New file at the Repository: Campaign: Die Letzte Hoffnung (2011-08-26)

[Battlefront Repository]

Take charge of a Kampfgruppe based around a motorized Panzergrenadier battalion from the 116th Panzerdivision during the Mortain Counterattack (Operation Lüttich). Enjoy a narrative campaign in the style of Devils' Descent while you try to break through the Allied lines to Chérencé-le-Roussel. This campaign contains between five to seven missions, depending on the choice(s) you make and your success or failure in one of the missions. Note that this campaign's narrative does not contain much foul language, if any, unlike Devils' Descent.

More...

[Lee_Vincent]

Loving the first mission.

[handihoc]

Great to have a new German campaign, and so far, three missions in, it's sheer delight.

Love the maps. Very challenging and each one very different. And the battles to date have been a blast.

****SPOILERS****

Battle 1: I did really well, more by luck than judgement I fear, although I did take a fairly cautious approach. When I eventually located the first of the US forces my brave troops were able to hammer them in force from three angles, which caused them a lot of pain. Later I lost one MkIV to a 57mmATG, a Puma to mines and six men dead in total. Scored a tactical victory, though I had taken all VLs and the surviving enemy were few and far between, and all cowering in fields. Lots of fun rooting them out.

Battle 2) I chose the 'split kampfgruppe' option. Another great map - brought to mind the Ardennes with the dense forest, undulating terrain and winding roads. Also, the positioning of the US defenders. They were very difficult to dislodge at times, and I got the impression they had pre-set fallback positions, as my advance was frequently stalled: after moving over one position I'd often find them lying in wait a little further on, which was pretty effective, especially against my infantry.

My inf took a mauling here. I lost a Panther, too, as well as another Puma. Some very nasty encounters. I took the map but got a minor defeat. Seemed I hadn't quite taken out enough of the enemy, although those that were left were on the run and in a bad way. Great battle.

Battle 3). I'm halfway through this one. I appear to be making good progress, though nothing is certain - minimal casualties so far and indications are that I've inflicted quite a lot of damage on the defenders. Another superb and very atmospheric map.

So, loving this campaign. Thanks for creating it, FMB!

[Field Marshal Blücher]

Glad to hear you're enjoying it! Keep me up to date.

-FMB

[Erwin]

I haven't looked at this campaign yet, but I hope all Campaign designers provide campaign maps so we can return to saved games and try for different outcomes just to see the alternative scenarios.

[Wodin]

Excellent campaign.

[Gpig]

Excellent work, Field Marshal. Loving every minute of it. Took me two days to get through the first battle.

***SPOILER alert***

I had crafted this awesome plan to swing my MkIV platoon around through the bocage, on the left. After my pioneers blew a hole through the obstacle, I ordered my first Panzer through the gap.

Imagine my shock and horror as my tank blew to pieces halfway through the breach, blocking any further progress for the entire platoon. An unspotted enemy AT gun had thrown my entire plan into jeopardy. Nice!

Gpig

[Field Marshal Blücher]

Thanks, Wodin and Gpig! Glad you guys are enjoying it. Keep me posted on your progress!

[handihoc]

Update:

*****Spoilers!******

Battle 3: I continued to make steady progress, though US 60mm mortars put down some accurate fire and caused me a good few casualties. Well-placed infantry in buildings also upped my casualty rate, but my guys generally kept the upper-hand as they infiltrated the village. Very nicely designed village, btw, and resistance stiffened the further I advanced, which I guess was to be expected.

There was a nasty surprise at one point - I think you'll know what I mean, FMB! - which turned out to be far more of a threat than I at first realised, and again took down a significant number of my men. Once I'd fully determined it's nature, though, I was able to tackle it with the appropriate forces, at which point I gained a Tactical Victory.

So on to Battle 4. Again, a lovely map, and although it was another village the layout was significantly unlike the previous, so it didn't feel at all repetitious. By now I was having to think very carefully about how to deploy my Kampfgruppe. A couple of quite severely reduced platoons, and the earlier loss of two tanks and three armoured cars, plus two ACs almost crippled with wheel damage, meant a very cautious approach was required.

