Strategy guide for CMBO/CMBB other than the "official" downloadable version?

[Cue-Ball]

I'm pretty much a newbie to Combat Mission and would like to get my hands on a really good strategy guide. I'm hoping for something that takes game specifics into account, so a normal army combat doctrine book would not be my first choice. I would have just bought the official CMBB strategy guide (was there a CMBO one as well?) but have read some not-so-good things about the quality of the Direct-2-Drive version. Not to mention I'd have to go through the hassle of getting it printed and bound.

Are there any other strategy guides that are specific to the CM games?

[juan_gigante]

I bought the CMBB strategy guide, mostly for kicks, and everything in there and more is already on the forums. It might take a little digging, but trust me, everything you need tactics-wise is available free, here.

[Cue-Ball]

The information may be available here on the forum, but it takes way too much digging. I'm looking for something that is indexed and enables me to have all the info at my fingertips.

Not to mention, I can't read the forums when I'm sitting on the can.

[Moon]

There was no CMBO guide.

There is a CMAK guide, but it's written with a different focus, and more historical than a game specific strategy guide. It's great reading, but it doesn't sound like that's what you're after.

What bad did you hear about the CMBB guide? It's nearly the perfect thing for a (relative?) newbie, with a lot of game specific data and tips. It's not entriely perfect because no strategy guide can be perfect for a non-scripted game engine like CM (there is no perfect "solution" to any one given tactical problem, and in CM you can face an infinite number of game situations). If you could write the perfect guide and keep it at a manageable page size, then the Army wouldn't need as many Field Manuals

The printed version unfortunately sold out some while ago, so the download version is the only thing out there. Alternatively, run a forum search for anything posted by JasonC, and if you collect and print out a bunch of his posts, you'll soon have a thicker guide than the CMBB guide

Martin

[Cue-Ball]

Originally posted by Moon:

What bad did you hear about the CMBB guide?

People have complained that the digital version that's for sale now is basically unreadable. And, like I mentioned, since it's only available in a digital copy I'd have to get it printed and bound at Kinkos or somewhere. If this guide is my only option, I'll probably just get it and go through the trouble (assuming it's readable). I just thought there might be another guide that was available in non-digital format.

[Der Alte Fritz]

Hi

Do not worry about downloading the guide. I did so about a month ago and got a perfect pdf which printed out print and pictures in good quality. I printed it out two pages to a side and then punched some holes in one end and ran some "treasury tags" through them to keep everything together but you could use string, ribbon, anything really.

What you have to decide is whether you want to learn to play as Russians or Germans to start with. If the Russian like me, then go to www.blowtorchscenarios.com and download the Russian Training Missions. There are a whole series of scenarios that gradually build up troop numbers and weapons. You can then search the forums for threads about the missions. Look for comments by JasonC the author as they are very good.