victorhauser
Posts: 318
Joined: 5/29/2000
From: austin, texas
Status: offline
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It's almost a matter of personal choice when it comes to German "authentic" core selection for a campaign. The Germans more than other nations created "ad hoc" kampfgruppen tailored especially for the operation at hand. Even within divisions, the Germans "mixed and matched" units for the task to be performed. Their training and tactical doctrine allowed for this greater degree of flexibility than did other nations (although all nations did it, with varying levels of success).
However, even the Germans had some "standard" (if the word can be applied here) kampfgruppen within their panzer divisions. Typically, one KG would be formed around the Recon Battalion, and one around each Panzergrenadier Regiment. Sometimes a KG would be formed around the Panzer Regiment, too (although more usual to see the panzer battalions operating with Panzergrenadier KGs, the main exception being during large-scale assaults like Kursk). In any event, these KGs would draw upon other divisional assets like engineer, antitank, and artillery, as well as the occasional GHQ units (like heavy tanks and antiaircraft).
But basically, German players, to a degree not easily matched by other nations, can choose just about any core force they can imagine from battle to battle and still not stray very far from being "authentic".
"Purists" might argue that having 33 Elephants as part of your core is "unbelieveable" or "unrealistic". But I like to think that MY core force happens to be the most important force in the Theater (why would I be playing the campaign with secondary troops?). And "somebody" had all those Elephants at Kursk, why not me?  So I have no problem with having as much of my favorite combat material as I can get my hands on. (I compensate the AI in lots of other ways to handicap myself though, because I don't like pushover campaigns. See my post from several weeks ago "Where Are You Coming From?" for details.)
I don't play the Germans in campaigns much these days since I generally think it's too easy to win with them. But when I do play the Germans, I imagine myself as the main KG commander for Grossdeutchland (even in Africa or France!  ). That gives me the mental freedom to compose my core force in just about any way I can think of.
Happy Gaming,
Victor
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VAH
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authentic core force compositions? - 
, this is very general, but should give you some ideas.
Specialized units were usually attached to the larger units in one way or another.
Wild Bill
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In Arduis Fidelis
Wild Bill Wilder
Coordinator, Scenario Design
Matrix Games
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