Return of the 21st Panzer
By Tom Burgess
Battlefront has brought the 21st Panzer into Version 4 of Flames of War. This is tremendous news for those of us who have some of the very unique kit that the 21st Panzer division fielded in 1944. This also lays out a pathway to add more formation options to what is provided in the army books. Hopefully Battlefront will use this format to bring other unique formations into Version 4 in the future. But for now, let’s go ahead and get into the new Version 21st Panzer Division book and cards.
In late 1943, the German command identified a need for a mobile force that could move to quickly counter amphibious landings where they might occur on the French cost. So a mobile force, initially designated as “Schnelle Division West,” was created. However, the German command simply could not supply this organization with German vehicles and equipment. Alternatively, the force was equipped with captured French vehicles like the S307(f) and U304(f) Half-Tracks and Hotchkiss light tanks. Many of these were converted and heavily up-gunned by Major Alfred Becker’s workshop creating one of the most unique German fighting formations of the war. This formation was eventually was redesignated as the 21st Panzer Division, bringing one of Germany’s most famous panzer division names back on the rolls.
Much of the Late-War 21st Panzer Division can already be created using the existing lists in “D-Day: German Forces on Normandy 1944.”
These would include the 1st through 5th Companies of the 22nd Panzer Regiment, which was equipped with PzKw-IVHs, the second battalions of the 125th and 192nd Panzergrenadier Regiment, and the 21st Panzeraufklärungs-abteilung. These would look like their counterparts in other more standard German panzer divisions. What we really needed as players were the French Half-track equipped 1st Battalions from 125th and 192nd Panzergrenadier Regiments and the 200th Stugabteilung equipped with Becker’s assault guns based on French Hotchkiss tank conversions.
Let’s first look at the companies from the 200th Stugabteilung which is labeled in this expansion as 21st Panzer Hotchkiss Assault Gun Company. This company is based on two types of tanks, the 7.5cm (sf) Hotchkiss Assault Gun Platoon and the 10.5cm (sf) Hotchkiss Assault Gun.
Your formation must have one platoon of each and may take a third platoon using either type. This cost 13 points for a platoon of three tanks with the 7.5cm guns and 12 points for a platoon with three of the 10.5cm guns. The HQ is a single 7.5cm assault gun costing 4 points.
The formation can be filled out with two more optional units, a standard light SdKfz 10/4 Light AA Platoon and the Riehenwerfer Multiple Mortar section. The later cost 12 points for four tracks and uses a Salvo Template for bombardments. This added to one or two 10.5cm Assault gun platoons gives this formation incredible bombardment capabilities that are all core formation units.
With all options fielded, the entire formation could have seven 7.5cm (sf) Assault Guns, three 10.5cm Assault Guns, four Riehenwerfer Multiple Mortar tracks, and four SdKfz 10/4 AA Half-tracks all for 60 points, leaving plenty of points for support or another full formation.
The next unique formation option in the 21st Panzer Division Late-War expansion is the 21st Panzergrenadier Company. This is similar to standard Late-Ear German Panzergrenadier companies with the heart of the formation formed by two mandatory and an optional third Panzergrenadier platoons.
The 21st Panzer Panzergrenadier platoons, before adding equipment, are basically the same as the other Late-War German Panzergrenadier platoons costing 9 points for a seven MG42 team platoon with the option to add a Panzerfaust for 2 points. However the 21st Panzer Grenadier platoons cannot add in additional Panzerschreck teams.When adding half-tracks, the 21st Panzer units use the U304(f) French Half-tracks. These are slow (8″ tactical) and only transport one team each but instead of adding four SdKfz-251’s for 3 points, the platoon can add seven of the U304(f)’s for 4 points. That adds a ton more machineguns to the unit.
The 21st Panzer Panzergrenadier Company can fill out the formation with a HMG platoon mounted in U304(f) half-tracks, a Riehenwerfer Multiple Mortar platoon, a 15cm (sf) Lorraine Schlepper platoon, a S307(f) Tank-Hunter platoon, and an AA platoon with either SdKfz 10/4s or ground mounted 2cm AA Guns. The S307(f) Tank-Hunter are 15 points for four so are cheaper than Late-War Marders, but are slower with less armor. There is no option to take towed PAK40 7.5cm anti-tank guns in the company.
