AlanSA

Yes they do. They can choose not to engage in an urban war that will cost thousands of innocent lives. Crimea and Donbass are not coming back for the foreseeable future and thousands or perhaps tens of thousands more Ukrainian civilian deaths isn't going to change that.
Bottom line is Russia is willing to fight for Ukraine and the west is not. Putin called the west's bluff and now it's time to cut losses and spare lives. Not prolong the conflict and the devastating consequences that will have for innocent Ukrainians and also vulnerable people across the globe from the economic fallout. Not to mention the ever increasing possibility  of war between nuclear powers.

Yes because what the world needs is more nuclear armed states. Particularly deeply unstable ones wedged between competing nuclear armed world powers.

I originally thought Putin was testing the new Biden administration to see how it would react. If you look at the history books, the Soviets/Russia have “tested” every new administration since Truman either directly or by a client state. If the administration didn’t react “forcibly” enough, the world suffered an “incident.” History has shown a common practice of “pushing” your opponent. If he resists, take a step back. If he doesn’t resist, take two steps forward.

I'd like to think I'm pretty flexible. If I see a Russian soldier being cordial, I'd note it. If I see a Russian Strela-10 running over a civilian-looking car, I'd note it (I did not invent the idea that it was some kind of anti-car bomb defense and I'm skeptical of that theory now). If Putin says something reasonable, I'd note it. If the Western press turns that something reasonable into a defamatory mess, I'd note it. If the Russians try to pass off Village A for Village B, well I'd consider that claim though I can't really tell them apart.

Yes because what the world needs is more nuclear armed states. Particularly deeply unstable ones wedged between competing nuclear armed world powers.

Excellent. Looking forward to getting stuck in. Thank you

A toxic person is someone who constantly demands chemical warfare be modeled, in-game. Maybe biological too. Actually full-on NBC, 'cause there were cases of polonium poisoning, as well. Ie. Marie Currie or Dr Thrax.
Alternatively, it can also refer to USMC personnel that have not been issued with newer non-toxic MREs and/or writing utensils.

I feel like that standard for calling someone "toxic" needs to a bit higher than them saying something that is "harmful to the title's reputation". I don't think anything should be immune from criticism. Although I am curious as to what bugs he's referring to. There are ongoing arguments about which stuff is modeled correctly, but those aren't the same thing as actual bugs (and I'm of the opinion that those things are already modeled about right). There were a handful of actual bugs early on, but those have been ironed out (the floating track on the bmp comes to mind). Perhaps he meant "big update"? 'i' and 'u' are right next to each other on the keyboard so it would be an easy typo to make, and "waiting for the big update" makes more sense than "waiting for the bug update". Or perhaps he's referring to the promised performance improvements with Engine 5 (although that isn't specific to CMCW)? In any case, it's best to ask for clarification before being too harsh on someone.

Why Khrizantema's visibility in game is much worse than BMP-3 if Khrizantema is literally built on BMP-3 chassis and has improved vision equipment, including radar?

For me it's a dead heat. I enjoy playing both sides, with all of their inherent strengths and weaknesses.
If forced to choose I'd pick Germans as favorite, mostly down to their machine guns and top-tier armor, which I find more interesting (but not necessarily better) than the Russian tanks. Their advantages in optics, command and control and the aforementioned weaponry swings the vote. Command delay is not a thing in CMx2, which would swing it even more.
In 1944, the two sides are pretty well-matched from an equipment point of view, even if it's dissimilar in some ways. Germans tend to feel like a sharper, more surgical, but more brittle option than the Russians do. So in Combat Mission it comes down to scenario design, and often the real-world advantages one side may have had are less evident in what we play in this game. It's tactical of course. If Combat Mission were operational or even strategical, then things would perhaps look different.
For me, the word 'balance' has a negative connotation when it comes to war gaming. There's a sense that balance is a thing to strive for in scenario design, and while I get it, I think it serves to skew perspectives. Balance in (single player) historical wargaming should not be a priority in my view. It's OK to face difficult odds, or have no chance at all. The lack-of-balance should be a feature too, and if it was more woven in to scenario design I think I might have a different perspective on the subject of Russian vs German in Red Thunder.

Repeat after me the "Soviet Campaign Player's Lament"
- I am a good CM player, this is but one campaign of many.  Built by a bastard with bile in his heart, I shall rise above...even in defeat
- I lose for reasons, not excuses.  I win on talent, not luck.
- In the campaign, I am the Devil's Red Right Hand.  I will shed my elegant ways and become the Hammer of War.  As my pixeltroops fall in droves, I feel nothing but righteous impellation 
- On Mission 3, I will try the left flanking through the woods because nothing else seem to work.

