Achtung Panzer: Kharkov 1943

[Peter Fisla]

I played a night operation, 3 x Pz IIIL, 2 x Pz IIF, my beloved assault gun StuG IIIF/8, lots of infantry against tons of Russian infantry supported by a platoon of T-34. Two hours of pure hell... Lost one Pz IIIL from T-34, my other Pz IIIL nailed that T-34...as a matter of fact I set it on fire. My StuG F/8 got nailed and my crew gunned down by another T-34. Then that T-34 immobilized my Pz IIIL, while I nailed that T-34 with another Pz IIIL. In about 30minutes the immobilized Pz IIIL is back in business chasing down Russian infantry WOW! In the end it was marginal victory, been playing two days non-stop

Here are some shots...

[Peter Fisla]

Few More shots...

[htuna]

Yep, just got finished playing another session.. I gotta say, I like it!!!... Although, I wish it had controls for like Button Down.. towing Guns.. stuff like that, that Theatre of War 1 had.. I've never played TOW II.. so don't know about that.. I do like the 'feel' of this game more though..

[JudgeDredd]

mmm...seems I'm definitely going to have to buy this. I liked the look and feel of the demo, though it was rough round the edges...

[Grim.Reaper]

I also was not sure whether I should buy it or not, but as usual I broke down and bought it last night:) Haven't had much time with it, but it does seem interesting. And for only $16, I have purchased a ton of other games that charged double/triple that, but this one I know I will defintely get my value out of it, even if it doesn't end up having a long shelf life!

I just have to figure out all these options!

[laika]

ORIGINAL: gunny

I just digital downloaded from stardock. [&:] Those of you who are used to easy purchase and play at matrix are gonna be in for a shocker when dowloading for the first time from Impulse. Yea you get an installed game on your computer, but no file you can transfer to a DVD, and a whole lot of other crap installed on your PC you don't want. never again. Hope it works cause there aint no support for 48hrs. Lesson learned.[:(]

Don,t worry i also have Impulse driven(stardock) for some time. You need it when you also play SINS including the add-ons. Its like steam but alot better because you don,t need to run impulse application to play your games. Also there is no DRM and you can backup your games. The only point is you need impulse to download and update this game(automatic by impulse). But you never need to burn it on cd because you can download the game any time you want(no DRM). I like imulse. Maby its that i,m used to it because i also play also SINS. Other then that is that Kharkov is a very great game and worth every cent.

[freeboy]

Well, I am an old time tank sim, then armor warfare game player.. not too much, ok no, fps... and I really say the emersion factor is steller...
This game has individual solders and tanks.. BUT you give orders as sqauds and platoons... easy mouse driven grabe and click features.. I at times save time with menu  driven orders.. which are nice if you lose track of platoon X in company Y... and simply pull a big mouse sqaure over them and order .." attack here"
 
After the initial learning the menues.. this game plays really really well.. I hate nights cause I cannot see... I pull open the benolcular case and scope out the enemy areas... the absolute BEST thing is the ai behavior..
I just strategically surronded an enemy with about 6 companies including some pz 4's.. the enemy had three t34's... so my 4 marders and 3 pnzers should do great right?
Well, they spotted my halftracks before I could run away and hide.. killed one or two... some of the infantry and put a good delaying action against my other armor...
ran into the best terreign.. and waited.. then tride ot punch it out.. after losing the second tank the third took off and only when it tride to help extricate some infantry did my force overwelm it.... I even had my Stukas mistake my attacking forces for the nearby enemy and one plane dropped on my tanks.. oops...
 
NEx tbid plus.. the damage is not generic... some time the tanks catch fire.. some times they really brew up, and not all look teh same.. I just had a t34 brew up after rear shots disabled it into the BEST fuel burning black dark cloud aroundthe tank... other times no fire at all... I was really impressed by the visuals....
I thought they would be good after seeing the youtube stuff from the same company in the tank sim... BUT ever did I dream the ai would be as good as it is....
Makes you really use combined forces and plan.. not a stupid game where the ai always charges at you...
 
