In Flames of War, list design begins with picking your flavor- Infantry, Mech, or Tanks.
After that, a 'combined arms' list seems a safe approach, doesn't it?
A few mandatory core units, supported by some anti-tank assets and artillery certainly sounds like a good idea.
Combined arms is how war is done in real life, after all.
Flames of War is a game, though.
Despite it's 'historical' branding, like all mini games it has some mechanics that influence list design, and it comes as no surprise that these mechanics outweigh 'historical' or 'real life' considerations when building said list.
For example, a typical 'combined arms' Infantry list might look something like this, in it's most basic form:
HQ
Full Infantry Platoon
Full Infantry Platoon
Full Infantry Platoon
Armor Platoon
AT Guns
Artillery Platoon
Seems like a good list. Got a little of everything.
Six platoons is a good number, since in reserve missions you'll have 3 platoons on the table (an odd number of platoons means that 'more than half' will stay in reserves in FoW), which should be enough...in theory, right?
The question becomes, then- who stays in reserves, and who goes on the table?
*Not exactly what Patton would do, huh?*
The immediate problem is that there are two platoons in that list that are fairly ineffective arriving from reserves- the artillery and the AT guns, and yet those platoons are both likely to remain in reserves.
Why? Because you've got two objectives to protect in most missions, so that means two infantry platoons are starting on the table virtually by default.
After that, you'd like something to either use in immediate ambush (if the scenario has it), and/or act as a mobile reserve that can react to the attacker's push- and that means the armor platoon.
There's your 3 platoons- the rest go in reserve.
You could use the AT guns in ambush against tanks, but you'd most likely give up that platoon to retaliatory attacks immediately afterwards.
You could put the arty on the table vs. infantry, but there's no guarantee that could stop your opponent from overwhelming a single objective before your reserves arrive.
The tanks can pitch in wherever the attacker's initial thrust arrives much better than either of those choices, and hopefully the reserves arrive and...
Wait a second...who's coming in from reserves, exactly?
Why? Because you've got two objectives to protect in most missions, so that means two infantry platoons are starting on the table virtually by default.
After that, you'd like something to either use in immediate ambush (if the scenario has it), and/or act as a mobile reserve that can react to the attacker's push- and that means the armor platoon.
There's your 3 platoons- the rest go in reserve.
You could use the AT guns in ambush against tanks, but you'd most likely give up that platoon to retaliatory attacks immediately afterwards.
You could put the arty on the table vs. infantry, but there's no guarantee that could stop your opponent from overwhelming a single objective before your reserves arrive.
The tanks can pitch in wherever the attacker's initial thrust arrives much better than either of those choices, and hopefully the reserves arrive and...
Wait a second...who's coming in from reserves, exactly?
*What you need are these guys...with AT 12 guns, and two MG's each*
Just as importantly, what are your reserves going to contribute?
Your fat may very well be in the fire in a mission like Hasty Assault, where defender reserves don't even begin to arrive until turn three!
AT guns need to be properly positioned, and hopefully dug in...moving in from reserves? Not optimal.
Artillery should be dug in as well, and is also vulnerable without protection from supporting forces, just like the AT guns.
Neither of these platoons is stopping a swarming attacker when they arrive from reserve, really.
But neither is a good choice to support the two platoons of infantry by themselves.
The infantry may offer some relief, and it's very likely they'll be the first platoon in.
They'll go to the hotspot, of course- whichever objective the enemy is focusing on.
Infantry isn't exactly a 'counter attack' unit, though.
Your best bet is to dig them in within range of the objective and continue to hold it- especially since you might very well get shot to hell by the multiple enemy platoons pushing that objective.
So that's where you're at...are the AT guns and Artillery, or a single infantry platoon likely to come in and save the day?
Probably not, huh?
Only the infantry can come in and have an immediate effect, really- at least there's the potential to dig in for support on the objective, or maybe even shoot and/or assault somebody.
In Free-for-All, a combined arms list is feasible, since there's no reserves.
With the entire army on the table, the disparate parts can work together to produce a victory.
*A big ol' buncha Tigers never hurts, either*
Unfortunately, Free-for-All will be one mission out of three in a one day tournament, and one out of five in a two day event.
Of course, there are tournaments that don't feature it at all!
So...let me ask you again- who's going into reserves, and who's coming out to save the day?
How's that combined arms approach to list building work in...every mission except Free-for-All?
Not so well, huh?
The same thing applies to attacking lists, either tanks or mech.
You'll need a 'watchdog' platoon to guard your own objectives, and enough muscle to attempt to (hopefully) wrestle an objective away from the defender.
If you have to wait for your own reserves to begin doing that, the defender can reinforce.
If you attempt to strike early and overwhelm an objective, who's coming in from reserves to aid in that effort, and how are they going to do that?
Did you put an arty platoon on the table to drop smoke in support of this effort? Is that who's holding down the fort until reserves arrive?
Oh, boy...decisions, decisions...
Of course, tanks will always attack, infantry will always defend, mech has to be prepared and built to do both, of course...
Right up until you bump into a mirror match, roll off, and end up defending with tanks, or attacking with infantry.