The only new support added from the 21st Panzer Division expansion are the 15cm (sf) Lorraine Schlepper platoons that can have up to six gun tracks and can be armed with 10.5cm or 15cm guns. They cost 16 and 22 points respectively for a full platoon of six gun tracks. A Panzer III OP tank can also be taken, but if I elected to take this option I’d use Lorraine Schlepper OP models in place of the Panzer IIIs to keep with the 21st Panzer theme.
The Command Card options for the 21st Panzer expansion are particularly exciting. To me, the number one reason to play the 21st is to put Hans-Ulrich Von Luck, commander of the 125th Panzergrenadier Regiment, on the board.
Von Luck comes in two options; on foot as an independent SMG team for 5 points or as an independent PzKw-IVH for 10 points. Von Luck counts as a formation commander with Scout, lets himself and all units with a unit leader within 6″ of him pass skill test on a 2+, and re-rolls one reserve die per turn.
He is of the best leader command card options I’ve seen so far in the game. I think he is perfecto complement to the thin-skinned 7.5cm (sf) Hotchkiss Assault Guns and S307(f) Tank-Hunters to get the most out of Blitz and Shoot/Scoot Tactics moves that they will need pass to stay alive. If you have not read his memoir, “Panzer Commander,” by all means please do yourself a favor and get ahold of it.
Another great warrior Command Card option in the 21st Panzer expansion is Heinz Meyer. He is the unit leader of a five MG42 team Panzergrenadier platoon. This unit is a support unit and only costs one more point than a normal five MG42 team Panzergrenadier unit. The unit must go in reserve, if there are any reserves, but this unit and any unit that has a unit leader within 6″ of the Heinz Myer unit leader re-rolls failed motivation tests. Meyer would be a great support option to get an infantry unit added to the 21st Panzer Hotchkiss Assault Gun Company.
Finally, there is a looted tank Command Card for the 21st Panzer formations. This card lets a player add an independent British Sherman tank, for 4 points, or British Firefly tank, for 5 points. This is another way to add some great character to a 21st Panzer formation and some extra hitting power as well.
Now for the big question; how “meta” will the 21st Panzer formations be in Version 4 Late War?” I think they have the potential to be quite good, especially in the hands of an experienced player. I don’t think however that they are an “easy button.” It will take a lot of finesse to get the most out of this repurposed French equipment. It is frail but can mass a lot of AT12 shots.
What I’m considering running at 100 points for the Hotchkiss Assault Gun Company is:HQ – 1 x 7.5cm (sf) Assault Gun @ 4 points
3 x 7.5cm (sf) Assault Gun @ 13 points
3 x 7.5cm (sf) Assault Gun @ 13 points
3 x 10.5cm (sf) Assault Gun @ 12 points
2 x armored SdKfz 10/4 AA @ 4 points
Hans-Ulrich Von Luck PzKw-IV @ 10 points
5 x PzKw-IV @ 28 points
Heinz Meyer w/ 5 x MG42 teams @ 8 points
1 x looted Firefly @ 5 points
1 x SdKfz-250 and 2 x SdKfz-250/9 @ 3 points
Another Infantry based 100 point option I’m considering is
HQ – 2 x MP40 Teams @ 2 points
7 x MG43 Teams, 7 x U304(f) Half-tracks, Panzerfaust and 37mm ATG @ 15 points
7 x MG43 Teams, Panzerfaust @ 11 points
4 x Reihenwerfer Multiple Mortar @ 12points
4 x S307(f) Tank-hunters @ 15 points
Hans-Ulrich Von Luck PzKw-IV @ 10 points
5 x PzKw-IV @ 28 points
1 x looted Firefly @ 5 points
1 x SdKfz-250 and 2 x SdKfz-250/9 @ 3 points
As you can tell, I’ve absolutely got to have Von Luck cruising in a PzKw-IV.
I think this biggest takeaway about the 21st Panzer expansion for Late War, just like with the Death from Above and All American expansions for Mid War is that books are not the end to the options we will see in Flames of War Version 4. I really like the idea of these booklet and card sets for more niche formations that many of us Flames of War players love more than we should.
Now we have to hope that the 21st Panzer expansion sells well enough so that Battlefront will be encouraged to add more booklet and card expansion packs in the future.
