StuG and Nebelwerfer roles?

[Raven728]

I'm currently playing the '41 campaign; I bought a StuG and just 'unlocked' the Nebelwerfer, but I can't figure out what role they play on the battlefield. According to the Library, the StuG is good for attacking fortifications (I haven't tried this yet because the unit is so much slower than my front-line units), but is that all there is to it? I thought it would be good against entrenched units, but it isn't. Also, what sets the Nebelwerfer apart from, say, my 10.5cm arty?

[huertgenwald]

Also, what sets the Nebelwerfer apart from, say, my 10.5cm arty?

A MUCH better Soft Attack ?
Meaning: It's much more effective against infantry.

[brettz123]

A couple of things.

1. The StuG gets experience really fast
2. It is an artillery piece so it defends anything in the hexes around it from attack
3. It is self-propelled so it doesn't have to lose a turn unloading and is very good at keeping up with your tanks
4. Has a relatively high defense compared to most other units you can purchase so it is pretty good

The nebelwerfer I don't find too useful UNLESS you have a Range +1 hero in which case is is amazing. Now the self-propelled ones are absolutely amazing and I would suggest having 2-3 in your CORE.

[Raven728]

Oops, meant to say 15cm arty, but yeah, point taken. Nebel has a great anti-infantry attack (tried it out to good effect in Crete). Thanks for the responses.

[robman]

The Nebelwerfer is also a much more expensive unit to deploy: it takes losses easily, especially from the air, and its basic cost is high, so it has to be cosseted with protective units and still eats up prestige in reinforcements. The StuG is tougher and cheaper. I use both.

[fliegenderstaub]

Another advantage of Nebelwerfer units compared to conventional artillery: The slightly higher rate of fire, which means better suppression. Nebelwerfer have a rate of "10" (no entry in the equipment.pzeqp). The 15 and 17 cm artillery have "8", the 21 cm has "7". Btw: The StuG has got "11" ...

Well, I played the 41 campaign once with Nebelwerfer instead of ordinary artillery. Quite interesting I must say. I think it's worth trying.

[Kamerer]

As to Nebelwerfer, it took me a while to get skilled in using them. I had to learn to scout better, conceal better, etc. But now that I can, I find at least two Nebelwerfer's a huge asset in a Grand Campaign or Afrika Corps. I don't deploy them every scenario - for example they sit on the sidelines in the end of '45, but along the way they are very valuable. Once experienced and upgraded, the ROF and resulting suppression is hugely effective.

[janscas]

As to Nebelwerfer, it took me a while to get skilled in using them. I had to learn to scout better, conceal better, etc. But now that I can, I find at least two Nebelwerfer's a huge asset in a Grand Campaign or Afrika Corps. I don't deploy them every scenario - for example they sit on the sidelines in the end of '45, but along the way they are very valuable. Once experienced and upgraded, the ROF and resulting suppression is hugely effective.

Yes, but only really effective against soft targets. On hard targets it's pretty uneffective.

[brettz123]

As to Nebelwerfer, it took me a while to get skilled in using them. I had to learn to scout better, conceal better, etc. But now that I can, I find at least two Nebelwerfer's a huge asset in a Grand Campaign or Afrika Corps. I don't deploy them every scenario - for example they sit on the sidelines in the end of '45, but along the way they are very valuable. Once experienced and upgraded, the ROF and resulting suppression is hugely effective.

Yes, but only really effective against soft targets. On hard targets it's pretty uneffective.

To be fair most artillery isn't really that great against hard targets.

[Raven728]

After reading the 'What Switches?' thread, I just realized that I've been using my StuG in direct-fire (not artillery) mode. I was sitting at home the other day wondering why I couldn't make a ranged attack with it. /headsmack