laxx

Dr Rosen, I knew this was too good to remain a secret for long. You have just triggered the secret god-mode in CMBB: Press Shift-G and type in 'thereisnomonkey + press return then click on the offending object you want to obliterate. thanks. now everybody will cheat during PBEM. Grrr

Red Dragon ?

this is most interesting, especially the links above. I wonder how many armies utilised common crimmals for penal battlion in WWII. I know that in come countries, crimmals escaped the arm of law by joining the army. but this is something else entirely. laxx

Updated the First post to include the 20th Review. *bump*

Sgt Emren, Your Pix is OFF TOPIC. The bikini clad person *is* not wearing Camos or doing anything remotely resembling a fire-movement (not even a panic-auto-sneak) and is therefore not a CM:BBBabe. Remove it at Once before this goes to general topic forum...Grrr ... just joking... nice pair of zooks. [ December 04, 2002, 02:11 AM: Message edited by: laxx ]

Agreed, Perhaps a site focused on Tactis, Strategy Guides, After Action Reports would be great. For the strategy guides, a walk-through of the 50/60+ scenarios would be great, especially if one could embedd graphics. This will help newbies like me alot. I will contribute my first AAR: Gefechtsaufklaerung as Germans (Small, 15 turns, German Attacking) and include graphics too. laxx [ December 03, 2002, 11:01 PM: Message edited by: laxx ]

nice! ummm, if and when you play this again, could you do an AAR ? cheer!

Ignus, Actually, I like Terrapin's point, Tactics or even Better Strategy Guides....OMG, I got it: CM:BBBabes with a Winning Strategy Guide. hooo!!! With a body like that, everyone wants to play name the medal/insignia/badge..... [ December 03, 2002, 08:28 PM: Message edited by: laxx ]

Ignus, Remember the key question: What is your Differentiator ? What can you do on your web-site that others won't do or can't do ? Something which you need to be king of hill at. Some sites are very good at Scenarios or specialised in Mods. Some are very good at After-Action Reports (AAR) while others go for History. What is your differentiator then ? Well, I have not really seen a site specialising in CM:BBBabes , so that's one possible suggestion. But you may have problems with bandwidth coz nothing attracts audience more than guns, war, vodka and babes mixed together. Having a specific niche is usually better than a General site covering everything. Remember, Jack of All Trades, Master of None. That will cost you 2 cents, Please. laxx "Sometimes Web/Lab consultant" [ December 03, 2002, 08:11 PM: Message edited by: laxx ]

A revisionist definition: Propaganda is like Pornography, you can't really define it but you will know it when you see it.

actually, that picture makes an excellent CMBB into screen.....

Updated the first post. It includes a Finnish site and Gamershell.com. 19 reviews, 1 detailed preview and 1 magazine review. [ December 03, 2002, 12:58 PM: Message edited by: laxx ]

** Copy the rtsp URL, Open RealPlayer, Go to File->Open Location and enter the URL. A collection of War Movies I discovered this evening. The Battle of Russia Part I & II Made in 1943. Why We Fight Series, by Frank Capra Propaganda but interesting. Explains (from the side of the Allies) on Hitler's strategy in Russia and what actually happened. ** What is interesting is to see an American Film and quotations by US Military leaders praising Russia. ** A little "Gamey" but interesting rtsp://g2.movieflix.com/flix/ww2rus3_b.rm rtsp://g2.movieflix.com/flix/ww2rus23_b.rm Artkino: Our Russian Front Russian Propaganda Movie made in 1942! Actor Walter Huston narrates this documentary about the Russian people who staved off Hitler's forces. rtsp://g2.movieflix.com/flix/rusfront3_b.rm Battle of the Volga Made in 1962 B&W State Movie, made by 150 Army Camera men translated in English. A little jerky coz a mixture of slides and moving pictures. Another explanation of Battle of Stanlingrad. rtsp://g2.movieflix.com/flix/volg3_b.rm Famous Generals of World War II: George S Patton ** Cough Cough ** Not exactly Barbarossa-Related but a blatant sell-job on Patton. Watch like an advertisment for a US politician. rtsp://g2.movieflix.com/flix/genrl4_b.rm ** Regarding the Russian Movies, Play Spot the Russian AFV contest. I saw T-34s, KV-1s and even a BT-2! [ December 03, 2002, 12:12 PM: Message edited by: laxx ]

thanks Moon and ScouseJedi, i have updated the main post to include your links as well as the reviews. laxx

thanks. i'll update it in the main doc.

