Sakai007

When I destroyed an enemy Panther tank in a QB with hand grenades from a Platoon HQ, that was my it moment in CMBN. That was a PBEM game too, and included a kill on another panther with the M7 Priest, a very odd jumble of aces I had in that battle.

I only use a 128MB card and CMBN runs fine with the near trees trunk only setting, full trees is a bit much

It is important to not be seen by the Panther. I like to use the superior mobility of the Sherman to get in close to the Panther, and around to the flanks and rear. It is not as difficult as you might think. If you send a Sherman on either side of the Panther at full speed, you may well lose one of them, but the other will be able to get around to the side or rear and knock the bugger out. I do this all the time, and it works 65% of the time. Having more tanks is vital, and the cheap US tanks are perfect. Even the Stuart can kill a Panther from the rear, or at least make the crew bail. Speed and Spotting are the keys to killing all German armor.

I love the new QB purchase system, but I will agree that on auto selection with mixed forces it doesn't do all that well. Most of the time, I will set the enemy and my units to human selection and just use the suggestion button for the enemy troops. For the Germans, first go seems to always be armor only but the second time around has a better selection. Generally on the settings I like, a company of infantry and a Panther plus a couple of Stugs.

Wow, thanx guys!!! It is interesting to me to see the trickle down effect of supply to the battle field. The sheer number of 105 tubes to fire rounds wore down the supply in theater so quickly that their usage was restricted, giving more opportunity to the 155 batteries to do their thing. I must wonder then, with the info given, if larger pieces such as the 8 inch gun & howitzer, 4.5 inch, and 240mm howitzer were used in a context that is relevant to CM? Or was their use mainly for counter battery and preliminary bombardment.

LoL, man I have got to try some of that stuff, wonder if you can get it here in the states.

I am curious, was the 155 more prolific during WWII then the 105? I had assumed that as the size, weight, caliber of a weapons system goes down, the more of them are fielded. I also very rarely have had anything larger then 105 batteries under my command during the scenarios included, so I figured they weren't as active. I read an article about General James Gavin in WWII History magazine and he tells about being saved on a ridge after the Anzio landings by, you guessed it, 155mm Arty fire. The effects of which effectively stopped an Armored thrust to get to the beach head.

I find 105mm fire to be the most effective in game. The larger calibers don't deliver enough shells, and the lighter stuff doesn't reliably kill light vehicles with near misses. I killed three Marders and immo a StugIII with a few nicely placed 105 rounds in a QB with the same map as listed at thread start. Area fire seems to be a waste of time, linear delivers a much more damaging barrage over an area of ground since rounds fall from point to point and a little high and low of the line you set.

Well, that would be one way. You can also buy LMG teams with MG34 and MG42, but no tripods.

Heh, sometimes you don't want a "tough" battle, sometimes you just want to blow s*** up!!! I love QBs, I do have to pick the enemy force to have any semblance of rational in the units but I use the suggestion button and go to town. I have had some amazing moments in QBs, things to make you take a screen shot. I have also had some amazingly angry moments so it goes both ways.

So folks here at the BF forums, I have to ask you all your thoughts on the new QB system. For me personally, the bread and butter of my CMx1 time was spent on QBs I could play out in a sitting or two. I enjoyed Operations and Scenarios, but I really loved picking a force and seeing if the balance worked out on the field against an equal foe. CMSF, the QB system wasn't what I was looking for, but I still played them. I did start playing way more included and fan built scenarios and making a few of my own using the editor like a QB builder. Now here we are at CMBN. I must say, I LOVE the QB system in this game. I love the carefully crafted scenarios included, and have played many, and the campaigns are outstanding (what little of them I have seen thus far) but I have spent at least 80% of my time in QBs. Granted, the AI unit selection can be a bit off at times, but most often it is a good challenge, sometimes a crazy challenge. Last night, my company of Airborne and a few tanks came up against 4 Tigers and a Stug, plus 4 Pak 40s and a 75mm IG. Needless to say, the arty I bought came in handy, but a field full of Tigers what not what I expected. I find that, when I purchase the troops for both sides, I get much more of what I am looking for. When I give the AI a decent force to work with, the AI handles their troops well enough for the game to be convincing, which is what it's all about. So I ask, what are your thoughts on the QB system? Do you play them often? Do you like how the AI picks and handles it's troops?

