George MC

Personally, I still had about 35% of the regiment still standing by the end of the campaign for the ride of the 120th, so I imagine we can get it down even further with the new module!

On a more serious note, I have to say that the March or Die campaign is one of my favourites within the entire series, let alone Cold War itself. A lot of CM campaigns are oftentimes quite plodding or relatively forgiving in terms of opposition, losses, and expectations. While the 120th campaign is relatively short, sharp and feels like you are in genuine danger constantly. I could fire a PM into the air and hit NATO aircraft, and almost every mission has some kind of sucker punch to catch an aggressive or unprepared commander off balance, with very deadly results. It's unfair, the U.S. forces are designed and set up to destroy you easily, and you are stuck with T-62s and BTRs while facing off against M2s, TTS, or even worse threats. Every new mission, after the first three, has you taking stock of what is left of your degraded force and making compromises and solutions as to how to handle a new situation that is different from all the previous ones you have come across. And that is why it is excellent, it's under no illusions as to what things would look like for the Soviets in these circumstances, and it puts soviet doctrine and the player's ability to analyze the situation to the test every mission. It is certainly not for everyone, you need to accept losses, at times very large ones, and the ability to roll with the punches. But it's hard to imagine Cold War without such care put toward the design of the campaigns, and it is very exciting to hear similar levels for the BAOR module!

Particularly while they have HEAT rounds left 😉.

my bad
I should highlight the most import part.... 

I can't remember if I posted this once before when CW first came out, but I have still a small pocket handbook that was issued to all FIST Chiefs in the 1/320FA back then. At the time I got this book I was a FIST Chief in A Btry, 1/320FA (Abn), later a Fire Direction Officer at battery and battalion level (in 2/321FA (Abn), and later still a Fire Support Officer (at both Bn and Bde level in 1st Bde). 
It's 5 separate pdfs. The first one has a lot of info on how a Soviet MRR would operate in the attack, which may help with tactics opposing them. It describes the recon element, the advanced battalion, with tactics and TOE. There is a nice table on how each element is organized and fights, along with (importantly!!) vulnerabilities. There is a lot of fire support information which will be more useful for background information, but does include a lot of specs of both US and Soviet equipment - rates of fire, shell weights, even airlift requirements to move a battery and supply it by air. In those tables DRF and DRB refer to the Division Ready Force, and Division Ready Battalion, referring to the artillery units associated with the infantry brigade that is on "Mission" cycle - the ones who are always ready to fly away at a moment's notice. One battery is direct support for an infantry Bn, one artillery Bn in direct support of an infantry brigade. Back then those direct support roles remained rigid, so that the same units batteries always supported the same infantry. For example as a FIST Chief, I supported C Co, 1-325 Inf (Abn). We trained with them in the field all the time, so we built a good working relationship. 
The TOE for US is specific to the 82d Airborne so you can't really apply it to a US mechanized unit. More men per squad, limited vehicles, etc. The 82d is kind of unique, and keep in mind that it's walking infantry, and the tactics for defense are described as the 82d being put in a position to oppose a mechanized Soviet advance, but in general terms, they still apply pretty well. 
Hope you find it useful. Feel free to download and save copies for yourself. This was freely given out, never classified in any manner, and we carried them around. 
They may help with tactics opposing Soviet advances, which in the AI scripting are pretty well based on how it's described here. Any fans of Flashpoint Campaigns (either Red Storm or Southern Storm) may also find them useful there - easier to see the larger scale Soviet organization unfold.
Enjoy.
Dave
Fire Support Handbook -5.pdfFire Support Handbook -4.pdfFire Support Handbook -3.pdfFire Support Handbook -2.pdfFire Support Handbook -1.pdf

Yeah maybe. 
We have of course already had @George MC's excellent RT battle pack and subsequent training scenarios. I love it all.  George, can you 'quickly' knock together another BP please 😉?  I'll pre-order now...

