Iron Grip Marauders Armor Companies Guide

Iron Grip Marauders Armor Companies Guide by WriterX

(This is not a full or complete guide, due to my level, and it might be changed or modified in the future as I myself gain more experience)

“Speed is the essence of war. “ Sun Tzu

We have all heard about the Blitzkrieg, at least those who studied 20th Century European History. The use of fast moving units to punch through specific points in the enemy’s defensive line and then surround them. Lightning war with the use of tanks during the 2nd World War was the first strong example of how these machines expertly outperform infantry in mobility and often fire power.

In Iron Grip: Marauder we also have tanks. However there is a clear difference and thus limitations between “Real” tanks as well as those that are available in the game. However, as I have mastered the strategy myself, it is possible to use a highly mobile force, composed of tanks and vehicles in order to defeat any opponent, if you know your own units and whatever the enemy could use against you. Fighting with tanks is not easy, it takes a lot of thought and experience as well as some basic preparations.

This is not to say using a purely Infantry based force, or a mix of both infantry and armor won’t work. However there is the option of using vehicles to defeat your foes with speed and resilience which infantry could never match.

Why use Armour over Infantry? To put it simply, my decision came from knowledge regarding infantry. Infantry en-mass is a terrifying foe, especially when you yourself are unprepared or the enemy. However, infantry is a “Soft” target. It is slow, and if it suffers damage they will drop in efficiency. This of course can be reinforced with the use of Ambulances, but if you are targeted by artillery, or your infantry is too bunched up it will be difficult to efficiently keep all your units at full efficiency. Tanks, although having their own weaknesses do not lose fire power together with damage, and even when critically damaged can still retaliate fully with their gun.

Let us jump to the actual planning of your force. If you decide to use Armor you have to realise what are its main weaknesses.

First of all, although quick the Basic Savar Tank does not offer any “Strength” against specific units. It is a generalist who will with more or less equal efficiency defeat both infantry and armor. However, since it is tougher than infantry, having a decent range and speed it will outperform basic infantry squads, be it troopers or Militia, and it is incredibly well suited to take out enemy vehicles and artillery. This is because once the enemy fires off you know where their guns are hiding, and usually within a round or two your Savar Tanks will be within range of the guns. Tank Destroyers, Bazookas and higher level Savar tanks will pose a serious threat. But, and here comes the important element of using Armor. A single Savar tank is hopeless. Four Savar Tanks, are a serious threat. A four Savar tank battle group is a challenge most AI will not be prepared for.

But, having your “Tank Group” is only the start of composing your Company. You must have Anti-Infantry capabilities. Otherwise disposing of enemy Bazookas or even ordinary Infantry could be a terrible chore with your tanks. By this stage I met three excellent units for this role. The (Licensed) Atavar Tank is a sluggish but murderous anti-infantry tank which is capable of taking out any enemy infantry squad with two shots, and on occasion even a single critical shot. It’s limitation is its speed, and it will often seem to end up on the second line of your attack line taking precious time to reach the front to return fire. The second unit is the Assault Archos. Holding the same speed as the Savar Tank it can keep up with your Tank Group and deliver death upon enemy infantry squads. Here, its main weakness is armor, being only a vehicle, it will be a prime target for enemy infantry who will be able to damage it with ease. However, with the Archos’ range it is possible to keep it back at a mildly safe distance and it will still be able to return fire. The third unit is surprisingly Militia. Although they are slower than the Tanks they have incredible range, and with their deployment cost you can wield a decent number of them. However if you do not have an ambulance their effectiveness will seriously drop with taken damage.

Lastly, come the support units. I have recently experimented with artillery, and although they can fire over mildly long distances, and from behind cover the problem is often the start of the engagement. If you stumble on the enemy force moving and deploying your artillery will cost you time, and you have no guarantee it will not be destroyed while retreating, costing you dearly in Deployment points. Instead of one Artillery gun you can take two Archos or even an extra tank, or even a decent amount of Militia. The “Must Have” support unit is the Repair Truck. It is more than likely that when you “Slam” into the enemy force with your armor your tanks could get damaged. The only remedy are repair trucks which are more than capable of fixing your tank in one or two round from a critical state. I usually deploy two, allowing them to efficiently repair damaged vehicles and tanks in an instant. Although a bit slower than tanks, they can always keep up with the main battle group, offering quick repairs to your front line, while also fixing each other if they are damaged.

A few key pointers when you are wielding your tank group, which also applies to any other company:

Do not bunch up your forces. Although you should fire in concentration the greatest weakness of bunching up is that enemy fire will damage all adjacent units, and in the case of Artillery this will do terrible damage to your company.

Healing Units (Ambulances and Repair Trucks) are a must. You will not always afford to lose precious units at the start of the battle when they can come to greater use later. Some of them will also cost to replace. Do not sacrifice your units.

Know your enemy. When facing an enemy of equal level he will never have stronger units than you. Know what to expect, and what is available to you. The same will be available to him.

Check the Research tree when facing tougher foes. You can check what is available to you on future levels. This lets you also to take a glimpse of what to expect, and although you will not have statistics you will have an idea of what might come.

Defeat the most critical enemy units, before killing off the rest. Artillery guns, Tank Destroyers, Bazookas, Tanks, Ambulances, Repair Trucks (not in this order). They are the most serious threat to you, but once they are gone you can clean up enemy infantry squads which are left over (and which will chip away at your tanks)