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From a TOW2 novice : how do you win Sidi Bou Zid?


phil stanbridge

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I've just started to get to grips with the campaign, my first ever in TOW2. I struggled like mad in the first mission after taking a pounding, and I lost a lot of equipment, but somehow managed to win. The second mission is an all together different monster. I cannot beat the computer. I've played it out several times now, each time slightly differently, but with the same end result. I get my backside smacked hard. I've just lost almost every man on the map including crew, who the Germans appear to like chasing and shooting at point blank.. I'm trying to figure out this order of battle too. I seemed to have lost a lot of good equipment in the first battle. I ended up quitting in disgust! :D I'm not sure how/when the enemy sees fit to ceasefire/end the mission.

So how do you win this scenario? I captured the artillery, and sent a couple of Stuarts up with them. Then I get ambushed, then there is a huge German counter-offensive with lots of tanks, and infantry, which I cannot hold back. I was left with M10s without any ammunition, which were sitting ducks. Then my halftracks get picked off by advancing enemy tanks, and in the mean time I have lost all my decent infantry. I can't believe the speed this attack happens too. I have nothing left to counter it with.

So, any thoughts/advice?

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hehe - well, I chose Stuarts in my force makeup - I noticed that a crew had won some sort of award, and were pretty decent. I wanted to save the Shermans, but then I ran out of points, so I couldn't actually field much on the battlefield at all. I think I went in with 2 Stuarts, 2 Shermans, 5 lots of infantry at deployment, with 3 M10s and a handful of mech infantry as reinforcements. I didn't have very much at my disposal. But I didn't have the points!

I will replay, and do as you say - I presume it is best to use the auto allocation for the order of battle? Also, if you 'restart' it from the campaign menu rather than your savegame you appear to have the default order of battle and all the original allocation - I can't work out if this is like starting the mission from scratch, without your skills gained from the last battle.

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Okay, thanks, I managed to eventually play this one out to its conclusion which was very rewarding. I played it much slower and kept my tanks back until I had taken out the guns.

However, the following mission (#3) is impossible! You can't play it slower (my preferred style) as you get attacked from the outset as you know. How do you win this mission? I have played it through 7 times now, and every time I get totally destroyed. Its very frustrating. I've tried using my wolverines at the rear, by speeding them to the crest of the hill so they are hull-down, which works fine, but it doesn't stop the base being over-run. I have tried a combination of infantry and tanks in the village, but they get destroyed by insanely quick german tanks. I've tried my guns in the base, and well behind it, to no avail. They don't last more than a few rounds. I've even tried popping smoke in the ravine where the attack comes, but this doesn't help either! I've got a squad in the trenches, but they get overrun and destroyed straight away, or route by themselves even when told not to move, and to hold fire, and have command nearby. I basically haven't got a big enough force to defend with.

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Sbeitla? Yes, it's tough, perhaps too tough.

I would leave 3 howitzers and sell the rest. Take 2 Lees, M10 and Sherman or Stuart if you have enough points. Position M10 with the best gunner far away in the rear as possible with a clear FOV at the far ravine where several PzIV will appear during 2nd or 3rd wave. Position 2 Lees to face the initial attack and they should slaughter the attackers, but they should be covered by houses from the far ravine at the left covered by M10 (or they'll be shot from this side really quickly where enemy tanks appear there). Send Stuart or Sherman if any to the lowlands to surprise the Germans that will be crossing the river by flanking shots (if they take that hill your allies are holding, they'll call Stukas and all will end really quickly). Take command squads, they have one bazooka (put those AT soldiers into front trench). Position one of the howitzers in the dug-out positions on your left flank, immediately after battle start order it to load HE ammo and then ground-attack the spot after river crossing, it's barrage should inflict heavy casualties on German shutzen trying to storm that allied hill.

Some things in this mission are random. If i recall correctly, time until reinforces arrive may be 7 or 9 minutes, one of the enemy groups may take the lowlands pass to appear at your rear (kiss this Wolverine goodbye then), reinforcements quality may wary.

As last resort, you always can turn the 'disregard campaign loss' option in game settings on, take expendable troops into this battle and face the defeat to win another day:).

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