why buy armor?

[Marek_Tucan]

Played a first battle in v.03 (I mean first finished battle, not the feature-testing bits ), meeting Czech Rep. vs. Slovakia (to ensure identical opponents), 1993, with AI buy. Map was 120x120 and only 4000 points for each side to make things interesting and allow for some maneuvering. I bought several tanks (5 T-72M1, two T-55AM2B), a motor rifle co in OT-64's and a platoon of MVP-2 IFV's, plus scouts, artillery and ammo supply. The AI bought a company of T-72 and a mass of leg infantry with some ATGM teams. Those proved somewhat combat worthy, everything armoured I lost was to them - two OT-64's, DANA SPH and a BVP. Engaged only three of his tanks, with flank ambush by one T-72M1 killed them all, rest of his tanks was in reserve and actually didn't move prior the end of the battle.
The infantry was no match - I had too little dismounts so I used them in dense forests to guard flanks/gaps, and I used the OT-64's as mobile MG nests to shoot up his infantry in the open. Stayed out of RPG range and literally massacred the infantry with MG and mortar fire. Final result 20 casaulties on my side, 188 on AI side, mostly the infantry. My tanks didn't do much as I have kept them in ambush positions against his armored reserves.
So in this battle, even a very light armour proved to be effective against a mass of foot infantry, as long as it keeps its distance, and each of the OT-64's was definitely worth atleast twice its cost