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@The_Capt OUTSTANDING AAR! Nothing to add...you've said (and done) it all. Thanks.

Outstanding update, comrade.

Wow. Stunning. "Games" have come a long way.

Bil, Outstanding approach/analysis and ability to share it with us. I am biased towards the Deep Strike Option: I think it gives a better location for any follow-on maneuver or support. Just my .02.

Excellent update, comrade!

A glorious charge for the Motherland! Strike the capitalist warmongers! Or something. Perhaps your follow-on echelons can send up a few tank regiments? The Americans will run out of shells before you run out of tanks! You DO have follow-on echelons, don't you?

This is an excellent essay on how these tanks seem to balance in the game. The T-64 should be treated with a LOT of respect, and not just a little fear, by the US player. When you do get frontal hits on a T-64, it seems to take several strikes to destroy it.

My understanding is that the M60 TTS was a much better sight than the first generation M1s, when it came to thermal imaging. I can't speak to reliability.

Gotta add this: the period depicted is awesome. Meaning, literally, filling one with awe. The amount of arty and air and the damage they can inflict, as well as the numbers involved, and the Soviet T-64 vs the M48/early M60, new ATGMs, makes every encounter a very touch-and-go event. If you get cocky...you die. And once the dying starts, it just keeps going. Look at how any vehicle spotted in this AAR has died. Sure, they're just BMPs and M113s, but the accuracy and deadly effect of munitions...and the number of shooters...is what makes this a well-balanced period. Soviet numbers are offset by the assumption that they'd be attacking. The equipment is balanced: it's up to the user to make the difference. DPICM must be seen to be believed. On this AAR: it seems like Bil is falling for The_Capt's razzle-dazzle. Of course, of anyone, Bil will suss it out soon enough and be in a very balanced position to parry it. (At least, that's my assumption. )

@Pete Wenman, having fought on this map about 6 times (or more?) in the testing process, I have to publicly extol your map-making skills: this one is great! The LOS are tricky, due to the elevations and woods. When Bil comes out of the woods on his right, at the base of the valley, he will be exposed to the The_Capt's base of fire in the woodline. Both wood lines: on either side of the highway bridge. Conversely, where Bil set up his TOW launcher (the M150 that got hit) that hull-down position is great for overwatch on the open area on Bil's right, from the valley bottom UP to The_Capt's left-flank woods. It looks to me like there's gonna be a knife fight down in the valley.

Bil's plan: Obviously, you are bypassing the resistance! Hit him where he's soft. It looks to me like you're making a flank rush and will attempt to attack MOSCOW! Once there, your forces will topple the war-mongering Soviet ruling cabal, AND gain control of their distribution network. This move will simultaneously knock out two of the three legs needed for them to prosecute the war. After you occupy the Kremlin, Dolbach...all the Dolbachs...will fall into your hands. Color me impressed.

No, that was me in my first CMSF play with AAVs stuffed full of Marines: I found out that the game engine has no limitations on how many red crosses it can display simultaneously. For that knowledge, I thank those Marines. But, back to this AAR: the opening graphics defined the Soviet approach. Teeth and hands scrabbling at eyes...or somefink. I like the Maskirovka baked-in from the outset. Remember, comrade, we can always send you more men and tanks: we cannot make more time.

Moar! People's Soviet delegation is watching you. Send moar reports or we will send more delegations!

Sagger needed ~500m (<-- totally from memory: possibly 300m?) for the operator to get it fully under control. So, inside of that range (whatever it is: again, 500m is a distant recollection), they could hit targets, but it was much harder. Once past that distance, it was much easier to guide.

Lol... That "turban" engine: is it the mid-east export version? T64s, T80s, oh, my. A very different matchup for the US when they're fielding M60s. This is not your CMSF shootout. And, gotta say, the vcr intro is great. I'd forgotten the whirling sounds they'd make. (Be kind, and rewind.) Great video!

Ooohh, this one's gonna be great! There's nothing quite like watching M60 rounds bounce off T64s...that just keep coming and firing on the move and killing everything they see! And comparing the BMP to an M113? Yeah...Rodina in for the win on that one.

