"D'oh!" vs. "YESSS!" Moments in CM:AK

[Kozure]

I had a CM:AK fest this weekend (rainy days in Toronto) and had a grand old time, as usual.

Almost every game, I had some "d'oh!" moments (clapping hand to forehead at the calamity that has befallen me) as well as some "YESSS!" moments (where you just have to pump your fist in the air at some unexpected success or a plan coming together particularly well).

Possible spoilers, but most of it you can figure out from the scenario briefs

D'OH! MOMENTS

Petrarcholi Ridge - a great little meeting engagement. I set up my forces, start the game. Things are going well until I start to advance my single PzIVJ up a road. Still in complete cover, no LOS to any enemy unit, but it brews up catastrophically - I'm stunned. No American AT fire could've possibly hit it, so I rewind the video. A single ami arty round, (presumably 105mm, but I'm not sure) lands waaaay outside the target area being bombarded (about 300m away) on the upper deck of the Panzer and annihilates it. No other shells land anywhere near it. No survivors = No medium tank support for the rest of the scenario.

Same scenario. One of my platoons is advancing in the centre. Suddenly, an Ami HQ squad runs out of the scattered trees right in front, not 50m away. I've got two full German squads ready and in position to shoot them, plus the platoon HQ. We open fire. Somehow, the platoon charges a full 50m, in full view and under fire, and beats the crap out of one squad, and routs the other. Admittedly the enemy HQ squad is wiped out, but two full German squads and an HQ are reduced to 3 men or less, and routed to boot.

Same scenario (yes... a very unhappy game), a StuH43 is a reinforcement. The Amis are advancing well because I have no tank to hold them up, other than a light Italian tank which is busy holding off another probe on the other side. I quickly move the StuH into a position where it can shell the advancing Amis. I'm just manoeuvring it into a hull down position when it gets hit by a single 150m+ bazooka shot (didn't think they were possible) which hits a weak spot on the right front (oblique angle) and brews up the unit. A moving StuH, in cover, at 150m+! Yes, this scenario is a write-off for me at this point.

YESSS! MOMENTS

A Few Boys from Texas scenario. A fun ambush situation. I deploy as the American engineers with cover arcs and most of my units hiding. At one location, the AI tries to outflank me, but I've kept a platoon in reserve in ambush just for this eventuality. In less than 15 seconds, an entire German platoon is wiped out, almost to a man. It happens so quickly that I have to rewind a few times to be able to watch it happen. Later in the same battle, a combination of ambushing Bazookas and shoot and scoot Shermans brew up almost the entire attacking German armour force. Major Victory.

A Quick Battle Italian Probe on British forces in the desert in 1941. Despite being outnumbered almost 3 to 1, my Valentines, 2 pdr and 2pdr portee wipe out 75% of the attacking Italian armour and then advance to rout the supporting infantry on a flank. My highest ever victory ratio - 97% to 3%.

Hunters in the Groves scenario - Fallschirmjagers vs. Australian AAA gunners. A very interesting scenario. Despite being scattered widely and outnumbered (due to a +25% force balance), I link up my platoons and launch a combined attack on one position, and then assault the other. A diversionary attack works perfectly, and the Bofors AAA at both locations are eliminated without being able to provide any supporting fire. It's a pleasure to see the crack and elite units face and eliminate much larger forces at several points during the battle.

In my only "YESSS!" moment from the Petrarcholi Ridge mentioned above, a carefully placed Panzerschreck team puts its second rocket into the side turret of the Ami Sherman, causing the crew to abandon, just at the very moment that I need it to be gone.

Any classic "D'oh" or "YESSS!" moments from CM:AK to share?

[Hans]

From Kosure

""No American AT fire could've possibly hit it, so I rewind the video. A single ami arty round, (presumably 105mm, but I'm not sure) lands waaaay outside the target area being bombarded (about 300m away) on the upper deck of the Panzer and annihilates it. No other shells land anywhere near it."

More bad news dude the shell that got you was a 81mm -

Strangely, Petrarcholi Ridge has generated an above average number of odd kills and bizarre occurance from impossible wins/losses to great shots and incredible misses to unusual AI actions - or so my email tells me. Perhaps its a "CMMagical" scenario?

[Kozure]

Heh - I figured it might be 81mm, since we only had 81mm, but I didn't think a 81mm mortar shell could do that kind of damage to a tank. I guess it falls within the realm of possibility - just strange, is all.

Don't get me wrong - I enjoyed the scenario... I just had bad luck more than usual in this one play-through.

[Hans]

You may have fallen victim to the "round down the hatch" possibility!

[Akula2]

D'oh!

I'm playing a pbem scenario now that is described as a meeting engagement. CMBB early war. The terrain is heavily wooded with a road up the middle. There's one flag deep in my "territory", one deep in his. A third is in the middle and on a bend in the wooded road. (big patch of woods)

I was given a company of grenadiers mounted on halftracks. Close terrain isn't really their forte.

I figured it being a meeting engagement and one patch of trees is as good as another so I'll rush the flag. Maybe I'll get a little use out of these battlewagons.

So I careen down the road into the relatively open close-middle of the board into the waiting arms of 2 T-34s. They had obviously started right where they sat looking at me. Early T-34s aren't known for their snappy execution of orders.

I lost some half a dozen haltracks and 20 grenadiers in the next couple of turns.

I guess I knew it could happen. Scenario setup zones aren't like QBs.

I gambled and lost. =)

I'm having a ball trying to sort out this debacle! =)

YEESSS!!

I just watched the movie of another pbem. This time it is a QB. I can't say much in case he reads the forums but I just watched a lone bazooka team ambush an assault gun at 25m. I don't have a solid ID on it. It all happened too fast but It may be a StuGIV. He pumped two rounds into it.

This may not sound spectacular but in this particular QB I desperately need an edge.

The terrain is unfriendly and the troops I purchased are less than ideal for what the map layed before me.

My opponent is just too dang good too. A few more breaks like that and I might just have a chance.

Tell ya the truth, I don't get that many breaks in this game. I'm certain that I don't have the best perspective on myself but it always seems to be the other guy getting the lucky breaks.

I don't mind.

While playing jwxspoons Ponyri Express not too long ago as the Germans a timely and lucky rocket hit took out 2 ATGs, 2 prime movers, 2 lmgs and a kublewagon. I forget what was riding the kublewagon but it survived. Probably a HQ.

This was my first and only traffic jam of the game.

What luck! =/

P.S. I'd recomend Ponyri Express to anyone that can commit to it. It's a gem.