Daunted by Long Campaign force selection

[Mobhack]

I buy the "support company" items as a group, so they are together, as a support company grouping. (It would be a support platoon, if I was playing with a company sized core).

That way I have these key units to deploy first, as determined with my game planning. Not dotted randomly in between the line companies.

It's one of the irritating things about the game that later bought units cannot be "reshuffled" to align with company architecture. So I buy support co stuff first. naturally I'll end up with a few odds and ends at the end of the troop list once I buy a few extras over time, but mainly I tend to stick with the original battalion structure throughout the war. (Maybe if really bored some time, I will make a database reshuffling tool!)

I do find some core AAA units worthwhile, as it guards against the times one forgets to buy some (and get whacked by enemy air). They can always fight as great big machine guns if there is no enemy air threat. Or be converted later to more A/T or mortar units (as the Commonwealth did in Burma, historically. ATG and AAA units there were eventually also dual-equipped with 3in mortars as swing-role formations, mainly acting as mortars).

In a German campaign - core AT units can convert to SP-AAA later on when Allied air gets significant.

Having the flak elements have gained experience means that when converted to arty (in a non German core) they then have quicker response times. And any German anti tank converts to flak tend to be noticeably more effective since they usually have a sizeable kill total (and hence the experience gain for that) by the time they do switch roles.

The key arty unit is the FO though, so buy him in the initial buy and never risk him getting near fighting, or in places that the enemy will shell. As he gets experienced, the time to call reduces significantly. That FO experience adds to the experienced core arty troops quick response. So - losing my FO in a campaign is an utter disaster, and experienced mortar sections etc slightly less so.

Things not to have in a core would be helicopters (MBT), any more than a battery of off-map or on-map indirect howitzers per 3 line coys in the core. Engineer tanks and specialist flame tanks that were rare beasties. The German SP-88 on a truck (only 18 ever built, and really were meant to poke holes in the Maginot forts) or the British Churchill SPG which is so devastating in the Desert, but in reality stayed firmly at home, or the German experimental jobs like the SP 128mm. Paratroopers, Commandos, Brandenbergers, SAS and other stuff that only do specialist operations (unless playing a para-commando core force). More than a couple of ammo trucks (one per core arty battery maybe). More than 1 sniper per rifle company HQ, that sort of thing. I also avoid "romper stomper" cores such as converting every tank to a tiger or panther and so I stick to line German AFV such as the P4 and Hetzer, with only a platoon or so of "specials" - otherwise it's a boring walk-over.

Cheers
Andy

[RVPERTVS]

Thanks a lot Andy! Fast and comprehensive as always. I have a couple of questions though about this info:

Originally Posted by Mobhack

I buy the "support company" items as a group, so they are together, as a support company grouping. (It would be a support platoon, if I was playing with a company sized core).

What type of units should I buy with my support points then? I usually get the arty, recon, etc with support points so they are always at the end of the list.

This reminded me of an issue I experienced on my last game: when using the N and P commands if the next unit is mounted the cursor hex is placed over the transport unit, but when the N command is used again then the cursor goes to the next unit on the transport formation.

Originally Posted by Mobhack

(Maybe if really bored some time, I will make a database reshuffling tool!)

That would be great!

Originally Posted by Mobhack

Having the flak elements have gained experience means that when converted to arty (in a non German core) they then have quicker response times. And any German anti tank converts to flak tend to be noticeably more effective since they usually have a sizeable kill total (and hence the experience gain for that) by the time they do switch roles.

I was in the belief that converted units start fresh and that experience was lost.

[Ts4EVER]

I think they lose some experience, but not all.

[jivemi]

Originally Posted by Mobhack

In a German campaign - core AT units can convert to SP-AAA later on when Allied air gets significant.

Having the flak elements have gained experience means that when converted to arty (in a non German core) they then have quicker response times. And any German anti tank converts to flak tend to be noticeably more effective since they usually have a sizeable kill total (and hence the experience gain for that) by the time they do switch roles.

Cheers
Andy

So what's the best flak to buy and later convert to SP-AAA? In a current German LC I started with 2 3.7cm flak batteries and upgraded the 4 most experienced to Wirbelwinds with lower ranged 20mm after the first Western Front battle (June 44). Unfortunately a platoon of Panthers got left out in open fields shooting up Brit infantry for too long and 3 of them got whacked by 4 Typhoons with only 1 point of damage inflicted by 2 or 3 Wirbels in range. (In the first West Front battle--a German delay--the original stationary flak damaged 3 of 4 Typhoons during their first strike, with only one Panther lost).

While the tanks would probably have been lost regardless, would it have been better to upgrade to Moebelwagons with 3.7cm guns instead? Thanks.

[Mobhack]

Originally Posted by jivemi

So what's the best flak to buy and later convert to SP-AAA? In a current German LC I started with 2 3.7cm flak batteries and upgraded the 4 most experienced to Wirbelwinds with lower ranged 20mm after the first Western Front battle (June 44). Unfortunately a platoon of Panthers got left out in open fields shooting up Brit infantry for too long and 3 of them got whacked by 4 Typhoons with only 1 point of damage inflicted by 2 or 3 Wirbels in range. (In the first West Front battle--a German delay--the original stationary flak damaged 3 of 4 Typhoons during their first strike, with only one Panther lost).

While the tanks would probably have been lost regardless, would it have been better to upgrade to Moebelwagons with 3.7cm guns instead? Thanks.

Best flak would be a ZSU-23-4 with its radar and fire control, but that is post-war, unfortunately.

In WW2, flak is about numbers and being lucky really. In my current LC I have a platoon of ground 37mm and 2 sections of some armoured truck with 37mm, but I usually buy 3-4 support sections of SP-flak. The tin trucks sometimes will survive cannon or MG strafing, and aren't too expensive.

I tend to keep my core SP trucks in the middle zone, the ground mounts on any nice ridge to protect the arty park, and the support ones try to keep up with the armour, while staying out of line of sight of his AT weapons. Preferably within 10 hexes of the main pack.

In the later war things like moebelwagens come along with 4-5 fire control, rather than the 2 or so of earlier war - and would likely prove to be better shots. You still would want them close by though, not lounging in the back.

So - yes the moebelwagen would have been a useful upgrade to have taken, if the choice was there.