 
The third thing after the impressive ai and graphics its the strategy in the turn based part... gives you the ability to reinforce, swap companies, have not figured that out... refuel and rearm and also move your forces on a larger map, gives meaning to the real time battles, a context ofthe larger picture..
What is it missing?
Content.. it has a lot of different campeigns but limited types of troops .. I would like to see more veriety of tanks and more armor on armor.. but I feel it is coming. and the price WOW

[gunny]

What, armoured vehicles don't have all seeing radar? I just played a pitch black night battle, lit only by the enemy vehicle ambient spotlights. I ordered an entire Ruski infantry recon platoon to a major cross road objective, it was in the open. An enemy armoured recon section was also headed to said objective. I thought O crap my guys are caught in the open. But the APC's didnt fire and kept rolling. Hmmm,... I ordered a halt all. The recce platoon goes to ground, the half traks are dead centre 20 meters from 4 squads all circled. Half traks stop. I could hear Oh Shizer! seriously one of the germans actually swore hehe. and the half traks were knocked out by an ATR, 2 air burst grenades and a couple short burst of stalin MG fire. One german bailed out on fire, in the darkness this lit up the area and i had to laugh. never seen that before.

Getting back my point is:
-my infantry squad did not give away their position and I did not have to issue a hold fire command, not that there is one. And let loose at the right time.
-and the apc's did not cheat, were affected by their limited sight and noise pollution... is that by design, I'm not sure but seems right to me.

The AI is no push over either, they did fight this to a draw by rushing a column between my two platoons to the objective in the last 2 minutes of the scenario.

[Peter Fisla]

I keep my half-tracks in the rear (inluding my Marder III units, few rifle shots on the crew and the TD is out of action), I have seen T-34s shredding them to pieces very easily. Though I do always send the 1 half-track with PanzerGrenadiers as support for my panzer platoon. One has to be patient when playing because a harsh action can quickly turn into hell, the best part is there is no "undo" cancel last battle...so you live with your mistakes. The armor was very important on Eastern Front, so I use it to punch holes into the enemy front and then I bring my infantry to defend the new location my panzers just took over. If you loose your armor then enemy will just steam roll over you. I'm playing on medium difficulty so far with "simulation" settings with 2 hours of play time per battle (this can be adjusted to 30mins, 1 hour, 2 hours). I haven't even used stuff like Snipers, Artillery observer or air support. So far I'm playing the 1st German operation with 8 turns, once I'm done I will play the full 15 turn campaign. The challenge is that I can't trade loses on 1:1 terms with the Russians army...in long term that will get me nailed as the Russians have huge men and material reserves. Single loss of Pz IVG could have serious terrible consequences in the long term. In the demo I was for the most part getting trashed by the German forces due to the Panzers so in full game I always make the priority to go after the Russian Armor units as soon as I can.

Can you imagine this engine with Kursk Campaign? Imagine on Strategic level Russian AT guns and armor everywhere...Tigers mixing it up with swarms of T-34s, KV-1s SU-122s on sunny grass fields of Kursk terrain I hope that's the future...

[GMeyer]

Its about $16 on Gamers' Gate(download only), at that price, its not a risky investment.

[htuna]

Just finished a good battle this afternoon.. first match up with the T34's!!!.. My Pz IV G's were dug in and waiting, but they actually attacked infantry on my left flank.. they were hurting them bad, so I got my IV G's on the move with a Marder.. and was able to hit the T34's from the flank and behind... took out all three!!.. One weird thing, one of the T34's was still moving, like it was retreating or something.. I got a IV G and Marder right up next to it, but they refused to fire on it.. I wonder if it was because it was considered as Dead or something.. at the end of game stats, it said all the T34's were killed... Fun Battle, my casualties weren't too high.. most important, none of my IV G's or Marders got hurt!

