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CMFI firsts impressions


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I have recently played the CMFI demo and I enjoyed so much.I think it will be my next move in the CM family(I played CMBN for a long time and I'm with FB right now).It has been said (some sort of a cliché)that playing with Italian troops is like playing an IWW era army but Italians had some modern and fine units like the airborne ones.One of the most famous was the Folgore Division which was destroyed in Tunisia but other units fought in Italy against the Allies.I have checked the game features but It looks like they are not in the game unfortunately.

I'm not quiet sure how to play with the Italians but It seems you are always in disadvantage fighting with them.Have you any tips?

On the other hand,the German LG 40 recoiless gun is a hell of a weapon.Very difficult to detect and deadly against troops and light vehicles.

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3 hours ago, arpella72 said:

I have recently played the CMFI demo and I enjoyed so much.I think it will be my next move in the CM family(I played CMBN for a long time and I'm with FB right now).It has been said (some sort of a cliché)that playing with Italian troops is like playing an IWW era army but Italians had some modern and fine units like the airborne ones.One of the most famous was the Folgore Division which was destroyed in Tunisia but other units fought in Italy against the Allies.I have checked the game features but It looks like they are not in the game unfortunately.

I'm not quiet sure how to play with the Italians but It seems you are always in disadvantage fighting with them.Have you any tips?

On the other hand,the German LG 40 recoiless gun is a hell of a weapon.Very difficult to detect and deadly against troops and light vehicles.

https://youtu.be/zvoKNVDNtVI

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As I said before, Italy is very demanding
after it is trained on CMBN and FB it is really a must-have game with a certain number of units and  terrains and climates.
As Erwin says, the Brixia is amazing,
not being able to divide the disturbing group
but I really like to play with it, the liaison with the officer is essential
try to follow the posts of @Freyberg which is a fanatic of cm Italy, he has a lot of finesse in the use of these troops
then made a series of cards essential for this opus

Edited by Falaise
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The Italians have one of the best TDs of that theatre of the war, in the form of the Semovente 90/53. It's sneakily low-profile and kills anything it can see. Total egg-armed-with-a-hammer but man, what a hammer.

Edit: and thirding the Brixia love. Great weapon; pick as many as you can in a QB :)
They also have some great cheap light armour to bolster your infantry against other infantry. Obviously they lose against the Sherman (best available tank after the Tiger in August '43) and even an M3 halfie with an M1 BMG, but if you stay out of the way of the proper armour with 'em, they can give the slightly shonky infantry the impetus to keep advancing.

Edited by womble
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3 hours ago, womble said:

Semovente 90/53

Wasn't familiar with that so, looked that one up and it seems good - except that it only carries 6(!) rounds.  In RL every 90/53 had an ammo carrier trailing it, but in CM2, one cannot resupply shells.  :(

However:  None were ever sent to the Eastern Front. In the North African Campaign, the Semovente da 90/53 proved to be an effective weapon and its long range was well suited to the flat and open desert terrain."

Wot a shame we don't have an Afrika Korps mod to showcase em.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semovente_da_90/53

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6 hours ago, Erwin said:

Wasn't familiar with that so, looked that one up and it seems good - except that it only carries 6(!) rounds.  In RL every 90/53 had an ammo carrier trailing it, but in CM2, one cannot resupply shells.  :(

 

I can't remember whether FI "fudges" the ammo carrier's ammo into an increase in the on-board shells for the little thing. But the weapon is effectively a one-shot-one-kill LAZOR in Sicily, August '43, and you may well not need more than 6 rounds in a game for a single vehicle :)

Just don't let it shoot at anything other than armour, ever :)

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12 hours ago, Falaise said:

try to follow the posts of @Freyberg which is a fanatic of cm Italy, he has a lot of finesse in the use of these troops
then made a series of cards essential for this opus

Thank you - you're too kind. I'm not an expert compared to most of the people on this forum, but I'm definitely a fanatic for CMFI :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Semovente 90/53 - unless it has changed, 9 AP and 3 HE:

image.png.f4845f8872c48f9073c57352dbecd297.png

Bit of a rare beast according to the manual (only 48 produced) or even rarer according to Wikpiedia (30 produced).  So rare that I've not used one, but will look to do so now...

