Stoltz von Bayern blue tactics

[Reverend Crass]

So being new and naive I thought I'd play some short scenarios to teach myself.

Enter "NATO Stolz von Bayern". Approx time to finish 10 minutes. I've spent around 4 hours on it, playing as a blue, turns, veteran. Results - getting my ass kicked, repeatedly.

Trouble is a very high concentration of red troops in overwatch/concealed positions, they have BMPs which has a MG which smokes German Fuchs for breakfast. So, I need to rely on Panzerfausts. Trouble is that a) BMPs shred my anti tank units quicker than I can kill them. b) there is one immediate overwatch position available for Blue side,, but because of angles/LOS an effective position for a shoot is in a building. Which gets immediately compromised by BMP cannon.

I've tried various "tactics", sneaking in, coordinated attack (to disable all BMPs) after very careful recon etc. Nothing works. I can somewhat get halfway there, but at very high cost in causalities. This is not how I play, I don't throw my personnel into a death pit

What I didn't try is cat&mouse trick to lure these BMPs from cover/concealment to get a good shot. I am afraid I have nothing to play the mouse without being squished immediately.

My instinct would be to call a couple of Tornados in for a CAS quick cleanup, but none available. I start to think it's one of these "the HQ forgot about us" moments, where 50% of your troops die.

Any thoughts?

 

 

 

Edited December 20, 2018 by Reverend Crass

[Sgt.Squarehead]

If I'm thinking of the correct scenario (it's been a long time), the Syrians shouldn't have BMPs (tracked IFV with a 73mm gun or 30mm autocannon + ATGMs), they should have BTR-60s (big ugly eight wheel APC with a 14.5mm HMG and tinfoil armour).

I usually steam up the hill on the right, debus my infantry with their Panzerfausts and set 'em up short of the crest, out of sight of the village objective, but with LOS across the top of the hill. 

Butcher any units that come up the hill, then launch a flanking attack on the units in the other objective.....Simples. 

[melm]

If I remembered correctly, the designer suggests players play with RTS mode, not WEGO. 

[Reverend Crass]

Yeah they are BTRs with 14.5mm, of course. Thanks for the tips, I'll try this tactics, and will try it in RTS mode as well.

[c3k]

Load up the panzerfaust warheads. Then, utilize the "gamey flag rush" tactic. Unload, await the repercussions, and the have your survivors slog it out.

 

You did keep a reserve? Use that to maneuver the enemy out of position.

 

If none of that helps, open the editor and add a Leopard. Or two.

[DerKommissar]

Have you checked the inventories of your vehicles? I'm guess the Fuchs carries MILANs. It's an ATGM that'll smite those rusty tin cans. Get a squad to AQUIRE a launcher and some missiles, you can reliably bin them from any range.

[Sgt.Squarehead]

Pretty sure they only get Panzerfausts, but these are more than enough to reduce a BTR to smoking ruination at up to a couple of hundred yards.

Once the hilltop is cleared try to spot enemy teams/vehicles using minimal forces, then concentrate as many units as you can on the identified target until it is eliminated.  Rinse & repeat.

For the attacks themselves, I don't normally use Target, instead I use Target Briefly 30secs (if your unit takes return fire after that point, they will still shoot back independently).  I also don't give direct Target orders to every unit in the attacking force, rather I leave a couple of units uncommitted, allowing them the opportunity to engage any secondary targets that pop up, if none do they will soon join in with the primary massacre because pixeltruppen are like that! 

[jhmorneau]

A hard nut to crack indeed! It took me at least 6 tries to win it (WEGO).

I suggest loading your grunts with ammo and Panzerfaust rounds before you start.
Your troops need to find cover fast because those BMPs  will destroy everything that is spotted. IMO the best place to be is on the right hill (the one with the mosque on top). IIRC I rushed two Fuchs to the right hill, one to the entrance of the village and one to the left hill. Then unload all the grunts, split them in two sub-teams and keep them in cover.

Then I sent my two half-squads inside the village.
The Fuchs stay back under cover and only sneak and peak to lay some suppressive fire, preferably from a hull down position.

On the right hill: one half-squad inside the mosque, the other one waiting outside. I'd pull out of the mosque every now and then to avoid returning fire.

2/3 of the Reds went to the village, the remaining 1/3 to the mosque where they were ambushed and dealt with at close range. The rest of the battle consisted in finding the remaining BMPs,  distracting them and nailing them with Panzerfausts. The top of the mosque is a good place for BMP hunting, but you can't stay there for long as it is so exposed.

As the left hill was free of enemy troops I was able to sneak my grunts into the trees.

One last thing: at the end of the battle, there was one BMP remaining in the village, at the foot of the hill, and no Panzerfaust left. I managed to rush a Fuchs behind it and kill it with MG fire aimed at its butt! The trick is you can't fire Fuchs' MG at BMP because the IA will ignore your target order as it considers it to be a waste of ammo (very frustrating!). Just use area fire instead: it will work wonders as long as your target can't move easily.

 

[Reverend Crass]

Thanks for the tips guys!

 

So, I've tried to sneak behind the ridge of the non-mosque hill and that worked. Sneaked in, positioned etc.. The Reds decided to occupy mosque and shot me from there instead of staying at the hill. LOL.

I have a couple of other ideas, but might get a break from this one - getting a bit of tunnel vision.

ps. I do grab the Panzerfausts. Never leave your house without one.

Edited December 21, 2018 by Reverend Crass

[MikeyD]

I thought I had touched all of the scenarios during the Beta but I had somehow managed to entirely miss this one. You can't really call this one a serious tactical simulation. Its more "Lets have some fun for fifteen minutes before supper's on the table" kind'a scenario.