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| These guys better do the job...I am counting on them! |
Here is a quick reminder of my list:
On the Attack:
The great thing about this force is the speed. I need to think about how best to really get in the face of the enemy quickly and throw him off balance. If I am attacking, I am likely against infantry or a mechanized force. I need to move up with the Panzergrenadiers as quickly as possible - stormtrooper and the fantastic road movement should help with that.
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| Panzergrenadiers provide great flexibility in attack with their high movement rate. |
I intend to use the Recce to screen my movements and to help prevent M10s (or any other Ambush) from popping up at exactly the wrong time! In this list, I am going to use the StuGs exactly as originally designed -- to dig out Infantry and Gun teams. With a front armor of 7, I think that the StuGs have a good chance of taking out HMGs, Mortars and AT guns before getting killed. A quick re-direct of the Panzerwerfers for some smoke or a pin, and I think I can get to assaulting!
When first thinking about this force, I intended to move everything up and count on the King Tiger to protect my objective -- that will still be the plan if the opposing force has little or no AT assets. I can use the Panzerwerfers to pound the force on the way in, reduce it, pin it, and have the King Tiger hold out until my mobile force wins the game.
If I am facing AT heavy forces -- especially when mobile -- I need to re-think this. US Armoured Rifles could eat the King Tiger for breakfast!
I can still use the Panzerwerfers to whittle down the incoming force, but I will likely need another unit to help subdue it. I will probably have to use a platoon of the Panzergrenadiers. These guys are MG teams, so something like Rifles or Armoured Rilfes will have a hard time assaulting with my high ROF -- even when pinned. The half tracks will also help because of German Mounted Assault rules - I can use the MGs and 3.7cm gun on the half tracks with no passengers! Also, if the attack is fought off, I can recall the transports and get back on the attack quickly. I will likely leave the 2iC back with these guys, as he has an extra Faust for blowing up half tracks and armor.
On the Defense:
If I am defending, it likely means armor. Everything revolves around the King Tiger at this point. I need to set up a problem for the opposition to solve, and he is a big one! If cover is available, he must be in cover. I will have to protect him from Infantry Assaults as well, and that means putting at least one unit of Panzergrenadiers very close to the King Tiger. Also, if I face M10s, I need to use the Recce to thwart any attempt to get side shots on him.
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| The Problem to be solved. |
In scenarios where I only get half my platoons on the table, I will have to choose wisely. I am not very good at this, so I usually go for the most expensive uints I have to be on the board. In this list, that means StuGs, King Tiger and then anything but the Recce. I will break this rule if I am facing M10s -- Recce is a must. Two platoons of Panzergrenadiers in Reserve is a great thing, and since I chose Panzerwerfers instead of Nebelwerfers, they will not be totally useless in Reserve.
If I get everything on the board, I will have to make two groups of defense. Group 1: King Tiger, Panzergrenadiers and Recce. Group 2: StuGs, Panzergrenadiers and Panzerwerfers. I will have to be clever here - Group 2 is the one I would go after and I will have to be able to support it quickly, should they get in trouble.
OK, that's enough strategy for now!
