Balance or slaughter? - Aufklärung VS Soviet Recon (MW)

[bakosbence137]

Hey folks!

My girlfriend wanted to join the hobby, because for her ,,it's basically a board game, and you can paint the figures", so asked me to put together a force, which she can paint and play against me.
I'm running the Aufklärungskompanie (from the Ghost Panzers command card formation), so I thought: let's make it symmetrical!
I choose to build the Red Banner's Reconnaissance Company for her.
I field a Tiger, so for a beast she needs a beastkiller (I know, not necessary, I just try to give it a story )
So she gets the 2 x SU-152 ,,Zveroboy" (Beastkiller) battery.

So the game would be ,,A cat in a nice hat" against ,,The Big Red Hound".
Are theese list - as seen in the following - somewhat balanced, or does it need some tweaking?
(I made a nice big table to get that ,,manoeuvre-warfare flavor")

,,A cat in a nice hat" - Aufklärungskompanie - Ghost Panzers command card formation

COMBAT UNITS - ,,The nice hat"

Armoured Panzergrenadier Company HQ (3 Pts)
2x MP40 SMG team
1x Sd Kfz 251 C (MG) Half-track

Armoured Panzergrenadier Platoon (17 Pts)
7x MG34 team + 2.8 cm AT-rifle
(small base team wit Panzerknacker)
1x Sd Kfz 251 C (3.7cm) Half-track
3x Sd Kfz 251 C (MG) Half-track

Armoured Panzergrenadier Platoon (15 Pts)
7x MG34 team
(small base team wit Panzerknacker)
1x Sd Kfz 251 C (3.7cm) Half-track
3x Sd Kfz 251 C (MG) Half-track

Armoured 7.5cm Gun Platoon (10 Pts)
4x Sd Kfz 251 C/9 (7.5cm)

Armoured 8cm Mortar Section (6 Pts)
4x Sd Kfz 251 C/2 (8cm)

Heavy Armoured Car Troop ( 2 Pts)
2 x SdKfz 231 (8-rad)

Heavy Armoured Car Troop ( 2 Pts)
2 x SdKfz 231 (8-rad)

SUPPORT UNITS

Panzerjäger Platoon (16 Pts)
4 x Marder II (7.62 cm)

Heavy Tank Platoon (29 Pts)
1 x Tiger I - ,,The cat"

TOTAL: 100 points


,,The Big Red Hound" - Reconnaissance Company - Red Banner

COMBAT UNITS

Armoured Reconnaissance Company HQ (3 Pts)
2x PPSh SMG team
1x M3 Scout Transport (.50 cal MG)

Armoured Reconnaissance Platoon (9 Pts)
6x PPSh SMG team
3x M3 Scout Transport (.50 cal MG)

Armoured Reconnaissance Platoon (9 Pts)
6x PPSh SMG team
3x M3 Scout Transport (.50 cal MG)

76mm Anti-Tank Company (5 Pts)
2x 76mm AT guns

82mm Reconnaissance Mortar Company (6 Pts)
6x 82mm Mortar team

T-70 Hero Tank Company ( 7 Pts)
3 x T-70 (45mm)
+ Desperate Heroism command card

SUPPORT UNITS

T-34 Tank Company (23 Pts)
4 x T-34 (76mm)

SU-152 Heavy SP Battery (38 Pts)
2 x SU-152 (152mm) ,,Zveroboy"
+ Stalker Command Card

TOTAL: 100 points

[stepka]

Soviet recon is a terrible list for someone getting started, it is a real specialist list. Also the SU-152 is hideously over-priced and very a poor points spend.

You are lining up a moderately competitive German list vs the worst Soviet list you could design to oppose it, if you want to improve your girlfriend's probability of enjoying the game please give her a more competitive list to play. Ask yourself what list you might try to beat the Germans.

[edit] conclusion --> very unbalanced.

[Sotahullu]

Yeah, if you want to use Soviet Reconnaissance Company it is better to be used as secondary formation. Even then it is a bit niche.

I would rather recommend Hero Motor Rifle as that is much more forgiving and beginner friendly.

[bakosbence137]

Thank you for the feedback guys! I will choose another list for her, possibly the Hero Motor Rifle company.

[Skyorca]

I have a Mid war German list similar to yours, but I run Panzer 3s and a Ferdinand instead of the Tiger and the 7.5cm half tracks. If I was facing either of these German lists as a soviet player I would want to have lots of anti-tank, and try to ignore the tiger. You can make whatever list you want, but as a unit recommendation, buy her some Su-76 Light Sp. You can get 5 for 16pts and duel them for anti tank and as artillery, and with a 3+ cross check you can't go wrong.

Take this with a grain of salt since I don't play soviets, but definitely consider the Su-76s.

[stepka]

I'd suggest a more competitive Soviet list and definitely agree with Sotahullu's suggestion of Hero Motor Rifles if you're going to go the infantry method, can also have relatively small platoons (for Soviets) so not terribly many more infantry to paint than Recon. The Hero Motor better reflect your Germans IMO, so maybe it is a better "nearly" mirror sort of force.

I also agree with Skyorca that the SU-76 can be great but also it is a bit fragile. If I put these together I'd complete the Soviets with some planes that at least give a small chance to bust the tiger. My 2 cents:
HQ; 2x SMG
10x DP MG teams + 2x PTRD + 1x HMG
7x DP MG teams + 2x PTRD + 1x HMG
6x 120mm mortars
6x 82mm mortars
4x 46mm (short) AT guns

Sup:
5x SU-76
3x Ba-10
2x IL-2 Shturmovik
4x 76mm Arty
7x Valentine (late) w. 3x 6pdr

Cards:
2x Recon by combat (or drop cards and add 1x Val (—> 4x 6pdr) and a point into infantry, or see below)

There are a lot of ways that you can push this formation around, e.g. get 57mm AT, more expensive (reduce model count) or just more tanks e.g. run an SU-76 Bn with it (less infantry and mortars). Personally I like Valentines for Soviets in MW, they are just more cost effective. Or you can burn points on T-34s to get the model count down, but it won't improve playability.

[bakosbence137]

Thank you for your feedback, guys! I really appreciate it, and the list ideas for her, and I will surely make up some decent list based on your tipps.
She really liked the self propelled gun modells and the Sturmoviks.

[bakosbence137]

Currently:

HQ; 2x SMG
10x DP MG teams + 1 HMG
7x DP MG teams
6x 82mm mortars
4x 46mm (short) AT guns
3x Hero T-70

Support:
5x T-34
4x SU-122
2x IL-2 Shturmovik

[stepka]

That is a solid formation, and a more manageable first build.

The T-34s are a bit expensive for what they do and will be little more than fodder for the Tiger but you can shrive 3pts by running them as early models which really only marginally impacts their mobility. Likewise the SU-122s pay a premium for a bombardment stat that is barely worth it (vs say 122mm guns as arty, or best 120mm mortars) but they are a cute unit. TBH mine have not seen the table in 4ed but as you can probably tell from my postings I look at lists with a competitive lens. But e.g. drop 3pts out of the T-34s as suggested and you can add 3x 120 mortars to the formation.

YMMV so have as much fun as possible.

[1stBn]

Assuming you are experienced in this game, for the 1st game do not play a game. Just have a few platoons of each side so that she can get comfortable with the rules and how things actually work.

Once you have done that, play your 1st game with you running the soviets and her running your Germans. This can allow her to see what her List can actually do. It can also give you a last minute answer to your original question.

For your 1st actual game, drop the tiger. Give her some confidence in running what she has. Your choice if you have reduced points or not. Sometimes running 11 different units can be a bit overwhelming.