Favorite Scenarios ?

[Haiku]

So far what's your favorite scenarios in this game ?

I have only try the simpler one, and for the moment I really enjoy "Manhay Crossroads", which I played few times on the German side. There are many choices to make, some gambits, contradictory objectives (I'm not yet sure what the allies objectives really are actually [8D]) and the momentum change during the game. Great scenario !

I have been a little bit disappointed by "Hell on Wheels Counterattack" which isn't much a challenge.

"Höfen Ho-Down" feature a simple situation, but is a perfect follow-up after the tutorial. On the german side, you will have to take into account your units fatigue, the arty supply, find when and from where to assault the allies position... And the OOB is quite easy to grasp. Not so easy to get a minor victory (at least for me).

I found "Skorzeny's bid for glory" not well designed, objective wise. The OOB, the map, the situation are interesting, but there is just too many points to score on the german side. I don't find the end score reflecting closely the in-game situation. I didn't try the allies side yet.

My next game will be "Dinant - Do or Die" (german side)

[Haiku]

(reserved slot)

[Adam Parker]

Good thread Haiku. Guess we'll need to be patient.

Either:

1. Nobody has bought the game because they're all protesting the inflation of war gaming.
2. They're all still trying to make time to read the rules fully.
3. They're all too scared to wean themselves away from the Tutorial!

I'm 2 and a bit of 3 [:)]

[DanOppenheim]

I've only played three scenarios - the tutorial, one with Peiper and the Manhay Crossroads. I've mainly just played Manhay though. I reckon I've put 20+ hours into that one scenario already. It might take me a while to come back with a full assessment!

[sterckxe]

ORIGINAL: Haiku
So far what's your favorite scenarios in this game ?

I have only try the simpler one, and for the moment I really enjoy "Manhay Crossroads", which I played few times on the German side. There are many choices to make, some gambits, contradictory objectives (I'm not yet sure what the allies objectives really are actually [8D]) and the momentum change during the game. Great scenario !

Another vote for Manhay Crossroads here.

Also a very good one is Mayhem on the Meuse

Greetz,

Eddy Sterckx

[tukker]

I have been a little bit disappointed by "Hell on Wheels Counterattack" which isn't much a challenge.

This scenario may be too easy as the US, and too hard as the Germans. [8|]
There were two reasons for me designing it:

-I wanted to do at least one historical scenario set during the US counterattack on the Northern Shoulder. "Hell on Wheels" does have the historical OOB's, and (amazingly) KGr Kreutz did manage to delay 2nd Armored's advance: the Americans didn't reach Dochamps untill Jan 9 historically.

-I figured a relatively straigthforward scenario with good odds for the attacker might be useful for new players learning the ropes.

Have you tried it yet with both Axis and Allied reinforcement schedules set to "Favour Axis" ?

Pieter

[Henri]

"Hell on wheels" as the Germans with reinforcements favoring the Germans is a good exercise for a delaying battle.

"Peiper crosses the Meuse" is a good fun one for a first try at a larger scenario (Corps-size, 5 days). I have only played it as the Germans, but there are a multitude of possible strategies. Both sides have reinforcements coming in during the whole game, so there is a lot of racing and fighting with fatigued units.

Getting a draw as the Germans is the best you can expect unless you are a micro-management genius or are very good at rotating units in and out of combat to optimize resting (I am not ...).I would think that the US is easier to play againt the German AI, since you hae a larger force and all you have to do is keep them from exiting to get at least a draw (but I haven't tried playing the US yet).

Henri

"You Sir, are no Rommel" (me to myself after getting whalloped by the AI).

[moberly]

I haven't really played many of them yet, but I really like 'Battle of the Roadblocks', playing it for the 2nd time as the Germans right now. I abandoned the first try after the 2nd day because I was too careless and had my forces too scattered and cut up.

I think the scale of BftB is perfect to give a sense of this particular situation.

[loyalcitizen]

I like Losheim Gap, as it offers the Germans a variety of attack avenues and some actual choices of which objectives to go for.
So far I am not too impressed with a lot of the scenarios as there is rarely more than one way to play it.
And I'm finding the exit scenarios are not at all to my liking. Too many of them, too.
I play with Painfully Realistic Orders Delay and often can do nothing but move. No time to shoot. If my guys stop to shoot, there is no way they will ever get moving again in time to exit. If that is the intent, I might as well delete those scenarios.
Still like the game, tho.

[goodwoodrw]

A bit embarrassing, I haven't got past the tutorial yet [:D] 

[Henri]

ORIGINAL: loyalcitizen

And I'm finding the exit scenarios are not at all to my liking. Too many of them, too.
I play with Painfully Realistic Orders Delay and often can do nothing but move. No time to shoot. If my guys stop to shoot, there is no way they will ever get moving again in time to exit. 

I have problems with exit scenarios too, and I agree that either something is wrong or I am not doing it right. One thing I haven't tried and intend to try is to use the withdraw command. I have tried giving move commands up to 3 days in advance to HQs that had only enemy supply units between them and the exit, but the units seem to be stuck in combat with glue and it is rare that any make it out if they ever meet any enemy units.

The withdraw command might work if it allows retreating toward the exit points.I'll try it out.

