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So yeah, very first time I've actually glanced at flames of war.

Thinking about starting with a Russian Heavy Tank company. Mainly because I love IS-2's, KV-1s' and those silly rocket trucks. Not really interested in infantry that much.

That said, I really have no clue what's actually needed to make a functioning list ( I've played around on easy army a bit though ).

So... What should avoid, what is a must etc.?

Any tips would be much appreciated.

Go German.

Buy Brits.

Telling the guy not to play russians at all is a bit brutal.

For mid war I quite like the KV-1S, its almost as well armored as the KV-1 but it moves like a normal tank. For late war you're going to need some IS-2s or ISU-122s. As a German panzer the Russian 122m gun can ruin my day.

Basically for any armored list I'd say you need at tanks and anti-infantry tanks in a ratio of 1:2, recon is vital and some cheap artillery is nice.

EDIT: Just realized that soviet heavy tanks have no recon, hmmm.... I guess just spam the heavy tank of your choice plus a massive artillery battery and maybe some air support

I would not be put off I know quite a few who can do half decent Russian lists in LW - though they have 30+ matildas

Put off by those 2? They aren't even people.

I've already decided on going rusky tanks, it's more a case of finding something I like combined with it not being absolute garbage.

IS-85 or KV-85s are a nice compromise. Good armour, reasonable AT and RoF. There's a Guards Heavy Tank Regiment list in Red Bear (p.44).

We have a company made from Zvezda kv 1s and IS 2 for our Heavy company.

Yeah, I was thinking IS2's with KV 1's and Kuzyasha(SP?) for support.

My russian HT list is:

all FT

8 IS-2s (HQ, company of 4, company of 3)
full SMG company with komissar
limited IL-2M support

Spam is just the word, just rush against enemy infantry with tanks (hoping they are not pioneers nor have a lot of AT weapons) guns blazing. Our SMGs are for mop-ups.

This is a pure fun-fun rushlist that I just had to have.

perhaps the bigges problem is that I have only 3 companies/platoons so if I have to put something into reserve, it will be my infantry and the smaller tank company leaving me with just HQ and 1 company/platoon on table :S

 Soladrin wrote:
Yeah, I was thinking IS2's with KV 1's and Kuzyasha(SP?) for support.

Katyusha. L2spell, n00b.

 col. krazy kenny wrote:
We have a company made from Zvezda kv 1s and IS 2 for our Heavy company.

I'm not that familar with the Red Army, but I wasnt aware these served together. I though the KV-1 has been phased out long before the IS-2 was on the scene? Wasnt it the KV-85 that was around later in the war?

The given justification for them serving together is that the majority of IS-2s in production were being sent to reinforce Operation Bagration, and that your regiment is having to make do with whatever they were given, citing that regiments relieved during the recent breaking of the siege of leningrad may still be using the outdated KV-1s.

 EmilCrane wrote:


EDIT: Just realized that soviet heavy tanks have no recon, hmmm....

Not true. In Soviet Russia we have KGB and Commissars for recon.

I was also under the impression that you couldn't mix tank types in the heavy tank list, in any case IS-2s are pretty good by themselves

Well the Soviet Heavy Tank Regiment is not an terribly easy army to play. What you need to look at when playing this game is either how you will break your opponent (basicly kill or rout half his army) or how you will take the objectives from him. To make a functioning list you need to deal with dug in infantry, big germans tanks and the powerful British and american medium tanks. The IS-2 does a great number on infantry (especially with tank riders) but it fires way too slow in tank vs tank engagements. To remedy this you will need some kind of artillery, Aircraft support or Anti Tank-infantry that can take on the enemy tanks. There is no tournament tested list that work in every case and instead you must learn how each unit interacts and how you can create a good mix that fits you. As Heavy tanks are very expensive and at the same time very vulnerable I heartily recommend that you use them as support in an infantry Company rather than playing the Heavy tank company.

If you insist on russian heavy tanks then I would recommend basing an the on ISU-122 is way more point efficient than IS-2 and easier to use due to better support options.

Hope this helps a bit.

 LuciusAR wrote:

 col. krazy kenny wrote:
We have a company made from Zvezda kv 1s and IS 2 for our Heavy company.

I'm not that familar with the Red Army, but I wasnt aware these served together. I though the KV-1 has been phased out long before the IS-2 was on the scene? Wasnt it the KV-85 that was around later in the war?

PAge 46 REd Bear.

Also to add;

The IS-2 appears better served as support for Strelks/Moto Strelks than anything else. In tank-on-tank engagements they're not so good.

 col. krazy kenny wrote:

PAge 46 REd Bear.

Fair enough, I don't actually have a copy of Red Bear as the majority of my late gaming is done on the Western Front. Still you learn something new every day!

I played my first tournament with a Guards Tank Battalion. 3 Is-2's, 11 T34/-85's, Katy's, and air support. It was a lot of fun to play and I did ok. Not fun was facing a 3-King Tiger list on a desert board. Tabled in 3 turns!

You could build an equivalent list from the Heavy Tank Battalion substituting KV-1s for T34/85.

That said, it isn't a balanced list at all. Dug in infantry are a problem and you are at a disadvantage in heavy terrain against infantry and in open terrain against an equivalent German "rock" list.