Slitherine

Ok here is my army that I have so far in my Manstein playthrough where I have 79 units and thanks to a little luck 6 SE Tanks to play with.
77293 in prestige to start with and 86 heroes already, you get them much quicker in Manstein, since you need to kill a larger number

13 Infantry 14 heroes
I do not intend to buy anymore infantry as I believe I get 2 additional infantry super heroes later on.

2 Grenadiers: +3 Def and Freidrich Pein both with 3 stars. I plan on overstrengthening each and upgrading them to 43 version and using them until they achieve 4 stars and a second hero.

2 Pioniere: +1 Move/+1 Att and +2 Def both with 3 Stars. I plan on overstrengthening each and upgrading them to 43 version and use 1 every mission to get to 4 stars experience and a 2nd hero.

2 Kradschutzen: Both with a +1 Spotting hero and 1 with 4 stars the other with 3. Plan to use as recon 1 every mission.

7 Gebirsjaeger's: +3 Def with 4 stars this is at 10 str now so I am considering converting to another unit, but not sure what Thoughts?; +3 Att 3 stars this also has 10 str so I plan on converting to Regular Inf. Thoughts?, +2 Att upgrade in path already at 13 str 3 stars, +1 Att 2 stars (going to leave as is as not my best unit; Helmut Weinsberger 3 stars either will be a Grenadier or Regular inf Thoughts?; Oleh Dir 4 stars maxing out and upgrading to 43 version; 12 str +1 Initiative 3 stars maxing out and upgrading to 43 version.

22 tanks 20 heroes
1 Pz4D +1 Def 1 star; 2 Star Char B1 +1 Att; 3 star Somua +1 Att (Not doing anything with these tanks unless I get desperate as their heroes are not the best.

2 0 star T-34/41's going to sell off as too late to build up now.
1 2 star T-34/41, that I will keep trying and wait to see what his first hero is to see if he will get an upgrade.

3 Star Albert Kerscher Double hero that makes him +5 Att/+2 Def/+2 Spotting Pz4G he will remain a Pz4 until I can upgrade him to Tiger 2 and used sparingly to try and get up to 4 stars.

+2 Att Tiger with 2 stars (Obviously using every mission until I get 2 heroes and 4 stars experience.

3 Flamms +2 Def 3 stars; +1 Movement 4 stars; Heinz Rondorf 4 Stars...Plan on using sparingly, mostly to keep around to help in city battles as I want to get one maxed out to 5 stars so I can 15 str one to try and get that elusive 20 shot kill.

5 KV's 3 KV-1B's and 2 KV-1C's they have 2 or 3 stars 2 KV-B's have +2 Defensive heroes and they will remain KV's until late in 44 where, depending on their hero allocation will get upgraded to Tiger 2's.

6 SE Pz's
4 star +2 Att/+1 Initiative Tiger
13 Str and 12 Str SE Pz3M's with +2 Def/+1 Initiative on one and +3 Att/+2 Def on the other that I will keep as Pz3's until they lose their Overstrength and then get converted to Tiger's.
+1 Initiative and +1 Movement Pz 4G's getting converted to Tiger's
Brand new Pz3J/1 getting converted to Tiger.

1 Recon 1 hero

Based on Night Phoenix's success I am converting to best current recon and going to try and get this 3 star unit to survive the war.

5 AT's 1 hero

1 3.7cm pak with 2 stars. (He is waiting to be transformed into either an Elephant or maybe an 8.8 Pak when that becomes available, not sure.)
2 Panzerjaeger 1B's 2 stars. (Going to be Elephants, no if's ands or buts about it)
2 StuG3F/8's they will be converted to G's and be utilized until the Elephants come out at which time they will lie and wait for the JagdTiger. 1 has +2 Att and 4 stars, the other has 3 stars and no hero yet.

18 artillery 18 heroes
6 17 cm arty's
1 +1 Movement/+1 Range I have considered converting him to a Nebelwerfer as they have an awesome kill count, but I kind of like having a 4 range arty that can move 2 hexes. Thoughts?
+3 Att
+2 Att
+1 Def (Not used)
2 waiting for heroes that are not brought out much as I have such great heroes on my other ones)

2 Nebelwerfers 1 +3 Att/+1 Movement the other +2 Att (these are killing machines that chew up infantry )

5 Stug 3B's
1 +1 Def that is super close to getting 2nd hero as he used to be a Sturmpanzer; 2 +2 Def, 1 +3 Def, 1 +1 Range.
(I will probably keep them StuG3B's because they are so good at what they do and so cheap) Thoughts?