You definitely do..  Seriously, you cannot see how all of that "feedback" is not helpful in the least?  Here let me help:
In the "admission post", I came back to confirm whether you could see an SU-17 Cluster to try and clear up what was a miscommunication...no response.  This after your initial feedback was (and I quote):
"Guys, the Soviet campaign was a mistake.
I mean MISTAKE."
Then your copious screen shots were Campaign end-screens which really do not do much to assist in trying to nail down specific issues.  You have not once posted anything to reinforce you -pretty broad-position.
Frankly this all comes across as "CM Karen", not useful feedback.  One thing I really do like about the CM community is that this type of feedback is in the minority, unlike the cesspools out in wild internet.
So let me enlighten a bit.
March or Die is by design meant to be really hard...no participant medal here.  My best guess was 95% of CM players would not finish it (so you are in with the majority).  It is why we built the Standard version so the average player could actually still enjoy the campaign.  Mission 3 - March of Die is not "BROKEN AND IN NEED OF COMPLETE REDO".  It needed a Tac Air controller at Setup (done, and this one does go to you, I did this because of your "help" btw) and score tweaking to offset the Blue Bonus lock we setup so someone could not just hit ceasefire and advance.  Even with these tweaks MK likely would not have met the minor_victory requirement to advance based on his losses above (10 out of 13 tanks) BUT he should have come closer, maybe even a draw.  
If there is a lesson for you to learn here is a simple one, that hopefully will come with age: "Just because you do not agree with something, it does not mean it is automatically wrong/broken/immoral/evil".  Perhaps a second good one is "Failure is a good thing, so long as you 1) learn from it, to avoid it becoming a habit and 2) try and do it with grace and class."
 

Combat Mission: Shock Force 2 AAR
Attack in Brandenburg
By: beeron

Introduction
I decided to create this AAR after being inspired by my wargaming heroes, Bil Hardenberger, Jeffrey Paulding, IICptMillerII, Domfluff and several more on the CM discord and forums. You will see their influence in this AAR. For this battle, I chose GeorgeMC's excellent scenario "Tactical Vignette 98-3 Attack in Brandenburg SF2". The battle is an intense one, with the remnants of a company team fighting for it's life against a competent near peer threat, while a QRF rushes to save them and finish the mission. I have modified many aspects of my game visually, including BLUFOR and OPFOR skins. Feel free to ask if you'd like them. 
Mission
TF 1-8 INF is to push through the town of "Brandenburg" in order to secure the bridge that crosses the "Ohio" River. Bravo Team was ambushed while rushing to set up a SBF position, and must be rescued before they are annihilated. Brigade has ordered me to take over their mission to secure the bridge and rescue their survivors.
Objectives
Neutralize Sahrani Liberation Army resistance in the town of "Brandenburg" Occupy Objective White Rescue surviving elements of 1st platoon, Bravo Team Reach Route MOE, the MSR Desired End State
Resistance in the town suppressed Bridge across the Ohio River secured Surviving elements of Bravo Team rescued and casualties MEDEVACED Tactical Map

Enemy Forces
S-2 had limited intelligence on the enemy, they suspected veteran SLA mechanized airborne units reinforced by Crack Special Forces elements. Unfortunately, they were right. Bravo-6 radioed they were ambushed by a company sized element of SLA mechanized airborne, reinforced by a few BMP 3s. To add insult to injury, my Delta Team has spotted several SLA Special Forces AT-14 teams by the Mosque, a serious threat to the well being of any human being in an armored vehicle. These forces are no joke, an overconfident commander could easily take heavy casualties before reaching the town. The AT-14 does a good job at killing any American armor put in the wrong hands. The are the biggest threat to my company right now, located on the southern part of "Brandenburg" by the mosque. These AT-14s occupy the high ground, which gives them the ability to overlook any avenue of approach my company team can take. They must be neutralized before I can execute my maneuver plan.