Does depend on what you are trying to do - but short answer is yes. You'll have to delete any and all. However if you are willing to accept the original shape of the contour info you can decrease or increase relative heights using the +/- adjust all tool. If its a map devoid of any contour information and starting from scratch, then yup delete them all individually. I use a Wacom tablet and stylus and does make this process easier than using a mouse. In fact if doing anything in the editor esp contour stuff I'd strongly suggest using a tablet and stylus.

This is the one I use for CMRT intro music if any one wants I'll upload. For CMBN - I use Band of Brothers theme. For CMFB - Music from one of the John Tiller series. For CMFI- A Different Star Blazers soundtrack music. For all modern warfare titles I use radio chatter from the HBO series "Generation Kill". All good stuff to set mood.
You may be surprised at how good the Star Blazer soundtrack music is. Great war mood music that sticks with you. At least for me as the music was just one of the aspects of the series that grabbed me as a boy. If you've never seen the series it's worth the watch story wise while you're eating you're morning bowl of cereal even as an adult 😉. It's all on the web and youtube. I think the original 1970's is still the best version, but the animation and re-boot "Space Battleship Yamato 2199" is very good too.
 
 

Its up on TSDIII https://www.thefewgoodmen.com/tsd3/cm-red-thunder/cm-red-thunder-add-ons-scenarios/cmrt-german-tank-tactical-problems/
Enjoy!
Cheery!

Its up on TSDIII https://www.thefewgoodmen.com/tsd3/cm-red-thunder/cm-red-thunder-add-ons-scenarios/cmrt-german-tank-tactical-problems/
Enjoy!
Cheery!

Hear, hear. I know you don't have the time, George, but you really should write books. Bloody brilliant.

If find it a bit wonky. To play PBEM++ (including the tournaments) you need a Matrix account. It seems that if you create one for the forum community that one can also be used to play. But you can also create one for playing PBEM++ but that does not automatically create a forum account. If you log into both sites you will have two different log in experiences and even though the user name and pw are the same and clearly some syncing happens, they are really two separate accounts.
Its not how I would set things up but it is what it is. Things like this often happen organically and then get resolved to various degrees of seamlessness. At any rate anyone that created an account to play and didn't bother to create a community account first is probably not a good candidate for checking their DMs anyway so C'est la Vie.

I'm matched against chic44 in another facet of the tournament. I looked for him on the Matrix forum and didn't find him there either. Two out of my three opponents are not on the matrix forum and do not appear to be on the other popular war gaming sites either.

None of my business George but I can't see anyone with that username on this forum, which I guessed from it not being highlighted in your post?

Quick reminder to my fellow CMRT players, you can’t save a game and return to it later. So for the German defender with lots of fortifications and freedom to make their own defense setup. This can take awhile. So if you need a break, dinners ready, baby’s crying, etc, either leave the game running or alt-tab to minimize the game.
Also completely ignore any tourney files that show up in your saved games & PBEM list. These will not get sent to your opponent. Only play the ones under PBEM ++ in Progress list. 

Yeah turn rate should be about the same from me too!

I'm calling this one done now.
I've created a wee handbook to go with the scenarios.
@Bootie would you be  able to do the honours and upload to TSDIII please? I managed to lock myself out of my account and currently trying to reset my password...
DONE - got back in and uploaded.
Everything you need is in the zip file. There is a website blurb, accompanying website image then the zip file with the scenarios and the accompanying PDF.
https://www.thefewgoodmen.com/tsd3/cm-red-thunder/cm-red-thunder-add-ons-scenarios/cmrt-german-tank-tactical-problems/
Many thanks!
Cheery!
George
 
 

Excellent  Glad you like em. Aye I think they complement the BP1 SPW lessons, but be interested to see how it works out.
Yeah the maps allow various options to be used and there are multiple AI plans so hopefully lots of replayability.
Oh and glad you like the PDF
Thanks for your comments very much appreciated ta!

He! I'd love to, but aye time. I do enjoy 'technical' writing though. I'm chuffed you enjoyed it though, thank you. 