2 Wurfrahmen 1 +1 range the other with +1 Range/+3 Def. They will remain as is but must keep them guarded as they are super vulnerable to air attacks.

1 Polish 10.5 cm arty not used very much but still around

1 SU-122 try to use, but I have so many better units I use instead.

9 Fighters 9 heroes
3 Bf109 F's all with 4 stars and 13 Str +1 Att, +1 Init, +3 Def. (They are waiting for jets and will be brought out on occasion to weed out their overstrength)

6 FW190a's: Only 2 with 4 stars Heinrich Bar and +3 Att; Otto Kittel, Walter Nowatny, 2 +2 Def all have 3 stars.
These guys are awesome and are my main airforce.

5 Tac Bombers 7 heroes
2 Star Recon rudel (have just to maximize hero count)
3 star +1 Def not used much
4 star +2 Def waiting for 2nd hero
2 4 star +2 Def/+2 Att nice combo.

4 Fighter Bombers 8 heroes These are my real beasts
Uber Rudel with a 2nd +2 Att hero
Helmut Lent with an additional +2 Att hero
+5 Att
+5 Def
They will all be converted to ME 410A's and used a lot.

4 Strat Bombers 3 heroes
All Henkels
+1 def Not going to be used much
+2 def and +2 Att these are my main 2 that I bring into battle to help strip the enemy and suppress big dog tanks.
Other without a hero will stay and wait for that Naval battle that never comes in the East.

That is my army. Please share your thoughts on it's composition and on my future plans.

Thanks guys you are the best.

I've only commented in the areas I know most about.

Infantry - if you have the prestige it might be worth converting that 10 str Gebirgsjager to wehr infantry, as the 43 HA is good in close terrain. Krads lose usefulness a bit after 43, but if they are mainly scouting units, they are almost as good green as experienced, so losing them is less critical than other units.

Tanks

goose_2 wrote:that elusive 20 shot kill. :twisted:

Great ambition - one for a screen shot if you do get it. I'd be tempted to bin the Somua and IVD. The Char is usually still good against soft targets for a bit longer, and the armour is still acceptable too, but usually around 43 the KV1s need to take over the anti-infantry and anti artillery role, as they start to become less useful against armour so you may be better off selling the Chars for the prestige and siwtching to KV1s early. The T34/41 is still useful for an emergency replacement, especially given the speed which allows it to get soemwhere useful, but again might be better in the prestige reserve or used to buy overstrength on a +3def tank.

Artillery - think about converting the range hero to a nebelwerfer where the ability to suppress supporting artillery complements the normal range units who flatten the troops in front. The fact that all three have move heroes is a potential advantage.
Another good idea is a 2 range Stug, but I can't help thinking that the +1 move might be better elsewhere, although extra speed means more often being able to support forward units.

I'd be tempted to bin the 1def strategic bomber. You gain experience fast enouigh risk buying a new one, and there is a chance the first hero will be much better.

Good luck (even though I know it's all down to skill and planning....)

(Caveat: Never played on Manstein or any of the locked difficulties)

Arty:
- The +1 range StuG IIIB seems to be a suitable candidate for upgrading to a Wufrahmen. On the offense, having one more Wufrahmen can be quite helpful. The +1 range helps to keep Wurfrahmen away from most Soviet arty, while still allowing it to do damage. Given that you are playing on Manstein, the high SA of the Wufrahmen should rapidly whittle down or suppress strength points and set Soviet units up for outright destruction or forced surrenders. Yes, Wufrahmens are vulnerable to air attacks. I suggest deploying an SdKfz 7/1 to accompany the Wufrahmen and any other vulnerable unit for that matter. The choice of 7/1 is deliberate because its high RoF allows it to suppress attacking Soviet air units and thus limit damage to the protected Wufrahmen. In my playthroughs, I have seen highly experienced (i.e., at least 3 star) and overstrengthed 7/1 virtually destroy an attacking Soviet air unit. The 7/1 is obviously not as powerful as the 88 and is less versatile, but it does a good job of providing mobile air defense, especially when you are on the offense. Of course, in a defensive scenario, the 7/1's mobility is not that valuable. But note roughly half the 43E scenarios are offensive, not defensive. Even in defensive scenarios, you will probably need to mount counterattacks to take certain VHs.

