Heirloom_Tomato

As I continue to add to this story, feel free to chime in with your tactics suggestions and what you think you see developing on the battlefield. If there is an area of the map you would to see a screen grab from, let me know and I will see what I can do.

Turn 1:

C Company on the left hustles to their first positions. A Staghound rumbles past in the background taking up an overwatch position.

On the right, the scouts in the first carrier race to the church.

The route up into town looks clear... but is it? Can you see the enemy in this pic??

Turn 2:
On the left, C company continues to take up positions, no enemy seen. On the right the story is completely different.

First Carrier with the scouts, rounds the corner and speeds off to the church. Enemy halftrack in the distance!

Second Carrier with the snipers and the Preacher reach the corner and begin to turn just before the clock runs out. 

They don't make it. 20 mm autocannon fire rings out and the Preacher goes up in flames. All the snipers make it out alive, several with severe burns. They are given orders to double time it to the church and hopefully safety.

Overview of the battle just before the preacher goes up in flames.

Dynamic weather for me is the top of my low priority list. I really want to see snow squalls and thunderstorms roll in, ground thaw in a Spring scenario, freeze up at night in a Fall/early Winter setting. 
Oh and farm livestock. I really want to see a nice pasture full of grazing cattle with a Sherman racing across the background, chickens freaking out of the hen house when a GI busts in, pigs feeding in the apple orchard as an FO calls in fire on a distant target. But whoa be unto Battlefront if they get the genetics wrong. If we see any Norwegian Landrace in Normandy... I will demand a full refund!

Using my sweet Photoshop skills, you can see my basic plan. I planned to take companies of infantry, C company on the Left represented by the Green arrow and D company on the Right, represented by the Blue arrow. The Red arrow in the centre is where the AFV's will be travelling. I plan to seize the church to use as an observation post and possible strong point. Once I have cleared the right side of the map, including the church and surrounding buildings I will wheel left and attempt to push as far through the town as possible. The AFV's are in the middle to help the first company to come into enemy contact. 
Each motorized rifle company comes with three platoons of three sections of 9 men, and one 2 inch mortar per platoon. Each Platoon also has one section with a PIAT. When I chose the men, I left selected all my men and vehicles as regular, with high motivation and left the leadership settings at Typical.

Each Rifle company also came with two tubes of 81mm mortars in carriers. They have 58 rounds of HE per tube and 8 smoke rounds. 

These are my AFV's, 9 Bren carriers, 4 Staghounds, 3 Daimler II and 2 Humber IV. While we had agreed to only take AFV's with two rubber wheels, RH made an exception for the little Bren carrier, if I win this battle, he will claim I cheated and take the victory by default. All of the AFVs are split fairly even into two platoons, one under each company. They will be working in close proximity to each other and should be able to help spread communication through all my ranks. 
The Bren carriers are part of the scout platoon of the Recce Regiment, so they came with a 2 inch mortar and rounds. There is a know, documented and hopefully fixed in the upcoming patch, issue with these mortars. The scouts can acquire them, but then they are not able to use them. To avoid this problem, I unloaded all my scouts and gave the rounds to the platoon level mortars. They started the battle of with 9 HE and 9 WP rounds. They now have 26 HE and 13 WP each. Each company then has 78 HE rounds and 39 WP rounds for the 2 inch mortars and 116 HE rounds and 16 smoke rounds for the 81mm mortars.
You have probably noticed I did not take any independent machine gun teams. Each Bren carrier has 2000 rounds for their Brens, the Staghounds have 7000 rounds for their mg's and the Daimler and Humbers are also carrying 2-3000 rounds of mg ammo. My plan is to use them as mobile mg's and other than the Brens, they have the bonus of their main guns to help clear out any serious opposition and any enemy AFV. The Staghounds have a 37 mm main gun, while the Daimler and Humbers come with a 40 mm gun. Gunners in Bren carriers seem to be quite well protected, hopefully a little better than the German halftrack gunners will be!

Here are my orders for turn one. The 81mm mortars and Company HQ's will remain stationary, everyone else is heading out to find RH and his men.

As a surprise for RH, I have hired some special janitors for the church. These two Brens will be heading on FAST for the church. There are two Crack Scout teams, 2 Elite sniper teams. The sniper teams will be given orders to climb the steeple and get eyes across the map while the scouts will take the lower floors to provide some cover. No, that is not a spare tire for the Bren carrier but rather an Elite flamethrower team, nicknamed The Preacher. I hope to have The Preacher in the church before RH shows up and he can rain down fire and brimstone from the pulpit onto RH's men! 

I work in a barn and usually come home dirty and smelly. I promise not shower before I write up these posts. As for the intermittent mortar fire.... I live in a household with 7 females, one of whom is learning to drive. Does that count?