I hit the village around the intersection with arty to begin with, then commenced a somewhat tentative advance on the left flank, keeping my right flank in reserve, apart from a few observers. The battle was pretty hard won, with the loss of another MkIV, and numerous infantry biting the dust as they made their approach towards locations that wrongly appeared to hold no enemy. Again, your positioning of enemy units is quite masterful at times, enabling them to spring very effective ambushes, but my three remaining Panthers and two MkIVs were able to provide heavy duty support to the infantry teams, and I won through to another Tactical Victory.

So now I'm about to start Battle 5. Only one AC left in my Recon group, and he has wrecked wheels so can't do a lot, and the main group that has just followed on is not in the best of shape. We shall see what we shall see...

[Frankster65]

I've been playing your campagin as well Field Marshal Blucher...had one hell of a forest fight the other night. I kept advancing my company of grenadiers and the enemy were in interlocking fox holes with supporting arcs of fire. It was a lesson in frustration and hair pulling (in a good sense). My company fought the hard fight and secured the objective but at very high cost.

I fear the next mission.

[Wodin]

I was always hoping for some replacemnets to fill up some of my depleted squads.

[snake_eye]

I decided few days ago to give it a try. I have played it ever since, Elite Wego and not RT has I do it most of the time. That way it is easier to watch on different locations, the troops moving and the enemy reaction while playing back the recording. That recording is like a S2 intelligence officer, providing you with details you would have missed otherwise.

From these details you can figure, how to make your next tactical move.

About the campaign: The briefing and its narration for each battle is very well done and it is a pleasure to read it. To keep a close attention to their reading is very helpful.

The maps are well done and the bocage that seems impenetrable affords however some exit if you look closely at it (that you can’t do it in RT). You can use it to your advantage while moving close to the enemy.

I have played 4 battles up to now. I had decided after the first battle, not to split my forces (decision 1) and to move through the North wooded area (decisions 2).

I did not fare too badly for the first 3 battles getting each time a Tactical victory.

However, I had lost at the end of the 2nd battle:

3 Panzers IV destroyed by AT fire, plus 1 being immobilized by a mine and 1 simply immobilized). All the Panzers IV were at that time out of action.

3 Panthers were also immobilized.

The PSW 234/ 1 and PSW 234/2 were at that time all gone having been destroyed.

1 in the 1st and 2 in the 2nd battle. The 2 remaining, being immobilized.

I got into the 3rd battle with 2 Panthers V and got one immobilized from an anti tank shot in the track.

The 4th battle was a nightmare, having no tanks, no mortars, no artillery and depleted troops at that time. I lost all the recon armoured cars and took casualties forcing me at 30 minutes to the end to surrender. I got a total defeat for that battle.

From the start of that battle I knew, the KG was not a match with its meagre remaining forces against a well organized US infantry.

I managed to exit nearly all the trucks and kubelwagens without damage, before it became too late, but could not do it for the PSWs. The 2 being immobilized were destroyed like the 3 others while they engaged targets and or retreated to the exit.

The infantry sustained, before surrendering, 44 KIA 5 WIA against 7 KIA 2 WIA for the US

1 Stuart was destroyed. 3 or 4 Shermans were seen at the end of the battle immobilized. Mechanical failure, bogged, combat damages ?

Well, I let the pressure go off and I shall play the 5th one it in the coming days. I don’t expect to have tanks reinforcement available. I only have, 1 Panther crewed by 3 guys instead of 5 remaining from the 3rd battle. However it did not rejoin the 4th battle, so why should it rejoin the 5th.

************************SPOILERS***************************************

Most of the vehicles casualties have been inflicted by AT guns. They are especially difficult to spot. Every time you get a non covered ground with a good LOS, you can bet there is one lurking in the far hedges. In the 1st battle I lost to AT fire,1 Mk IV and 2 PSW and again 2 PSW and 2 Mk IV in the 2nd battle.

One difficulty, I have found in every battle is in the way the tanks and PSW got immobilized without any mechanical reasons. Were they bogged down? There was no mention of it.

Some were destroyed later on, being sitting ducks unable to avoid the AT and or tanks when they came in.

For the tanks being immobilized (due to sustained damaged, mechanical breakdown and or ground adverse condition) we got:

2 MK IV and 2 Panthers during the 1st battle.

1 Panther in the 2nd battle.

Another one in the 3rd battle.

The first 3 battles were fought, by the infantry with a casualty level inferior to the US side. Since I was attacking, I was satisfied with that result.