- I really like 17cm K18 as well because of its high HA, which is more effective against Soviet armor. However, the ammo is lower than the 10.5's. For killing/suppressing soft targets, it might be more efficient to have some experienced 10.5. Perhaps considering downgrading one or two 17cm to 10.5cm?

AT: Upgrading the 3.7cm PaK to 8.8cm PaK sounds like a sensible idea. You can a discount because of the upgrade path and the 8.8 PaK is the most powerful towed AT unit you can have for the rest of the war. It should work well in defensive scenarios.

Some of my remarks. =P

- A shame to see you transform all those SE tanks into tigers. Ah well. Maybe you can keep some of your regular tanks as Panzer IV/III? The late models can still be useful, or consider trying out a Panther. =3

-I would be highly in favor of getting that towed 8.8 cm Pak 43, it will be cheap (helps with soft cap) and great on defense. Maybe some love for the Nashorn or Jagdpanzer IV/70?

-I noticed that you seem to go big with all of your units, getting them expensive upgrades such as the ME410A. You could consider not upgrading some to the later model, keeping them as the BF110 to help with the soft cap. You can still put them to good use at least in 43' if you are careful.

-Maybe you can sell a few more units that you will be very unlikely to use, such as some KV's. I know you don't need that for prestige right now, but i like my units list to be clean and clear so i don't have to scroll through 50 tanks and such that I'm not using. You could even think about selling some Gebirgsjager. You might find you have too much infantry than you are ever going to use.

- No love for diversity amongst your artillery? 5 Stug3B o_O? I love the Stuh42 with higher hard attack, you might want to try out switching one of the 3B's. Maybe go for some SP-artilleries, there is a great pool to choose from. Both the Hummel and sIG38 (t) M model (Grille) are great. If you want to go real daredevil style go for the Panzerwerfer. I'd love to see that baby in action.

-I know there isn't too much to upgrade about them but you could consider getting some SP-anti-air, they can be very useful. Taking off 3-4 strength off an enemy plane can make all the difference between taking 1/2 damage and taking 0.

As you have noticed, also from my playing style i like a diversified core, it also helps with the soft cap considerably as i have had 0 trouble keeping my soft cap at 100% in 43' so far. I know the ballgame is different on Manstein from Rommel but you might be missing out on some great opportunities to keep that soft cap low. Good luck in 43' and beyond!

captainjack wrote:I've only commented in the areas I know most about.

Infantry - if you have the prestige it might be worth converting that 10 str Gebirgsjager to wehr infantry, as the 43 HA is good in close terrain. Krads lose usefulness a bit after 43, but if they are mainly scouting units, they are almost as good green as experienced, so losing them is less critical than other units.

Tanks

goose_2 wrote:that elusive 20 shot kill.

Great ambition - one for a screen shot if you do get it. I'd be tempted to bin the Somua and IVD. The Char is usually still good against soft targets for a bit longer, and the armour is still acceptable too, but usually around 43 the KV1s need to take over the anti-infantry and anti artillery role, as they start to become less useful against armour so you may be better off selling the Chars for the prestige and siwtching to KV1s early. The T34/41 is still useful for an emergency replacement, especially given the speed which allows it to get soemwhere useful, but again might be better in the prestige reserve or used to buy overstrength on a +3def tank.

Artillery - think about converting the range hero to a nebelwerfer where the ability to suppress supporting artillery complements the normal range units who flatten the troops in front. The fact that all three have move heroes is a potential advantage.
Another good idea is a 2 range Stug, but I can't help thinking that the +1 move might be better elsewhere, although extra speed means more often being able to support forward units.

I'd be tempted to bin the 1def strategic bomber. You gain experience fast enouigh risk buying a new one, and there is a chance the first hero will be much better.

Good luck (even though I know it's all down to skill and planning....)

I was a little worried about using Flamm's in 43, but I found my +1 Movement Flamm, perfect as an infantry killer, especially with suppression.
Completed Kharkov 43 rather easily, as key is to listen and not go over the Donnets, although I did do some exploration across the Donnets, because I am just that kind of nut job.

(Do not do this especially playing at Manstein level, as their big dogs come out and try to hurt you, so for prestige reasons it is not wise, but it really helped my overall kill count as I already have my first Triple hero in 1st mission of 43. +2 movement/+2 Att 88...
Just an absolute beast.

