Late War list from the example?

Looking for inspiration to play a Late War 1750 list (I just couldn't settle on anything I wanted to play) I opened up the 'Grey Wolf' Eastern Front Late War book and came across an example German Armoured list. An SS Tank list with the Biermeiyer Warrior who is in a 5 strong Panzer IV platoon. Hmmmmm...why not. I quickly decided that would be my list for gaming versus Alex and his American tanks. When I told Alex what I had done he said I may have well set a new first by using a pre-made example list from the book. I don't recall ever doing that. Well, it wasn't exactly that list as in the book it comes to 1760 and we had agreed on a 1750 game so I looked at my miniatures in my collection and it didn't take long to swap the AA Quad Armoured Halftracks with armoured single 2cm halftracks (I don't have any 2cm Quads) and give the Panzer Gren platoon a Command team a SMG/Panzerfaust upgarde. This made the list under 1750.
I rarely use an SS list and I was facing American Armour with 'Detroits Finest' upgrades giving them 14inch movement!

My Fearless Veteran Tank Company List.
HQ. 2 x Panzer IV H (Boss tanks gets a Tiger Ace roll).
Combat One. Biermeyer Warrior (5 x Panzer IV) FV but count as Trained when shot at.
Combat Two. 3 x Panthers
Infantry. Panzer Grens with Halftracks 7 teams with a SMG/Panzerfaust Command upgrade
AA Support. 2 x 2cm Armoured AA Halftracks
Heavy Anti-Tank platoon. 3 Teams...2 x 88mm Lasers on Turntables with a Command Team.
The Heavy Anti Tank is Herr support so remains as Confident Veterans.

My force above and Alex's force below (with my Thunderbolt on loan). Dozer Tank is the 2iC.

We had 3 games on the same table. Missions....Free for All, Cauldron and Surrounded. The table layout was good and even though we did not change it the dynamics of the missions (deployment areas, objective placement etc) meant that it took on different tactical dimensions each time. It honestly felt like a new table each game. I thought that was a very cool testament to how well thought out the missions are and also the table layout we had on the day. All credit to Alex for the table set up as he created it while I had to zip home and get my army that I forgot after loading terrain boxes etc into the car. DOH!

I am not going to give three After Action turn by turn break downs but a few thoughts on my experience.
My list. Excellent. Balanced, fun, flexible...I would consider taking it again for sure.
I never used the Halftrack transports for the infantry in any game. I faced tanks so no point really but still they may come in handy facing a different list.
The big 88mm anti tank guns are great for really making opponents think about running tanks in sight of them.
Detroits Finest. Alex had just Shermans and Stuarts so typically after Turn One I no longer had to consider my front armour as a source of protection. DOH!
In two of the 3 games I think I lost the Panther platoon (I got lucky in the first game and they survived). Even after about 5 failed bail back in attempts...so much for Fearless.

After the 3 games we played a quick 4 player game of Tank Aces at 500 points and Alex used the Jumbo upgrade which meant that typically the first hit on that platoon of Shermans just bounces off. It's a great way to counter act the Elite German tanks sniper tactics of nibbling away at tank platoons. More dice are needed when shooting that platoon.

It was a great day of gaming in the Air-Con at my local club while outside it is very hot and sweaty as our tropical build up season runs it's natural course. After many experimental Late War lists (that usually lost) it has re-kindled my interest in German Tank lists again. In fact I think it has brought me back full circle to a type of list I settled on a long while back. Very similar to the list above but without the Fearless aspect and at least 1 recce element. hmmmm...back to the calculator and the army lists.

Cheers from Brendon (The Kiwi)

Random game pics.

Below my HQ tanks about to get whacked!

Below...Surrounded and under attack! Thunderbolt takes out a Panther and Shermans destroy the rest.