The Power of the Bren Carrier

[Duck141]

The more I use the Bren Carrier the more I like it. I know its weak armored but self repair for 35 ammo keeps it alive and will help it escape. I use to always build LT first but now I build the BC first, right after I send the recon to cap. When the BC comes out I send it after the recon squad and qua them to get in. The BC travels about 30% faster from point to point which gives you early game capping power and helps track down kittens. I wasnt sure if the tommys was fireing from the BC so if I run into PGs I would unload fast, move tommys to cover and flank with bren. That works great against PGs, pios, volks but if you run into any HTs or scout cars all you can do is run. I tryed putting sappers with piats in the BC and sure enough they would fire from BC and reload. If you get sappers to over repair BC then it got you some fast moving AT on the field. Works great against scout cars and even HTs. Wouldnt reccomend it against a tank or AT HT. But it might get your pait carrying sappers to a spot for a ambush fast. If the BC is about to die, be ready to unload and retreat or you may loose everything.

Yes, I think the BC is very under rated.

[Nono85]

As english, I always build units in this order: LT (better capping power than tommies), a second tommies squad and a Bren Carrier.
I usually rush the ammo points, it allow me to upgrade the Bren Carrier with the Bren as soon as it get out. Once upgraded, this little car eat almost every early infantery, but the most important is the power to flank units under cover and MG. You can also use it to arrass enemy Half Track (Artillery HT), forcing them to retreat. It's a very usefull unit for english at the begining of the game.

PS: Notice that I only play in 2v2 and more.

[iaguz]

BC isn't under rated I reckons, just most people don't use it. The main problem with it is that it sucks up precious munitions in the early game, and it is kinda obsolete once you get around 7 mins in the game (if it's still alive of course)

I don't think you should build it so early. You can cap plenty quick with a BO of Infantry section, LT, infantry section, Speed Governors, relocate, Field support command. Well, maybe not plenty quick, but you can cap enough resources to get yourself started, and still have a very strong early game force (vunerable to MT HT's though) With these guys, capping is a matter of pushing off the enemy with superior force and simply taking all their shit.

My uses of the BC tend to be quite short lived, as the poor thing just gets shot to pieces. I dunno, maybe i just need to experiment a bit more.

[NarcosCatolicos]

It gets eaten up way to easy, I don't want to "risk" making such a unit. And the 35ammo for repairing it is a little too much imo since it dies fast anyway. I'd rather save ammo for a bren gun or rifle grenades.

[bodybag219]

There is a thread going about the unit which people consider to be the most of a nuisance, pest etc. the Kettenrad featured quite a lot in peoples answers.

So maybe an over repaired upgraded BC would be handy and fast for killing the pesky Kets decapping while while the action is happening. Maybe in this role it may have a longer lasting usefullness.

Or maybe a BC with a n extra Lt in it, that way if the point is decapped, he can re cap it while he is there.

Cheers bodybag

[Arcinatus]

best 2 uses i have for the BC is hunting down kettenkrads, and flanking weapon emplacements. although i have used it to tranport tommies with the light machine guns right in the face of a grenadier squad that has the long range file upgrade..
yes...blood bath indeed..

[Duck141]

I usually rush the ammo points, it allow me to upgrade the Bren Carrier with the Bren as soon as it get out

Once you upgread the BC you cant use it to cap and I use to BC for fast capping and kitten hunting in early game. I just tryed a couple of test games with the AI on Semois. I put piat sappers in BC. Made sure I left AI with resources to spam HT and scout cars. I took out kittens, scout cars, two HT and later I circle jerked a Marder and got it. I know this will work in ranked matches. As soon as the BC sees the HT, both sappers fire there piats. The trick is, dont stop far away from the HT or the sappers could miss. Drive right up to it and they will take out the full health HT in one blow, then back away, unload sappers and repair BC. This works even better if you keep the BC over repaired.... Try it out.
I tryed to put a LT in the BC with sappers, no deal, wont work. Then I really got creative. Got commandos, put two demo charges in BC. drove it into his main and took down his HQ. lol, no, it didnt work, commandos put demo charges on BC but when you drive away the demo charges stay there.... That would have been so kool, lol.

[Teh Humungus]

It's a very useful way to let your enemy quickly kill most of the members of an infantry squad riding on it.

[Duck141]

Ok, im going to post a couple of replays in the replay section showing what the bren can do. And it doesnt die as easy as everyone thinks. Go check um out.

[fallen soldier7]

is it possible to reinforce from a bren carrier?

i could have sworn i saw my tommies' reinforce symbol light up near a bren carrier the other day.

[Vintage]

I sometimes stick the captain inside the Bren Carrier to help protect him from harm. I just let him sit back in the BC far away from the enemy but still in the proper territory to give bonus to my soldiers.

