- 4x heavy infantry
- 3x pikes
- 1x crossbows
Basing
I think I will also standardise with a 6cm depth for all infantry except skirmishers which will be on 5cm deep bases.
Ive also decided to stick to 6 figures per base- 4 in the front rank and 2 in the rear. It seems to make the stands look more dynamic and so in future will be doing this with most of my infantry.
I also completed the 4 bases of Rohan infantry
FoW
Conquest is now only a couple of months away and I've started to consider Flames of War forces to take. Apparently it will be 1750 pts late war, although this has not been confirmed. I'm really not a fan of late war, and definitely not of 1750 pts but may go as I have played in six of the seven Flames of War competitions at Conquest and the only one I did not play in I ran a multiplayer Arnhem demo game (2007).
So with that in mind its time to start getting in the odd practice game and also start thinking about possible lists. I am seriously tempted to take something Soviets as they are still one of my favourite armies. I am considering the following:
- Rota Razvedki
- Cossacks
- Motostelk
- Stelkovy
I like the idea of increasing the Cossack force I used at Day of Days into a full fledged competition force (Day of Days being our Firestorm Bagration Campaign earlier in the year) and think it could be fun to run so those two forces probably have the inside running at present.
Laely, ive been concentrating on mechanised forces (panzer grenadiers and rota) so some cossacks might be a nice change. I've four intial lists sorted, one for each army type and it will be a matter of experimenting vs different German forces to see which I prefer.
However, I'm not discounting the possibility of something German either- possibly Fallschrimjager, panzer grenadiers or even a Sturm company. But I'm not really looking at my German options yet.
I took Motostrelk to the Conquest before last.
ReplyDeleteIt was at that point that I aquired my dislike for that list, that perists until today. :)
It was a game vs Cal that illustrates it well....
It's not the lack of flamethrowers, I remember Cal wondering aloud if FOW should really make it so safe to use the things in standing Crops - though he dropped it when I indicated that everything in that field, full Panzer platoon and all, being hit would be fine by me.
It's the lack of Sappers. Cal couldn't beleive his luck when he found there was no infantry AT in there. Drive-by assaults and breakoffs to attrit down the coys were a big feature of that game.
Cossacks, now there's a list.
My only loss at Warclouds 08 was vs Jaspon's ve armour when my motostrlek failed (after aobut 20+ hitds) to bail a single veteran tank and slowly got assulted out of the game- it put me off until now.
ReplyDeleteThe lack of intergral anti-tank (sappers) is an issue as you have to expect 20+ tanks coming at you these days. However, I think the support options can make up for this and I've a couple of interesting lists I want to try. They appeal more than my old standby of Stelk at present.
My cossacks are supported by nearly 20 tanks :)
Craig
1750pts, why oh why do they keep doing it?
ReplyDeleteI do think the Motostrelk can be fine, after that comp I gave them another few weeks with a tweaked version (it was 1500pts IIRC?) and they can have a stack of armour - with infantry platoons as support units. At 1750 it is just even moreso a stack of armour with infantry platoons as support options.
They are actually on my 'to play again' list, but for when we get our upgraded IS-2s. At the moment, it still seems to make more sense to run Strelk, given they can still have Tankovy/flametank coy + ISU coy + SU coy.
20+ tanks sounds like a 1000 pt army :) (as a tank army, not support for something else)
I don't know why 1750 either, I much prefer 1500, 1750 just allows more extreme lists to become even more so.
ReplyDeleteWith ATP support (no H&C), recon etc I think the motostrek can be played aggressively and do well-no H&C for some core units can make them more dangeorus than last time I ran them and will find them more interesting to play thans tright strelk. No need for the JS IIs etc for me, I'll make do with SU 76s, T34/85s and some SU 152s.
1/2 my cossack "armour" will be T70s :)
Craig
In terms of list utility, the ATP and JS-2s are pretty much the only perk of Motostrelk over Strelk. Otherwise, you can have that armour you want in either list.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean by extreme. I see 1750pts and think "well I have my 31 mixed T-34s and Dedov, what else shall I take?"
Exactly!
ReplyDeleteBut for me I ask myself 2 questions:
1) would I enjoy using this force?
2) Would I find it challenging to use?
I try to take forces that I know I will have fun with and enjoy using and see how well I can make them work for me- hence the panzer IVS and marder IIs supporting my FJ last year and Rota with H&C. Often I they do better than I expect.
I think the motostrelk options are different enought to make them interesting and for me worth looking into. I guess I'm still in a keep it pretty mobile phase.
As for perks I'd also add: weapons platoon tanks, lots of SU support, armoured cars.
Craig
I would enjoy using all those tanks.
ReplyDeleteAnd if I had to face the five tables/missions I faced at Conquest and the three AT inf + Panther + backup high AT armies I met on them, I think that it would be a challenge for me!
Motostrelk (and FJ with plenty of armoured support)are a good army, nowhere near as tricky to run as that MW Rota you took.
.... You could do a 'Jeff Key' and give the SU-76 Batt a whirl :P
That's probably enough from the 'cheap seats' for me - I'm unlikely to go to FOW at Conquest.
Are you going to do WoTR?
ReplyDeleteI am aiming at:
5x T34/85s
3x SU 152s
4x SU 76
The rest would be infantry, recon etc-
not an army to inspire fear.
Always like to get your insights from the cHCH mob.
That T34 list I rate as very, very good. One mistake cost you a 6-1 vs Poochie!
I'm going to be a big boy and not comment anymore on last year's Conquest, but - for me it is WOTR if possible and last minute lots of tanks for FOW if not. So there is one potential matchup for you.
ReplyDeleteYou know, Chris has gotten quite sneaky recently. I think that a Soviet army with nothing heavier than a T-34/SU is a very good anti-dote to the type of lists the more consistant players are pushing.
There was some surprise expressed at how much I got into 1000pts and I know that you (unlike me) actually own enough of the stuff - that was actually common - to push that principle out to 1750.
I'm sure you must be able to get more armour than that? Have you taken the full ZIS-3s or something?
I'm just glad Cal didn't take that list! It is the kind of list he likes to run over everybody with :)
ReplyDeleteChris seems to be going from strength to strength,I like average equipment over the big toys but I think no matter what I field I'd have to play well vs him to win.
I'll e-mail you my initial thoughts
Craig