The Screen, Part 2 (spoilers, obviously)

[Muppetry]

I've been really impressed by the campaign so far, but this level is a massive disappointment.

Firstly, even though I got a Total Victory on part 1, the briefing implies it was a loss and my scout team was wiped out.

Secondly, WTF is with the starting positions? Would US forces really advance so close to Syrian defenses in the desert without noticing them? Immediately coming under fire from ATGMs 300m away on such a constrained map feels incredibly cheap.

[George MC]

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you - the rate of posting ensures that some posts soon fall way back. Now if you do not want to know anything about these two scenarios don’t go any further….

!!!Spoiler Alert for The Screen part 1 and 2!!!

Regarding the Screen part 1 and 2…

Not sure why you got a loss on the first part – the win conditions are pretty tough on that first one as you are really only meant to be doing a recce. It was designed to simulate a surprise attack (brief says why – also if you check the actual map of Syria there is a lot of farmland, villages and woods just south of where the action in The Screen part 1 takes place). If you survive that scenario with zero losses you get through – take casualties and you get The Screen part 2.

In The Screen part 2 I was balancing the map size with what is playable. I made the assumption that the advance to contact had been done hence you start pretty close to the Syrian positions. The Syrian position is basically a classic ATGM ambush positions making use of terrain traps, where they would hold their fire till the last moment. Firing to soon would give away positions and have the US player stand off and bomb the crap out of the position. Mind the tac map and brief actually locate the enemy positions – you know where the enemy is from past intel.

This intel means you should be preparing to suppress the suspect/located ATGM position from the off. You have mech infantry who you do need to use to probe ahead and locate possible enemy ambush positions. It ain’t easy but then it was never meant to be a walk over.

So top tips on how to win this?

Use suppressive arty/mortar fire to pin the ATGM positions. Have your dismounts clear EITHER the left or right side of the map, Bradleys and armour in support. It is easier going down the right with your armour moving slowly down the road area firing at suspected enemy positions. I reckon you’ll lose a few Bradleys and one maybe two M1s in this, but you can get by with no casualties if you move slowly and sue the massive firepower the US side has. Good luck

Cheers fur noo

George McEwan

[Muppetry]

Cheers for the reply - I took losses on Part 1, so that may be why I got Part 2 with a total victory.

WRT the ambush, my main problem was that there's a BMP sat right out in the open by NAI C110- surely this and other nearby units would have been spotted and dealt with long before the American forces closed in to the range where it was effective?

[George MC]

Originally posted by Muppetry:

Cheers for the reply - I took losses on Part 1, so that may be why I got Part 2 with a total victory.

WRT the ambush, my main problem was that there's a BMP sat right out in the open by NAI C110- surely this and other nearby units would have been spotted and dealt with long before the American forces closed in to the range where it was effective?

The BMP should be concealed? Hhmmm - not sure why it is showing up. It should be dug into a small shallow trench. I'd have to have a loot at that. Appears there might be a wee bug that affects spotting i.e. makes it too easy (see other posts about units spotted in buildings).

Cheers fur noo

George

ps in RL mech stuff can sit tight, engines off so it does not appear on any IR images. I've seen stuff about how to conceal mech units in open terrain such that they appear 'invisible' to any spy, IR stuff etc