assuming cm3 is a really great product and takes 2 years to come out, what do you think the world of technology be like then ? - computers will probably be in the 6ghz range - graphics will probably be ultra-realistic - highspeed internet will be default built-in what about games ? - widespread massively domain games - real time system will still be there - immersive technology, virtual networked worlds (maybe) so what about wargames ? - instead of a 60 second timer, what about user intervened action ? The user can choose to press the break key to plan actions, movements, fire-orders or else the game carries on, rendering graphics on the fly. - Option for users to plug into a central server and command teams according to their rank. So you start as an Australian platoon leader, plugged into a massively domain game called Combat Mission: War in Korea (CMWK) . Other folks log in at will as allied or Commies. Your company commander can promote you depending on your gameplay, skills or number of games you have played. I think the wargaming will get better, scarier and social interaction skills will drop to an all time low. By CM6, Combat Mission: Yom Kippur (CMYK not Cyan Magenta Yellow and Black) , people will take steriods to stay awake, eat less and doan sleep at all. By CM8, Combat Mission: Crisis in Cuba (CMCC) or CM9, Combat Mission:Nuclear Winter (CMNW) they completely lose their ability to operate simple machinery, everything is "jacked in" Brave New World, I can't wait. [ December 02, 2002, 09:42 AM: Message edited by: laxx ]

thanks! good and useful point. One question I have, how long do you usually sneak, since it is quite exhaustive with a shreck.

My only *suggestion* for CM series is focused on helping and encouraging more newbies into the game. currently, the "tools" available for newbie play are: - create your own scenarios so that one can test and evaluate, and validate tactics. - play with FOW to None. However this makes your troops available to the AI as well. Having a one-sided FOW may *not* be a bad thing for the newbie. [ December 02, 2002, 03:44 AM: Message edited by: laxx ]

* disclaimer, I am not affliated in anyway to movieflix.com * Came across this while browsing on the net, apparently, this is a free movie for viewing (http://www.movieflix.com/movie_info.mfx?movie_id=1506) but you have to register it first (free). Battle of Russia, Part I Starring: Adolf Hitler, Ion Antonescu & Galeazzo Ciano Director: Frank Capra & Anatole Litvak Length: 36 min. Synopsis: In this installment of the "Why We Fight" propaganda series, we learn about the events on the Russian front of World War II. We learn about Russia's heroic resistance to invasion in the past and how those qualities were called upon in the current war. We also learn about Russian tenacity and their determination to win against the seemingly invincible forces of Nazi Germany in the bloodiest fighting of the war. [ December 03, 2002, 12:40 PM: Message edited by: laxx ]

Ampulomet looking like a cigarette... hermmmmm.... [ December 02, 2002, 12:24 AM: Message edited by: laxx ]

