[Mobhack]

Probably the only way to sensibly play Italian is with a leg rifle battalion core and hardly any armour.

The only armour you probably should have is a couple of the later semoventes per rifle company - the M42 and M43 with the 75/L32 is marginal but usable from 6/42.

The M13/40 is marginal in 40 and dead meat in 41. A few as mobile AT resource perhaps, working flank ambushes (they cannot stand frontally). But definitely not a tank-heavy core.

Some infantry get the pzgranate A/T grenade 41 in 1942 or so onwards.

The Italian 81mm mortar is good for the time - reasonable range (esp versus the 3 inch the UK has!).

The 3RO 90L53 Was in reality rare as hen's teeth ( a few dozen, if that,deployed). Maybe allow yourself a pair of them for matilda tank plinking. Problem is they are soft, and only 2 wheel drive so stuck to roads and good going.

Armour probably should be limited to a small fast-mover recce type platoon or so to take objectives. A few armoured cars (useful if you have the 47mm ones, the 20mm is only good for daimler dingos) and/or the little baby APC like the AS42 or As47.

If you do not buy lots of expensive armour (and yours are not worth the points - a gift for the enemy AT gunners really - till you get semovente with 75L32), and off map arty then the AI will not have too much points to spend on lots of tanks.

So a rifle battalion core (3-4 companies, maybe one in light trucks), an off map howitzer bty, support company with mortars and ATG and a few semovente and a platoon or 2 of tin can scout vehicles attached. (Play on 80 wide maps and/or add a few turns since you will have a marching force)

Cheers
Andy