Tips from the Frontline

[RNL Tiger]

Purchase Phase

I knew that for a defense I wanted plenty of ATG and HMGs and a selection of fortifications. However, I wasn’t really sure of what to buy or how effective any of them really are. So, in the best traditions of ignorance I pretty much just bought what POS had mentioned plus a couple of trenches because I had seen them elsewhere. I ignored the TRP because I didn’t have any artillery except for a mortar spotter.

I hadn’t even asked the question about blocking off the map with fortifications but POS had done a little research “I just did an estimate of how many AT-mines/roadblocks you'd need to completely block off the map to traffic and I make it about 30, which would cost you only 120 points (peanuts) for 30 daisy-chain AT-mines, or cost more if you mix buried AT-mines and roadblocks in with them. You had a Fort allowance of 250 pts in our 1250pt-sized game (you get more allowance with bigger games), so you could have bought 63 daisies to create a dense Alamein-type minefield that'd have stopped the enemy armour in its tracks if we'd hadn't set a limit. That's why CM players have to agree on strict limits. Below are screenshots of our map, each white square is where a mine or roadblock could have gone to completely close off the map by blocking the gaps.

As for wire, its dirt cheap, hence the need for purchase limits there too or enemy infantry will spend the whole game crawling through deep ranks upon ranks of it. And only full-tracked and half-tracked vehs can cross it, which means wheeled vehs are stopped dead by it.”





It was only after we had exchanged a few game files that I thought that I should have asked this question first! “If you were playing this defence what fortifications would you choose and why?” “First I'd try to talk my opponent into playing a ME instead because I don't like A/D's, but if I was defender I'd spend to the hilt on roadblocks (15 pts apiece) because they're absolutely impassable to tanks and can't be removed in any way, I'd string them across the map to plug as many gaps between patches of woods, buildings, swamps and rough ground as possible.

Second choice would be buried AT-mines (12 pts each) but they're not as reliable as r/blocks because they can be lifted by engineers unless the engineers come under fire.

Third choice are daisies (4 pts each), I know they sit in full view on top of the ground but they nevertheless act as a powerful deterrent and no tank commander would risk driving through them, he'd have to lift them which would cost him time, and they're very, very cheap.

Anti-personnel mines (7 pts each) are useful but I wouldn't go overboard on them, maybe half-a-dozen.

I'd probably buy half-a-dozen wires too (5 pts each) but they're very low in my priorities because you need lots to create an effective infantry barrier and I'd rather spend on MG's which are a much more effective 'barrier'.

Trenches (10 pts each) are also low in my priorities because they can be seen by the enemy from about 200 metres in all terrain and therefore draw area-fire like moths to a flame. However I'd usually buy at least a couple and leave them empty just to divert the enemy into wasting time, effort and ammo firing at them or avoiding them.

Bunkers and pillboxes (various costs) I rarely buy because - like trenches - they can be seen from miles away and plastered. And although they look tough on paper, their slits have zero armour so they'll quickly die if you put a hail of even small-calibre tank fire their way because sooner or later the shells will begin flying through the slit.

Target Reference Points (9 pts each) I'd hardly bother with because the cash is wasted if the enemy is nowhere near them.

(PS - all the prices above might vary by a point or two depending on nationality and period)"

However, I hadn’t asked that question but if I had I would have made some different choices. Unfortunately, I had decided to purchase the following units before seeing this advice and so I was already committed:
• 1 x Company
• 1 x Platoon
• 2 x Panzer IVH
• 2 x Sharpshooters
• 3 x 75mm ATG
• 2 x HMG
• 1 x AT Mine, 1 x AP mine, 5 x wire, 2 x trenches

I was also surprised when I saw my purchases as I had thought I had bought six machine guns but as always you need to adapt to the situation. I am also starting to appreciate that a battle can be won or lost [or made difficult] based on force selection, for example
1) Here I should have had more HMGs and a better selection of fortifications and probably more ATGs rather than the tanks
2) Recently for a QB combined arms battle I bought an 88mm Pak43; although it was very expensive I was pleased with its punching power, until I realized that I couldn’t move it out of the setup area
3) I bought 4 x SPW 251/9 assault half-tracks with the intention of carrying a reserve platoon to a critical point or a flag. I only found out on map that they couldn’t carry squads
4) I bought a mortar spotter in preference to three mortar teams because of the higher ammunition load, but when I used it I found it needed the higher ammunition load because the fire was spread over a much wider area

Now of course, none of these choices are fatal and indeed they may be the right choice in the right circumstances but I had bought them based on various assumptions, which proved incorrect. Buying the wrong tools for the job is not a good start.