Core Force

[Warmonger]

Is there a good rule of thumb for the ratio of armor / infantry / artillery units in one's core (or overall) force?

[Poopyhead]

I am currently trying to build a super battalion. Starting with the Germans in 1939, I bought as much as I could and still get a Decisive Victory against the Poles.

Three "line" companies as follows:
Starter unit/upgraded unit
3 Pz IVc/Tiger
7 of the 6 wheeled armored cars/Pz IIIh/Tiger
4 Snipers/Engineers
MG unit
2 FO (for recon)
2 FO/88mm AT
3 FO/37mm AA/quad 20mm
4 wagons/Sig 33 SPA
8 wagons/halftracks (one with the 37mm)
2 wagons/prime mover
2 wagons/37mm Flakpanzer/Flakvierling
2 wagons/Ammo Carriers

And a Support company:
Pz IVc/Tiger
3 of the 6 wheeled armored cars\Pz IIIh/Tiger
4 Snipers/Engineers
MG unit
5 wagons/HT's as above
4 wagons/Sig33 SPA
(these form the reserve)
9 FO/81mm mortar squads/120mm mortars
9 wagons/HT's
3 wagons/Ammo Carriers
3 FO/37mm AA/quad 20mm
3 wagons/HT's
2 wagons/37mm Flakpanzer/Flakvierling
6 Snipers/Special Operations (rear security)
6 wagons/HT's
Krupp truck/HT (for A0)
FO
Command Post
(I used the "assign to new HQ" key to get the formations to run A-Z with no gaps)

So that gives me:

Armor units (tanks, armored cars and SPA)-50
Infantry units (engineers, SpecOps and MGs)-26
Artillery units (FOs, ATG/Flak and Mortars)-34

I also have 8 Flakpanzers, 4 HTs with a 37mm cannon, 44 plain HTs, 9 Ammo Carriers and a Command Post.

[robot]

I dont know where are your ground troops. With what your starting out with i think your going to get your ass whipped in 1939 by the poles. Maybe im reading it wrong. You also seem to be changing an awful lot to different units. Like your FOs to artty. I change tanks to tanks when i upgrade. Trucks maybe to APC. Just seems your setting upp for all changes and not for a good solid core force. Again maybe im just reading it all wrong.

[Belisarius]

Depends on how you play, but I usually keep a 3:1 infantry-armor ratio if possible. Add to that specialists like engineers, scouts and AT units.

[Poopyhead]

Robot, I already beat the Poles like a drum with this (max AI of course). In the first battle I used the superior mobility of the armored cars to crush the Polish left flank, then their center and finally the right flank. If you fight from defilade the 6 wheeler is as good as PZ II's. I then bought the mortars and won a night action in which the armored cars outflanked the poles to the south. I bought some 37mm and 88 mm flak and spanked a whole lot of British in a delay battle. I next bought the engineers and "brewed up" some French Somua and Char B tanks that assaulted without infantry support. I last bought the Sig 33's and some ammo carriers and am in the desert facing 100+ British tanks and infantry squads in a delay.They have lost one third of their force and I have lost one tank crew. It is definitely challenging, but I think you can always get a Decisive Victory with the right tactics.

[Klinkenhoffen]

Hi Warmonger,
I use 10% Recon
40% Infantry
30% Armour
10% Artillary
10% Misc.

I include at least one platoon of anti tank guns.

For say a 5000 point game it will give you roughly three companies of infantry, one company of armour, a mix of foot and mechanised recon and enough arty to give a few headaches.

have fun

Klink

[Mangudai]

When I have 3000 pts to spend I use about 1000 for armor, 1000 for infantry, 1000 for everything else (AT guns, arty, transports, strike element, ammo, etc.). With more points I would stretch infantry the most, armor second most. Once you have a battery of big artillery, you do not need a whole lot more because of limited visability. But, you can never have too much Mech SS Rifle IMHO.

Who needs armored cars when you could have halftracks?

If the terrain is forest, jungle, rough, or nightime its better to have a ton of infantry and not much armor. The USMC rules!

In the desert during daytime you only need enough infantry for recon purposes. Tanks can handle just about everything there. It's still nice to have infantry when you have to mop up an area of smokey wreckage though.

[robot]

Poopy head i dont have much luck with armored cars. The poles seem to take them out with rifles. I play with the standard points allowed by the game. In other words i dont change it to a higher number. I believe it started me out with around 3200. My core force as follows.

1 company of mech infantry
1 platoon engineers
3 ATR
1 Sec HMG
1 sec scouts w transport
1 sec light recon armored cars
1 platoon light tanks 1B upgraded to stugs later
2 sec PZIV
2 sec 37mm ATG
3 sec 75 mm Inf guns
3 sec 81 mm motors
2 AO mobile
3 sec sp AA
2 sec 221 armored cars upgraded later
2 sec light tanks upgreaded later
2 platoons of PZ35 upgraded later

I limit myself to upgrades as i lose any armored stuff. So far with this force have had 2 decieve against the poles. 1 against the british and 1 against the french in africa.
If any money left after i purchase core i will buy cheap APC to upgrade to other stuff.

[Poopyhead]

Robot,
I have an older version and I only get 1300 (!) to start. That is why I buy a lot of stuff to upgrade later. Use the Pz IV against the infantry and the Armored Car against tanks. At short range the 20mm with APCR is fairly good. Remember to use terrain to your advantage. If you are higher than the tanks shooting at you, then you are "hull down". Basically, they are aiming at your turret and you are aiming at their whole tank. Against a wall of infantry, you can mass your faster forces against one area/objective and overwhelm them. Penetrate into the rear area and chase their artillery and A0 away. I just think that a mobile armored core force offers all of the opportunities that was the blitzkrieg. Good luck.