towed artillery

[dks]

That is one of the reasons I field mostly infantry in '39DLC and '40DLC. With 9-10 infantry, it is not unusual to get a few Movement heroes. These units can then be upgraded into pioneers or grenadiers with a movement of three. In my current core just beginning '42DLC, I now have four grenadiers/pioneers that all move three. German panzers aren't worth much until the IVF anyway.

I think I got a +1 movement for an infantry once playing at colonel. thanks shawken for reminding me I could sure use some of those heroes asap for my Werhmact Inf so I can upgrade! you got me thinking harder about Inf when I play FM next go around. I'm getting much better at choosing my terrain for my infantry to fight in. especially defense for them having only (6) there have been times when I wished I'd had more for those final pushes on that last objecting for the DV!

had to use Pz IA and Pz IB and a Pz IIC for the longest time until I could capture or have a better upgrade slot to use for my Panzers now them babies are rockin and rollin as Pz III's and IV's with some good hero stats. still take a kickin from the Bear now and then if I get careless and move into the fog of war. that's a bad habit I just can't shake yet have almost lost a few long time core Panzers several times and wanted to throw the PC out the door ahhh....but....that's the charm of being a PzC general

I'm at Zolotonosha getting ready for the capture of Kiev. got 6356 prestige in reserve after all my units have been overstrengthed....including my reserve units. now that feals grrrrrrreat

well my new 15 cm Nblwf 41 is doing fine. it has 42 kills already and at 129 experience. just is it reminds me of using my old 7.5. now this unit could use either a +1 movement or a +1 range hero bad. I think I can upgrade it to the 21 cm in the 42 DLC. maybe.....this unit might get one of those needed heroes of +1 movement/range by 42'. if not I have some other upgrade options in the future to drool on

purchased that SdKfz 7/1 and these guys were fighting the moment they got off the train got 145 experience and 16 kills. I use the heck out of this unit for interference on the ground with arty back up and getting at those pesky Bear fighters. real happy with this unit. being mobile AA sure takes some pressure off my fighters.
too bad this unit cannot attack infantry. if I was in the crew and a Bear was running at me....you know I could level those guns

back to the Bear with all ((his)) charms

[Zhivago]

The StuG IIIB has a ground defense of 10, while the wurf has a ground defense of 2. Also, the StuG has an air defense of 10, while the wurf has an air defense of 4. This means that the wurf is a much tastier treat for the Bear--for both its attacking ground units and air units--than the StuG. That is why the AI is zeroing in on the wurf. If you could have a wurf soft attack value (20) on a StuG body, you would have the ultimate arty piece!

ahhhh....now that opens up another need. maybe a tag along SdKfz 7/1 for AA support. don't like being dependent on my 8.8 for AA. it's so much better for me as a land unit killer. it has a +1 movement that is just perfect to move in for that KV final kill attack

I have been purposely using the Wurf for bait now and then after I noticed the Bear likes the taste of it from the air. sometimes I just get that neck itch that tells me they are comming and need the enemy air groups not to go after my other units on the move. learning other traps as well on the enemy.

my Panzer type slots are filled and have many captured tank units. just captured a KV-1 at Smolensk41 which makes for a 4 total of caps. so now I'm testing my skills using the reserves option. this option is great I'm thinking of enlisting the 15 cm Nblwf 41 with HT. my core seems strong enough to have less Panzers and maybe pick up that SdKfz 7/1 as well. have the prestige for it leaving me a surplus. want to get used to the reserves option more anyways.

oh....before I forget. my Inf are beginning to show a serious weakness in the field against the Bear. upgraded one Wehrmact Inf to a Fallshirmjager. helps with that initiative boost. don't want that 2 movement of the Grenadier just yet. might upgrade one SE Inf to a Grenadier anyways. do not like the Pionier as a core unit at all. to upgrade an Inf to the Bruckenpionier is a downgrade for my style of play. Calvary has intiative of (((1))) and no way for an upgrade this far along in the campaign. the enemy does great with them though I might add

well time to get back to the war and make some decisions....AGAIN

The hard thing is that as you capture more Russian equipment, your core force will eventually get to the point where you will have more core units than the allowed limit for certain scenarios, and you will have to start sitting some of them out. At some point, you are going to get to a point where you have to ask yourself whether or not you want to use a tank or an AA gun for a certain scenario. For me, when it comes to that decision, I'd rather be fielding tanks rather than AA guns.

I try to keep 20-25% of my core force infantry units. Prior to 1943, I prefer the Gerbigsjager units to regular Wermacht infantry because they have a slight soft attack advantage while maintaining the movement of 3. I also like the Fallshirmjager units, but their drawback is their more limited ammo. Pioneer units are good to have because they ignore enemy entrenchment levels, which makes them good at rooting out enemy units. I have never bothered with Calvary units...they seem to fragile to me. Grenadiers are great, and sometimes you can luck out and get a movement bonus hero which really makes them valuable.

