Guest sosborn Posted July 13, 2000 Share Posted July 13, 2000 I'm getting my butt handed to me royally in the Chambois scenario. While I think I'm getting better at infantry tactics, my tank fighting skills really suck. This whole battle has been a bloodbath and I've finally lost my last Sherman as well as my AT gun. The germans' last Panther is now just running amok at will destroying the Poles. It was probably my first 5 moves or so that ruined it for me. Anyone have a good strategy for approaching this scenario? Unfortunately my strategy for approach to first contact was nearly non-existant. Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G.S.Patton Posted July 13, 2000 Share Posted July 13, 2000 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by sosborn: I'm getting my butt handed to me royally in the Chambois scenario. While I think I'm getting better at infantry tactics, my tank fighting skills really suck. This whole battle has been a bloodbath and I've finally lost my last Sherman as well as my AT gun. The germans' last Panther is now just running amok at will destroying the Poles. It was probably my first 5 moves or so that ruined it for me. Anyone have a good strategy for approaching this scenario? Unfortunately my strategy for approach to first contact was nearly non-existant. Thoughts?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> ****Spoiler**************************** S P O I L E R ******************************************* What I've found from playing CM and from the books that i've read is that you want to get as many guns as you can on a target and it especially helps to get flank shots. So for Chambois I used the ridge after the house and the wheatfield on the road for the tank group on the right. This should give you a good hull down position. Then while the german tanks are focusing on the tanks to their front you want to use the tank group on the left to use the side road which is out of view for the Germans to swing around the flank. This should bring as many tanks to bear as you can. This could take some time to get around the flank, so I would reverse my tanks on the front ridge when they were being targeted by more than one tank or if the panther was targeting them. As far as the AT gun goes, try to put it in a place where it can't be seen until a tank get within its kill range. I didn't do so well with it in this scenario but that seems to work well. It takes practice and of course no matter how good you get at it your going to lose some tanks, but in this scenario you have a lot more than the germans. This is a good phrase to remember "Use fire to hold them by the nose, and manuever to kick them in the rear." G.S. Patton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pathfinder Posted July 13, 2000 Share Posted July 13, 2000 SPOILER . . . . . . . . . What Mr. Patton says is true. Use that ridge for hull down and work a small armor plus inf team to the left til yu are near a woods near the east-most exit point... then take them out as they come. I managed a minor victory as the Poles doing this but I tell ya I only had 1 immobilized Sherman, a 25 lbr FO and 2 beat infantry plattons left at the end....this one is a blood bath! ------------------ unca pathy will show ya the path, if only he could find it himself! [This message has been edited by pathfinder (edited 07-13-2000).] [This message has been edited by pathfinder (edited 07-13-2000).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wild Bill Wilder Posted July 14, 2000 Share Posted July 14, 2000 Good advice, all. This is the best workable strategy. My AT Gun I took to the village to the left, positioned it near the houses for cover and set up an ambush site. The bulk of my infantry I also sent to the left to flank the Germans. The ridge is the key as you have mentioned. It draws attention away from your flanking move, which in turn cuts off the possible German advance in that direction. No matter what you do, you will take losses, and heavy ones. But that is where the fun comes in ------------------ Wild Bill Lead Tester/Designer Combat Mission-Beyond Overlord billw@matrixgames.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMC Posted July 14, 2000 Share Posted July 14, 2000 To change the subject a little bit..... What the hell is the German player supposed to do in this scenario? I played as the Germans first and was able to eke out a draw. I held the four VLs and was exiting as much stuff as I could. When I played the Poles I got an allied major victory and had lost pretty much all my stuff. I had one tank left alive with a damaged gun. I think I had two functioning carriers, and a halftrack. My infantry force was largely intact. My Piats were all out of ammo. The thing that saved me was the 25 pounder arty. Got a panther with that stuff. And the AI didn't seem able to exit things. It seems as the poles the victory conditions are clear: keep the Germans from taking VLs and exiting units. But for some reason the poles start out at like 70% victory and they haven't occupied a thing or destroyed anything. As the Germans I can't get any feedback on owning a VL vs exiting a unit. The unit details screens all say "this unit should be exited for points" but it doesn't appear any points are awarded. How can I exit everything if I have to hold the VLs? I haven't tried it, but I'm going to exit everything without taking a VL in about 3 or 4 turns and see what happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wild Bill Wilder Posted July 14, 2000 Share Posted July 14, 2000 The dilemma of the commander. You get points for exiting, but is it worth it? Do you deplete your forces by exiting, or do you hold your ground and keep the flags for yourself? Hard choices, and a gamble either way. ------------------ Wild Bill Lead Tester/Designer Combat Mission-Beyond Overlord billw@matrixgames.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMC Posted July 16, 2000 Share Posted July 16, 2000 OK, after a very serious scientific study.... If they German haul ass they win. Axis Total Victory 85 to 0 when everything exits and there are no casualties. This takes 6 or 7 turns if done conservatively trying to minimize traffic jams. Then I used a save game to experiment from, with everybody exited except the two panthers. Rolling the panthers forward onto that ridge between the two roads that have the VLs, they were able to engage and destroy oodles of stuff. At the end, one panther had taken a track hit while the other was unscathed. 