Terek

[2xPelin]

You can check out discussions from beta here.

[RambOrc]

I have been trying several strategies to get a BV on this scenario, but the best I can achieve is a DV. Can't check ComradeP's replay for a BV strat either as I couldn't find where the savegames are kept on Mac OS.

[Tomislav Uzelac]

Savegames on the mac are in this directory:

~/Library/Application Support/Unity of Command/save

[RambOrc]

Found them, thanks.

After watching the replay and comparing to countless attempts by me, I would say to achieve a BV in this scenario is more dependent on RNG (mostly combat rolls, but also weather - at one reload, two of the three tank units were actually out of supply and stuck in the mud with very little mobility before the first turn) than on actual tactics. In this replay, not only did the tanks never lose a single step in all those overruns, but the veteran unit has actually been ejected from the first rail city, something that never happened to me in maybe 20 attacks. Also, in about every 2nd or 3rd attempt, the 3 tanks can't remove the first unit at the bridge, meaning you can just as well restart the scenario at that point. In quite a few scenarios, tanks also lost steps (not just suppressed).

Compared to Stalingrad, where I could achieve a BV in a mere 7 turns without buying any of the OKH reserve units (buying some specialist steps and some armor steps though), and get a one turn early BV with even a number of bad combat rolls, this scenario has IMO a too tight victory condition. Using a good strategy, a Terek victory in 7 turns is possible even with a string of unlucky combat rolls (like tanks repeatedly getting stuck on their first attack), but 6 turns seems to be achievable only with a lot of luck on rolls.


I've also been trying an alternative strategy, where after removing the bridge unit one of the tanks drives 3 or 4 hexes southward, blocking the veteran infantry from settling into the first rail city. The whole scenario develops a different dynamics, where your advance is mostly checked by having a bunch of infantry in the back, trying to cut your rail line and even trying to capture your supply base. But as far as 6 vs 7 turns victory goes, it didn't make a difference.

[Tomislav Uzelac]

I'm not sure Comrade's strategy is the only one that works.

My own preferred strategy is to take Ordzhonikidze with a Pz division on the first turn and take it from there. Sure, sometimes a bad roll will mess with your plans, but I don't remember ever reloading as many times as you describe.

Play harder?

[RambOrc]

Can you post a replay of your strategy?

[Tomislav Uzelac]

I don't want to post my own playthroughs.. especially in a tight scenario like Terek it would be tantamount to cheating

The hint gives it away pretty much though. You're free to post your own playthrough if you can make it work, of course.

[Stahlgewitter]

I never bother with Ordzhonikidze.

It took me forever to beat Terek because I couldn't accept that there's no easy way out of protecting your supply lines and you basically have to eliminate everything else W of Grozny.

Usually it's a matter of trying to force the crossing point immediately S of the armour, then bridging. If the first attack forced the enemy to retreat, you can use the other armour to seize the crossing point to the east, then attack the Red cavalry unit (though this is unlikely to wipe it out). That armour retreats to its original position on turn 2 but the AI rarely ever tries to recapture the crossing.

Meanwhile, the panzer on the railroad bridge attacks, and will almost certainly eliminate, the Soviet unit on the W bank of the river. Hopefully you can overrun and inflict some damage on the second unit too. The Romulans contain this unit, they can do little else. One of your infantry moves to hold the bridge, the other one to prevent any cheap Red OOSing of the tank that crossed the river.

On T2, the westernmost panzer div moves adjacent to Ordzhonikidze and bridges the river. The eastern tank and inf divisions have a turn to massacre the handful of Soviet units guarding the central Terek sector.

T3 you are hopefully well across the Terek in the centre with no living Russian remaining in sight and have moved to the absolute limit of your supply range. It's now time to move south and hit the Georgian Road defenders as hard as you can. If you can isolate Ordzhonikidze, well and good as the garrison has an annoying habit of knocking spots off your infantry if they get too close. Meanwhile C crosses the bridge it laid last turn, attacks and likely eliminates the NKVD unit from the rear, and your Romanians and bridge garrison between them can hopefully at least cripple the remaining unit. With a following wind this will bring all your units back into supply as even without Ordzhonikidze supplies can reach most of the central sector from the railhead. This turn's bridge can go on the crossing point to the east if you managed to clear it in T1.

If you're to win a BV you need to be in a position to get your infantry onto the Georgian Road objective on T4 because your tanks have to be heading back north of the Terek and towards the absolute eastern limit of their supply range the same turn to arrive there by T5 at the latest. T5 is also the last chance you will get to lay the Eastern bridge, which is a hell of a challenge if you didn't manage to capture the western bridge end on the first turn.

The climax comes when you cross the Terek via the eastern bridge with not less than 2 full strength tank divs, which must have all available MP and be positioned as far east as possible without being OOS. The Reds will move to block you advancing on Makhachkala from the north and you really need overruns as you will be well OOS this far east and will only get one shot at the objective.

This achieves BV about 20% of the the time (that said, I occasionally rage quit when the weather displeases me).

[RambOrc]

After a lot of frustration, I did achieve a BV on Terek a few months ago, allowing me to easily finish a full BV of the Axis campaign. However, I still intensely dislike this scenario due to the extreme randomness of being able to win regardless of strategy.

Basically, it's like saying "before you start, you have to cast a die and you only win if it's a 6, but you won't see the number that came up until you finish the whole scenario - unless you threw a 1, in which case you can see the number right at the start (weather turning two out of three panzer units out of supply in mud before you even start)."

[TevenHangue]

Saw the recent postings on this scenario while perusing the forums over my lunch break. On a whim, loaded up the Terek scenario and played thru it while eating lunch. BV on turn 6. While I'll allow that it is one of the harder scenarios when the initial luck isn't in your favor, I wouldn't call it a bad scenario.