23 Reviews + 1 Preview + 3 Magazine Review Hi, I started this thread to post some of the reviews out there on CMBB, I have excluded Previews (unless it is informative) or sneakpeeks. Probably the funniest review comes from DiscWorld.com, the grog-wanna-be complains the game lacks Weapons Upgrade and manages to get some basic facts wrong. A thought-provoking review comes from GameRampage.com, the author, in some ways, expresses how some of us CMBO players felt the first time we played CMBB. The most accolades comes from GameSpy.com with a whopping 94% score. The most grog review comes from wargamer.com, the reviewer knows his hardware specs + bibliographies. And then, there are reviews from non-pc/non-wargames sites like contactmusic.com and amazon.com Three cheers for CMBB! ----- http://www.gameplanet.co.nz/mag.dyn/Reviews/2444.html "Combat Mission ? Barbarossa to Berlin now wears the crown of being the ultimate World War 2 wargame. If you have any interest in strategy games or World War 2 this game is a must buy for your collection. If you have never played a wargame before, buy it - you will not be disappointed." Ratings: 4.5 /5 ---- http://www.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r18991.htm "While Combat Mission has enough battle scenarios and juicy extras, this game is still an acquired taste but die hard strategy enthusiasts will definitely enjoy it. While the difficulty level of the single player mode can be brutal, the game will make you think of different possibilities and change your strategy. There are also the great online features and the Scenario Editor that are appealing enough to give this game your full attention." Ratings: Overall 8.6 ---- http://pc.ign.com/articles/377/377755p1.html " For those interested in a game that's more involved than the current RTS crop or one that's less tedious than the usual wargame, Barbarossa to Berlin is a perfect fit. With all the new holiday releases coming out each week, we don't always have as much time as we'd like to spend with the games that we really, really love. The upside is that I'll now be spending my Christmas break trying to find new ways to breakthrough to Berlin." OVERALL SCORE (not an average) 9.0 ----- http://www.strategyinformer.com/reviews/cmbb-review.shtml "Lastly, CMBB is unforgiving. If you are new, the game mechanics are very easy to learn but be prepared for some ass-whoopin. The tactics required are real and as such some may find this a turn off to the normal ?gun and rush? tactics they prefer." Ratings : 8.2/10 Ratings from Reader Polls: 7.6/10 ---- http://gamespot.com/gamespot/stories/reviews/0,10867,2896002,00.html " Now that World War II is such a popular setting in first-person shooters, Combat Mission is a perfect venue for action-oriented gamers to have a more in-depth but no less exciting look at the subject matter. While it might not have the kind of glamorous, Hollywood-style appeal of Battlefield 1942, it's a refreshing alternative to the two previous approaches to wargaming: burying it under numbers and hexes or dumbing it down with Panzer General-style levels of abstraction and simplicity. Combat Mission navigates beautifully between these two extremes. Furthermore, as is the case with any good follow-up, it would be hard to go back to playing the original Combat Mission after getting a taste of all the innovations and improvements in Barbarossa to Berlin, which takes a great game and makes it even greater." Ratings: 9.1 (Superb) + Editor's Choice ------ http://www.thediscworld.co.uk/combat2.htm "Unfortunately, whilst the game is undoubtedly more polished there are still some glaring omissions such as the lack of a proper campaign in the game. It would have been nice for example; to play through a campaign where you?re units are carried over to the next level gaining in experience as you progress. Another slightly annoying feature is the lack of weapon upgrades meaning you have to put up with whatever you?re given for each level. Apart from these problems Combat Mission 2 is still a lot of fun to play through if you?ve got the patience." Ratings: 71%, "Too Similar to the Original" My Comments: Weapons Upgrade? Sounds like someone has been playing too much Red Alert! Roll out the Tesla Weapon of Destruction ----- http://www.gamerampage.com/reviews/cm2/review.html "Something about this game made me mad at first, I'm not sure what. Perhaps it was the new armor rules or the panicked infantry. But then I realized that this game was indeed the Combat Mission I wanted, and it had been refined to a level of great gameplay and realism. CMBB is now the