Core force for DLCs

brettz123 · Post by **brettz123** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 11:42 am

BloodCat wrote:I'm conquering Maginot Line in DLC '40, and my force is divided into 3 more or less independent KG's, which can stack together when necessary:

1 Recon (SdKfz 232 8Rad)
2 Tanks (Panzer IVD)
3 Infantry (1 Pioniere, 1 Grenadier, 1 SE Grenadier)
1 Arty (Sturmpanzer I)

Airforce:
3 Ju-87R
3 Bf-109E

UPD Maginot Line taken, and in the beginning of DLC GC '40 I just got a forth SE unit! Thought my Corps was limited to three.

Two questions. What level do you play on and how much damage does the enemy air force do to you? I play on Field Marshall and in the 40 DLC I would usually have 5 BF-109s so I was wondering if I was overkilling a little!

vgo · Post by **vgo** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 1:50 pm

Just finished the '41 DLC for the second time:

Infantry
1x Brückenpioniere
1x Fallschirmjäger
1x Gebirgsjäger
2x Grenadier (SE)
3x Pioniere

Tanks
4x Panzer III (2x SE)
4x Panzer IV

Artillery
2x 21cm Mrs 18
2x Sturmpanzer
1x Wurfrahmen (Range +1)

AA/AT
2x Marder
2x 88 FlaK (One of these has the movement +1 trait, very handy)

Recon
2x 232 8rad

Airforce
3x Bf109
2x Stuka
1x Bf110
2x Do217

I keep all the captured equipment as trophies and don't use them on the field.

BloodCat · Post by **BloodCat** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 2:22 pm

brettz123 wrote:Two questions. What level do you play on and how much damage does the enemy air force do to you? I play on Field Marshall and in the 40 DLC I would usually have 5 BF-109s so I was wondering if I was overkilling a little!

I'm playing on 'Colonel' level (yeah, I'm silly, I know), and in Greece I took fourth Bf-109F, 'cause several times enemy fighters escaped from me with 1 (one) point of strength after taking hits from my Bf-109 trio. I use fighters mostly not for escorts but to gain air superiority: first clearing the sky from enemy fighters to let my bombers fly unharmed and after that I switch my attention to enemy bombers.

charonjr · Post by **charonjr** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 3:48 pm

I am playing on FM as well and usually 3 fighters together with a fighter bomber and the occasional burst from the 8,8cm are enough to deal with the enemy airforce. But I only took Kiew in the last scenario so there might be more serious oposition ahead, but at the moment just 3 fighters are doing fine.

brettz123 · Post by **brettz123** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 4:03 pm

Thanks for the answers guys! I have seven 109s at the end of DLC 41 and I usually have five in the air and feel like I dont have enough sometimes. No 88s though which does make a difference.

Rood · Post by **Rood** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 5:26 pm

I've said this before but the diversity in core setup really shows how great PzC really is

.

As I have no current save I can't check my setup for the DLC's. However I remember the following:
- all my infantry is Pioniere 5 or 6,
- no strategic bombers, small air force 3 fighters and 4 tac bombers,
- 2 88's which I use in their dual role as AA/AT,
- 7 or 8 artillery of which 4 are selfpropelled.
- the rest is tanks (4 captured) and a recon.

Depending on the (road to the) objective I fix my core in different groups, usually a mix of fast moving and slow moving ones.

Currently playing some mods but when I do a replay of all the DLC's I'll try some different setup.

Locarnus · Post by **Locarnus** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 1:17 am

Its very interesting how different the cores are.
For example as few as 2 artillery pieces

My core at the end of 39 was like this:

Inf 6
1 Airborne
5 Pioniere

Tanks 4
2 Pz38(t)
2 Panzer III (SE)

Recon 1
AT 1

Art 6
5 towed (1 found)
1 Sturmpanzer

AA 1 (88 Flak)
Fighter 2
Fighterbomber 1
CAS 3
LevelBomber 2

End of 40 it was like this:

Inf 7
1 Airborne
6 Pioniere

Tanks 9
3 Panzer III (SE)
2 Panzer IV
4 found tanks

Recon 1
AT 1

Art 7
4 towed
3 Sturmpanzer

AA 1 (88 Flak)
Fighter 4
Fighterbomber 1
CAS 3
LevelBomber 2

In 41 I didnt buy any new units, converted an old french tank to a Panzer IV and have now 3 towed arty, 2 Wurfrahmen40 and 2 StugIII.
Still not finished but I dont expect much change except for upgrading the Panzerjager1B if possible.

