Bannon DC

Combat Outpost Ukraine available at TSD. CMBB A typical fortified zone included multiple lines of fortified positions built to interlock and provide mutual fire support. The “Combat Outpost” represented the first line of resistance and was designed to slow the enemy, gauge the strength of the attack, and operate as an observation post for artillery. Combat outposts were designed for all around defense (hedgehog position). The garrison and armament varied depending on the terrain, strength of enemy, and availability of resources. A well-organized zone would have mobile reserves ready for immediate counterattacks. In this scenario, your objective is to capture one of these combat outposts. Your battalion is going into the thick of the action. You'll need to plan a well-corrdinated attack or failure is certain. This scenario focuses on battalion tactics so I tried to use only battalion level units. You are borrowing some artillery assets. They are critical to success. And good to have around when you want to lash out at the AI. Comments welcomed. Bannon DC

Combat Outpost Ukraine available at TSD. CMBB A typical fortified zone included multiple lines of fortified positions built to interlock and provide mutual fire support. The “Combat Outpost” represented the first line of resistance and was designed to slow the enemy, gauge the strength of the attack, and operate as an observation post for artillery. Combat outposts were designed for all around defense (hedgehog position). The garrison and armament varied depending on the terrain, strength of enemy, and availability of resources. A well-organized zone would have mobile reserves ready for immediate counterattacks. In this scenario, your objective is to capture one of these combat outposts. Your battalion is going into the thick of the action. You'll need to plan a well-corrdinated attack or failure is certain. This scenario focuses on battalion tactics so I tried to use only battalion level units. You are borrowing some artillery assets. They are critical to success. And good to have around when you want to lash out at the AI. Comments welcomed. Bannon DC

"Medicina -- Yoicks Tally Ho!" (CMAK) Breaking the rules of combined arms tactics, C Squadron of the 14th/20th King's Hussars is ordered to charge into the town of Medicina without infantry support. Historical situation, units and map. Late in the day of April 16, 1945, Brigadier Barker orders the attack. Would the gamble find the Germans in disarray and force a quick surrender of the town? Or would the Germans rise to the defense and destroy the tanks in close quarters combat? I made this map large to allow the British room to manuever their mechanized force. Will work as either 2 player or British vs AI. Please leave comments in the discussion area. Thanks! UPDATE Feb. 5, 2007 This scenario has been updated based on playtesting at the proving grounds. Made into AI and H2H (2 Player) versions. Thanks to playtesters who have left comments. I could use a fresh pair of eyes to give the AI version a run through. Moved to TSD, Sept. 3, 2007 See updated links in Sept. 3 message below. Thanks to all playtesters at TPG. Bannon [ September 03, 2007, 04:44 PM: Message edited by: Bannon DC ]

Interesting. A couple of questions: 1) Does "communications" play a role? Do ME with better communications get supply faster? For instance, radio vs runner. A company out in the bush might be running low on food and ammo. His best means of communication might be a runner... how does he let the supply depot know? Is there a delay in the depot knowing the company is low? Or does the company "always know" just to make it simple? 2) What is the effect of controling roads and choke points? I assume supply can be pinched off if a bridge is taken in the enemy rear. How does the AI determine a choke point? 3) Can a rail line be destroyed? Bridges blown? 4) Does destorying a bridge in a CMBB fight have any effect on the campaign level game? Thanks for the update.

I've been experimenting with defensive systems. These do not have extensive bunkers but instead use "earthen works" for the defensive positions. I purposely use few bunkers. "Clearing the Field" is an excercise in breaching a minefield. Combat Outpost Ukraine Relic of the Last War Clearing the Field

The most frustrating thing about the Russian tin cans in CM is that they instantly hit reverse when sighting almost all German armor. I'm playing George Mc's Dubno campaign. I have about 40 T-26s charging the Germans. My entire squadron has been stopped cold by two Pzr IIIs. I just took a hard stare from the Germans to freeze them in their tracks. This behavior would be OK for a single T-26, but for a mass attack it is just stupid for the mass to behave as an individual tank. I'll post that in the requests for the next CMBB patch. For what is it worth, I have noticed that tanks in the BT series are a little braver than the T-26s. They will press forward even after sighting German armor. BT's vs. Pzr III (in CM) can be a good match up. BT's are "medium" tanks after all. :eek: Shameless Plug: If you like Russian Tin Cans, you might like this scenario at The Scenario Depot. Tin Can Alley

Here -- came across this recently released book that seems to fit the bill: Hitler's Ardennes Offensive: The German View of the Battle of the Bulge Author/Editor: Danny S. Parker Pub: Greenhill www.scholarsbookshelf.com/military (code: 5g3te) I ordered something from Zenith Press recently. One or two of their offerings might have focused more on the German side as well. Good luck

Szedrencs -- Thanks for the link.

QB or scenario? If scenario, what is the name?

And good riddance.