pinnacle of how a 3D WW2 game should be made. Expect a lot of copycats to be churned out soon. The game has stepped up its level of realism and that is a good thing. This is a game that requires some manual reading, but it pays off with splendid game mechanics and good old fun. Despite the age of the engine, the game pulls off what it needs to do, but next time around Battlefront needs to look at updating this game even further." Ratings: 8/10 ----- http://www.pgnx.net/reviews.php?page=full&id=918 "When playing, it'll take you a while before you finally get into the game and enjoy it. Some gamers can wait a bit for action and don't need extreme action at all times to keep busy. To those people I recommend picking up Combat Mission II: BtB, this is probably the best turn-based strategy title to date. For people who need constant action, and can't wait while the computer makes its turn, you may be turned off by the game early on." Ratings: 8/10 My Comments: Review by non-wargammer, no screen shots ---- http://www.totalgames.net/reviews/reviewsfull.epml?reviews.REF=280 2&import.REF=1&format.REF=8&gameType.REF=3 "But will the wargame buffs stoop to this 3D fancy and will gamers fed on Flashpoint and Rainbow Six consider taking charge of whole armies?" Ratings: 70/100 My Comments: With text less than 300 words and one crummy picture. How on earth did they come up with a scoring system ? Weak Review ----- ---- http://gamesweb.com/pc/previews/c/combatmission2/index.php German Site, Translated via Systran:"Owing to some options in the Gameplay and a high strategic depth hard core fans of the round strategy category with ' Combat mission 2 ' will come again once at its expense, since above all the provided wordprocessor promises plentifully supply at scenarios. The entrance is made for beginners and opportunity players into the play not easily and it needs time, in order to find taste at the thing. Since also in the available version no manual is attached, it falls relatively heavily to be immediately by right. Together with the altbackenen diagram and the missing campaigns ' Combat mission might be able really to inspire 2 ' despite its good strategic qualities therefore probably only category fans." Ratings: 72% ___ http://pcdome.gyaloglo.hu/review.php?id=1129 I believe this is a Hungarian Site. Ratings is: 8.5/10 __ http://www.contactmusic.com/new/home.nsf/webpages/combatmission2x25x09x02 "Combat Mission's immense online community is catered for admirably. The strength of the game is the ease with which players can create their own maps and modifications - and the improved mission and scenario editor make this easier than ever. Players across the world can effortlessly share their own missions, making Combat Mission 2 infinitely replayable." No Ratings Given, Preview ---- ----- http://www.gamespy.com/reviews/november02/combatmissionbbpc "And, once you get into the game, all of the features will blend together to give you as sweat-inducing a game as you'll encounter in any genre. The .... shock of having your tank turn a corner in a large city and suddenly be face to face with an enemy tank, at point blank range, and the tension as each tank's turret slowly turns in an attempt to be the first one to get off what will surely be a killer shot, with you screaming at your tank "shoot! SHOOT!!!" It's truly great stuff, whether you're a hardcore grognard or simply a gamer looking for excitement that doesn't involve orcs or elves or zombies." Ratings: 94 % My Comments: thanks to Vanir Ausf B for point out the correct review ------ ** Updated on 2nd December 2002 ** ------ http://www.ag.ru/index_fc.htm#http://www.ag.ru/reviews/reviews_c.shtml Russian Site: No translation Available Ratings: 7.0 and 7.5/10 (I believe one is Reader Votes) ------ http://de.games.yahoo.com/021026/247/31c5z.html German Site: Tanslation: "Right from the start: With Combat Missian 2, CDV lives up to the reputation of being a publisher for hardcore gamers. This game is not suitable at all for beginners but a hit for hardcore strategy gamers. It?s impossible to portray battles on the PC in a better and more realistic way. Those who love these kind of games will be addicted to CM2 and the immense fun it provides. For this audience the game is almost a must-buy. Due to the immense depth CM2 will provide long-term motivation to continue playing it although it is difficult to master. The difficulty level can get adjusted but newcomers should stay clear of this title." Ratings: Entirely: 83/100. Diagram: 70/100 Sound: 70/100. Operation: 85/100 My Comments: Thanks to Nolloff for his translation -------- http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00006M3YF/qid=1038820901/s r=1-1/ref=sr_1_2_1/026-3361506-2592421 Comments: Too numerous to list down. Mainly Reader Comments: "Where Combat Mission truly excels is in its depth. A month's gaming will barely scratch the surface" Ratings: 5/5 (from 4 reviews) ____ -------- Updated on 3rd December http://www.wargamer.com/reviews/combat_mission_barbarossa_berlin/ "With that in mind, and judging from the response on the Internet forums, it's safe to say that Combat Mission fans can be divided in two groups: those who have the new game and those whose copy is on the way. To answer the question from the first section of the article, yes, it was worth the wait. The rest of the wargaming population with even a remote interest in World War II ground combat should give Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin a spin, at least with the freely downloadable demo. As for my aversion to the East Front games, it has been set aside, at least until Combat Mission moves on to another theater." My Comments: Thanks to Moon for pointing out this review. This is the most comprehensive review out there, four pages of details, also compares certain aspects of CMBO with CMBB and the only review with a list of suggested readings and weblinks (!). The reviewer is a hardcore wargamer. Ratings: "The Wargamer is pleased to present Battlefront.com this Award for Excellence for its Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin. The game is a tremendous improvement over Combat Mission: Beyond Overlord and is one of the best war games available today." Five Stars. -------- The following was painstakingly typed in by ScouseJedi on the review from PC Gamer (UK) which awarded CM2 :Game of Distinction Dec 2002". Thanks ScouseJedi! PC Gamer (UK) gave CM2 'Game of Distinction December 2002' (Age of Mythology got game of the month) Review is painstakingly copied out below, any spelling mistakes are mine. ... This is an appeal on behalf of the Acute Militarisma Society. Sufferers of this debilitating and litte known condition are unable to partake of cinematic entertainment with military content without pointing out inaccuracies to companions. The innocent enjoyment of war movies like Kelly's Heros, Saving Private Ryan and Battle of Britain is cruelly denied them. Where we see Tiger tanks, they see heavily disguised Russian T34/85's. Where we see Messerschmitts they see swastika-sporting Spanish HA-1112-MIL Buchons. The symptoms of AM can also be brought on by PC games and their packaging. Surprisingly, the successor to the most realistic WWII wargame ever caused terrible reactions across Europe. The trigger had nothing to do with the facts and figures behind CM2's incredible rnge of 3D units and thouroughl convincig combat algorithyms, but instead was tracable to the publisher's plan (thankfully now abandonned) to put an American GI on the box-lid. Apart from the appearance of the odd Lend-Lease Sherman, Uncle Sam and the other Western Allies sit out this slow-paced but quick witted Eastern Front sequel. On the surface it seems little else has changed. Visuals benefit slightly from more polygons, higher res textures and 2D landscape decoration, but the fusty CMBO engine is still powering it all, meaning no dynamic lighting or volumetric smoke. I could wheel out most of the other things I griped about in 2000 (unimaginative presentation of scenarios and lack of a strategic layer and team monitor) and add a few new ones that have begun to grate in the interim (the inability to add waypoints for group movement and the way tanks don't obstruct LOS), but this would misleadingly skew a review of a game which delivers the most subtle tactical experience the PC can provide. In CM2, carefully prepared plans are soething you wrap your sarnies in or hand on a nail in the latrine tent. The one thing you can be sure of in the 60 second non-intervention sequence that follows the orders phase is that Chaos & Calamity are waiting just around the next corner, just over the next ridge. A red-hot MG42 jams solid in the teeth of an Ivan infantry assault. A Panzer platoon is thrown into turmoil after the command vehicle crushes a mine. Ask too much from your men and, like birches bending under the burden of dead paratroopers, they will quiver and break. A new suite of orders gives finer control over your fragile forces but also erodes elegance to a degree. In the past, Big Time Software have demonstrated a pleasing distain for micromanagerial excess but this stand appears to have weakened slightly in CM2. Though