Monty in Dutch - preset game for Lars and Tiggwigg

[tiggwigg]

Personally, I don't think the german forces required a 10% bonus...or anymore panthers...unless to make the scenario unwinnable by the british.

The problem with including only a section of key units, like the panthers or fireflies...is that should they be knocked out or immobilised, it can swing the balance of the game. In this game Lars and I were both lucky, as I had a firefly degunned by an artillery hit that left it suppressed and then killed by Lars; while he had a panther killed by artillery. Lars also made the mistake of moving the other panther across the battlefield, exposing its side armour and an op-fire disabled it. Still, after I had congegrated shermans to knock out two of his suppressed Panzer IV's, those two killing machines in one turn knocked out 3 of them, including a firefly, and a couple of stuart recce vehicles.

I considered at the start that I had a modest chance of a draw and almost none for a win. Scorewise, I have the draw...which I expected to be expensive in units lost, and it was. Tactically, I think Lars would concede I have gained control of the battlefield. However, it was a very, very close call.

Defense is about shooting the enemy as he appears. SPWAW's great failing is PBEM defense. In any turn, the defending player is reliant on op-fire, which the attacker can turn to his advantage. Accuracy (and so risk) from op-fire can be reduced through the use of multiple attackers (so every shot is a first shot, whichout accumulative accuracy bonus), and terrain defense. Enemy op-fire shots can be triggered wastefully until all are used, allowing the attacker to close for the kill. Assault guns and Stugs are vulnerable to this, since they have fewer op-shots than a tank.

The main factor in the British not being wiped out, is that Lars allowed me to choose or force the location of the main fighting. This was rough terrain with limited lines of fire due to trees and limited visibility due to smoke and hills. This allowed the British to minimise the weakness of the churchill (poor accuracy and firepower), while minimising the strengths of the germans (good accuracy and firepower). Thus we fought an even battle, which I won through sheer force of numbers, since almost my entire force was concentrated in the one area, and so able to destroy german forces more or less piecemeal.

The British forces were very vulnerable to counter-attack, particularly from the flanks. At anytime 50-75% of my armour was suppressed or in retreat from german artillery attack. The British have poor morale and take a long time to rally once suppressed. With limited orders, the British were unable to react quickly to any threat.

The greatest threat to the British was an attack from the flank (which would rob me of the advantage SPWAW gives the attacker). It is likely I would have lost my entire force with minimal loss to german forces. An attack on the flank also means that the germans would be rolling up the british line, and so never having to deal with more than a few tanks at a time, while concentrating a company against them.

So, as you can see, I feel I was fortunate to have success in a battle where the germans held an inherent advantage. I believe the battle was won before a shot was fired, in that I was allowed to choose the field of fighting.

[Berserk]

Lars,

I saw the zip that you posted at would like to take a look at it if you dont mind.

How do I see it?

Whereto should it be downloaded and how should I see it?

- Berserk

[Lars]

Originally posted by Berserk
Lars,

I saw the zip that you posted at would like to take a look at it if you dont mind.

How do I see it?

Whereto should it be downloaded and how should I see it?

- Berserk

Well, sorry to say but you can't...
Without a password at least you can't. Capt. Pixel set this game up for Tiggwigg and me, so he also supplied the passwords for us. Therefore he can view the game turn as he wishes, but for the rest of you, you have to wait until we're finished.

Sorry
/Lars

[Capt. Pixel]

One of the perks of being the third party setter-upper. :D

When you guys are finished, I'd like to post the passwords here and have you provide the final turn for the interested parties (including me, of course )

Tiggwigg's synopsis was very well described, from my perspective. I, too, would have guessed a much closer game between these two forces. Pounding forward, enmass, seemed to work well for the British here.

[tiggwigg]

Turns 13-16

There is an unearthly quiet across the battliefield...except for the muffled cries of pain from the troops in the out-house who ate the mush in the mess-tent...and the crackling of burning armour...perhaps there is not much left to shoot at.

With British armour closing in on his artillery depot (by the smoke), the germans have rushed their guns to safer terrain...this has given the British a respite to disperse my tanks so they will be less chance of suppression...knowing that the germans are cracked I can afford to reduce the concentration of my forces, which in turn should make them stronger in defense. At the same time, I am advancing on the last victory hexes from every direction except behind.

I can now take time to position and ready my forces for the final push on the end of game german victory hexes, as I now have control of all the per turn hexes (except for those grabbed by a suicidal sniper whose mess-tent mush must be worse than the Brits and was making a desperate rush for the out-house). Thus, everything is movement I am trying to conceal...although german a german Hertzer or two appear in the far distance from time to time.

Turn 16 came as a surprise...a Hertzer and kubelwagen were parked in the open, and my remaining Firefly exposed itself to take a pot-shot...brewing the Hertzer while a Churchill did in the Kubelwagen.

Captain Pixel...in reply to your question about the best unit. The british one has to be the recon squad...they have spotted many german tanks, allowing the artillery to suppress them so they could be taken out.

The best german weapon in my estimation has been hisartillery...it is has the callibre, accuracy and concentration to suppress much of my concentrated force...and Lars did a fine job wielding it.

I have already commented on my low esteem of british armour, while the british artillery is little better, since I only have one FO and it is HQ to my sexton battery...so I don't have enough orders to change target easily (I was fortunate Churchill's are so slow, because that alllowed me to creep my artillery ahead of them 4-6 hexes a turn with no cost in orders)... particularly since, after balancing off the 81mm mortars on both sides, the germans have 105mm Wespes and 120mm mortars (warhead size 6 and 7) compared to 25lber Sextons and 60mm Whites mortars (warhead size 5 and 3)...that said the 60mm mortar is great against armour, as it will plant half a dozen shells on the one hex guaranteed, which is always enough to suppress any unit on that hex...as well, the british artillery has been wildly inaccurate with a shell spread which I estimate to be twice that of the germans...perhaps I should stop bagging the units and blame the player?

[tiggwigg]

Conclusion

Having laid a smoke screen across the remaining victory hexes (the german home cluster), I dashed a stuart recce forward to claim them. Almost a dozen other tanks were taking up position to support it.

The only action is an assault by a suicidal sniper trying to remove the stain of defeat, on another stuart recce as I move to consolidate control of other VH clusters.

Lars conceded.

British armour losses stood at over half my force of 31 tanks: 8 Churchhill IVL, 2 Churchill CS, 4 Sherman I and 2 Fireflies. 2 more Churchills were immobilised. Additional losses were 3 of 6 AEC armoured cars, 6 of 9 Stuart recce and a couple of squads of infantry.