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Bil Hardenberger

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Posts posted by Bil Hardenberger

    General Combat Mission Tips

    in Combat Mission - General Discussion

    Posted

    1 hour ago, IanL said:

    Highly recommend that every player practice at least a rudimentary METT-T analysis at the start of any game.  Even a one liner on each component of METT-T will at least make you stop and think about your situation in the way a real commander does.

    By the way, the post that Ian linked continues to be the most popular post on my blog of all time. 

    3

    !983 British training film on fighting the Soviet MRR Advance Guard

    in Combat Mission Cold War

    Posted

    @Combatintman Karl, outstanding posts.  I really appreciate you expanding on your initial comment re: Binh Ba and backing it up with fact and references, very well written... if @chuckdyke can't read that, take it in, and then back down and apologize for his knee-jerk reactions, well that speaks volumes about his character, to me anyway.

    I suggest you ignore him and get back to work... I know you have better things to do and the clock is ticking soldier.  ;) 

    4

    What's the story of the soviet tank platoon size?

    in Combat Mission Cold War

    Posted

    The problem I see with three-tank platoons, is that you do not have the ability to separate into two-tank sections.  This is important and has important ramifications for bounding Overwatch, Fire and maneuver, etc.  I think the four-tank platoon hits the sweet spot... five is right out!

    So to recap... "Four shalt thou not count, neither count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out! Once the number three, being the third number, be reached, then lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thy foe, who, being naughty in my sight, shall snuff it."

     

     

    8

    DAR - Snow For The Hungry AXIS PBEM

    in Combat Mission Red Thunder

    Posted · Edited by Bil Hardenberger

    @Monty's Mighty Moustache, this is a very well done DAR!  I am very happy to see you take the care and time to craft us something so exquisite.  From your initial analysis to your detailed play by play with your atmospheric screen shots... very well done.  Feels familiar somehow too.  ;) 

    Happy that you are using my floating icons. 

    I'll be watching you.

    Thanks for the entertainment, Bil

    3

    Steel Beasts vs Combat Mission t-72 visibility test

    in Combat Mission Cold War

    Posted

    Wanted to jump in real quick... 

    There is a lot going on in a combat formation, spotting is only one aspect and one of the many things they juggle at the same time.  The way a real world formation works is they spot for activity in a sector or general area, each part of a formation having a different assigned sector, then as potential areas of interest start to pop up (in CM terms FOW icons) these formations can conduct a detailed focused search of those areas to determine what, if anything is actually there.  This takes time.  Just like it often does in CM.

    It is rarely fast, unless the enemy units are moving or firing... then units get identified very fast indeed.  Works the same in CM by the way.

    I truly believe that CM has spotting about right.. not perfect and there are always odd situations... but its close enough to be a very good representation of small scale combat, in my opinion.

    As for Steel Beasts.. I have played it many times though I sold my license several few years ago.  I also preferred to play it as a wargame, but I had a lot of frustrations doing so that I would prefer not to get into on this forum.  Suffice it to say that SB is a wonderful game that has a lot of wow moments, but it has a much different focus than CM.  They are not really comparable, other than the fact that they represent combat in 3D... the approaches are miles apart.  I would be curious to know how detailed the SB spotting system actually is.. but to be honest, the fact that many say they prefer it, and that spotting is easier in SB than CM tells me that it is probably more abstract than you might think it is.  In my experience if some aspect in a simulation is easy and works as expected, that simulation is probably flawed in some way.

    Bil - Co-designer/creator of CMCW

    7

    Hard Cat Rules v2I - Simple to Use Command & Control Rules - UPDATED 01 JUNE 2022

    in Combat Mission - General Discussion

    Posted

    On 9/12/2021 at 9:04 PM, JorgenCAB said:

    I just started playing with this rules and must say I really like them... have not played Combat Mission for quite some time...

    ...

    At least It makes for more fun games for me and the game become more challenging overall, especially some of the single player campaigns becomes quite difficult to play. 

    I am happy to hear that you have been trying these out, they can give a very rewarding and eye opening experience.

    On 9/12/2021 at 9:04 PM, JorgenCAB said:

    There also are those situation when a platoon is defending a stretched out area and being out of C2 is a product of design. In those circumstances the squad or team in question are likely to stubbornly follow the last order until the HQ reestablishes contact. The same could happen on a battle drill on the attack. A team might get an order that will take them outside of C2 for an extended period. The team or squad then have to perform that "order" the best of their ability. In my opinion this is also try about recon... they will get an order of what to do and come back or hold position. When **** hit the fan then they will fall into self preservation mode and a different ruleset should apply.

    There also is the option of detaching a scout team from an isolated section to run back and find their HQ and report any development and request any new orders. Even a panicked squad might do this after they run off and hide in a forest nearby. Or a platoon leader who lost their radio need to communicate with their company HQ but can't really leave it's post, sending one or two runners probably is the second best option available.