new tank orders like 'hull down' (vehicle seeks a position where it can engage a target with only its turret visible) and behaviours like automatic unbuttoning (commanders open their hatches on their own initiative) actively reduce mollycoddling, when faced with a choice between eight modes of infantry movement I do find myself hankering after simpler times. Of course, theres no pressure to make use of the extra, fussier, commands right away. It's a testament to the extraordinary shrapnel sharp AI that it's possible (but not easy) to win CM2 battles through inspired use of the 'Fast Move' order alone. Left to their own devices, friendly troops select their own targets, outgunned AFVs scuttle for cover, and more gung-ho units forgotten in the rear move up in search of action. If your tired of playing the role of omnipotent puppetmaster in your strategy games and want instead to experience something of what its like to marshall men whose notions of duty are entangled with visions of homecoming, then this is the title for you. The sense that combatants are fashioned from fallible flesh and bone is nicely enhanced by the new 'death clock' feature whereby gunners pound away at targeted tanks until they see smoke or evacuating crew (Previously they knew immediately when a knockout had occured). A few extra shells and seconds spent confirming a kill might seems unimportant but in CM2 the whole complexion of a battle can change in the time it takes for you to poke your head above the parapet and say "If I was a sniper, I'd be up there in that chur.." Definable cover arcs are another welcome innovation, eliminating as they do the rare but annoying losses in CMBO caused when tank commanders forgot threats once they'd disappeared from view. Other action related changes are in themselves fairly small but combine to conjure up the cut and thrust of WWII land warfare even more accurately and more compellingly than before. The closer you inspect the finely tooled innards of theis game the more impressive the workmanship is. You might notice that your Jagpanthers seem to hit hit their marks more regularly on frigid days. It could be coincidence but then again it ould be down to the fact that BTS have gone to the trouble of modelling the effects of air temperature on Axis tank optics. AP shells in most other strategy games slowly chip away at stamina bars. In CM2 they ricochet, partially penetrate, they flake away internal armour, they kill crew, they detonate ammo - eviserating factory fresh vehicles in split seconds. Befitting a title that takes technical minutae so seriously the 60 scenarios and 10 multi-battle operations are all nicely historicised. Splendidly, the excellent quick abttle maker now allows you to contest home made maps as well as randomly generated ones. New terrain types like factories and cemeteries enhance but dont manage to make urban maps look much more naturalistic. Though, inevitably, this is not the watershed that its predecessor was, its still a towering tactical triumph and the very few games recommended by both PC GAMER and the cash strapped (please send what you can) Acute Militarisma Society. PC GAMER PROFILE CM2 is: Cunning, Cursed with a poor demo, unsually bug free CM2 is not: Simple, Sudden Strike, A huge steppe forward Also worth a look: CMBO and Stalingrad (film) 86% Review by Tim Stone ------ Updated: 4th December http://firingsquad.gamers.com/games/cmbbreview/ Quote: "What?s this? It scored almost as high as Age of Mythology? That?s right. Wargames may have traditionally held the stigma of being difficult to get into, reserved for grognards and being too tough for the average gamer, but Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin is not your average wargame. Since the days of Risk, there were two kinds of wargames - the beer and pretzels casual kind, and the hardcore titles which alienated the rest of the market. The Combat Mission games are easy enough to understand and play that anyone can get into it, and they offer enough options and detail that hardcore players can make the most of it. Quite simply, Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin has smashed preconceived notions of what defines the wargame genre." My Comments: Thanks to Dschugaschwili for hightlighting this. Only review which mentions about the excellent manual. Watch out for the funny one-liners in the 8 page review. Ratings: 85% ---- [url=http://www.mbnet.fi/pelihalli/pelit/lukija-arvostelut.asp?peli=2463]http://www.mbnet.fi/pelihalli/pelit/lukija-arvostelut.asp?peli=2463[/u [ December 29, 2002, 11:09 PM: Message edited by: laxx ]