The mortars and heavy gun were used without restriction, whenever a good FO and or squad leader LOS was obtainable on potential enemy positions. That resulted in having one mortar available in the 4th battle, but without ammo available!

The Infantry got the best results, using the bocage protection, while moving forward, being most of the time hidden to the enemy.

In the houses to houses fighting, the tanks, staying close, with their gun and MG were quite an asset.

As a matter of fact, the only Panther that has mobility till the end of the 3rd battle did kill 35 infantrymen during it, while clearing the crossroad in the village.

Being the attacker I had the following campaign casualties at the end of the 3rd battle :

138 KIA against 210 US

95 WIA against 126 US

0 Missing against 36 US

The 4th battle I got the infantrymen blooded with no result

182 KIA against 217 US

100 WIA against 128 US

0 missing against 36 US

Usually the attacker is sustaining heavier casualties than the defender, so that does not seems so bad at least before the 4th battle.

The mortars were also effective in keeping the enemy’s heads down, while the Infantry got closer. The bazookas teams when present were that way kept ineffective most of the time.

The HMG regarding from the number of enemy killed, did not fare so well. They kept the enemy hunkered down and that was finally better than the kill they did not registered.

One advice, I think about, is to replenish at the trucks, the infantrymen and HMG teams, during the setup whenever that is possible. If you don’t do it they might begin the fight with a very low ammo level.

Another one, keep your tanks in action as much as you can, if they don’t become immobilized (see my preceding remarks) you will need them for the 4th battle to repel a strong tank counter attack. If I had at the time only one Panther, I could have slow it down.

Regard the PSW, as recon asset only. They are best in that role. I have found them ineffective against Infantrymen at medium range and not able to avoid damage at closer range. More sometimes, they don’t even fire and look at the enemy doing nothing else.

One was close to a Sherman and did not even saw it. The Sherman did and a shell sent it to grief.

******************************SPOILERS END*******************************

Thanks to FMB, the maps as I wrote it are very well done and the ground features are realistic. The forces balance is good, well done and again realistic. The A.I forces are well emplaced and their moves tactically very well done.

The briefing are real jewels, you really get into the mood of the coming combat.

The only drawback and FMB is not to be blamed for it, is about the CORE UNITS. The replenishment starting at the 4th battle is really insufficient considering the task the KG has to do. Without any tanks available, that is impossible. Even a good Kompanie having no AT capabilities will be in trouble.

The CORE UNITS replenishment is for me the most difficult thing to setup in the editor. There are so many variable, that it will never fit with what is needed.

If there could be, let’s say 3 options that could be set by anticipation and that one of them could be triggered depending on a threshold affected to such replenishment, maybe that could be done. It is easier to think about 1 option, than 3 options

If someone has an idea ?

It is such a pretty good campaign, that I was not at all angry at being obliged to surrender on that 4th battle. Every realistic AAR of the predicament I found myself in would conclude to the right choice, I have made in surrendering.

If I write this, it is to point out that you can lose a battle and find no excuse for such a realistic outcome. The designer is not the one to blame. You are the one, even if you did not have all that was needed to change the outcome. That is the way some battles are.

On the contrary, I blame the designer, when facing unrealistic odds and situations, I am kicked out of the campaign as quickly as I got in.

In that campaign, that is not the case. I shall live to try to do better on the 5th battle. If I screw up that battle, I will have no regret, but only good memories of the good time I took playing it.

BRAVO!!!!!! FMB

Cheers

[Field Marshal Blücher]

Thanks for your detailed feedback! Managing replenishment is extremely tricky.

[Sublime]

Of course thats part of being in the Wehrmacht in 44 - you never have enough units to do the job. I think replenishment is done right. I took heavy casualties on my first run thru - and I chose to attack through both routes. Still I managed to get to the objective town. My attack didnt seize it - but I ended the campaign with my troops in the town.

[snake_eye]

Of course thats part of being in the Wehrmacht in 44 - you never have enough units to do the job. I think replenishment is done right. I took heavy casualties on my first run thru - and I chose to attack through both routes. Still I managed to get to the objective town. My attack didnt seize it - but I ended the campaign with my troops in the town.

That's why kampfgruppe were being hastily made to plug holes in the lines.

At the time, after a day or so of heavy fights, a Company was rather a Platoon and a platoon a squad. What remained was added to a KG if an emergency arose or sent to the rear area to get new reinforcement from their home Division and be refitted.

