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NEW CMFI SCENARIO WITH MODS - "BLAZIN' CHARIOTS" (AN OLD ASL SCENARIO)


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My "take" on an old ASL scenario "Blazin' Chariots" is now available at my goody box, CMFI folder, CMAK2 subfolder 

NOTE: You can play as either side vs the enemy AI.

There are some interesting mods in use. You need the [afrika] mods as well as the special folder of mods I made just for this scenario.

Get folders A, B, and recommended for atmosphere to eventually get folders H & J

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/icm3a2cnnfebzv5/AABxI54rnRxig2gmgMQcCuc2a?dl=0

I did things here to achieve the best look. I understand it might not be for everybody.

But give it a try and have fun!

Edited by kohlenklau
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I tried using parameters to adjust the score beyond unit objective and touch objective points.

I HAD been getting wiped out as British and it just said Tactical Defeat. So, I set axis to have extra points if they wiped out >75% of the Honeys.

Please. If anybody is playing this, please PM me or discuss here YOUR score and "your feelings" and have a screenshot of the scoreboard.

 

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Phil,

Sorry, I played this just a little while ago, and didn't save the end screen - I just now saw your post regarding that.  I'll play it again for sure.  

I ended up with a Tactical Defeat.  If I recall correctly, I lost 4 tanks, but I think there were two that were dismounted as well, and two with their main guns destroyed.  The only crew that was killed outright was Chutney's lads, along with the gallant skipper as well.  They took a solid hit from one of Jerrie's heavies and the 7,5cm gun set them ablaze...hence...Blazin Chariots.  Sorry, I couldn't resist.  I did get credit for a hidden victory point, but my losses were more than the AI.  I think they only had 3 tanks destroyed.  Again, just going by memory.

I recall that the German side showed as Luftwaffe, which I thought was odd and I wanted to ask you about that?  Was there some reason the German troop mix was listed as Luftwaffe?

Since I don't have the score and a screenshot of the ending, I only have my "feeling" for the battle.

It was classic!  I really enjoyed it, and everything "felt" right.  

Spoilers     Spoilers     Spoilers  [sort of]

I didn't change the location for any of my Honeys for the start.  I left everyone in place and then moved forwards.  The setting sun was recognized by Captain Chutney as a distinct disadvantage for our lads.  This, I fear, contributed to his decision not to charge headlong, but rather, move forward a bit cautiously until we could get some spots.  This did happen, and suddenly the horizon lit up with possible contacts, but no firm sighting.  There was quite a bit of dust and, of course, we were looking into the sun so the glare was a bit of a bother.

Suddenly the lads reported that hits were being taken, and shortly thereafter, our boys opened up with the feral roar of a 37mm cannon.  The commanders used a variety of tactics, mainly a fast command at an angle, followed by a hunt command straight forward.  This was done in leaps and bounds though, so the unit didn't advance on a single line.  

All too soon, several tanks took solid hits, with one being dismounted and another losing their main gun.  Other tanks, still advancing in stilted rushes, did start to get solid spots on the enemy.  There was a mix of medium German tanks, and some Eye-Tye pretend tanks, along with some heavy types.  

Corporal Clark was skirting up the right flank, and his tank took a solid hit, knocking out the corporal and the loader.  The tank soldiered on with only a driver and a gunner.  Towards the end, the gunner ordered the driver to charge up the flank, with the intent of getting around behind Jerrie, and maybe snapping up some fallen crew cowering in the desert sand, but by then the battle was over.

Some of the lads began getting really good hits, and it was believed that both Italian tanks were knocked out, along with maybe one of the heavies and two of the medium tanks.  At least that is what was submitted in the after action report, although there was way too much dust and smoke to really tell for sure.  We never really did close with Jerrie, as we'd taken our licks and had to ease back from the battlefield.   [The reporting non-com was just a bit over-enthusiastic about the unit's success...]

Some of the lads would drive forwards quickly, stop, and let the dust settle over them, partially obscuring them from view, but also obscuring their view.

There was very little to hide behind, so dust was the only way to avoid being spotted.  The dust also hindered our spotting.

All in all, it really felt like a cool battle, and had a very authentic feel to it.  Due to the smaller caliber rounds being used by most of the tanks, a hit was not an automatic kill.  This was very different from the tank battles we are used to, with the bigger 75mm+ tank guns and lots of flaming wrecks littering the battlefield.  Some of the Honeys really soaked up quite a bit of punishment.  Of course, a hit from the Mark IV was probably going to be instant death.

That is my take on the scenario so far.  It is really nicely done, and captures the flavor of the early tank battles.  The vehicles looked good too, although I didn't really see the German ones much.  Spotting was hard, and I felt it was pretty realistic.

Thanks so much for putting this one together.  It is fun to be back in the desert, if only for a few battles.  I always enjoyed the desert battles in CMAK.