We didn't add any additional game play rules to the battle other than the ones stated. I am pausing the replay turn a lot to try to get good angles for screenshots. Nothing is going to get me lambasted worse than setting up an idea like this and then posting horrible pictures. I am also watching the turn over and over again, from as many different positions as possible, all in an attempt to understand what each unit can see or not see. 
As for letting the AI choose what targets to shoot at, right now that is how the battle has been going, mortars being the sole exception. I am actually a little afraid of giving a unit a target command only to have them blindsided and ambushed by an enemy I never saw.

Here is this weekends Challenge Battle.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/k5v42gds4y7e2so/AADyXv9MCabs64EVeJJFv0jua?dl=0
Since the first battle had issues with scoring and the second battle arrived late, this battle will be the start of a revamped Weekend Challenge battle process. All Entries will be given points based on the following scoring:
Total Victory: 10 points
Major Victory: 8 points
Minor Victory: 6 points
Tactical Victory: 4 points
All other scores: 2 points
First player or players to get to 40 points will be in the running for the tomato seeds. To qualify, you must submit your FIRST play through only, playing on Iron mode. To qualify, please post a end game screenshot only of your results by 11 pm EST Monday night. Please also keep any spoilers to a minimum.  For this battle only, please post a second screen shot, with all the icons OFF, of the houses in town. Points will be deducted if you have caused severe damage to the houses.

In all my years playing CM games and talking about them with other players here on the forum and with friends at home, one of the subjects which comes up fairly often is the ability of the player to have a "God" like view of the battlefield. As the player, we have far more information available to us than a typical battlefield commander would ever hope to have. This thread will be all about several steps taken to reduce the amount of information you the player have and how that reduction of information plays out in a real battle against a human opponent.
@RockinHarry has made several mods to the game and we are going to showcase them here. I hope he will read this first post only and then go away as I will be talking about my side of our battle here and we hopefully have many more turns still to play. RH's mods we will be using in this battle are: Invisible enemy floating icons, Invisible sky triangles, Invisible casualty cross, invisible enemy tracers and several animation changes to lower the stance of troops while performing certain tasks. We will however be playing with friendly icons on. Having played several battles with all icons off, it is no fun losing your men in thick cover and breaking fog of war just to find your men back. While I like the game to be hard, I still want it to be fun. 
For our battle we chose a medium meeting engagement between Armoured Infantry, RH as the Germans and me as the Canadians. The only rules we agreed to were: must take at least two companies of infantry and all vehicles chosen must have at least two rubber wheels. Single vehicles, specialist teams and any artillery could be used so long as it was available under the Armoured Infantry tab. 
I am just finished my lunch at work now, I will post more tonight! 
 

I work in a barn and usually come home dirty and smelly. I promise not shower before I write up these posts. As for the intermittent mortar fire.... I live in a household with 7 females, one of whom is learning to drive. Does that count?

In all my years playing CM games and talking about them with other players here on the forum and with friends at home, one of the subjects which comes up fairly often is the ability of the player to have a "God" like view of the battlefield. As the player, we have far more information available to us than a typical battlefield commander would ever hope to have. This thread will be all about several steps taken to reduce the amount of information you the player have and how that reduction of information plays out in a real battle against a human opponent.
@RockinHarry has made several mods to the game and we are going to showcase them here. I hope he will read this first post only and then go away as I will be talking about my side of our battle here and we hopefully have many more turns still to play. RH's mods we will be using in this battle are: Invisible enemy floating icons, Invisible sky triangles, Invisible casualty cross, invisible enemy tracers and several animation changes to lower the stance of troops while performing certain tasks. We will however be playing with friendly icons on. Having played several battles with all icons off, it is no fun losing your men in thick cover and breaking fog of war just to find your men back. While I like the game to be hard, I still want it to be fun. 
For our battle we chose a medium meeting engagement between Armoured Infantry, RH as the Germans and me as the Canadians. The only rules we agreed to were: must take at least two companies of infantry and all vehicles chosen must have at least two rubber wheels. Single vehicles, specialist teams and any artillery could be used so long as it was available under the Armoured Infantry tab. 
I am just finished my lunch at work now, I will post more tonight! 
 

