2011 US Masters Player Profiles: Mike McMann In series of articles, we will be profiling the players who took part in the 2011 US Masters held in Philadelphia. See all result from the 2011 US Masters here...

Player Profile Name: Mike McMann Hometown: Lebanon, IN, USA. Current city and state: Fishers, IN, USA. College or University: BA- Mgmnt/Accounting, Indiana University ; MA- Education, Indiana University ; BA- Paramedic science, Purdue University. Favorite Movie: Roots......err...no. Let's say Point Break.... dunno really, that'll do.... Favorite Historical Period: Jurassic.. Army Lists Mike's 1000 point German Pionierkompanie... Mike's 1250 point German Pionierkompanie... Mike's 1450 point German Pionierkompanie... Mike's 1650 point German Pionierkompanie... Mike's 1850 point German Pionierkompanie... Mike's 2000 point German Pionierkompanie...

US Rankings HQ Statistics (as of 15/12/11)

Rank ID Number Points Movement Tournaments 5. 100069 342.7433 0 6

Tournament Results For the Last 12 Months

Tournament Name Location Number of Players Nation Placing Points Earnt Flames Of War Masters United States 22 German 6 63.36 GenCon Primer 2011 United States 18 German 10 39.00 Early War Nationals @ Historicon United States 55 German 13 78.18 Historicon Thursday I95 Open Tourney United States 36 German 8 77.33 Adepticon Mid War Nationals United States 46 German 4 93.48 Wolfkrieg 11 United States 48 Soviet 4 93.75

Battlefront: What is your favorite Flames Of War army to play? Mike McMann: German Pioneers (Foot).

BF: Why? MM: Mike's top five reasons to play Pioneers. 1.) Stormtrooper, 2.) Only rifle toting infantry, 3.) ten man strong, Confident Veteran, pioneers with flamethrowers and goliaths 4.) Can afford to include BAT (Big A** Tanks) like King Tigers, 5.) I have the actual army in my posession!!

BF: What is your favorite Flames Of War time period? MM: Not Early-war.

BF: Why? MM: I am not a fan of the little tin cans in Early-war. It feels more like an infantry slug fest with some litte MG platforms driving around. I prefer the combined arms nature of the other two periods. That, and I feel that Mid-war and Late-war are very well balanced across all nationalities.

Below: Mike's German Pionierkompanie at the US Masters.

BF: What is your favorite World War II battle or operation? MM: Uhh....Waterloo? That one? err....I am gonna say, the one where the US sailor dudes broke onto the sub to steal the typewriter thingy....

BF: Why? MM: Because that took some real guts!

BF: What is your favorite part of the hobby? (Painting, playing, historical research, collecting, assembling, etc.) MM: Umm, I don't paint, collect other than to play, do any historical research or anything other than show up to play. So, I am gonna say playing the game!  Seriously, I really love playing competitively! Plus, I have never met a cooler group of dudes (and dudettes!) around the world! And I have been around.... (insert illegitimate father joke) I play almost exclusively because of all those people. That, and the game is one of the best I have played in my few decades of gaming. Include a bit of historical flavor, add awesome people, and you have a hobby stew that is almost unbeatable!

BF: Why do you attend tournaments? MM: I love competition. Period. End of story. I haven't played a non-tournament game in probably three years....maybe more. I do all my play testing of my lists in my head and don't have lots of time otherwise. The time I set aside I want to "mean" something. To me, maybe not others, that means competitive gaming. The competition in Flames Of War is top notch! There is nothing more fun than walking into a room of 40 or more players and knowing that they are all (barring a few that say they are just there to play for fun......NOT!) going to do their level best to destroy me and make it to the top! THAT is exciting! THAT is the next best thing to.......err.... well, suffice to say, I love competition and tournaments is where you find that.

BF: Your tournament mantra? MM: "Who's got my army and why is there not a vodka tonic in my hand?!"

BF: What is your favorite type of tournament? (Points, theme, time period, style, etc.) MM: 1750, LW, no theme, open to all books -etc, 8 rounds, 3 days, No soft scores, No trickle down awards (Don't care about prizes, but if I guy wins everything...he gets the kudos for winning everything. We arent in kindergarten), Priority in winning is "winning" over points - so, undefeated wins the tourney regardless, then, down the line. Points are a tie breaker, etc...

BF: What are some of the most competitive armies to play? MM: I have played for over six years. In that time, either through my own building or borrowing, I have played every nationality, every type, and pretty close to every basal list. In that time, I have come to some fairly hard conclusions. Without going into detail on those, the lists I play have to have some inherent things before I will even gloss over them. Those are, Confident Veteran or Fearless Veteran rifle armed infantry of ten or more teams, super heavy tanks, cheap medium tanks, solid air support and enough small cost units to fluff in a platoon or two for mass. Right now, only a few choices of companies meet all those requirements. The primary one being German Foot Pioneers. So, to answer the question, that is the most competitive army I play. To get a bit more on that list though, some that would almost meet that high criteria are: British Rifles, a few of the odd nationality lists (Romanian, Hungarian, Finns) and (minus the super heavies) the Italy Veterans US Rifles.

BF: What is your favorite platoon type? MM: Hmmmm....that is hard to say really. I don't fixate on a platoon type, since I try to get a synergy in the overall list. I mean, I'll take any platoon if I feel it will really coordinate well with the list as a whole. Maybe it would be better to say what platoons I DON'T like. That would be light and heavy mortars, any artillery pieces except Nebelwerfers, medium tank platoons of less than four tanks, unarmoured AA trucks, stationary AA guns, Anti-tank Guns except ones purchased in company HQ that can be parceled out, infantry platoons less than six teams, oh, and armoured WHEELED cars..... so, that's about it. As a favorite, none really...

BF: What are you general tactics that you use almost every game? MM: Psychology. No...really. I mean, given the typical competitive Flames Of War gamer, and the very excellent balanced points system, the game comes down to who can wheedle out the best positional tactics and get in the others head. I put some significant effort into misdirection. In other words, I always use body language to telescope my movements, then will do something entirely different. Or, I will do something that no sane player would do...... or NOT do something a sane player would do. In essence, unpredictability is most important tool I wield most games. Well, that, and I try not to shower or have any personal hygiene. That works too....

BF: What army are you bringing to the Masters? MM: I am bringing some form of German Pioneers almost certainly. I doubt that will change. Primarily because that is what I have, and secondarily because I am lazy....

BF: What mission are you dreading the most?  MM: Dread? I don't dread any of the missions. My only concerns might be playing a 1000 point force during Encounter.... no dread, just pre planning significantly in that force composition.

BF: What mission do you excel at the most? MM: Umm...the ones that are published by Battlefront.....

BF: What points level do you like and dislike based on your army selection? MM: I feel that my army will work quite well at the low levels in comparison to some others. Where it might have some issues actually is the higher point levels. My list doesn't have a robust platoon choice. Therefore, at higher levels it tends to breakdown.

BF: Is there a particular points and mission combo that you are really looking forward to seeing? MM: I am looking forward to a 2000 point No Retreat as the defender..... I think I will get 8 points on that one...