Henri

[Arjuna]

Henri,

Try and experiment with using a screen. If you are exiting off a friendly controlled map edge, then throw a screen out in front while ordering the bulk of your force to exit. IF you are to exit from an enemy controlled location, then use a screen on your flanks to prevent the enemy from engaging your main body and use an advance guard group to attack through to the exit, then issue an exit order to your main body.

[loyalcitizen]

ORIGINAL: Arjuna

Henri,

Try and experiment with using a screen. If you are exiting off a friendly controlled map edge, then throw a screen out in front while ordering the bulk of your force to exit. IF you are to exit from an enemy controlled location, then use a screen on your flanks to prevent the enemy from engaging your main body and use an advance guard group to attack through to the exit, then issue an exit order to your main body.

Screening would be the correct course of action, if there were multiple roads to the exits points. In most cases, there are not. Where there are multiple roads, I have yet to see the BYPASS command do anything. Sometimes I see the word Bypass in a unit's Log, but they certainly never change routes.
I'd love to see a save game or video of the AI successfully implementing a Bypass. Haven't seen it happen yet.

[Haiku]

ORIGINAL: loyalcitizen

Screening would be the correct course of action, if there were multiple roads to the exits points. In most cases, there are not. Where there are multiple roads, I have yet to see the BYPASS command do anything. Sometimes I see the word Bypass in a unit's Log, but they certainly never change routes.
I'd love to see a save game or video of the AI successfully implementing a Bypass. Haven't seen it happen yet.

I open a new discussion to talk about this interesting issue, which I think deserves it's own thread.

[HansBolter]

My copy of the published game hasn't yet arrived but I can state which one's were my favorites during playtesting.

I thoroughly enjoyed Cracking the Goose Egg, Race for Bastogne and Assault on the Saur. I'm not sure if the scenario names from playtesting are the same in the released version.

My number one favorite has to be Race for Bastogne. The Germans get an entire corps.

Hans

[wodin]

Im loving Race to Bastogne aswell.

I only play with realsitic orders...I think that was the level recommended for a realsitic game..rather than painful..infact I think the game is more designed for realistic..

[Henri]

ORIGINAL: Arjuna

Henri,

Try and experiment with using a screen. If you are exiting off a friendly controlled map edge, then throw a screen out in front while ordering the bulk of your force to exit. IF you are to exit from an enemy controlled location, then use a screen on your flanks to prevent the enemy from engaging your main body and use an advance guard group to attack through to the exit, then issue an exit order to your main body.

This will work if none of those 3 forces is in combat, otherwise it will bog down on the first contact with the enemy, and unless the scenario is very long or the flankers are very strong, they will never make it to the exit. For example, in one game of "Peiper crosses the Meuse", I managed to exit the first German KG that enters the South of the map by going across the undefended Ardenne Bridge and running off the map, because there were no US units along that road yet. But in another iteration where I had KG Peiper go around the Ardenne bridge to get behind the enemy at the Huy bridges (which had both been blown), I was unable to exit ANY of the KG Peiper units despite the fact that most were between the enemy and the exit point, and the only enemy units in the way were a couple of supply units and an artillery. I gave the exit order over 2 days before the end of the game, but KG Peiper hardly moved at all.(I posted a picture of the situation in the thread on this subject in the war room area).

I suspect that this may be because some of KG Peiper units were in combat and the rest of them would not run away without those units. Maybe detaching the units that are not free would help? Or perhaps the bypass command is not strong enough? As far as I could see, it has no effect at all when enemy units are in the way. It seems to me that a battalion or stronger force should be able to brush right by an enemy supply unit if it wanted to, especially if it has tanks.

In the exit scenarios I have played so far (for example Hell on Wheels and Peiper crosses the Meuse, clearing a road to the exit point as you describe is equivalent to winning a decisive victory.

Henri

EDIT: The withdraw command works. Check out the thread on this subject in the War Room section for details.

[sanch]

I've been playing Losheim Gap as the Germans. Big, but relatively simple - no panzers (until late), so you get to know the capabilities of the VGD units. And all sorts of options: should you go for the quick encirclement, or try for a larger one across the river? Should you hold a regiment, or an entire division in reserve for day 2 or 3? Very interesting.

So far, I haven't been able to close the gap on day 1, so am now trying to keep them occupied while I run for the crossings. Will this work - who knows.

The AI is good - even with the same initial orders, the AI will do different things. It'll hold up north, or it will counter-attack the southern edge, or it will try to plug up the center. The only thing for certain - it will be in your face someplace, meaning some part of your plan won't work.

[loyalcitizen]

I have finally seen a division commander have his subordinate KGs & battalions BYPASS. In the Race for Bastogne, I sent the Panzer Lehr Division and all of its organic sub-units on a southerly path past Wiltz on its way to Bras for an attack on Wardin. Since the Wiltz bridges were still an objective at the time, some American units were there. The advance guard engaged. KG 902 and its several attached Battalions were redirected away from the bridge route by the AI commander to Bypass onto the forest paths through Wald Hobbitsch...  where they became embroiled in an endless traffic jam. By noon of Day 4, they were stuck and didn't move again for the rest of the scenario. Fastest Move, Quickest Path, No Rest all to no avail. Wouldn't budge.  You win some, you lose some.

[wodin]

Race to Bastogne
Pattons Favourite
Manhay Crossroads
Mayhen on the Meuse

Infact the only scenario I've played I was non plussed with was the Skornzey one.