mattman2000

1. Scenario editor. Absolutely. More elevation levels. Maybe an attempt to represent varying speeds of vehicles (I read they all move at the same rates and that seems to hold up). 2. Ease of Use (incredibly user-friendly game). The extent of control offered through target priorities and unit SOP. Plus it's just a blast. 3. This is nitpicking, but with the small scenarios I'm limited to this teeny lil' window. Can we get a full screen option, or am I missing something? My perscription hasn't changed for 8 years. Don't want to get stronger glasses over a game. 4. Think I hit this. 5. I'm addicted to a wargame besides CMBB.

I worked as a newspaper reporter for 6 years before moving back to the US (served as Zama Bureau Chief for Pacific Stars and Stripes). I spent a chunk of my free time teaching English to some of the people working on base. I won two Associated Press awards for Feature and Business Writing during my career. I also won a Corporate Award for deadline writing. During my first year back in Columbus I helped draft the marketing material (printed and electronic) for a HR consulting firm. Now I'm a Sr. Tech Writer with Rolls Royce. That's right. I got tired of working for the press and became a corporate whore. It sure pays better, and my conscience isn't troubling me nearly as much.

Hey all Just ordered the game today (gift from family as the 31st bday is coming up soon). Been wanting to buy Tacops 4.0 for a while. Just have a pathological aversion to using the credit card. First saw a full-blown military version being used when I was stationed in Japan. USARJ was using it as part of "Operation Northwind" which was a hypothetical invasion of Hokkaido by anonymous troops equipped with old Soviet kit. No one would ever come out and say the baddies were supposed to be North Koreans. You just assumed it. Anyway, now it's all mine. Can't wait for it to show up in the mail. Maybe I'll throw up some AARs as comic relief (showing just how much I have to learn).

Lot of responses. And quick ones, at that. Thanks for your help

I see the companies listed in the game, but what did they do? Were they garrison/2nd line infantry, regular troops or what?

I got two AARs posted on another forum using Rob's rules (and he's helped iron out questions I had regarding favor calculations). I like what I've seen so far.

Hope away

I've played a few battles with 0.9 (you were good enough to email the rules to me a while back) and so far everything has worked fine. Using the scenario editor isn't nearly as daunting once you've made your way through the first few scenarios/missions/what have you. So far, I've only tried it as the Russians, but plan on tackling the early war Wehrmacht so I can try an "exploit" based battle. Nice job

oops. of course the platoon comes with one mortar. three per comany.

I guess you can knock the sound they make, but mortars in CMBB are far from lame. Take a German 41 rifle platoon's three 50mm mortars, attach them to the Company HQ, and you have a nice support element capable of knocking out field guns and AT guns or suppressing entrenched infantry. I use 'em all the time in assaults and they've proven themselves invaluable. Take a pair of onboard 80mms and you have all the perks mentioned above, plus you can lay down smoke in a very pinpoint manner in front of enemy positions. On the defense, use a couple of light mortars and MGs against enemy infantry caught in the open, and you pin them in place for the heavy tubes represented by your FO. I just love me them CMBB mortars If you want to tweak the sounds -- there must be a mod pack or two out there, just like there was for CMBO.

Hey, I'm back. And except for the Irishman's attacks on my mental health I have to agree with everything he just put in there. This is a great scenario for those gamers who keep bragging about their tactical prowess and how the AI can't pose a challenge when on the attack. The only thing I regret -- I pulled a 70-30 victory from the scenario, but never got to see those Shermans sittting back near the Russian side of the board. Do they show up near the end? Gimme more

Did I actually type blue hair and blonde eyes? rolleyes: I get stupider by the minute

Maybe the thought was that the next generation of ubermensch would be able to see in the dark without having to fall back on sissy night vision gear. It would come with the whole blue hair and blonde eye bit.

Throw it under support -- +4000% rarity

Stephen Hunter included a night vision sniper's scope in one of his WWII novels -- device was called "Vampir." I thought it was total quasi sci-fi. Who'd thunk it? They really had something like that.

I haven't had it occur for the past few months or so. When I first got the game, I noticed it happened less often than in CMBO, but it still popped up now and then. I can't guesstimate a number off the top of my head. I will say one thing -- it seemed to be more of a problem when targeting patches of woods. Against a building, it was pretty rare. But maybe that had something to do with the fact that alot of the time the AFV/gun in question was blasting away at someone on the 2nd floor -- that and visibility in towns is a lot more restricted than out in the open.

Or just do what Kirk did...use the scenario editor and cut half those Panzers out of the picture. "In my experience, there's no such thing as the no-win scenario."