Yapma, I doan really have an answer, however, if I were the german forces, my predictable tactics against your russian forces would be: - separate your tanks from your troops - use anti-tank teams against your unprotected tanks - or/and isolate your individual tanks into firefights against all the german tanks The 50mm from the Panzer IIIs can't really penetrate your KVs or T-34 successfully. And the 75mm L/24 IVs are better equip against troops than tanks. On the other hand, your tanks can't shoot accurately at long distances. Perhaps you could consider using russian tank to advance quickly and pause to overwatch the troops before advancing again. laxx [ December 01, 2002, 07:40 PM: Message edited by: laxx ]

Hi, I played this scenario this evening and I enjoyed it very much, and with no modifications, I won Total Victory. (** disclaimer, I am new to wargaming and am not an expert in tactics, my post reflects this **) Thought I'd share the scenarios: ---- spoiler ahead (of coss, this *is* the scenario forum --- basically, back in June 1941, as a recon group, you are tasked to "check out" (attack) a small village in Lithuania. Your small force comprises of veteran platoon with 50mm motar and a HMG, and accompanied by a Stug IIIB, one half-track 251/10, one 75mm Infantry Gun and lastly one 105mm FO. What is waiting for you in and around the village is a company of Russian troops with HMGs, Tank Hunters, Motar and a 45mm AntiTank Gun. ----------- Planning Phase ----------- This is a small map with undulating surface, you are at a corner of the map (high) while the road leads to a depression (low) before a sloped road block and a hugh heavy building (church on a high ground) and behind is the cemetery. You are in an area which has Scattered Trees but not much Concealment or cover. It is likely that most enemy troops will be concentrated in the village, mostly in the Church, it is the only tall heavy building ( and where the flag is ) It is also likely that troops will be stationed around the road block leading to the village. Plan#1: destroy the church and surrounding buildings with as much of 105mm power. Also complement the arty with the 75mm Gun. Plan#2: Use 75mm Gun, HMG, Motar as suppressive fire to the village. Use Platoon to support the 251 and IIIB up the village. Plan #3: Advance the 251 and the IIIB up the village through the right side (no barb wire or obstacles). capture the flag. -------- Turn 0 -------- Armed with this plan, I positioned the 251 and IIIB along the road among the scattered trees. Behind, I positioned the hmg. motar ang 75mm and fo. towards the left, i position my platoon. I made sure that the 75mm could target the building as well as many of the buildings as possible. Ditto with HMG and Motar, but different buildings and cross arc of fire. For Turn #1 planning, I used Artillery Bombardment (initial bombardment and channot be changed later) as well as 75mm to destroy the church. My troop hides for the next few turns except the FO and the 75mm Gun. After turn #4, 2 adjacent buildings + Church is destroyed. Machine gun fire erupts from the church and the nearby buildings. As my 251 and IIIB advances, it draws more fire from within the church. The 251 reverses back to the orginal position. I continue to suppress the fires from the building and use the 75mm to destroy a building on the right housing a HMG group. In turn 6 onwards, an enemy platoon appears on my far left and starts firing motar and rifle fire, my platoon returns fire and supress the platoon. One squad advances together with the IIIB and Half-track but is soon stopped (by enemy fire) on the right patch of trees before the roadblock. The IIIB and 251/10 approach the right fence perimeter with no problems, however, molotov cocktail and MG fire stops the 251/10, again the 251/10 reverse down the slope. The IIIB manages to knock off a squad of troops hiding behind the road block. By turn 15, only enemy fire comes from the far left, the church is in rubbles, and the occupants suppressed. My 251/10 manages to climb up the slope where the IIIb is using the 75mm l/24 to flush the enemy out of the buildings. Game stops after turn 16 or 17 (I forget). 51 axis troops okay, 51 allied troops okay with 100+ casualties. One axis troop killed and 15 allied troops killed. Total victory is achieved. A couple of points: - had I chose to advance the AFVs along the road towards the left, they would have encountered tank hunter groups and the 45mm gun. - I rushed the AFVs too soon up to the Victory Flag and put them in danger of molotovs. - My troop (less one squad) was reduced to protecting the left flank. No sure if this was the most efficient way to deploy the troops, afterall the IIIB did not have a MG and depended on the 251/10 to provide MG fire. cheers! [ December 02, 2002, 12:01 AM: Message edited by: laxx ]