Vaughn · Post by **Vaughn** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 7:34 am

At the end of 41 (Field marshal) I look like this:

2 - Gebirgsjäger
2 - Pionier
1 - Brückenpioniere (Usually in reserve)
2 - Fallshirmjager
1 - SE Grenadier
1 - SE Gerbirgsjäger
1 - Wehrmacht (sees use occasionally)

1 - Panzer III
2 - Panzer IV
2 - SE Panzer III

2 - T-34/40
2 - KV-1's A & B (One of them is reserve)
1 - Char B1 (Yes, I still find a use for it.)
1 - Souma (He has not come out to play for a long time)

2 - marder (I don't like them much now, but I know I will love them after another upgrade. Sometimes in reserve.)
2 - 88's (one of them has 2 movement heroes! Insanely useful unit!)

2 - 17cm
1 - 21CM
2 - StuGIII
1- 7.5 CM That I made parachutable with the editor so I can drop and support Fallshirmjagers

4 - BF 109
2 - JU 87D

1 - BF 110

1 - JU 88A
1 - DO 217E

I have so many units with spotting heroes I have little need for recon. I do still have 1 in reserve though.

Looking at this list, I appear to be infantry heavy and armor light - but it has worked very well for me so far.

In 42 I will get more airpower and probably beef up my armor core a bit.

loganlogan · Post by **loganlogan** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 5:47 pm

I'm really surprised how many are getting by with just 1 recon. I always have 3 and replace them when they get killed (often).

End of DLC '41

Infantry 6
6x Pioniere 250/1 (Rugged defense? What's a rugged defense?)

Armor 12 (how did I not end up with even 1 Matilda II? I love those tanks!)
1x PzIIIJ
3x SE PzIIIJ
3x PzIVF
1x SE PzIVF
1x CharB1 (slow, but still pretty effective)
2x T-34/40
1x KV-1B (My baby!)

Recon 3, no 2!
2x SdKfz (looks like a lost another unlucky bastard in the Demyansk Pocket. He will be avenged! or at least replaced in '42)

Arty 5
3x 21 cm Mrs 18 (compensating?)
2x Wurfrahmen

Planes
6x Bf 109F
1x Ju87D
2x Do 21E

I am so excited for Tigers! What month do we get them in '42?

brettz123 · Post by **brettz123** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 6:04 pm

loganlogan wrote: I am so excited for Tigers! What month do we get them in '42?

I looked yesterday at the equipment file and I think they come in December of 42. So we will probably enjoy them for one or two scenarios! Still cool though because the PZ IVf2 if one of my favorite tanks!

loganlogan · Post by **loganlogan** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 6:23 pm

Yep. Best part about DLCs is that you actually get to use each tank model for a while. That being said, I still want my 88s!

agandaur88 · Post by **agandaur88** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 7:48 pm

Germans have really awfull tanks until tigers, panthers and so on arrive. No heavy tanks, Kv's and 34 eat you alive. Only my luftwaffe makes the difference.

huertgenwald · Post by **huertgenwald** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 9:11 pm

Well, later Pz IIIs and IVs weren't THAT bad !

bebro · Post by **bebro** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 9:20 pm

Always found those with the sideskirts interesting. In one vanilla campaign I got a bonus Pz IIIN and kept him a while. Wasn't so bad vs. soft, but of course later I upgraded him to have a bit more bang.

I also look forward to the long-barreled Pz IV getting more use in DLCs.

billmv44 · Post by **billmv44** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 9:57 pm

The Pz IVs were effective (though certainly not great) right up to the end. Some authors have suggested that the Germans would have been better off never producing the Panthers and concentrated on maximizing Pz IV production instead. The German Panzer divisions were very tank poor after Kursk (even at Kursk they weren't at full strength).

brettz123 · Post by **brettz123** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 10:41 pm

bebro wrote:Always found those with the sideskirts interesting. In one vanilla campaign I got a bonus Pz IIIN and kept him a while. Wasn't so bad vs. soft, but of course later I upgraded him to have a bit more bang.

