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Examining The M10 Company

Examining The M10 Company

Examining The M10 Company
With Gavin van Rossum
After the tense battles to breach Hitler’s Atlantic Wall, the Allied forces in northern France were needing to clear operational space around the landing zones, clean up the various closeby German strongholds and line up to advance on Paris, then on to Berlin. They had landed on the beaches and dropped behind enemy lines to reclaim Europe from the Axis occupiers after over four long years of oppression and terror. 

As the initial landings were bloody but successful, there were tantalising hope that the Allied forces would sweep through France and roll up the Germans in short order. This bad intelligence (or overly positive naivety) was met by stoic Axis resistance, with new weapons knocking back Allied hopes. The months ahead provided more rough battlefield  learning made by Allied forces as they met experienced German formations & commanders combined with Tigers and Panthers, Bocage and the Panzerfaust.

Why Chose M10s For My New Flames Of War Force?
The US Tank Destroyer force from the Breakout lists is a real hot tamale, it brings a ton of big AT to the field with a solid scouting presence, but needs tempering with caution and a good sense of the on-table situation. The M10 can pop around a corner and blow up basically anything armoured that you dislike, that is for sure. Panthers and Tigers cannot sail around just making sure their front armour faces the enemy, they need to really take advantage of cover and advance cautiously

As is a big temptation with self propelled anti-tank forces they are listed as Tank units, but if you treat them like a Medium Tank, or sometimes even a light tank, you will very quickly find them exposed, then on fire. Treat them like the massive threat they are, but remember they are vulnerable. Abuse their mobility and decent AT, take advantage of reliable shots they can make and lean a bit on their Cautious rating to ignore half the return shots taken at them.

Examining The M10 Company

After rolling with Aggressive Sherman M4A1’s the defensive stats on the Cautious M10 Tank Destroyer look fantastic, with 5 Front Armour it feels almost as tough, with the same chance to Remount and being a smidgeon cheaper than a bog standard Veteran M4 Sherman.

With the fantastic 3 inch (76.2mm / 52 calibre) cannon it can threaten all armour in FoW other than the Elephant. Their Cross rating of 3+ is the same as decent Medium armour, so they can push through terrain with reasonable chance of success, so use this to get side shots when you need them, especially against Panthers or Elephants.

Examining The M10 Company

How Do I Build A Fun and Competent M10 Force?
As your core Formation of Tank Destroyers brings a shocking amount of Anti-tank 12 and .50 cals, you dont have a large need for more high end AT. Also the Security Sections provide reliable reconnaissance screens and spare .50cals, while also keeping the force on the table in case of an unforgiving opponent or terrible rolls. With HQ, 3 Units of 4 x M10s and 2 Security Sections setting you back only 56 points, you have a ton of great combined arms options to bolster your weak anti-personnel attacks with superior US artillery and some Dough Boys, I would recommend both. 

If you like carting around tons of firepower, choose Blitz Doughs, the Veteran Armoured Rifle Company, get the HQ in a halftrack, 2 short Veteran Armoured Rife Platoons (4 Rifle, 4 Zook, 2 LMG, 1 Light Mortar, 4 half-tracks), 3 Veteran (Trained) 81mm Mortar Tracks and 3 Veteran (Trained) Scott Assault Guns. 

You now have 15 more vehicles, 24 Infantry, 2 average barrages and including 11 more .50 cals. This adds 42 points to your force, leaving 4 points to get a full Self-Propelled AAA Platoon (even more mobile firepower, which also bothers aircraft a bit) or upgrade your Scotts to a Priest Battery and add in an Air Observer for extra deadly Time on Targets

Examining The M10 Company

You could also combine your Tank Destroyer Company with a Veteran Stuart Tank Company as they bring a ton of cheap mid range HE fire, heaps of MG dice and decent enough Assault options combined with many many very mobile hulls. This is a real Breakout force, you cant rely on being a big standup fighter, you need to duck and weave, always push for side shots, overwhelm weak parts of the enemy defences and pick on stragglers

I hope this helps guide your own Flames of War army choices, if you are in doubt of anything, get more games in!!
~Gavin