SturmTiger Scary or Cement Mixer on Wheels

[WesN]

When first looking at this monster I was somewhat afeared of it. Then after reading the rules on it I was not any longer. I am starting HS32 via VASL soon and the only worry I have with it, is that the player running them might get lucky. It is going to be very hard to ever hit with them. They just seem kinda gimmicky. I will know more once I see them in action, but currently they are just a tank with a cement mixer mounter on the turret.

Wes

[Bret Hildebran]

Wes writes:
It is going to be very hard to ever hit with them. They just seem kinda gimmicky. I will know more once I see them in action, but currently they are just a tank with a cement mixer mounter on the turret.

Yes & no. A hit isn't likely, but the thing to remember is that a hit is pretty much death which is a unique feel. Sure in a stone building at 3 to 6 hexes, the SturmTiger needs a 4, but that's still a 1 in 6 possibility. And it's 1 in 6 that you're basically dead, which is somewhat disconcerting.

36(-2) shots hurt. An 8 is still a KIA, boxcars is something like a 3MC.

Having played one of the OVHS scenarios (I think it was HS32) with them as the Brits, it's not a good feeling to get shot at by one. They do have their limitations & a hit is never a certainty but if you take enough shots, you'll collect on a 4 or 5 on occasion which will likely result in the Brit just pulling pieces off the board.

Bret Hildebran
oxo@stratos.net

[Anonymous]

Only got one shot off with them (they need infantry support) but it was a Critical vs some infantry in the open, which definitely left a mark!

[J. R. Tracy]

A hit is unlikely, but you still have to respect the possibility. I wouldn't risk a killstack in their LOS in the hopes they'll just miss. And, their armor is such that they'll roll right up next to you, so that 4 TH goes up to a 6, which gets *really* scary.

In the scenario in OVHS (name escapes me) they are useful for popping smoke with their sNs to support the advance, and are just mobile enough to get behind the Brit front line and mess up rout paths and redeployment. Once the 17lber is located, the (surviving) SturmTigers can act with relative impunity. Sure, they might get DI'd by a PIAT, but even that is likely to leave them in a good location to deal some damage.

JR

[Anonymous]

A hit _is_ unlikely, just like in real life, but it's also as close to a lock as you can get to kill something if it does hit :) just like in real life IMO.

[Anonymous]

Remember, even a near miss has a chance of rubbling a building. 36-3's have a good shot even with a stone building.

[Vinnie]

These monsters have been around for a long time now, but feature rarely in scenarios. Is this unlikely to hit but likely to kill feature what restricts them from more action or merely because they were rare and didn't feature much anyway?

[daveramsey]

No scenario cards handy right now, but are these the same vehicles that are a feature in Le Herrison?

They seem to act a bit like flamethrowers, in that their presence funnels the enemy to where you want to move them to...

[Vinnie]

Don't think they are in Le Herrisson since that's French/German and these guys are 1944-45 only. They are the 18 front armor 380m gu that can't area target type and fires once every two turns, no CE fire, no bounding fire etc.

[daveramsey]

Ah thanks. I was thinking of the sIG IB's.

[aiabx]

My oppo scored not one, but two Sturmtiger critical hits against me, and I malfed my one AT gun on its first shot.
My casualty collection team went in that day with a sponge.

[wrongway149]

These monsters have been around for a long time now, but feature rarely in scenarios. Is this unlikely to hit but likely to kill feature what restricts them from more action or merely because they were rare and didn't feature much anyway?

Pretty much the latter-- remember, they weren't even in the original BV counter mix!

[chris_olden]

Playing against Dr.Haasl in one of the old KE
scenarios that used a KGP map, and his Stürmtiger
scored not once, but twice against my tanks.
I don't recall knocking it out.
A bit of an ugly result for me as I recall.

[Ray Woloszyn]

No scenario cards handy right now, but are these the same vehicles that are a feature in Le Herrison?

They seem to act a bit like flamethrowers, in that their presence funnels the enemy to where you want to move them to...

I think they see some play in "For A Few Rounds More". Played this against Melvin Falk at a distant ASLOK and hit one of his Shermans with it. Of course, the large size helped and at the time it was not moving.

[Glennbo]

They just seem kinda gimmicky. I will know more once I see them in action, but currently they are just a tank with a cement mixer mounter on the turret.They are gimmicky. There's a good reason they aren't included in BV. You've got to be pretty jaded about the counter mix to stoop that low.

[jrv]

They are gimmicky. There's a good reason they aren't included in BV. You've got to be pretty jaded about the counter mix to stoop that low.

If you need to knock down a building (http://forums.gamesquad.com/showthread.php?111393-Real-life-bog-check), they should be your first choice.

JR

[Srynerson]

These monsters have been around for a long time now, but feature rarely in scenarios. Is this unlikely to hit but likely to kill feature what restricts them from more action or merely because they were rare and didn't feature much anyway?

Since fewer than 20 were even produced, I would say that they should be damn rare in scenarios!

[Gunner Scott]

Officially, there are only two scenarios with the Sturmtiger, "A Few Rounds" and "A Few Rounds More" though A few Rounds more really sucks.


Scott

[stuh42asl]

If I remember correctly they also affect the surrounding 6 hexes as well. Will have to review my rules. I played the OVHS scenario with the sturmtiger. As the brits I lost my 9-1 a HMG , MMG and 2 x 4-5-8 to that monster. A nice direct hit on the house I was in. Spectacualr to say the least......all three killed in one shot. The next turn the villlage was damaged when the Germans landed a round smack in the ammo dump...I lost the scenario due to shell shock both on the board and in reality:) Nice piece of kit if you have a serious built up position to knock out. Intimidating as well , kind of like facing the crocodile without being able to do anything about it. All you can really do is watch the round come in..............same thing the Russians must have felt in Sevastapol when Dora was fired at them.............In this case incoming rounds definately have right of way................................ouch

Shane

[Vinnie]

The adjacent hexes are affected when the ammo dump goes, I think...