In all my years playing CM games and talking about them with other players here on the forum and with friends at home, one of the subjects which comes up fairly often is the ability of the player to have a "God" like view of the battlefield. As the player, we have far more information available to us than a typical battlefield commander would ever hope to have. This thread will be all about several steps taken to reduce the amount of information you the player have and how that reduction of information plays out in a real battle against a human opponent.
@RockinHarry has made several mods to the game and we are going to showcase them here. I hope he will read this first post only and then go away as I will be talking about my side of our battle here and we hopefully have many more turns still to play. RH's mods we will be using in this battle are: Invisible enemy floating icons, Invisible sky triangles, Invisible casualty cross, invisible enemy tracers and several animation changes to lower the stance of troops while performing certain tasks. We will however be playing with friendly icons on. Having played several battles with all icons off, it is no fun losing your men in thick cover and breaking fog of war just to find your men back. While I like the game to be hard, I still want it to be fun. 
For our battle we chose a medium meeting engagement between Armoured Infantry, RH as the Germans and me as the Canadians. The only rules we agreed to were: must take at least two companies of infantry and all vehicles chosen must have at least two rubber wheels. Single vehicles, specialist teams and any artillery could be used so long as it was available under the Armoured Infantry tab. 
I am just finished my lunch at work now, I will post more tonight! 
 

In all my years playing CM games and talking about them with other players here on the forum and with friends at home, one of the subjects which comes up fairly often is the ability of the player to have a "God" like view of the battlefield. As the player, we have far more information available to us than a typical battlefield commander would ever hope to have. This thread will be all about several steps taken to reduce the amount of information you the player have and how that reduction of information plays out in a real battle against a human opponent.
@RockinHarry has made several mods to the game and we are going to showcase them here. I hope he will read this first post only and then go away as I will be talking about my side of our battle here and we hopefully have many more turns still to play. RH's mods we will be using in this battle are: Invisible enemy floating icons, Invisible sky triangles, Invisible casualty cross, invisible enemy tracers and several animation changes to lower the stance of troops while performing certain tasks. We will however be playing with friendly icons on. Having played several battles with all icons off, it is no fun losing your men in thick cover and breaking fog of war just to find your men back. While I like the game to be hard, I still want it to be fun. 
For our battle we chose a medium meeting engagement between Armoured Infantry, RH as the Germans and me as the Canadians. The only rules we agreed to were: must take at least two companies of infantry and all vehicles chosen must have at least two rubber wheels. Single vehicles, specialist teams and any artillery could be used so long as it was available under the Armoured Infantry tab. 
I am just finished my lunch at work now, I will post more tonight! 
 

In all my years playing CM games and talking about them with other players here on the forum and with friends at home, one of the subjects which comes up fairly often is the ability of the player to have a "God" like view of the battlefield. As the player, we have far more information available to us than a typical battlefield commander would ever hope to have. This thread will be all about several steps taken to reduce the amount of information you the player have and how that reduction of information plays out in a real battle against a human opponent.
@RockinHarry has made several mods to the game and we are going to showcase them here. I hope he will read this first post only and then go away as I will be talking about my side of our battle here and we hopefully have many more turns still to play. RH's mods we will be using in this battle are: Invisible enemy floating icons, Invisible sky triangles, Invisible casualty cross, invisible enemy tracers and several animation changes to lower the stance of troops while performing certain tasks. We will however be playing with friendly icons on. Having played several battles with all icons off, it is no fun losing your men in thick cover and breaking fog of war just to find your men back. While I like the game to be hard, I still want it to be fun. 
For our battle we chose a medium meeting engagement between Armoured Infantry, RH as the Germans and me as the Canadians. The only rules we agreed to were: must take at least two companies of infantry and all vehicles chosen must have at least two rubber wheels. Single vehicles, specialist teams and any artillery could be used so long as it was available under the Armoured Infantry tab. 
I am just finished my lunch at work now, I will post more tonight! 
 

In all my years playing CM games and talking about them with other players here on the forum and with friends at home, one of the subjects which comes up fairly often is the ability of the player to have a "God" like view of the battlefield. As the player, we have far more information available to us than a typical battlefield commander would ever hope to have. This thread will be all about several steps taken to reduce the amount of information you the player have and how that reduction of information plays out in a real battle against a human opponent.
@RockinHarry has made several mods to the game and we are going to showcase them here. I hope he will read this first post only and then go away as I will be talking about my side of our battle here and we hopefully have many more turns still to play. RH's mods we will be using in this battle are: Invisible enemy floating icons, Invisible sky triangles, Invisible casualty cross, invisible enemy tracers and several animation changes to lower the stance of troops while performing certain tasks. We will however be playing with friendly icons on. Having played several battles with all icons off, it is no fun losing your men in thick cover and breaking fog of war just to find your men back. While I like the game to be hard, I still want it to be fun. 
For our battle we chose a medium meeting engagement between Armoured Infantry, RH as the Germans and me as the Canadians. The only rules we agreed to were: must take at least two companies of infantry and all vehicles chosen must have at least two rubber wheels. Single vehicles, specialist teams and any artillery could be used so long as it was available under the Armoured Infantry tab. 
I am just finished my lunch at work now, I will post more tonight! 
 