[dks]

The hard thing is that as you capture more Russian equipment, your core force will eventually get to the point where you will have more core units than the allowed limit for certain scenarios,

outside of my strategic bombers due to the captured units, I've had more core units than deployment slots for several scenarios now. HQ gave me a Pz IIIH at Vyazma and then I got a captured KV-1A during the battle. now I'm swimming in panzers. where was all these panzers when I needed them HQ got a total of 12 panzer groups and no way to upgrade them for a few more scenarios

one of a type is starting to show now. the SHAME!!!!!! I only got a MV at Vyazma the mudd killed my advance this time. I just couldn't get moving. like to blame my subs but they have connections at the top and are snitches the snitches saw the spires of Moscow though. said they were pretty. pretty damn far they said oh well, better get used to a MV now and then cause I think playing FM with no two units the same is going to be a tad different next go around

not doing to bad though all things considered. at Demyansk Pocket deploy, I've got 8104 prestige. Vyazma took a heck of a bite out of my prestige trying to get close to the city and that same "old rail car gun" taking pock shots at me as I crawled thru the mudddddddd! the Bear must of captured some from Poland I think

gonna sell off any captured stuff from now on I believe. no way I can upgrade the captured tanks to new German models. just will not be enough new different types of panzers for awhile and I really want to start building up my SPATS. only have one. 42' some good ones come out

the different types of arty are doing well for my needs. still need that Nblwf 40 to get a +1 range hero asap!

[dks]

spoke to soon about them upgrades. was able to upgrade several units at Demyansk Pocket. no longer have any French captured tanks. upgraded to Pz IIIJ and
Pz IIIJI. but got another captured T-34/41 during the battle. was able to upgrade my Panzerjager IB to a Marder IIA and this unit has a +2 attack hero did some real "come and get some" to the Bear during the battle looking forward to another SPAT in DLC 42.

upgraded my 10.5 to the monster 21cm Mrs 18 and not too keen about it. did real well defending my front but it has only (5) ammo. had to keep a check on it constantly.

next comes the Bear in 1942. last time I played Demyansk Pocket at colonel, I had 8886 prestige at battle conclusion. playing general and no two units the same, at battle conclusion I have 5105 hmmm....my subs better get on the ball

[Zhivago]

spoke to soon about them upgrades. was able to upgrade several units at Demyansk Pocket. no longer have any French captured tanks. upgraded to Pz IIIJ and
Pz IIIJI. but got another captured T-34/41 during the battle. was able to upgrade my Panzerjager IB to a Marder IIA and this unit has a +2 attack hero did some real "come and get some" to the Bear during the battle looking forward to another SPAT in DLC 42.

upgraded my 10.5 to the monster 21cm Mrs 18 and not too keen about it. did real well defending my front but it has only (5) ammo. had to keep a check on it constantly.

next comes the Bear in 1942. last time I played Demyansk Pocket at colonel, I had 8886 prestige at battle conclusion. playing general and no two units the same, at battle conclusion I have 5105 hmmm....my subs better get on the ball

It's a trade-off with the bigger guns. Bigger punch, but less ammo. Just like the wurfs. I still prefer having the 21cm gun though.

[dks]

It's a trade-off with the bigger guns. Bigger punch, but less ammo. Just like the wurfs. I still prefer having the 21cm gun though.

wurfs: I'm leaning more to the StuG than a wurf. my StuG IIIB is the first unit of alllllllllllllll my units to get 4 stars (((none))) of my other units from Poland days to my last battle at Demyansk-Pocket has attained 4 stars yet soooooooo, what I'm thinking for my FM campaign is maybe 4 towed guns. 2 StuG IIIB's and 2 Sturmpanzer I's by the time I get to Demyansk-Pocket next time.

Demyansk-Pocket finally put the coup de grace to my no two units of a kind thinking for a FM campaign from DLC 39 on. my weaker stat panzers were just not holding up. not even against the Bear's infantry in the snow. attrition cost of prestige will be unsustainable I believe in DLC 43. the weaker stat Pz IV's got hammered and my poor Pz IIIG was always on the run but.....my Marder IIA with its hero of +2 attack is a killer going to have 2 spats asap in my next campaign.

learned allot about the different equipment this go around. learned I might take on more infantry if I have the arty for back up. arty is crucial to my style of play and my ((((constant))) greed of just one more city/airfield to take

going to start my FM campaign now. I don't want to be familiar to the maps of the DLC's going forward. need that yelling and throw the PC out the door fealing now and then from PzC makes me appreciate my wife more when she comes in the room and says "calm down and put the PC back on the desk, it's only a game"