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Good scenarios for returning players (CW and US)?


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Hi

I've had various CM titles over the years.  I've just redownloaded CMBN (and FI).  I've never been particularly good at this game to be honest!  I've done tutorials, watched some great vids on YT (including the wonderful work from Armchair General).  I always lose the thread a bit when I feel overloaded with lots of units to move about.  What I want to do with this reinstallation is to learn how to play the game effectively.   

My question

Which battles and/or campaigns, other than the tutorials, would people suggest to play?  Scenarios that are good for learning mechanics and basic tactics, and that teach good habits to players?   I play mainly as CW but sometimes as US so I'd be interested in examples from either nationality.

Many thanks

Matt

 

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I'd start with small sized battles, infantry only at first and then work up to combined arms. There is a scenario in the CW module called 18 platoon which is a Probe using a platoon against a German OP, good for honing the skills.

You could also do a "play-along" with one of the YTers out there. @Haplesshas a playlist where he went through The Road to Montebourg campaign so you could try and emulate those tactics?

Also I'd recommend reading through Bil's blog, it's a great reference and teaching aid: https://battledrill.blogspot.com/

MMM

Edited by Monty's Mighty Moustache
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  • 1 month later...
6 hours ago, billbindc said:

I would love to know the best way to win Bridge No 7

The Key Weapon for the US is the Browning MG .30 Each squad has one and also the MG Platoon. Thomas C Helgeson was a real historical figure. I approached the Bridge through the wheatfields and positioned the MGs in the houses don't say which ones (spoilers). The building on the objective is an obvious observation point. I took this building as a reference for my MGs. Once I am under cover near the dikes of the objective assault with all guns blazing. Your MGs have enough ammo for covering fire of the approach. Yes I split my squads as follows 2 assault teams that leaves you the .30 MG. 

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I don't have any suggestions for single scenarios, I don't play them.

But for campaigns there are a number of good choices for Normandy.

 

Task Force Raff Honestly I would recommend starting with Task Force Raff, the tutorial campaign .It's an ideal primer for CMBN, as the player commands a combined arms force, attacks and defends, has access to off-board arty and there is also some bocage. It's not so restricted as other bocage campaign maps, but it presents the player with some of the unique challenges of fighting in bocage country. The force strength advantage allows for mistakes without losing momentum so it's relatively forgiving making it a perfect choice for a first go at a campaign, but it's still fun for veterans too.

Devil's Descent. This one places the player in command of a 82nd Airborne paratrooper company (C Company, 1st Battalion, 508th PIR) near Sainte-Mére-Èglise on June 6th. For me, company sized forces are the sweet spot for Combat Mission. Not so large as to be cumbersome, but big enough to allow some maneuver and tactical leeway. And paras are just hard as nails, so lots of fun to fight with. Hard to suppress, hard to kill, and stone cold killas. The opening mission is wonderful, reflecting the scattered nature of the drops. Your mission is to capture a farm at night with about a platoon of troopers as they trickle in over the course of the battle. As the campaign continues, your force grows to company strength as the misdrops march to the sound of the fighting and link up with the company. Several missions have decisions to make, for example after one battle you are asked if you want to leave a platoon behind in town, or to take the whole company with you. There are four mission branches that will result in different battles depending on your choices.

Kampfgruppe Engel Over the years I've played many Combat Mission campaigns, but none have been more innovative or memorable than Kampfgruppe Engel. I rate it as hard, and it is. The player is given command of a mixed armor kampfgruppe in summer of 1944 in the Falaise Pocket. Of course we all know what happened here, so you have to reckon that playing a German campaign set then and there would be difficult right? Your task is to act as the German's fire brigade, trying to keep the pocket open so your kamaraden can escape.The missions are diverse and interesting, though one or two I didn't care for. My favorite sort of campaign is one with persistent core forces. Some campaigns, like Road to Montebourg, feature various battles involving separate but related forces. In this one, you get a core force, that grows a bit over time. It's another one where you'll know the names of your tank commanders and squad leaders. But it's vital to keep casualties and losses to a minimum, as the intensity doesn't let up and you need every boot and barrel in the line. At times the player faces huge odds, 20-30+ enemy tanks on the map at once. Careful positioning and terrain analysis are also vital.

The Outlaws Another para campaign for CMBN, the Outlaws is similar to Devil's Descent as it starts small, reflecting the scattered nature of the drops, and the player commands an increasingly larger force through the course of the campaign. The majority of the campaign is played leading a platoon sized element of Company B, 1st Battalion, 506th PIR, with the final missions much larger as the paratroopers link up with forces coming off the beach. Missions are diverse, maps are very good. The briefings are of a different sort. Essentially, the briefings feature excerpts from an interview of the company commander as he recounts his experiences on D-Day. The briefings contain no tactical information, no intel, aside from what was recalled in the interview. It makes for a nice narrative, as you're given a framework and then fill in the blanks in the battle. But useful info for the battle ahead is minimal.

