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Canadian Defense - CMSF 2 BETA AAR #2 (Quick Battle)


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Initial situation

This AAR is being played using the Quick Battle system from the v4 engine in the new version of Shock Force. We are playing a Red probe with Bil taking the Syrians vs Canadians commanded by myself. The back story we decided on is that the NATO advance is proceeding well and the Canadian battle group has been assigned to flank protection for the main advance. D Company has been directed to take up positions around a village on the main East West road in the area.

Taking the walk through the village to meet with the local elders was something that Capt. Leslie actually enjoyed. The security situation for these types of meetings was much better here than in Afghanistan where, as a platoon commander, often had to provide security for the CO in one of these meetings. Over there it was always a nerve racking time. Here, today, his men had taken up their positions already and there was no love for the Assad regime around here. There was no love for the Assads anywhere actually – even in the enclave where his family drew the most support it was based on fear not love. So his walk today was pretty safe. Walking through the village reminded him of the last time he was in Syria. When he was just a boy visiting his father who was stationed on the Golan Heights as a UN Observer. Back then this trip to Syria was an exciting event. He got to fly on Hercules from Germany to Damascus where his Dad’s apartment was. The trip had made an impression. Not just the Roman ruins and the amazing castle Krak des Chevaliers (and having lived in the UK a few years earlier he knew castles) but it was really the people that impressed him the most. They were so friendly and open. It was this trip and listening to his father tell the stories of visiting with security guards on his way home each night that cemented in him the certain knowledge that you can go anywhere in the world and the regular people you meet are more like you then they are different.

This meeting was just a formality but an important one. They would not be here for long and the Canadians had no mandate to provide any kind of assistance this was just to introduce the force that would be on their door steps for a while and point out that most likely nothing eventful would happen today, tomorrow or the next day. Capt. Leslie had put off this meeting for a hour because he had to spend time on the radio sorting out their artillery support. They were not expecting any action and so had only been assigned only a battery of light artillery and some Battalion mortars but he wanted to make sure they were ready with solutions plotted just to be sure. For some reason there had been a delay. Usually the artillery guys were ready before his FO was but today somehow the assignments had been confused and no battery thought they were supposed to be on call for D Co.. He had the reputation not as a rising star but a solid cross the t’s dot the i’s find a solution get it done officer. And he had done so again. Other officers liked him because he did his homework and was fair even when he was pushing for something. He didn’t make a big production but he didn’t back down either. He remembered his Dad used to say “not everyone can be a rising star, those stars need good officers to get their jobs done”. His Dad’s other advice when he joined up as a junior officer was “always listen to your Sergeants and Warrant Officers, they are the ones that have the experience know how to help you find solutions and keep you from screwing up”. He had taken the advice to heart.

 

Force selection:

The Quick Battle system is still not complete so don’t read much into what you see other than the happy path I will describe J. As you can see the usual points panel is there along with the selected force’s flag and available branches. The various units might still need tweaking in the QB list and single vehicles and teams is not officially complete and the points might change. All the usual caveats apply. No one has tested the auto pick force make up yet – although the three times I used it during testing it actually did a good job. At any rate before release this stuff will be tweaked some more.

Similar to the CMBS game there are combined force battle groups available. That is where I will start:

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Defending in a Medium Probe lets you purchase about a mechanized company or so. I start with paring back to D Company and a platoon of tanks. Then I do something I started doing recently – renaming the top commander on QB battle field after myself. I think it is more fun to think of yourself down there in the game. Hopefully no one thinks it is too arrogant since I have never served as more than a truck driver but I’m adding a little colour this time based on an alternate reality where I joined up back in university like I very nearly did.

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Now the hard choices. I am pretty certain that Bil will be bringing armour to this and those T72s are every bit as deadly to the Leos as the Leos are to the T72s. That means I need to be able to handle enemy armour. So, to get the points room to have some support I chose not give up a tank but instead gave up a platoon of infantry. Therefore the basic force is two platoons of infantry and one troop of tanks.

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 With that I’ll settled I chose to keep two of the battalion’s AT LAVs, one battery of mortars and a sniper team. Never leave home without your sniper team.

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Edited by IanL
fix graphics
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9 hours ago, Heirloom_Tomato said:

Is there much of a point difference between the C2 and the C2A6M? Why did you decide to go with the C2?

OK I had a look. Default is not the right word. The choice is like the German medium tank battalion in CMBN: when you pick it you migth get panthers and you might get Mark IVs but you can change it. So similarly here when you pick the battle group you might get C2s or you might get C2A6Ms but  you can change it. And yes there is a significant point difference. I know the C2A6M is a significantly better tank but I would have had less of them. We shall see if I made the right "choice".

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1 hour ago, Splinty said:

You should name your objectives, Lee, Lifeson, and Peart. Being Canadian and all...

