I just installed 4.4 (had to hang on to 4.0 to finish an email game) and tried the Utah to the Rhine campaign. The first battle looked easy enough, figured I'd do it quickly before I went to bed, so I bought myself a core force consisting of four rifle platoons, one platoon of Stuarts and one of Sherman/76'es. In addition I picked all the artillery I could get for support.
At first everything went smoothly, the Airborne even kicked some butt as the germans assaulted their defensive positions. As usual I got careless and had them advance to the outskirts of the town. Then suddenly there was a cry (mine) of "Panzer IV's!". My 76'es moved up, but by the time they got there most of the PzIV's had been destroyed by close assaults. I thought this was the end of it, and _boy_ was I wrong.
Did you script all the little surprises somehow? They always seemed to turn up at the wrong place at the wrong time (for me that is, excellent placing for them ). Still, great battle, had me on the edge of my chair for three hours fighting off the german hordes (got a draw, while saving most of my men), and I'm sure I'll be enjoying the rest of the campaign too. Thanks Bill.
I can't agree more with Rusco
Right now I'm in the midst of testing WB's new Campaign "The Victors", and I can tell ya!!!!!
Lot's of neat (read "nasty") surprises!
Guys you gotta love it.
Look forward to Bills latest . . .
Ciao
Spellbinder
I have also found Wild Bill's camapigns and scenarios to be stuffed full of nasty little surprises. Although I must admit that adds the special flavor to the battles that I love. I look forward to all WB's battles. On another note I'm hoping to get home sometime in January. Can't wait to get a hold of all the new scenarios not to mention WB's new campaign. Best wishes to all over the holidays!
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Cavalry Trooper (8th US) and Grandson of a Leibstandarte Tanker.
Cavalry Trooper (8th US) and Grandson of a Leibstandarte Tanker.
Just come HOME in one piece OK. I have seen enough burnt and torn bodys while I was in the navy during the irac/iran tanker war. So you will be in our prayers this Christmas. Be Good, be carefull but just come home alive! OK!
Don D.
DDG-11 USS SELLERS 80-85.
Doom
Vet of the Russian General Winter
For death is only the begining
Well, just as I thought I would get kicked into the sea in battle 2 my AT guns found some targets, and as I'd managed to hold all the victory locations, I got a decisive victory. Positioning my infantry so that the Airborne could retreat through my grunts, who were merrily firing up the german infantry to cover their retreat, helped a lot too.
I might not be all that old yet, but I think I'm learning the crafty bits . And now to bed, your battles have to be played with a sharp mind, I've noticed.
Thanks again, this is the best campaign I've seen in any wargame yet, and I'm only on battle three .
I'm playing the first Watchword Freedom scenario of that campaign, and a number of thoughts come to mind.
The first time I played it two of the first four tanks I moved immobilised on their own, within three hexes of movement, so I gave up on it, afterall the terrain looks horrifically susceptible to breakdowns (and these broke down in 'clear').
My current attempt, saw me concerned about not having enough AA units, because I've played a few of WB's scenarios or campaigns before, but given the gravity the campaign I decided to go with only two SP AA units, though I could convert some later. I recall the dialogue said that you won't get reinforcements, or something such, so the first battle I was surprised to see support. What that means, is that when someoone says I won't get, whatever it was I won't get, I don't know if they mean that battle won't have support, nor will any of the battles, or that I won't be able to repair/upgrade units. It makes a huge difference on just what you pick, depending on those conditions.
Anyway, first battle, I got a section of Tigers on the closest forward hill with any hope of covering any of the objective hexes with fire, and they've wiped out like 8-10 T34s, and haven't had a single shot fired at them (what dominance!). Unfortunately I don't possess a single timed hex (there are three I believe), due to the hexes being in Russian territory (though neutral hexes at first), and my unwillingness to deal with hyper-breakdowns, so in most cases, with the bad terrain, I'm of the thinnking that restricting units to half their movement points used, or less, will keep the breakdowns very minimal.
