SaTyR

The defender gets more points allocated to the "fortifications" section. More mines, pillboxes, barb wire and maybe most importantly, trenches (which have been discussed upon and thought to be one of the best and cheapest defensive "unit" in the game). And it's ASSAULT. Try defending, you'll like it infantry squads can have huge amounts of staying power when in trenches and you can literally sow the grounds full of mines. This and the usual benefits for the defender (TRPs, deep deployment zone etc.) make for an interesting battle.

...my backpocket I positioned the glasses within a good LOS to the... [ January 10, 2003, 10:40 AM: Message edited by: SaTyR ]

I warned you it was tough!</font>

The battle is still not finished, but there seems to be a great chance that MG will have a new daddy... a happy family reunion or a catastrophy, we'll let the fates decide

A stupid question, but here goes: on the bottom page charts, concerning Tiger vs. other tanks, there are 3 numbers on top of the illustrations. First is (?) the maximun range where the enemy can destroy the Tiger, second is (?) the maximun range where the Tiger can destroy the enemy frontally, both in hundred metres (a sort of a quick reference maybe). What is the third number for ? Everything else I can understand, but this little thing puzzles me.

...damp and soft ground, where my Heavy Hoover mark VI BrownBear got bogged and boy did I..

God that this AAR is exiting ! I´m at the edge of my seat. Great writing from both combatants. Keep it up

But you CAN. 1.01 patch added an increased possibility for North and Finland to have snow on the ground without snowfall during winter months.

Better to have whined and lost than never whined at all

*BumB* ish

Yeah, this is great. One of the best AARs I've read. Keep them coming. Thanks.

Check the manual. Sometimes troops just go fanatic on you and keep firing until totally annihilated. Even a good HQ with +2 morale bonus can keep a platoon + support firing literally to the last man (well not quite but close). In my games I've only witnessed ONE 100% sure case of fanaticism (but there must have been plenty of others), one of my own panzer rifle squads took out 93 soviet soldiers while under a hail of fire. They never ceased firing, even to the last man. In certain scenarios the scenario maker might have raised the rate of fanaticism to come closer to historical accuracy. Check out the editor, it's there. Close assaults and flamethrowers are the doom of even fanatic squads. Creep closer and assault next to the foxholes, or fry the bugger happy hunting !

The bunkers in CM are WEAK. Use that to your advantage. Like the posters before me suggested, pop out en masse and just watch the bunker go down. Almost every shot hits/penetrates the vision slit, the smaller the gun, the better the chance. Too easy IMHO. Remember also, that the bunkers in CM are way too EASY to spot. Even when placed in woods, "hiding", they stick out like a sore thumb. Screwed up a lot of my scenario designs. I hope the next CM engine can handle more bunker types (like in SPWAW, from rifle pits to heavy gun enplacements).

Can I have a go at this thing too ? *PuB* Did I get it right ?

Well hate IS a bit of a strong word... dislike would be closer to the truth. I've just lost a game too many to rushers on a small map, with few troops (enabling units to support each other throughout the map, denying the slow advancing guy the possibility to concentrate forces and build the odds... and/or to flank the enemy). So I was being a bit too edgy. But I've learnt my lesson, no less than 1250 points and medium map for me. Oh, and minimum of 35 turns. I still (!) dislike (!) rushers, but the new settings help a lot. CMBB is great in many ways, this being one of them.

Sorry to you all, didn't manage to blow my self into the sky. Watching Rio 2002 (!) carneval and drinking beer... and yes, bumbing... happy new years !

A TCP/IP game can take up several hours, even small(ish) QBs last hours. I play PBeM when I know I can't be around to play all the time. Security in MP is really important. When there IS a chance to cheat, nevermind that nobody does, the are suspicions. And then the suspicions will flame up and accusations start flying around. Better have the files foolproof than to have suspicions in your heart. See how CS is today (not that I play, my little brother is one of the nutters): there IS a possibility to cheat, so when one loses, one cries WOLF... and that's all that is needed to ruin the game. Campaign WOULD be nice, but I can do without when the game is so great as it is. Bilton's campaign rules plug the hole, although some work is needed from the user (versus the automated campaigns of such games as Steel Panthers and such).

