Armored Warfare - WW2 - A&A RTS - Armor - A&A RTS

AXIS and ALLIES RTS | The Armor of WW2

Great Britian changed the tactics of warfare forever, when they introduced the first tank during WWI. Altough very slow and fraught with mechanical and safety issues, tanks were the perfect counter to the static battles of trench warfare... Which had cost millions of lives, without either side being able to gain a significant advantage.

^{Panzerkampfwagen II}

Light Tanks
At the start of WWII most countries relied on a Light Tank design, with good speed, and enough protection against most infantry based weapons of the time. Light Tanks were a perfect fit for the blitzkrieg tactics employed by Germany, which won them several quick victories in the first stages of the war (1939-40).

^{T-34 Medium Tank}

Medium Tanks
With tank vs tank battles becoming more common, and improvements in infantry anti-tank weaponry such as the Panzerfaust; the need for better armor and more firepower became apparent.

^{Panzer III Medium Tank}

The German high command was shocked by the T34, as it easily outclassed most German tanks on the eastern front at the time of it's deployment. The low profile and revolutionary sloped armor of the T34 made it hard to kill, but this came at a cost. The T34 crew could often only handle a couple of hours inside, before becoming very fatigued by the cramped conditions.

^{Tiger I - PzKpfw VI Ausf. E}

Heavy Tanks
The tank evolved quickly during the mid to late stages of WW2, as the various combatants added even greater firepower and armor; but in many ways the Heavy Tank was a developmental dead-end. The Tiger I was very technical tank to build and keep in service, and at 57 tons it consumed massive amounts of fuel (and was too heavy to cross most bridges). The IS-2 Joseph Stalin was deployed in 1944, but Russian tank production concentrated mostly on the T-34 as it was cheaper and easier to produce.

^{M26 Pershing Heavy Tank}

The US M26 Pershing saw very little combat as it did not enter service until 1945, and the Mk IV Churchill was rushed into service with an engine that was underpowered, and it's design couldn't hold a gun bigger than 75mm, after upgrades.

^{Churchill Crocodile}

Flame Tanks
The nations involved in WW2 developed a wide variety of specialized armored vehicles, of which the Churchill Crocodile was a sucessful example. Armed with a flamethrower, the Crocodile was a "bunker buster", which specialized in taking out hardened targets; up close and personal.

_{155mm Gun Motor Carriage}
^{M40 "Long Tom"}

Artillery Tanks
Mobility had become more and more important for an army to be sucessful in completing any given objective. With the improvement of infantry anti-tank weapons it was important to support your armor with infantry, so armored vehicles and halftracks were deployed to transport infantry; allowing them to keep up with the advancing armor.

Then came the need for artillery that could "keep up with the advance" as well, so artillery pieces were mounted to a variety of vehicles. This eventually evolved into the "Arty Tank", which offered the all-terrain mobility of a tracked vehicle, as well as additional crew protection.

^{Te-Ke "Tankette"}

Tankettes
The Japanese fought a very different type of war in the Pacific, which relied more on infantry and airpower, and less on armor. While the Tankette performed admirably versus the poorly armed Chinese, it had incredibly thin armor, which reportedly could be penetrated (at ranges of up to 600 yards) by heavy infantry weapons such as the USA .50 caliber MG. A WWI hold over, the Tankette was totally outmatched by any other tank of the day.

In Axis and Allies RTS ~ BASIC TIPS for ARMORED WARFARE
When it comes to Axis and Allies armor, most often it's either Heavy Tanks, Flame Tanks, and/or Arty Tanks; and occassionally Medium Tanks (and for the brave, Tankettes).

Russia and Germany Hit Their Stride
Russia and Germany have the best selection of armor, and also have the added benefit of the Tank Production upgrade; allowing for a cheaper way to deploy several of the game's strongest regiments at

$225. It gets even better with Rokossovski and Rapid Deployment,

$200.

Supporting Forces
Your armor will have a much greater chance at success if your main attack force is supported by a secondary force, or airpower. Some examples include supporting Heavy Tanks with Arty Tanks, Arty Tanks with Airpower, and so on...

Beware of Forest, Jungle, and City Terrain
Whenever possible, stay in open terrain with your armor, as Forest, Jungle, and City Terrain makes the games´ slowest units even slower. When playing on maps with alot of forest or jungle, allow extra time for all troop movements, especially retreating!!!