Forgot to add -- I don't know off the top of my head which I draw first, the line of fire or the arc, but it does work.

Covered arcs have worked for me -- when I want a gun crew to keep pounding a point on the map with area fire. Been doing that for a while. I haven't had any problems with enemy units popping up inside those arcs, as I've made them as narrow as possible. Having to take that extra step doesn't bug me, either. It seems to convey the idea that the crew has been told flat out "don't change priorities" until that building, or whatever, has been knocked flat.

I'm gonna grab that pack this weekend. I'll keep my out for the op, as well.

Just had to say thank you to whoever designed this scenario for the Boots and Tracks team. First, the setting is great. Walloon volunteers (lead by an ambitious Fascist politician) are trapped inside the Korson Pocket -- trying to delay the Russians so thousands of Germans can assemble for their attempted breakout. The Walloons are exhausted, popping pills to stay awake (they count as weakened) and understrength, but they're largely veterans. The designer even included the historic personalities as command elements, and I made a point to keep them busy. The map looks great. Rain and mud limits mobility. Fog simulating the dust raised by a monstrous Soviet arty barrage has cut visibility to about 200m. Half the town's in flames or been reduced to rubble. There's no whirling tank clashes here. You position your guys as you think best, reinforce weak points in your line and hope it turns out OK. I don't want to include spoilers, I'll just mention the following: This was one of the few times I've seen the AI come close to coordinating its infantry and armor. In the first few Turns I saw Russian infantry elements scurrying between pieces of cover, approaching my grenadiers. Once firefights began to break out, the T-34s came out of seemingly nowhere and started providing direct fire support for grunts. My first line of infantry, along with Stug and Panzer IVs, held off the attack initially, but where overcome by sheer numbers as the Reds kept coming (some foxholes where just surrounded by wiped out squads). By the time the Guards Cavalry hit my second line, the field was choked with eliminated infantry men (friend and foe). You become attached to certain units during a scenario -- I had three. A Stug that was "shocked" and lost a crewmember to a 76mm AP shell, panicked and ran from a wave of T-34s, then recovered and killed five Russian tanks before being knocked out of action. A historic Battalion Command element that started the map overseeing a Pak, assaulted and killed a T-34 with a panzerfaust once that gun was KO'd, and then stormed and slaughtered a Russian pioneer squad hiding in a building. It then went on to rally a platoon and push the Reds from a VL on my right flank. Finally, a tank hunter team that managed to kill two T-34s by sneaking through the rubble. By the time it was over I managed to pull out a Victory, and saw that I had inflicted 367 casualties (along with 16 T-34s) in return for losing 118 men, three AFVs and a Pak. I'm not someone who can constantly brag he trounces the AI, so I felt pretty good about myself. And I know I'll be playing this one again. Well done

We live just North of Columbus and lost power for about 12 hours. Big relief to come home and find the lights back on after work Tuesday (especially after the local news was saying some areas would be out until Friday). Jeesh. We had no hot water. About a ton of frozen stuff that could have gone bad. But I actually found myself thinking about how long I would have to wait until my next game. I need some couch time.