(SLA SF Operator)

(SLA Airborne Trooper)

(SLA Airborne BMP-3)

(A Knocked Out Special Forces AT-14 Team)
Terrain & Weather
The weather is good, if hotter then hell. There is a gentle breeze from the west to cool off the troops just a tad. This town hasn't seen rain in about 2 weeks, leaving the sky clear and the ground very dry. Off road driving should not be too complicated. 
The terrain surrounding Brandenburg is hilly, with both the north side and south sides of the town containing high ground. I expect plenty of ATGM teams from both sides. The town of Brandenburg itself is pretty small, with tiny communities on the outskirts. Civilians have evacuated the area, and only a few remain leaving the ROE extremely flexible.  However, before my company team can reach Brandenburg, they either must cross two streams, or take the MSR that Bravo was ambushed on. I decide I don't want to suffer a similar fate to Bravo and opt to cross the streams.
Troops
I am in command of D/1-8 INF attached to 3rd BCT, 4th ID. Delta team consists of two tank platoons of a mix of M1A1HCs and M1A2SEPs and a platoon of mechanized infantry riding in M2A3 Bradleys. None of my vehicles are equipped with ERA or any extra protection against shaped charges. Supporting fires consist of a platoon of 120mm mortars, with the addition of a 120mm mortar carrier riding into battle with my company.

(A Squad Leader from my mechanized platoon engaged with the enemy)
Initial Scheme of Maneuver

The time is 11:10 and I have 1 hour and 20 minutes to achieve my mission. Delta will move to the high ground at Hill 37.9 and then into the town to rescue the remnants of Bravo and destroy the enemy. Delta's preparatory fires will be with a section of 107mm mortars firing airburst on the AT-14s down south. Bravo has called for danger close mortar fire across the street onto enemy positions, practically on top of themselves out of desperation. They are fighting for their lives and must be rescued as soon as possible. 

Who knew race was so monolithic. Apparently all white people belong to the same hivemind. 

Who knew race was so monolithic. Apparently all white people belong to the same hivemind. 

Yes second link is working for me as well.

The Sixteenth Minute
KG LINKS
The probing continues. The StuG is brought across into a fire support position, next turn I will start moving my infantry forward again.

KG ZENTRUM
They continue to reposition to get eyes on NAI3. Another mortar lands, this time on the other edge of the scrub. A light or harassing area fire is my guess.

KG RECHTS
We quickly get a spot on the contact, it's a Soviet sniper. He gets another shots off and wounds a man from 1st squad/B team. I forgot to tell these guys to stop, my fault.

The sniper is soon spotted by other units as the 251/17 area fires and he's quickly suppressed.


He's taken out by the other MG gunner in 2nd squad. They will now stop and tend to their dead comrade and hopefully recover the other MG42.

That was expensive, 1 KIA and 1 WIA for 1 sniper. There are no further contacts this turn so this must have been an OP. I'll let the troops tend to the wounded then I'll get them all into the treeline as some of them are still quite exposed.
SITMAP

1st Kompanie and the Tigers continue to chill (literally) back in the setup zone. Hans dropped a cigarette and burnt a hole in his trousers but mostly there's just a lot of grumbling.

MMM

Hmm, well I do recognize that the openings of the Soviets is probably one of the biggest issues we have with the campaign, this statement is not entirely true in RL and definitely not true in context of the campaign.
So off the bat we were aiming for realistic portrayal of how things would look and feel should the Soviets and US had dropped gloves in 1982.  So to do that we took doctrine and then some contextual professional military judgement, mixed them together to try and give the closest we think we could get to this "what if" war.
So doctrine:   https://irp.fas.org/doddir/army/fm100-2-1.pdf  (among others)
Here doctrine for a Soviet MRR on the advance/attack (which is very much what is happening here).  There doctrine states that an MRR will have "5-10km" between the CRP and FSE. 
 
So a 10km gap would probably give a 20min window (assuming a 30km/hr push) for the CRP to bang around and try a more nuanced approach [aside, the CRP normally does not have any arty/FOs but I was in a generous mood].  OR half that if the distance is 5km = 10 mins.  But contextual factors of LOS and speed play a key factor here. 
Speed is easy.  We have the Soviet opening of a surprise attack against 11 ACR (probably the best US unit on this front), who have owned this ground for a generation by this point, so speed is essential.  The speed-pressure, normally high in the Soviet military, would be more intense given the requirement to attempt to dislocate 11 ACR. In short no way that the MRB Bn CO is going to go slow and cautious here.
Distance.  Ok, so Soviets didn't like radios for a lot of reasons so they relied a lot on LOS (flags etc).  So now we need to look at the terrain with a bit wider lens:
 
