Balance force components?

[seabolt]

My purchasing approach:

Artillery: Generally this is capped at 15% or 20% in the pregame negotiations. You generally want to spend to the cap, because artillery cleans up mistakes and creates opportunity better than any other unit. That said, if you're facing a very low force-to-space ratio, you may want to cut back a bit here. Big maps and/or small point totals dilute the usefulness of arty.

Infantry: In the desert with no cover, maybe 25% mostly in scouts and MGs to ferret out opposing AT units. In the jungle, you should be 65% infantry, mostly rifle squads with MGs in support. Typically, about 45% of points invested here. Think carefully about which units can get where they need to be on foot, and let 'em hike if they can get there in a timely fashion.

AA: Often is 0% if your opponent insists on no air points. If your opponent does have air points, do invest. Something like 3-5% should knock down his recce flights and make him think twice about where he sends the jabos. The former are the real concern. If he's buzzing a Piper Cub over your head every turn, you're losing.

AT: The most ahistoric thing that happens in this game (in my opinion) is how savvy players pack AT guns into fast HTs and sprint them into overwatch. It works. If your opponent is OK with this, then spend 5-10% of your points on building tank-sniper teams each consisting of an AT gun, an MG, and maybe a sniper or scout all wedged into the best off road vehicle you can buy. If your opponent is all about company-sized purchases and historical ambiance, then you may want to skip the AT guns. They are very difficult to use effectively with no or truck transport.

Mechanized recon: Cheap fast ACs are the most important units you can field. Spend at least 5% of your points on units that can pop over a ridge, ignore small arms, and duck back down if they spot trouble.

Armor: Depending on how the above items break out, you should have 0% (jungle with air points and AT cheese) to 55% (historical units in desert with no air points) of your points left over for frontline armor. I would say about 15% of total points is typical for an experienced player unless the scenario is 1939-42, in which case the poor infantry AT options make a blitzkrieg approach viable and you may want to bump up that percentage.