Courage and Fortidude. Commentary. Do you feel lucky?

[DavidFields]

******************Spoiler.....not really. This is a commentary on the Campaign, for those who are having trouble with it and search the forum, or just to compare strategies. I am on the last battle. This is not designed to teach people to crush the scenarios--the idea is to have as difficult a tactical battle as possible and still prevail. Hopefully, some of my comments will help people enjoy the Campaign more.

Warrior. WEGO. Straight from CM1.

Personal rules: Try to win first time through. Minimal of replays. Minimal of cease-fire peaking at the AI forces. As you will see, this Campaign taxed my priniciples in these areas.

#1 Over Hill and Dale.

A warm up.

With the AI I drew, a drive through the trees, right to left, 1000 to 12 score. Just like a small CM1 scenario.

Bruhahahaha.....[i imagine the Campaign designer cackling]

#2 School of Hard Knocks.

Your Battalion is not in position. Flat open terrain. If the enemy is there in force, the fields will be red with American blood. Do you feel lucky?

This is more a Psych test than a tactical test: Are you willing not to win.

I went for the bridge with my engineers--one of the few times that listening on these forums have deceived me. Much damage to the engineers, finished off in the next battle. Moved my tanks forward--lost 2 and then withdrew. Pounded the Germans with artillery. Called my Regimental Commander: it ain't happening. Draw

Go for the draw (take the bridge with non-engineers). On these Boards, I here that people can put people in the river bed, and flank to the right for a win. I don't see it--not without horrendous casualties. I here one can win by just bounding the germans with artillery and tanks, but what fun would that be, because then you would miss...

#3 University of Hard Knocks.

My favorite. One takes the fighting end of a battalion across a map in 90 minutes.

Key here: patience.

After pushing the pickets back and pounding the ridge, I jumped into the trenches at the top...I got them! Think: US Civil War, Battle of the Crater. Unless the patch strengthened the trenches considerably, be careful what you put in there.

I would suggest not going for the back left objective. Minor Victory, playing the last few turns over.

Stay to the left. Patience. Patience. Gem: if you wait until the last 10 turns or so, it gets dark enough that you units can get to the exit road without being pounded by overwatch.

#4 Crossroads.

A little sorbet between main courses. A very nice use of Recon stuff--which I otherwise find fairly useles in a main battle area. I did cross country.

#5 Bumper Cars

I took the first Company to the left, the second to the right. The map maker should get the Minatour award for Cretan Labarynths. Brilliant. One flanking operation after another. Got 6/7 VP areas--not the center one, which I think is intentionally not supposed to be taken. Major. Does killing all these Germans help me in the future? Not sure.

#6 Razorback Ridge

The only one that I played entirely through twice, and cease-fired afterwards to look at the situations. And I still can't figure out, even theoretically, how to beat it.

My suggestion: Go for the draw, it gets you through.

I fought off the counter-attack at the shed, took the 3rd platoon back to the Farm House, and clobbered a bunch of units there. My Tank Destroyers and the rest of my units then came across the Field of Doom . Minor loss, and thus campaign loss. But if I went back to just after my 3rd platoon hit the farmhouse, and stopped there---Draw. I am through.

La Haye du Poits.

How will this end? I did not like the idea of coming across the open field, so my first try was to run everything to the right and toward the Outskirts. Nah. And there really is no mine field in the middle. Guess I will do it like the briefing outlined--maybe my previous fights have weakened the German Regiment.

Hope the above increases your enjoyment of this fascinating and challenging Campaign, which has kept me occupied for much of two months.

[Lets_All_Fight]

I just started playing it last night for the first time. Got a minor defeat in the first mission, mainly due to fannying around until I ran out of time when I was still short of the objectives. It annoyed me so I'm playing it again just now. It was going great until one of my tanks suddenly decided to blow up. Well, it might not have been his decision...

[dakuth]

I think I took a different route to you through Crossroads, so I did not play bumper cars or razorback ridge. I had ... something and and one named after a road (or hill?.) N802 or something like that.

