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ParaBellum

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Posts posted by ParaBellum

    How to find PAKs without getting PAKed?

    in Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin

    Posted

    Originally posted by RSColonel_131st:

    Scouting PAK's with infantry can't be that hard. If your enemy has them protected by infantry close by, you can most likely see the gun while you get into the skirmish with infantry.

    If your enemy protects them with an infantry belt ahead, chances are his PAK's can't support his Inf. Wipe them out with Tanks and continue Scouting.

    Of course, last alternative is to use Armored Cars or similar fast scouting vehicles, with emphasis of fast movement and cover. They are cheaper as a tank if you lose them, and they might be able to spot the gun without staying to long in the cone of fire.

    I disagree. A competent opponent will not make such stupid mistakes when placing his AT guns.

    He will place his Paks as far back as possible combined with some guns sited for flank shots against advancing enemy tanks.

    Your infantry won't be able to close in since long-range HMG fire will pin them down.

    His infantry will be in position so that if enemy tanks engage them, they'll get targeted by his AT guns, preferably assisted by TRPs.

    'Reverse slope defese' comes to mind.

    If you put your infantry in position where enemy tanks can 'wipe them out' with your AT assets unable to interfere there's a serious flaw in your defense plan.

    Armoured cars or other lightly armoured/armed vehicles? Why should I bother to open fire on them with my precious AT guns? They do not pose a serious threat for my infantry and won't spot anything while moving fast.

    AT rifles will take care of them. Or maybe a light Flak gun (20mm). The AC will be dead before it even sees the enemy.

    [ January 27, 2003, 04:42 PM: Message edited by: ParaBellum ]

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    MasterGoodale's Mystery WWII Photo Thread (Pics Posted!)

    in Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin

    Posted

    Originally posted by MasterGoodale:

    ... Who's the guy to the right of Hitler inn that pic? I think he's in one of my photographs, but he looks younger in my pic. He's doing a speech and there are a few people besides Hitler sitting nearby on a stage of some sort. he's wearing what I believe is a white uniform, but it's hard to tell. It could be tan I suppose.

    That is the sculptor Arno Breker. He, together with Alber Speer, were accompanying Hitler as his 'tour guides' when he visited Paris on June 23rd 1940.
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    if you understood german

    in Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin

    Posted

    "...Die anderen kämpfen, genau 60 Jahre später, in einem virtuellen Stalingrad - per Mausklick und Joystick, daheim am Computer oder auf Partys in Stadthallen und Sportarenen, bei Pizza und Pommes, Red Bull und Flaschenbier.

    Trasnlation: "The others fight, exactly 60 years later, in a virtual Stalingrad - with mouse clicks and joysticks, at home at their PC or at Parties in town halls and sports arenas, with Pizzas and frensh fries, Red Bull and Beer."

    OK, that's it! I hereby call for a CM - "Party" in a local "sports arena"! I want Pizzas! I want Flaschenbier! Blood! Violence! Uniforms!

    :D

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    if you understood german

    in Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin

    Posted

    Hehe, just found it while browsing through the news.

    That just made my day! :D

    I usually like the SPIEGEL but so far I've never read a intelligent, unbiased article covering Computer games and especially wargames outside of gaming mags.

    Funny: although they show the cover of the Combat Mission package, most of the time they write about 'Sudden Strike' and show screenies of 'Panzer General'...

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    Is this Normal

    in Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin

    Posted

    SPOLIER

    *

    *

    *

    *

    *

    *

    *

    *

    *

    *

    *

    *

    *

    I think it's worth mentioning that the scenario plays in a snow storm. This means the main advantage of the Tigers/Stugs, their superior optics and gun accuracy is nullified by the numerical superiority of the T-34s.

    So yes, I'd say it's a normal situation. A bit bad luck that all your tanks missed the first T-34 but under these conditions IMO still plausible.

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    Is it worth it?

    in Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin

    Posted

    My suggestion: as soon as possible start playing human opponents. PBEM is very good for learning since you'll have time for your planning and a good opponent will discuss tactics, point out obvious mistakes and help you with the first steps.

    A single PBEM vs a good player will teach you more than 20 games against the AI.

    Read AARs to see how different players handle different situations.

    There's a bunch of good ones for CMBO at CMHQ, higly recommended.