    Regarding the above... you can always write down an SOP for these detached units.  An SOP such as, "Squad 1: Return to Platoon HQ if situation 1 or 2, advance to ___ if situation 3", etc.

    They might have options to retire or take up another action under differing circumstances.  At least for Western style armies... the Soviets, and probably the Italians with a stricter centralized control would not have this flexibility, at least not at the platoon level.

    Bil

    1

    U.S. Thread - CM Cold War - BETA AAR - Battle of Dolbach Heights 1980

    in Combat Mission Cold War

    Posted

    The Twenty-Fifth - Thirtieth Minutes - The Wheels Come Off

    “Be the hunter not the hunted: never allow your unit to be caught with its guard down.”

    James Mattis

     

    My AH-1 has been flying overhead for several turns now, and as far as I know this BMP is its only kill.  But in its defense it was being chased by AA missiles for most of the time it hung around and did lose it's mate so I'm lucky it made even this kill.

    T25A.PNG

     

    After that the wheels started to come off....

    ...one of my M-150s exchanged ATGMs with one of Warren's BMPs...

    T25B-1.PNG

    T25B-2.PNG

    ...both missiles passed each other on flight... the M-150's hitting a tree... sigh...

    T25B-3.PNG

    ...of course Warren's didn't miss.  Damn!

    T25B-4.PNG

    One of Warren's T-64Bs... (in fact one that had been beaten up, in what seems like another life now, by my 1st Platoon tanks) fired and destroyed one of my M-60s still sitting on the Short Route... damn.  That means 2nd Platoon has now lost three of four tanks. Triple damn.

    T25C.PNG

     

    Now with Tank Section 2 joining in on the fun I order all four 1st Platoon tanks back into the breach!

    T-25D.PNG

    Tank 1/9 had it's career cut short when it exchanged rounds with a T-62... 1/9 fired first, however... it missed.. the T-62 did not.

    T-25E.PNG

    Uh-oh... have I pushed too far?

     

    Third Platoon's tanks have also started moving down the highway... 

    T-25F.PNG

    T-25G-BB.PNG

    13

    U.S. Thread - CM Cold War - BETA AAR - Battle of Dolbach Heights 1980

    in Combat Mission Cold War

    Posted

    1 hour ago, Rice said:

    @Bil HardenbergerAs updates drop for the Beta build, will you be updating your game? Or just playing on the version you started the scenario with. Mostly asking because you held off on showing unfinished things as points (Dragon firing animation)

    Ummm... nope.  Once these are posted that's it for me.. look forward not back.  I even ripped the rearview mirrors off my car. ;)  

    3 hours ago, BletchleyGeek said:

    Those were two fun turns, Bil. Any chance of a video covering the last 5 minutes of the battle? It would be a great advertisement for the game.

    Interesting idea.. sounds like a lot of work.  :P  I will consider it.

    1

    U.S. Thread - CM Cold War - BETA AAR - Battle of Dolbach Heights 1980

    in Combat Mission Cold War

    Posted

    The Twenty-Third & Twenty-Fourth Minutes – Saga of Tank Section 1

    “If the tanks succeed, then victory follows.”

    Heinz Guderian

     

    Tank Section 1... quite an exciting turn to watch actually... well, it was for me.  :) 

    As tank 1/8 came around the corner it immediately spotted a T-62 presenting its flank.  It appears that Warren did not see their approach!! 

    T23_A.PNG

    T23_A2.PNG

    • Kill 1 - T-62

    While the crew of 1/8 was exchanging high-fives a BMP-1 popped into shooting range and fired it's gun... which surprisingly hit 1/8 and penetrated! 

     

    T23_A3.PNG

    T23_A4.PNG

    Though shocked and surprised 1/8's crew got its siht together, neatly pivoted its turret and destroyed the BMP.  Damage from the BMP's gun  round was minor, though the crew would remain shocked for the remainder of the turn and would start to withdraw in the next.

    T23_A5.PNG

    • Kill 2 - BMP-1

    Tank 1/9 drove up alongside 1/8 and while it was dealing with the BMP, 1/9 spotted and destroyed another T-62... these were almost simultaneous actions.

    T23_B1.PNG

    T23_B2.PNG

    • Kill - 3 T-62

    So overall a successful foray.  Warren did have some infantry teams in this area by the way... luckily none were in position to attack my tanks and they were following his armor up the hill.  After these two turns some of these teams started skedaddling back to the woods.

    Tank Section 1 will now withdraw a bit and wait to see what Warren's response is.

     

    One of the Dragon teams joined in the fun launching a Dragon at another BMP.

    T23_C1.PNG

    T23_C2.PNG

     

    After these turns Warren started to pull back on this approach. The following image shows his high-water mark...  if he had kept pushing he would have run into my three M-150's kill zones... Warren's foremost BMP was meters from entering the killing zone of the M-150 shown in this image when it started to retreat.

    The three surviving Dragon teams are withdrawing to their next line, in case the Soviets decide to push their luck.

    T23_D.PNG

    T23_E_BB.PNG

    15
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