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Well I've finally received my V3 bundle set and have been reading the rules. Probably will have to go over these a few times. After one read through the fundamentals seem pretty straight forward before adding in all of the support and specialist stuff. And I need to go over the whole scenarios and missions bit more carefully.

Off hand it seems like assaults are stupidly dangerous. Defensive fire from a well entrenched enemy with good support looks like it will just horribly maul anything that goes with it...especially something like U.S. Armored Rifle Platoons that also have a crap-ton of bazookas to discourage tanks. Two Bail-Out/Destroys to stop an attack. Against side armor with at least 4 bazooks and any other heavy hitting stuff from combat attachments just look brutal.


I love the idea of mechanized lists and have been looking at using the Gepanzerte Panzergenadierkomanie force from the V3 list for now. How does a G.P. Platoon handle going up against something like that even with mounted assault?

Anywho, I've been mostly messing around with 1500 point options right now. I think I found a group in the Boulder, CO area to play with as well so that should be good.

I take it that bringing along Artillery, AA, and Recce is all lists (if possible) is a good thing? Everytime I've built something I just haven't had the points to squeeze in a Recce Platoon.


As of now everything here is using Heer platoons. I haven't really thought about where it would be appropriate to add SS...something that sees a lot of assault?

HQ
Company HQ - x2 Panzerfaust SMG Teams - 85

Combat Platoons
G.P Platoon - x3 Squads, Panzerfaust SMG Team - 230 (Worth replacing the 3.7cm Half-Track or should I keep it?)
G.P Platoon - x3 Squads, Panzerfaust SMG Team - 230
Heavy Platoon - x2 MG Section & x1 Mortar Section - 250 (Probably will be splitting these up evenly among the G.P Platoons. How would that work with splitting up the observer, though. Worth it? No? Any suggestions?)

Weapons Platoons
G.P AA Platoon - x3 Sections (unarmoured) - 90 (worth paying the 30 points to make these armoured?)

Divisional Support
Panzer Platoon - x4 Panzer IV H - 360
Artillery Battery - x2 10.5cm Sections - 210 (What's the deal with getting the Kubelwagens? Does a Radio Truck do anything special at all or are all the wheeled trucks the same?)


Comes out to 1455, still have 45 points to spend. Ideas?

Welcome! Have You seen the 251/1D and Panzer IV plastic kits made by the Plastic Soldier Company? If You are into plastics, that may save You some fortune, so You only have to buy the Battlefront infantry packs, artillery and recce.
The 3.7cm Half-Track upgrade comes for free - so far I am sort of convinced to do this in my list (which is actually a Panzerkompanie as the basis, with Gepanzerte Panzergrenadier Support). As regards Recce platoons, I'd suggest Pumas - they were 100 points per two in Fortress Europe. Dunno how much they are in Grey Wolf or Bundle book list, since I only have the v3 minibook right now.

I think attaching HMG's to Grenadier Platoons makes them superb at defending, ROF is everything in Defensive fire. It's easier to keep your Mortars separate with the observer than Combat attach them. But with direct fire abilities they can be very useful. Looks good, do you have any options on HQ you could use the points up on? Maybe a Sniper or something or upgrade the AAA, yes it is worth it as armour of 0 still protects from Small arms and requires a FP check.

Nungunz wrote: Off hand it seems like assaults are stupidly dangerous. Defensive fire from a well entrenched enemy with good support looks like it will just horribly maul anything that goes with it...especially something like U.S. Armored Rifle Platoons that also have a crap-ton of bazookas to discourage tanks. Two Bail-Out/Destroys to stop an attack. Against side armor with at least 4 bazooks and any other heavy hitting stuff from combat attachments just look brutal.

Assaults are best conducted only if you have pinned down the enemy, so that they only get ROF 1 for defensive fire. Though assaults are deadly for your troops, they are a reliable way to break heavily entrenched enemy infantry (try shooting to death a Dug In and Gone to Ground infantry platoon and you'll see what I mean).

Nungunz wrote: I take it that bringing along Artillery, AA, and Recce is all lists (if possible) is a good thing? Everytime I've built something I just haven't had the points to squeeze in a Recce Platoon.