My Grandfather was also aboard a ship during WWII. The U.S.S. Ingersoll, DD-652, Fletcher Class Destroyer. He told me many stories during my life, as he and my grandmother raised me. His time in the Pacific was from a certain perspective, as mentioned above, being in the loading area of the 5" Gun. He did get to watch a few battles top side since US Navy ships hot bunk to keep someone on station at all times during this period. The latter part of the war had a different element to it, he said, with the Japanese suicide attacks on the fleet. He would always remind me that, for all the hell and violence that was the land battle for Okinawa, there were more sailors then soldiers killed during that battle. His ship was hit by a Ki-61 Tony on a suicide mission. The aircraft clipped the radio tower and went into the water. A man on the bridge, certain he would die, jumped before the impact. Breaking many rules of a ship in combat, the captain turned the ship around and picked the guy up, while under air attack. I can't imagine what war was like for these men. They were truly the greatest generation of americans YET! I hold out hope that this or future generations will have the same qualities.

I played a large QB against the Americans. I purchased my own, let the AI automate for the US. I had 2 Panthers, 2 Tigers, a Stuh42, and a Battalion of Grenadiers. Well, the AI purchased something like 24 or 30 Stuarts, and one 105 Sherman and one M4A1 Sherman. Needless to say, I slaughtered the Stuarts, but only had one operational tank left. The Stuh was destroyed, and both Tigers and one Panther had the tracks blown off. The US was set to mixed BTW.

I own Take Command: 2nd Bull Run and I love the accuracy and detail, but will probably never learn how to play it. Got it on Steam for $5 so it will wait there for me to learn someday

That's very cool Sergei, well done!!!

Here are some screens I put together from a QB this morning. Map is the ME Open-155, And it's dusk with light rain, good cat hunting weather. Love the lighting at night Here is one of my mortar teams with the M10 firing in the distance. Surprise!!! Look what my Sherman found leaving the woods.... Gotcha! One shot to the side a close range is the way to do it!

CM has one of the most helpful and talented communities in existence, without our fearless beta team, we would still be waiting for this incredible game. My hat goes off to you all!!! ::salute::

LoL, between the screens, my time in game (need to get FRAPS up and running) and the excellent forum here, CMBN has my vote for best game EVER (at least till next CM comes out!!)

In a QB yesterday the AI would have had me cold if it wasn't for a single Sherman 105 that I pulled from the other side of the map when things got nasty with a platoon of infantry as reinforcements. At the time they got there, the Germans were pushing a second company through and I caught the whole unit in it's flank. The 105 inflicted 79 casualties over all, even after all but one squad of supporting infantry had been killed. I did notice that the LOS of the tank was severely restricted to about 10 degrees either side of dead center. It was enough for that circumstance, but seemed realistic enough. Perhaps there was a gap in the top cover of the hedge that must be abstracted due to limitations.

I had not noticed this yet, but some great information here. I agree as above, #1 and #2 are excellent in my eyes, and really add a lot to an already amazing game. Certainly adds to the immersion factor and to any role playing the user wants to have along with his wargaming.

I never lead with an HQ. If they go down, the entire platoon takes a hit. The romantic idea of the commander leading his troops into battle 'literally' from the front really has no place on the modern battle ground. However, he needs to be within range of his troops in so he can command them. There is no cut and dried location for them to be, but I generally have my platoon HQ follow fairly close behind the troops on the offense, and right on line or just a space behind on the defense. This and the fact that HQs call in arty, and you can't call arty without LOS, means that the platoon HQ units will be in the line of fire. Just my thoughts on where an HQ should be in battle. There are probably more experienced commanders out there with their thoughts to add.

There are none in for the base game. I have heard rumors that they will make it in for the Market Garden module.

morneau, I couldn't have said it better myself. I believe that CMBN will go down as probably the largest single game advance in the history of 3D tactical wargames. As I sit here and watch VAARs and play the game myself, I can't help but think of those men who were sitting in England 67 years ago, only four days away from the beginning of a battle that would truly change the world. There is no better way to honor those men who fought and died then to remember them every day. CMBN helps me to do that, and I can't think of a better way. This battle is a bear for the allies, I tried it against the AI earlier and had the same luck with that building as your opponent did in the first part, not a happy place to be if your an American GI.

I just played the Vierville scenario from the American side vs. AI. It was interesting to say the least, a good time. And, as I was sending scout teams out to investigate enemy positions, I couldn't help but think this looked like the scenario in Sergei's video. LoL, guess it was.

WOW!!! I just finished my first half a day with the full version of CMBN and I am still blown away!!! I just can't get over the amount of detail there is in this game. A buddy of mine that just came back from Iraq stopped by and I showed him the end of the Vierville scenario. He is an Infantry soldier, we both trained together at Benning, and he was instantly in love with the game. I let him play CMSF the other day for what was supposed to be a mission, turned into four missions, and hours of play. I think I have made another convert to the Battlefront way, and my own personal addiction is growing ever deeper!!!