Skilgannon meets the Letalian Stallion

This is a 3000 point QB ME. I have opted to play the Italians (I love playing the whoppers!). It is 1943, and august... a good time in CMAK world to be Italian... (LA LA LA LA LA LA LAAA). We'll be playing in medium rural terrain with gentle slopes and medium damage on a LARGE battlefield...

So what we'll most likely have is a very infantry friendly battle... (yes, yes, I know... I'm such a ghey infantry fag...)

In 1943, the Italians have two real strengths: access to some very decent and deadly Italian Folgore units that have high ammo loads, and 9 SMG's per squad. The other is that they have access to the Brixia mortar... a 45mm 80 ammo load pinning machine...

Some other niceties about the Luigi's is that they also have a lot of cheap HEHE - High Explosive [ENG]

in the form of Semovente 75mm Assault Guns...

Now, I know what your thinking... Leto is stacking the odd's in his favor again... well... what I am going to try to prove to my adoring fans (yes, the hate mail is still piling up) is that when you are in a fight... especially an ME... you do not need to get to the flag first...

Yes, yes, I know... the whole POS argument that if you get there first, it's like having a straight on attack defend QB instead of an ME, with you defending... but here is the catch... the enemy who heads for the flags first will not always get there out of site and be hidden... they need to take that ground, and often, they need to face some withering fire to get to that ground... that enemy has to expose itself...

So you see, the advantage is not always clearly demarcated. Especially if you are facing me... I am often very happy to let you take the flags when you fight against me... cause I know that I am prepared.

In this battle I've brought along a few tools just for that...

I've purchased 4 platoons of Semovente 75/18:

8 Regular SMVTE
8 GREEN SMVTE

These tanks are no match for the Sherman or M10 at range... so I will only be using them in an anti infantry role where possible, and if I can overload against an enemy tank or two at short distance, I may use them in a tank destroyer role... but only if odds favor me.

I've also bought a battalion of Blackshirts... they are merely fodder and are to be used for holding ground. For 980 points, you also get 6 brixia mortars dirt cheap... so that's cool.

I've also bought a company of Folgore paratroopers... they come with four 47mm ATAT - Anti-Tank [ENG]

guns (decent at close to medium range against Shermans). The Folgore paratrooper company will be used in assaulting the flags that I think will be potentially most well defended... and where they will be most useful in terms of terrain... so flags in the woods will definately be the main area they will be unleashed upon...

I've also bought two 75mm Field guns... 6 trucks (conscript) to haul all 6 guns.

Lastly, and perhaps most iniquitous of my purchases are nine 81mm mortars... each Italian 81 has 40 HE and can cause havoc on yank infantry.

My thesis is thus: It is not tanks that win battles, but infantry... infantry is needed to hold the flags... but... if that infantry is neutralized... with a crapload of HE... then tanks must hold the flags... and when that happens... my AT assets will be used...

I know... stunning plan ain't it? Guaranteed it won't make it past turn 10...

Skilgannon is a highly competent opponent and CM player... I've never played him before, and thus I do not know his habits or have any real intelligence on his playing style... so I have no idea what to expect....

The stock pick kit for an American player would be the following:

• 3 rifle companies
• 6 priest
• 5 Sherman

and sundry items of nastiness... perhaps an arty spotter.

As I am playing the italians, there it little chance that I can afford to pick the nastier panzers of the German ilk... so it makes sense to go with the generic and cheaper american tank picks with lots of HE...

The american rifle companies are superior to my Legion of Blackshirts, but I do not plan on getting into any firefights with the Americans unless I have my mortars fully behind me, pinning the Yanks... the Folgore are superior... and thus do not need as much support... but I will still out them with some indirect arty support.

This should be a fun little exercise... I hope you all enjoy... feel free to ask questions, make stupid comments, or just make fun of me... all is good.

Setup

Wow. What a large map... I'll show it to you guys next turn, but there are no roads, lots of terrain, and very few ways for AFV's to make it to the flags. I'm not sure if it will hinder or hurt me... Thinking now that perhaps the Folgore Battalion may have been the way to go, as I foresee a lot of close fighting. IT's going to be medevial and brutal, with each side positioning its guns and artillery on the opposite side of the flags, and pounding away at the others infantry... with AFV's not really having much of a chance to get into the mix.

Skil has told me he picked Canadians (bastard is making me fight my own countrymen!) and if that holds true... his PIAT's may be a real worry for me. The Semovente's are not invincible tracked boxes of might and fury... and can be easily dispatched by a Projective Infantry Anti Tank weapon quite easily.

Once you see the map, you'll know what I mean... a thick swath of trees, woods and rock pretty much separate the map down the center of the two engaging sides...