You are right about the necessity of artillery and AA in all lists (though aircraft can be used instead of infantry sometimes), but I have never heard recce platoons as being essential. For certain lists they can be very important, but overall most armies can do fine without them. I have personally never used them, and can not see how they would benefit my army in anyway.

mwnciboo wrote:Looks good, do you have any options on HQ you could use the points up on? Maybe a Sniper or something or upgrade the AAA, yes it is worth it as armour of 0 still protects from Small arms and requires a FP check.

Well I can get a Panzershreck Section in the HQ for 40 points. Armoured Upgrade on the AA costs 30. Tracktors for the Artillery costs 5 (and I can further upgrade/replace them with some other stuff for free....at least I think that's how it works. The wording has me a bit confused, but I'd like to get the Kubelwagen rides for the observers).

Do radio trucks add any benefit for observer or staff teams?

Yeah you can move the team around, otherwise thats it.

Ah, would have been nice to maybe increase the In Command range or something. Oh well.

CainTheHunter wrote:Welcome! Have You seen the 251/1D and Panzer IV plastic kits made by the Plastic Soldier Company? If You are into plastics, that may save You some fortune, so You only have to buy the Battlefront infantry packs, artillery and recce.

Yup, I saw those. Warstore sells them cheaper in bulk. PSC has a ridiculous 20% of total order shipping rate to the US. I can get the the Panzergrenadier deal buying all the boxes separately from Warstore than the single bundle deal on the PSC website.

PSC: Panzer Army Deal = 80 GBP + 16 GBP for shipping ~ $154.50 w/ shipping
Warstore: 6 separate boxes to make the Panzer Army Deal = $145 w/ shipping

Sure it's only about a $10 savings, but when buying all those boxes separate is cheaper than the 'deal' with shipping added.....oof.

I guess, it's one of those issues being located outside of Europe :(. But does not Maelstrom Games offer free-shipping worldwide? They have in-built discount for all products, so PSC stuff is already a bit cheaper and they have another running 16% discount till March 16 as well. So a box of Panzergrenadier SPVs or Panzers IV now costs £14.70.

mwnciboo wrote:Yeah you can move the team around, otherwise thats it.

Related question (and hopefully not hijacking the thread) - do command tanks/halftracks (i.e. the versions without any significant armament) have any special rules?

CainTheHunter wrote:I guess, it's one of those issues being located outside of Europe :(. But does not Maelstrom Games offer free-shipping worldwide? They have in-built discount for all products, so PSC stuff is already a bit cheaper and they have another running 16% discount till March 16 as well. So a box of Panzergrenadier SPVs or Panzers IV now costs £14.70.

Nice!

As a curiosity any thing different between the C and D half tracks?

They look different

Just in case if You miss the news section on Maelstrom page, the voucher code for additional discount (effective till next Monday Midnight, British time, is DARK-NIGHT-BLUES

Yeah, I caught that one. $135 for 10 Pz IVs, 15 Sd Kfz 251/1s, and 130 Infantry (makes an HQ and Two full platoons with 10 models left over to put in other places).

Be advised that for infantry You will need some BF infantry stands (small and medium) since PSC infantry does not include them. You can either grab the mixed bases set at Maelstrom or get them from e-bay - there are quite common. You could also use the great BF urban rubble stands, but these will be tricky with PSC infantry, since the slots on these stands are round, while PSC infantry has oval ellipse bases.

CainTheHunter wrote:Be advised that for infantry You will need some BF infantry stands (small and medium) since PSC infantry does not include them. You can either grab the mixed bases set at Maelstrom or get them from e-bay - there are quite common. You could also use the great BF urban rubble stands, but these will be tricky with PSC infantry, since the slots on these stands are round, while PSC infantry has oval ellipse bases.

I figured as much with the bases. I like the look of the rubble stands and I have no problem converting stuff if needed, I have plenty of experience with that.

Nungunz wrote:As a curiosity any thing different between the C and D half tracks?

It's not just looks. The Ausf C would be appropriate from 1940 onwards (and can easily be back-dated to an Ausf A or B), the Ausf D from 1943 onwards, becoming common in 1944.

One thing that bothers me about the PSC infantry is their extremely delicate gun barrels. I can't see those tiny rifles lasting any time at all. I've been thinking about whether they can be position cunningly against ruined walls, tree trunks and other objects so they're less easily broken. Has anyone done this?

No, but I can vouch for the fact the rifle teams get damaged easily. 6 months and most of Rifle infantry is broken. :( It was cheap however.