Oh very clever.  Ok let’s have it out on infantry vs tanks moving forward.  Infantry are extremely cheap.  Putting human life aside, Russia has demonstrated that infantry, though soft and squishy can be replaced in the tens of thousands.  Tanks are big expensive and hard to manufacture at scale.  Infantry as humans do need a lot of support - likely why we will see more unmanned.  But they also do not need a recovery vehicle that also weighs 40tons, nor do they burn tens of thousands of gallons of gas per day.  An infantry soldier can survive on a few kilos of support per day (food, water and ammo), a tank needs hundreds of kilos all on vulnerable trucks.  Infantry can be pushed to keep going, when 50tons decides to stop moving it is done.
This whole “infantry can die to” as a counter argument to the continued trajectory of obsolescence of heavy mech and armour is not only illogical it is deflecting.
Infantry can disperse, dig in and hide.  They are able to cross terrain impassable to tanks.  They break down but are easy to replace.  They can fight in built up areas.  They do not weigh 50 tons each and give off enough heat to be seen from space.  They are cheap, light and now armed with ISR, comms and weapons systems that can kill a tank out past 4km (and with NLOS tens of kms).
Infantry have completely different roles on the battlefield and we have yet to find technology to replace infantry…we may never.  So come on the board and bleat all you want about the life left in heavy armour but for the love of gawd can we put that stupid “infantry die too and we are not getting rid of them” argument in the ground?  As soon as we can produce thousands of fighting tanks per week out of a global civilian tank population of 8 billion you may have a point.

Just to provide the links to the Demo pages for each game with a demo. CM Cold War (CMCW) does NOT have a demo unfortunately, but each of the other games does. The demos are NOT Engine 4, which is available for each game except CMA; so they don't show the latest improvements, though there is not a massive difference with earlier engines. CMSF2 and CMBN do have module content within the Demo. The other games do not have module content (such as CMFI). Browsing for the links you will find them on the Store page for each game's main engine, within the left hand 'Game Info' column:
 
CM Shock Force 2 (v. 2.00, Engine 3):
https://www.battlefront.com/shock-force-2/cmsf2-base-game/?tab=demo

CM Battle for Normandy (v. 3.11, Engine 3):
https://www.battlefront.com/battle-for-normandy/cmbn-base-game/?tab=demo

CM Fortress Italy (v. 1.10, Engine 2):
https://www.battlefront.com/fortress-italy/cmfi-base-game/?tab=demo

CM Red Thunder (v. 1.00, Engine 3)
https://www.battlefront.com/red-thunder/cmrt-base-game/?tab=demo

CM Black Sea (v. 1.02, Engine 3):
https://www.battlefront.com/black-sea/cmbs-base-game/?tab=demo

CM Final Blitzkrieg (v. 1.00, Engine 3):
https://www.battlefront.com/final-blitzkrieg/cmfb-base-game/?tab=demo

CM Afghanistan (v. 1.01, pre-Engine 1):
https://www.battlefront.com/soviet-afghan-war/cm-afghanistan/?tab=demo

Thank you for the TTPs! I've only just found out about them and have only had the chance to make sure they load up correctly. I've the enjoyed the Lessons found in BP1 and found it very worthwhile for honing tactical skills.  So, I look forward to going to panzerschule.
The maps are very nice! The PDF is very well done and quite readable!

My game can't see the scenarios. any tips on what I might have done wrong? I have the CMRT steam version.
[EDIT] Ah never mind, I placed them at the wrong location d'oh!

Ah brill ta - great tae hear

Cheers ta  Aye hopefully the PDf is of use, so glad to have it confirmed it is. 
Cheery!

I'm calling this one done now.
I've created a wee handbook to go with the scenarios.
@Bootie would you be  able to do the honours and upload to TSDIII please? I managed to lock myself out of my account and currently trying to reset my password...
DONE - got back in and uploaded.
Everything you need is in the zip file. There is a website blurb, accompanying website image then the zip file with the scenarios and the accompanying PDF.
https://www.thefewgoodmen.com/tsd3/cm-red-thunder/cm-red-thunder-add-ons-scenarios/cmrt-german-tank-tactical-problems/
Many thanks!
Cheery!
George