DAR - Clickie-Chasing Coil Contests the Colonel

[Colonel Talvela]

Right off the bat my game seems weird. I would think the Coil has cheated, but I know he isnt that smart. Has anybody seen this before on a QB? The parameters are listed twice. Strange.



anyway, onto my pics. This is one of my favorite parts of the game. I know i have said that before.

Settings are - 2000 ME, medium mad, farmland, mod trees, small hills, overcast. These maps are fairly open, which means not great inf terrain. I typically always want to get a battalion, but as the allies on this "open" map I just couldnt do it. So I am ultra-light on inf. which really scares me.

Here are my picks:
Armor Heavy:
Vet M10 platoon - 457 (4 tank destroyers)
Grn M8 platoon x2 - 166 each (6 75mm big ammo load)

Inf Light: - 5 platoons total no company commander
4 Brit Motor platoons - 1 Grn, 2 Reg, 1 Vet - 82/97/114 (6 man squads)
1 Vet Brit Assault Platoon - 147

Lots of Misc
3 Reg Stuart Recce - 48 each (these are very fast with good armor for a vehicle)
2 Reg universal carriers - 29 (I hate these things but need them to move my guns and mortars)
1 Cnspt M3 - 33 (something about the 50 cal just makes me want to buy these)
2 Reg 3in Mortars - 57 (good ammo load and the hardest hitting mortars in the game - I love these guys. But they are so slow you have to have a mover for them)
3 Reg 6lb AT guns - 63 (I hope they have tungsten)
2 Vet Sharpshooters - 25
4 M1917 HMG 3Vet 1Grn - 23/17

My biggest concern is that I only have 5 HQ units. That will hurt me. But I didnt like any of my company choices.

This should be a pretty good game. My fast Stuarts should give me speed off the line advantage if the map will let me stay out of cover. I should have enough M8s to counter him if he does get a battalion of infantry - which is possible since he can get some cheap battalions for 1200 points.

If he is armor heavy and takes out my M10s I am really going to be in a bad position, because I just dont have enough infantry to hold a position. I hate armor duels, but I thought it would be my best option.

[Colonel Talvela]

edited

[jawsconan]

Hi, colonel.

Well, your choice of tiny amount of infantry is risky but courageous. Five platoons for a 2000pts on a moderate trees terrain! Furthermore, you took brits, who are not terminators. I think if your opponent make a numerous infantry choice, your men's task will be hard.
We can not even compare a german platoon and a brit platoon value in a woody battle.
And all those M8 have not a very high blast value (4 only) to make the difference with a good infantry support.
But your talent could make the difference :)

My 2 pences.

Cheers.
Hubert

[Colonel Talvela]

Well, your choice of tiny amount of infantry is risky but courageous. Five platoons for a 2000pts on a moderate trees terrain!

I loaded up a few maps, and typically there are not many trees. maybe because of the farmland setting, but in all the maps I loaded there were no big patches of woods.

Furthermore, you took brits, who are not terminators. I think if your opponent make a numerous infantry choice, your men's task will be hard. We can not even compare a german platoon and a brit platoon value in a woody battle.

I definitely will not be having my infantry fight Coil's infantry. The reason I took the 6 man squads is because I want them for eyes only. I took one vet assault platoon that should be able to handle itself well in a shootout with a german platoon - and I assume I will have to use them to contest one flag.

And all those M8 have not a very high blast value (4 only) to make the difference with a good infantry support.

Actually the M8's have a short barrel 75mm gun with a 52 blast value. If I can keep them alive they will be able to inflict a lot of damage on Coils infantry. But I have to keep them alive.

The only way I will be able to win is to be able to get my M8s in a position to blast Coils infantry. To do that I have to knock out his tanks with my M-10s and my guns. Should be an interesting cat and mouse game.

