Agua

[edited to include - real time and elite] Rankorian, re: TD MG, could be wrong - check me on that. [Edit - yeah, rearward 50 cal, but they do use them] re: AP rounds only - hell if it worked for you it worked., I would have thought the AP would have to put a hole through a soldier to take him out, but maybe the shock of big piece of metal going *thunk* next to you is enough to suppress a fire team. THAT's good information to know. re: working around to left - once you clear the center of the hedgehogs at the crossroads, there is a gap in the bocage into the field behind the Germans defending the crossroad. At THAT point, you're protected from the death complex on the left. You can move forward within those fields between the two main roads by carefully checking your LOS with a combination of elevation and bocage providing cover and concealment. BUT you need engineers to blast holes for you to progress along a route largely free of concentrated fire within those fields as well. When the 105s come in, I sent the vet FO along to a location on the left side of that crossroad field, where he could spot the big hill on the left, then sent the reg FO to a spot on the road fronting the left flank to direct for for the 60s on a clump of woods to the left just across that stream. With the AI plan I drew, there was a medium mortar and HMG team in there, so it needed some attention too. [edited to include the following: also sent just about every MG team to set up along the road on the left at various spots while the big stuff on the hill was suppressed so as to make sure everything stayed down] While the arty is going down and suppressing everything on the left, I was somehow able to get a platoon back down on to the left (I'm going from memory from a couple weeks back now, but it seems like it was a gap back into the road on the left, further down towards the obj points at the end - maybe(?) from the next field on the left from the crossroad field(?) - sorry, old timer's disease). From there, you can figure the obvious. At some point there around the end I brought most of the tool shed platoon to combine on those upper foxholes. [Edited to include the following: The TDs I worked into the fields on the right to suppress / eliminate pockets in the bocage firing on the platoon working its way towards the big point objs. Biggest monster in there was an 81mm using direct fire. Give him something to worry about and it buys you time in cover while the TDs blast the other obstacles to getting through those lower fields. Otherwise, your troops are out of LOS from the left, but Mr. Johnny on the spot with an 81 keeps you jumping into fire from his buddies in the bocage] Won "School of hard knocks" the second try, not the first. [edited to include the following: After about the first 15-20 minutes of looking at school beat me up, I figured there was no way *I* was going to have any type of force left sending inf across that bridge, so I restarted and forced an AI surrender with arty and tanks only. ] [Edited again to add: But I Like that approach you're suggesting. I may go back and give that a try just to see how well that works out on my own]

Your approach sounds reasonable and a good example of making the best out of what your dealt given your lack of engineers. Only thing that jumps out at me is those AFVs don't have much in the way of HE loadout and it may take the majority of what you have to blow a hole in the bocage. IIrc, the MG on the TDs fires rearward only, so it's going to be tough to get suppression out of them without the HE. The approach I took involved working the second platoon from the setup point around the crossroad then coming into the field from the back. While suppressing the Germans with the first platoon as per your #8. I haven't tried it, but its not inconceivable that you could suppress the crossroads Germans from the front by commencing fire at the furtherest allowed by the terrain while working both platoons around or, hell, start as per your #8 and once you drive them off by flanking, send the first platoon back around the crossroad to the back side of that field as well. BUT, TDs and their HE were integral to the next phase of my approach and you're pretty much hosed there without engineers.

Fortyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy Thousaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnd Dollahs and its yours.

Area target during a movement order.

HA AHAHAA..... Mine seemed to have that recurring "bug" too.

Probably no one will ever see this because I'm so many years late to the party, but really appreciate these videos tryspawn. I'm a noob to CMSF and after working my way through all the stock scenarios, decided to try the campaigns. It is very interesting to play a scenario, then compare as how you approached it. I took a very different approach in initial mission involving the border crossing (Abrams on berm, simultaneously in overwatch, then arty the trenches, inf assault of same from north to south, then damned near level the compound with 155s), but our approaches in the second mission were nearly identical. Anyway, thanks for putting these together. I look forward to reviewing them following my play of each of the missions.

That would be Tom of TCMHQ.

Load 'er up!

x2. I take a break from it by playing CMSF.

