Re: Update 12 Test
Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2020 3:35 am
Part 2 of my feedback on new content. Reminder: I'm playing on Easy, restarting scenarios until I get Gold.
Herbstnebel: (1 attempt for gold) I fortified as many units as I could during deployment, and planned to hold the starting front line if possible. This payed off to a certain extent, with the AI ignoring several fortified infantry divisions and leaving them isolated. Unfortunately, the enemies supply situation is strong enough to supply their salient even without the main roads in their possession. My reinforcements were just able to occupy Bocholt and Enschede before the panzers arrived, and the AI was not able to dislodge the paras. By turn 5 all but two of the panzer divisions on my side of the Dortmund-Ems Canal were destroyed. I was not able to secure the optional objective due to attrition of my specialist steps and difficulty getting units capable of kicking out the infantry there in time.
Final Vienna Award: (10+ attempts, I gave up on gold) Even on easy, I could NOT find a way to capture my objectives on time. I fully reinforced all of my units, spending as much prestige as I needed to optimize my force. I made several attempts using four paratroop cards to cheese the enemy's supply situation, but the geography is so tight that the paratroops are largely able to be destroyed on the first turn after drop. My normal strategy would be to send 3 divisions over the pass between Graz and Linz, usually 10th mtn, 92nd US, and 4th Indian. Once I tried sending and armor division and two extra infantry divisions by this route, but the fortified German infantry in the pass pretty much have to be starved out. Even this enlarged for took 5-6 turns to actually get over the mountains, and the supply situation for them is terrible. When units going this route get out of the rough terrain, German mobile forces quickly counterattack and make short work of even my experienced units. Going east from Graz seems to be the only viable choice, and this is a slog. The highway isn't viable due to the quality, fortified German units there. The entrenched units south of the highway aren't too bad to get through with only minor casualties, but it still takes time. The Hungarian armor CAN inflict some losses though. No matter what I tried, I could not get through the logjam in the southeast corner of the map fast enough to get gold here.
Battle for Bavaria: (1 attempt) Similar to the historical scenario in this region, building a single pontoon bridge north of Karlsruhe was the cornerstone of my strategy. With a significant force across the river on turn two, the Germans can't really do anything to stop your advance. Supply is the main enemy here, particularly for the French in the south. The thing that slowed me down the most was my French 1st Army HQ being unable to cross the pass east of Freiburg. This prevented repair of bridges near Munchen until it was almost too late.
I'll post again tomorrow with my thoughts on everything up to Unthinkable.
Herbstnebel: (1 attempt for gold) I fortified as many units as I could during deployment, and planned to hold the starting front line if possible. This payed off to a certain extent, with the AI ignoring several fortified infantry divisions and leaving them isolated. Unfortunately, the enemies supply situation is strong enough to supply their salient even without the main roads in their possession. My reinforcements were just able to occupy Bocholt and Enschede before the panzers arrived, and the AI was not able to dislodge the paras. By turn 5 all but two of the panzer divisions on my side of the Dortmund-Ems Canal were destroyed. I was not able to secure the optional objective due to attrition of my specialist steps and difficulty getting units capable of kicking out the infantry there in time.
Final Vienna Award: (10+ attempts, I gave up on gold) Even on easy, I could NOT find a way to capture my objectives on time. I fully reinforced all of my units, spending as much prestige as I needed to optimize my force. I made several attempts using four paratroop cards to cheese the enemy's supply situation, but the geography is so tight that the paratroops are largely able to be destroyed on the first turn after drop. My normal strategy would be to send 3 divisions over the pass between Graz and Linz, usually 10th mtn, 92nd US, and 4th Indian. Once I tried sending and armor division and two extra infantry divisions by this route, but the fortified German infantry in the pass pretty much have to be starved out. Even this enlarged for took 5-6 turns to actually get over the mountains, and the supply situation for them is terrible. When units going this route get out of the rough terrain, German mobile forces quickly counterattack and make short work of even my experienced units. Going east from Graz seems to be the only viable choice, and this is a slog. The highway isn't viable due to the quality, fortified German units there. The entrenched units south of the highway aren't too bad to get through with only minor casualties, but it still takes time. The Hungarian armor CAN inflict some losses though. No matter what I tried, I could not get through the logjam in the southeast corner of the map fast enough to get gold here.
Battle for Bavaria: (1 attempt) Similar to the historical scenario in this region, building a single pontoon bridge north of Karlsruhe was the cornerstone of my strategy. With a significant force across the river on turn two, the Germans can't really do anything to stop your advance. Supply is the main enemy here, particularly for the French in the south. The thing that slowed me down the most was my French 1st Army HQ being unable to cross the pass east of Freiburg. This prevented repair of bridges near Munchen until it was almost too late.
I'll post again tomorrow with my thoughts on everything up to Unthinkable.