Foolishly, I was standing in Imagine Games & Hobbies when Wendy received her order of yet to be released Blitzkrieg materials from Battlefront, for Flames of War. In addition to the rulebooks they received a boxed set containing an entire Leichte Panzerkompanie - a German Army Light Panzer company of 22 tanks. Photos and commentary regarding this boxed set can be found here and here.
Long story short, I bought the thing. The models fit together well, and the paint job will be pretty easy (prime black, spray Panzer Grey, then wash with Devlin Mud).
Yeah, right.
Here's the contents of the boxed set:
Headquarters
Company HQ - 155 points
1 x Panzerbefehlswagon
2 x Panzer II C (early)
1 x Panzer I
Combat Platoons
Leichte Panzer Platoon - 200 points
1 x Panzerbefehlswagon
2 x Panzer II C (early)
2 x Panzer I
Leichte Panzer Platoon - 200 points
1 x Panzerbefehlswagon
2 x Panzer II C (early)
2 x Panzer I
Panzer II Platoon - 225 points
5 x Panzer II C (early)
Panzer III E Platoon - 390 points
3 x Panzer III E
Anyway, it's an interesting force; enough tanks to assault a dug-in infantry platoon, lots of light firepower. Light on anti-tank, but I also have a trio of Stukas already, used for Check Your 6!, that can be pressed into service as air support.
ETA: I also ordered 4 x Sd.Kfz. 10/5's, to add a Luftwaffe light anti-aircraft platoon of self-propelled 2 cm. guns.
I don't remember offhand - are there FoW rules for ramming with tanks?
Hey, Dave. Glad to see you take the bait. For early war, I'm building a German motorcycle company myself. No ramming rules in FoW. You'll have to save that for 40K or BFG.
ReplyDeleteJim H.
Hey, Dave.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see you take the bait. :)
For early war, I'm building a Kradschützenkompany (German motorcycle company) myself.
No ramming rules in FoW. You'll have to save that for 40K or BFG.
There's a good primer for EW on BF's site.
http://www.flamesofwar.com/hobby.aspx?art_id=2115
Jim H.
In FOW, tank teams can not assault other tanks (p.94). I know it did happened sometimes in battle, especially at Koursk.
ReplyDeleteAs for your other post about WH40k, I've rarely played the game and I can not give you much advices. What worked well for me in other games was to always have a few units that could be used in a dual role. Ex. Soviet 76mm guns in FOW can be used either as artillery or AT.
No ramming. Oh, well.
ReplyDeleteI've been struck by a fit of energy. As of this evening I've completed assembly on 15 of the 22 tanks. Ironically, the smallest ones (Panzer I's) were the hardest to build. Their turrets are metal, not resin like the rest. The mould is almost gone, it's mis-aligned and the turrets required a lot of sanding and putty.
RE: 40K: I hear you. I've tried to choose units (either inherently or with their transport) have some capability against enemy infantry, armour, and monstrous creatures.
The turrets of my Soviet T-60s were also warped. The turrets of my Valentines barely fit in their hulls. I remember my disappointment with the quality of casting the first time I bought Battlefront products. I was expecting something as good as GHQ. But I thought that one 15mm tank was the same price as one 6mm Epic tank, and 15mm tanks, because they are bigger, look better on the board.
ReplyDeleteI have some of those T-60s. Fixing the turrets and replacing the 20mm gun with wire takes so long.
ReplyDeleteThe light tank company's resin pieces (hulls and turrets) generally look pretty good. Some of the metal track runs are also full of flash. Battlefront now has plastic tracks for some of the more numerous hulls (e.g. Panzer IV IIRC). I wish they'd go to all resin and plastic.
All right, looking forward to seeing these painted.
ReplyDeleteBTW, just finished up 2,000 points of Tyranids this evening :-)
Jim, thanks for the link. I'm interested in finding out how to handle German armour, given the comically underpowered nature of their EW tanks.
ReplyDeleteDallas, even with visits to the hospital all week, I've managed to complete the assembly of 18 of 22 tanks. I also bought the appropriate spray bombs and armour paint set, in anticipation of painting.
I'd like to finish my Crimsonwing for Mechani-Kon (on Sept. 18). However, these little German tanks allow a fast, assembly-line approach to modeling that I just can't seem to achieve with my 40K stuff.
RE: 'Nids:
Congrats on yet another project finished! Care to push some 'Nids around? The Eldar are always ready to protect the Craftworld...
>Dallas, even with visits to the hospital all week, I've managed to complete the assembly of 18 of 22 tanks.
ReplyDeleteExcellent progress... hope everything is going OK.
>Care to push some 'Nids around? The Eldar are always ready to protect the Craftworld...
Thanks for the invitation, I will surely take you up on that. I think I'm gonna "ease into it" by having a game against Mike's Marines first... ;-)
The armour with simple camo paints up quickly. I usually do a platoon of vehicles in a sitting and I really enjoy it. The infantry are another thing all together.
ReplyDeleteI haven't picked up 'Blitzkrieg' yet. Wendy has been holding my copy.
Your light Panzers will eat up infantry with MGs and 2cm and 3.7 guns. In EW, 2cm guns will have a decent effect against light armour and armoured cars. 3.7cm guns were medium AT guns then and will take out most enemy armour. Against the heavier armoured and armed French tanks, you'll have speed, mobility and numbers.
And FoW is mission based, so some missions will lend themselves to some companies better than others. With your speed and numbers, you can race to objectives.