1st mission help and general pointers pls?

[Billy Riley]

This game is as hard as nails! And I'm playing it on easy.

In the first mission (as Germans) I think it's Dunkirk where I have to attack the French lines...but my tanks get taken out within minutes.

I've tried taking it easy...nice and slow...but as soon as an enemy is spotted...BAM! Tank gone.

I take out most of the infantry attacking down the right flank with artillery and mop up with my infantry and the two tanks I have with 20mm main guns. The 37mm Main guns, I leave on the hill as kind of over watch.

But I cannot make one tank survive. What are the tactics for this one pls?

Any pointers?

Thx

[Nikki Mond]

I just replayed this again to get my bearings and won on middle difficulty.

OK the french charge a squad forward right away. Dont move your infantry too far forward and take out the charge. Keep your tanks back in the dead ground.

Next move half your tanks to the left flank but only infront of the rear bridges. Cause you know french guns are waiting to snipe.. Spread your infantry and have them crawl up to the first tree line. Take out any guns with infantry. Rememer all your tanks are back still.

The french tanks are forward now where the french field guns are. I never had much luck with arty but you can barrage any french field guns if you want.

Now creep your left flank tanks into range of the 2 or so forward french tanks, hopfully the french guns are empty now thanks to your infants.

Then move your remaining tanks behind the infantry. Your 20mm at the turrets should stun the french tanks. While your Czeck 35 tanks can pound them. Resist the urge to expose your infantry. Taking over the french guns will be suicidal now. But do have your infantry ping the tanks and a few run to grenade the tanks.

Once the forward french tanks are gone you'll be fighting alot of enemy guns and tanks across the river. They got better range on you. Reinforcements will arrive . Use a barrage across the river.

Reinforcements are plenty. 2 pz3 and 2 pz 4c with 3 squads and 3 37mm at. Use crews to field the enemy guns now. Place reinforements on the left high ground. And mass 3 on 1 attacks on each field gun first. Then tanks. Remember to always take out the field guns before the tanks.

[ January 26, 2008, 06:10 AM: Message edited by: Nikki Mond ]

[Billy Riley]

Look, I must've played this mission a dozen times and I cannot get over the brow of the hill!

Someone suggested attacking the French guns, taking them and using them against the French tanks.

Now I'm not strategist...I'm a programmer, but seriously...what is with the SS style hit squads! It takes them almost zero time to zero in on any spotted troops.

I've sent my 2 squads up the middle, line abreast with a tank in support at the rear of the each line, 1 squad with a tank up the right flank and my two biggest tanks sitting on the hill for longer range spotting and support.

I'm inching my way up...but immediately my troops are spotted, they are wiped out by the guns.

In contrast, my equipment can't hit the side of a barn door. I had one French tank sitting on the brow of a hill, viewable by both my tanks (Pz IV Ausf C I think) and both my tanks are firing at the French tank....not a single hit. Potholes all around this French tank and nada...not a scratch!

But as soon as my troops have been spotted, they are no more!

[Billy Riley]

Thx for the tips, Nikki, but I'm truly bored with this scenario now and thinking about just shelving the campaign and trying a different one, although I doubt it will be much different.

I have crap gunners, they have good gunners, I expect that's the way it is throughout the campaign.

Now this may be realistic, but in a game, I want it to be enjoyable, and when it becomes infuriatingly hard, it becomes a chore and, therefore, not fun...taking away the pleasure that should be gaming.

I'm playing it on easy. It's not like I'm expecting anything special for being a dullard. I just expect a game to be easy on easy. Then I can play it on medium, hard and very hard as and when I feel confident with the mechanics.

Thx for the help, seriously, but I think I'll move on.

[Nikki Mond]

Well if you want something added to the scenario I can give you a modded one. The link below is a modded mission.xml file for the dunkirk battle. It adds an extra 38T, an infantry squad and +1 barrage. This should give a slight edge, yet not overpower the campaign. its just a little 15kb file...

Link to modded dunkirk mission xml file

Simply unzip the mission.xml file into the:

C:\Program Files\Battlefront\Theatre of War\Missions\GERMANY\G002_Dunkirque

folder.

Wayyy back I had to do this on another german scenario. The German Campaign is really hard compared to the russian.

[Billy Riley]

Sorry for my rant.

The game is good. It's damn sexy.

It's just too damn hard.

Thx for taking the time to help out. Much appreciated.

Of course I won't give up on it...how can you. It is truely beautiful.

