Frequently Asked Questions answered by cesspoolers from the Peng Thread(tm)

[Roborat]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by jshandorf:

Actually if I recall correctly before Meesk left he mentioned that the trip to the South was off and that they were now going to the Artic.

Jeff

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Oh, I must have missed that one, so what, some desk jockey decided, lets send them to the arctic, instead of the antarctic, they are both frozen wastes, nobody will even spot the change. I bet someone is in for a shock when that harmless penguin turns out to be a 500 pound polar bear. These critters are the only bear species that not only are not afraid of people, but considers them a food source.

So that means that both Meeks and Mensch could be running around Canada unchaperoned. I have a bad feeling about this.

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"With cat-like tread, Upon our prey we steal;

In silence dread, Our cautious way we feel." -G&S

[This message has been edited by Roborat (edited 01-05-2001).]

[Vanir]

Alright. Being as Croda did such a fine job with my first one here is another.

When playing large QBs where it is quite possible your opponent has purchased a fighter-bomber, do you think it worthwhile to purchase some AA units or is it better to forgo it and hope for the best?

I'm thinking in particular of when you are the Allies on the offensive or a meeting engagement. The Germans have access to mobile AA, so if no FB shows up he can easily convert them to infantry support. Allies only have towed AA in CM which cannot be moved again once unlimbered. So in a non-defensive engagement these assets can go to waste if you guess wrong and the German purchased no FBs.

I suppose a related question is do you find the Allies lack of mobile AA in CM (no M16 AAARGH!!) to be a significant disadvantage?

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You've never heard music until you've heard the bleating of a gut-shot cesspooler. -Mark IV

[Stuka]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Roborat:

both Meeks and Mensch could be running around Canada unchaperoned

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Of course Meeks and mensch are running around Canada unchaperoned.They are nattily kitted out in a polar bear suit hired from "Bear suits are us", a famous, (French) Toronten hire company.

They are taking turns at stalking the countryside while wearing this suit, in the forlorn hope that, while serving their time in the suits' rear quarters, that they may happen upon a rougue male polar bear with bad eyesight, a poor sense of smell and an exceedingly large 'appendage'.

"Being rodgered to death by a polar bear is no disgrace" reads their bumper sticker.......

[Forever Babra]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Vanir:

When playing large QBs where it is quite possible your opponent has purchased a fighter-bomber, do you think it worthwhile to purchase some AA units or is it better to forgo it and hope for the best?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

For the allies, yes, still worthwhile. A 40mm Bofors packs a lot of punch. They make good flank protection (I once scared away a Tiger with one -- he thought it was an AT gun). If you want to keep them in the fight, purchase a prime mover for them and move them up.

[Chupacabra]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Vanir:

I suppose a related question is do you find the Allies lack of mobile AA in CM (no M16 AAARGH!!) to be a significant disadvantage?

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Actually, most Allied tanks are also mobile AA vehicles. That flexible Ma Deuce is actually excellent at killing Jabos. In the two scenarios I've played as the Allies against the AI in which the AI's had fighter-bombers, flex-mounted .50s on my Shermans have killed both fighters.

Considering that air support is considerably more expensive for the German player anyway, I'd say that the Allies' lack of a dedicated AA vehicle doesn't put them in an disadvantage at all.

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Soy super bien soy super super bien soy bien bien super bien bien bien super super

[Vanir]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Forever Babra:

If you want to keep them in the fight, purchase a prime mover for them and move them up.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks for the reply. The Bofors can begin the scenario limbered to a prime mover, but once unlimbered cannot be moved again in that scenario except by having the crew push it.

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You've never heard music until you've heard the bleating of a gut-shot cesspooler. -Mark IV

[Forever Babra]

bummer!

[rvalle]

So, I played the demo a couple of times with a friend, both battles ending in a draw, and buy the full version of the game. What is the first thing you do? Challenge Fionn Kelly to a battle of course!

I have read a couple of his aar's and I have gleaned some information:

1: He is really good!

2: I'm going to get crushed

What the heck... how else can you find out how good you are right?