Ha Ha look what I found! Check your dropbox folder shortly!
 

Hello everybody.
I swung back by to see how all you fine folks are doing.
Now I see another CMRT Winter Mod is being talked about. 3 years since my heart attack. All that time off while recuperating allowed me to collaborate with so many fine folks to help create that mod. 
I have indeed missed CM, all the comradeship and creativity.
Looking forward to the CMRT Module...
~Phil
 
 
 
 

Hopefully we will see the inclusion of the Buffalo amphibious vehicle in the Commonwealth Bundle for CMFB since they were in integral part of the Battle of the Scheldt. If they make an appearance, it may be possible we would see the Schwimmwagen,for @kohlenklau, make its way into CMRT. All we need then is for someone with sweet modding skills to make one look like an assault boat.

Hopefully we will see the inclusion of the Buffalo amphibious vehicle in the Commonwealth Bundle for CMFB since they were in integral part of the Battle of the Scheldt. If they make an appearance, it may be possible we would see the Schwimmwagen,for @kohlenklau, make its way into CMRT. All we need then is for someone with sweet modding skills to make one look like an assault boat.

Hopefully we will see the inclusion of the Buffalo amphibious vehicle in the Commonwealth Bundle for CMFB since they were in integral part of the Battle of the Scheldt. If they make an appearance, it may be possible we would see the Schwimmwagen,for @kohlenklau, make its way into CMRT. All we need then is for someone with sweet modding skills to make one look like an assault boat.

When you select the unit calling the in the fire, what colour is the dot in the artillery panel? If it is any colour other than green, it indicates a poor line of communication between the spotter and the artillery. The colours are light green, dark green, yellow, orange and red. Light green has the best communications and red the worst. Obviously, the worse the communications, the poorer the results you will see in game.

When you select the unit calling the in the fire, what colour is the dot in the artillery panel? If it is any colour other than green, it indicates a poor line of communication between the spotter and the artillery. The colours are light green, dark green, yellow, orange and red. Light green has the best communications and red the worst. Obviously, the worse the communications, the poorer the results you will see in game.

Sorry for the delay in getting this battle posted, real life was interfering with game time. This battle is one for CMFB, yes @Bulletpoint I was thinking of you! It is meant to be played from the Axis side only vs the AI. It features an Axis platoon with some support against an unknown Allied force. Battle conditions are similar to the weather I was seeing out my window here in Southern Ontario while creating the scenario. It can be found from the following link:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/k5v42gds4y7e2so/AADyXv9MCabs64EVeJJFv0jua?dl=0
The previous week's battle had some issues with scoring for spotting objectives. The game only awards points to you if you spot ALL the members of a unit, seeing just the AT gun or MG is not enough. You need to see the third ammo bearer as well to receive the points. Well as one can guess, in this game, by the time you have spotted all the members of a unit, odds are they have either killed all your men or you have taken them out. This was not my intention for this battle.
I am going to try to come up with a new scoring arrangement for Challenge battle #1 and will update this thread when I am done. 
Challenge Battle #2 follows a more traditional scoring method. You will be required to seize objectives, destroy the enemy and above all, keep your casualties low. I hope you enjoy the battle.

There was some discussion about a daily challenge and it was suggested to try a weekend challenge instead. So here is the first weekend challenge battle. It is for CMBN, will require the Commonwealth module and the Vehicle pack. The battle is to be played as the Allies against the AI. This battle features a recon element scouting out a potential route for a major assault. It requires the player to be very conscious of their own casualties. It is 40 minutes in length and features a Canadian Recce Troop. 
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/k5v42gds4y7e2so/AADyXv9MCabs64EVeJJFv0jua?dl=0
The goal will be for players to have 72 hours to post a screen shot of their results, so 9 pm EST Monday, Feb 4th is the deadline. For your results to count, the battle must be played WEGO and in Iron mode.
If there is a active participation of these challenges, the player with the highest combined score at the end of February will receive a package of heirloom tomato seeds (subject to international agricultural export rules).
Good Luck!

So As you can see, I played it three times.
Anyone can dissect a situation until its not a challenge at all.
In my world, only the first score matters, because there is no do overs.
 
The second score is playing it again without trying to risk my units for the sake of a score.
 
The third time was with the knowledge of your AI plan and scoring from the first two effort and then going in with the intent to get a perfect score. And it was done.
 
Not wanting to be a jerk about it but the format lacks a way to be a good challenge for comparison, there will always be someone that will do what it takes to get such a score.
Just showed you how easy it could be done and there is plenty of ways to even make it easier. but I was not going to mention all the cheap methods to take the challenge out of it.