Light Armor Serial Builds

[Gustavus]

I've read some AARs that seem to indicate a starting strategy as Germany of building a series of the starting light armor. I'm a little confused as to why this is...wouldn't it be better to do a serial of the starting medium armor? You'd only have to upgrade it once to get to the panzer IIIs.

 

[unmerged(105989)]

Light armor is cheaper and quicker to build, so you have more tanks quicker, which is useful if you want to go to war early. Medium tanks are still the best in my opinion, but early on, light armor does the job ok. The problem of course is that it ups your upgrade cost later, but that's livable as long as you make allowances.

 

[Ivir Baggins]

I'd start with a ARM-II serial so it only upgrades once to ARM-III, as opposed to LtArm-II going to LtARM-III and then ARM-III. Saves an upgrade, and anyway ARM-III should be researched by start of 1939, giving time to upgrade, especially if ARM is prioritised.

 

[unmerged(39280)]

Well, another reason is historical accuracy. Many people like to "role-play" to some extent. to be historicaly accurate. Germans built only light tanks before 1939 and the first mass produced medium tanks were the IVs and IIIs (in that order iirc).

 

[unmerged(105989)]

It all really depends on when you need things. If you want to go squirrly and kill Poland in 37, LARM is cheaper than ARM, allowing you to committ more IC to other things (like infantry) so you have a bigger army quicker. Not how I play - my style is more akin to Baggins, but the theory is sound.

Serus - another nifty note is that the PZ IV was initially designed as an infantry support tank, hence the short barreled gun. The III was supposed to be the "tank killer". Wasn't till something like 1942 or 43 that the roles actually switched and the IV got a long barreled gunh.

 

[Zardnaar]

X X11 serial run in 36 will give you 15 panzer divisions in time for Poland (3 starting, 11 built, 1 from the Czechs) and you can use future increases in IC to upgrade them, otherwise you need to build X3 or 4 medium tanks in 38 or so in order to have a few by August 39. The rest of the IC you can use to build factories or whatever.

 

[nhinhonhinho]

Go with Lt Arm give you more tanks. It said you need to spent IC to upgrade them but at that time you have your tanks already