Self Propelled Guns and Tank Destroyers

[stp602]

Just curious... when designing divisions, do you make use of armored fighting vehicles (SPGs, TDs, SPAAs)?

If so, what kinds of divisions do you incorporate them into?

Are they worth it for you?

Do you think divisions which incorporate AFVs should have unique tactical capabilities, or that these units are fine just as they are?

[bubbas]

If I have the production capacity to produce SPArt & SPAA then I add them into my panzer/tank/armored-divisions. Sometimes I even add an armored regiment of arm/arm/spart/spaa into my motorised/mechanised divisions to give them more punch. If it's a motorised division with motorised rocket art, then I use double spaa instead of spart/spaa.

TDs on the other hand, I rarely use. Of course there are those who use a super heavy TD battalion(s) in their spacemarine templates, but that's for the min/maxers.

[Hellstorm901]

SPG are good for breakthrough divisions because of their high soft attack which can murder enemy strength.

- Large tanks divisions to give soft attack onto the tanks breakthrough
- Heavy Infantry (40 width) to give them a bigger soft attack without the penalty of slow moving Artillery
- Motorised Divisions if using Light SPG for more soft attack without compromising speed

TD's are more of a thing for multiplayer if you are going up against a player who will be fielding tanks and you don't have the production capablity to outfit all your divisions with good AT guns

- Specialist Tank Hunter divisions made for, and micromanaged, to hit places players who are using tanks

SPAA are trash, they've got hard attack on them making them good at killing early tanks but for that level of production you might as well use more practical Tank Destroyers or you know, regular AA or AT guns.

- No divisions should use these ever. They are pointless, land based AA doesn't work the way you'd expect as it only negates CAS damage. Leave killing enemy CAS to your airforce, that's what they're paid to do.

In general your armoured divisions should be used to attack over plains and at worst hills. This is where they shine and will massacre enemy positions. Make sure to set your armoured divisions to aggressively execute their plans and give them a tiny area to probe and watch them break through one tile then spread out like ants taking anything they can cutting people off for your infatry to kill.
As we more commonly know, Blitzkreig.

[Paragon]

IMO TD's are more useful than many give credit for, especially if the enemy fields high hardness divisions. They are cheaper (~66% cost of standard tank bat.) but provide the same amount of armor as one, however at the cost of no breakthrough. Given to infantry they can much better resist enemy tank incursions and even provides armor to make infantry completely invulnerable to low piercing divisions. If your enemy is smart they will throw in AT or TDs with almost every division as well.

It also should be noted that if you have AT or TDs that can pierce enemy armor alone (with its base value, not final division value) you cause heavier overall casualties to attacking armor divisions. Even if the attacker has enough armor that your AT/TDs cant effectively counter them on the division scale, they will still kill tanks your enemy will need to replace. Since this is easy to achieve, its always wise to have some AT or TD in your divisions.

SPGs are good against high defense enemy divisions, but only used if you have enough breakthrough. In SP its very useful, but against other players getting enough breakthrough is a challenge itself, one solved with conventional tanks.

The big issue I have with SPGs is it's 3 combat width, meaning you have to take out 3 mot. or mech. bats. to add two SPG bats. in, or throw in lopsided divisions. They do however murder soft divisions by the bushel.

I agree that SPAA is mostly useless. If you don't have the industry for planes to win the air war you can't afford these. They also only negate CAS damage, and don't provide any bonuses. Towed AA is much cheaper and pretty much as good for a fraction of the cost.