FoW: Irish Guards Armored Squadron 101
a guest column by Aenir
Well, as this is my first post on BoLS, I was hoping that I could walk all of you through something that I think is a nifty little force for Late War FOW, the Irish Guards Armored Squadron list out of Hell’s Highway.
I will first explain some of the special rules, and then I will make a 2000 point list. However I cannot speak from experience to the Welsh Guards, 2nd Household Cavalry, or US Paratroops, but I can let you know about the Armored Squadron, so let us begin.
First, the overall Guards special rules: Unflappable and Platoon, Debus!
Unflappable is a rule that allows Guards platoons to re-roll failed Platoon and Company Morale checks. Many a time have I been saved by a timely reroll given by this special rule. There is not much to say about this rule, other than do not forget that you have it, and it is ONLY for Morale checks, not skill checks.
Platoon, Debus! Allows you to have infantry teams from Guards rifle platoon that when riding on Guards Armored or Armored Recce Platoons allow you to disengage from shooting as if you are a recce team. In addition, you do not need to reorganize after disengaging if your infantry chooses to do so. I have not personally used Platoon, Debus and as such cannot give much information on it. I could guess that disengaging off of the tank can be useful if you need to get into cover, and to top it off, not having to reorganize is a boon, considering I have lost many turns to my recce teams having to reorganize after a rough round of shooting.
The Warrior available to the Irish Guards is Lieutenant Colonel Joe Vandeleur. He is Confident Veteran, costs 50 points, and may join any Irish Guards Armored Squadron or Irish Guards Rifle Company. His special Rules include: Press on regardless! and Guns, Left! Press on regardless! Allows you to attempt a 5+ roll for each platoon within 8” at the end of the movement phase after all movement has been completed. Which, if passed allows you to move another 4” per each platoon that passes the roll. However Vandeleur or the platoons trying to make this test cannot be bailed out, Bogged down, Pinned down, or have moved at the double. The extra move distance also allows platoons to shoot and assault.
In my opinion, this is a great bonus to taking Vandeleur, as you can keep him centrally located and act more aggressively versus your opponent, and in a list with a bunch of Shermans, this can be a good tactic. However this is not the main reason to take him, as his Guns, Left! Special rule is perfect for the aggressive player. Guns, Left! Trades in the Semi-Indirect universal British rule, so that instead of having to remain stationary and your target over 16”, your tank teams move and shoot at a target within 16” and the teams are allowed to reroll misses. In conjunction with Press on Regardless! This makes your force a quick moving strike force that can get up in the face of its enemies and try for a side armor shot, or MG hose down of annoying dug in infantry (Guns, Left does not give the RR to MGs)
Finally for an additional 10 points, you can choose to have a RAF Forward Air Controller join in the battle. It is a Confident Veteran Independent team that can never join a platoon or other independent teams. However, while it is within 8” of Vandeleur or a company command team, all air attacks within Line of Sight from the Controller are in its control. This allows the aircraft to reroll their first attempt to range in. In addition, the Safety distance is reduced from 16” to 12”.
Now into the meat of the book and list building! A Guards Armored Squadron is entirely Confident Veteran.
My normal 2000 pt. list usually runs as this:
HQ: 2x Sherman V (185)
.50 cal AA MGs (10)
CP1: 2x Sherman V and 2 Firefly VC (390)
.50 Cal AA MG (5)
CP2: 3x Sherman V and 1 Firefly VC (375)
.50 Cal AA MG (5)
WP: 4x Stuart VI (210)
4x AA MG (20)
SP1: 2x M10C 17 pdr (170)
BS1: 1x Guards Rifle Platoon, [3 Rifle Squads] (185)
BS2: Guards Column Platoon* (100)
SP2: Parachute Rifle Platoon [3 Rifle Squads] (255)
Extra Rifle/MG Team for each squad (30 per, 90 total)
Total 7 Platoons, 16 Tank Teams, 21 infantry teams (Column Platoon Pending).
*The Column Platoon can switch between one of three options, and it is chosen before the game and deployment. The Options are a Guards Carrier Patrol, a Guards Mortar Platoon, and a Guards Anti-tank Platoon
Now this might not seem in the vein of a traditional English force, tons of infantry and artillery. But I think it’s a nasty force. You have 10 17 pdr shots when stationary at 32” and 6 of them can be rerolled due to semi indirect. That gives you enough punch to hit through tough armor and given the mobility of many of your teams, you can maneuver to get those all-important side shots on the things that your Fireflies and M10s cannot punch through on the front. Against an infantry company, you sacrifice a bit of firepower as the 17 pdr gun cannot fire at infantry teams (No HE rule) or gun teams; you use it as a heavily armored MG carrier.
My favorite tactics with this list usually include a first turn Stuart rush, Use their recce move to get forward, and when you have first turn, you get to move them forward again, usually getting behind their lines as 32” is nothing to scoff at on the first turn. With the Co-ax and Hull MGs, plus the AA MG (although I wouldn’t recommend using them all the time) you can put out 20 Machine gun shots which is a ton of dice. Pinning SHOULD be easy at this part, especially in meeting engagements where neither side is dug in yet. It is quite amusing to hose down a Fearless Veteran platoon, watch them fail a couple of saves and run off the board as they fail their morale. At this point, is when you decide if you wish to push the side where the Stuarts have pushed through, or if you are going to focus on some other portion of the battlefield, and leave the Stuarts behind their lines wreaking havoc. The Infantry platoons I use to babysit objectives usually, although sometimes I have the US Paratroops hoofing it across the board to help hold the side where the Stuarts are sitting and hitting whatever dares to pop its head up. Depending on the Column Platoon you grab, you can also support the Paratrooper attack, or have them hang back and support your Guards Rifle Platoon.
This list is not without its weaknesses however, I have had problems with Soviet Armored lists, as they can put out so many tanks and supporting infantry, it can be hard to do enough damage before they are on you making mincemeat of your poor 6/4/1 Shermans and Fireflies. I also seem to have problems with Pioneer Platoons when they dig in. I can pin them, but when I attempt to assault, the added Tank Assault rating can make it rough on you when they counter assault. If I know I have Pioneers in front of me, usually I stay out of their assault range and just try to drown them out through sheer weight of MG dice.
Of course this is not even close to the only list one can make in this amazing book. I just thought I would share a list that has worked well for me. The combination of a Confident Veteran Irish Guards Armored Squadron and the semi-indirect special rule makes for a list that is quite comfortable sitting back and trading shots with all but the heaviest armor that an opponent can throw at you. Careful maneuvering is still needed when facing a dug in infantry list as the defensive fire can wreck your assaults before they even begin, side armor of 4 is decent but not outstanding. Just remember to pin before you assault! Hey, this article thing is pretty easy; perhaps I will do it again sometime!
All Hail the Irish Guards, Quis separabit?
