Hello Kitty

Hello Kitty
Hello Kitty:
Using The Soviet Medium Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment From Desperate Measures.
with Russell Briant

Greetings Comrades; the Soviets have access to a new type of Armoured Regiment to bring further torment to their enemies. The Srednly Samokhodno-Artillyerskly Polk or for those of you who want to practice your English for the great link up in Germany, the Medium Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment.

Those of you lucky enough to command this new formation will find its list construction and tactical use is built around two simple pillars. A troika of superb assault gun types utilising the T-34 chassis and new special rule called Cat Killers.
The Cat Killers rule replicates the practice and training of Soviet assault guns to provide over-watch support, from a distance, to assaulting companies.

Assault guns from a Medium Assault Gun Company do not use the Volley Fire special rule. Instead, assault guns from a Medium Assault Gun Company that did not move in the Movement Step may re-roll failed rolls To Hit when shooting their main guns at platoons with all teams more than 16”/40cm.

This is Semi-indirect Fire, repackaged for Soviets.

Hello Kitty
The 1350 Point List
My first list will be for 1350 points. I’ve taken the Confident Trained version to create a larger force for the points.

The Regimental headquarters is a single Command T-34/85 obr 1944 for 70 points. The list requires a minimum of two Medium Assault Gun Companies for its Combat Companies, with options to use any of the three assault gun types.

An SU-100 Company with their 100mm D-10S guns that have a range of 40”/100cm, Anti-tank 16 and Firepower of 2+ is a must have for my list. This is the company to give Panthers and Tigers pause for thought.  In this points light list I have taken company of four which costs 310 points. Options exist to take three to five Assault Guns in these Medium companies.

For my second compulsory Medium Assault Gun Company could repeat the first. Another batch of SU-100s has some appeal but the re-roll for missed To Hit rolls of the Cat Killers rule could often be made better use of with the higher rate of fire of the 85mm gun. There are two Assault Gun options with 85mm guns. The SU-85 and the SU-85M; the latter has the same 9 Frontal Armour of the SU-100 which is a good antidote for the fire of StuGs, Panzer IVs and PaK40s but I’m going to gamble that there will be more pressing targets and I can afford to save some points and go for the cheaper SU-85. A company of four costs 240 points.


There is an option to mount SMG Tank Escorts for +10 points per Assault Gun in a company but that doesn’t work with this Regiment’s concept where these companies are intended to sit back at range. Other companies will get up close and personal and can take advantage of close escorts.

My HQ and Combat Platoons have expended 620 points.

Hello Kitty
Weapons Companies
To make Cat Killers work, reconnaissance is vital. No good re-rolling misses if the To Hit score is 7! The Assault Gun Reconnaissance Platoon is the integral Recce option. You can take two Recon Squads totalling nine Rifle/MG recon teams for 190 points of one Recon Squad of five teams for 105 points. Points are scarce so I need to be frugal, I’ll take the smaller option. There is an option to add a BA-64 armoured car for 25 points but I’ll leave that for lists with more points. 725 points used.

Support Companies
The game is all about controlling objectives; this list needs some assaulting options for the Assault Guns to support. The Support Companies provide three possibilities: A Guards Heavy Tank Company; a Motostrelkovy Company; or a Tankovy Company.

In this list I’ve gone with the latter and a company of ten T-34 obr 1942 for 350 points. I could take the more expensive T-34/85s with its more powerful gun, but this platoon is chosen to get in and assault where there isn’t much difference for that task for a lot lower cost. The Wide Tracks of the older design will help in difficult terrain. The Assault Guns have the Anti-tank duties in this list.

The SMG Tank Escorts do make sense for this company, adding extra assault dice, for another 100 points. Four platoons for 1175 points. Balance says another two platoons would be nice.

100 points buys a the small Assault Gun Sapper Platoon of six Pioneer Rifle teams which could be useful for removing obstacles blocking an assault and providing a small infantry contingent for places that the T-34s can’t go.

A Tank Destruction Company of four 45mm obr 1942 guns fills out the last 75 points. These guns get Volley Fire special rule so they can push forward to support the assault or sit back and cover an objective, potentially in a defensive position with the Sappers.