I also see this as the way to intro unique Units. Booklet, dice and cards. Balaam. Done
Yet another overpriced formation for the Germans to choose from when compared to allies of the same type.
The 100 point system mixed with the “that will do” attitude to working out points for individual teams and units really makes what could have been a really great game very average and very frustrating.
1 point less for a 7.5 assault gun compared to a panzer 4 is unfathomable especially when the panzer 4 is already overpointed, but then again so is most of the rest of the pointing for most other units!
Since the 21st Panzer is going to be direct order only, I think Battlefront probably had to be wary of making it too cost effective. Could you imagine cries of “money grubbers” they would have received if the 21st Panzer was the new “meta” but available by direct order only? Battlefront should be complemented for avoiding that temptation while also making the formations of the 21st Panzer available to its fans.
Like I said in the article, the 21st Panzer is not an “easy button.” Nor do I believe it was meant to be. But I do believe it is reasonably playable in competitive events and I intend to do that. I also believe that Germans in LW are overall viable. I one a LW tournament running Germans this year myself and overall winner of the 2019 US FoW Masters won using LW Germans.
High cost elite formations are not terribly forgiving in this game systems, but in the hands of skilled players they can be quite impressive. It’s true that they are not “easy buttons.” so player who were hoping for that in the 21st Panzer will understandably be disappointed. And for historical scenario games, the points are not an issue anyway.
That still dose not answer the question as to why certain team costs are the same even though one is visibly better than another.
I agree you can win with German formations but on average you would not no matter how good a player you are.
Points need to be representative across all nations otherwise the army that gets the best point break like for like will always have the advantage. If this were not the case you would have no reason to point units at all.
I would take you to task on not being able to win “on average” playing Germans in FoW. I win well more than “on average” running Germans and I expect I’ll continue to do so running 21st Panzer formations when I get them done.
Question concerning support. How do you field 3 Sdkfz 250&/9 (and I think you did a mistakes – unit of 3 and not 4 model costs 3 points). Can you field 2 platoons of these reccee? I also assume you can field one PLATOON of mechanised inf in U304 as a support for assault gun company. Correct? (waiting for my own copy but eager to get answers ;))
That was a mistake on “3 x SdKfz 250/9s.” I will correct the article. You are correct in one mech platoon as a support for the Assault Gin Company.
Yes the 21st can field two recon platoons. All of your support comes from the German D-Day Book.
So you can take Sd Kfz 234/1/2 , but not Sd Kfz 222/223 & Sd Kfz 231 as support ?
For now. The only changes to the D-Day German support the 21st Pz expansion adds is the option to take Schleppers (10.cm and 15cam) in the 10.cm and 15cm artillery support boxes. You can also take the black box Hotchkiss 7.5cm, 10.5cm assault guns and 21st PzGren Platoon as a “black box” support choice to other formations.
Tom, super good write up. I have the 21st and need to pick up a few models to buff it up. I’ll be running them for sure. I like the glass hammer. It is for a finesse player (which I’m not) but I think running it will be fun and require me to think more. I’m kinda on auto pilot right now and this list will re-new the game for me. One thing, I don’t think you can run 2 hero cards in a list. Thanks again and a great job!
pastorpetez
Hey Pete! Looking forward to seeing your 21PZ Force. I have the unopened original BF army box for them, and like you I need to add a few items to round it out. It was a big surprise to see the capacity of the transports being lowered meaning we’d need more for a full platoon.
Good allround article Tom! I like your list examples Good luck with ‘Von Luck’
Very nice article on the 21st panzer, I believe I will be receiving the book soon and for the time being I will run von Luck with the panzer IV company. There was a game store not too far from my home that had the v3 starter set of the 21st panzer and I now wish I had purchased it at the time, it’s no longer on the shelf at that store unfortunately, thanks for the Article.
I believe your assault gun company list is incorrect. Von Luck in a Panzer 4’s command card states he must be taken as part of a 21st Panzer Panzergrenadier formation, so he can’t be taken with the assault guns unless there is also a Panzergrenadier formation tagging along with the assault guns. Same thing with Heinz Meyer.
Ah! Good catch. Guess I’ll need to focus on the Panzer Grenadiers then.