#2 was the killer though. You're right that it is a psychological test, rather than tactical... and I failed it. I won the battle (by going up the middle, more or less too - not through the trees) by the toll it took has made the rest of the campaign an exercise in frustration. I was able to knock over those later missions by being fairly cautious, but every time a squad loses a man I cringe. And if they get pinned and start to take serious losses I can see the whole campaign slipping away.... it's that dire. Fortunately I have protected my tanks very well - and I don't know if they're replenished or not since they are coming from a different battalion or whatever... but my strategy is very heavily dependent on them.

I am now at La Haye du Poits... and my starting forces is probably less than a half-company of men. They're just totally ruined. I don't even have a company HQ! Probably 1 platoon leader left alive... fortunately K Company came in as re-enforcements soon afterwards and they're in a lot better shape. Although still down about 1/3rd strength.

At the time of writing I am slowly, slowly picking a few men through the mine fields, trying to find a safe route for the company behind them. It's nerve wracking.

[Hessian deserter]

Thanks for this post Rankorian...I did well in mission 1 after spotting that PAK 75. Now I am set up for mission 2.....Thanks for the warning...I think I will be extra cautious untill my tanks arrive. and big time Arty.....

learing more with every mission

[jambai]

I ragequitted from this campaign after mission #2. Lost like 150 men or so

Wasn't a pleasant site seeing my forces in mission 3

[phil stanbridge]

I'm on Bumper cars at the moment, and can see I'm going to run out of time if I'm not careful. I'm trying a left flank on all the VPs and see where I end up. I'm fed up with separate parties getting mowed down my MG fire so I'm going to try and concetrate my entire force in one armoured fist attacking from the left where possible. I've also lost a mortar team (crew done to one from a mission prior) and my FO cannot get any LOS. So my artillery isn't helpful.

I've lost about 250 men so far, KIA and wounded. It's one tough campaign.

[TheVulture]

I'm on Bumper cars at the moment, and can see I'm going to run out of time if I'm not careful. I'm trying a left flank on all the VPs and see where I end up. I'm fed up with separate parties getting mowed down my MG fire so I'm going to try and concetrate my entire force in one armoured fist attacking from the left where possible. I've also lost a mortar team (crew done to one from a mission prior) and my FO cannot get any LOS. So my artillery isn't helpful.

I've lost about 250 men so far, KIA and wounded. It's one tough campaign.

Tough, but very satisfying to beat. Now it is safely in the rear view mirror, I rather enjoyed it. At least in retrospect (didn't say that when bashing my head against razorback ridge).

Flanking is one way to go in bumper cars - worked well for me. I kept flanking stuff and found myself at the back of the map attacking from the rear. Bocage is pretty poor cover when you are trying to defend it from the wrong side

[slysniper]

I also played on these settings

Warrior. WEGO.

Personal rules: play it through first time only, no replays

#1 Over Hill and Dale.

no problems

#2 School of Hard Knocks.

this is what everyone is screaming at, for a moment I thought I had them beat, then watched as my last few tanks and forward troops take a beaten again, I cease fire and walk away with a draw and feel good about that.

I had to play the map again, but no problem with fresh troops and now past the bridge

#3 University of Hard Knocks.

no problems

#4 Crossroads.

I agree

A very nice use of Recon stuff, I love battles that you get to use different tactics, this is good recon skills

#5 Bumper Cars

I went to the right.

That was lucky, so I managed to take the right and back very easily. but saw what the middle had and know that would have been ugly or if the left flank is tried, same problem.

#6 Razorback Ridge

the counter-attack at the shed was not that big of a thing.

The farm house, was bloody hell and so was the cross roads on the left just past the start point, I found to stay clear from the right side and wish I had not updated to 1.01 since I bombed the hell out of them and in the end they were still safe in their fox holes.

Did manage to get two M10's past the farm with engineers to try and push for the main objectives but found that was not enough since I could not clear the ambush locations fast enough and had to push too quickly and that cost me, but I received a draw and moved on.

La Haye du Poits.

I just loaded last night and saw my final map, battle still to play. But I have loved this campaign, just because of the great challenges and well designed game. As far as I am concerned, please design more like this, maybe not for beginners - warning should be given. but for any grog that likes a real challenge, this was excellent work.

