Essential Units

["Sink the Bismark"]

I am a longstanding player of War at Sea and am getting into the Land Game. I am wondering, for use in building my armies, what units are necessary to build competent forces? Also, what units just aren't worth having. Finally, what are the hardest hitting units. Obviously this is directed to units in version 1.0.
Thanks in advance

[A&A Member]

Ok first off, you need to get to the basics. What side should I choose, or What nationality should I be or combine them?

Note: ALL CAPS means must have.

I will do both to get you interested. First off to start, the best units to choose for Allies are:
1. T-34/76
2. Guards T-34/76
3. Sherman Variants
4. Cromwell IV
5. KV-1
6. Resourceful Hero
7. Rangers

There are plenty more, but you get some of the picture. The best units to use for Axis are:

1. SS-Panzergrenadier
2. Elefant
3. King Tiger
4. Tiger I
5. VETERAN TIGER
6. WECHARMECHT EXPERT SINPER (may not have spelled right)

Some units you don't want to think about are

1. Panzer II Ausf. C
2. Royal Engineers
3. Romanian Antitank Grenadier

I suggest you start out by buying a starter and one booster of the new set. The starter is non-random and you'll get some of the units on the list such as the T-34/76.

[Rognar65]

Some units you don't want to think about are

1. Panzer II Ausf. C
2. Royal Engineers
3. Romanian Antitank Grenadier

I suggest you start out by buying a starter and one booster of the new set. The starter is non-random and you'll get some of the units on the list such as the T-34/76.

I think you underestimate the value of the Royal Engineer. Combined with a UK commander or hero, it is the one infantry unit in the game that the Veteran Tiger has to look out for all the time.

[Testicleez]

If you want lots of infantry, I've got a bunch of extras listed on my thread in the Marketplace forum. Check'em ut cuz they're just collecting dust here.

[angelofdeath]

From a 'powergamers' / cost-efficiency perspective :
(assuming you play big battles like we do here : I find them more fun and challenging then 100 point '1 good roll can decide all' games)

Best units for Axis :
Elite Tiger (crack shot very heavy tank.. too good)
Wehrmacht Expert Sniper (can snipe any tank)
Brumbaer (blasts and bombards infantry into submission)
Elephant (almost impossible to destroy, the bane of all armor)
SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer (removes disruption : very usefull)
Wehrmacht Veteran Infantry (tough)
SS Panzergrenadiers (very lethal and tough)
Nebelwerfer (especially useful against unexpecting opponents :) )
251 Transport (6 point : dual role transport - light/enfilade 'tank' .. very nice)

Best units for Allies :
Inspiring Hero (instant infantry rush)
KV1 (transport, very tough, competent tank)
Churchill Croc. (very tough, flamey, cheap)
Bar-Gunner (highly annoying)
M1 US Mortar (with attached Red Devil Captain) (too good to be true)
Screaming Eagle Paratroopers (very hard to stop)
Quad (AA + Machinegun emplacement)

Bad units :
French Lebel Grenadiers (really, worst unit ever, inaccurate infantry)
UK 6 Pounder AT guns (the Canadian ones are cheaper and better)
Piat Gunners (very overpriced bazooka's)
Spotters (very overpriced period)

Most units are pretty useful really. Allmost every unit has a roles to play. When we play a big battle here (1000+ points) most units will be there to fullfill their roles.

["Sink the Bismark"]

Thanks to everyone for their responses. I have one question. I spent some of last night looking at units that have been released. It looks to me that in 200--300 point games paratroopers are unsstoppable. Just take a lot of paratroopers and a heavy tank and some other random things. Then it seems to me that you can flood the enemy area that seems week with paratroopers and win the game. Am I missing a key rule or something here?

[Captain Morevo]

Nope, "StB", youre not.

Well lets see... I'm just gonna reduce this down to brass tax. Two Tanks, Four Infantry.

