Bil Hardenberger Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 (edited) “Here, across death’s other river, the Tartar horsemen shake their spears.” T.S. Eliot This BETA game is being played against Warren (The_Capt), and we are very familiar with each other’s style, strengths and weaknesses as we’ve been playing CM against each other for close to 20 years now. CM Cold War was our brainchild and has been on our wargame design table, off and on, for eight years now, but now it is a real thing. You’re welcome. With that said it is only fitting that Warren and I play in this BETA AAR. We haven’t played in public since our original CMBN BETA AAR, Not your Father’s Combat Mission. I hope you enjoy the ride, and welcome to the COLD WAR!! Sidebar! I strictly use the Movie Mode when I play so all of my screenshots use that feature. I don't mean it to insult anybody, but I just think the game looks better. Meeting Engagement at Dolbach Heights, 1980 When Warren and I laid out the design for this game we wanted it to be primarily and ultimately a sandbox for experimentation and reflection. A tool to test the tactical theories that were prevalent at that time. Time… yes, we also wanted to be able to examine the different sides from different time perspectives, and this release, the base game in the CM Cold War series, contains the years 1979 to 1982. We also only cover the months March to October, mainly so we didn’t have to generate winter textures and models which would have been one feature too many. This particular scenario is one that Warren and I threw together that we thought would be fun to play and show off. The map is from the US Campaign and when you play that you will see this map eventually. I will start my METT-T analysis in my next post, but for now, sit back, enjoy the existence of this game, and don’t go away! Bil CONTENTS: METT-T Analysis MISSION ENEMY TERRAIN TROOPS / TIME Tentative Plan The Action: First Three Minutes! Fourth Minute - First Contact! Fifth Minute - Return of the Blood Board! Sixth & Seventh Minutes Eighth Minute - One Meter Too Many Eighth Minute - BDA & Some Movements Ninth Minute Tenth Minute Eleventh & Twelfth Minutes - "...damn your eyes." Thirteenth Minute - The Board is Set Fourteenth Minute - Spoiling Attack Plan Fifteenth through Seventeenth Minutes Eighteenth Minute - Relearning Old Lessons Nineteenth & Twentieth Minutes Twenty-First & Twenty-Second Minutes - Beyond Here, There be Dragons Twenty-Third & Twenty-Fourth Minutes - Saga of Tank Section 1 Edited March 24, 2021 by Bil Hardenberger Changed title so I wouldn't accidentally select the other thread! 21 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ultradave Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 I will be interested to see how you both approach this after play testing the 79 version. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vacillator Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 Great stuff Bil, thanks for yours and the Capt's inspiration and looking forward to what will be my first post-WW2 title! Now could you just summarise the pros and cons of every Cold War unit I'm likely to meet? I know some, I was around at the time, but not in anywhere enough detail . 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IICptMillerII Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 Oh hell yeah! 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lethaface Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 Great! Was just asking for a BETA AAR Interesting to hear about the backstory too. Following this closely! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyD Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 (edited) That's an M60A1 RISE version in the screenshot but I don't know which. Its the difference between firing APDS and firing first generation tungsten M735 APFSDS. Edited February 16, 2021 by MikeyD 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bil Hardenberger Posted February 16, 2021 Author Share Posted February 16, 2021 13 minutes ago, Ultradave said: I will be interested to see how you both approach this after play testing the 79 version. Dave, this is not the same scenario from the campaign.. we built it especially for this AAR game. Bil 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BletchleyGeek Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 (edited) Oooh @Bil Hardenberger looking forward so much to this AAR “Forward, the Light Brigade! Charge for the tanks!” he said. Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred. Edited February 16, 2021 by BletchleyGeek 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bil Hardenberger Posted February 16, 2021 Author Share Posted February 16, 2021 1 minute ago, MikeyD said: That's an M60A1 RISE version in th screenshot but I don't know which. Its the difference between firing APDS and firing fist generation tungsten M735 APFSDS. I'll get into that of course, but those are M-60A1 (RISE+) tanks. I am actually fielding, M-60A1, M-60A1 (RISE), and M-60A1 (RISE+) in this battle. Bil 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BletchleyGeek Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 (edited) 47 minutes ago, Bil Hardenberger said: A tool to test the tactical theories that were prevalent at that time. Time… yes, we also wanted to be able to examine the different sides from different time perspectives, and this release, the base game in the CM Cold War series, contains the years 1979 to 1982 By the way, how is that going to play out? Is there going to be house rules to limit command and control capabilities in some way? In a completely different setting, I recently made a statement along the lines that: "the perception I get from reading stuff written at the time, often considering Warsaw Pact militaries to be some kind of fearsome beast/machine that could somehow be led to its demise via clever tricks, gadgets and fancy footwork was a cozy notion which fortunately nobody had to find the hard way whether it was right or not". Edited February 16, 2021 by BletchleyGeek 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 Oh man.....I need more likes! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bil Hardenberger Posted February 16, 2021 Author Share Posted February 16, 2021 METT-T Analysis MISSION “The Army I grew up in was focused on high-intensity conflict against a peer competitor called the Soviet Union.” Mark Esper Mission: Seize and control the village of Dolbach that sits along an important Main Supply Route (MSR) which runs east to west just north of this village. Advance to contact and “convince” the Soviets that this is not the village they are looking for. I think Warren once described this type of fight as "two fat men fighting over a donut". So the mission is simple... at least it sounds simple. However this is 1980 and the US does not have the technical advantages they will have a mere two years later. “Everything is very simple in war, but the simplest thing is difficult.” von Clausewitz This is basically a meeting engagement, and our forces will be, in numbers at least, relatively balanced. However there is a capability gap at this point in time in favor of the Soviets as you will discover. Bil 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umlaut Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 8 minutes ago, Sgt.Squarehead said: Oh man.....I need more likes! Here´s one from me 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, Bil Hardenberger said: However there is a capability gap at this point in time in favor of the Soviets as you will discover. Funky armour & 125mm smoothbores.....Your M60s will need to be crafty (I suspect you'll probably manage that TBH). PS - Forgot about the TLATGMs too. Edited February 17, 2021 by Sgt.Squarehead 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 @Bil HardenbergerEight year project - now that's what I call dedication. So I assume a lot of love and tender care has gone into the project and the rest of us can enjoy the ride. Much appreciated! I'm not sure if my eyes deceive me, but is the movie mode less desaturated than in the WWII titles? Can't say I have ever tried it in the modern titles. I also like a little less saturated look to the games but makes the setting on my monitor. Ideally the movie mode could be set in incremental steps. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bil Hardenberger Posted February 16, 2021 Author Share Posted February 16, 2021 2 minutes ago, rocketman said: @Bil HardenbergerEight year project - now that's what I call dedication. So I assume a lot of love and tender care has gone into the project and the rest of us can enjoy the ride. Much appreciated! Appreciate your appreciation... it was mostly off than on in those eight years... got hot and very ON over the past couple of years. Bil 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 15 minutes ago, umlaut said: Here´s one from me That isn't really what I had in mind, but cheers anyway! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vacillator Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 1 minute ago, Sgt.Squarehead said: That isn't really what I had in mind, but cheers anyway! I would be happy to donate likes . TBH I don't even know how many I have per day? Anyway I'm liking the Cold War heat... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sburke Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 5 minutes ago, Bil Hardenberger said: Appreciate your appreciation... it was mostly off than on in those eight years... got hot and very ON over the past couple of years. Bil well thank you for the dedication. This was the focus of most of my boardgame purchases. Gawd so many. MBT, IDF, Air and Armor and those were just the tactical. Went all the way up to The Next War and NATO. Even went so far as to include 2nd Fleet to determine if NATO convoys would be able to cross the Atlantic.... This is my retirement year and you gave me the game I've waited decades for Bil/Capt. Nice timing, how did you know? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HerrTom Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 Where's my Bundeswehr? Nah, my dog and my wife in turn came to check on me due to my squeals of excitement over seeing this. I'm very excited to see this AAR pan out, especially with your exquisite tactical eye, Bil! The marketing page mentions different C2 systems between the forces. Is this something that might be demonstrated in this AAR (or anything different than what we've already seen like in CMRT?) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 (edited) 10 minutes ago, HerrTom said: Nah, my dog and my wife in turn came to check on me due to my squeals of excitement over seeing this. Always the dog first isn't it.....If he doesn't come back, then the missus comes to check (on him, I strongly suspect). Edited February 17, 2021 by Sgt.Squarehead 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bil Hardenberger Posted February 17, 2021 Author Share Posted February 17, 2021 METT-T Analysis ENEMY “Remember, me lad, though the Irish fight well, the Rooshian artillery’s hotter ‘n hell.” The Kerry Recruit – 1855 Folksong Enemy: The expected enemy force consists of perhaps a Reconnaissance Company and an FSE with unknown follow-on forces, but Intelligence says that the closest supporting Soviet formation is a Reserve Tank Battalion, so we might see elements of that formation come in as a reinforcement. Suspected enemy Order of Battle (OB): Reconnaissance Company x2 Recon Platoons on BMP 1(type?) x1 Tank Platoon (x3 tanks) – unknown type (possible T-64A or T-64B) Possible Forward Security Element (FSE) x2 Mech Infantry Platoons on BMP 1(type?) x1 Tank Platoon (x4 tanks) – unknown type (possible T-64A or T-64B) Follow on force – possible Reserve Tank Company? Company (+)? – unknown type, (possible T-62) – possibly x10 tanks. Available Support – unknown, but no enemy aircraft are expected in this battlespace. Priority Intelligence Requirements (PIRs): Where is the enemy’s main effort concentrated? Where is/are the enemy SBF position(s)? What is the size of the initial Soviet force? Where are enemy’s tanks? This is a persistent PIR and should be kept updated throughout the action. What model tanks are in the Reconnaissance Company? What is the organization of the initial follow-on force? What model tanks are in the initial follow-on force? What is the organization of any additional follow-on forces? What model tanks are in any additional follow-on forces? Bil 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ultradave Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 1 hour ago, Bil Hardenberger said: Dave, this is not the same scenario from the campaign.. we built it especially for this AAR game. Bil Ah. Ok. Carry on. It's a nice map. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megalon Jones Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 (edited) 40 minutes ago, sburke said: well thank you for the dedication. This was the focus of most of my boardgame purchases. Gawd so many. MBT, IDF, Air and Armor and those were just the tactical. Went all the way up to The Next War and NATO. Even went so far as to include 2nd Fleet to determine if NATO convoys would be able to cross the Atlantic.... This is my retirement year and you gave me the game I've waited decades for Bil/Capt. Nice timing, how did you know? Yeah, I owned and played all those titles minus 'Air and Armor.' Swap that one out for 'Gulf Strike.' 'NATO' was real fun. What was the title whose instructions for nuclear exchange read "Dose game board in kerosene and throw a match?" Edited February 17, 2021 by Megalon Jones 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bil Hardenberger Posted February 17, 2021 Author Share Posted February 17, 2021 In case you missed it.. I put a Table of Contents in the original post. Should help you orient and check if any new AAR posts have been posted. Bil 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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