10 Polish tanks knocked out, another one with a damaged gun and the other three scared to death. A couple of mortars and HTs got creamed too. Score 77 to 10 Axis Total Victory. Lesson for the Germans in not to try to fight. Just run. Forget the VLs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wild Bill Wilder Posted July 16, 2000 Share Posted July 16, 2000 That will win for you. And that was the German intent in this situation. They were on the run, trying desperately to get back to Germany. For the player as the Germans, setting up a few fights here and there adds to the fun and gives you the best of both worlds. Stand and fight, and get a draw or maybe, maybe a minor victory, or just run for it. Less fun, but more realistic. Of course with another human player on the other end as the Polish, it might be a different story ------------------ Wild Bill Lead Tester/Designer Combat Mission-Beyond Overlord billw@matrixgames.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cover Posted July 17, 2000 Share Posted July 17, 2000 I also won here as poles. But I had my butt handed to me at the start big time. I had a few pieces of armor hiding and some Arty. But what really made the game for me was taking out his second PantherG with a PIAT team from ambush. After Losing most of my armor including both fireflies to long range fire, I went to ground and tried to pound his exposed units. Eventually he came out after me with armor, trying to clean me up...But hull-down spots and that lovely PIAT made all the diff!!! Darwin has posted screen shot's so check his thread called Berli's Woes for details.. his work is nice. ------------------ "Death is more universal than life; everyone dies but not everyone lives." Alan Sachs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melloj Posted July 17, 2000 Share Posted July 17, 2000 Hey, I have been playing my Friends CM waiting for mine to ship. I am currently playing this campaign as the POLES. I basically stopped all german units from exiting, and have destroyed bulk of the german force. I hold all the victory flags, and am now working my way through Chambois taking out the run-away crew members, and some holed up infantry, as well as destroying a bunch of trucks. It seems like I have already won, but it still shows my victory as 84% and the germans as 16%. it is about turn 15 of the 25. Do i have to totally eliminate all hostile forces, or is there something else I am missing. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melloj Posted July 17, 2000 Share Posted July 17, 2000 PS Spoil The way i got through the mission is quite differet than what most of you have posted. I also have 4 shermans left, and bulk of infantry. I moved 3 tanks with all my carriers and infantry and AT gun to the left into those woods right next to the German Exit point. From there I made some pop shots on the German columns as they moved from Chambois. The Germans moved down into that wheat field area to engage the force in the woods. Meanwhile I had been casting a bunch of smokes at that ridge line down below that kind of overlooks that area. As the German columns moved to the left to try and engage my forces there, I moved about 6 Shermans throught smoke, and into the side of the advancing german armour....It was a blood bath. Of course I got a lot of shaken infantry in those woods by the exit area, but they were more than enough for all the bailed crew members. Also after depositing those troops in the woods, i moved my carriers around the forest right by the exit point and left them there in a line in the scattered trees overlooking the road. As the German half tracks that got out of the earlier mentioned killzones appeared, they got wasted from about 5 of those attached machine guns.... The Artillery took care of the german infantry hiding out in the houses in the bottom part of Chambois. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wild Bill Wilder Posted July 17, 2000 Share Posted July 17, 2000 That is one of the things I love about the game and some of the scenarios, being able to replay, use different tactics and see how they influence the outcome of the battle. ------------------ Wild Bill Lead Tester/Designer Combat Mission-Beyond Overlord billw@matrixgames.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melloj Posted July 17, 2000 Share Posted July 17, 2000 Bill, About my first post..do you have any input as to what I have left to do before the scenerio posts a win? Do I have to destroy all those German trucks hanging out outside of Chambois?? One would think the victory would have already been recorded, since it is doubful those truck drivers will tangle with a bunch of Shermans and PIAT squads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demoss Posted July 17, 2000 Share Posted July 17, 2000 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Melloj: Bill, About my first post..do you have any input as to what I have left to do before the scenerio posts a win? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I think time has to run out or somebody's morale has to get low enough that they surrender - if you're getting bored, you can either just hit "GO" repeatedly or offer a cease-fire. ------------------ -Doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wild Bill Wilder Posted July 18, 2000 Share Posted July 18, 2000 You're right, if you keep hammering them, their morale should lower enough that they will surrender. If not, just as Doug has said, keep hitting go and run it out... ------------------ Wild Bill Lead Tester/Designer Combat Mission-Beyond Overlord billw@matrixgames.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fd ski Posted July 19, 2000 Share Posted July 19, 2000 SPOILER x x x x x x x x x x x x I played this scenario first thing as soon as i got full game, being polish and all I managed total victory with full fog of war first time around. How ? Three tank groups. Fireflies in the main group in the middle. Some shermans on left flank ( around the house ) and right flank - by the crossing. First and foremost - take your time. AI likes to put its tanks on the small hill on between the town and exit. Get the artilery observer to the top of the middle hill and bring down the 25 pounders on them. They are usually bunched up nice and tight ( make sure you give AI 8 turns or so ) Once shelling starts - move all three tank groups at the same time, with combined firepower you should be able to decimate them all. I lost 3 tanks total and almost no troops. I got a screenshot somewhere... Once tanks are gone - its just a mop up work.. ------------------ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts