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Hello dakkaites, so long story short my mate's have got me into bolt action and my love for all things tank has moved me to the Germans, I don't care about competitive games normally but I'd like to know what's what with these nasty fellows.

I have a theme in mind and would this work.

The halftrack boxset with the heers and a panther tank (my favourite)?

Thanks all

I guess I should help out here since I'm partially responsible for this. Something to bear in mind, that Panther will consume a large chunk of your army for a standard 1000 point game.

Still though I think I've managed to put a nice little list together for you that makes use of hanomags and squeezes in a Panther. I'm sure it could be better optimised and if you bought the large Panzer Grenadiers box set (the 30 infanty, 3 half tracks one) you'll be using only 2/3rds of it. Still that extra squad and halftrack can obviously be used in bigger games or different lists if you can give up the Panther for a while. Oh I also managed to get a motorbike with side car in there as I remember you mentioning to me that you liked them.

HQ:

2nd Lieutenant (regular): 70pts
+ 2 soldiers (regular)

Infantry:

Heer Grenadiers (regular): 118pts
NCO (with SMG), 8 soldiers, LMG, Panzerfaust
Heer Grenadiers (regular): 118pts
NCO (with SMG), 8 soldiers, LMG, Panzerfaust

Infantry Support:

Medium Machine Gun Team (regular): 50pts
Medium Mortar Team (regular): 50pts

Armoured Cars:

Motorcycle with Machinegun Sidecar (regular): 40pts

Tanks:

Panther (regular): 355pts

Transports:

Kubelwagen (regular): 21pts
SdKfz251/1 (regular): 89pts
SdKfz251/1 (regular): 89pts

So that's the platoon commander in the Kubelwagen with a couple of orderlies, both grenadier squads in a hanomag with enough space left over for the machine gun and mortar teams, a very mobile machine gun running around being a nuisance (it has the recce rule) and one big expensive tank. I guessed that you were after an army that could all be mounted in transports or was itself a vehicle so that's what I went for.

Not enough infantry honestly. I'd drop the Kubelwagen and Motorcycle.

if a Panther is absolutely required, then...

60 - 2LT Regular, w/ +1 soldier
83 - Grenadiers Regular, NCO (SMG) w/ 7 men
118 - Grenadiers Regular, NCO (SMG) w/ 8 men (1x LMG, 1x PZF)
118 - Grenadiers Regular, NCO (SMG) w/ 8 men (1x LMG, 1x PZF)

355 - Panther A Regular

89 - Sd.Kfz 251/1
89 - Sd.Kfz 251/1
89 - Sd.Kfz 251/1

1001 - Total

The LT and smaller squad in one halftrack, the other two squads in the others.

Uses only the contents of the Panzergrenadiers box and the Panther box, and there's 2 figures leftover (make a sniper team)

Honestly that many Half-tracks is unnecessary in 1000 points. Maybe in 1250. I'd do what Nick Ellingworth suggests and get some more support in the form of MG42 teams and Mortars instead of the Half-tracks for now. You'll find yourself outgunned and Half-tracks are NOT armored very well... historically they were used to ferry troops to a location and then they got the hell out of there.

Buy yourself a Panther for the upcoming BA supplement Tank War. But in normal BA games, infantry is the beginning, middle, and end of success. For Germans, play to the Buzzsaw special rule.

Need more infantry. Halftracks are great and all but trucks are generally better for getting troops from A to B for their cheaper cost. Germans typically want to split their infantry into specific roles. Pinning roles with either small units and LMGs or better but later war units with assault rifles. These guys hang back and create pins, the most units the better to create multiple pins, so many smaller units (MSU) are generally better. Then you want assault squads, Grenadiers with SMGs (some people say AR but for a dedicated assault unit SMGs will save you some points) or Pioneers that can get close and assault or get near and flame. For tanks the Panther is a monster but it is a chunk of points. Germans have an issue in that they have so many options for armor. Typically you want 2 threats a threat to their infantry and a threat to their tanks, this forces enemy armor to have to make a choice between save themselves or save their infantry. Overall a StuH42 and a Puma make a great option, at smaller point levels a Sdfkz222 and a Stummel also fill this roll. If you have enough AT in panzerfausts and tank the MMG sidecar is a great option.

Yeah, in my Fallschirmjager platoon I have several fire and several maneouver elements, each about 8 men. The fire elements have each two MG42's and the maneouver elements are automatic rifles.

Pumas are the best vehicle in the game, imho, they have as much armor as a light tank and their medium antitank gun can penetrate heavier tanks on the side/rear - and they're Recce!

Here's my 1500 Fallschirmjager list

Veteran 2LT +1 man
Veteran Medic + 1 man

Veteran NCO SMG + 7 men (SMG, 3xAR; 2xPzf)
Veteran NCO SMG + 7 men (SMG, 3xAR; 2xPzf)
Veteran NCO SMG + 7 men (SMG, 3xAR; 2xPzf)
Veteran NCO + 7 men (2xLMG)
Veteran NCO + 7 men (2xLMG)

Veteran MMG Team
Veteran Medium Mortar Team
Veteran Flamethrower Team
Veteran Panzerschreck Team
Veteran Sniper Team

Veteran 20mm Flakvierling/38 gun team (8 shots at +2 Pen! yes please)

Regular Sd.Kfz. 234/2 Puma

I've looked at the Flakvierling, doesn't it need to be towed on if it starts off the board?

Yup! That was my platoon for a Defense scenario. My apologies. I believe normally I drop the Medic and use the Kettenkrad (because it's really cute. I mean, look at this. I want one in real life. http://us-store.warlordgames.com/products/fallschirmjager-kettenkrad-1943-45)

That makes sense, very cool.