He suggested that I talk to you guys as he has played (and beaten he says) most of you here. He also says that you guys are 'the only guys on that forum worth a damn'.

I have the tiger by the tale... how do I survive? Heck, how do I do good enough to make Fionn respect me in the morning?

Its going to be: a village, moderate woods, moderate hills, I'll be the Germans, he'll be the Americans. 3000 points for the defender, 4500 for the attacker. A 900msomething wide map, maybe 1.5 km deep.

I think I'm attacking as he says that will give me enough troops to attack three times before I run out of troops.

Any suggestions? One of the main things I'm worried about is that I have never played a battle where I have to buy my own troops. What should I buy?

Fionn.. no peaking!

Richard

[This message has been edited by rvalle (edited 01-06-2001).]

[This message has been edited by rvalle (edited 01-06-2001).]

[Shandorf]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by rvalle:

So, I played the demo a couple of times with a friend, both battles ending in a draw, and buy the full version of the game. What is the first thing you do? Challenge Fionn Kelly to a battle of course!

I have read a couple of his aar's and I have gleaned some information:

1: He is really good!

2: I'm going to get crushed

What the heck... how else can you find out how good you are right?

He suggested that I talk to you guys as he has played (and beaten he says) most of you here. He also says that you guys are 'the only guys on that forum worth a damn'.

I have the tiger by the tale... how do I survive? Heck, how do I do good enough to make Fionn respect me in the morning?

Its going to be: a village, moderate woods, moderate hills, I'll be the Germans, he'll be the Germans. 3000 points for the defender, 4500 for the attacker. A 900msomething wide map, maybe 1.5 km deep.

I think I'm attacking as he says that will give me enough troops to attack three times before I run out of troops.

Any suggestions? One of the main things I'm worried about is that I have never played a battle where I have to buy my own troops. What should I buy?

Fionn.. no peaking!

Richard

[This message has been edited by rvalle (edited 01-06-2001).]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Richard,

First 3 words. You are screwed. Now with that aside lets talk about what you need to do.

Since Fionn will put up a very good defense one suggestion I have is try to outlast him. What I mean by this is buying more troops then he has bullets for. Buy at least 1-2 companies of green rifle 45s and use then as your "first wave" so to speak. Root out his defenses and try and cut off any avenues he may use to reinforce his defenses. Then come in with the "Regular" troops. You should be able to afford about a battalion of these. I.E 3 companies.

Before your second wave comes in make sure you soften up any hard points with your arty. I recommend 150mm-170mm for the tough nuts and 105mm-120mm for the softer points.

Also in that first wave you are going to need to sacrifice a coupe AFVs to root out his gun emplacements. Once you locate them destroy them with the arty or bring in your reserve/better armor to knock it out.

Another suggestion is to attack hard and quick on the second wave because Fionn is going to drop ALOT of arty on you so keep moving.

One last thing. The only thing Fionn fears is arty so MAX IT OUT and use it on him.

Good luck.

Jeff

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[David Aitken]

rvalle wrote:

> What should I buy?

If you've got 4500 points to spend, there's nothing specific you should be buying – just make sure you have a well-rounded force. Don't just buy individual units – buy groups of supporting units, such as tanks with tank destroyers, or tanks with recce vehicles, or SP guns with tank destroyers. Visualise the kind of fighting you'll be doing on the given terrain and pick units accordingly. For example, on-board mortars are less useful on hilly or forested terrain, since LOS is limited. Build your force around one or two cores, instead of just buying a generic spread of units. That may not mean anything to you until you're more used to the game. =)

> Any suggestions?

If he says:

> that will give me enough troops to attack three times before I run out of troops.

...then attack once. If you attack three times you'll just fritter away your forces. Make a plan and devote all your forces towards it (of course, secondary attacks can be made as support or a diversion, as long as they benefit the main attack).

Don't rush in. Lie low and size up the situation. Send scouts forward to take a look around (remember scouts work best when allowed to just stop and look). But once you reveal your forces, keep moving. If you reveal them and just sit around, they will meet destruction in short order. A rolling stone gathers no moss, and also tends to avoid artillery barrages and flanking maneuvres.