Magnuszew Bridgehead #2 I described the map in the previous AAR. Reinforcements At the beginning of the battle, I receive a pair of SU-85s, along with two platoons of T-34/85s. Infantry comes in the form of another rifle company, along with a pair of independent pattern 44H rifle platoons. Deployment This bunch of new troops allows me to concentrate all of "B" company at Miriampol (along with a 76mm FO) and "A" company at Objective B and Grabnowola. The SU-85s are placed in the scattered trees near Objective B and the wooded terrain edging the north side of the road. Lt. Durnov's recon platoon is kept at Dobieska (padlocked in its five respective buildings). They are reinforced by Lt. Kharitonov's four T-34s, and the two independent infantry platoons. The second T-34 platoon is situated in dead ground NE of Grabnowola. They'll attempt to reinforce that area if things turn ugly. The idea is to contain the Germans along the Objective A-Objective B/Grabnowola road and kill everyone I find in Dobieska. This is my first REAL attempt at using Russian armor (against late war German tanks), so we'll see how it goes. Turn 1 (orders) - At the beginning of the turn, I see that the Germans have a gaggle of SPWs (near a church cemetery), two Panzer IIINs (inside a wheat field) and a Panther G (wheat field) situated around Dobieska. My 76mm FO doesn't need to see the halftracks to plot arty on top of them from his vantage point in Miriampol, so that's what he does, in hopes of bagging open top vehicles and infantry. Lt. Durnov's recon platoon is ordered to buckle down and hide, as is one independent platoon oriented in cover east of town, and a second platoon that's been plunked in a patch of woods 100m+ from the church. Lt. Kharitonov's tanks start just east of that wheat field, so they have nice flank shots at least one Panzer IIIN and the Panther. Along the Grabnowola Road, I can see a bunch of German armor, including at least two Panthers and a ton of light vehicles. The SU-85s are given "Cover-Armor" arcs and told to wait as I'm hoping they're concealed. Everyone else stays put. (Start) I'm happier than hell with the first Turn, as Dobieska is suddenly heaped in dead German tanks and halftracks. Lt. Kharitonov's platoon brutalizes the Panther, kills one Panzer IIIN and is poised to bag the second. 76mm arty shells have scrapped at least two SPWs, and a 251/16 is killed by a pair of ATR rifles I have attached to Lt. Glovatskii (that independent platoon hiding about 100m south of the church). What's even better, all those booms and zowies have scared a full platoon of panzergrenadiers out of cover and they're running like headless chickens towards my waiting Guards infantry. Along the Grabnowola road, the Germans start rumbling forward. It becomes clear that 4 Panthers are heading down that stretch. Turn 2 - Kharitonov and his pals cause the second Panzer IIIN to suffer a catastrophic explosion that sends bits of steaming ubermensch flying across Dobieska. They also bag a SPW that's bugging out of the cemetery. At least one crew spots a Wirbelwind near the west end of town, and the whole platoon turns its attention thattaway. Meanwhile, Glovatskii's men sit up and wipe out a full panzergrenadier platoon in the space of 40 seconds. Those HG Division soldiers not sprinting towards their deaths are being pummeled by 76mm artillery. Unfortunately for me, I've lost one of the SU-85s along the Grabnowola road. Both opened fire at the same Panther, which suffered a hull penetration to no effect. Within seconds, a pair of high velocity 75mm shells have kicked the holy hell out of one of my tank destroyers, and now the second (situated in the woods alongside the road) is in deep doo-doo. Turn 3 - Glovatskii and his squads have now eliminated 5 German infantry elements without suffering a single casualty. The ATR rifles bag another SPW. Durnov and his recon boys sit tight, while the second independent platoon - situated just East of town - begins inching out from cover. Sadly, one of the nearby T-34s gets spanked by a Panther along the Grabnowola road, which makes one hell of a 680m shot (jeesh). Also along Grabnowola, the second SU-85 is now toast without making any further contributions to the war effort. Turn 4 - One of Kharitonov's tanks has killed that Wirbelwind and another SPW has been cremated. Glovatskii and his men are now ankle deep in German corpses, and I'm thinking about moving them into town once the barrage finally peters out (it's almost done). Durnov and his recon troops have bravely exterminated the surviving crewmen of 3 German tanks as those poor dopes try to crawl into nearby buildings. The only downside is the second independent platoon has run into a wall of small arms fire from German machine guns and damaged