I recommend using as many 88's as it takes to get a +1 Movement hero on them. (I used 3)
That plus 1 movement on an 88 makes all the difference, and has transformed this unit to the ultimate killer, as his triple hero status attests to, and since he essentially has a +5 range with his air attck he is quite an effective air attacker as well.

ycloon wrote:(Caveat: Never played on Manstein or any of the locked difficulties)

Arty:
- The +1 range StuG IIIB seems to be a suitable candidate for upgrading to a Wufrahmen. On the offense, having one more Wufrahmen can be quite helpful. The +1 range helps to keep Wurfrahmen away from most Soviet arty, while still allowing it to do damage. Given that you are playing on Manstein, the high SA of the Wufrahmen should rapidly whittle down or suppress strength points and set Soviet units up for outright destruction or forced surrenders. Yes, Wufrahmens are vulnerable to air attacks. I suggest deploying an SdKfz 7/1 to accompany the Wufrahmen and any other vulnerable unit for that matter. The choice of 7/1 is deliberate because its high RoF allows it to suppress attacking Soviet air units and thus limit damage to the protected Wufrahmen. In my playthroughs, I have seen highly experienced (i.e., at least 3 star) and overstrengthed 7/1 virtually destroy an attacking Soviet air unit. The 7/1 is obviously not as powerful as the 88 and is less versatile, but it does a good job of providing mobile air defense, especially when you are on the offense. Of course, in a defensive scenario, the 7/1's mobility is not that valuable. But note roughly half the 43E scenarios are offensive, not defensive. Even in defensive scenarios, you will probably need to mount counterattacks to take certain VHs.

- I really like 17cm K18 as well because of its high HA, which is more effective against Soviet armor. However, the ammo is lower than the 10.5's. For killing/suppressing soft targets, it might be more efficient to have some experienced 10.5. Perhaps considering downgrading one or two 17cm to 10.5cm?

AT: Upgrading the 3.7cm PaK to 8.8cm PaK sounds like a sensible idea. You can a discount because of the upgrade path and the 8.8 PaK is the most powerful towed AT unit you can have for the rest of the war. It should work well in defensive scenarios.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
+1 Range change for my StuG is a no go as I love being able to get units directly in front of the unit it is guarding. I have 2 +1 Range Wurfrahmen's already, and I do my best to try and protect them, but they are expensive and extremely vulnerable, so I am keeping with just these 2 as my mobile options.

About mobile AA's I have been considering buying 2 Mobile SdKfz 10/4 even though they are the weakest their incredible movement seems perfect to fill in gaps anywhere on my front or to hit a plane almost anywhere on the map. I also like the idea of their cheap price being easy to absorb into my soft cap. Thoughts? What are the 3 ROF for those 3 Mobile AA's available to me right now?

You are right about the 10.5cm arty's, but at this point I am keeping all my upgrades as is for my 17cm arty's their punching power and ability to wrack up kills is my main motivation to keep them as is, at least for now. I still have that Polish 10.5 if I feel it will help.

I am surprised at all the encouragement to convert that 3.7 cm pak to an 8.8, as this was one of the ideas I was least certain about, but I guess I will give it a try.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

NightPhoenix wrote:Some of my remarks. =P

- A shame to see you transform all those SE tanks into tigers. Ah well. Maybe you can keep some of your regular tanks as Panzer IV/III? The late models can still be useful, or consider trying out a Panther. =3

-I would be highly in favor of getting that towed 8.8 cm Pak 43, it will be cheap (helps with soft cap) and great on defense. Maybe some love for the Nashorn or Jagdpanzer IV/70?

-I noticed that you seem to go big with all of your units, getting them expensive upgrades such as the ME410A. You could consider not upgrading some to the later model, keeping them as the BF110 to help with the soft cap. You can still put them to good use at least in 43' if you are careful.

-Maybe you can sell a few more units that you will be very unlikely to use, such as some KV's. I know you don't need that for prestige right now, but i like my units list to be clean and clear so i don't have to scroll through 50 tanks and such that I'm not using. You could even think about selling some Gebirgsjager. You might find you have too much infantry than you are ever going to use.

