Eyes & Ears: Recon Forces
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RECON FORCES EYES & EARS: By Andrew & IN FLAMES OF WAR Michael Haught My brother Andrew and I have been playing recon forces for a American Forces long time. We both enjoy the light feel of these forces, requiring a American recon relies on the use of firepower. They approach delicate mix of thoughtful tactics and daring gumption. Like most the enemy, test their strength with a maelstrom of bullets, and brothers, we’re diametrically opposed in many aspects and our then speed back to HQ to report what they’ve found. In Flames Flames Of War playing style is no exception. Of War, you’ll also rely on massive firepower and to get onto the Andrew is a careful, methodical player, taking time to make objective and hold off the enemy long enough to secure victory. sure he gets the best out of his deployment and manoeuvring. He employs tactical withdrawals to preserve his troops’ strength Armored Recon Company (Mid war) & and surgical assaults to win games. I, on the other hand, make Cavalry Recon Company (Late war) extensive use of hectic deployment, mad dashes, and other The Armored Recon Company is an excellent recon force. generally brash decisions that usually end up in a ‘win big-lose Admittedly, I’m a bit partial to this company as I once knew a big’ assault. Andrew relies on logic and I on adrenaline. veteran who fought as a scout in the 91st Cavalry Recon in North When we got together to create this quick guide to the recon forces Africa, Sicily and Italy. He used to tell me stories about his in Flames Of War, we obviously clashed on a lot of the theory adventures and they stuck with me. Naturally, I had to build this behind the forces, but we ultimately agreed that even though they force and it proved to be fun and exciting with lots of options. can be challenging to play, they are very rewarding and can fit a The company’s combat platoons are built for speed and, in wide variety of playing styles. traditional American fashion, it has an obscene amount of Below are our thoughts and experiences in playing recon forces firepower at its disposal. Each platoon is an army unto itself. It in Flames Of War and they are by no means final or authoritative. has armoured cars, a 60mm mortar, dismountable machine-guns, Everyone will have their own ways of playing recon forces. We an anti-tank gun and assault guns. This gives the platoons the encourage players to experiment, play many games, and develop ability to operate independently from each other. your own tricks to the scouting trade. The M3A1 scout car is brimming with machine-guns—each There are many choices out there and I thought I would spend car having one .50 cal AA MG and two AA MGs. This load-out some time looking at a select couple of reconnaissance forces in allows your to speed into battle and machine-gun enemy infantry Flames Of War. This is by no means a complete compilation, but caught in the open. You can also bring plenty of Stuart light tanks it should give you general information and some tactics to try and other support. Back your recon troops with tank destroyers, out. Shermans and infantry. An Armored Rifle Platoon is an ideal support platoon to back up your recon troops. In the attack, scout ahead with your scout cars and find a weak spot in the enemy line, then blast it with machine-gun and tank EYES & EARS: RECON FORCES fire and send in your armoured infantry to secure the objective. Once on the objective your IN FLAMES OF WAR opponent will have only a turn to try and push you off. Form a cordon with your recon platoons and tanks to block enemy reinforcements from contesting the objective. The sheer amount of machine-gun firepower will keep enemy infantry from interfering with your armoured doughs. Your tanks will keep enemy armour from being too aggressive. In the defence, form a blocking line with your supporting units. Defend your objectives with the armoured doughs and send out a recon platoon or two harass the enemy and put pressure on their objectives or artillery platoons, Mike’s 91st Cav Recon (Mid War) German Forces The German approach to reconnaissance is a somewhat opposite Armoured Recon Squadron compared to others. Rather than using its infantry to hide and Headquarters 30 points identify the enemy positions, the Germans attack to open a small add two M3A1 armoured cars 60 points gap. Then armoured cars stream into the gap to conduct their Armoured Recon Platoon 190 points mission. Armoured Recon Platoon 190 points Aufklärungschwadron (Mid & Late war) & Armoured Recon Platoon 190 points Panzerspähkompanie (Mid & Late war) Assault Gun Platoon 75 points An Aufklärungschwadron plays almost the