RPG-40 - Savior of the Soviet Union?

[SlapHappy]

**SPOILERS**

Just finished a nail-biter on the first mission of the new Battle for Moscow campaign.

I couldn't help but notice just how crucial the RPG-40 was to what success I did have in the mission. Even though I lost, I inflicted pretty severe losses on the German armor in my first go-round. By the time the mission was declared a defeat, I had reduced the rather large Axis force down to about 12 infantrymen and 1 tank. The loss of two of the three trenchlines was apparently enough to trigger a defeat, however.

Without the RPG-40's it would have been a massacre. I killed about 70% of the enemy armor with these. The 45MM'S held on for awhile, but after the first crews were knocked out, the subsequent re-crewing soldiers seemed to be an easy mark and died rather quickly. Additionally, very few of the trench troops seemed to have little to no "gunner" experience. I did get a few kills with the little guns however.

Was this little 795 gram warhead grenade that damned effective?! It seems to be the key to the whole success of the Soviet anti-tank capability - Especially in this particular mission.....

I happen to know the grenade has been modelled to penetrate 20mm of armor in the game. There isn't a single HE shell of the tank gun variety that will penetrate that much armor (in the game anyway). This little brute will mess up a German light tank's whole day. And if you've got the need, it will also give you some very satisfactory results against a nice medium tank like the PZ IV/H. Additionally, there is nothing like it in the British or German arsenal. The Gammon Bomb and Grenade Bundle are almost useless against armor. Hell, they're almost useless against trucks?!

[Bad]

HEAT

[runessonn1]

took out almost every tank with that BOMB but why don´t the AI tanks use the gun vs trenches

[Fifty Cal']

Originally posted by runessonn1:

took out almost every tank with that BOMB but why don´t the AI tanks use the gun vs trenches

The manual states that the Geneva convention only allows Tank MG fire against troops in trenches, not HE, Luckily the "player" doesn't get arrested after the campaign and tried as a war criminal if he does this

[SlapHappy]

Bad

I think you're confusing the RPG-43 with the RPG-40. The RPG-43 was developed later and was a HEAT warhead weapon. The RPG-40 is basically just an oversized HE grenade.

[SlapHappy]

Runessonn1

From what I have been able to gather, AI (player and computer) firing behavior is controlled by a logic that dictates what ammo types are chosen based on the intended target.

I know this because I modified the German Grenade bundle from ammotype APHE to regular HE in a test. Originally, the player soldiers under AI control would utilize these weapons against enemy armor. After I modified the ammotype, however, the soldiers would not deploy these weapons against armored targets unless specifically told to do so by me. Apparently, this is how the game designers get the AI to use the appropriate weapon vs. a given target.

[Pandur]

PWM for teh win!

[Nikki Mond]

The Panzer Vermin worked nearly just as well in the game. Those german dart shaped grenades were able to stop shermans and I've seen an occasion where an SU 122 was nailed in a head-on throw.

In reality the vermin was not that successful. But it does add play balance. Believe me if this was a game of last tank standing most players would be PO'd.

Perhaps other more historical IAT weapons could be pursued in the next evolution of the game. Such as magnetic mines, flame throwers, satchel charges, and rifle AP grenades. And my favourate the German 37mm rifle grenade for the pak.

[SlapHappy]

Yeah, but the PWM IS a heat-based weapon. I'm not saying the RPG-40 should be entirely useless, but I just doubt you can make literal tank graveyards with it, that's all.