WW2 – Band of Brothers – squad Optimisation Part 2

So having done the Americans from this box set – how about the Germans – yes I have already built them but what if.. err.. I had a time machine and could have done my analysis before building them.

So in the Box you get 2 sprues and what can we build from those.

The starter set recommends you create

• Officer and assistant
• 1 SMG, 1 LMG team, 2 rifles
• 1 SMG, 2 Assault Rifles, 2 Rifles

Lets have a look at the effectiveness scores of these units, interestingly it doesn’t state if they are Veteran or Regular so I will run the figures for both.

Squad 1 as Veterans

Squad 1 as Regulars

Squad 2 as Veterans

As Regulars

Lets put these in a quick table –

Quality	Composition	Moving	Static	Average	Pts Cost
Veteran	1 SMG, 1 LMG, 2 Rifles	15.50	10.55	13.02	93
Regular	1 SMG, 1 LMG, 2 Rifles	12.17	8.28	10.22	73
Veteran	1 SMG, 2 Assault Rifles, 2 Rifles	16.60	14.76	15.58	83
Regular	1 SMG, 2 Assault Rifles, 2 Rifles	12.60	11.20	11.90	63

Lets have a look at the options for German Grenadiers from the Armies of Germany book.

We have the following options –

• Heer Grenadier Squad – Regular
  • Min 5 to Max 10men
  • Upto 2 SMGs
  • Upto 3 Assault Rifles
  • Upto 1 LMG
  • Upto 4 Panzerfausts.
• Heer Veteran Grenadier Squad – Veteran
  • Min 5 to max 10 men
  • Upto 7 SMGs
  • Upto 10 Assault Rifles
  • Upto 2 LMGs
  • Upto 4 Panzerfausts

So we have a max of 12 figures – assuming that we will still need an Officer, lets limit ourselves to 11. Thus we could take a squad of 5 and a squad of 6, 2 squads of 5 and give the officer his mate, a squad of 9 and give the officer his mate and have a Forward Observer or Medic, a squad of 8 and give the officer his 2 mates and have a medic/forward observer or a squad of 7 etc. Basically we could have squads of multiple sizes – lets have a look at the various EFFECTIVENESS scores.

