The next outing for Haans and Bolokov in a tournament setting, 1,750 Mid War singles event not too far from here in Oxford.
Lists have been revised a bit, not yet submitted but thinking the following, comments very welcomed both on the lists and proposed tactics.
Soviet
HQ: Strelkovy HQ, 9x Pioneers, 2x 45mm Anti Tank Guns (1937), 1x Sniper
18x Rifle/MG, 9x SMG, 1x HMG, Commissar
18x Rifle/MG, 9x SMG, 1x HMG, Commissar
6x 120mm mortar, observer
3x Su-85 Tank Destroyers
To this we have the following two units, which will always combat attach to the Strelkovy companies:
4x Flame Throwers
12x PTRD anti tank rifles.
The list has dropped the infiltrating always attacks options to adopt the capability to be a bit more defensive in outlook when suited, when facing armour we will deploy to look defensive but still attack in a highly aggressive way, either Strelkovy unit is more than able to take down German armour.
If required to attack enemy infantry, e.g. a fair fight mission or drawing an attacking role generally they are more able to move against dug in veterans who hide in their rat holes with the higher rate of fire from the SMG teams providing a much more capable way to pin an enemy than just the flame throwers.
On the defensive they can afford to spread out a bit more and use the attached ATG and HMG as a firebase, the SMG teams as a counter attack force and the Rifle/MG to have the shots to bounce enemy assaults.
Hopefully this addresses weaknesses identified in trying to dig out stubborn infantry.
The Su-85 are here to be positioned out of sight on one flank, the goal being that any enemy unit that fires upon them is at close range to my infantry (assault range close) and thus forced to expose flank armour to the ATG, PTRD and perhaps mask hull MG from assaults, otherwise its letting the SU-85 get a free shot the following turn, but they will be hiding to avoid being an easy VP.
The sniper is there to be irritating generally and specifically to target enemy gun teams like Flak 36 or other small platoons that could be a reasonably easy VP
The concept is to take what Bolokov can and has done before and build on it into areas of weaknesses exposed.
German
German armour is a challenge, have yet to find a balance that works, this event will be a further evolution to take advantage of previous lessons to get to:
CiC: Pz-IV-G
2iC: PZ-III-G
3x Pz-IV-F2
5x Pz-III-G
1x Tiger 1e
2x 8-rad
2x armoured flak 37mm half tracks
The CiC can hide among the panzer fours, the same gun so cannot be picked out via gun tanking, and has improved armour so always the last to be hit. 2iC runs with the other panzer threes to obtain a group of six of them, with low anti tank ability but a high rate of fire.
The first platoon is thus a tank hunter unit, sniping from cover and using (or trying to) the move-shot-move ability the Germans have to pick off enemy armour, slowly but safely.
The second is to provide cover for the first, they have the rate of fire to threaten light enemy armour (T-26, T-70, Ba-64 etc) even when on the move and to do some serious harm when stationary. They can also provide a sizeable anti infantry ability to dig out the dug in and then potentially assault weakened units.
Tigger is here to work with the 1st platoon, acting as a road block to try to shape the enemies movement as they try to avoid him, ideally firing on him will expose flanks to the others.
Scouts are here mostly to lift GtG from enemy troops and guns to aid the light panzers, i.e. a true recce unit not mobile MG platforms, but also to counter enemy recce during deployment. Flak half tracks are here as flak units and secondary anti infantry/anti light armour.
Only five platoons, can run to six by splitting the lighter panzers into two groups of three if thats useful, or even breaking a panzer four out to make a crossfire of AT:11 if needed (probably against US armour only really)
Hopefully covers weaknesses in previous lists, but I doubt its optimal, doesn’t need any new models though.