[DavidFields]

Thanks for all the responses.

Part of the reason I started this thread was "give heart" to some of those playing the campaign. It would be very easy for someone to be so traumatized by some of the scenarios that they might never pick up CMBN again. That would be unfortunate.

The maps alone in this Campaign are astonishing--tactical challenges almost every 100 meters, seemingly intentionally placed, often only seen when one gets close.

And the time element: for a 90 minute scenario, I doubt I even keep up a pace of 20 minutes per turn. That means at least 30 hours. Since I played through the long route, I must have put in 150-200 hours. That is why I posted now, instead of waiting to finish the last one--it could be a week or so, depending on my schedule.

La Haye du Poits: Dakuth: Where you are is what I was concerned about if I tried to go straight through. Ironically, that may give fewer casualties. I only have 2 platoons, out of 6, which are major damaged. Most are minor, with 2-3 squads which are almost full strength. I am also getting very little resistence, about 1/2 hour in, with a center-left push. No artillery coming at me. Could my inflicting of german casualties finally be showing results.

Suggest avoiding the mines, except when going to the Outskirts. Even there, it is wicked hearing that Thump and seeing a man injured. Fortunately, that seems to mark the mines, so others will go around (primitive, but effective...feels like a 1941 Russian tactic.) I am just about to clear Outskirts, with a loss of 1 squad. Moved two platoons that way. Don't even try forcing an M8 or other AFV through the mines--unless you are willing to either lose them or restart a lot (which most of us don't like doing, I would guess, in that situation.)

And when my Pioneers arrived, I almost fell on the floor and praised the heaven. Finally, I can open up the bocage without expending all my HE ammo (lost my engineers in College/University)!!!! The center, away from the mines, is open. I am so nervous/excited about the end assault in this Campaign that I had to step away, gather my thoughts, think about the situation with pleasure, post here a little--I want to enjoy the last hours of this this exhausting, but immensely satisfying campaign.

Part of the reason I don't ever like to "peak" at the enemy ahead of time, is that one of my favorite times is just before main enemy contact. Anything is possible at that moment, and one needs to run all the probablities. Once contact is made, and increasing enemy disposition/location information is known, the potential becomes the actual, and then only one potential situation is there to be fought against.

[DavidFields]

I also played on these settings

#5 Bumper Cars

I went to the right.

That was lucky, so I managed to take the right and back very easily. but saw what the middle had and know that would have been ugly or if the left flank is tried, same problem.

#6 Razorback Ridge

the counter-attack at the shed was not that big of a thing.

The farm house, was bloody hell and so was the cross roads on the left just past the start point, I found to stay clear from the right side and wish I had not updated to 1.01 since I bombed the hell out of them and in the end they were still safe in their fox holes.

Did manage to get two M10's past the farm with engineers to try and push for the main objectives but found that was not enough since I could not clear the ambush locations fast enough and had to push too quickly and that cost me, but I received a draw and moved on.

La Haye du Poits.

I just loaded last night and saw my final map, battle still to play. But I have loved this campaign, just because of the great challenges and well designed game. As far as I am concerned, please design more like this, maybe not for beginners - warning should be given. but for any grog that likes a real challenge, this was excellent work.

#3 University Did you try to take the back right objective, or thought it was better not to try to do so?

Bumper Cars: the right and back disposition of the germans was almost spooky. Fair, and nice in that it was unexpected--so the challenge is to take advantage of the unexpected.

The left was not terrible. The key is that I sensed well enough not to try to take the center (couldn't, was my sense, once their main asset arrived. I was happy to only lose one tank before understanding the situation), so left most of that company resting for the scenario. Not trying to move every unit every turn was something I felt was being taught to me in this campaign.

Razorback Ridge: Since that is the only one I disected minutely, I want to mention something that you may appreciate: It looks as though the german flanking units come onto the board in stages. If that is true (anyone can confirm that?) it means that the clever scenario designer was giving an ingenious defense to the germans from artillery--if you hit a flank early and hard with artillery, you still would not permanently silence that flank. If that was the intent, it is devilish.