Happy to answer here, but putting it elsewhere would be better. Achilles and other US TDs had their AA MG on the back of the turret. If you have a target back there, yes, they'll shoot it at them. For more discussion, perhaps a copy and paste into its own thread would be best?

@Drifter Man Thanks for doing and for sharing! Some good stuff in there.

@Zloba, congrats on your new addition to your family! And also on your newborn. In many games when you select difficulty levels, the game changes the characteristics or the numbers of your enemies. Not so in this game. Instead, the different difficulty levels affect artillery/air response times and, most importantly, how spotting is dealt with (both friendly and enemy). It may seem counter-intuitive, but I suggest you start on Iron mode. That mode will allow you to see what each unit sees and it will give you a much deeper understanding of what's going on with the game. For example, in Iron, if 3rd squad is unaware of the enemy LMG section, then when you select 3rd squad, that enemy LMG disappears from the map. Similarly, if 2nd squad is isolated, when you select it, then your other friendly units all disappear. That shows you that 2nd squad has no knowledge of any friendlies. That's important to you as a leader. Don't think that Iron is harder: it is not. It is more realistic (support response times) and allows you better knowledge about your units. Good luck! Ken

save early and save often.

It is interesting to play the Brits and the Commonwealth. Between their manpower shortages in the latter stages of WWII, the lack of squad-level firepower, and the tinker-shop nature of so many of their vehicles, they're quite the challenge. They force the player to marshal one's support, maneuver to advantage, and cautiously feel out the approaches. A squad made up of 2+2+3-man teams is not very good for assaulting. Contrast that with the CMSF2 USMC squads. But, that makes it all the more satisfying when your PIAT takes out the two PzIVs blocking the road. (Yes, SPOILER REDACTED I'm looking at you!) This is THE overriding strength of the vision Battlefront has executed with the Combat Mission series: showing how TOE has such an effect on tactics and combat effectiveness.

Well, you can always take it out of the Z folder and put it elsewhere. Later, put it back in. I have a folder, "All CM Mods". It is subdivided into other folders. I drag and drop into my Z folder as desired.

The various iterations of loading/unloading and movement, as these orders pertain to either passengers or crew, can be confusing. @Freyberg has hit the nail on the head for this unit. Let us know whether it ends up working for you. And Merry Christmas.

By splitting up your post, the numbering scheme you used has been thrown into disarray. I've found that if I select "Show All Movement Paths" (one of the various hotkey selections), it is pretty obvious when I do this. Yes, I have done this. Yes, many of my men died before I learned that lesson. They were grateful that their sacrifice was able to help me. Otherwise, be very aware of how many of your units are orange (selected). First, I agree. However, after a LOT of experience, I've gradually discovered what hedges, bushes, walls, fences, and hedgerows are passable and by what units. Yes, it still takes some re-calibration if I've been gone for awhile, or if I'm playing a new theater. Why doesn't the game do this "on the fly"? Because the PATHING calculations are NOT calculated until AFTER you hit "go". But, there are still issues. For example, I just had a team at a gate in a wall behind a house. I ordered them to run to the back of the house, look inside (face + pause), then enter. Instead, they ran around to the front of the house...and all died. (I consider that a bug, so I've posted it as such. If you get a solid example of mis-pathing, pictures and a save are very helpful to squash them.) See my answer above. Yes, it'd be helpful to have a red underline or some other obvious toggle to see what walls/hedges are impassable to vehicles. Hmm....I don't see that as much of an issue. Is there a specific squad type to which you're referring? (And that they would historically split their sniper/marksman out to operate on their own?) Ken

Bil, as usual, makes a very good point. Attacking where the enemy is weak is a key tactic. Given that most enemy positions appear strong, you can create a weakness by isolating that one spot upon which you wish to concentrate your overwhelming force. In CM, this is done by suppression and smoke. Once you break the integrated enemy position/setup, then exploitation is much easier. And, again referencing Bil, it forces the enemy to react. If he's reacting, you've won the OODA loop. The rest is up to your pixeltruppen.