Finally Completed the Soviet Campaign (Spoilers)

[Simcoe]

Well gentleman it's finally over. 

This campaign started in February (mainly because I'm a slow player) and I had thoughts of giving up but something about this campaign kept me coming back.

Missions in review:

1. Really fun mission that teaches you frontal assaults DO NOT work. The lone M60 on the hill will take out your tanks one by one until he runs out of ammo. If you sneak your anti tank teams on the hill to the right they can take them out. Also, Soviet artillery is accurate enough to take out tanks when you get a good spot with your observer

2. One of the toughest missions. The tanks on the hill will decimate your units if you don't bring the fight to them. I ended up making a bee line with my BMP's up the hill and used infantry to scare off the M60's. The rest was peace of cake since the path to the town from the hill is mostly covered and it's lightly defended

3. I'm so conflicted about this one. On the one hand, I don't think it's possible to win it blind. Your air support MUST hit the hill with multiple Bradley's AND your mortars must take out at least one Bradley. Even if you do everything right there will be at least two Bradley's taking out your units without you getting a spot. I save scummed until I didn't lose my FO. There isn't a way to win without all your FO's intact.

After that first part I had a lot of fun. You're in close range territory, just how the Soviets like it and speed is of the essence. the first company was utterly annihilated trying to take out the infantry and Bradley's on the left hill but they were successful which made room for the remaining companies. This mission made me understand Soviet tactics on a deeper level.

4. Really enjoyed this one. It was nice finally using the ATGM teams and machine guns as they were intended. I love how the Yanks just materialize far closer than you expect. Very spooky.

5. This was a nice pallet cleanser and very easy. It was so easy I was worried the game bugged out on me. I just called every piece of artillery on the town and swung both companies to the rear of the map, avoiding mines and the majority of their defenses. 

6. This is where I got burnt out. I tried this mission multiple ways but out of all the missions it really emphasizes the greatest weakness of the Soviets. They really don't have a counter to the hidden tank with a long range vantage point (and thermals). 

• Calling in artillery is time consuming and getting a good spot can be difficult
• The yanks will always get the first spot
• smoke doesn't work and anything but pinpoint artillery doesn't work
• ATGM's are 50/50 and if they don't hit their first shot the tank kill them first

The Soviets rely on using cover to get in close and whichever direction you choose there is at least one M60 with a great sightline waiting. I'll probably come back and crack the code eventually but I think it's time to move on to the next campaign.

I took the overpass, ceasefired and got a campaign major victory.

Overall I really enjoyed this campaign. The Soviets are such a unique faction and Cold War is such a unique game in the series. I want to play Red Thunder to have the masses of tanks but it's too slow. I want to play Black Sea for the cool toys but I'm scared to lose a single unit. Cold War hits that balance just right. Thank you to everyone who worked on this game.

 

[The_Capt]

6 hours ago, Simcoe said:

Well gentleman it's finally over. 

This campaign started in February (mainly because I'm a slow player) and I had thoughts of giving up but something about this campaign kept me coming back.

Missions in review:

1. Really fun mission that teaches you frontal assaults DO NOT work. The lone M60 on the hill will take out your tanks one by one until he runs out of ammo. If you sneak your anti tank teams on the hill to the right they can take them out. Also, Soviet artillery is accurate enough to take out tanks when you get a good spot with your observer

2. One of the toughest missions. The tanks on the hill will decimate your units if you don't bring the fight to them. I ended up making a bee line with my BMP's up the hill and used infantry to scare off the M60's. The rest was peace of cake since the path to the town from the hill is mostly covered and it's lightly defended

3. I'm so conflicted about this one. On the one hand, I don't think it's possible to win it blind. Your air support MUST hit the hill with multiple Bradley's AND your mortars must take out at least one Bradley. Even if you do everything right there will be at least two Bradley's taking out your units without you getting a spot. I save scummed until I didn't lose my FO. There isn't a way to win without all your FO's intact.

After that first part I had a lot of fun. You're in close range territory, just how the Soviets like it and speed is of the essence. the first company was utterly annihilated trying to take out the infantry and Bradley's on the left hill but they were successful which made room for the remaining companies. This mission made me understand Soviet tactics on a deeper level.

4. Really enjoyed this one. It was nice finally using the ATGM teams and machine guns as they were intended. I love how the Yanks just materialize far closer than you expect. Very spooky.

5. This was a nice pallet cleanser and very easy. It was so easy I was worried the game bugged out on me. I just called every piece of artillery on the town and swung both companies to the rear of the map, avoiding mines and the majority of their defenses. 

6. This is where I got burnt out. I tried this mission multiple ways but out of all the missions it really emphasizes the greatest weakness of the Soviets. They really don't have a counter to the hidden tank with a long range vantage point (and thermals). 

• Calling in artillery is time consuming and getting a good spot can be difficult
• The yanks will always get the first spot
• smoke doesn't work and anything but pinpoint artillery doesn't work
• ATGM's are 50/50 and if they don't hit their first shot the tank kill them first

The Soviets rely on using cover to get in close and whichever direction you choose there is at least one M60 with a great sightline waiting. I'll probably come back and crack the code eventually but I think it's time to move on to the next campaign.

I took the overpass, ceasefired and got a campaign major victory.

Overall I really enjoyed this campaign. The Soviets are such a unique faction and Cold War is such a unique game in the series. I want to play Red Thunder to have the masses of tanks but it's too slow. I want to play Black Sea for the cool toys but I'm scared to lose a single unit. Cold War hits that balance just right. Thank you to everyone who worked on this game.

 

Really glad to hear you finished it.  We do not get many who do. The Soviet campaign was designed to be the most realistic, and hardest, of the bunch.  BTW, a Major victory is as high as one can get, it is a scoring oddity.  Congratulations.

[Simcoe]

5 hours ago, The_Capt said:

Really glad to hear you finished it.  We do not get many who do. The Soviet campaign was designed to be the most realistic, and hardest, of the bunch.  BTW, a Major victory is as high as one can get, it is a scoring oddity.  Congratulations.

Thank you! It's actually my first "real" campaign that I've finished. I guess I'm a glutton for punishment.

The campaign was definitely hard but never felt unfair. It definitely proved that the Soviets would need everything to be exactly right in order to take Germany. I would not have been able to complete the campaign without restarting each mission several times to get the correct strategy.

Thank you for the campaign. Are you allowed to say if the Soviet campaign in the next module will be any easier? Or if there will be one at all?

[The_Capt]

I can say there is actually two planned "Red" campaigns, that should not give too much away, I mean "Cold War" after all.  As to harder easier, I am not sure yet to be honest.  I can say that they will be different from the base game one.

[Simcoe]

10 minutes ago, The_Capt said:

I can say there is actually two planned "Red" campaigns, that should not give too much away, I mean "Cold War" after all.  As to harder easier, I am not sure yet to be honest.  I can say that they will be different from the base game one.

Awesome. Can't wait.