One thing that's kind of goofy for me, is that though the Tigers have been spotted for the longest an airstrike of one Sturmovik attacked a just spotted Minenram instead, which hadn't fired a round and wasn't even conducting mine-clearing yet.
So tell me, Wild Bill, will that campaign allow upgrades/fixes, and if not, just what did the opening battle's statement of not getting reinforcements (or whatever it said) mean? Does it strictly mean the reinforcement option will not work (I never use it anyway) or do I have to trudge along with my orginal equipment throughout? Having to trudge along with the same equipment might be more accurate for the type of battles that commenced, though I realise it may be beyond doing for just one campaign.
I'm sorry if I'm a bit daft here, but I really expected that the lack of reinforcements would mean no support (perhaps it's only the following battles which won't give support). Am I right, does the support picked in the first battle only last the first battle, while there's no more support options later on? Thanks.
All right, let's try to answer these for you Charles22.
First, support units and reinforcements are two different things. No reinforcements means that no units will enter later in the game to reinforce what you have at the start.
Support units usually are mentioned in the intro text, but not always.
Now this is what the intro text says to the first battle:
"February 4th, 1944 - Mein Oberst, the situation is critical. Nearly 60,000 of our troops have been bottled up in a pocket on the Dnieper near Cherkassy. Your heavy tank battalion and accompanying infantry and other mixed forces are to breakthrough and open a corridor of escape for Gruppe Stemmerman. Historically, you should pick a mix of Panthers and Tigers with infantry, artillery and engineers. Your task is to avoid a second Stalingrad. The sudden thaw has made the terrain very difficult. But we cannot wait. Move now and reach the outskirts of Lyssanka with all expediency! Sadly, we will not be able to reinforce your Kampfgruppe."
The hint I gave was the phrase mixed forces. I suggested that you pick Panthers and Tigers, infantry, artillery and engineers, suggesting how to use your Building points (core and support points).
The phrase "We will not be able to reinforce your Kampfgruppe.." refers to the reinforce option. I'm sorry that was not clear enough.
Yes, you will get support points...Spoiler, see below
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Battle 1 1000
Battle 2 300
Battle 3 300
Battle 4 350
Battle 5 250
Battle 6 500
Battle 7 200
Battle 8 300
As for breakdowns, I recommend you play with breakdowns turned off. They are too frequent. Everyone is experiencing the same problem. It should be fixed. It has not been fixed as yet. Hopefully it will.
Sorry for the problems you have had, Charles.
We'll try to make it clearer for you and others in the future.
Yours is the first complaint I've had on this..WB
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In Arduis Fidelis
Wild Bill Wilder
Coordinator, Scenario Design
Matrix Games
In Arduis Fidelis
Wild Bill Wilder
Independent Game Consultant
Actually I would have taken your 'reinforcement' phrase literally, as indeed being reinforcements, but I didn't recall if that was the exact word used. Of course there's always the question of whether you are being literal when you mention reinforcements.
I definitely picked up on the relative historical German force composition statement and followed it to some extent, though as things stand, the Gerrys are somewhat limited at present by the inability to be able to pick light tanks or JPZs (I could sure use some of those JPZIVLs if they were available then). The adventure of this campaign will doubtlessly be increased with the more units being made available, which I believe the new patch will fix (odd the Arralen OOB fixes didn't fix that).
You are right, Charles. It can be confusing. The text files are so limited in size that I find myself trying to squeeze a lot of info into a tiny space.
You do have a point. Sometimes instructions can be confusing. Thanks for the update.
Wild Bill
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In Arduis Fidelis
Wild Bill Wilder
Coordinator, Scenario Design
Matrix Games
In Arduis Fidelis
Wild Bill Wilder
Independent Game Consultant
). Still, great battle, had me on the edge of my chair for three hours fighting off the german hordes (got a draw, while saving most of my men), and I'm sure I'll be enjoying the rest of the campaign too. Thanks Bill. 
