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Here's a setup for a different kind of Marine campaign--I'm using the historical 1st Raider Battalion, NO armor, NO heavy weapons (except as support). This is four 1st Raider Bn Companies (Able, Baker, Charlie & Dog) and one 1st Raider Weapons Company (Easy).

I found a list of the historical company/platoon commanders, so I put these in, too. The company weapons platoons each have two 30-cal MMGs, two 60mm mortars, and two Boys ATRs. The Battalion Weapons Company provides an additional four MMGs, three 60mm Mortars, and two Boys ATRs. Each rifle company also has a Raider Demolitions Section (detached from Easy Co).

Total strength:

Men 663
60mm mortars 11
30 cal MMGs 12
Boys ATRs 10

(Historical note: there WAS an 81mm mortar platoon, but it was left behind in the States, and did not deploy to the Pacific.)

Hello...

When playing, I take a core force of:

Germans- 1 SS Infantry Company
1 company headquarters (2 man)
3 platoons of 4 squads (10 man) + M34 machine gun (4 man) + 50mm mortar each (4 man)
1 platoon of special forces (10 man)
1 platoon of pioneers (10 man)
2 ATR teams (2 man)
1 sniper (1 man)
2 81mm mortars (6 man)


American - 1 Infantry Company++
1 company headquarters (4 man)
3 fire teams of company extras (4 man)
3 platoons of 1 headquarters section (4 man), 3 rifle squads (12 man), a .30 cal machine gun (8 man), 1 bazooka (2 man)
3 bazooka teams (2 man)
1 sniper (1 man)
1 ranger trained recon sqd (12 man, from battalion)
2 .50 cal machine guns (4 man from, battalion)
1 Engineer sqd (12 man, from division)


Soviet - 1 Infantry Battalion
1 battalion headquarters (12 man)
2 82mm mortar sections of 2 guns (6 man) each
2 45mm ATG (5 man)
2 mule packs (2 man, attached to ATG)
1 ammo wagon (like truck, but slower)

3 companies each with:
1 company headquarters (4 man)
3 platoons of 4 squads (9 man, first squad has ATR in it), a 7.62mm HMG (4 man), 1 sniper (1 man)
2 50mm mortars (4 man)

I did have to add a few new unit types, but that's what the editor is for. I usually play the Soviet in long campaigns, even though it is the weakest against enemy armor, especially with the new, lowered morale and experience values. But, after a dozen or so battles, the troops get fairly good and worst of the leaders are gone (their squads get captured or destroyed and they get replaced). I usually take medium or heavy armor support units, if on the attack, trucks and light armor in meeting engagements and anti-tank guns or off board artillery on the defense.

Bye...

Michael Wood

Well Mike, I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who prefers company-sized campaigns.

I've had to go "back to the drawing board" after having my butt handed to me several times by the Polish Army. Embarassing, eh? What I found out is that the Sdk221 Armored Cars, armed only with a MG, were useless in helping me repulse Polish armor. Go figure.

So ... KG KNomad (revised) now sports top of the line Sdk231 8-Rad Armored Cars in the Recon Company. I had to drop the mortars & halftracks from the core force to keep to the 1000 point limit, however, I really don't miss them. As Mike pointed out previously, support points are spent on guns when on the defense & on armor during offensives.

I've taken a tip from the forums and set the Victory Frontage OFF, a setting which works well with small battles. Also, I've been playing with C&C ON as a way to further handicap myself. It took a game or two to be comfortable with using C&C, but I think it actually works to my advantage being able to set my forces to Defend status when needed.

Speaking of C&C ON - here's another reason to love Recon units - they do not need to have formation objectives set! They can move wherever they need to without using any orders!

And finally, here's an added bonus I accidently found - the Armored Car crews retained their Recon status when upgraded to Panzers! [8D]

Wouldnt that be considered taking advantage of a "game rule" as opposed to a more true to life situation. If you want to handicap yourself then stick to it KNOMAD, if not just leave the C&C off. [:-]

But now on the lighter side, thanks for the tip.[:D][:D]

ORIGINAL: steelpanther

Wouldnt that be considered taking advantage of a "game rule" as opposed to a more true to life situation. If you want to handicap yourself then stick to it KNOMAD, if not just leave the C&C off. [:-]

But now on the lighter side, thanks for the tip.[:D][:D]

I wouldn´t say so. A tank crew that has served together as a reconaissance force have been given the right training to be able to function more independently from the command structure. You don´t stop being a scout just because you climb aboard a diffrent vehicle right? You are still doing recon, just in a more resilient tin can and you can´t see as much.....

ORIGINAL: Einar Fridgeirs

ORIGINAL: steelpanther

Wouldnt that be considered taking advantage of a "game rule" as opposed to a more true to life situation. If you want to handicap yourself then stick to it KNOMAD, if not just leave the C&C off. [:-]

But now on the lighter side, thanks for the tip.[:D][:D]

I wouldn´t say so. A tank crew that has served together as a reconaissance force have been given the right training to be able to function more independently from the command structure. You don´t stop being a scout just because you climb aboard a diffrent vehicle right? You are still doing recon, just in a more resilient tin can and you can´t see as much.....

Yes, Einar, you're catching on quickly.

After some major restarts to my long campaign playing all the major powers i have come up with this mix and all my starting forces are made up about the same.

3 companys of infantrymade up as follows

3 platoons of infantry
1 mortar
1 mmg
1 atr
sec 37mm atg
2 sec IG
sec 81mm mortar
sec of AA
1 platoon engineers
observer

2 companys of tanks a total of 30 tanks
3 platoons 5 tanks each
1 company of light and 1 company of medium tanks
3 sections of howitzers attatched to HQ

no recon as i found in playing against the AI they were usless. My infantry is my eyes and ears for my tanks. I dont get all deciseive victorys but i have never had a major defeat as yet. I always play battles x 2 and the ai is set at 75 percent. I have had where i lost too much in manpower and equipment where i did not have the points to fix every thing the next turn. makes the next battle even tougher when you are short on stuff to fight with.

For my Long Campaign, Starting Sept. 1939 as the Japanese; Re-enforced battalion strength:

1 Hq "A0"
1 2nd fwd Hq sqd "B0"

3 Companies of Infantry, each Company:

1 Co
3 PLT leaders
9 Squads (the large 20 man squads that include the knee mortars and LMGs in each squad)
2 HMG teams
2 75mm IGs
2 37mm AT

1 Company of tanks:

10 Type 97 Chi-Ha tanks

1 Plt 25mm Dual AA guns (4 guns with gun crews)

4 Squads of Recon troops (4 men ea.)

8 150mm mortars divided into 4 teams of 2

1 FO

And finally, enough gun teams to tow all the IG and AT guns around.

Then I buy support units based upon the battle, more arty either way, then a mix of either engineers or tank hunters, snipers and/or more ammo. If I am defending, I will buy several bunkers to mix with my IGs and ATs to create kill zones forward of the VHs.

I use my tank company not for attacking his armor (suicide) but as a rear/flank attack force with a recon unit or two as the forward eyes. I use them to roll up the flanks of infantry or seek out onboard arty and to kill stragglers. Similar to what cav was used for...

How does this mix look?


EDIT: I considered doing away with the Tank Company altogether and just buying a "special forces unit" of snipers, engineers, tank hunters and other types...but I try to be as historical as possible and try to stay away from being so "gamey". Wonder what I am going to do against a real tank assault of T34s or Shermans...hide and point-blank assault I guess.