What exactly are tanks good for?


  • Well, since you can’t buy tanks until round 4, and since they only move 1 space/turn… they may not reach the front until turn 6/7 (Germany) or turn 5/6 (France, England, Austria).

    How many battles will they be in and thus ‘soak’ a hit if the game typically lasts 10 rounds (just made that number up- I suppose it could be longer, but that is a long game in and of itself)??

    I think having Air supremacy is more important than having tanks at that stage of the game (and they move 2 spaces/turn)- controlling the skies make you front line units more effective at attack.

  • Customizer

    @ossel:

    @Cyprian:

    What if, once you reached a threshold number of tanks on attack (say 3) you can make combat last an extra round.  Or for every 3 tanks on attack you can make it last an extra round each.  This would symbolize the tanks ability to make a breakthrough when amassed.

    Awesome idea. This would make them absolutely essential for breaking through those late game stacks.

    How about…
    If you get more than 3 hits with tanks while attacking, you may choose to make combat last an extra round.


  • @ErwinRommel:

    The absorbing hits is the only good thing i think,  if it cost 4 instead of 6, then it would be more worth it.  or at least make it a 3/1 or 3/2 by default.

    Still suprices me that 22,5% dont get it.

    Since it absorbs 6dice eyes and attack with 2 and combat last one turn its equal attack of a heavybomber revised style (8dice eyes)

    can u clarify this statement?


  • A absorbed hit takes away 6defence from the defender (neutralize two infs defence). Value of inf and art attacking is 6 (or 7), one attacking tank is 8 (or 9)

    The value of protecting your unit from certain death is equivalent to sending one enemy unit into certain death. (if combat lasts only one round)

    Picture the tank as a mobile factory producing infantery and arillery on the front line free of charge, and still attacks and defends.


  • I found out what tanks are good for:
    When you have a stack that will do some attacking but won’t get attacked back.

    Lets say Germany is marching into France with 20 inf, and 20 art. France has 35 infantry.
    That is where you want tanks. Because after you contest the territory with 35 inf, on their turn they won’t dare roll to attack. Therefore your tanks defending at 1 is irrelevant.

    Tanks are to break an all infantry defensive stalemate.
    If an opponent starts buying all infantry expecting only to defend but not attack, they are asking to get attacked by tanks.

    I guess tanks exist so defender nations still have to buy arty and not all infantry.


  • @oztea:

    I found out what tanks are good for:
    When you have a stack that will do some attacking but won’t get attacked back.

    Lets say Germany is marching into France with 20 inf, and 20 art. France has 35 infantry.
    That is where you want tanks. Because after you contest the territory with 35 inf, on their turn they won’t dare roll to attack. Therefore your tanks defending at 1 is irrelevant.

    Tanks are to break an all infantry defensive stalemate.
    If an opponent starts buying all infantry expecting only to defend but not attack, they are asking to get attacked by tanks.

    I guess tanks exist so defender nations still have to buy arty and not all infantry.

    I kinda think defenders would want to buy artillery anyways, since if they get air supremacy (which is much easier on defense to do), they get huge arty rolls.


  • The change I was considering was each tank reducing 1 inf to a defense of 1. After that, if still not used, I would reduce cost by 1.


  • I think if your plan is to just hold the line 30 ipcs for 10 infantry is better than say: 4 infantry, 3 artillery and a fighter.

    30/6 on defense vs 26/6 on defense
    All infantry is better than defensive air superiority I feel.
    But all infantry can’t attack.


  • I was mainly with France in mind, where other powers’ fighters can give them air supremacy on defense.


  • Inf is ALWAYS better at defending than art, even with air.
    3 defence for 3IPC > 4 defence for IPC
    -> more units

    If you need transports to get you units to the front it may be a little bit different…


  • That’s not strictly true (outside of LL), especially since combat last only 1 round per turn.

    3 artillery cannot do 4 hits in 1 round, sure, but they end up with 0 hits less often than 4 inf would, and so on down the line.


  • Well tanks are good for attacking infantry only stacks because they can’t shoot back.


  • @oztea:

    Well tanks are good for attacking infantry only stacks because they can’t shoot back.

    That isn’t strictly accurate- Thought tanks could negate a hit on another unit, but you must always have at least one Infantry in every battle/stack, so if you just have an Infantry and Tank, 2 hits would kill the tank, 3 hits kills both, correct?


  • When I say stacks I mean more than 10 units on each side.

    A force that plans on attacking in a fashion that puts the enemy in a position where them attacking on their turn would be bad because they have too few artillery for offensive support.

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