you need a firepower test)