1350 point Medium Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment (Confident Trained)
Srednly Samokhodno-Artillyerskly Polk HQ
 
with one Company Command T-34/85 obr 1944. 70 points
Combat Companies  
Medium Assault Gun Company  
with four SU-100 Assault Guns. 310 points
Medium Assault Gun Company  
with four SU-85 Assault Guns. 240 points
Weapons Companies
 
Assault Gun Reconnaissance Platoon  
with Command Rifle / MG team and one Recon Squad.
105 points
Assault Gun Sapper Company  
with Command Pioneer Rifle team and one Sapper Platoon.
100 points
Support Companies
 
Tankovy Company
 
with ten T-34 obr 1942 Tanks.
450 points
Tank Destruction Company
 
with Command Rifle team and four 45mm obr 1942 guns.
75 points
Total Points: 1350 points
The 1500 Point List
Another 150 points to use. Taking the previous list I could upgrade five of the T-34 obr 1942s to T-34/85s, improving the Anti-Tank capability of the regiment. However, the assault component of this force could really do with beefing up. Replacing the Sappers with a two platoon Motostrelkovy containing fifteen SMG teams at 240 points leaving 10 points to upgrade one team to Panzerfaust SMG team.

1500 point Medium Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment (Confident Trained)
Srednly Samokhodno-Artillyerskly Polk HQ
 
with one Company Command T-34/85 obr 1944. 70 points
Combat Companies  
Medium Assault Gun Company  
with four SU-100 Assault Guns. 310 points
Medium Assault Gun Company  
with four SU-85 Assault Guns. 240 points
Weapons Companies
 
Assault Gun Reconnaissance Platoon  
with Command Rifle / MG team and one Recon Squad.
105 points
Support Companies
 
Tankovy Company
 
with ten T-34 obr 1942 Tanks.
450 points
Motostrelkovy Company
 
with Command SMG team and two Motor Rifle Platoons
240 points
Upgraded to include one Panzerfaust SMG team.
10 points
Tank Destruction Company
 
with Command Rifle team and four 45mm obr 1942 guns.
75 points
Total Points: 1500 points

The 1750 Point List
With a further 250 points to spend, this allows me to beef up my units to better do their intended jobs. The first Medium Assault Gun Company can gain a fifth SU-100 for +80 points. The second Medium Assault Gun Company should also gain an additional vehicle and there enough points to upgrade these to the more survivable SU-85M for +125 points.

T-34s are fine to lead the assault but the new IS-2 obr 1944 with its Breakthrough Gun, Frontal Armour 11, Side Armour 8, Top Armour 2 and in addition to the Turret-rear MG is a real assault monster. A platoon of three with SMG Tank Riders and added .50 cal AA MG cost just 35 more points than my previous T-34 Company.

The 10 points left is enough to upgrade a further Motostrelkovy team to SMG Panzerfaust. Job done.

1500 point Medium Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment (Confident Trained)
Srednly Samokhodno-Artillyerskly Polk HQ
 
with one Company Command T-34/85 obr 1944. 70 points
Combat Companies  
Medium Assault Gun Company  
with five SU-100 Assault Guns. 390 points
Medium Assault Gun Company  
with five SU-85M Assault Guns. 365 points
Weapons Companies
 
Assault Gun Reconnaissance Platoon  
with Command Rifle / MG team and one Recon Squad.
105 points
Support Companies
 
Guards Heavy Tank Company
 
with three IS-2 obr 1944 tanks.
440 points
Upgraded to include two SMG Tank Escort teams. 30 points
Upgraded to include three .50 cal AA MGs.
15 points
Motostrelkovy Company
 
with Command SMG team and two Motor Rifle Platoons
240 points
Upgraded to include two Panzerfaust SMG team.
20 points
Tank Destruction Company
 
with Command Rifle team and four 45mm obr 1942 guns.
75 points
Total Points: 1750 points
These lists have no Anti-aircraft (or AA) or Template weapons such as artillery. The Tank Destruction Company could be exchanged for an AA platoon armed with three AA trucks armed with DShK machine-guns or a Guards Rocket Mortar Battalion with two BM-13-16 Katyusha and extra loading crew.

The table top use of all three is the same as this list expects to attack. The Assault Gun Companies find suitable locations to cover the objective to be assaulted or defended and to cover the approaches of any forces that could interfere with the assault. Preferably this will be in cover and a place from where they have limited need to move during the game.

Hello Kitty
The Reconnaissance platoon pushes forward to remove Gone To Ground from the targets of the Assault Guns. The Tank Destruction Company is probably a good choice to cover against direct interference of the Recce teams carrying out their task.

The Tanks and Infantry Companies push forward and, with the Assault Guns removing the key defensive teams, which will focus on the enemy key Anti-tank assets, before launching an assault to take and hold the objective.

Happy re-rolling.

~ Russell.