The repair echelon of the Panzer company was doing miracle with the tanks as long as the ground had not been relinquished. that happened frequently in Normandy until the front collapsed. If only I could get one Panther back being repaired !

Will see what I can do in the 5th battle the town being right there. The situation is not excellent, but far from being desperate, reinforcement coming in or not.

Cheers

[Childress]

It's somewhat surprising that no one (I think) has devised a campaign that begins easily bet gets incrementally more challenging as the player advances through the battles and the man/machine pool erodes. This simulates the importance of force preservation and doesn't intimidate the noob with a tough, rubik's cube type assignment right at the starting gate.

[Field Marshal Blücher]

It's somewhat surprising that no one (I think) has devised a campaign that begins easily bet gets incrementally more challenging as the player advances through the battles and the man/machine pool erodes. This simulates the importance of force preservation and doesn't intimidate the noob with a tough, rubik's cube type assignment right at the starting gate.

I haven't deliberately done this, but I try to make the opening missions of my campaigns easier than most of the others to let the player get a feel for their forces. I might consider doing something like this in the future.

[snake_eye]

It's somewhat surprising that no one (I think) has devised a campaign that begins easily bet gets incrementally more challenging as the player advances through the battles and the man/machine pool erodes. This simulates the importance of force preservation and doesn't intimidate the noob with a tough, rubik's cube type assignment right at the starting gate.

I think, I can say that I have done it with the “El Derjine Campaign” (Repository CMSF – Marines)

The 1st battle is rather a Platoon fight. The 2nd is a full Company (ies) battle either side having had a premise of what was to come with the 1st battle. The 3rd battle has a difficult helicopter Platoon assault at a radar station, but the company(ies) troops leaving their preceding conquered objectives of the 2nd battle can carry on toward their assigned objectives. The enemy having had a bad time in that 2nd battle (that if you won the battle). The 4th battle is one, which happens when the US forces are in a small village about to start an attack, just after having been replenished. Being caught off guard it is not an easy battle, but once the surprise is setting down the battle becomes interesting.

You have from memory another battle or two in case you do not fulfil the objectives.

In some instances the RED CORE UNITS have had reinforcement brought in to prevent to remedy to Company and or Platoons having the name but not the expected force.

As I wrote earlier the CORE UNITS setting is very difficult to do and FMB defines it as very tricky, which is right.

Quote FMB :

"I haven't deliberately done this, but I try to make the opening missions of my campaigns easier than most of the others to let the player get a feel for their forces. I might consider doing something like this in the future."

Please don't change a thing of what you have done. That campaign is perfect and I don't think that having one easier fight and or battle at the beginning will make it better. The forces are well balanced. More, when you get in the following battles, the rate of casualties is more or less balanced. The only problem I have raised is about the replenishment of the tanks and or Armored vehicles. Just one good tank (not a PZ IV, but a Panther for that campaign) coming in , makes quite a difference.

The tanks get immobilized for either side a bit too easily. But that was the case when they were moving on adverse climatic condition and not on roads. Besides German tanks had problems with their tracks more often than their US opponents.

Cheers

[Field Marshal Blücher]

Please don't change a thing of what you have done.

Don't worry, I'm certainly not changing this campaign. I just thought it was an interesting idea to consider for future campaigns.

[Erwin]

I love the campaigns as they are as well.

But, for noobies I do think that it would be good for designers to create "beginner" campaigns (with branches), where, if you lose, the next battle is EASIER rather than the more difficult challenges one usually finds.

[handihoc]

It's somewhat surprising that no one (I think) has devised a campaign that begins easily bet gets incrementally more challenging as the player advances through the battles and the man/machine pool erodes. This simulates the importance of force preservation and doesn't intimidate the noob with a tough, rubik's cube type assignment right at the starting gate.

Actually, I think the majority of campaigns start with a relatively easy opening and progressive difficulties and challenges in later battles. Without that, as you pointed out, you risk putting off newer players. So it makes sense from a commercial point of view, apart from anything else.

An example is Paper Tiger's magnificent Road to Montebourg. The opening scenario can be won with zero, or at least very low, casualties. Which isn't to say it's easy. Get it wrong, use unwise tactics, or simply run into a bit of bad luck, and you will be punished. Later battles are far more demanding - some of them killers, but immense fun at the same time.