[Mikkow]

Bren Carriers.. Let me think.

1. To cap very quickly, even in remote areas of the map.
2. To transport troops for radio triangulation laying in remote areas.
3. The best recon, a really pricy makeshift jeep. Recon Tommy squad in a bren sees very far and has a limited reveal camflage ability (compared to nothing normally).
4. To allow some infantry to keep up with tanks.
5. To provide minor fire support for infantry after they disembark.
6. To provide machine gun and vehicle support for infantry (MG upgrade)
7. To quickly get those sapper replacements up to the tanks far away for repairs.
8. Don't fight with infantry inside it. Disembark when doing battle. 50% of troops carried at least die if bren blows up. Only 25% of inf halftrack dies.
9. Doing a silly retreat-to-captain-charge if the captain is put inside one.
10. For flanking weapons teams.
11. As mobile reserve (the speed allows it), esp with vickers upgrade.

[Mistenth]

The fragility of the bren carrier is really the biggest ugh factor, and how much munitions it can suck up. Self repair is 35. AP burst is 40(?). Installing the MG is 50(?). Where are you going to get all this early game?

And by the time you can afford the munitions for these, you'll be facing either panzershreck troops or heavier armour that can blow the bren carrier up with ease.

The overrepaired piat bren carrier seems like an interesting idea to help out the weak AT of the British. [The 17 pounder doesn't cut it - it can't move and panzershrecks rape it. So if you defend the 17 pounder well then you lose the rest of the map, and you know what that means]. However to get an overrepaired Bren Carrier you need 2 sapper squads - 1 with PIAT and 1 with Expert Engineer. That's a lot of manpower.

[Question]

You dont. You are not repairing AP bursting and getting the MG early game.

Early game with your HQ on a ammo point you shouldnt have any problems getting the MMG upgrade relatively early, which is very useful as its a mobile .30 and can help against early scout cars. AP bursts help against halftracks, but a armored car will beat the carrier, which is when you should be scrambling for a stuart.

[Duck141]

No, No, No, Dont spend ammo to upgread the BC, dont use ammo on AP rounds and dont use 35 mun to self repair unless you totaly have to. Totaly have to circumstances::: Your trying to kill something yummy like a upgreaded HT or tank, the BC it taking damage, maybe from another direction. Then use the 35 ammo to make the kill and that would be well worth it. Just normal damage running around the battle field then move off, unload sappers and repair for free. Or better yet, if possible, meet up with over repair sappers.

[Question]

It is not possible to kill a HT or AC without MMG and AP rounds. Its not possible to kill a scout car with it either. for 50 ammo your only alternative is 75 ammo for brens which do not do anywhere near the damage to HT/ACs.

Also i just tested, bren carrier with MMG and AP rounds> better armored puma easily so it should shred the PE AC like butter.

[Duck141]

Well, this is my last shot at this then i give up,,, I know its not possible to kill HT or AC with BC. I know its not possible to kill scout cars with it. I played with the BC when OF first came out and the upgread with AP rounds. seemed useless to me cause of the high ammo cost and weak armor. I still think its a waste to use it like that. Read my post in this thread, watch the replays i posted, you'll see what im talking about.

[bonemachine]

Perhaps it is just your wording, but you do not UPGRADE to AP rounds you only activate them for a set amount of time ~20 seconds or so.

[iron_paw]

Dude, I think 2 x Pzr Gren squads with G43 will own a BC...

[Ace651]

Only if the brit player is a retard.
-cm

[iaguz]

Dude, I think 2 x Pzr Gren squads with G43 will own a BC...

Kinda depends on a few things

1) What kind cover are the PG's in, what range is this fight at?
2) does the BC have the brenner upgrade?
3) Will the BC use it's crew repair?
4) will we take into account the fact that the BC will move?

Although yeah, 2 PG's with G43's > Bren Carrier.

[Badly Browned]

This is interesting, because during beta I remember the complaints about the BC being OP followed by a nerf.

Anyways, I find BCs very useful taking out Inf HTs and PGs. Against Wehr it is even better, not as OP as before, but still very good against Wehr. Have a Tommie duke it out with the infantry while the BC goes around and flanks. (Mind you I always upgrade my first BC with the MG) Work fairly well for me. Although somewhat annoying that a single Faust seems to take it out. Besides, they are nice for taking out Kettens. As for ammo cost, well hell, move your trucks to an ammo point and your fine. As British I just about never have any trouble getting ammo or fuel.

Not sure about AC because by then I usually have Stuarts out and use them against ACs. Once I get Stuarts I typically then only use the BC for transport, or for the "Captain rush into base with BC and then retreat to captain" tactic if I feel like it.

[Rhyenan]

Bren carrier....uhm...

shoot at it with volks and in low time is at an half life... then shoot at it with a panzershcreck and Ka-Boom !!

how much it cost for english ?