Well, still not sure what ole skilly will throw at me, but just a few comments on the strategy of my kit selection:

1) A crapload of HE.
Now, many of you are thinking that buying a lot of cheap HE meatball chucking Italiano tanks is a recipe for disaster, especially if the Allies have superior tanks. All that HE will be burned to a crisp after a Sherman or M-10 platoon chew the nuts of the Italian tankers. First of all:
a) Tanks in world war 2 as in CM, were not the winged horses of the cavalry charge as some people try to use them in this game. Tankers were very anxious (and justifiably so) of getting the crap shot out of them by hidden AT guns, other tanks and tank destroyers... not to mention infantry AT assets. Tanks were used conservatively, and in this wonderful game of CM, it pays to use them conservatively as well. Indirect fire is perhaps the most underrated tool in the game... especially against other armored units. It is very easy to use tactics that keyhole your own vehicles to indirect fire into enemy positions and not allow direct LOSLOS - Line of Sight [ENG]

back onto your tanks. This is why my argument for using green and conscript tankers is prevalent: the green crews weren't really expected to engage the enemy armor... they were just there to chuck HE at anything that moved... and usually from a distance or a particularly safe hiding place.

b) Scoot and shoot was a VALID tactic, and moving around and anticipating your enemies movements is key. There were several games that I have played in the past where I faced TigersPzKpfw VI Tiger - Panzerkampfwagen VI



and successfully took them on with Priests, or lesser armor, as I kept the enemy on his feet, kept moving around my own assets and attacking from different keyholes and flanks, and basically attacked them at range indirectly, not allowing the Tigers to return fire. All the time, the Tigers would be trying to find range and LOS on my constantly moving assets, my AT guns and infantry AT assets were being moved into range... and before you know it, the Tigers forgot about these little potential problems and I was able to get in a few attacks from infantry based weapons as my enemy became intent on destroying my own armor.

c) Tanks in an indirect role should always engage infantry. Don't direct target them, as they may go icon on you or hide, or move... indirect fire is always best. Even if you know there is an enemy tank in the area, and that you're green HE chucker is vulnerable, give order to blast away with about 4-5 shots and then begin moving backwards with a delayed pause or retreat EVERY TURN. This allows you for quick getaways as you already are beginning to move in your orders phase. If you're enemy tanks and AT assets are hot to trot for killing your own tanks that are potting up his infantry, having QUANTITY is a bonus, as you can move about and attack from different angles and perspectives... he goes after one tank, you move in from another area the next turn to engage the enemy as your other tank begins retreating. This drives some opponents absolutely caged monkey mental.
d) At the end of the day, you are not worried about losing a few cheap tanks, for you will... but by then, you should be devious enough to know that the loss of those tanks will have set up AT ambushes and infantry infiltration inside enemy armor safe zones. Look for opportunities and don't always pull the trigger on the first LOS contact you have.

2) A crapload of crappy infantry.
No matter who they are, what their FP rating is, and how green they are, infantry must be attacked and systematically cleared from a flag area. IF you buy crappy infantry to hold the land, you have more kit dollars to buy the HE necessary to make that enemy attack a real dear one. Besides, your infantry will sneak and hide and move around as much as possible to deter the enemy using HE back against you. Only when you think you need to attack a position or flag, then Veterans or SMGSMG - Submachine Gun [ENG]

or superior troops should be purchased. I always try to buy at least a company of SMG troops or a company or platoon of Vet troops just for this purpose.

3) A crapload of make you crappy in your pants if you are infantry indirect onboard artillery.
Okay, here is the real litmus test. Can I defend and attack against superior infantry and tanks by using 360 rounds of 81mm HE indirect mortar fire and 480 rounds or 45mm mortar fire? These puppies are beautiful weapons and are the most devestating if strategically used. The Meatballers have lots of HQHQ - Headquarters [ENG]

, and sometimes that makes up for their crappy infantry ratings... many 2 unit HQ units that can sneak around and be used as spotters. For every platoon of Italians, I have at LEAST 2 officers in the vicinity that can command troops (and give bonuses) and spot for out of site mortars. This gives me a great deal of flexibility with respect to where I can drop those mortar shells and how concentrated. The Brixia are nothing more than an attack or pin weapon... basically you fire these at troops in the open, fire them at troops entrenched or defending, ONLY if you are going to attack. This pins the enemy infantry and allows a pathetic little Italian rifle unit to get in close and unload with its paltry 98 FP. Get two or three Pathetic little Italian riflemen firing on an enemy unit pinned by a Brixia mortar (and his M8's getting pinned by other Brixia's and thus do not return fire but intermittantly) that enemy unit will break in one turn and is done for the game. Those of you have played this game for awhile know that you need to concentrate your fire on one unit per turn, destroy it, or break it, and then move on to the next... one on one fire is for chumps. If you are in a one on one situation, get out of it, or hide. No need risking getting pinned or panicked without any benefit coming to it. You only attack when you have the numbers, or the enemy is within 40m in the open and charging on your position.