It's hard to say anything here without it being a spoiler, but there are some low areas, if I recall correctly on one side of the map. You have to eyeball it though. You may have started on the wrong spot on your setup zone. In answer to your question in general terms, you're in a tough spot. Eyeball for any depression, use area fire at last contact point for non moving units. Use the damned mortars in linear barrage against the bocage and advance when the Germans have their heads down.

And I take it you advocate they do this for "the greater good"?

Hunt in CMBN seems more akin to the old "move to contact" command (a great command, btw). I don't think the unit necessarily has to spot an enemy unit to halt as it seems it will halt when it perceives a threat such as being fired upon, regardless of contact.

No, he was right. See my post up thread. The old "hunt" *allowed* stop & fire, but it didn't preclude firing while moving.

Isn't that what the old "hunt" command provided? Upon spotting an enemy unit, it halted and fired, then once the threat was out of los, it moved on? Maybe I'm remembering it incorrectly. [Edited to include the following:] Sorry, I gotcha. Yes, the old hunt did this, but that did not preclude AFV from doing so under other movement orders.

I've used less than all tubes playing in realtime when I have a specific target I want taken out, e.g., AT gun, and want to conserve ammo by halting fire once the job's done.

x2 on The Outlaws

SPOILERS ------------------------- That map is so complicated, it would be difficult to give exacting directions, but in general, you know what the problem is: terrible death machinary on the left and right flanks with major portions of the center covered direct and indirect fire. I sent a platoon up tight against the bocage in the field of doom on the right hand side of the road to get good cover against the Germans at the crossroads. I'd sent another platoon up the road, on the left hand side and slowly worked them at various angles from every action spot at the cross road that wasn't mined. The Germans were suppressed enough that it wasn't a suicide drill. If you send squads tight against the embankment to the left, there are no mines there, or weren't in the plan I had. You can infiltrate quite a few that way, then move them up the back side of the field. That's kind of the key to the entire thing. When the engineers came on, I had them blow up the bocage which the first platoon I mentioned above was clinging tightly against, beyond the hedgehogs. When the TDs come in, you can move them into the fields and flank the German positions. You're going to lose some TDs, and some armoured cars. Best thing I can tell you is be extremely conscious of LOS from the flanks. I avoided even trying to take the farm complex - there's enough points otherwise. Use your engineers to break through the bocage. You get some decent arty late in the scenario, I'd save all of it until the 105s come in, then get an FO to call linear targets using all you have, except a few 60s, on the hill on your left flank. Use the 60s to pop a little copse of trees on the left which held HMG and 81mm. I also set up quite a few MGs along the road fronting the left flank field once the arty had everything suppressed. I'd reccommend rearranging your isolated platoon units a little bit, expecially in the enclosure area. The can hold their own in there. After a while the attack on those guys lightened up substantially and you can actually use portions of those to participate in the final assault on the two big point objectives around the end. I recommend bringing another platoon, advancing from the opposite side of those objectives as well. Good luck.

Another one I've JUST got around to starting today is the user made campaign, "The outlaws". I'm into the 5th mission and so far the largest force I've had to handle was about two platoons with a CO & a tank section.

I know. My point was you're pretty much left with run around the wire. Not happening here. Yet, anyway.

Run over it with tanks. If you find some other way, let us know.

x2 Platoon Patrol

Hi Dellinger. You're going to love CM. I'd ventured here from the Campaign Series. Tried CMBO Demo and never looked back. Got to say though, those were really great games for a first transition from board to puter. #1. You don't have to delete the Demo, it will write to a separate folder. The demo missions aren't on the stock game, though they're available for DL on the Depository here. #2. The availability of TRPs depend upon the design of the scenario or campaign. In quick battles, you purchase them.

Be sure and tell us how that works out.

I've got a, I think, 26" flat screen and it distorts at some resolutions. The only way I know to judge is that circles will not look round, but rather flattened either from the sides or the top and bottom if its distorted. In game, the graphics are also distorted accordingly. If I adjust based upon the appearance of circles such as desktop icons, the game graphics are fine, but due to the size of my monitor, the resolution is less than optimal.

^^^^^^^^^^ THIS