And most importantly of all, don't believe you're going to lose, or you will. You have every chance of winning. Have confidence in what you're doing. Don't make assumptions about your opponent – especially the assumption that he's in control. A good commander won't reveal that things are going badly until all is lost, so don't lose heart. Just do your best with what you've got, and persevere until the end.

Shandorf wrote:

> First 3 words. You are screwed.

This, Rich, is an example of an inveterate loser. Goes into battle believing he's doomed and acts accordingly. You'll never win if you think like that. Bad Jeff, that's it, you're sacked from the role of Morale Officer. I think bauhaus would do a better job.

David

[Berlichtingen]

So, which of you is playing the Germans? What you can expect from him is a counter attack. Another thing you can expect is a bit of psychological warfare. He will try to convince you that you haven't got a chance... don't give in to it. If he convinces you that you will lose, you will. Fionn is Very good, but he's not unbeatable

[rvalle]

So, which of you is playing the Germans?

_______________________

Well crap. That's what I get for being lazy and trying to copy and paste the email. I'm the Germans, he is the Americans. I'll be attacking he will be... counter attacking!

rv

[rvalle]

And most importantly of all, don't believe you're going to lose, or you will. You have every chance of winning. Have confidence in what you're doing. Don't make assumptions about your opponent – especially the assumption that he's in control. A good commander won't reveal that things are going badly until all is lost, so don't lose heart. Just do your best with what you've got, and persevere until the end.

____________________________

I have a mixed view on this. I expect to lose BUT I'm going to do my damndest to win! If I lose... what the heck he is very good. If I win... if I win then I'll quit playing as it could only go downhill from there!

Plus, I figure I'll learn more from losing to Fionn then from playing me friend to a draw every time. After playing Fionn I'll go back and CRUSH my friend!

rv

P.s. I told my friend I had challenged Fionn Kelly. His response? 'You challenged Fionn! He's famous!'

[This message has been edited by rvalle (edited 01-06-2001).]

[OGSF]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by rvalle:

Any suggestions? One of the main things I'm worried about is that I have never played a battle where I have to buy my own troops. What should I buy?

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Richard, Richard, Richard,....

Okay, I am assuming that the weather is clear, and it is dry underfoot. Day, night or fog doesn't matter too much.

One approach would be to buy mechanized infantry, with 251/1 half tracks. Buy a bunch of 'em. Also buy a bunch of 251/17 half tracks (flame throwing things). Pumas and lot's of panzerschrecks. And lot's of mortar spotters.

Send out some split squads to scout the terrain and defences. Find out what is "down there and look for barbed wire and pill boxes. Once you have an idea of the quickest way in, drop smoke rounds with your mortars. Mix some HE back in where his defences are. Once the whole approach *and* his defences are covered in smoke....send the half tracks and supporting armour down into the village *fast*. Remember to pre-order the troops to disembark and run to position before you send the HTs' off on their death run, err, put the plan into effect.

The rational for this approach is as follows:

1) The longer you stay out in front of his defences, the longer you will be exposed to artillery, AT guns, heavy MG fire etc.

2) By charging in under cover of smoke, you render the majority of his defences impotent for a time, as they will not have LOS.

3) By delivering your forces to a specific area in a concentrated manner, you will more likely have local superiority and have more chance to reduce the defences immediately in your area.

4) With this approach, you will hopefully get in behind any pillboxes he might have, rendering them useless to him.

5) The Pumas and panzerschrecks are to take out any armor he might have. The half tracks will lay down MG fire in support of your troops and the flame throwers will panic his squads and flush his boys out from the buildings an tall pines.

Once you gain local control, begin to "roll up his line". I have never played Fionn, but I would fully expect him to have a defence in depth, with at least one assault group readied for local counter-attack. Keep your forces together so they can support each other, keep the smoke falling as long as possible, and keep moving.

Two other things......first, don't run in on the road...the most obvious place to put mines and roadblocks. Second, make sure your units are well hidden when the scenario begins, so that ideally he won't see your main force until they appear next to his units in the smoke.