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    Buying units and not getting what you expected.

    in Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin

    Posted

    Originally posted by M Hofbauer:

    </font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Shadow 1st Hussars:

    10% of your units will be below the experiance level you got them at, and 10% will be lower. It's in the manual.

    that doesn't quite sound right to me. are you sure you don't mean 10% *above* and 10% below? the way I read your post suggests 10% are below, and another 10% are even lower in experience (=2 levels).

    btw care to point out where exactly in the manual does it say that? I can't find that info, neither on pp. 171ss nor 183ss. ?? </font>

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    Buying units and not getting what you expected.

    in Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin

    Posted

    Originally posted by Eden Smallwood:

    </font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by ParaBellum:

    This is one of the reasons why I like setting the 'casualties' to 20-30%.

    Setting Casualties to say 50% means that you'll get a force size twice as large, in points, and half of them will have been executed before setup phase. You still have X points total, just with a larger percentage of HQs, and a bunch of casualtied squads.

    Admittedly, fighting with two squads each of which is half strength might be tougher (?) than one full strength squad, but if that difference exists I would suppose it must be slight.

    If you want true random casualties, id est, affecting true force size, you'll have to limit your own spending, or walk them off the board yourself, et cetera.

    EDIT- typo

    Eden </font>

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    Buying units and not getting what you expected.

    in Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin

    Posted

    Originally posted by mike the wino:

    Precisely why like this "feature"?

    Quite simple. I like it because I like the additional challenge. Gives me a "Well, see how you handle it, commander!" - feeling...

    In CMBO I sometimes played guys who tailored their forces down to the last point using all tricks they could. In CMBB quite some stuff is randomized thus rewarding the flexible commanders. This is one of the reasons why I like setting the 'casualties' to 20-30%.

    If you can't win a battle because your one and only 'Ueberweapon' didn't made it to the battlefield you should change your tactics...

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    Buying units and not getting what you expected.

    in Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin

    Posted

    A platoon of Stugs and a SturmTiger? In a 2000 points QB? That's what I call a balanced force... tongue.gif

    In CMBB there's some radomness concerning your troops' experience. Buy a regular infantry company and you'll get some vets, some greens, while most the men will be regulars.

    Same with tanks. In a recent QB I bought 2 Stugs and 2 Tiger Is. All were bought as regs. It turned out that one Stug and a Tiger were regular, one Stug was veteran and one Tiger was green.

    I like that kind of uncertainty.

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    Master Goodale vs ParaBellum AAR

    in Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin

    Posted

    Turn 31

    In the NW corner of the village Lt.Becker's platoon has secured its objective. The crew of a russian Maxim MG is cut down under a hail of bullets as they try to retreat northwards. Unt.Probst, manning the MG34 of his SPW 251/1 providing fire support for Becker's men is hit by a round that penetrated the gun shield. With Unt.Gres' squad finally moving down from hill 230 I now have 30 men there that should be able to repel all russian counter-attacks.

    In the woods in the east of the village the fighting seems to cease. Unt.Wittman's PzII fires long MG bursts at a russian squad and forces them to withdraw. Looks like the russians have also suffered heavy losses in those bloody woods.

    I now have less than 20 men to hold these positions but with the support of the PzII and another SPW 251/1 I should be able to hold these position.

    I think I have stopped the russian attack inside the village. My only concern now is the situation around the church, where russian infantry emerges from the gully.

    A full russian squad, 11 men, are charging towards the church that is only held by Obg.Ober's PzJäger team down to one man and the crews of two knocked out vehicles that sought cover within the church!

    If I can't stop this charge all men inside the church are doomed! As the russians charge forward, jumping across the small wall in front of them they come under fire from Obg.Pfeiffer's HMG 34 and Lt.Schulmeister's PzII. North of them Unt.Lorenko and his squad hear the dreaded "Urrrrraaaah!!" of charging soviet infantry behind them and spot the russians, having almost reached the church and immediatly open fire on them. One soviet soldier after another is hit, and as they have almost reached the church (10m) their assault is stopped! Having lost four men the survivors turn around and crawl back, under heavy fire!