Here is a Campaign bonus I would like: win the campaign, and it would unlock the designers notes and comments.

[Rossmeister]

Holy s.. I just played #2. Over 50 % casualties. Got to the bridge okay during the initial darkness, then everything just lit up and fell to pieces.

Tried flanking right, got about two platoons there in the end, but without leadership, and they were all broken. Got about one and a half squad up to the group of trees to the right past the river, but the men there retreated as soon as a single German shot at them. Lost two tanks too, and one lost its gun and .50.

Horrible, just horrible.

[benpark]

I'm just getting to this one now as well. It's perversely tough. I generally don't like "puzzle" scenarios, but this one presents a situation that is pretty interesting to tackle. I'd certainly like (even) more smoke if I were to cross an open area with a choke point.

Anyone else having a hard time with the unit selection near the bridge? I'm also having issues plotting movement for the area around it as well.

[Agua]

La Haye du Poits - don't know what it is about that map, but I just can't get motivated to finish this campaign. I've started it a couple times, play maybe 5-10 minutes in real time, then just alt-q out of it.

[herr_oberst]

Razorback Ridge: Since that is the only one I disected minutely, I want to mention something that you may appreciate: It looks as though the german flanking units come onto the board in stages. If that is true (anyone can confirm that?) it means that the clever scenario designer was giving an ingenious defense to the germans from artillery--if you hit a flank early and hard with artillery, you still would not permanently silence that flank. If that was the intent, it is devilish.

What some call devilish, others would call genius... as much anger and angst as those scenarios have caused (is inflicted a better word?), I still love those battles.

At one point, I finally got back to those trenches in #3 and took them with a full platoon, only to be plastered by arty the next turn. As I cursed the designer for his smarts, and myself for such a stupid move (it WAS standard German doctrine to register their own positions just in case they were lost and I know that), still my regard for the scenario designer just keeps going up. [i assume he had an FO hiding at the back of the map with a CA and maybe a TRP covering the trenches].

Perhaps evil genius is a better term... still, if I ever meet him, I owe him at beer at the very least.

[Agua]

Yeah as much !@#$ing and moaning as I've done over this campaign, the difficulties and their subsequent solutions make for memorable CM moments.

[Hessian deserter]

I started mission 2 "School of hard knocks".Playing wego at elite level. I was way to overconfident from my prior successes in this game and was served a large helping of Humble pie. After the PAK men took out 3 of my 5 tanks,I was able to take the bridge but took some losses.

I decided to heed the ceasefire advice just after K company arrived [first time I ever used ceasefire].the battle ended in a draw,because I took the bridge without to many casualties.

When I looked at the after battle map and saw all of those remaining German units,I gasped.

Very glad I called the cease fire.Even so in total I think the Germans only had like 167 men o.k.compared to my 500+

Thanks again for the advice. I have Just started mission three.

[DavidFields]

What some call devilish, others would call genius... as much anger and angst as those scenarios have caused (is inflicted a better word?), I still love those battles.

At one point, I finally got back to those trenches in #3 and took them with a full platoon, only to be plastered by arty the next turn. As I cursed the designer for his smarts, and myself for such a stupid move (it WAS standard German doctrine to register their own positions just in case they were lost and I know that), still my regard for the scenario designer just keeps going up. [i assume he had an FO hiding at the back of the map with a CA and maybe a TRP covering the trenches].

Perhaps evil genius is a better term... still, if I ever meet him, I owe him at beer at the very least.

Yes, I certainly meant genius devilish.

And, to add to the genius, I now see that there are so many reinforcements in the last battle that playing it through the direct route (winning School) while taking a lot of casualties, may plausibly allow a win. What I don't know, since I did not go that route, if killing enemy units along the way affects the final battle.

Agua, what is it you do not like about the final map? Exhausting? It does seem a bit of the long-march-of-a-lot-of-units type initially, like University. Except for Outskirts, I suggest staying away from the minefields. Play a little longer, and I think you might be amazed at your reinforcements. (That being said, after playing this Campaign for almost 2 months, there is some fatigue which can occur.)