We all know, I think, that CMx2 can be devilishly hard if you rush a battle. And it's oh so easy to push forward without taking the time to recce, and subsequently get reamed. But on the whole I'd say that the campaigns I've played have been pretty well structured, whether I won or lost.

[Sgt Schultz]

Finally got the first mission done. Loved it.

spoilers

--------

I waited until I had almost everyone on map before doing much of anything. I wanted infantry to lead, and that paid off.

Extremely lucky duel with a 57mm gave me an edge.

Sending a force down the bocage road and blasting my way down my left side got me the dairy farm with no problems.

Amis surrendered with almost 30 minutes left...

... on to the next one ...

[Sgt Schultz]

SPOILERS

-------------------------

Into the second battle. I chose 'keep together' and 'attack fom west'.

Minor critique time.

1. Two battles in a row I clicked the red button 5 times until troops show up. There is no incentive to push soft vehicles down a road in the face of a known enemy without an infantry screen.

It feels like a test to see if I am impatient/foolish enough to push on without support. You didn't catch me.

Maybe start the battle with a single recon platoon on-map to get things moving.

2. Wad of softy vehicles plopped down. I love the map and understand the tactical limitations you are designing towards. However, it is still a 3-5 minute evolution to get everyone sorted and reverse the softies to the exit zone.

The ground is wet. I am assuming mines on the road somewhere. Why soft vehicles? I have more than enough time to scour the map on foot, and must do so anyway to find the dreaded invisible hand VL.

It seemed like another 'primrose path' test to see if I would push soft vehicles into a battle zone.

Not gonna happen.

Loving the campaign though.

onward!

[Field Marshal Blücher]

Haha, that's pretty funny to me actually. I think you and I are of the same mind regarding recon, but those vehicles were actually put in due to specific requests from my beta testers. So no, they're not a trap.

The trucks and stuff are in all of the missions for ammunition resupply. I actually substantially reduced the original number of trucks that actually comes with the TO&E because it was even more cluttered!

[Gpig]

Hey FMB,

I'm most of the way through the 2nd battle. I chose to keep my KG together and attack the town.

SPOILER ALERT

********************

********************

Really fun battle. I echo Sgt Shultz concern about starting with light vehicles and no forward infantry screen. But I didn't wait for the reinforcements. I pushed forward with my PUMAs, leap frogging a route to the West, heading for the open fields on the American Right flank.

It's been working well, so far. I've taken the church and half the town with minimal casualties.

One note of concern, I found what appears to be a set-up bug of some sort. I kept spotting and then engaging American ATG ammo bearer teams in town. At any moment, I expected to have ATG rounds ping off my lead armour. But no. Nothing.

Then, once I attained a foothold on the church yard and steeple, I spotted 3 ATGs all clustered together (within 15m of each other) in the middle of a field, near the back of the map. They were set up in a (seemingly) useless position with no ability to influence the battle. And no where near any supporting infantry, let alone ammo bearers.

Now they are targetted with 105mm arty. Should be over soon.

But, it left me feeling somewhat dis-inclined to continue with the battle. The A.I. CAN be a challenge sometimes. However, In this battle, seeing those ATG placed in such a useless spot, left me feeling deflated. Kind of like shooting tadpoles in a saucer. Know what I mean? Still, I'm going to push on.

Love the map! Brilliant.

A couple of notable combat moments:

My lead PUMA, approaching the town, came under an intense mortar bombardment. Had all it's wheels blown off. Now it's sitting in the middle of the road and feeling left out.

I've lost 2 of my Panthers to bogging. Not nice. Heh heh.

I ran a squad up to the small wall surrounding the church and was ambushed by the G.I. company commanders in the steeple. They threw a rain of grenades that took out 4 men instantly.

I ran into one American half squad that almost ruined my day. They were in the top floor of a brick building that just peeped over top of a huge Bocage. When my Platoon leaders of 2nd platoon - 2 Kompanie, reached the second floor of a building opposite, they were all killed within 8 seconds. Crazy! Good shootin' G.I.s.

Fun stuff. Trying to be methodical and take the rest of the town step by step. It's nice feeling like I have enough forces to cover all avenues. Flank support, leap-frogging, overwatch. Nice.

thanks!

Gpig