- No love for diversity amongst your artillery? 5 Stug3B o_O? I love the Stuh42 with higher hard attack, you might want to try out switching one of the 3B's. Maybe go for some SP-artilleries, there is a great pool to choose from. Both the Hummel and sIG38 (t) M model (Grille) are great. If you want to go real daredevil style go for the Panzerwerfer. I'd love to see that baby in action.

-I know there isn't too much to upgrade about them but you could consider getting some SP-anti-air, they can be very useful. Taking off 3-4 strength off an enemy plane can make all the difference between taking 1/2 damage and taking 0.

As you have noticed, also from my playing style i like a diversified core, it also helps with the soft cap considerably as i have had 0 trouble keeping my soft cap at 100% in 43' so far. I know the ballgame is different on Manstein from Rommel but you might be missing out on some great opportunities to keep that soft cap low. Good luck in 43' and beyond!

I have not transformed all SE's to Tiger's yet, but definitely plan on it. (2 of them are still Pz3M's with 12 strength...so keeping them as is until they are brought below their overstrength value.) In my estimation Panther's are too vulnerable, and tend to get stuck out fending for themselves, at least in my playstyle, as I feel I must finish off that reatreating unit, you are much more patient than I.

Your points are very well made about the need to consider diverse units, to help keep soft cap down, and watching your videos has made me appreciate certain units I had otherwise overlooked.
For example:
1) Kradschutzen: I thought they looked too vulnerable and they require refueling often, they did not have any upgrade path, but transforming your +1 Spotting Infantry into these units is so very, very helpful to carry out the recon needs of your front lines.
2) StuG3B: I have learned to appreciate these units as a key unit to my every play through now, these units are the best, that is why I have 5 of them, and plan on keeping them as StuG3B's into the end of the game, as ROF and their cheap cost make them winners in my book.
3) SdKfz 233 Recon: I just got this guy in 43 Kharkov, based on your advice, OH MY GOONESS!!! Love this upgraded Recon and it is making me wish I would have built up a couple of more recons in the early years as 2 more of these units would help round out my forces really, really well.

I am waiting to see how you do with Nashorn, as I see how terrible the Marder 2 has been so not in any hurry to get diverse with my AT forces.

But ultimately you raise a great point about using diversity in your units to play around with Soft cap, and I definitely see the advantage you are using to this effect in your videos. At this point in the game I am extremely satisfied with my prestige amount and plan on still accumulating, maybe in 43 based on trying to keep double your prestige count, not sure I can do it, but it is a fun little contest between us.

In all seriousness I am amazed at your videos and I really believe that you will be the first to complete a live on video playthrough of the entire campaign. That will be a first on youtube, we shall see, because 45 is brutal, and you may need to restart some scenarios, especially Berlin. (But we will cross that bridge when you get to it.)

Lastly, I do not recommend selling off any experienced units for either one of us. (Green units, go ahead and sell) You will find losing some units, even with your amazingly well thought out defensive playstyle, will be inevitable, this is why I build up such a large and diverse force so I can absorb those inevitable losses, without breaking down my ability to bounce back. In all honesty I have been amazed at both of our ability's to avoid losing any units. Playing on Manstein is extremely dangerous and it will only get tougher.

Blessings.

One last thought on the upgrades and soft cap.

Leave units behind, in other word do not deploy all available slots. This helps keep soft cap nice and high, while at the same time allow you to assess the battle field and bring in relief forces as needed.

For example:
I left 5 units behind in Kharkov 43 and slowly brought out units as needed to help keep my soft cap at the most 97%, but mostly 100% so that I was able to build force with as needed replacements, while at the same time deploying with a strong initial force, ready to inflict maximum damage.

Pretty awesome/necessary on Manstein.

I've found tac bombers and even fighter bombers to be more of a liability late game. Few reasons:

1. Enemy fighters become too strong in relation. That's without over-strength too, 15 strength late-game enemy fighters can effectively one-shot or two-shot tag-team you very often.
2. Enemy tanks now have air attack, even in ideal situations they'll often take return damage. Not sure how that scales with their over-strength however.
3. Enemy tanks now have less ammo and higher defense, especially the nemesis IS-2, making ammo killing even more effective with strat bombers.

Even with Super Rudel, in many cases I'd rather have a strat bomber instead. I even tried upgrading him to that jet tac bomber with 25 defense and enemy fighters can still kill him.