    Meanhwile Unt.Schmidt's SPW 251/1 has moved into position to engage the enemy infantry in the gully, too. With the accurate fire of Schulmeister's PzII, Schmidt's SPW and Pfeiffer's HMG I should be able to push the russians back.

    aar_16.jpg

    Turn 32

    The battle has ended! Although the setting for this engagement is 35+ turns it looks as if the auto-ceasefire has kicked in due to overall low moral/ammo. My global moral is 42% and many of my units are low on ammo.

    Unfortunately this means the VL in the church stays neutral, since there are still two russian squads nearby. I was quite confident to push both of them back within the next one or two turns.

    One of them is shaken/tired and the other weary, both under fire from several directions.

    Result:

    Axis tactical victory, score is 65-35.

    I have secured two of the VLs while the third one stays neutral.

    I started the battle with 215 men and suffered 111 casualties, 35 of them fatal.

    The russian forces consisted of 247 men and suffered 169 casualties, 41 of them fatal.

    I lost 2 PzIV(short), 1 PzII, 3 PzIII(short) and 2 SPW 251/1s.

    I knocked out 3 T-34s, 2 KV Is, 5 T-26s and 4 BA-10s.

    aar_15.jpg

    Conclusion/Lessons learnt:

    I think my plan for this battle was sound. I was able to secure the southern part of the village quickly and bring my infantry into positions from where they could engage the russian armour. I took hill 230 and from there was able to assault the NW part of the village. KG Reuter that was advancing in the gully towards the village reached their objective and joined Lt.Kinkel's men in the village.

    That was the good part! ;)

    My first BIG mistake was the armour engagement on hill 230. What did I write in my plan? "Pz IVs with short 75mm guns are not meant to duel with T-34s..." Yup.

    But then I had a brilliant idea. I thought I could engage his T-34s one by one with concentrated fire from my Pz IVs... That was quite stupid.

    I should have immediatly withdrawn them and lured them into an ambush. I had some bad luck with penetrations that didn't knock out the T-34s but if I had used my armour as I had planned that wouldn't have been an issue.

    When I got a platoon of PzIIIs I again made a mistake by sending two of them to engage the T-34s head on. I was believing my veteran crews and the advantages of 3-men turrets would give me an upper hand.

    Bad mistake! Again there was no need to engage the T-34s frontally. As long as my Pzs were around the T-34s couldn't shoot up my infantry.

    Well, somehow I took out the T-34s and the situation on hill 230 stabilized. My PzIIs took care of the russian light armour (did I already mention they simply rock?) and Becker's infantry platoon was in a good position to assault the village.

    In the village KG Reuter engaged enemy forces and pushed them back.

    Now I made the worst mistake of the battle:

    Instead of giving my tired men some time to rest I ordered them to push forward. I thought I had MG's men on the run and gravely underestimated his strength there. I payed a heavy price. Especially at closer distances the firepower of the russian squads is superior to the german squads'. I lost half a platoon within two minutes in these woods. If MG had been able to launch a co-ordinated attack in platoon strength there I think they would have overrun my positions in the woods.

    When his KV Is arrived he made a bad mistake that would be decisive for the outcome of the battle by sending them forward without proper infantry escort and both got ambushed and destroyed by my infantry.

    My infantry assault towards the village from hill 230 went pretty smooth and once the KV Is were destroyed I had no problems securing the VLs in the center and in the NW corner of the village.

    MG's wide flanking maneuvre was a nasty surprise to me. But since I had a mobile reserve (the SPWs and Schulmeister's PzII) I could counter this threat. The russian attacks were uncoordinated and stopped cold.

    I think with one or two more turns I would've pushed back the remaining infantry around the church and secured that VL.

    I want to thank again Abbott for creating this scenario and Master Goodale for being an honourable opponent and making this battle not only interesting but fun as hell, too!

    Since this was one of his very first PBEMs I think he did pretty well. If he had coordinated his attacks more and concentrated his forces he might have put me in a very dangerous situation.

    And I think he learned to fear infantry close attacks on tanks... ;)

    I hope you enjoyed our little AAR, maybe some new players got interested in PBEM gaming, and maybe some even learnt a thing or two. I definately did...

    PS: the end-battle-screen is part of Pavlov's "Red Victory GUI" mod...

    [ January 20, 2003, 10:48 AM: Message edited by: ParaBellum ]

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