[freeboy]

I have been able to order muy tanks to shoot.. attack is the correct order. .dead tanks... odd they would not fire
I saw  the diesel smoke form a brew up and it totally obscured the vehicle, no wind.. wow this game acts "properly" as above..

[Peter Fisla]

ORIGINAL: cmurphy625

Just finished a good battle this afternoon.. first match up with the T34's!!!.. My Pz IV G's were dug in and waiting, but they actually attacked infantry on my left flank.. they were hurting them bad, so I got my IV G's on the move with a Marder.. and was able to hit the T34's from the flank and behind... took out all three!!.. One weird thing, one of the T34's was still moving, like it was retreating or something.. I got a IV G and Marder right up next to it, but they refused to fire on it.. I wonder if it was because it was considered as Dead or something.. at the end of game stats, it said all the T34's were killed... Fun Battle, my casualties weren't too high.. most important, none of my IV G's or Marders got hurt!

My Pz IIIL shot a T-34 from point blank range (while it was slowly reversing) and set it on fire, the Russian crew on fire jumped out of the tank while the tank on fire was still slowly reversing before it stopped...man talk about creepy moment in wargames.

[freeboy]

YEP

[D.Ilse]

Is there a list of in-game units for the germans and russians?

[Peter Fisla]

ORIGINAL: D.Ilse

Is there a list of in-game units for the germans and russians?

Here is what I know:

Tanks:

Pz IIC, Pz IIF
Pz IIIL, PzIII (Fl)
Pz IVG

T-34 mod 1941
T-34 mod 1942
OT-34
KV-1 mod 1941
KV-1S mod 1942
KV-8
T-60 mod 1941

APCs/ACars:
Sdkfz-232 8-rad
Sdkfz-251/1, Sdkfz-251/2, Sdkfz-251/9, Sdkfz-251/10
Sdkfz-250/1, Sdkfz-250/10

SPGs:
StuG III F/8, Marder III H

Guns:
ZIS-3 mod 1942, F-22 mod 1936, Regimental gun mod 1927
53-K, M-42 AT-guns

Pak-35, Pak-38, Pak-40, leFH-18

Mortars/MGs
Maxim, DSHK mod 1938
50 and 82 mm mortars

MG-42
5 and 8 cm mortars

[JudgeDredd]

Disappointed to see no Tigers in there....were there no Tigers at this time in Kharkov '43?

[wodin]

Looks like I know a good wargame when I try one hehe.

Glad you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed the demo. Still cant get the full game yet though cos of the missus!!!

Cant wait to get my own place!

[vonRocko]

ORIGINAL: Peter Fisla

ORIGINAL: cmurphy625

Just finished a good battle this afternoon.. first match up with the T34's!!!.. My Pz IV G's were dug in and waiting, but they actually attacked infantry on my left flank.. they were hurting them bad, so I got my IV G's on the move with a Marder.. and was able to hit the T34's from the flank and behind... took out all three!!.. One weird thing, one of the T34's was still moving, like it was retreating or something.. I got a IV G and Marder right up next to it, but they refused to fire on it.. I wonder if it was because it was considered as Dead or something.. at the end of game stats, it said all the T34's were killed... Fun Battle, my casualties weren't too high.. most important, none of my IV G's or Marders got hurt!

My Pz IIIL shot a T-34 from point blank range (while it was slowly reversing) and set it on fire, the Russian crew on fire jumped out of the tank while the tank on fire was still slowly reversing before it stopped...man talk about creepy moment in wargames.

This sold me! I'm downloading now. $16.95 I can justify.[:)]

[Peter Fisla]

ORIGINAL: JudgeDredd

Disappointed to see no Tigers in there....where there no Tigers at this time in Kharkov '43?

With original Achtung Panzer your unit is part of the 6th Panzer Division, which didn't have at this point any Tigers, so you don't get any in the game either. However there is expansion planned called Operation Star and Tigers are coming with 2nd SS Panzer Division "DasReich", see here:

http://www.graviteam.com/games/149.html ... creenshots

http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/sho ... p?t=463093

Peter