Hi, I played this scenario this evening and I enjoyed it very much, and with no modifications, I won Total Victory as Attacking Germans. Thought I'd share the scenarios: ---- spoiler ahead (of coss, this *is* the scenario forum --- basically, back in June 1941, as a recon group, you are tasked to "check out" (attack) a small village in Lithuania. Your small force compreise of veteran platoon with 50mm motar and a HMG, and accompanied by a Stug IIIB, one half-track 251/10, one 75mm Infantry Gun and lastly one 105mm FO. What is waiting for you in and around the village is a company of Russian troops with HMGs, Tank Hunters, Motar and a 45mm AntiTank Gun. ----------- Planning Phase ----------- This is a small map with undulating surface, you are at a corner of the map (high) while the road leads to a depression (low) before a road block and a hugh heavy building (church) behind is the cemetery. You are in an area which has Scattered Trees but not much Concealment. It is likely that most troops will be concentrated in the village, mostly in the Church, it is the only tall heavy building ( and where the flag is ) It is also likely that troops will be stationed around the road block leading to the village. Plan#1: destroy the church and surrounding buildings with as much of 105mm power. Also complement the arty with the 75mm Gun. Plan#2: Use 75mm Gun, HMG, Motar as suppressive fire to the village. Use Platoon to support the 251 and IIIB up the village. Plan #3: Advance the 251 and the IIIB up the village through the right side (no barb wire or obstacles). capture the flag. Armed with this plan, I positioned the 251 and IIIB along the road among the scattered trees. Behind, I positioned the hmg. motar ang 75mm and fo. towards the left, i position my platoon. I made sure that the 75mm could target the building as well as many of the buildings as possible. Ditto with HMG and Motar, but different buildings and cross arc of fire. For Turn #1 planning, I used Artillery Bombardment (initial bombardment and channot be changed later) as well as 75mm to destroy the church. My troop hides for the next few turns except the FO and the 75mm Gun. After turn #4, 2 adjacent buildings + Church is destroyed. Machine gun fire erupts from the church and the nearby buildings. As my 251 and IIIB advances, it draws more fire from within the church. The 251 reverses back to the orginal position. I continue to suppress the fires from the building and use the 75mm to destroy a building on the right housing a HMG group. In turn 6 onwards, an enemy platoon appears on my far left and starts firing motar and rifle fire, my platoon returns fire and supress the platoon. One squad advances together with the IIIB and Half-track but is soon stopped (by enemy fire) on the right patch of trees before the roadblock. The IIIB and 251/10 approach the right fence perimeter with no problems, however, molotov cocktail and MG fire stops the 251/10, again the 251/10 reverse down the slope. The IIIB manages to knock off a squad of troops hiding behind the road block. By turn 15, only enemy fire comes from the far left, the church is in rubbles, and the occupants suppressed. My 251/10 manages to climb up the slope where the IIIb is using the 75mm l/24 to flush the enemy out of the buildings. Game stops after turn 16 or 17 (I forget). 51 axis troops okay, 51 allied troops okay with 100+ casualties. One axis troop killed and 15 allied troops killed. Total victory is achieved. A couple of points: - had I chose to advance the AFVs along the road towards the left, they would have encountered tank hunter groups and the 45mm gun. - I rushed the AFVs too soon up to the Victory Flag and put them in danger of molotovs. - My troop (less one squad) was reduced to protecting the left flank. No sure if this was the most efficient way to deploy the troops, afterall the IIIB did not have a MG and depended on the 251/10 to provide MG fire. cheers! [ December 01, 2002, 12:10 PM: Message edited by: laxx ]

Hi, perhaps this thread from tips and tricks mite help, ignore the post 1941 scenrios in the first few messages. http://www.battlefront.com/cgi-bin/bbs/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=7;t=001318