[Agua]

Agua, what is it you do not like about the final map? Exhausting? It does seem a bit of the long-march-of-a-lot-of-units type initially,

I think that's it. Just looks like it will be tedious and anticlimatic.

[TexRoadkill]

I finally got a Major Victory on School of Hard Knocks. You do need to get lucky and hope the enemy artillery doesn't destroy you but this is what I did.

1. Sent up some small scout troops to find the enemy AT guns and MG positions. (This is CRUCIAL) so I could target them with my artillery. Provide cover with artillery on front positions so scouts and Eng's can work.

2. Sent up some small eng groups to create a path up the middle right side for infantry and tanks.

3. Sent best platoon and HQ in small groups to flank along the right side. It's important to split them up because the arty is tough and it will take about 20 minutes to get them across the swamp.

4. Once the AT guns are neutralized, my flanking force took out the gun in the woods to the right, move up remaining tanks to take out enemy MG positions and cover infantry advance. I still had 3 tanks left.

5. Nuke the front defensive lines with heavy artillery and tank fire.

6. Smoke the front defensive positions and bring up infantry in last 45 mins of battle.

Razorback Ridge was tough but I managed a minor victory on that one. I knew when the scenerio gave you a bonus for having less than 40% casualties that it was going to be a bloody day.

[phil stanbridge]

Struggling with Razorback Ridge now! My problem is, I've only 32 60mm rounds left!

[DavidFields]

I think that's it. Just looks like it will be tedious and anticlimatic.

Generally I like to be upbeat. So let me just add, 35 minutes into the scenario:

I tried to, for once, move an entire company by clicking on the HQ and then moving everyone at once, rather that plotting each unit. Now I now why I tend to plot each unit--the result was a mess.

I survived, mostly, a platoon reinforcement, and some tanks, entering at a point exposed to enemy fire. I sort of knew that there were guns on my right flank--guess I could have tried to take them out had I correctly surmised where my reinforcements were going to come in.

Not prioritizing my unit moves has been a mistake, with the engineers/pioneers getting to the places where they need to be many minutes later than needed to be the case. I feel like I am organizing a Pep Rally rather than an attack, as units bunch up to high density. Thankfully, no enemy artillery.

Don't think winning is going to be a problem.

[TheVulture]

Don't think winning is going to be a problem.

In difficulty terms it was the only 'normal' difficutly mission of the campaign for me. Two fights were very easy, two very hard, and this one was in the middle. This fight though gets tougher as you go along, but unlike school of hard knocks (where you have no good options) or razorback ridge (you have to work painfully to find the one trick that will work), you can reasonably attack this fight from a variety of approaches. You have the equipment and terrain to deal with the problems in a variety of ways.

I think I posted before that even if you take heavy losses in some of the earlier missions, you should still be able to beat this one, since you do get plenty of fresh reinforcements which alone are probably enough to win the day if you are careful - any units that may have survived school and razorback ridge are a bonus that make your life easier

[phil stanbridge]

So guys, what's the plan with Razorback? I can see this is going to be a bitch. I've got not much in the way of mortar rounds - and two platoons which are in reasonable condition all things considered. Is a methodical, slow approach the way to go, to try and scrape a draw, or a mad dash to the victory points? It doesn't seem all that far away, but I can just tell what lies in wait... Those hills seem rather imposing..

[TheVulture]

There are a few other threads discussing tactics for razorback ridge already - probably worth a search for those to see what has already been discussed (depending on whether you like spoilers or not).

[womble]

So guys, what's the plan with Razorback? I can see this is going to be a bitch. I've got not much in the way of mortar rounds - and two platoons which are in reasonable condition all things considered. Is a methodical, slow approach the way to go, to try and scrape a draw, or a mad dash to the victory points? It doesn't seem all that far away, but I can just tell what lies in wait... Those hills seem rather imposing..

For me, it all hinged on the Shed platoon having enough strength to withstand the assault it will face (really only needed 4 rifles or a BAR) while dealing with the rather slender opposition between them and the large VLs. If there's alternate AI plans that have more at that end than I faced, or if L-3 has taken a beating and not been replenished, you may be outta luck. Watch for fire from the flanks, though.