infantry squads that have set themselves up in structures along the E-W road into town. The T-34s are ordered to take them out with DF HE. On Grabnowola road , a flippin' sea of German vehicles begins to divert back to the North towards Dobieska, while some infantry squads continue slogging their way towards Objective B. Turn 5 - The barrage around Dobieska's church is just about done. Glovatskii and his men will make their move soon. The second independent platoon has collected its wits (after suffering 6 casualties) and is once again moving west into that battered little hamlet. One of Durnov's squads assaults and immobilizes a SPW, which is then polished off by one of the nearby T-34s. The town is well on its way into falling into my hands, so Kharitonov will now "Hunt" towards the Grabnowola road. Nothing new in that sector except a few Maxims situated in Grabnowola start to fire on German infantry from about 300m out, slowing their advance. Turn 6 - Kharitonov bags a Panther! It takes three hits from his 85mm before the bastard is labeled as knocked out, but it happens all the same. Seconds later, one of his accompanying tanks kills anotherPanzer V G on the open ground between the Grabnowola road and Dobieska. Feeling full of themselves, the gunners then begin to pick on a handful of Pumas which either die, or make themselves busy by reversing out of sight. On the downside, Glovatskii and his men bolt for the church, only to be mauled by machine gun fire from at least 4 AFVs that can see them from the Grabnowola road. I lose 5 men in a matter of seconds. I now make one of the DUMBEST mistakes of my life by ordering my platoon of reserve T-34s forward in an attempt to catch the surviving Germans on the Grabnowola road in a pincer maneuver. Turn 7 - Kharitonov and his gang of butt-kicking T-34s have now killed a fourth Panther along the Grabnowola road, and at the end of this turn, are ordered (for some insane reason) to turn back towards Dobieska to help secure that VL. The last Panther is out of sight, and I have a feeling that if I go winding around too much terrain to try and get it, it's gonna make me bleed. The reserve T-34s keep rolling forward. To their doom (cue rumbling thunder). Turn 8 - Glovatskiis men are back in fighting shape after Kharitonov's tanks scare away the surviving German vehicles. Crippled German squads scattered throughout Dobieska are killed, one by one, by what amounts to a mixed company of Soviet rifle infantry. Turn 9 - The reserve platoon of T-34s gets its fanny handed to it by a pair of German ATGs placed within sight of the Grabnowola road. Two tanks brew up, the survivors soil themselves. On the other hand, Dobieska is now mine. All that remains is a little mopping up. The remnants of three German elements are cowering inside the church. My infantry begins to bound towards them, cutting down the few stragglers they find in their way. Turn 10 - The 3rd tank in my poor doomed armored platoon is bushwacked by that last surviving Panther. I convince myself that my orders for the last T-34 to hunt around behind the Panther will pay off. Scattered trees shield it from those Paks, after all, and the Panther is facing the opposite direction. Rifle infantry situated at Objective B are now in a full-fledged firefight with panzergrenadiers caught in the open. That IS one highlight of this battle. The Hitlerite PBI has suffered tremendous losses. Turn 11 - Unbelievable. The last T-34 from that platoon hunted its way to within 70m of that last Panther, without seeing it, only to start traversing its turret moments AFTER it was targeted by the German crew (this may be explained by two things - it was coming through scattered trees and small arms fire had caused it to button seconds earlier). The result, or course, is that the Panther turns the Russian tank inside out. I have now lost 7 of my original 10 T-34s and SU-85s (although I will later count 19 killed German AFVs including 4 Panthers, 2 Panzer IIINs, 2 Pumas, a Wirbelwind, two 251/16s, an assault HT, and 6 SPWs). Nothing else will occur near Grabnowola as the German forces are too battered to really affect anything. The Panther will pound at a few squads near Objective B with DF HE, but I will only lose 1 man. Shortly thereafter, the tank will move on towards the village (without infantry support, it achieves nothing). In Dobieska, the following 6 turns are spent solidifying my gains and insuring my tanks are well positioned for the upcoming Round #3. Losses this Battle Russian 46 total casualties (20 of them from my tanks and tank destroyers), 23 of whom are KIA. 5 T-34s 2 SU-85s German AFV losses spelled out earlier Oodles and oodles of dead panzergrenadiers and crewmen (I'm not kidding, Dobieska looks like a big, bloody Fritzburger).