[jawsconan]

Yes, i misunderstood your choice. I thought you bought six M8 Greyhound.
But with M8 Hotwitzers, your chance is real.
6 machines with a 52 blast firing simultaneously can really seriously hurt a big infantry army.

I best understand your strategy now, althought i think that your very poor infantry would have to work hard to reach flags. That is the only weak point of a really good strategic plan from my point of view.
Another point for you, i absolutly don't know how "the coil" plays and what is his CMAK level.

good game, colonel.

Hubert

[Colonel Talvela]

I best understand your strategy now, althought i think that your very poor infantry would have to work hard to reach flags. That is the only weak point of a really good strategic plan from my point of view.

Agree with youthere. My inf and them reaching the flags are definitely my weakness. Hopefully my stuart recces and HT can allow me to get position quickly and make him move on the flags. A lot will depend on the map.

[Colonel Talvela]

Setup

I got a good draw on the map and a decent draw on the unit quality and HQ bonus.

Here is the overhead.

red circle the Hedgehog Platoon- where I am rushing my best platoon (vets with a +2 morale bonus)
blue circle - reg platoon with +1M, +1C +1S bonus
purple circle - vet assault platoon - If my Hedgehog platoon cant survive, I will need this platoon to assault the patch of trees with the farthest big flag.
pink platoon - they are just a reg platoon with a sissy leader. They are holding my back right flank and in reserve. If I have to use these guys to get the flag I am in big trouble.
brown platoon - green platoon that is protecting My Hill.
_____

The dominating feature of the map (IMO) is the big ridge on my side of the map that has cover and then god LOS to the flags.

Here is another shot of the left. The brown dots are a green platoon I am going to send over there to protect my HMG/mortar (blue dots/expected LOS) and a gun (yellow dot/expected LOS)


_______
Here is a close up of the center. All three flags right in the center. Will be sending 4 platoons there. My best platoon is going to rush the flags and try to get a good position is a nice reverse slop spot past the flags. If I can get my full strength platoon there, I think the coil will have a really hard time pushing me out of the position

____________
I am not sending anything to the right save this one gun. I think/hope I can get it to that yellow dot without being seen. If so it will have good LOS to the right side of the map and Coils biggest - where he might just choose to park a few TDs/SPguns.

__________-
I think the game will come down to two things.
1) will coil concede the big hill on my left to me. If so, it will be very hard for him to make a late game push to the flags. It is a very long way for him, but wouldnt be a bad strategy to try to run the hill. If I hold the hill I think I can at least get a draw.

2) Can I rush to the reverse slope spot past the flags and get hedge-hogged in. I am rushing with 3 stuarts and 2 M8s. If he sends heavier vehicles than that I will probably end up losing my best platoon and will have a hard time getting a victory.

[Colonel Talvela]

I'm am editing what I think Coil will pick. He likes to mix things up, and he took the 5 panzers in the game against Leto. I still think he will inf light because he knows I am a big "infantry is king" guy - so he will want to be challenge that line of reason.

So here is what I think:
2 Heavies (Probably Tigers, maybe panthers) - 560
Stug platoon (he wont want to, but they are cheap) - 300
Armored platoon (for cheap HTs) - 275
Recon company with HMGs - 390
2 150 guns & 2 75mm AT - 300
105mm spotter - 150

[Colonel Talvela]

Turn 2 Action

No casualties, but I spot three tanks and get sound contact for 7 more. I got Tiger/Pziii spots, but I am guessing the has two pziv platoons and doing a big flag rush of his own to try to get in a hedgehogged position where I was going to be.



The full POS-fist frontal attack. Not good for me. I dont really have the kit to fight a POS fist against three flags right next to each other.

Sigh... so much for the easy victory

[Ratzki]

I think I would be vearing that group of vehicles hard right in behind the smoke and trees and houses, see if you can get him to do the same with his armour to try to flank you. I looks like you would get in some good sde shots with your forward tanks if he fell for it. All depends on if he knows where you are.