opposite of US Armored Rifle Platoon 175 points recon companies. German recon companies used their infantry to fight through enemy positions and open up the way for their add four Bazooka teams 80 points armoured cars. This is reflected in Flames Of War by the fact Armored Rifle Platoon 175 points that Aufklärungs platoons are not Reconnaissance Platoons. This add four Bazooka teams 80 points frees them up to focus on the job at hand: assaulting the enemy, Self-propelled Anti-tank Platoon 260 points and they are well equipped to do so. with M3 75mm GMC tank destroyers Armoured Aufklärungs platoons have seven half-tracks in each Total 1505 points platoon making them an ideal platoon to use the German Mounted Assault special rule (see rulebook, page 167). Furthermore, the forcing them to have to hold platoons back for defence. That way Aufklärungs Heavy Platoon has an arsenal of excellent support they cannot commit their entire force against you. weapons including heavy-machine-guns, mortars and self- Be careful not to expect too much out of your recon platoons such propelled 7.5cm cannons. These weapons will help your infantry as defending an objective and assaulting. They are light and will get to the objective and assault whatever is there. be vulnerable to enemy fire and you’ll have to be prepared to be Once the infantry has broken through the enemy’s defence, send Forced to Disengage and Reorganise quite a lot. Leave the heavy in your Panzerspäh (armoured car) platoon and get them into the fighting to your support platoons. enemy’s rear areas to cause havoc on his support platoons. The Cavalry Recon Company plays very similarly, only you An Aufklärungschwadron can also defend quite well when exchange your scout cars for the M8 Greyhound armoured car. supported with heavy weapons to ward off enemy armour. It’s a bit slower than the M3A1, but it is equipped with a 37mm Marders, Panzers and StuGs will help blast enemy armour while gun, making it particularly effective against enemy half-tracks the Heavy Platoon’s heavy machine-guns will keep enemy and light vehicles. With these armoured cars you can support your infantry from hitting your line in large numbers. assaults with heavier firepower, knocking out enemy gun teams A Panzerspähkompanie approaches the same battle from the with the 37mm and other infantry with its .50 cal AA MG. armoured car perspective. A typical force will include armoured They can also challenge German tanks if they can get around and car platoons and plenty of support. The Germans designed hit their side armour. If you do this, you have to make sure you their armoured cars well. They range from the Sd Kfz 222 light can put them down completely as your own thin armour won’t armoured car to the fully-tracked Panzer II Lüchs and heavy- protect you against tank shells! hitting Sd Kfz 234/2 Puma. In the end, American recon has a lot of firepower for a recon The Panzer II L is the fastest recon team in the game. It is a Light company. They have access to a great list of support platoons Tank, giving it movement of up to 16”/40cm each turn and it can making them a very versatile force fully capable to handle both use the Stormtrooper special rule to give it an additional 4”/10cm. defence and offence. Capitalise on this by opening up the way with your infantry and then shoot your Panzer IIs through the gap. The Puma is another favourite armoured car. It has good mobility and sports a 5cm tank gun with anti-tank 9, which will knock out Andrew’s Schnellschwadron any enemy tank it might encounter. But it cannot withstand much Schnellschwadron (from Ostfront) return fire, so be sure that you can knock out whatever the platoon shoots at or you will have to weather the consequences! Headquarters 135 points with Machine-gun section and 2iC Panzerknacker SMG team The trick with both the Aufklärungschwadron and Panzerspähkompanie is to keep the enemy occupied with your Schnell Platoon 250 points infantry and then exploit opportunities with your armoured cars. with Panzerknacker and Assault Rifles Schnell Platoon (as above) 250 points Schnellschwadron (Mid-war) Schnell Platoon (as above) 250 points Before the German army switched to the defence in late 1943, infantry divisions would sometimes combine its own Anti-tank Gun Platoon 120 points reconnaissance battalion with its anti-tank battalion and send with three 3.7cm PaK36 guns (with Stielgranate ammunition) them forward as Schnell, or fast, squadrons to race ahead and Anti-tank Gun Platoon 145 points secure and hold objectives while the slower infantry caught up. with three 5cm PaK38 guns The Schnellschwadron in Flames Of War is a unique and Pioneer Platoon 250 points interesting force to play.