[Billy Riley]

Nikki

That link is to a download site that seems adamant to get me to sign up rather than have the free download.

I went there, sat looking and waiting for some button to show up under Download you file here...eventually I worked out that I had to click that text...so I did, and it took me to a page saying I could only do 1 concurrent download and I had to wait 30 seconds until I could download...so I went back to the main page, waited for over a minute, clicked the text again and lo and behold, it took me to a different page saying I had used all my allocated downloads (1 being a non member) and that I had to sign up!!

Well, needless to say, they aren't trapping me like that

Can you email it to me pls? wmar67 at yahoo dot co dot uk.

Thx if you can, no worries if you can't....I may give the Russian campaign a go.

[Nikki Mond]

OK sent check your bulk box if it doesn't show.

[Billy Riley]

Got it, thank you very much...although I'm doubtfull an extra tank, squad and barrage will help. I could do with some Tigers!

[Billy Riley]

I eventually finished this scenario. About 20 or so attempts.

Ended up, if I "micro managed" my units ammo selection, I faired a lot better. For example, the two tanks (FT-17s) on the right flank...if I sent my Pz38t over there and attacked them, I found that if I specifically selected APHE and shot, they were taken out. Strange, because when I was leaving it to them, the shells were bouncing off...and it WAS APHE which was going down in quantity.

Then I would, with the same tank, take out the guns up on the hill where the fortifications were. Again, if I specifically selected HE for this task, the guns went down quite easily.

And for my troops...assaulting a French gun just got my troops killed, where as specifically selecting a soldier and selecting granades, I was able to take out the enemy guns with ease.

So in short it seems micro managing will reap rewards.

[R33GZ]

billy, I found that the best way to finish this mission (probably one of the harder missions) is to have a good spotter on the top of the hill near the intersection, keep him prone and he shoudl be able to spot most/all of the guns on the reverse slope.

once you have them spotted you go about setting up your attack

On your right flank, you can scoot a PZ35 around the dead ground and inch him forward until you see 2 bulldozer like french tanks... once you have dealt to them, your right flank is secure

Your infantry are, generally speaking, going to get obliterated in this game. i found that the best way to wipe out the first line of guns is crawl you infantry right up to the ridge line, then charge the gun crews with grenades out, follow up with a charge by your tanks, this tends to do 2 things... it gives the enemy gun crews too much to aim at and lets your infantry have one of its only valuable moments in this mission.

From here it tends to be a slug fest, with the second line of AT guns being your primary targets

you are going to loose units... infact, by the time you finish the mission, you will more than likely have sustained a minimum of 50% cassualties... but thats war I guess.

Happy Hunting

[PEACEMKR]

50% casualties?

man i maybe lose 10 personel total on this mission.

Here is what you do...

Select 3 IVC and the IIIF..make sure the crews are as good as possible

select the atr squad also...make sure the atr guy is a top notch troop.

Beginning mission send IIIF and one IVC to 2nd tree line and hold. Infantry troops one tree line behind them defending. When 1st enemy infantry wave attacks you can mow them down with 0 loses. Make sure the 2 pnz are using turret machine gun.

Ok while the above is happening send the other 2 IVC and atr to far right side of map. Have the IVC load HE in the main gun and hold. Sneak the atr along the bushes and have him take out the 2 french tanks FT-17. make sure he aims high on target to kill turret gunner.

After tanks are dead move the 2IVC together to where the french tanks used to be and once by one take out the french atgs across the river. IVC are awesome mobile artillery tanks so this should be quick. after atgs are dead these IVC hold position.

Once the 3 atgs across the far river are dead move your defending infantry up to the hill crest these units will spot enemy infantry in the trenches and atgs opposite side of the hill. Bombard anything that moves in those trenches with you holding IVCS with area fire.

Now on the hill crest have each squad assualt 2 of the 3 atgs...attack the other with your IIIF and IVC. Once atgs are down squad captures the french atgs and you pick off enemy tanks across river one by one.

After enemy tanks across river are dead storn across with all your panzers 1st after enemy artillery barrage send you infantry units across and it should be cake from there.

[R33GZ]

Well... gotta say, your either a master tactician with elite units.... or damn lucky

Ive done this mission a few times now on veteran level and not been able to come out the other side without at least loosing half my tank force... those 75's on the far side of the river are leathal

job well done if you only loose 10 personel

[PEACEMKR]

Use the IVC at distance with HE and area fire around the atgs....one at a time nice and slow