Sowchos 79

[UP844]

If there's something strange in you neighborhood
Who you gonna call? (ghostbusters)
If there's something weird
And it don't look good
Who you gonna call? (ghostbusters)
I ain't afraid of no ghost
I ain't afraid of no ghost


[:D][:D][:D]

As far as I know, there is only a single (broken) German squad remaining, close to the KV-1 in the bottom left corner of the window.

[fuselex]

great comment UP844
haven`t played it yet , and pretty sure my result won`t be so decisive but have enjoyed reading about the
11th ghost division ( thanks Rico ) .

If there's something strange in you neighborhood
Who you gonna call? (ghostbusters)
If there's something weird
And it don't look good
Who you gonna call? (ghostbusters)
I ain't afraid of no ghost
I ain't afraid of no ghost

Put a big smile on my face when I read it [:D][:D]

[rico21]

Have you again ghostbuster the German OBA? [:D]

[UP844]

The [CENSORED] laser-guided, RPV-directed AI OBA caused many of my infantry losses (about a third). Many other were lost attacking AFVs in CC (Red Army SOP), but since most German AFVs (including most Pz IV's) were killed this way I still consider it a fair exchange rate. Open-top AFVs are especially easy to kill: fire, STUN and go for the kill [:D]. On the other hand, I had to send four squads and a B* leader (losing two squad equivalents) to kill a Pz III [:(].

I found an interesting document describing the battle for Sowchos 79 here:

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?Lo ... =ADA209474

Note for Peter: Open-top AFVs appear to have become extremely vulnerable to small arms fire: the most likely result when infantry or MG's fire on them is a STUN (a clever player would STUN them at choke points to prevent enemy AFVs to arrive at critical areas [:D])-

[Peter Fisla]

Small arms fire (personnel unit inherent fire power or machine guns) is not modeled to affect enemy vehicle armour in the game (with the exception of vehicle's crew being exposed), however open topped vehicles are more susceptible to damage from enemy mortar fire, or off-board artillery (compared to close-topped vehicles).

[rico21]

Peter, AI OBA is correct but we need some airstrike, available in future?

[UP844]

[WARNING: SPOILER]

I played the scenario with the Germans: my forces have been wiped out almost to the last men (tanks were gone far earlier), but the Russian AI had no more infantry to retake them [:D]. From a rule's lawyer viewpoint I won a Major Victory, but taking 95% losses does not look good to me anyway.

The Russian AI has many, too many tanks (I think about 15, against the 6 for the human player) but I think it could have some more chance of winning if it had some extra infantry instead of this mass of armor. The German tanks are quite fragile and Russian 76mm guns can easily kill them; the contrary is not true, especially when KV-1's are involved. Pz III's may have some chance against T-34's, but against a KV-1 they are dead meat.

The initial Russian forces are no match for the German infantry which has better leaders, better SW and armor support, and the Russian infantry in the southern part of the map has no chance to reach the village (the 251's slaughtered them at long range).

[rico21]

17 tanks in the original scenario.I'm agree with your analyse but if I begin to make scenarios in function of what it would have to be, every scenario would be similar at the others. I prefer the fun. You put in evidence the results and Russian get 33 points of victory so in their point of view, it's a draw.

[UP844]

17 tanks for the AI... I had to make the best use of just six of them, but my second name is Ivan Danilovich Chernyakhovsky [:D] [:D] [:D].

I suggested the addition of some infantry as AI-only units to add some balance. In the last 2 turns I knowingly sent my remaining infantry to make suicide charges adjacent to KV-1's to draw their fire and then I had the last squad run to the last objective: I lost half a dozen squads in a single Movement Segment, but I won despite the fact that, on turns 9 and 10, all the VP hexes except one were not occupied by German squads. If the Russian tanks would have been accompanied by half a dozen squads, I would never have launched the suicide charge since I would have been busy defending the VP hexes I already got.

I haven't the original Scenario Card (it is the only one I haven't from COI), but I found some reference and the OOB is right. Unfortunately, the AI has much less chances playing the Russians than the Germans: the German human player can easily destroy almost all the Russian infantry squads long before the Russian tanks arrive on the battlefield, while a Russian human player can retreat from exposed locations and hide from the panzers while he waits for the armor.

[rico21]

In the original scenario, Germans have to eliminate at least twice as many ennemy units as they're lost of their own.
38 units killed for you, 24 units killed by AI, you fell because ten units too much. I'm asking for victory conditions that can accurately reflect that.

[UP844]

ORIGINAL: rico21

In the original scenario, Germans have to eliminate at least twice as many ennemy units as they're lost of their own.

Is this better? [:D]

I had to kill several KV-1s in CC, as even the long 75mm has trouble piercing their tough hide.

[rico21]

Next time, my T-34s will be accompanied with customs officers.[:D][:D][:D]

[UP844]

A radio set would be a more useful addition [:D]