Click pics to enlarge
So I finally finished the additional Grenadier squad on bikes as a +4 point recon team.
Composition as follows:
In the sidecar
NCO KAR98
Loader KAR 98
Gunner MG34
On Bike 1
NCO KAR98
On Bike 2
KAR98
KAR98
Last night I tried them in the heat of battle at Portbury Knights Club (thanks David). First off a game of take and hold centred on a bridge (me V David's Canadians). I lost my sidecar combination very early on in turn 2, and the 2 man bike in turn 3 after making a high speed dash across open ground towards the bridge. Unfortunately despite the -1 to hit (I was travelling 30cm) the Canadian infantry sat behind a wall popping shots off as I approached and took me out. This left just 1 NCO on a bike for the remainder the game; so as a squad they were in-effective for much of the game.
Game 2 was a rearguard secnario with my Germans in defense of the town. My intention had been to remove the Canadians HMG from the left flank and then move my hidden bike squad from behind the ruined church to out flank the advancing Canadian infantry squads. Unfortunately due a run of crap rolls by me the HMG was persistent until turn 6, meaning that by the time the bikes could move without being cut to ribbons the infantry were almost on top of the front of the church. Despite a gallant effort by my squad of German Grenadiers in a ruined house beside the bridge (who took out many of the Canadans) the sheer force of numbers were too great and the bikes eventually were the last squad standing and I had to admit defeat. To be hoenst not an ideal scenaro for a recon squad (would have been better if I had been the advancing squad with the Canadians in hiding).
Conclusions
The additional squad as recon on bikes makes for great fun, but does require quite a different appraoch to play as they can't move and shoot in the same turn. They are incredible for covering open ground quickly and are more difficult to hit as they are -1 when moving, however they are quite expensive in terms of CE points (+3 for the extra squad, +1 for recon). 4 points is quite a lot when your platoon for the night is just 16 points!!
It is also vital to remember that you have the recon skilll and use it when you have the opportunity (ie when first being fired on) as I realised on my way home last night that it might have saved my MG mounted on the sidecar!!
The table we played on was very heavily populated with walls, buildings and hedges making it difficult to use the bikes to their full effect, however I would imagine that in a more open table they would be great. In dense urban games I hink the best way to use them is to get to strategic cover ahead of the enemy before dismounting the squad and entering on foot. All in all a good alternative additional squad to use when the play is likekly to be open with less cover or you could do with the advantage of spotting hidden troops more easily. However, for most games I am not sure if 6 men on bikes is a better use of points than the 2 HMG, 1 Mortar and a Sniper which is what I could have taken instead!!