Check the terrain for the best line of approach with fewest bottlenecks. Also check the terrain from his perspective at "view 1" for line of sight, ambush points and fields of fire that he might employ.

Good luck.

SirMacOberGruppenBloodyStompinSicFeuhrerBastardABCD

[*Note: The above has been translated by BBC London from original transcripts found in the men's room of an Aberdeen pub]

[Berlichtingen]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>I have a mixed view on this. I expect to lose BUT I'm going to do my damndest to win!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

If you expect to lose, you can try your damndest, but you will still lose. Fionn's biggest weakness is his own over confidence. Don't let him spook you (he will try... it usually starts with him sending you an e-mail telling you with some accuracy what you have), keep your head when he counter attacks and wait for him to make a mistake.... and yes, he makes mistakes

[Hiram Sedai]

"...you can do sidebends or situps, but please don't lose that bump."

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Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction. - Blaise Pascal

[rvalle]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Berlichtingen:

If you expect to lose, you can try your damndest, but you will still lose. Fionn's biggest weakness is his own over confidence. Don't let him spook you (he will try... it usually starts with him sending you an e-mail telling you with some accuracy what you have), keep your head when he counter attacks and wait for him to make a mistake.... and yes, he makes mistakes<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

___________________

Ok... let me try this again.

I think I can.. I think I can... I know I can beat Fionn! He is toast! I'll crush him under the tracks of my Tiger tanks! I'll blast him with my artillery and stomp on him with my boots!

Better?

rv

[Mark IV]

Don't waste points on Tigers if you're Germans attacking.

PzIV (or StuG or StuH) is your best infantry support tank if you're going to buy many AFVs at all. They're all bullet magnets and at close range the 'zooks kill the big 'uns just like the cheap 'uns. Lots of MGs and HE, that's what I like in a close infantry support tank.

And my treasured little PSW234/3, but always with a Veteran crew...

[Berlichtingen]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>I think I can.. I think I can... I know I can beat Fionn! He is toast! I'll crush him under the tracks of my Tiger tanks! I'll blast him with my artillery and stomp on him with my boots!

Better?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Why, yes Take that attitude into every game (unless you are playing the Allies... or playing me), and it will up your probability of winning.

[Moriarty]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mark IV:

And my treasured little PSW234/3, but always with a Veteran crew...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Oh, those are fun l'il guys to play with.

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"Moriarty, you suck." -- Dunno, but somebody must've said it somewhere along the line

[PeterNZer]

bumpity

[Hiram Sedai]

How do you win at PBEM's?

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Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction. - Blaise Pascal

[Guest Wildman]

One observation and one question.

After reading Fionn's AARs when he is on the defense he always starts out with a veteran platoon and he splits the squads. He puts them in a line as far forward as he can to find out which route of advance your taking. His second line of defense will be reverse slope about 150m back from this. He has noted that being on the top of a hill is a great defence against direct fire HE, but it is lousy against artillery.

A question. Is everyone still playing PBEMs with 1.05 or the new beta patch. Are the two compatible and what other differences does the 1.1b? patch have.

---

[Hakko Ichiu]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Vanir:

Thanks for the reply. The Bofors can begin the scenario limbered to a prime mover, but once unlimbered cannot be moved again in that scenario except by having the crew push it.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Unless the Bofors has been changed in v1.05, I believe this is incorrect. I have certainly been able to limber, move, unlimber and re-limber a Bofors, in the snow, no less. It is slow, but possible.

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Ethan

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"We forbid any course that says we restrict free speech." -- Dr. Kathleen Dixon, Director of Women's Studies, Bowling Green State University

[David Aitken]

Wildman wrote:

> Is everyone still playing PBEMs with 1.05 or the new beta patch.

It's a good idea not to play important or long-running games with the beta.

> Are the two compatible and what other differences does the 1.1b? patch have.

You should not use a different version to your opponent, as this may lead to anomalies. To find out what's changed, read the documentation that comes with the patch.

David