Phantom Captain

Thanks!! I really thought a few of those did come out pretty good! Ok then, any of you now want a go at a PBEM? @Vacillator @danfrodo @FlammenwerferX @chuckdyke?? Ha! The gauntlet has been thrown. And remember this thread is all encompassing so it can be any theater. I mean, me and @Fizou always have 3 different battles going at any time (currently CMBN, CMRT, CMFB), I'm playtesting a campaign for Mr. X and always starting campaigns or saves or new solo battles against the AI so why not take on another??

Thank you thank you! A Muddy Affair was a really good battle but I played as the Americans! CMFB was the last one I bought and I put it off for a long time for some reason. Once I got it though, it's SO GOOD! It jumped right up to top 3. Although, honestly they are all really hard to rank. My regular PBEM opponent @Fizou and I just finished The Battle for Chaumont in CMFB and it was absolutely disgustingly brutal. We fought to a complete Draw with horrendous losses all around. I had remarked that I felt it was one of our most violent, stubborn, fight to death battles we have ever played. It felt as if we were paying in blood for every...single...meter. I could probably write a 100 page essay just on everything that occurred in the battle and how it unfolded. Those Falschirmjagers fight like demons. Now, we are just about to start The Battle for Chaumont Pt. 2. The German counterattack! I am the Americans, he is the Germans. For both battles... Just take a look at this madness... I'll have nightmares about his hidden ATGs taking out my Shermans left and right for the rest of my life... Most of these men were KIA and WIA. I always feel horrid when I get my pixeltruppen slaughtered.

Victory! My battle with @FlammenwerferX is over. After much struggle and brutal fighting my troops have won the victory taking all but one final VP location! My opponent put up a fierce defense as usual but my armor and mechanized troops proved to be the difference. Final photos from the frontlines... I just love the battle damaged building on this one. The panzergrenadiers were integral to my victory. My armor and recon sit atop the last VP I was able to seize. My infantry rests after taking a farm overlooking the stream crossing and bridge.

Haha! All good! I did play that one some time ago. I need to revisit it. I may even have it saved halfway through or something.

Haha! Thanks! I knew, as soon as I posted it, that someone would call me out for that. You are right, of course, it's an Sd. Kfz. 234/1 with the 20mm cannon. But, let's just say that to me, all 8 wheeled German ACs with turrets are Pumas!

We are now in the waning moments, with under 10 minutes left in our battle. Time has now become my enemy as I don't think I will be able to make it to the final VP, however, I have captured all but two and another is still within my grasp. Here my Puma advances to the heavy bridge VP location and clears out the remaining Soviet infantry guarding the bridge. The two T-34s were previously knocked out by my advancing Panthers. Advance, advance, advance! In the final 30 minutes, I used my Panzergrenadiers on their halftracks to conduct two quick infantry assault and grabs to secure two of the required VPs. @George MC, you would appreciate these assaults. Under cover of armor and as much suppressing fire as possible I rushed two platoons right up onto the Soviet VPs with MGs manned and blazing. My troops dismounted and immediately started advancing and putting more fire on the defenders who succumbed to the incredible and sudden pressure of my assault! My casualties were far lower than if I had tried to advance on the position through my enemies clear fields of fire. Success! The enemy dead and wounded mark their defensive positions and once we closed on them from multiple angles with the halftracks speed and armor support, they fell brutally quick.

Love this one!!

Good stuff. I love it when the mounted MG is manned and then guys start standing up and shooting over the sides of the halftrack as it charges in. It's worked pretty well for me many times, as long as I'm not taking too much incoming...

Ahhh! Now I remember... I played this one H2H against my regular PBEM opponent and I was the Soviets. It was an absolute bloody mess at the end as I tried to assault a couple of his positions and I got smoked. I do remember though, one of my T-64s (or was it a 72?) literally had about 19-20 rounds just bounce right off his front armor. Crew deserted the tank after about shot 15, and still even empty, another 5-8 rounds came in and bounced off the beast!

Still, that was a great assault! Like @danfrodo says, usually in my attempts it never goes that easy! I like seeing the enemy ditching out of their holes before you were even on top of them! I love watching other's videos of these maneuvers, thanks and keep em coming!

Haha! The grenade in the air bounced too far and went off behind them. Both teams start reloading and hugging the ground as tight as they can. One of my soldiers gets his K98 loaded, takes one shot and drops one of the Soviets right as my other soldier throws another potato masher, taking out the second Soviet and this time putting an end to that brief and terrifying 40 seconds or so. Mars has smiled on these two this day.

An idyllic country scene, if it wasn't for all the bullets flying around... There is nothing like CM. The micro battles within the battles are absolutely riveting and at times even more memorable than battle itself. Here, our last turn ended with two hardened enemies, facing off at almost touching distance, neither team intimidated by the bullets flying past, and the grenade is in the air... Every meter I take, every new ridgeline or clump of trees, every direction I turn another group of these guys pop up to ambush and harass our attack.

Haha! Correct on both accounts. Most of it is Russian although there are definitely a few German tanks burning out there too.

We are now under the 30 minute mark. These men were victims to a nasty ambush from a PPsH squad of @FlammenwerferX Soviets. C'est la guerre. Columns of smoke rising from burning vehicles marks the path of the German advance. Panthers prowl on that deadly deadly hunt... Success!

I've been testing Tiger Trail for at least 9 months now? I think it's been even longer in that I tested some scenarios for one of his other corresponding campaigns also? I can whole-heartedly tell you all that...IT'S GOOD. I'm appreciative that @Mr.X has not put a lot of pressure on me and that I think we both want to make sure that these scenarios work, and are FUN! I'm hurrying along as fast as I can. I am thoroughly in the camp of you all WILL NOT be disappointed.

Love it! And very cool. CW is so brutal and deadly. What scenario is that?

And dying... What a fight!

I don't think I am spilling anything by saying my attack is now in full swing. I think @FlammenwerferX is pretty aware of that fact. Advance!

Casualties of war.

Was out of town for a week but @FlammenwerferX and I are back at it. German troops and armor are on the move!

Haven't played that one but, on top of my CM addiction, I do love a bunch of the new and modern tabletop wargames and there are some really excellent ones out there. If you haven't heard of or tried any of the GMT Games COIN (Counter Insurgency) series you are really missing out. Fire in the Lake, the Insurgency in Vietnam is beyond excellent! Sorry for the brief OT post!

The only mods I use are the "All in One" and I add some Soviet uniforms with the darker uniforms, blanket rolls, etc. Can't remember who's it was though. Chuckdyke might also be right that it was included in F&R.

@NPye Your stuff is always amazing looking!

Contact has now devolved into a full scale donnybrook. @FlammenwerferX's men grit their teeth and lay into the oncoming German's. One of my scout teams almost walked on top of a team of ambushing Soviets which ended quickly in the death of my scouts. I think his men were waiting for me with their entrenching tools. Ironically, some of the heaviest fighting in the last couple minutes has centered around a church and cemetery. As bullets start cracking through the air my troops scamper for the stone wall. Firefight at the wall... My big cats support my initial push and my soldiers are thankful for their help.