So that is Manbach on the left, that lump of trees is where your CRP starts.  That line is 5km back along the likely route of advance for the FSE.  As you can see it is already stretching LOS, 10km is out of the question, they would totally be out of contact with the CRP.
So we have situation where we are at the opening of a risky "all or nothing" attack as the Soviets come crashing over the border.  A lot of pressure to move fast and furious before the 11th ACR (or god help them the the 3rd Armd) could get into their very well prepared positions.  Add to this terrain that really did not support stretching out too far and we have the conditions for a "door-crasher" situation.  
So in that context the Soviet player does not "by rights" have the luxury of time with respect to a more deliberate recon effort, in reality the MRB "is" the Recon effort.
So is it fair?...probably not.  Is it realistic...absolutely.  Is it fun?  Well a matter of taste really and I am going to have to leave that to you all to decide.

Thanks for giving your opinion. 
It will be more definitely more than 10 missions, I need to work on it but I can reach up to 20 total(I may also do a "slipt" in the campaign, a small mission without bad guys where you chose the path you want to follow for glory). 
The difficulty of the campaing will be balance by the fact the Marines are supporting  Syrian defector, they will not be feature in all mission as the main opponent

I flipped through the campaign notes, and unless I missed it, they didn't list the designers and testers' names. So, whoever you are, my hat's off to you. It was the first campaign in a while I found legitimately difficult. I loved it. 
I thought it was an excellent depiction of the type of hastily improvised Pak-fronts the Germans would concentrate and lay across an allied mechanized thrust. You could feel mission-to-mission that you were fighting an enemy desperately trying to prevent a breakthrough or blunt a flanking thrust. There was always a great deal of opportunity for mounted manoeuvre, with use of artillery and masking fires, and the time limits encouraged a surgical attitude. I did a lot of bypassing and leapfrogging (often under light fire) of my units through one another to try and meet the timetable. Nor do I think the timetable was artificial: you're doing an armoured thrust up an enemy's flank, speed is key and the campaign captures that. 
I also appreciated being in command of a relatively untested unit. I'm somewhat familiar with the actual fight for Cellano and I do remember reading the German unit was about as fresh as the South Africans facing them, and it showed. I never felt the difficulty was artificially heightened by suddenly encountering some random, fanatic, Heer unit. The casualties seemed realistically proportionate as well. The lack of resupply and reinforcement made it quite the administrative challenge too. I spent a lot of time deciding which unit was up front or would be the main effort, trying to spread out echelon consumption and casualties. Most of the platoons were combat effective to the end, even if some were glorified squads. 
Needless to say, the maps were all gorgeous. 




If anyone wants a good little combined arms battle in complex terrain, and practice busting concentrated pak fronts, I definitely recommend. 

+1  Yes, to all the above.  Also, I may have to start on a Consulate Evacuation Redux.  

Good day everyone. Today I will be playing through the 'Abu Susah' scenario of CMSF2.


The mission is simple - my two Stryker rifle platoons must bypass the village of Abu Susah, known to be held by hostile irregulars, and destroy any enemy anti-tank weapons. I have 45 minutes to accomplish my task.
I know little about my enemy, only that Abu Susah is home to an infamous radicalised madrassa and that there are 'many bad men' with 'many weapons'. The briefing warns me of RPGs and ATGMs. There could also be recoilless rifles. As I am facing irregulars I will also have to be on the lookout for IEDs covering the roads and other chokepoints. Civilian density is moderate, so I will have to be vigilant. The enemy could be hiding in plain sight.

The AO is about 900 x 600m across. Abu Susah sits roughly in the centre, north of my start line and stretches to the west, nestling in some rolling hills and straddling a crossroads. The ground is very dry and the weather is hazy and warm, with a light wind blowing from the northeast. Sightlines are relatively open, the AO being dominated by the few multi-storey buildings dotted about the place.


Atop hills to the northwest and northeast of my start line are some small farm buildings. Their elevation will provide me with vital observation posts over the AO and into part of the village.

The highest building in the AO is a three-storey just on the eastern edge of the village, which I have dubbed the Savoy.

The other high point of the AO is a two-storey atop a hill north of the village, which I have dubbed the Ritz. These buildings would make for excellent observation posts and good (if obvious) positions for heavy weapons.

There are two routes that I could take to bypass the village. The first is the safest and most obvious route, a simple run along the eastern edge of the AO. This keeps the village at a relative arm's length.

