Fighting first has changed V4

[phyfor88]

I have had a good examination of the Fighting First the new V4 Mid war (MW) American rulebook.

All the US tanks get stabilizers and rate of fire 2, when they move they add +1 to hit. This can be amazing or could be an issue. Good if you are going for side shots on tanks in the open and bad if you are going after ground assets that are in cover. Germans are a base 4 to hit. in terrain +1 so a 5+ then you add that pesky +1 due to stabilizers puts it a 6+, or worse. The Sherman tank looks fairly good but expensive. The Grant is where it is at if you want my opinion. Good armor, 2 guns, they get the Grant cheaper than the British at 5 points each and have HE so can target infantry and guns no penalty. For one more point ( 6 points a tank) they get AT 10, a very good ratting at this point in MW.

  The real best of the Americans is the infantry. The Brits and Germans have limited size platoons 5 for the Germans and 6 for the British. The Americans get 11 teams for rifle and a whopping 14 for the armored rifle. These troops have poor skill but good moral. This really changes German meta. For the Germans it is a whole new game making an all comers list. Before you knew infantry would be limited, now the US player with an armored rifle will bring 30 teams easily. 30 teams of take on anything, 10 bazookas, 4 LMG teams,and they have armored transports to move quickly. That is just 32 points of the Armored rifle list. American players also get cheap abundant artillery, and of course M10 tank destroyer platoons( or even a formation). US have the potential  to be a quality horde army. 

V4 mid war has just completely changed. As the Germans rebuild their list composition, due to the Americans arriving, the British must adapt to the new reality as well. I look forward to this Flux of battle, for war is chaos and it is adapt or die.  Even now I am rebuilding my German army lists and considering how it affects my British, the status quot is upset. Time to consider.

[ZEKE]

For the US tanks,  they took away the choice of "to use stabilizers or not" by making stabilizers permanent.  As I have been playing American tanks for over 10 years, my boggle was always 1 shot at 5+, or 2 shots at 6.  BF has made the decision for me.  I have no problem getting used to this.

Stuarts being hit on 2+ will need to get used to but so long as I have 2 good tanks that helps with large number platoons. Always take 5 Stuart platoon if you use them. In V3 system after 1/2 tanks knocked out they have to take morale, V4 system they are good so long as you have 2 good tanks.

     Given a platoon of 5 stuarts

     V3:  3 tanks knocked out forces morale and if fail 2 tanks leave

     V4: 3 tanks knocked out unit is still good cause they have 2 good tanks. This requires 4 tanks to be knocked out to force morale and then only 1 tank leaves.

 

And then Infantry.  Since they did away with the 1/2 gone forces morale, Large platoons benefit better

 

[ZEKE]

So I've been playing a Stuart company this past month. Crazy hunh.  Yeah they get hit on 2+ but I've stumbled upon a playstyle for them. I take a full company of stuarts ( 2,5,5,5 - hq & 3 platoons) plus the recon to help the stuarts creep closer, plus the T30 AssaultGuns (new improved armored mortars for only 1 pt more). So thats 5 platoons and HQ that count for formation status.  Then add in 2 platoons of M10s. 3 & 3 for 100 pt games, 4 & 4 for higher point games. Those things are beasts with AT12 and 36" range.  I pretty much cluster the stuarts together and shove them into the enemy as fast as possible and use the M10s 36" range as cover fire.  Opponent is then faced with a decision, deal with the horde of easy to hit thin skinned stuarts or deal with the M10s blasting from a distance.

I'm not saying this is an unstoppable army or its the best. I just didn't think there was a chance for those stuarts that are hit on 2+.  I have won more games with them than I've lost but the wins are almost always 6-3, no 8-1 wins yet.  But I did find a way to play them and it's actually fun and I'm getting into it.

I wonder if DVANG is still around & playing, I remember him playing stuarts & M10s back in Version 2. He would love this list.

[ZEKE]

So I've been playing a Stuart company this past month. Crazy hunh.  Yeah they get hit on 2+ but I've stumbled upon a playstyle for them. I take a full company of stuarts ( 2,5,5,5 - hq & 3 platoons) plus the recon to help the stuarts creep closer, plus the T30 AssaultGuns (new improved armored mortars for only 1 pt more). So thats 5 platoons and HQ that count for formation status.  Then add in 2 platoons of M10s. 3 & 3 for 100 pt games, 4 & 4 for higher point games. Those things are beasts with AT12 and 36" range.  I pretty much cluster the stuarts together and shove them into the enemy as fast as possible and use the M10s 36" range as cover fire.  Opponent is then faced with a decision, deal with the horde of easy to hit thin skinned stuarts or deal with the M10s blasting from a distance.

I'm not saying this is an unstoppable army or its the best. I just didn't think there was a chance for those stuarts that are hit on 2+.  I have won more games with them than I've lost but the wins are almost always 6-3, no 8-1 wins yet.  But I did find a way to play them and it's actually fun and I'm getting into it.

I wonder if DVANG is still around & playing, I remember him playing stuarts & M10s back in Version 2. He would love this list.