Axis
-Veteran Tiger, you just cant go wrong with this unit in any game over 100 points
-Brummbarr, cheap, nigh indestructible on front arc, and eats infantry for breakfast
-SS-Panzergrenadier, Arguably the BEST axis infantry
-SS-Hampster, His ability to remove disruption, and his ability to charge through disruption make him quite the Commander, plus his Initiative bonus will help you control the action
-Grizzled Veteran, As the German Hero, hes pretty damn powerful, utterly ignoring disruption, and in a tank charge he can prove pretty devastating
-Fortress Defender, I know what youre thinking, this little guy only costs 3 points, how good can he be? in a close support he is absolutely deadly, he was once my key to victory taking out a Eagle Eyed NCO and a 17-Pounder Anti-Tank gun that would've eaten one of my tigers.

For the Allies
-The T-34s, I know I'm kinda fibbing here, but really, both of them are great units, the 76s transport ability allows it to bring troops to bear, and the 85s Guard Crew ability gives you devastating attack rolls.
-The M36, At 36 points how can you go wrong with a tank destroyer that rolls as many dice as it does, is fast as it is, and actually has enough armor to shrug off light attacks, put this sucker in its platoon and watch the germans think twice with medium tanks.
-Rangers, you knew this one was coming, so I really don't have to go over why this unit is so good
-"Screaming Eagle" Paratroopers, these guys are exactly what I thought the 101st would be like, points for accuracy.
-Polish Cavalry, with their ability to quite literally just ride through defensive fire, and their impressive hand to hand, they work in any unrestrictive build
-Royal Engineers, something about placing a demolition charge on the bottom of a Tiger has always appealed to me.

[FiberGlassHazard]

For the record, Guards crew ability is only so-so. You get to reroll ONE die roll of ONE. It's no ammo dump, In fact, I would say the effect on its chance to blow things up is affected in the most minimal way they could have affected it.

[tbopper1]

For the record, Guards crew ability is only so-so. You get to reroll ONE die roll of ONE. It's no ammo dump, In fact, I would say the effect on its chance to blow things up is affected in the most minimal way they could have affected it.

Its also one of the best SA's in the game. A realistic, subtle special effect that can really come in handy at times but not a game breaker. One could only wish some other sa's had received such thought.

[Marshal Ney]

I am a longstanding player of War at Sea and am getting into the Land Game. I am wondering, for use in building my armies, what units are necessary to build competent forces? Also, what units just aren't worth having. Finally, what are the hardest hitting units. Obviously this is directed to units in version 1.0.
Thanks in advance

By V1.0, I am not sure if you mean the classic mini's, the larger mini's, or some combination of the above. Both designations have been used on this board (V1.0 and V2.0) to describe the new release.

First thing that hasn't been mentioned yet...when you get into the game and begin buying boosters, the more boosters you buy, the more you get excessive amounts of units you either will not use or that you cannot get rid of. That is just the nature of buying multiple boosters in the hope of getting something you want.

Second, I would personally suggest you begin with the new, revised version of the game. All the fan favorites are included (for the most part) and to my mind represent the units essential to any collection.

The previous version has the specialized units mentioned here (on the infantry side, and the Elefant...probably others I have missed). Those particular units you can either trade for or purchase on EBay.

You'll find as we have that at a certain point in the purchasing of boosters, you will reach a point where it becomes more cost effective to buy the individual units. Other wise you will continue to accumulate the units you have way too many of. It is good, though, to start with a baseline of boosters upon which you can build your ideal army.

[Richter von Manthofen]

Must have RUSSIANS:

Set I
KV-1
Commissar
Mosin Nagant

Set II
IS-2 (maybe if you do large Games)
T34/85 - personally i prefer the KV-1 but this one has a bit more punch
Cossack Captain
PPSh-41 SMG (makes a good AA Gun ?)
ZIS ATG - if you play with enhanced rules (OVERWATCH!)

Contested Skies
Soviet Grenadier
Communist PArtisan
82mm Mortar

D-Day
Hero of the Soviet Union

Reserves
BA-10M
Degtyarev
BT-7 for early war
SU-152