beginners guide to BattleGround Italy 43-45

[zakblood]

with only German forces left around Rome, i need to plan now to move across the ferry, and do some landings elsewhere, which takes time, and hope they don't reinforce and move down the coast to make it harder for me, but i'd guess they won't, as they have only the forces to defend a narrow line, so moving further down, they will also weaken a line to do it, so some beginner moves on how to play, when to attack and with what, and when not to, and sometimes if it's even needed at all, while this only applies to the normal level of difficulty, it gives you the ability to play almost any campaign and learn how to control units in the land sea or air and win, before you move onto a harder level of difficulty and face more of a challenge, only when your ready for it[;)]





so as shown i move a TF into the ferry zone and cross 3 infantry divisions at once onto the Toe of Italy and attack the defenders there, and show them not only i'm i here, but here to stay and move fast and own it all, so Italy is mine now for the taking, unless the defenders move something in my way to stop me any time soon, or my supplies run out, as i'm now pushing hard, and maybe a bit reckless for me, as my normal plans are more softly softly approach, which works, with less loss, but does also take longer.

[zakblood]

i probe and find the defender far to powerful for a 3 unit attack, so bypass them with my armored spearheads again and push on and leave them there, and hope next turn i will be in a better position to either leave them, box them in, or surround and cut off and wait them out and remove them at will, at a later date etc

[zakblood]

landings in Corsica and Sardinia both go off with only light losses of life on my part and unopposed landings, and with only 2 German unit left, hope it stays that way while i take over both without a fight, as they may remove what 2 they have there or i'll make both surrender as i won't attack them, only block and surround them for now

[zakblood]

so ends turn 7 and i move onto the start of turn 8 and show how it goes from now




and what happens comes as a complete shock, the Germans, out numbered and on this level of difficulty out played, attacks me, as i placed a now allied Italian unit to close for it's comfort and it engaged it, seems no love left there for ex axis members then it seems and the first time i have had it happen as well while playing or testing this one...

while only a probe that does no real damage, or makes me lose ground and retreat etc, it does go to show what iv'e said from the start, get to close to German unit and they bite...

hopefully now you can see what you will get as soon as you make the game a bit harder and take the level / difficulty up even one notch from normal to the next level to challenging, with or without FOW on, it's not a cake walk any longer, so always best to learn on normal, and play at a lower, slower pace and challenge etc

[zakblood]

so start of turn 7 air losses results screen

[zakblood]

and losses on the ground

[zakblood]

and now unit losses for both sides, which needs a bit more explaining, as sometimes a loss, again isn't a loss



as both unit it says have been destroyed have in fact been withdrawn, so overall i'm down in man power yes, so a loss, but overall not dead etc[&o]

[zakblood]

so again onto the start and showing the positions before i move on turn 8



sorry had to zoom out fully to get it all in, and yes i own anything that isn't brown.

so only 2 units on the east and then Rome to take, and as shown, my airborne has already landed and will now take the port, where my new front will land, again, unopposed[;)]

[zakblood]

end of turn positions, and the speed on the German retreat is breath taking to say the least, i can't even keep up




seems they wish to keep what they have left and have planned a move much faster than any of my spearhead units can, so again i'm out planned on this turn, seems the AI still has some play left in it and isn't finished yet...

[zakblood]

start of turn 9 results for air

[zakblood]

with no land combat results to show, only losses are mine by shipping lose to travel to target sites etc, which while all added together soon mount up, overall, nothing so high i need to worry about, but lost men at sea is losses all the same and will effect the overall score, but again that's matters little on this level of play




but at the end of turn 9, it's another story, as the Germans are fighting now, 2 probes and one attack later, they hold on it the east and i advance up Italy all on my own, knowing higher up, they are digging in and waiting and bringing in maybe more forces, Germany now only maybe so an even tougher nut to crack, but then again it maybe nothing as i do worry to much at times[:D]

[zakblood]

so at the start of turn 10, i show yet again how the Air plan is going on

[zakblood]

and land combat losses

[zakblood]

unit losses are of less importance atm, as only one withdrawal anyway

[zakblood]

all of the rail is repaired on Sicily so next turn it will be transferred to Italy to start on both the main coastal roads to help with some more supplies getting to the advanced units




and yes while this is normal, you still need to sort out supplies so don't forget, you unit can't move without, food, fuel and bullets etc, so spend as much time learning how to do anything but never forget supplies comes first, planning comes from preparing what you need, before you need it etc

[zakblood]

and finally on turn 10 on the last moves i make, yes i probed a few times, attacked more than a few times, low losses etc and then one larger assault in force and now Corsica is in my hands also




but with no way to totally surround the port, yes they got away so no capture of mass surrender so they live to fight another day[:(]

for now

[zakblood]

and so ends turn 10 and i leave it in this position up to the middle of the Italian mainland




with supplies on half, i either need to push on and then rest in sight of them and catch both our breaths, or hold back the infantry and let the armor push on, on there own, risky, so as me as the commander, i stop and let the supplies catch up again and will wait now a few turns once i get all my units into better fixed positions where at lease they can defend from if attacked etc

[zakblood]

so turn 11 brings a pause and only some small redeploys of lines to better defenses for now, so i move on a few turns, until supplies get better, more units are rested and in place and also bring up some TF's to do some behind the front landings, as the airborne get back to airfields and wait, rest and recover, rearm etc




as shown, the AI knows my plans, as i advance i get further away from my supplies and they get closer to there own, so it's catch 22 and they deploy in a line from coast to coast and show me know, what i've seen before, was only a taste of what now they may or will or even could make me pay for more forward movement, so yes, movement to here as been fast, but not it's a dead stop or crawl tbh for here on.

well play the Germans and AI tbh, as they recover well, and out planned and played me yet again, even with there losses, they won't give ground know unless i pay a high blood cost for it, while they just retreat to another line then another, while my losses just keep on rising [&:]

[zakblood]

yes they have me stalled, supplies are my issue and now they are where they always wanted to be, and look at the VP's i need, so large losses for me, are a no no

[zakblood]

i need to plan ahead now, as i need some TF's to get some prep points in, i need the supply, so rail needs sorting, and best of all, my men need rest, oh and also i need to move to the front and face them to dig in[:'(]

oh my, nothings ever ease, even on normal, so like iv'e said before, just not in the this, play the smaller ones first, learn of them, then and only then once they have been one, move onto one of the medium sized one, as yes this is a minor campaign as there's some massive ones, much much larger to do as yet[X(][8|][;)]





so yes i've moved forward a turn or 2, and still i'm preparing, waiting, resting and recovering and repairing rail, bring up supplies any way i cam, moving air bases and HQ's, building depots etc etc etc, so while it looks like i'm doing nothing per turn, it's all takes time...