[iaguz]

280mp, 15 fuel.

This is interesting, because during beta I remember the complaints about the BC being OP followed by a nerf.

Heh, blame me for that one. My thread entitled "Bren Carriers giving me the shits" was the topic of much discussion on the issue. Essentially, Bren Carriers jumped up and down all over Wehrmacht early game. Crew repair allowed the BC to move at full speed back then, so killing it was very difficult.

Now it almost seems too easy. Oh well. Die and learn.

The Bren carrier is best used to destroy cover and to outflank enemy infantries, and it's very good at that. It does tons of damage, and it's mobility allows it to hit the softer spots like that. It just costs a bundle and saps at your precious early game munitions like a bastard.

[Texture]

Yeah. I almost never build one and then don't regret not having saved the fuel for later, and the MP for another Tommy squad. Tommies do more damage, and are much more survivable. 75 mu for a squad bren upgrade is a way better investment than the 50 for a vickers upgraded bren carrier. Also, not only is it basically stuck in place now when repairing.... I think it also doesn't shoot/looses rate of fire.

I do like it more vs. wehrmacht, because it can be very useful to flank an mg42 in the open field, drives your opponent nuts.

I do like the Sappers idea. Pulled off correctly against heavier armor it could be fantastic, and the idea of it chasing any remaining light vehicles is great as well. The next time I actually build a bren carrier and have it sitting around, I'll definitely put my first set of Piats in it, and combine that with button up. Should be interesting.

[Mistenth]

Starting to use this little bugger. Loving it. I get the MMG upgrade asap. It really deals significant damage to PE squads while taking little in return, and it can easily take out kettens with the MMG. Against Half-Tracks it's a detterent, and if they lose their infantry support, it's a killer.

Trickier against Wehr, not much chance against MG42s in buildings, and have to be careful of the panzerfaust.

With a bren carrier on the field, I'm finally able to put pressure on the axis players, and being able to move my HQs to ammo points help to pay back the munitions cost of using the bren.

[E-Bass]

When I first started playing Brits I liked the little bastard, now I never build it.

Early game if you want the MMG then you are sacrifcing brens, which you need. 50 for the upgrade, 40 for the burst, 35 to repair? Sod that, I need those munitions for sniping, buttoning and upgrading.

Thats not even to mention it isn't THAT effective, and its an absolute bastard to micro, the cone of fire is so small and it turns in wierd ways that chasing down weaving units is a total hastle.

After shrecks come into the field, or if a wher player has enough munitions for fausts its complely obsolete.

I suppose it makes a relativly good platform to fire shrecks off, but unlike the PE HT when it dies almost all the troops in it get whacked too.

[Alcorr]

I would say the bren carrier is underrated, I would agree with most of the OPs assertions, keep it alive and it owns the early game.

[Mistenth]

I usually lose my Bren Carriers, but not before they buy me a lot of breathing space that wasn't possible with Bren Tommies. If my Bren Carrier survives I just use it to hunt down Kettens and shreck-less PZGs late game. Don't underestimate this role late game, when sometimes all that's left is lots of heavy armour or fortifications and very little capping power.

[TheVOID]

I still miss a 'WASP' upgrade for the Bren Carrier. It would make the Bren Carrier much more desirable during mid and late game.

[Mistenth]

Wasp upgrade? Hehe, read this post of mine
http://forums.relicnews.com/showthread.php?t=169437

[Dr.Nick]

I like using it as a mobile infantry defense with the HMG upgrade because it can pin infantry which are fodder for tommies so it basically turns it into a very ast moving HMG squad at the lack of carrying other squads.

[iron_paw]

Does it actually pin? I never noticed that...then again I usually fight it with an AC, not inf...

[Luwinkle]

One time I put a squad of sappers in a carrier and had it follow my tank assault. Whenever the tanks got the snot beat out of them..the assault would stop..repairs would happen..then the assault would continue.

Bren Carriers chew up PE halftracks, it's bloody beautiful.

[Macmaniac]

I love the BC, I always get one. Its a great harasser, and against wher its great for pesky MGs. I always get the gun upgrade, and coupled with a Tommy squad its a great way to dominate the field early.

[zan]

I find the BC especially useful against the PE. The harrasing force of the carrier IMHO really depends on the strong will of the PE player. If he'd rather run for it than stand and fight, then I'm all for spending the ammo for the the upgrade. Some players escape, but those who remain would most probably reinforce the fighting infantry units. Then I have to retreat the BC.

When I play against wehr, I'd rather have a second tommy squad. by the time the wehr builds any light armored unit than can pose any real threat to my infantry I already have either a stuart light tank (which totally rox if managed properly) or a PIATed sapper squad ready for war.