Important Upgrades
Upgrades will vary depending on country and regiment(s) deployed, but if available, get these must-have upgrades: Mechanical Reliability, Tank Production, Gyrostabilized Tank Guns, Diesel Engines, and more.... For the full story see our Guide to Upgrading Your Tanks | Armor and Upgrading Your Arty Tanks

AXIS and ALLIES RTS | Strongest Armor | by Country

• Great Britian: Armor

Great Britian has Heavy Tanks, but they were rushed into service and don't matchup well versus other Heavy Tanks... so it's best options for Armor are:

Flame Tank
The true strength of the flame tank is not it's "firepower" (attack value of 30), but is it's ability to break enemy morale and cause them to rout (MoraleLossEffect .5)

Arty Tank
The M7 Priest does have Improved Fire Control, so the British Arty Tank regiment is serviceable, but relatively weak units across the board makes them slightly weaker than the "arties" of most other countries.

Basic Late-Game Strategy
Use Flame Tanks to break enemy morale, then work toward supporting them with Arty Tanks. Harass your opponents with airborne drops and target key structures with Airpower.

• Germany: Armor

King Tiger
The strongest, slowest, and most expensive regiment in the game.

Well if you have made it to the armor stage of the game with Germany, you have already won half of the battle. Get Tank Production and choose from:

Heavy Tank
In equal numbers, the flame tank can hold it's own versus heavy tanks, but lacks enough "firepower" to finish off enemy regiments or gain ground.

Arty Tank
Arguably the second best arty tank regiment in the game. Has Improved Fire Control and a couple of unique upgrades: Schurzen and Advanced Armor Training

Basic Late-Game Strategy
After you get your AT-Mech out, work on your economy and then support your mech with arties or heavies. After you have a large force replace any casualties with King Tigers.

• Japan: Armor

Arty Tank
The Arty Tank is Japan's only option for armor 99% of the time. The weakest arty tank units, but Japanese arties do have the unique advantage of having Medium Tanks as support vehicles (all others have Light Tanks), so they are better at direct engagement than bombarding.

Japan faces challenges in the armor stage of the game, but still has options:

Medium Tank
Every country except Japan has 3 Medium Tanks units per regiment (Japan has 4). If you can catch your opponent before they get armor, medium tanks can work well.

    Tankette
      Only recommended versus no-bombs,
     and best versus infantry. Large quantites required, deploy from mech hq's after researching mechanized production.

Basic Late-Game Strategy
Get the arty tanks out ASAP, then take advantage of their strong late-game economy and spam airborne drops on your opponents.

• Russia: Armor

        Russia and Germany can be played almost the same in the
              armor stage of the game, both come with strong arties
             and heavies. Get tank production, then:

         Heavy Tank
      Have the best health and strong command units, plus the best upgrades Gyrostabilized Tank Guns and Mechanical Reliability.

^{Rocket Trucks or Arties?}

Arty Tank
If they had improved fire control they could be best-in-game, but still a solid choice. Better range and defense than rocket trucks. Add heavies in front for extra punch.

Basic Late-Game Strategy
With weak airborne and airpower, Russia is best off booming their eco, then spamming Heavy/Arty Tanks. Late game, you can always pre-order replacement armor* or give money to an ally that has airborne and air.
^{*may require additional armor hq's, see tent swapping}

• United States: Armor

If the United States can survive the infantry stage of combat,
they are pretty much a powerhouse for the remainder of the
game.

        Economic Strength
               The United States has one of the key ingredients for success, the best economy. Which
        allows them to get armor on the field faster and in larger numbers. Don't forget the best airpower in the game.

Arty Tank
The best arty tank unit in the game, plus the best upgrades. Get 18 regiments of these out and it will be hard for anyone to deal with you.

Basic Late-Game Strategy
Use your economy to get a massive force, and try to finish off opponents before the game goes too long. The longer countries such as Germany and Russia stay in the game the stronger they become. Use airpower to target key enemy structures or to support an advance.

ARMORED HQ - That concludes the basics of Armored Warfare in Axis and Allies RTS. Like our story? Digg it! Have a correction, addition, question? You can contribute to our A&A wiki, post in the official forum thread..