Oddly enough- infantry can end up attacking tanks in Free-for-All, since it doesn't use the 'defensive battle' rule.
Whoops.
You...did build your list to do all of that, right?
*Infantry on infantry IS a nightmare, but at least use concealment and gone to ground properly, Wonder Woman*
Whether the army is infantry, mechs, or tanks, once the mandatory core choices are paid for, any further purchases should be considered carefully.
Combined arms sounds great in theory, but focus may be a better consideration.
Would a platoon of tanks serve you better, arriving from reserve, than the artillery platoon?
Once the core of your list is set, the rest of your units must support that core.
Whoever is going on the table, they have a job to do. They MUST be capable of doing that job, and all other considerations are secondary.
Whoever will be arriving from reserves MUST be able to offer them support.
On defense, this means no, 'hold on a sec while I dig in' help, or 'I can't fire this turn cuz technically I moved' help.
What's needed is immediate, 'I come in and blast something,' help.
There are many units that can do this- artillery and man packed (or heavier) guns...not so much.
On attack, reserves will have to support the attack, obviously.
Think carefully about what 'supporting the attack' MEANS, though.
You'll have to pin infantry prior to assaults, and you might need to smoke some defenders when advacing, to avoid things like overlapping fields of fire.
Honestly- you should start with these tools on the table if you're attacking, as well as a platoon for 'home base' defense.
Support for attackers usually means reinforcements for the front line troops.
Something like AA half tracks, or even more artillery isn't going to help once the assaults start!
Rushing more guns to the front might, though.
Tanks, or a platoon of troopies in half tracks would be far more welcome arriving from reserves than a unit tossed in for the sake of 'combined arms.'
You can't expend points on units without taking these things into consideration, and concessions must be made.
The first thing you'll have to concede when building a list is...everything.
You can't have it.
Adding a bunch of tanks to an infantry list or an expensive artillery platoon to a tank list dilutes the focus of these lists.
In many ways, it's simply just smarter to spread out valuable targets if you know aircraft are around than it is to invest in AA assets.
The average FoW list (1500 to 2000 points) will require a little focus.
The half of your army that goes on the table will, by necessity, be beefy enough to handle it's business.
Many games are won and lost before all the reserves are in, just as many games are decided by the timely arrival of effective reserves.
Any unit that comes in should be able to actually do something more than just hang around and hopefully not get killed.
In Flames of War, it's important to build your list around the structure of the game, and that means building with reserves in mind.
You can make reserves work for you, and not against you, with proper planning.
Unfortunately, actually making reserve rolls is an entirely different matter.
Stupid 5+...I usually need like three dice to make it.
:P
Until next time, folks- Exit with catchphrase!
-SinSynn
Combined arms sounds great in theory, but focus may be a better consideration.
Would a platoon of tanks serve you better, arriving from reserve, than the artillery platoon?
Once the core of your list is set, the rest of your units must support that core.
Whoever is going on the table, they have a job to do. They MUST be capable of doing that job, and all other considerations are secondary.
Whoever will be arriving from reserves MUST be able to offer them support.
On defense, this means no, 'hold on a sec while I dig in' help, or 'I can't fire this turn cuz technically I moved' help.
What's needed is immediate, 'I come in and blast something,' help.
There are many units that can do this- artillery and man packed (or heavier) guns...not so much.
On attack, reserves will have to support the attack, obviously.
Think carefully about what 'supporting the attack' MEANS, though.
You'll have to pin infantry prior to assaults, and you might need to smoke some defenders when advacing, to avoid things like overlapping fields of fire.
Honestly- you should start with these tools on the table if you're attacking, as well as a platoon for 'home base' defense.
Support for attackers usually means reinforcements for the front line troops.
Something like AA half tracks, or even more artillery isn't going to help once the assaults start!
Rushing more guns to the front might, though.
Tanks, or a platoon of troopies in half tracks would be far more welcome arriving from reserves than a unit tossed in for the sake of 'combined arms.'
*Russian tank list- purely focused on crushing stuffs, and really good at doing it*
You can't expend points on units without taking these things into consideration, and concessions must be made.
The first thing you'll have to concede when building a list is...everything.
You can't have it.
Adding a bunch of tanks to an infantry list or an expensive artillery platoon to a tank list dilutes the focus of these lists.
In many ways, it's simply just smarter to spread out valuable targets if you know aircraft are around than it is to invest in AA assets.
The average FoW list (1500 to 2000 points) will require a little focus.
The half of your army that goes on the table will, by necessity, be beefy enough to handle it's business.
Many games are won and lost before all the reserves are in, just as many games are decided by the timely arrival of effective reserves.
Any unit that comes in should be able to actually do something more than just hang around and hopefully not get killed.
In Flames of War, it's important to build your list around the structure of the game, and that means building with reserves in mind.
You can make reserves work for you, and not against you, with proper planning.
Unfortunately, actually making reserve rolls is an entirely different matter.
Stupid 5+...I usually need like three dice to make it.
:P
Until next time, folks- Exit with catchphrase!
-SinSynn
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