First the facts:
SdKfz 10/4: ROF = 10 , cost = 185, AA=11, movt=8
SdKfz 7/1: ROF=12, cost=206, AA=13, movt=5
SdKfz 7/2: ROF=10, cost=232, AA=14, movt=5

All units have GD 2, AD 8

10/4 is the cheapest, but only by 21pp compared to 7/1. 10/4 also has a lower ROF, although its 8 movement is much higher compared to 7/1 or 7/2. I'm glad you mentioned the idea of using 10/4 because the 7/1's low movement has always bothered me especially on frozen or muddy ground. For managing the soft cap, it might be interesting to field a smaller air force and use some 7/1 provide escort duty. In my next playthrough, I might focus on using the 10/4 until Wirbelwind is available.

I used to use the 10/4 AA but while the speed is good, it is a bit too feeble so I usually use the 7/1 where the extra point or two of attack makes a difference especially with the 120% ROF. I have one with a Range hero which is nice (except when it snows) when playing at General or Field Marshall.

If facing 15+ strength enemy air, I could see that good AA units would be useful to deter air attacks, especially from tac bombers, so you save a lot of prestige and preserve strength. The other benefit of this approach is that AA is relatively cheap compared with aircraft. The key issue is whether you can afford to have passive units when playing Manstein. If so the mobile AA approach could be good because it preserves the strength of your combat units and with enough experience and a few good heroes it may effectively neutralise the enemy airforce.

huckc wrote:Even with Super Rudel, in many cases I'd rather have a strat bomber instead. I even tried upgrading him to that jet tac bomber with 25 defense and enemy fighters can still kill him.

Rudel does best as the two units he historically was. Shocking, I know. The Ju-87G is very well armored and demolishes armored units. He might still need an escort at times, but watching him cripple IS-1 and IS-2 tanks is so worth it. As an Fw 190G he does not require an escort which frees up your fighters, and although he isn't ideal for attacking top of the line fighters he is amazing against bombers and ground units.

In my Field Marshall run through I kept Rudel in a Junkers as a one shot Demon, in my Manstein playthrough I have him as an ME-410 currently...To be honest I kind of miss his almost perfect shooting in the Junkers versus the 6-9 most units now. He is still a beast, just not the same beast

Try the 190G if you must have him as a fighter bomber. 100 bucks more but better in every way except fuel. More initiative, more hard attack, more air attack, more air defense. Taking full advantage of Rudel's skills is worth the money.

I always disband him, although I know he becomes Uber-Rudel.
I just want all hereos per unit class the same. So there`s no place for these guys.

captainjack wrote:I used to use the 10/4 AA but while the speed is good, it is a bit too feeble so I usually use the 7/1 where the extra point or two of attack makes a difference especially with the 120% ROF. I have one with a Range hero which is nice (except when it snows) when playing at General or Field Marshall.

One slightly unorthodox approach to the SdKfz 10/4 is to upgrade it to the SdKfz 7/1 during summer or good weather scenarios. During scenarios where snow is present or likely, you can downgrade it back to the SdKfz 10/4 at no cost and take advantage of the 8 movement. When the weather turns favorable again, you can switch back to the SdKfz 7/1 at a cost of 21. This isn't free, however, it certainly isn't cost prohibitive either.

@TSPC37730: I like that idea. Wish I did that for Tatsinskaya and Kotelnikovo. Might try that when I get to Korsun Pocket and Breakout.

Hey Little quick Update
I am not going to get bonus mission in Kursk as squeaked out Marginal in Ponyri and may end up with same in Olkhovatka.
Rough Stuff on Manstein, but I have some thoughts on switching a couple of my units.

So one of my Mobil AA units was awarded with a +1 Movement hero. I was thinking this was a wasted hero, but I remember how much fun my +2 Movement 88 and in looking on my +3 Def 88, I think I should switch them. Make my +3 Def 88 a Mobil AA and switch my Mobil AA to an 88.

I know I am trying to match double what Night Phoenix's prestige is, but I feel I cannot pass this opportunity up to have another Movement 88.

Thoughts?

I am not sure when I can finish Olkhovatka as I am working major OT at work and am super busy playing many, too many, multiplayer games.

I agree with the switch.
an 88 (or 128) with a move hero is very useful.
The +3D gives your mobile AA a better chance of surviving if (when?) caught exposed, which is always a risk if it's protecting your armour.

Hope for a range hero on the mobile AA - probably even better than +3A.