Heinrich505    

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1 hour ago, Heinrich505 said:

I recall that the German side showed as Luftwaffe, which I thought was odd and I wanted to ask you about that?  Was there some reason the German troop mix was listed as Luftwaffe?

Hey Gary, the unit type I THOUGHT I wanted to be the main one for the axis was only available in the luftwaffe force structure, as a "Light Tank Company"...

I will go back and see if what I wanted WAS somehow purchasable as a German Army "medium company" and then deleting and purchasing to get the mix right...

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Phil,

According to the Aftermath as stated on the Blazin' Chariots ASL Card:

"The 5th RTRs counterattack was hindered by the setting sun, which made it difficult to spot targets and judge the fall of shot.  Consequently the regiment suffered serious tank casualties without inflicting a like amount of damage on the Germans.  It's attack did succeed in putting a check on Kampfgruppe Stephan, however, which eased the desperate plight of the 8th Hussars.  When darkness put a halt to the battle, both British regiments disengaged and , according to standard procedure, withdrew to their night leaguer.  This left the Germans possessing the battlefield and allowed 5th Panzer Regiment to recover most of its knocked-out tanks.  As a result, while British losses in the engagement amounted to over forty Stuarts, the Germans suffered a net loss of 2 Pz IIIs and one Pz II.  For the 4th Armored Brigade, in whose hands the Stuart was making its combat debut, Operation Crusader was getting off to a most inauspicious start."

 

Gary

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I think it plays nicely in CMFI. How it matches to the original ASL scenario...I will leave for those ASL players to comment.

But I have played other "die roll, tables and rules board games" so I can say it is my opinion that CM is high speed simultaneous die rolls with real time resolution accompanied by sound effects and visuals! 

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Good news

I am headed to a pool party, the flip-flops and bikini girls type, not the chalk and cue sticks type...

But tomorrow I must rewrite this scenario as I will be a Monkey's Uncle but I found the PzIIIG in CMFI tucked as an option for the Tank Battalion HQ zug. It seems sadly NOT to be purchasable beyond that but at least I can get away from the smoke and mirrors mdr shenanigans I did originally...

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17 hours ago, kohlenklau said:

Good news

I am headed to a pool party, the flip-flops and bikini girls type, not the chalk and cue sticks type...

That is good news Phil, as long as you behave yourself 😉.

Looks like I'll be trying this battle one more time when v4 comes along 👍.

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Hope this may be inspirational.  Columbia is about to release a new version of "Rommel In The Desert" - "one of the top 100 wargames of all time".  Just to show that there is demand for a CM:AFRIKA KORPS product.  Am posting here as this certainly does not compete with any BF product, (and will not until there is a CM:DAK product).  :)

  

 

Edited by Erwin
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OK, I revised it based on stumbling across the PzIIIG in the editor. I renamed it with AFRIKA as a prefix. I had been doing that and sometimes I forget to do it. Somebody asked for it that way...

AFRIKA Blazin Chariots V4

https://www.dropbox.com/s/tkewzdnkwbn7x1y/AFRIKA Blazin Chariots V4.btt?dl=0

ALSO I continue to neaten and tidy up the mods folders. Now you just need the latest Folder A, you can ditch the older folders.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/wdpboq4jqm802xf/AACyLy2pS9atlIAr_H2FbDiRa?dl=0

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Phil alerted me to an update of the update, and now updated.  :D

I've been playtesting this baby for days now, gallantly seeking some sort of British success, and now...wait for it...Huzzah!  Success.

While Captain Chutney does not seem to be able to survive most of the encounters that I played out, I was finally able to attain a British Tactical Victory.  There doesn't seem to be any sort of "magical" formula on how to do this.  I played this V5 several times, and the first few were the usual British ignominous defeat, but this time through, Tommy managed to win the day, of sorts.  I still lost about half my tanks though - several were dismounted by the end.  I kept my tanks moving pretty much all during the advance, until the survivors got close enough and were able to get some good spots and good shot fall.  I also used the default set-up.

It seems to be quite a challenge though, to get any sort of British victory.  I'd say that is as it should be, since the actual encounter, per the ASL card relating the historical encounter aftermath, was a pretty terrible defeat of the British units that day.

Heinrich505

 

Ainc1x3b o

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I played it twice, first time lost. I placed my units half, and half and went up the left and right side of the map. That was a good way to get out fired powered and lose the game.

 

I played it again and went all units up one side of the map. With this approach I was able to get more guns on less enemy units at one time.

normally I was allowing one unit to sit and fire while remaining to move other units forward to push for close range and flanking shots.

 

With this approach I won the battle and kept my losses low and that was against the strong flank of the German. The side I attacked had the better enemy armor by far.

 

So I do think keeping your armor grouped together is a key principle in this battle.  As long as you dont do something stupid like move up the middle of the map.

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