?? what :) - apparently I'm not a very good Canadian cause I have no idea what those are. Lee could be Getty Lee from Rush but that's just a guess.

Edited by IanL
added smillie
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1 hour ago, Vinnart said:

Good luck Ian! Too bad you can't use my Canadian mod for this showcase. Has a nice maple leaf as the HQ floating icon.

Indeed. That gives me the opportunity to say since this is a Beta AAR I am not using any mods (I miss my NATO symbols mod already) and I will be taking my screen shots using regular view - non of this Movie mode hippy dippy stuff for me :D

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3 hours ago, Splinty said:

You should name your objectives, Lee, Lifeson, and Peart. Being Canadian and all...

Originally I was not going to name the objectives but their in game names are a bit awkward so I will. A bit of research and yeah rush band member names. Your wish is me command :)

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Aww, I was rooting for the loaned 2a6Ms. Still, the C2s are beauties -- shame they're getting axed. Reminds me of the bad old days when they wanted to replace all tanks with MGS (remember THAT?). Wonder if the C2s include MEXAS by default, or if the MEXAS equipped variant is simply not shown...

Should have named someone Sajjan, would have instantly won.

leopard_c2_l9.jpg

Edited by DerKommissar
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6 hours ago, IanL said:

OK I had a look. Default is not the right word. The choice is like the German medium tank battalion in CMBN: when you pick it you migth get panthers and you might get Mark IVs but you can change it. So similarly here when you pick the battle group you might get C2s or you might get C2A6Ms but  you can change it. And yes there is a significant point difference. I know the C2A6M is a significantly better tank but I would have had less of them. We shall see if I made the right "choice".

Quality over Quantity but Quantity has a Quality all it's own. Or something like that. Hope it works out for you.

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3 hours ago, IanL said:

Originally I was not going to name the objectives but their in game names are a bit awkward so I will. A bit of research and yeah rush band member names. Your wish is me command :)

Awesome! Now remember don't just "Rush" those objectives!

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3 hours ago, Heirloom_Tomato said:

Quality over Quantity but Quantity has a Quality all it's own. Or something like that. Hope it works out for you.

Yeah. You know how people say I lost the game on the purchase screen.... I hope this does not turn into that.

2 hours ago, Heirloom_Tomato said:

😂LOL!!!! That was great. Wonder who all will get that joke. Going to do this for my next battle just for S'n'G. 

If I could up vote you twice for that one, I would.

?? not me that's for sure :)

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Planning

I have not done a formal METTT analysis before so constructive criticism welcome.

METT-T: Mission

The mission is to defend the flank of the main advance by controlling the road network. There is high ground along the North / South road corresponding to the Road North, Village and Road South objectives. Those objectives directly control the North / South road and also command views of much of the East / West road. Any Syrian advance is expected along the East / West road. The East side of the map also has some high ground. In the middle is lower ground but with lots of terrain features.

My setup zone does not include the high ground on the East of the map. Once Bil gets controls of one or more of those (and we all know he will) nothing in the low ground in the middle will be safe.

Objectives:

Objective Lifeson – Road North: This location has a slope behind it where units can create a reverse slope defense. In addition just to the East of this location is a peak that could offer good visibility and still allow for withdrawal back to the objective.

Objective Lee – Village: This location is just as high as any on the East side of the map. It also offers plenty of key whole opportunities to interdict the high ground to the East.

Objective Peart - Road South: This location also has a slope behind it that could be used for repositioning and a reverse slope defense. In front of this objective is one of the lowest points on the map.

Objective Rutsey - North East Farm: This objective offers no clean way to withdraw and is very close to where the Syrians will likely be arriving. I am considering not defending this at all.

Objective Jones - Road East: This objective is in the low center and can be attacked from many, many places. I am defiantly not going to defend this directly at all.

Tasks:

Deny the High Ground – If the enemy can take KT1, 2 and 3 I will have trouble finding keyhole positions to deny the enemy the approaches.

Deny the Approach – Clearly if I am going to hold I have to make sure the enemy cannot take the village and control the roads I need to keep them from crossing the low ground KT5 and KT6

20180720141727-c3687ec2.jpg

 

Edited by IanL
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METT-T: Terrain

The map we are fighting on is pretty big with lots of interesting terrain and places to hide. Below is the map with some key terrain marked with a red flag and camera views marked with a yellow triangle followed by pictures from those views.

 

 

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Map View #1

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Map View #2

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Map View #3

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Map View #4

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Map View #5

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Map View #6

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Map View #7

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Map View #8

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Map View #9

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Map View #10

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And finally the views from the Enemy approach road.

Map View #11

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Map View #12

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Map View #13

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Map View #13 Camera raised so you can see the objective behind the hill.

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Edited by IanL
fix pictures
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