 

 

Edited by Vacilllator
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  • 4 weeks later...

"ITALIAN SAPPER REARGUARD "

It is 0920 on a winter day in the Libyan deserts of Cyrenaica. A light wind comes from the northwest. It is raining and the ground is damp. You are just east of the safety of the Italian garrison at Bardia. That safety is not your destination. Your mission is to act as the rearguard and allow the escape of a
battalion of Italian soldiers. A beaten and defeated unit, low on ammo and on their last legs. Some are in trucks, some shuffle along on foot.  

You are attached to Gruppo Corleone of the XXXII Guastatori Battalion. You have trained and fought with this small group of men since last year. The burdens of your elite status have thinned your ranks. You are called on again today to perform above the highest standard of valor and selflessness. 

The British are right on the heels of your Guastatori trucks! A mechanized force with light tanks.

Select your initial positions very carefully. There is one large red set up zone for the forces you CAN position. The trucks coming up THE MAIN ROAD are part of your rear guard. Move them at top speed to a safer area to get into position as part of the defense.

The exit zone is your objective for the retreating Italian unit coming by truck or by foot ON THE SIDE ROAD. Several more convoys are expected. Move them at best speed to the exit zone.
Achieve Points by exiting those defeated soldiers and by destroying enemy units. If you have less than 10% casualties for your side, you get a bonus.

Study carefully your Guastatori unit to fully utilize its capability. You also have 2 foxholes and 3 sets of mines. Take 15 minutes to achieve your mission. Your own escape is not part of this battle...

get it here! https://www.dropbox.com/sh/icm3a2cnnfebzv5/AABxI54rnRxig2gmgMQcCuc2a?dl=0

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On 6/12/2021 at 9:16 PM, Erwin said:

Wot a shame we don't have an Afrika Korps mod to showcase em.

Do you mean we don't have an official BFC module? 

In my book, "mod" does not mean module. It means modification. 

I realize my level of work may not meet someone's standards for a module but definitely there is a CMFI North Afrika mod...

 

 

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I made a simple battle with the Semovente 90/53 SPG.

****************************

HERE IS AN IDEA TO TRY IF ANYBODY WANTS...

This is a saved game file. "North Afrika Quick Battle Save 001"

Put in CMFI saved games folder.

You play as defending Italians. British are attacking. Purchases already made. But it is in set up mode...

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/sc3bz9m13deq0xu/AABEzet-Sh3yFpBicO-cI8A1a?dl=0

*******************************

Ooops. I see that I screwed up the objectives but this is just to see the gun in action...

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Okay, Sapper Rearguard finished, minor spoilers in image below.  Really enjoyed it.

Tough situation as I mentioned, but I had some serious bad-asses in a 47mm AT crew who just survived and then just got into position in time.  They then kicked some!  Nearly all of the retreating units made it.

dBDePTu.png

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1 hour ago, kohlenklau said:

Yeah, it was a nail-biter to successfully get them into position and deploye!

Their truck even took some hits getting up the road and past the mines I'd placed, but with no casualties and no major damge.  Luck!  Would've been a tall order without them.

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23 hours ago, Vergeltungswaffe said:

I was really looking forward to using the 90/53 but it fired one round, missed and the first return shot from a Sherman toasted it.  C'est la vie. 😆

My 90/53 was somewhat luckier.  Knocked out 3 Shermans, before with 2 AP rounds remaining (did someone say the 90/53s were accompanied by ammo trucks?) it took a hit which destroyed the 90mm.  I pressed surrender to save needless waste of Italian lives 😉

I also wondered about the firing animation - would both crew up top remain in their seats?  Looking at where the ammo is stored and where the breech is suggests not, unless other crew members did the loading?  I suppose a dismounting crew just for firing is rather problematic in the game...

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