Written by Jordan A. Vandergragt, Games and Theory special guest.
This time on The Games and Theory podcast we talk about some strategies to up your game and crush your enemies in Flames of War. Much of the podcast discussion revolves around having a "theory of victory". The basic idea is that as long as you build a list that has combined arms, (infantry, mobile firepower and at least one bombardment) you can win any match with the right plan of attack. This means a bunch of different things that we ramble about in the episode, but in this article I'll attempt to explain my personal theory of victory for my tournament list, as well as discuss a bit about modeling and preparing the army.
It took me far too long to decide what force to play at the upcoming tournament at FDB in Gatineau. We haven't had many local mid-war events since the new dynamic points came into effect, so there are a lot of things I wanted to try. My favourite force for mid war is the British crusader squadron, a list I've done before to ill effect. Rather than relieve those horrifyingly short-lived (and glorious) light tank charges, I decided on Soviets, a force I haven't brought out much at all since the early days of V4 in the pre-covid halcyon of flames of war's popularity.
By now I've earned a bit of a reputation locally for being more or less tank and half-track phobic. While bucking that trend is tempting, as I have always wanted to use the Soviet mechanized reconnaissance company, I don't already have the models for that kicking around and it was already too close to the tournament for a risky mail order on a time sensitive project. So foot sloggers it is.
The basic models for a Hero Rifle company I already have at hand. I own an extensive collection of plastic soldier, battlefront, and blue moon figures to assemble a force out of. A couple specialist teams like the 50mm mortars I had to kit bash out of blue moon 82mm mortar, and zis-2 gunners, with some spare mortar bits from an old PSC sprue. With a bit of creative basing, gap filler, dry wall putty, paint, and flock, my infantry and guns were good to go! Some of my command teams, anti-tank guns, and PTRD teams had never been fully painted and this was a great excuse to finish a job I'd started years ago.
The only thing I really wish I could change with my models here is that my Zis-3s are actually Zis-2s. My original Plastic Soldier Company Zis-3s had all had their barrels broken over time (a common theme for PSC models) and I just didn't have the bits to kitbash the proper muzzle breaks. Normally I play fully WYSIWYG but the bottom line for me is avoiding confusion. If my list had Zis-2s and Zis-3s and they all looked the same, that would be a problem.
The rest of the points are going to my armoured units. I personally prefer to focus on the infantry in FoW but we do need a bit of mobile firepower. I picked OT-34s as my reserve choice because at 33 points they eat up most of the 40 points required; with the third hero rifle company filling up the last 7 points. They are also fast and even when arriving in a bad place can very quickly bring a ton of firepower where I need it most. They are also dual purpose, posing a huge threat to tanks and soft targets alike.
I bought a battalion box of 21 t34s and 10 t-70s years ago but I have never finished more than a few of them. Most of them were assembled and primed so getting them ready was a straightforward task. A quick basecoat and wash, drybrush, highlights then another drybrush with some mixed tan and brown. Not the most advanced scheme but I prefer a more boring look. It may not pop like a higher contrast scheme or a camo pattern, but the vast majority of original photos and refurbished vehicles show a very7 plain green tone. I'm not saying you can't go fancy with it, just that there is a justification grounded in realism and accuracy for my lazy approach.
The T-70s are a personal favourite of mine. I just love little tanks that don't seem threatening. In the absence of bazookas, PIATs, and panzerschrecks, Soviet infantry needs something to help screen enemy half tracks and armoured cars. The 45mm gun teams also contribute in this role, but T70s are more reactive and can exploit holes in the defense and run down infantry that is caught out. They are cheap but still threatening and definitely punch above their point cost. Basically the same paint scheme as the flame tanks was applied here.
For markings on all the vehicles, I happened to already have a pile of soviet decal sheets from back when I bought 15 SU-100s (they were very broken during the 3.5 transition phase) and each box of 5 came with 3 sheets of decals. Adding stars, numbers, and slogans was quick and easy. I have started doing most of my markings by hand on other projects in lieu of trying to track down decals; as a way to save a buck or two and develop my painting skills. Decals are easier but lack some of the charm of hand painted lettering and numbers. I actually didn't have numbers that would fit on the small T-70 turrets, so this is my one freehand detail for this army, as well as a cheeky little slogan on the command tank. The phrase is a dumb inside joke between my wife and I, originating from when I was learning Russian on duolingo. Comment below if you know what it means!
Finally the BA-10Ms. I must apologize to a long time member of the community who lent me these years ago. He hasn't been around much since before covid and I'm ashamed to admit that in my care these models got banged up a little. So I took the liberty of freshening up the paint and adding some markings. K.C., if you are reading, reach out and I'll get these back to you. After the tournament, of course! On the table the BA-10Ms fill the vital spearhead role. Armed with the same 45mm gun they also provide plenty of additional fire support.
Some projects are just too big and we have to know when good is good enough. I lucked into this old scenic base set and had planned rebasing all of the plastic soldier models that comprise my hero rifles from their old steel bases onto these nice ones. It would look better and give me the opportunity to mark the edges to allow my opponents to more easily distinguish the different units. Unfortunately the time commitment to redo all the basing was judged to be too much, and the last thing I wanted was to show up with half my army on grey, unfinished bases. In years past I probably would have gone for it, losing a lot of sleep, and time with my wife and family in the process. But I am getting better at knowing when to quit and these will go in my box of stuff and add to the creative potential of my collection.