This route has two sticking points, these sheep pens and a ditch along the north-south road. The ditch has only three crossing points: one at my start line, one where it is bisected by the east-west road and one at the northern edge of the AO. The sheep pens constrict my manoeuvre space at the north-eastern edge of the AO, forcing me into a chokepoint and providing a position for the enemy. The ditch then forces me into another chokepoint at the crossing.

The second route is less obvious but far riskier: a run along the western edge of the AO, along a dirt road that loops around Abu Susah to the North. This route takes me very close to the village and leads through a small hamlet or farm on the reverse slope of the hill in the northwest corner of the AO.

An advance along this route would be exposed to fire from the village and would then have to fight through the hamlet/farm (if they are occupied). The one advantage this route provides is that it is far less obvious than the first.

I command the 1st and 2nd Platoons of Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 25th Stryker Brigade Combat Team. My platoons are slightly understrength, lacking their weapons squads and I am short one Stryker, forcing my pair of platoon HQs to travel together. This will complicate command and control slightly.

We are supported by two sections of 81mm mortars. My men are veterans and are all well-led and well-rested. I have three grenade machine gun equipped Strykers and four heavy machine gun equipped Strykers. All in all, a nice little combat package, with fire support that should be adequate for the mission.

Right, analysis complete, now to put my force into action. My first move will be to fan out and get some observation posts up on the hills to the left and right of my start line.

Hello !
 
A little and quick update on the progress :

Mission 1 WIP
Mission 2 is tested, updated and almost ready to roll(need just briefing)
Mission 3 is tested, updated and almost ready to roll(need just briefing)
Misson 4 ready, tested. Need just briefing and its ready to roll
Mission 5 Worp in progress
Mission 6 ready, tested, need briefing and its ready to roll
Mission 7 is tested, updated and almost ready to roll(need just briefing)
8 to X : Work in progress
 
thanks !

Hello all, I'm working with Lethaface on a new campaign, RED vs BLEU. 
 
The background : 
A COUP led to a power vacuum situation with various parties fighting for control of Syria. With help of Russian elements and emergency hardware (T-90AM, BMP-3, etc), Syrian forces have regained control of most of the territory of Syria; however there is still a lot of places with rebel presence. Some of those extremists, but war has blurred the lines between groups.
After Russian intervention on Regime side, the US send in the marines (officially at the request of some local  groups label as "democratic") stepped in from bordering Iraq and together with local militia forces cleared some area's from 'terrorists'. Coincidentally these area's hold a large part of the oil rich territories of Syria.
The Syrian Regime formally filed a complain at the UN, but strategically it was in their short term interest to deny rebel forces the income from Oil.
However now that Syrian forces have pushed back most rebel groups, time has come to negotiate the reunification of all Syrian lands. Also, the war has been exhaustive and the oil income would be very helpful rebuilding. Until now USA has always confirmed the USMC forces would be only temporary 'inside' Syria, while adding that US has no interests in permanently occupying any territory in Syria. However, no formal negotiation has been started.
Recently US clandestine operators have been spotted around several rebel area's. Various activity has been observed around oil installations, further fueling speculations that the USA is supporting rebel groups setting up their oil industry.
But most alarmingly is the information local informants who have infiltrated the lower cadre of various rebel groups, provide to the government. Several of the rebel groups seem to have decided to combine into a larger 'front', including the militia supported by USA. Rumors are they want to declare an independent state inside Syria, backed by USA.
Time is limited because we know inside a few weeks USA can deploy heavy forces to the area. So, it's an 'all-in' operation from the Syrian government for which best troops and equipment are allocated. The goals are to be reached 'at any cost'. 
 
You will be in command of an Airborne battalion, mount on BMP-3, and support elements. You will face Marines and Syrian opposition fighter.  
 
Scenarii : Number unknow 
As for now the progress are the following :
Scenario 1 : Will be redone 
Scenario 2 : Test phase
Scenario 3 : IA plans and troops deployment 
Scenario 4 : Only a vague idea of the map 
Scenario 5 : Will see
Etc etc..
 
As for now i'm looking for players to play test one or two scenario(2 and/or 3 mainly)  
[url=https://zupimages.net/viewer.php?id=21/17/rsky.png][img]https://zupimages.net/up/21/17/rsky.png[/img][/url] 
Screen for mission 3, i'm really happy with the map and the idea but it may be "too much" in term of scale, but need to be tested first before descale it. 
 
I will try to put more pics in the few coming day as the campaign progress. With Cold War out it the progression may be slow for a couple of weeks  
 

CMFI. The most toys (up to mid 1945), and lots of terrain variety.