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Meet the Infantry Halftrack

By daeyeth - 6th November 2008 - 08:37 AM

The Infantry Halftrack, or IHT, plays a very versatile role in the Panzer Elite's army. The IHT is built at the Kampfgruppe Kompanie for 220 Manpower and 20 Fuel. It has a relatively high damage-per-second output, and for the most part, it is resilient to small-arms fire. These two qualities, combined with its ability to transport troops and provide field reinforcement, makes it Panzer Elite's ace-in-the-hole in the early-game.

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Armament

A mounted MG42 sits on top of the IHT, and though this machine gun is a tuned down version of its Wehrmacht counterpart, it still provides an excellent base of fire thanks to its high damage and suppression. In a one-on-one battle, the IHT will defeat a US Riflemen squad. However, the IHT's machine gun has one key drawback, and that is its limited cone of fire. This means that in order to engage a mobile enemy, the entire halftrack must turn to re-orient the MG. However, by using the halftrack's reverse gear to back it up (while keeping it faced towards the enemy,) it will pick off enemy forces and take minimal damage in return.

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Choosing Tank Hunter Tactics as your command tree enables your Kettenkrads to repair other vehicles. This can help keep your vehicles topped up on health while in combat.


The IHT is an open-topped halftrack, which enables its passengers to fire while being transported. This makes for numerous ways to arm a halftrack - will you opt for G43s that'll bleed the enemy's infantry? Or will it be Panzerschrecks to chase down armor?

Panzer Grenadiers can either be placed in the IHT and kept safe at long range (though this will greatly reduce the effectiveness of MP44-wielding Panzer Grenadiers) or kept outside the IHT to maximize their firepower and receive constant reinforcements. Either way, remember that the IHT can reinforce the Panzer Grenadiers and the Panzer Grenadiers can repair the IHT, even when in battle! Always be sure to use focused fire when you have your IHT and Panzer Grenaiders together in an attack group - the combined firepower of Panzer Grenadiers and an IHT will bring down enemy units quickly. This is especially important when dealing with US Engineers wielding flamethrowers, as they are very fragile but can deal severe damage to your clustered troops.

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These Panzer Elite player is vastly outnumbered here, but by carefully backing his IHTs up along this path, they can deal enormous amounts of damage to those Riflemen squads without fear of retribution. He can also walk his Panzer Grenadiers with his IHTs to keep them fully reinforced.


When Panzerschreck-equipped Panzer Grenadiers are placed in IHTs, you end up with a mobile tank hunter force. The accuracy of the Panzerschreck remains the same when doing so, even if the IHT is taking evasive action. The Panzer Grenadiers inside are protected from small-arms fire by the IHT, so this combo can take down light armor with relative ease. On average, you should deploy two Panzershrecks to fight one M8 or Stuart. Driving parallel to your opponent's vehicle and striking hard after it reloads is the best way to use this force. Remember that Canister Shots from Stuarts are no longer a threat when your units are hiding in IHTs. Also, chase down any vehicle that tries to run away - it's okay to sacrifice the IHT to kill off a vehicle, as it will almost always trade positively for you (unless it's a Jeep, Bren Carrier, or M3 halftrack.) Consider this - a fully-upgraded M8 costs 280 Manpower, 30 Fuel, and 100 munitions, compared to your IHT's 240 Manpower (plus an additional 45 Manpower to reinforce the squad member that will die when the IHT explodes) and 20 Fuel. When you factor in the relative teching and upkeep costs of each unit, this is a good trade for you.

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This M8 is enveloped by two IHTs carrying Panzerschreck-toting Panzer Grenadiers and is unable to escape such a mobile force


Reinforcement

The IHT has one crucial characteristic that will dramatically tip the balance in your favor in early-game battles, and that is that it has the ability to reinforce your troops on the front line, no matter where you are! This means that if one of your Panzer Grenadier squads is suffering losses, all you need to do is walk it towards the halftrack and click 'reinforce,' and you will continuously maintain your firepower while bleeding the enemy of his. In the event that one of your squads is suffering from an extreme amount of focus fire, you can queue up reinforcement for that unit and then pile it into the IHT. This will protect the injured squad from harm while the reinforce timer fills up. After about ten seconds, have the unit jump out, and an additional squad member will immediately appear and join the squad.

The reinforcement ability of the IHT makes it act as a mobile headquarters in the early game, allowing you to fight battles all around the map without having to waste time retreating back to base.


Taking out support units

The IHT can deal with Riflemen and Tommies relatively well, but it is truly a force to be reckoned with when dealing with support units, such as those produced at the US Weapons Support Center.

Snipers fall prey to the IHT very easily, as the speed and durability of the IHT allow it to pursue snipers, even in combat situations. Retreating snipers easily be chased down all the way to the enemy's base.

Machine guns don't require IHTs to clear out; however, the IHT can help when an infantry flanking maneuver is not possible. If an MG crew is out in the open, a simple flank with one IHT can do the trick. It gets harder once the MG is in a building. There are two ways to go about clearing an MG crew -
  • If you have researched the Incendiary Grenades upgrade, you can easily rush in an IHT, unload a squad or two of Panzer Grenadiers, and have them throw their Incendiary Grenades at the MG. The squads can then be rapidly loaded back into the IHT, and you can drive off until the MG squad is either dead or retreating. This works well if you can afford Incendiary Grenades (you should be able to) and if the enemy has supported his MG with barbed wire and Riflemen.
  • If you do not have Incendiary Greandes, you can simply load a Panzer Grenadier squad (preferably one wielding G43s, as they inflict massive damage to units in buildings) into an IHT and start driving in circles around the building the MG is in. This technique works well when the enemy has limited or no support around the MG and you lack the resources for Incendiary Grenades.
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These Panzer Grenadiers caught a ride in an IHT, allowing them to get close enough to the MG to throw an Incendiary Grenade without getting suppressed


Veterancy

Vet 1 Requirement: 8 XP

Vet 2 Requirement: 22 XP

Vet 3 Requirement: 38 XP

The standard Panzer Elite vehicle veterancy bonuses apply to the IHT.


by Peacekeeper