Use the "advanced search" option at TSD and TPG. There is a field you can toggle for "scenario" or "operation." http://www.the-scenario-depot.com/scenario_finder.html And while we are self-promoting. Combined Arms, South to Kiev

Sorry if this question is dense. And I don't have the manual open right in front of me but I have read it. For a lot of good that did me. :confused: I want to take an image from google earth and use it as an underlay map. Where do I start? From my minor bit of reading retention I need to have a jpg or gif? I poked around goodle earth and did not see a ready tool to "save the image as". Thanks

I moved Bridge Building over to TSD. This is a difficult scenario in which an American Engineer company must complete a bridge in order for Mechanized force to advance. Daisy Chain mines across the bridge represent the work to be finished. The Germans will make the job difficult. You have your orders... get to work! This is designed to be played as Allies vs. AI. Has also been tested for two player. Small map. Limited number of units. Good luck

Great clip. Nice sound track. I'm playing the Russians in Dubno. Very tough go indeed. Hope to finish Battle 1 this weekend. I am pushing into Ptich. My KV 2 destroyed 4 buildings. I wasn't even aiming for them. Which just goes to show those damn "conscripts" couldn't hit the broadside of a barn if they were aiming for it. That should give you an idea of how I'm doing! :eek: Edit... corrected name of town. I'll write a B1 AAR for you on TPG. Hopefully not too many extra turns. [ August 05, 2006, 05:48 PM: Message edited by: Bannon DC ]

Enigma -- you can run a few simple test by setting the turn limit to 10 (fixed). You can zip through the turns and see what happens. "Surrender often" is my advice for scenario and op testing. Regarding special rules -- by all means include them. By the nature of the player, he will follow, ignore or partially adopt them to his liking.

Playing Dubno now. Looking forward to the next installment.

I'm a little rusty with CMBO, but in CMBB and CMAK you have three types of Ops -- Advance, Assault, and Static. Advance and assault have the same objective -- the attacker must get to the end of the map. Static Ops have flags and I would assume that if it is based on Market Garden there would be a flag on this major bridge. So, first you have to be sure who is the attacker in this Op. Second, where is the edge of the map that the enemy has to reach. If the brief doesn't say... then it is a bad brief. Tactically... if you are strong and the enemy is weak you should grab their side of the bridge. If you are weak, defend. Most likely the enemy will be coming your way. How is a winner determined? If the enemy reaches the edge of the map... game over. So be sure you have the length of the field under observation and watch out for sneaking flankers. Don't let anything get by! The score will be based on how long you were able to prevent the enemy from reaching the objective. The manual does not state it, but I assume casualties will count for something. Static victory -- casualties and flag points. The end score in ops is always disappointing because it just gives you the victory level with no point score. Since this map (I assume) requires major river crossing, I would consult with your opponent on some ground rules. Between battles, your enemy's set up zone may allow him to set up on the other side of river he did not actually cross during the battle. You may want to make a rule that he can't set up on the far bank unless he actually captured it in battle. Good luck

Good read... thanks

Hello Old Cav -- I'm sure you will be able to find an opponent no mattter which game you are playing. People are still playing CMBO! CMAK is worth buying. I held out for a while. Like you, I stop playing CM for a long time and came back. Playing humans and designing scenarios brought me back. CMAK is not a "major" change from CMBB... same basics, same commands, etc. But totally different units and fronts. Much more Common Wealth and Italians. I like the early war stuff. In my opinion based on downloads from TPG and TSD (links below if you are not familiar with them), I think CMAK is getting a little more play. But minor. Easy to find an opponent at TPG and TSD. I'm sure you can find some of the other sites that are active and thriving as well. The Proving Grounds This site is for designers to post new scenarios and for others to playtest them and leave comments. Very effective when people actually leave comments and suggestions. The Scenario Depot This site replaces the old Scenario Depot which closed shop. It is run by the same person (GJK!!!) as TPG and supports "finished" scenarios. Less than a year old at this point and still in the process of being populated. Lots of great new stuff there and easy to search. Welcome back. If you are looking for a game, I can accomodate. Email in my profile.

To answer your question directly... there is no way to check.

Stryker Combat Vehicles (New Vanguard) Gordon Rottman, Hugh Johnson (Illustrator) Price: $10.37 You Save: $5.58(35%) Stryker at Amazon Amazon has one amazing database. They always seem to know what I will buy. Damn them!!! :eek: Anyway, not that I'm a shill for Amazon... I thought that this crowd might be interested in the above book. Cheap price.

Throwing out a quick note -- I recently uploaded two scenarios featuring Russian conscripts to The Scenario Depot. Conscripts and Cluster Bombs This is a challenge in keeping your force organized and moving forward under air attack from fighters dropping cluster bombs. (Great eye candy! :eek: ) Get your conscript force across a frozen river to break the thin German line. Bleeding and Mopping Up ( AI and H2H versions) Operation. This is a "Champs vs. Chumps" match up. Veteran German unit is pinned against the river. A re-constituted Russian force of raw troops is sent in to mop them up. They will gain their experience by being "bleed" in battle. Small map, 4 or 5 battles depending on version (AI/H2H), 20+ turns each. This is a well tested battle. Thanks to all the playtesters who gave it a crack and commented on TPG.

All this effort... you could have spent the time playtesting scenarios from TPG. But, some people just love stats.

Kingfish is correct. Avoid moving any unit off the map, including crews of guns and tanks. In order for a tank to be recovered, the crew must survive. Abandoned guns can also be recovered, but the crew must be alive. The only time I would move units off a map is in order to deny kill points to my opponent. If the unit leaves the battle it does not count against you and your opponent does not get the points either. However, you do take a "global moral" hit just as if the unit was eliminated. (Global moral -- as in automatic surrender).

The difference is the optics. Now that is detail!