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Using Americans

Using Americans

Postby smurfy » Thu Dec 30, 2010 8:00 pm

Hi all,

I dont do much posting but I have been encouraged of late so bear with me.

At the club myself, da grot and cobb have started to play FOW alot. Just using Fortness Europe for now and I believe we all think it is a really god system with plenty of depth and room to grow.

Anyhow, I am using the Americans and I am trying to use the Infantry Company as my core list and I am having problems against German Mechianzed lists. Lots of half tracks firing MGs just mowing down my troops. I have try various lists using Stuarts and Shermans to kept them at bay, but there is normally a cat a round to stop that. And now I am trying some field artillery and cannon platoons. Does anyone else have any ideas? I am also getting flame half tracks thrown at me too.
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Re: Using Americans

Postby DaBoss » Thu Dec 30, 2010 9:14 pm

Hi Smurfy,

Must admit that I normally play against the Americans with my Germans at my Local Club; when I'm not taking the Russian Horde across the steppes to reclaim Mother Russia from the facists.

Big Jim at the club is planning to run an American Rifle Company but so far we have only played 500pt games.

A few times I've taken a US Force I've either been a Tank Company or an Armoured Rifle Company.

As I see it, your biggest downside is the lack of effective 'Anti-Tank' weapons, each Rifle Company only has 1 Bazooka (compared to an Armoured Rilfe which has 5) and that the Sherman Support Tanks are the basic M4A1 model with AT of 10 (as you can't take the 76mm Cannons) - can take on Panzer IV but is not really good versus Big Cats like Tigers and Panthers.
Remember reading somewhere that the Allies where expecting loses of 5 Shermans for every Tiger they managed to kill....

The Good news is that your basic selection of HQ and 2 Combat Platoons is very cheap at 355pts. A good defensive base on your objectives - always dig-in - this will limit the damage from those MG HalfTracks as they will have to roll 6's on Fire Power to get you.

Then with the rest of your points, 105mm Artillery Batteries are a great option, get a good ToT (Time On Target) and that should keep Jerry's heads down, plus at AT4 & FP4+ this should scare any German Armour into hiding or spreading out.
Also Its worth having some Mortar Platoons - not for their killing power but for Smoke - good placement will cause the German Armour to have to move and therefore lose their RoF 2 (or worse RoF3 for those Tiger Aces).

Air Support - as you can buy Priority flight of P-47 Thunderbolts - Battlefront models a bit expensive but if you look out for the Airfix Mini-kit set you can pick up a P-47 Thunderbolt for £2.99 - the size is 1:100 whereas the BF models are 1:144
The good news for me is that they are already painted (just glue together) and at £9 for a flight than £32 it's a bargin, especially when they don't always turn up.

Finally, remember the game is about Objectives (though 1 guy at the club always plays to break his opponent).
So as you will be spending most games defending - sit on those objectives and drop big templates on him from the board edge.
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Re: Using Americans

Postby smurfy » Thu Dec 30, 2010 10:17 pm

Thanks for the advice mate,

I have the planes from Airfix, it was a great buy, didnt realise the BF planes were 1:144 scale, glad I didnt get any.

Ya the problem is lack of anti tank weapons, I see that that now. Are my opitions just Artillery and planes to answer this? THe other issue is though the defense is good by placing lots of dug in infantry on my objectives, can you give any advice on how to take the fight to the Germans. Tanks and infantry seems out of the question as the germans outclass the americans in these areas.
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Re: Using Americans

Postby DaBoss » Fri Dec 31, 2010 5:24 pm

smurfy wrote:Are my opitions just Artillery and planes to answer this?


No, there is the Anti-Tank Platoon of 3 x M1 57mm guns. Only AT 10 but can be placed in ambush (Scenerio permiting), cheap at 80pts and you can take 2 platoons.

smurfy wrote:THe other issue is though the defense is good by placing lots of dug in infantry on my objectives, can you give any advice on how to take the fight to the Germans.


Your best bet is to give him too many targets and swarm with masses of Infantry. Panzer IV, Stugs and Panthers can be killed by infantry in assault, while Tigers get very worried (you just need 1 Bazooka to hit in close combat to ruin his day). While dropping Artillery and smoke to keep the tanks moving.

They say that as an Infantry Company verses Tank Company game, if you find the Tank Company always winning easily then you probably don't have enough scenery on the table.

With WH40K, I normally place about 25% coverage of the table with Scenery - area as well as LoS blocking.

With FoW, I've found the game works better with between 30-40% covered, 50% if it's Infantry vs Infantry

What size of game do you play?
What do you have available in your collection?
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Re: Using Americans

Postby smurfy » Sat Jan 01, 2011 3:59 pm

Normal play around 1000pts to 1500pts. We have been playing for around 3 to 4 months now and havent used smoke rules yet. Going to use them tomorrow.

As for terrain, I normally use the random terrain table from the back of the book, we are fighting in Normandy for the time being. I havent given much though to the percentage of coverage but around 30 to 40% is about the amount used.

I am going to use this list tomorrow

1000pts Infantry Company

Company Command with one bazooka 30pts

Rifle Platoon with 3 sections 155pts
Rifle Platoon with 3 sections 155pts

Anti Tank Platoon with 3 sections 80pts
Anti Tank Platoon with 3 sections 80pts
Mortar Platoon with 2 sections 95pts
A&P Platoon with 2 sections and truck 110pts
Field Artillery Battery with 2 sections 145pts
(M2A1 105mm)
Light Tank Platoon with 3 Stuarts 145pts

As for the toys in my collection, we have a fairly liberal approach to the use of stand in so have most of the American list apart from the armour artillery. However I have banned the German player from using a King Tiger until he has brought one.
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Re: Using Americans

Postby Cobby » Mon Jan 03, 2011 1:05 pm

An interestig list smurfy. Will be good to see how it plays against an Infantry based list and wonder if you might have a few problems in some of the scenarios if you have to attack and take an objective. How do you find the artillery has been working in your lists so far.

Fuhrer.
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Re: Using Americans

Postby KInG » Mon Jan 03, 2011 5:17 pm

Americans :) they are the best.

Are you playing your infantry as Vetrans or Trained? I find playing the Infantry lists as Vetrans makes them almost impossible to shift and also Tank companys as Trained allows you to take loads and swamp any German elite force with massed tanks.
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Re: Using Americans

Postby smurfy » Wed Jan 05, 2011 7:44 pm

I can only use trained. See we are fighting in Normandy at the moment and I couldnt be moving threatre from game to game. I could see myself doing it in 40K but it wont feel right for me in a historical game.

Cob, I will get the poor americans working somehow. Main thing is the artillery, it is just not as affective as I hoped.
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Re: Using Americans

Postby Cobby » Fri Jan 07, 2011 8:26 pm

Bloody hope so - got some new 88's for my Germans to shoot at ya with. Also keep taking the artillery I do not mind. :D

Trust King to go with his Beard for Flames of War and his ever changing Americans. Am I veteran today no I am Trained no I am Veteran. :lol:
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