Nope, it doesn't give any indications as to which side to play against the AI (at least none that I saw). The only note was made for two players or Human against AI. It's no big thing. The OP is still well done.

Magnuszew Bridgehead AAR - Round 1# I've already played this operation as the Germans, and found it a bit too one-sided (The HG Panzer Division lost 12 HTs and tanks, along with 40 infantry; but inflicted exactly 800 casualties and destroyed 24 tanks, assault guns and ATGs). The optics on German heavy hitters are just too lethal on the open steppes to give the AI a chance (even as the defender). This time, I'm going to try it as the Russians. It's August of 1944, the Hitlerites are attempting to push back east of the Vistula River, and my objectives are to at least hold the towns of Miriampol and Grabnowola against the HG Panzer Division. Later, when my forces are strong enough, I'm to counterattack and claim as much of the board as possible. My initial forces center around the following: · "A" Company - Rifle Infantry Pattern 44A · 1 45mm AT gun · A Recon platoon · 2 T-70 Light Tanks Both sides are underrepresented during the first battle as the Germans are conducting a probe of lightly defended ground. Things WILL heat up. The map is a couple of kilometers wide and just as deep. It's largely open, rolling terrain. On the western side of the board we have the small town of Dobieska, which straddles an E-W road leading straight to Miriampol - itself sitting on a patch of high ground. South of Dobieska is another E-W road that passes by Grabnowola. Each of the three towns counts as a Victory Location, as does a western intersection on the road leading to Grabnowola, dubbed "Objective A." The Miriampol and Grabnowola roads are connected east of Dobieska by another road. Where that connector meets the Grabnowola road, there is another intersection dubbed "Objective B." Dobieska provides a jumping-off point for German thrusts at Miriampol. Objective A does the same for any attempt on Grabnowola. If the Germans take Objective B they have effectively driven a wedge between the two most important towns and split the board. Lateral troop movements for the Soviets will be impossible, and my reinforcements will get their goodies blown off as they stand, helplessly, on naked terrain. "A" company starts the game with a platoon stationed at Grabnowola, Objective B (along with the 45mm ATG) and Miriampol. Its orders are to stay hidden. The advance recon platoon - under Lt. Durnev, is locked inside Dobieska. That's not so good for him, but I can't make myself care because I WANT to hold that town. The two T-70s are going to race down the Miriampol-Dobieska road to reinforce him. And that's about it. I want Dobieska because holding that little hamlet will do two things: A.) It's going to keep the Germans back far enough that my reinforcements will have room to properly deploy later in the game. Keeping it will also slow the HG Panzer Division's advance considerably. B.) It offers the best terrain for the kind of encounters that will win me this operation. LOS is relatively short, minimizing the advantages posed by German armor and optics. It also has a lot of cover, and holds the potential to bleed German infantry white (if I handle things correctly). Pity Lt. Durnov. I don't expect him to live through the OP. OK - it's 5:30 AM (I couldn't sleep) so the wife and boy are in bed, meaning the Hitlerites will be unable to distract me. Time to start. Rounds 1-8 see absolutely nothing except Lt. Mansurov (commander of the teeny T-70 platoon), scoot forward to Dobieska. The two tanks wedge themselves between small cottages so they can cover the road leading into town. Lt. Durnov's platoon has positioned itself east of a bend in the road that lets it and its attached ATR rifle wallop anyone who stumbles into their fields of fire - while minimizing their own exposure. Round 9 shows that the Germans have staked a claim on Objective A. Someone with superhearing has noted the rumblings of light armor and halftracks around that region. The T-70s move a little further forward so they have a better chance of spotting inbound German AFVs. They're now about 80m forward of Lt. Durnov. Rounds 10-11, and suddenly I'm hearing SPWs grinding their way through a small clearing towards the western edge of Dobieska. Lt. Mansurov draws some machine gun fire from a SPW, and misses a shot with his 45mm gun. Round 12 - Mansurov shoots forward, then soils himself with fear as a Puma that no one had seen pops into view. The T-70 enters "Hunt" mode just in time to snap off a poorly-aimed shot. Seconds later, the German AC kills Mansurov's tank with the crack of a 50mm gun. The surviving T-70 is later ordered to hunt a little bit forward so as to hide from the Puma. I'm also hoping it can bag a few vehicles before it runs for the hills. Meanwhile, the 45mm gun guarding the Grabnowola road is told to "stop hiding" so it can pop some rounds at a couple of SPWs seen rumbling in its direction. Round 13 - God hates my T-70s. The surviving tank spots a Wirbelwind, hits it twice to no effect (from less than 100m), and then finds itself creamed by a second Puma which had moved to the other side of its light building and shot THROUGH the structure. I screwed up here, but it's those poor bastards crawling across Dobieska's dirt road who are going to pay for it. My spirits lift for about 10 seconds as the 45mm ATG puts two shells through a SPW. But then HE fire from a vehicle I can't even see (and I can see everything for at least 400m) knocks out the Gun and sends the crew a'runnin. They're unhurt except for some saggy britches. Round 14 - I get a measure of revenge in Dobieska. That first Puma turns the corner on the town's main drag and is walloped by Efr. Smekhotvorov (jeesh), who gleefully drives three 14.5mm ATR rounds through the armored car's hull. A pained howl tears from the vehicle after the second hit, so I'm hoping I have at least two vehicle kills (the beginning for Round 2# confirms the Puma has been abandoned). Round 15 - The second Puma rushes the ATR and gets plastered with two penetrations before pulling back under smoke. LOVING IT. In addition, a squad of panzergrenadiers (the same cowardly ****s who gunned down the cowering Lt. Mansurov) try to attack Smekhotvorov and are spanked by rifle fire from one of my recon squads. Four Aryan ubermensch tumble to the ground. Round 16 - The surviving members of that German squad crawl out of sight. Other than that, nothing happens. Game ends with me still in possession of the Dobieska VL (although my troops are padlocked inside the building). Better yet, my deployment zone for Round 2# ends just east of the town. Results so far: Russian losses · 1 45mm ATG · 2 T-70s (Damn!) · 4 casualties total German losses · 1 Puma · 1 SPW 251/1 · 5+ casualties (someone in that Puma was crying). I'll post Round 2# sometime over the next few days.