why buy armor?

[bhutnath]

I have been playing with max map sizes I think it 200x160. 32 hexes is what you have to travel in these large maps to reach the center, I suspect it may be much less in smaller maps. I do buy lots and lots of arty some time a whioe briade (15-25% of total points). The opponents typicaly has atleast a regiment some times two. Sure arty hurts but it doesnt completely kill the infantry. Even after few turns of bombardment it may get it to run, but then they can always come back. Arty becomes a double edge sword if you go mix it up close with the opponent. Once I have reached the v hexes and nearby forests, buildings and reverse slopes the onus of throwing me out of there is on the opponent. Here is where the infantry seems to shine for me.

the manual says that the rule of thumb for attacking a platoon is to do so with a company. It further suggests that a platton is considered a battery level target (arty). Now if you out number the enemy both in number of infantry platoons and arty (which you will if you have no armor and he does). I cant seem to understand how the armor will help take ground away from the numericaly superior infantry force.

Its true that HE doesnt kill tanks, but it will suppress the infantry allong with enemy tanks making your infantry difficult to spot for enemy armor. Drop enough on a tank and it will run. Becuase of the nature of the objective in meeting engagements the tanks mobility in my opinion seems of limited use against infantry 'hanging around' the v hexes in forests reverse slopes and buildings. Even if opposition manages to suppress your infantry with arty they still have to come and take ground, for which he will need infantry. However more likely than not he is going to be out numbered in arty too (besides being outnembered by the defending infantry force)

The thing is this, once the infantry has reached the victory hexes and nearby areas, it can camp in forest towns reverse slopes etc and exert influnce around the V-hexes. specialy if you have a couple of atgm hidden some where there. The onus of digging em out of there is upto the enemy.


btw, I have noticed even if the light trucks carying infantry is hit by any thing from machine guns, arty, direct tank shots the infantry take no or little damage and just pops out even if the truck blows up. I have never seen a platoon loose most of its men or get wiped out with the truck. I thought if a light trucks takes a direct 155mm shell, nothing would be left of it! if it gets raked by machine guns at 500m lots of infantry men should die?

They seem to make a great ride IMO. very cheap and fast. Sure they give you little protection from arty, but then getting hit doesnt do that much to the infantry any ways!! If you srvive 2-3 turns you are practicaly there to the center of the map. a m113 in Pakistan army cost from 33-35 points while a light truck costs 11.So while a mech platoon costs 850+ a rifle platoon with trucks will cost just 220+154 = 374. Allowing you to buy two companies and more for the price of 1 mech company (while retaining mobility of a mech company). Sure the apc also have machine guns that add to the firepower. Hoever they seem to die too easy in my experience to arty, atgm and tanks (as do light trucks, but atleast they cost 1/3!)

This brings me to another point. It seems that the biggest nemesis of a tanks isnt another tank, its atgm troops!??

I know I am missing some thing here, for surely the tanks are very usefull in real life. Are they under modelled in SP? the tank HE shots dont seem to hurt that much. You fire shells after shell at infantry and not 'wipe them out' even if they are in the open.