Quality	Composition	Moving	Static	Average	Pts Cost
Regulars	1 LMG, 1 SMG, 3 Assault Rifles, 3 Rifles	8.98	6.95	7.965	128
Regulars	1 LMG, 2 SMG, 2 Assault Rifles, 3 Rifles	9.05	6.97	8.01	126
Regulars	1 LMG, 2 SMG, 3 Assault Rifles, 3 Rifles	8.95	7.08	8.015	141
Regulars	1 LMG, 3 Assault Rifles, 4 Rifles	9.26	6.91	8.085	125
Veteran	2 LMGS, 5 Assault Rifles	9.97	7.64	8.805	191
Veteran	2 LMGs, 6 Assault Rifles	10	7.83	8.915	210
Regulars	1 LMG, 1 Rifle, 2 Assault Rifles	11.33	8.37	9.85	80
Regulars	1 LMG, 1 Rifle, 1 SMG, 1 Assault Rifle	11.45	8.37	9.91	78
Regulars	1 LMG, 3 Assault Rifles, 1 Rifle	11.26	8.68	9.97	95
Regulars	1 LMG, 1 Assault Rifles, 2 Rifles	12	8.27	10.135	75
Veterans	1 LMG, 1 SMG, 3 Assault Rifles, 3 Rifles	11.51	8.9	10.205	164
Regulars	1 LMG, 2 Assault Rifles, 2 Rifles	11.81	8.62	10.215	90
Regular	1 SMG, 1 LMG, 2 Rifles	12.17	8.28	10.22	73
Regulars	1 LMG, 3 Assault Rifles, 2 Rifles	11.67	8.89	10.28	105
Veterans	1 LMG, 2 SMG, 3 Assault Rifles, 3 Rifles	11.49	9.09	10.29	181
Veterans	1 LMG, 2 SMG, 2 Assault Rifles, 3 Rifles	11.64	8.96	10.3	162
Veterans	1 LMG, 3 Assault Rifles, 4 Rifles	11.96	8.9	10.43	161
Regulars	1 LMG, 1 Assault Rifle, 3 Rifles	12.47	8.55	10.51	85
Regulars	1 LMG, 2 Assault Rifles, 3 Rifles	12.22	8.84	10.53	100
Regulars	1 LMG, 3 Assault Rifles, 3 Rifles	12.03	9.06	10.545	115
Veterans	2 LMG, 1 Assault Rifle	12.96	8.68	10.82	115
Regulars	1 LMG, 1 Assault Rifle, 4 Rifles	12.88	8.78	10.83	95
Veterans	2 LMGs, 1 SMG	13.1	8.69	10.895	113
Veterans	2 LMGs, 2 Assault Rifles	13.07	9.16	11.115	134
Veterans	2 LMGs, 1 Rifle	13.64	8.63	11.135	110
Veterans	2 LMGs, 3 Assault Rifles	13.16	9.56	11.36	153
Veterans	2 LMGS, 4 Assault Rifles	13.23	9.9	11.565	172
Veterans	2 LMGs, 1 Rifle, 1 SMG, 1 Assault Rifle	13.82	9.58	11.7	146
Regular	1 SMG, 2 Assault Rifles, 2 Rifles	12.6	11.2	11.9	63
Veterans	1 LMG, 1 SMG, 2 Assault Rifles	13.51	10.5	12.005	103
Veterans	1 LMG, 1 Rifle, 2 Assault Rifles	14.16	10.46	12.31	100
Veterans	1 LMG, 1 Rifle, 1 SMG, 1 Assault Rifle	14.38	10.52	12.45	98
Veterans	1 LMG, 3 Assault Rifles, 1 Rifle	14.1	10.88	12.49	119
Veterans	1 LMG, 1 Assault Rifles, 2 Rifles	15.2	10.48	12.84	95
Veterans	1 LMG, 2 Assault Rifles, 2 Rifles	14.95	10.92	12.935	114
Veteran	1 SMG, 1 LMG, 2 Rifles	15.5	10.55	13.02	93
Veteran	1 LMG, 3 Assault Rifles, 2 Rifles	14.78	11.26	13.02	133
Veterans	1 LMG, 3 Assault Rifles, 3 Rifles	15.37	11.58	13.475	147
Veterans	1 LMG, 2 Assault Rifles, 3 Rifles	15.64	11.31	13.475	128
Veterans	1 LMG, 1 Assault Rifle, 3 Rifles	16	10.96	13.48	109
Veterans	1 LMG, 1 Assault Rifle, 4 Rifles	16.68	11.37	14.025	123
Veteran	1 SMG, 2 Assault Rifles, 2 Rifles	16.6	14.76	15.58	83

So the proposed squads as regulars (excluding panzerfausts) cost 136 pts, and have a combined EFFECTIVENESS score of 10.22+11.90 = 22.12, if we make them Veterans then the points cost is 176 pts, with EFFECTIVENESS of 15.58+13.02=28.60.

Now I have identified a slight issue with my comparison method – that is when using it to create lists – the fact that a lower score signifies better EFFECTIVENESS if you try to add the effectiveness scores together to calculate the most EFFECTIVE list it does not take in to account that you can only create a single pin per unit – and having 2 units fire on a single target and create 2 pins may actually be more impactful in the game than a single unit causing 1 pin and some fatalities.

Now I am not going to overhaul it at the moment but will return to review it later, so if we have 136pts to spend – we could chose the 9 man squad with the lowest EFFECTIVENESS for 128 pts and leaving us 8 pts and a spare model to use elsewhere.

If we still wish to have 2 squads – then we could chose two squads of 1 LMG, 1 Rifle, 1 SMG, 1 Assault Rifle for 156 pts and a combined EFFECTIVENESS Score of 9.91+9.91 = 19.82.

Now I find all this number crunching interesting – if you wish to use the calculator for your own squads you can find it at this link.

IMPACTFULNESS Calculator for Bolt Action