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The early war fanboy club


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Here's where you post if you like playing early war. I like it because:

1) it's more fun to play with lots of crap AFVs you can do more stuff with, like recon and long flanking movements without tearing your hair out if you lose one of say, TWO armor assets. This applies more to lousy tacticians such as myself.

2) points are almost meaningless even if you play small games. Just rack up the DPs or anti-tank teams if you get bored of buying DOZENS of armored cars. Fun!

3) artillery is less of a factor (if you stick more or less to rarity) and you are forced to use it precisely. I use onboard mortars like crazy, esp. the little 50mms.

4) weird stuff. Like tankettes.

Any other glee--ridden fanboys out there?

BTW, for newer CMBB players, Boots and Tracks has lots of very good pbem oriented early war scenarios.

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early war is yummy!

light tanks, armored cars, tankettes and such rolling forwards like legions of rats, while the air is full of mg fire. inf guns blaze. artillery grinds the terrain faceless. deformed bodies hanging on barbed wire. waves of dead human flesh & burning metal. more, more, MORE!!! pump it up! let them come, let them come! i salute thee, o patriotic men!

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Originally posted by undead reindeer cavalry:

early war is yummy!

light tanks, armored cars, tankettes and such rolling forwards like legions of rats, while the air is full of mg fire. inf guns blaze. artillery grinds the terrain faceless. deformed bodies hanging on barbed wire. waves of dead human flesh & burning metal. more, more, MORE!!! pump it up! let them come, let them come! i salute thee, o patriotic men!

Forget your medication again?

;)

Michael

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I hope they do an early war game as well. While it perhaps might not be quite as popular as the ETO or the Russian Front, there is fun to be had and just for the sake of completeness alone I think it should be included. It will be neat to compare the armies that began the war to those that finished it. A lot changed in those six years.

Michael

[ June 12, 2003, 10:56 AM: Message edited by: Michael emrys ]

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Where can I apply for membership?

I like fast movement, the high ROF fights of early tanks and the lack of Panzerschrecks smile.gif I also like the lighter guns (37 and 45mm) which have a chance to be transported easily and still fare good against the lighter early-war tanks.

I don't like that the Soviet early-war fast tanks have no radio and have to button up, getting more or less out of control, especially in combination with the extra Soviet delay before 1944. These people sucked smile.gif

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Originally posted by Michael emrys:

Heh. I'm starting to think along those lines too, but I want a naval game or a strategic/diplomatic game set in that period.

Michael

I'm with you too Michael, but hey, he can certainly dream. Can't we?

The general idea of CM is such a terrific idea that I am shocked that I haven't seen more of it.

Matrix Games is doing a "we-go" version of "Empires in Arms/ Empires in Harm" and they should certainly be applauded for it. On their discussion board, their comments about COMBAT MISSION are filled only with praise.

smile.gif

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For us early boys, one new scenario at the Depot

"Small Battles, Sino-Japanese", August 1937.

Lots of bad Chinese tanks (German, Italian and British pre-war designs) and early war Russian stuff as the Japanese.

Also "Polish Spoiler" a 1939 scenario.

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Yes, the early war tin cans are fun. Armor battles with mostly Romanian tanks (22 BTs and R2s) plus ACs (12 BAs with 45mm gun) and a PzII, IIIG and IVe vs some 50 light Soviet tanks plus 17 T34 and 5 KV1 on a foggy dawn in the huge open steppe.

I still don't know how those tin cans destroyed 3 T34, but a flanking movement to catch one of the 4 Soviet spearheads from the side sure helped. A line of tin cans ain't strong enough and the only 76mm PaK was on the fallback positions.

The same flanking movement by 12 tanks that just before had caught the attacking infantry in front of a blocking position, no way forward, the cluster of scattered trees to the rear had a TRP and the tanks smashed thru the remaining corridor reducing a btn to 60 men, most of which had their hands in the sky.

Now how many points do I have to spend in mid-war to be able to spare 12 tanks for flanking while on the defense?

Another battle comes to memory with Romanian R2s and R35s vs a Russian armored force in 7/41. Both forces hammering at each other from 700m, me on the defense fearing the "T34?" markers, the AI not advancing.... But there was no T34 in the battle smile.gif .

So pre-determined qbs, those battles stick to my mind even more than some scenarios (where I prefer mid-war) smile.gif

Gruß

Joachim

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I thought that what is now CMAK was going to be Early Years. However if BTS does publish an Early Years game, then CM2 would be the way to go, new engine and all.

With a new engine there could be motorcycles and horses, multi turreted vehicles and more...

I also like what could be an experimental aspect of the game. During this time armies were trying out a variety of organizational arrangements as the tank was trying to find its place. This would be a good 'excuse' to allow the game to be very experimental in unit organization.

Waiting for the cavalry to bash their sabers on the sides of armored cars.

Old Toad

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i got stuck in my system of playing a consecutive month (say June 1941) every other day and progressing up the calender. after so many "real" months, I am still stuck on 1941...

the t-26 looks attractive at first because of the 45mm guns and cheap. but they are so brittle.

only thing about early war which drives me crazy is the constant ATR pinging and not being able to pinpoint the shooter.

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Yes there are disadvantages, mostly getting bogged down in infantry, whether deploying vs atrs, defending or attacking against KVs or attacking trenches (i.e. discovering them at the last second).

Key to the discussion may be what consitutes a good defense versus blitzkrieg tactics or specifically a fast moving mass light armor blanket. Also how to deploy light armor against infantry "harassment". It's like CMBO defence with mostly infantry, deploying screens and false fronts to keep your enemy guessing, and shifting the strength and focus of your line or axis.

But the fun part are the big pbems in my experience.

Part of the interest with me is utilizing armor in a completely different function as I said above: recon and flanks.

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  • 1 year later...
I beat you guys, I like the Spanish Civil War - uber terrible armour (The T-26 is KING) few guns, not that many MGs

Ah for a future CMX7 when Japanese and Italian armour clash......

How prophetic. CMAK has Aussie Italian tanks vs Italian Italian tanks.

I too enjoy the early war stuff, only in CMAK instead.

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HarryInk,

There's not much out there right now except HPS's games which leave alot to be desired. However you may want to check out "www.doubleshotdesign.com" they are doing a Napoleonic tactical game called Battles of Napoleon" for Matrix Games. 100 yard hexes, 10min turns, battalions/batteries/cav regiments done on a WEGO system. Complete "build your own" with up to a thousand units. Looks Great! They also plan to do a campaign system later on that will allow you to move in the campaign game and then fight in the tactical.

Check it out, and tell Matrix to fast track.

DavidI

[ April 06, 2005, 01:22 PM: Message edited by: David I ]

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I almost only play early war battles. I like those crappy AFVs, especially the T-26 with the twin machinegun turret. What I think is contributing to the fun of playing an early war scenario is that the tanks are not totally superiour as they are later on. Losing the armour duel facing some BT-7 or Pz38 in 1941 won't cause you too much trouble- the tanks' limited anti-personnel capabilities will leave you a certain chance. Also, this period's effective AT guns can still be "hand-moved" at a reasonable speed. Lose the armour duel and face some leftover T-34/85 or Tiger in 1944 and you will most likely lose the game.

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