I also look forward to the long-barreled Pz IV getting more use in DLCs.

I agree the DLCs have been interesting in that I feel free to experiment with things that I wouldn't have bothered with in the vanilla campaign.

ivanov · Post by **ivanov** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 11:12 pm

Well, I never intend my core to grow to strong and build my formations somewhere along the historical lines. For example for the 1943, I don't plan to upgrade all my tanks to the latest models. I will keep 75% of my strenght Pz.Kpfw. IV, 25% Panther and one Tiger on the corps level, if I will be able to afford it. Of course in order to get the most efective core, one should invest in the best tanks, convert all the infantry into sturmpioneers and buy as many Stuka units as possible. I simply prefer to achieve the more realistic feel but that depends on everyone's individual preferences.

deducter · Post by **deducter** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 11:24 pm

Organizing your units into divisions is very fun. Here's my core at the starting of Stonne in DLC 1940.

May 15, 1940

1st Panzer Division

1st Infantry Brigade
*4th Motorized Infantry Regiment (Opel)
*9th Motorized Infantry Regiment (Opel)

1st Panzer Brigade
1st Panzer Regiment
*8th Panzer Battalion (Pz IIIF)
*12th Panzer Battalion (Pz IB)
2nd Panzer Regiment
*18th Panzer Battalion (Pz IVD)
*19th Panzer Battalion (Captured Somua S35)

73rd Artillery Regiment
*13th Artillery Battalion (15 cm sFH 18/Opel)
*14th Artillery Battalion (StuG IIIA)
*21st Artillery Battalion (105mm wz. 29/Opel)

Support Formations
*7th Pioniere Battalion (Opel)
*15th Recon Battalion (Sd.Kfz. 232 8rad)
*20th Anti-Aircraft Battalion (8.8 cm FlaK 36/Opel)
*16th Antitank Battalion (Panzerjäger IB)

2nd SE Panzergrenadier Division

3rd SE Infantry Brigade
*11th SE Panzergrenadier Regiment (Sd.Kfz. 251/1)
2nd SE Motorized Gebirgsjäger Regiment
*3rd SE Motorized Gebirgsjäger Battalion (Opel)
*16th SE Motorized Gebirgsjäger Battalion (Opel)

3rd Panzer Regiment
*17th Panzer Battalion (P38(t)A)

54th Artillery Regiment
*2nd Artillery Battalion (7.5 cm FK 16 nA/Opel)
*6th Artillery Battalion (10.5 cm leFH 18/Opel)

Support Formations
*5th Antitank Battalion (3.7 cm PaK/Opel)

Corps Reserves

*10th Gebirgsjäger Battalion

Luftwaffe

JG 7
*Bf 109E I./JG 7
*Bf 110C II./JG 7
*Bf 109E III./JG 7

StG 11
*Ju 87B I./StG 11
*Ju 87B II./StG 11

KG 7
*He-111H2 I./KG 7

Corps Formations KIA

*1st Sd.Kfz 222 recon battalion, Iron Cross Second Class (lost at The Hague)

Vaughn · Post by **Vaughn** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 2:15 am

Interesting core Deducter. I like your way of organizing.

I notice at the end of 40 you still have a Panzer I in your core.

I'm not one to upgrade to the latest and greatest the moment it becomes available, but even I dropped the Panzer I as quickly as I could. I'm having problems imagining what good use you are still getting out of it.

deducter · Post by **deducter** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 2:51 am

This is actually in the middle of DLC 40, right at Stonne. That little PzI has been with me since Poznan, and it has its uses. I mostly use it to force surrenders after artillery bombardment or to capture flags. Sometimes it can do 3-4 strength damage to a French infantry. And it is cheap.

I'm playing the game with -75% prestige and the equipment file linked below. I also have expattack and expdefense set to 25 as opposed to 10. That gives a very significant boost to the early game units, perhaps too much so. I was thinking of lowering the expgrowth rate again, but once DLC 41 comes, my units will definitely need exp sooner rather than later. Experience balancing is really hard...

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