Road to Montebourg One of the most ambitious Combat Mission campaigns, Road to Montebourg places the player in command of various American units during the fighting on D-Day and beyond. At sixteen missions long, RtM is a beast. Missions are highly varied, and some are on the difficult side. Created by Paper Tiger, this campaign utilizes some interesting mechanics. He makes extensive use of AI plans, with I think four for each mission. While Combat Mission is far from dynamic, including a number of AI plans promises some replayability as a subsequent run could see some alteration for enemy unit placement and movement. Of course you could get the same one again too. This campaign also features what might be called branching difficulty. As I understand it, the player's performance affects how hard or easy later missions are. Do well, and it gets harder. Do poorly and you're cut some breaks. In theory this sounds OK. I suppose it allows players of all skill levels to get through it, while maintaining the challenge for the best players. But I think I'd prefer the opposite. If I do well, I'd like to gain some edge. If I do poorly, find myself at a disadvantage.

The campaign opens with an infantry attack over a huge expanse of open ground. At the far side of the map a small German force with pillboxes awaits, hemmed in by mines and supported by artillery. When I first saw the map I thought 'no way'. No way I'm getting across this ground without massive casualties. But this mission is a showcase for suppression in Combat Mission. Combined with tactical use of smoke, machine gun and mortar fire I was able to do it with surprisingly light losses. Find, fix, destroy.

I think it's the second mission that puts the player in command of a combined arms force for an attack on a town called Ecoqueneuville deep in bocage country. When I played it I used a beautiful three-pronged attack, sending engineers the long way 'round the left flank, blowing gaps in hedgerow after hedgerow to hit the final objective from the flank while my main body converged through town. It all went splendidly until the final hurdle. At the last objective, the German company commander went nuts with his MP 40, defiantly mowing down my troops despite the deluge of fire directed his way. Quite disheartening to have such a well-executed plan devolve in to chaos with the finish line in sight, especially when a single maniac wielding a machine pistol holds off a company of well-equipped troops.. But it also makes it memorable. I wish I remembered his name. Respect Herr Hauptmann, respect.

Edited by landser
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Well I didn't get on well with Scottish Corridor honestly. And I had to keep my post relatively short. I could mention quite a few more. But I picked out a few that I think are worth the time. Scottish Corridor is well-liked though I believe. Not a criticism, and anyway we all look for different things. There's no accounting for taste.

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Actually I'm presently playing Devil's Descent. There is not much to add to your description, except that the missions are really easy (at least up to now, I just finished the fourth one), and thus they are perfect for a newbie… or a returning player.

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3 hours ago, PEB14 said:

Actually I'm presently playing Devil's Descent. There is not much to add to your description, except that the missions are really easy (at least up to now, I just finished the fourth one), and thus they are perfect for a newbie… or a returning player.

I'm interested in the easy missions but I cannot find the 'Devil's Descent' campaign? Which DLC is necessary?

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Landser, your welcome is much appreciated :)

A little remark for mates who play 'Bridge number seven' scenario: it ***seems*** that there is a bug in the scripting, programming or whatever it is called. I occupied the bridge east bank and it does still stay in green. However in the Victory screen it was counted as occupied.

2.thumb.jpg.3b2a2eb55a4a2b3e2d8d2379928ea921.jpg

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1 hour ago, Simicro said:

 

Hello,

We are on the same page: I'm a beginner and I can confirm that 'Bridge No7' is pleasant and not too difficult to play.

Excellent scenario and like all scenarios a sandbox to model your tactics on. Now a more difficult one if you like crack infantry formations is MG Dreijenseweg. Their CO died in RL as he refused medical aid and told his XO to take over and press the attack. A Hero who was on his best when the enemy did their worst.

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1 minute ago, chuckdyke said:

if you like crack infantry formations is MG Dreijenseweg.

 

Thanks for your recommendation, I'll put MG Dreijenseweg on my list. At this time I prefer to play scenarios with infantry only (combined arms will come later), with not too many troops, on small/medium maps, for approx. 1h or less. Yeahh I know what I like ;) 

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8 hours ago, Simicro said:

Landser, your welcome is much appreciated :)

A little remark for mates who play 'Bridge number seven' scenario: it ***seems*** that there is a bug in the scripting, programming or whatever it is called. I occupied the bridge east bank and it does still stay in green. However in the Victory screen it was counted as occupied.

The green color just indicates that is is a Victory Location area. Whether you occupy it or not, the color won't change.

For the "Touch" objectives, you usually get a short message at the top of the screen once the condition is satisfied (and the VP won). AFAIK, there is nothing alike for the "occupy" objectives.

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Well, the bridge east bank was of the same kind and the green did turn off after I occupy it.

I read on Steam forum that:

Quote

When you press ALT+J it shows / hides objectives. Terrain, that you need to capture, is highlighted in green. If all enemies were outside of the highlighted area and it still didn't count as occupied, then it may be indeed some bug.

 

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28 minutes ago, Simicro said:

Well, the bridge east bank was of the same kind and the green did turn off after I occupy it.

I read on Steam forum that:

 

Green terrain can be either a touch objective (will disappear when you enter it and victory points immediately awarded) or occupy (won't disappear when you touch it, and you need troops there at the end of the battle in order to get any victory points for it)

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  • 1 month later...
5 hours ago, FogForever said:

I just downloaded Devil's Descent.   When I extract the file, it comes out as a RAR file instead of a CAM file.  Is that right?  It is not showing up in my campaign selections.  How to convert from RAR to CAM?

rar is an archive file, you need a tool to decompress it. Unrar, unzip...

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