AAR - House Cleaning

[THH149]

Played this one against my regular H2H adversary, I took Blue Force and he took Red.

This one I came away with a win, with 10-15 mins left to play as we agreed to ceasefire (as we always do 'cos were gentlemen). 

The situation is Red green and conscript troops are holed up in a hospital complex of 5 stories across 15 action spaces (which doesnt seem like a large complex!), while Blue Force attacks across open ground to a perimeter wall which has to Blasted, then assault the hospital by Blasting more entrances. All the while Red has LOS from upper stories to interdict open ground movement.  Blue has one platoon of infantry, two MGs, and four Stykers (3 of the 40mm Mk19 kind), and another platoon of infantry coming as reinforcements. Red has a mixed force of infantry with some MGs, recoiless rifles and RPGs. Blue objectives were to capture the hospital and touch 5 other objectives within the walled compound (essentially meaning Blue had to destroy Red there as well).

In the first phase I got the infantry to the wall and blasted holes with Styrker covering fire, but didn't follow through, so two of the Amie squads got shredded by Red at ground level so bad I left them in the backfield rattled and broken. The second phase I used the Blue reinforcements to Blast the wall again aided by Stryker and Infantry smoke, and then blasted a way into the complex (no doors closeby). From there it was a grind as I stepped my men forward into a new square/level only to run into Red point blank fire. As Blue responded Red force become rattled broken and paniced, taking casualties and being unable to be led effectively, but Red new platoons were soon fed into the grinder.

Sure enough my own squads had suffered casualties, become nervous and rattled themselves, but worst of all was running short on ammunition. I had to shuffle them in and out of a Stryker that had lost its gunner to pick up more. The Strykers were also running out of 40mm too, and were so worried about RPGs they were defilading every salvo, I felt I just couldnt get them to fully apply their combat power.  That slackening of my tempo from ammo shortages also allowed Red force to reorganise just a little bit.  Meanwhile, the shattered squads from the first wall breach were lending long range support with MGs and Javelins to wipe out Red troopers holding the other touch objectives.

Soon enough, Red ran out of men (he fought 'til only two were left - the last team was decimated as it tried to snap shot an RPG at a stryker), so we ceasefired. Total Victory to the Amies.

I didn't feel like Blue was sure of victory at all, Blue had lost a few men and were very tentative on the advance late in the game due to being Nervous/Rattled. But the tale of the tape shows the outcome, and I'd be happy to give Red a boost in quality from consript/green to green/regular if it meant the contest would go closer to the wire (and possiblyt some extra help like another RCL or more ammo, better leadership?).

Red played a crafty game to, remaining hidden/faced away/close target arcs to spring ambushes with point blank fire, so lasted longer than most I guess.  But he said he couldn't quite get his RPGs organised to get shots on Strykers and could've used the hospital roofs a bit better. Maybe its worthwhile playing against Red AI to see if I can get it to lose faster.

The Mission Objectives in the briefing were mixed up: they only showed 3 of the 6 Ground Objectives (the briefing had more objectives mentioned) and points for enemy/friendly casualties (for a possible 575 VPs available to the Blues, and 500 for Red), so the points award was a surprise.

Have you played this scenario H2H? What do you think?

THH

 

[MikeyD]

This has become a rather famous (or infamous) scenario that has got a lot of notice recently. You can find several Youtube run-throughs (with varying degrees of success), several discussion threads about it from a few months ago. Nobody talks about 'UK Outmanoeuvred' or 'UK the 2nd Eleven' (to pick two scenarios at random) but everyone has an opinion of 'House Cleaning'.

Edited December 23, 2020 by MikeyD

[chuckdyke]

Played it 2 days ago against the AI on Iron. I didn't use the Strykers to breach the wall but the trooper's explosives. The trick is use a base of fire till the hospital is silent, the Javelins to take out key equipment. They are expensive about ₤100000 a pop. Once you enter the complex make your way to the roof. it is a lot easier to throw grenades downstairs than up. Yes, wish there were choppers in this game. Congrats on your win, on Iron Red had 5 panicking troops left, before they surrendered. This scenario is a good lesson for MOUT operations. Modern armor fires accurately on the move, same with the Strykers don't stop during a move unless they are back in a hide. Pattons and Centurions still fought with WW 2 tactics and the losses against Saggers ATGM were unacceptable. Good scenario but the map could have been a little bigger. I lost one Stryker 2 Strykers had their armament disabled but the one survivor was enough. I had 6 killed and 11 wounded inside the parameters but room for improvement. Surprised Combat Mission doesn't have 'Claymores' in the game, Russians have their own version, and I would leave them behind inside the building defend the inner buildings from the 3rd floor. Also there are no cellars better stop my rant it is still a good game. 

Edited December 22, 2020 by chuckdyke

[Sgt.Squarehead]

Take off and nuke the site from orbit.....It's the only way to be sure! 

[THH149]

On 12/22/2020 at 8:31 PM, chuckdyke said:

The trick is use a base of fire till the hospital is silent, the Javelins to take out key equipment.

A decent H2H wouldn't do that, they know they're going to get annihilated if they churn the Red force to stand by the windows and get their heads blown off. 

[chuckdyke]

It is a hospital, corridors, wards theatres, staff amenities etc. The only thing they can do is to increase the combat factor of the defender. I can't recall any trained soldier silly enough to shoot from an open window especially with a high-tech Stryker outside. To defend in CM, hide with a target arc to trigger the trooper. I agree against the AI this scenario is not hard. Once you make it to the roof you're home, your grenades and satchel charges are effective the defender has problems throwing grenades up towards the ceiling. Never be in a hurry to enter buildings, ask my old man spit blood 25 years later from a lung-shot. He passed away 20 years ago. In this game you fight a mathematical model. This 'Hospital' was 6 blocks with no corridors with 3 floors showing. Naturally the shooting from windows is hypothetical only. Even when you can eyeball your target in the game the 'No LOS' sign comes up. This explains it, your troops only can return fire when they are shot at and it is the precise moment you can kill the enemy. if you try to macro manage the game manually you will end up with a lot of frustration. The AI plan obviously is shoot withdraw and return to a different position. 

[THH149]

The AI plan is more like stand at the windows and get shot, until all the conscript and green units get rattled. 

As the human Blue, shoot at anyone you see for most of the game (call it getting fire superiority), then remove the Red in the flanking outbuildings, then advance on main building, then advance on deep flanking buildings.

[chuckdyke]

On 12/27/2020 at 9:26 AM, THH149 said:

The AI plan is more like stand at the windows and get shot, until all the conscript and green units get rattled. 

As the human Blue, shoot at anyone you see for most of the game (call it getting fire superiority), then remove the Red in the flanking outbuildings, then advance on main building, then advance on deep flanking buildings.

Buildings in Combat Mission are hypothetical. Take this 'Hospital' I think, we mean the same thing. You take fire, and the game is generous by showing from which window it comes from. Even on Iron you can identify the shooter. Better take fire and all what you should get is a contact icon. Take the Iranian embassy siege, the principle was the same. The negotiators engaged and the SAS gained intelligence. Once they took the lives of some hostages they could act. With a superior Combat factor, they took the building. Here we get intelligence by engaging once morale goes down enough you can take the building. Try to make your way to the roof. Once there your explosives will be effective. We don't have helicopter transport in this game. Against the AI you can experiment which model works.