Use of Motorcycle Units

[gainiac]

I used Motorcycles to find minefields.........

vvvvvrrrrrrrroooooooooommmmmmmmmmBOOM!!!!

hehehe.......Kamikaze Engineers.......

Seriously.......they make for an EXCELLENT recon force.....

Marty

[panda124c]

One problem I see with MC Companies is their lack of any support weapons. The MG units just don't make it, easy to spot, easy to kill. I have found an interesting fix to this problem, replace the MG platoon with a SdKfz 221 platoon, very good fire control, armour, excellent speed (can keep up with the MCs). Also try charging ATGs, and mortars with the MC's, get right next to them and 'empty the magazine' works wonders on these units.

Those British 2lb'er just fold up under this type of attack.

[Larry Holt]

Historically, in the GE Heer at least, MC units were used to break though an enemy line to allow Armored Cars to get into the enemy rear area for deeper recon. ACs were expected to operate individually (I shudder at the thought of sending one of anything into harms way) or in pairs for up to several days at a time.

In the game I find them useful in a combined arms role with tanks and infantry to eliminate enemy ATGs:

You start with tanks and inf dismounted. You move them forward a few hexes at a time. Mount up the inf and then dismount them to look around every few hexes if needed. The point is to not drive you tanks blindly into a close assault. When ATGs shoot at your tanks, the tanks can't see them to fire back usually. Dismount inf to observe. Move tanks alternately to get the ATGs to keep shooting to disclose their location. Once located and out of shots, the MC units can zoom up to finish them off. A smart opponent will place defending infantry and MGs around the ATGs to defend them from this. If the MCs take this kind of fire, keep moving you tanks up with inf until the enemy units are spotted then shoot at them with tanks.

In this manner the tanks take out enemy heavy weapons that can stop your infantry and the MCs take out ATGs that can stop your tanks.

Combined arms is fun.

[robot]

I use mc in all situations. They are my constabulary. This is mobile calvary to the uninformed or mounted police force however used. I back them up with 221 and 231 plus a sp force squad mech. They are brought in on breakthrus on defense. and a high speed rear area reaction force. Also for wide scale map recon. Evan when hit or surpressed are back in action in 1 or 2 turns. Very elite force. Not too hard to get out of tough situations and with the back up force able to hold there own most of the time. At least till i can bring other troops into play. If you couple this high speed force with paras, there is hell to pay in the backfield.

[mogami]

Greetings I always use MC sqds as part of my core force in long campaigns currently I have a platoon of them (Italian) They stay in reserve till after I make the breakthrough and then run into the enemy rear area wiping out mortars and capturing the back VH while the remainder of my force mops up. They only carry rifles and grenades so I don't let them get into firefights with organized enemy units unless one of my mixed platoons is there to support them (I have 3xmixed platoons of 4x13/40 and 4xincursori sqds) What i really like about them is if they get into trouble they retreat a real long way. Just make sure they don't breakdown. If 1 out of 10 MC breaks the whole sqd stops to have a smoke and beer bash while the broke biker gets out his wrenchs. Even worse is they will not change facing while one is down (**** that weed)

[Stahlhelm]

Motorcyles used to be one of my favourite German units.
Great for racing ahead and grabbing Victory Hexes early in a game or just setting up forward ambushes.
unfortunately the current version seems to treat MC's as if they are vehicles so they cannot enter a building hex.
But this is a unit of guys on bikes, they don't fight from them, they use them as transport.
If cavalry and bicycle units can enter buildings whay not MCs?

[Sardaukar]

Originally posted by Stahlhelm
Motorcyles used to be one of my favourite German units.
Great for racing ahead and grabbing Victory Hexes early in a game or just setting up forward ambushes.
unfortunately the current version seems to treat MC's as if they are vehicles so they cannot enter a building hex.
But this is a unit of guys on bikes, they don't fight from them, they use them as transport.
If cavalry and bicycle units can enter buildings whay not MCs?

If I recall right, original SP I ver. 1.0 or 1.01 had a bug that let motorcycle squads drive through buildings, demolishing them .
It gave me an impression of gang of "Hell's Angels" driving through bar front door with their Harleys and demolishing the place .
I'm not sure if they should get into buildings in SPWaW, since those bikes are bit hard to stash inside a building...unless it's their "clubhouse"

Cheers,

M.S.