New year's bumb to all the bumbers of this great FAQ ! Victories to your troops and molten TNT chucked to the scrotum of your enemies for next year ! Bought Stalinin urut (Stalin's organ) amongst other new year's bang. Hopes are still up, though I know it'll not be the real thing

I don't like rushers either. Now that CMBB models defence right (mg's more lethal etc.) it's even easier just to rush the VLs and then sit and pound away at the hapless attacker (who just was too slow). I only have a few suggestions: plan on it (not possible in your situation, as the game is already in progress, but in the future) and buy your troops accordingly. Heavy artillery and shock troops. Wait a bit in the start, just to give the rusher more time to get into the massacre zone. Build up the odds and unleash your artillery at him, then move the barrage to the sides of the main assault point and crush the survivors. Now this CAN backfire, but often rushers have their troops scattered on the VLs and it's easy to take one, when that is your main goal from the start. Reposition your troops and you can attack the enemy from three sides. Then there's the old armored spearhead breakthrough tactic. Smoke and artillery at the breakthrough point and in you go. Wedge the enemy between the armored hammer (turning and attacking the enemy rear) and the infantry anvil (advancing from the front). Forget about the VLs. They are rarely worth it in the end. Concentrate in maiming the enemy and in the end you'll probably ahead in points. The rusher is tied to the terrain he so eagerly want's to hold, you have the freedom to move. Use it and take your time. Poke here and there, make out his MLR. Decide when and where to strike. Contest the VLs you "don't need" to reduce the rushers points (and so nullifying the gains he sought when rushing). In your scenario, I'd step back, concentrate my forces, break through at one point and then contest the other flags (there's three VLs, right ?). Remember, HE has made this a defencive battle for him, use that to your advantage. Local odds is everything. I really do hate rushers. Usually in CM the VLs aren't in a key position on the map. VLs offer no strategic importance. I do not like to rush, I like to advance slow and steadily. I'd like the CM MEs to use somekind of a "hidden VL" typish thingy. VLs would be revealed when one gets close to them. In CM you instantly know where these "extremely important" locations are and you can rush your troops in the area early on. Not my picture of a ME. I try to go around the problem by playing bigger maps (more room to manouver... and this also solves the map edge gamey exploit, VLs tend to be near the center of the map). Kinda like playing a "one size bigger" map than usual. IIRC the number of VLs depend on the purchase points, not the map. Try this next time... or become a rusher

The more tubes a spotter unit has, the larger salvoes it will fire. With four tubes it fires 4 shells per salvo, with 6 tubes 6 shells etc. With nine tubes a spotter fires a great field of fire, but expends ammunition very fast. Sometimes it's better to have many tubes (like when intercepting an assault, you need that artillery literally RAINING on the foe), sometimes you only need to fire a couple of shells (like when pinning down enemy formations, hampering their movement, harassing the advance elements etc.) Different amount of tubes give possibilities for different kinds of strategy when using artillery. Sometimes I wish I'd have more tubes in the larger artillery units 120mm MTR unit with 9 tubes would be great

http://www.sci.fi/~fuerte/pbem.htm Fuerte's excellent PBeM Helper, does the trick for me [ December 29, 2002, 11:26 PM: Message edited by: SaTyR ]

And then I'll lay down a speed *BumB*, so the FAQ doesn't speed of to the second page or worse...

No use bumbing the old thread, it'll get locked soon enough (over 300 posts, whoa !) so I'll just kick this new one up a notch... *BumB*

yet the finnish stugsIII's in CMBB have no MG's at all (IIRC), is that an error or was there a reason for excluding the MG?</font>

They are beautiful. Glad that somebody has the energy to mod axis tanks, we've seen the T-34 and KV series modded many times over. Thanks and a happy new year !