So, how does this list win? Well, the core of my "theory of victory" is twofold. First is that I can fight in any mission, as attacker, defender, or in a fair fight. Second, that my force with reserves removed is still a combined arms force that can work, and even win games, on its own before the reserves arrive. The list can fight in any kind of match but I still need to have a plan for each kind of scenario, so let's go over that in detail.
As an attacker:
This is the weakest situation for this list as I don't have heavy bombardments or any of the upgrade cards that help Soviets range in. How I leverage this force to win is going to come down to having an overwhelming number of infantry units. I can pick a main point to attack with my OT-34s and half the infantry that goes through rough terrain (where they least expect an attack!). Most players are unlikely to place mines in rough ground, preferring to block open spaces and our infantry needs all the cover it can get. While that happens, 2 infantry units of the 4 can split off to perform pinning attacks. Ideally this prevents the enemy from reacting properly to 10 OT-34s and 2 infantry units careening through the trees and into their lines; hopefully at its weakest point. There is a lot of direct firepower in this list to blow stuff up but hitting careful enemies is challenging and the bombardments are skill 5+ and not very heavy, so this scenario can be a problem against some lists.
2+ cross checks in action. (I forgot they have 3+ on the OTs…)
As a defender:
This is a very strong list for defense. I want units as far forward as possible, to make them pay for each inch of advance. Remember that the victory condition for the defender is to make it to a certain turn with the enemy outside of 8" of either objective. Deploying far forward with some of the units is critical for that. But we also want at least 2 units, like the SMG companies and T-70s, to be held back to use as a reaction force wherever the enemy starts breaking through. As for minefield placement, just remember that in real life, the doctrine is that mines are always ambush points, you want enemies that get trapped in a minefield to be in a killzone that you either already have covered or can ambush near. We discuss ambushes a bit in the podcast, but the takeaway is that you shouldn't automatically take your biggest guns in ambush. HMGs, and infantry are just as valid and create a huge roadblock for a unit that is ill equipped to dig out a whole infantry unit quickly. Most defense missions you win after a certain number of turns by keeping the enemy outside of 8" of an objective. The defense plan just needs to buy time until reserves arrive to patch any holes. In this case the OT-34s with their good mobility are excellent at this, but I also have a rifle company in reserve to bring in if I roll reserves early and the time for a tank counter attack isn't right.
Fair fights:
These are my favourite missions. It's been my experience that many players build a list primarily with the intent of attacking or defending. This leaves them vulnerable when they need to do both simultaneously. They either attack all out, leaving their own objectives vulnerable, or they play cautiously, letting me take the initiative. My force has sufficient units to conduct an attack with 2 infantry units, 2 light armour units, 2 bombardments, and rolled up anti tank guns (the 45mm guns have a 6" tactical). Meanwhile I have an infantry unit, HMGs and Zis 3s to cover my own objectives. The plan here is almost always going to be: press the attack hard and fast. If I can't win early before reserves arrive, I have enough firepower in gun teams and vehicles to dig out enemy guns to clear a path for the OT-34s to deliver the knockout blow. As with an attack scenario the infantry light mortar teams will prove invaluable. At 1 point each they bring a lot of firepower 4+ shots. These will help me knock out 88s, Pak 40s and other medium and heavy guns that threaten the flame tanks.
6” tactical move in action.
I think this force is quite well rounded. If there is a weakness here, it’s as an attacker. Mid war Soviet bombardments basically need 6s to range in and with the overworked rule the OT-34s have a hard time dealing with infantry that wisely keep their heads down in the face of that attack. A careful enemy that knows how to play the attrition game on defense will be a very hard game for me.
I can mitigate that weakness by exploiting my numerical advantage. I don't have to kill things to win and getting onto good ground near the objective will force a defender to counter attack and leave their cozy foxholes. All I really need is one good round of assaults to force the defender outside of 4" of the objective to win. An even better mitigation plan though is simply to avoid an attack bid against careful infantry!
Even if you get outbid you can still take initiative and disrupt their plan.
Win or lose I'm just happy to have an event to look forward to. It always helps me engage more enthusiastically with the hobby when there is an event with a deadline, where I get to show off my latest modeling work. Some players are really turned off by what they perceive tournaments to be: "hyper-competitive", "stressful", "no fun allowed", etc... I personally don't relate to these sentiments. The vast majority of my games at tournaments have been fun, with good sportsmanship and a mutual appreciation for what we do. The hard work that goes into building an army can only really be appreciated by others who have done it as well. I often post pictures of my models on my Facebook page, but the compliments I get in real life, from people who are themselves experts at this, mean so much more to me. Not to mention getting to see and appreciate the hard work that others have done. These events really are the core of the community within the hobby.
They can’t kill all of them, probably.
I'm very excited for this event and hope everyone has a good time. I plan to play "Bold and Swift" and we will see if that is enough to bring home 1st place!
Link Dump:
Jordan: Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell (full audiobook)
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Jed: B-GL-321-006 Combat Team Operations https://www.scribd.com/doc/9700427/B-GL-321-006-Combat-Team-Operations-Interim-2003
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