Operation Able Sentry

[Tazak]

I'm putting a UK 11Armd Bde (4th Div) campaign together and would like a couple of volunteers to help with testing

There is a issue with creating a new campaign but I have the first 2 scenarios ready to be tested although as standalone scenarios

11th Armoured Brigade
3rd Royal Tank Regiment - 3RTR in Chieftain Mk10 MBTs
2nd Battalion Royal Green Jackets - 2 RGJ Mech Infantry with FV432
47th Field Regiment Royal Artillery - 47FRRA – 3 Batteries of Abbot 105mm
Brigade attachments:
Armoured Engineer Squadron - 42Sqn Royal Engineers – 42Sqn including CET and AVLBs
Air Defence Troop - 10 (Assaye) AD Bty with elements of 12 (Minden) AD Bty with Blowpipe and tracked Rapier

Set in Nov 1983 following a series of real world events that put the world at the closest point to WW3 since Cuban crisis in 1968, the soviets decide that Able Archer is a prelude to a nuclear first strike by NATO and invade Europe.

Set in a time before thermal imaging was wide spread, although there are 6 units with GSR and arty & mortar ammo loads include Illum rounds for night fighting (2nd scenario features night fighting!!) it does provide a for different experience where the technology gap is only just starting to widen.

First Battle - Op Orange Comet
2nd battle - Op Vodoo Vibe

Very interested to see what your losses are like, particular the destroyed elements as I'm planning on making the campaign with limited replacement vehicles and special equipment (i.e. don't lose your AVLBs)

[Tazak]

It does use a custom OOB with some highlights below
Chieftain ammo load has been tweak slight with less HE and more AP
Mech Inf have lost their pistols in favour of a couple of 66mm LAWs - they still use the 84mm Carl Gustav MAWs
Infantry company HQs - I've split out the GPMG -SF more to see how useful detached from the HQ they are with the infantry weapon changes (also the security element from the engineer HQ)
Both Recon plt HQ's have received a Spartan/GSR, wanted to add some additional GSR for night fighting as there will be at least 2 scenarios in the dark, also equipped all FOO & MFC with GSR so the player has 6 GSRs in total
Tweaked the Milan equipped units slightly, 2 RGJ should now have 24 Milan firing posts.

FV436 Cymbeline - the British mortar locating radar, it cant detect arty or MRL only mortars, used the FV432/GSR image for this one

Centurion 105 AVRE - the silhouette for this clearly has the giant viper mine clearance trailer, so I gave it mine clearance as a capability, and the primary use for the AVRE was demolition so I gave it the demo capability - but not sure about this one so might change it back later

[WABAC]

The US Corps artillery seems to do a better job against on map Pact artillery in the first scenario if you turn energized on for their RADAR unit in the setup. I took a peek behind the curtain.

Not quite sure how to approach the second scenario as it allows setting up in--or maneuvering to--his arrival zones. I peeked at that too. Setting up in at least two of his entry zones seems to be what is invited by the briefing, intel, and starting locations whether I'm peeking, or not.

I haven't played the second scenario, but the first is hair-raising.

I have fond memories of the scenarios and campaigns you did for the earlier version. Thanks for this.

[Tazak]

Thanks WABAC, I'm finding the improved tools OTS provide are fun and I'm finding more ways to keep scenarios as interesting as possible

I'll tweak the CB radar setting in the first scenario, i will be doing a 3rd BP for each scenario later


the 2nd scenario, I'll see what I can do to make it clearer in the briefing, if you notice the date/time, its 4hours after the end of the first scenario, in essence you need to pull back quickly from the starting area to defensive positions in the centre before you are cut off and surrounded




************SPOILERS below**********












The 3 WP setup zones are just that, 3 regiments from 3 different directions, if you stay put you will find your fighting 3 regiments in the dark, each BP just changes which regiment appears in what direction

The key in this scenario is traffic mgmt, you will want to avoid traffic jams to move the entire brigade from one corner of the map to the opposite corner quickly before your surrounded, while getting into the fighting elements into ambush positions to hit the advancing forces in the dark, use GSR to see where they are, then fire illum rounds to decimate the enemy forces with the tanks and Milan units

[WABAC]

I'll probably try it one way, and then the other, just to see if I can destroy one before the other two come looking for me. Maybe that experience will motivate me to try my hand at traffic management.

Player note: I've been changing the recce HQ's to hide in place to keep their GSR where I want it. This also works better if I assign the Spartans to the recce units since they need to be within five hexes of their HQ.

[Tazak]

Must admit I didn't think to play it by trying to defeat 1 force before moving, let me know how you get on

I'll look to see what I can do around some flexibility with the GSR in the recce plt, could add in a scout team and Spartan/GSR as a section within the recce plts

[WABAC]

Someone smarter than me with estimating time to move somewhere, and so on, would likely have done better than my contested result with BP1. The regiment on his left, the SW corner, is no more. It didn't take more than six-seven platoons really. The center regiment got away with more than they should have. But they are pretty beat up too.

He suffered 20% permanent losses and 32% fallen out.

Of course things would be different in a campaign depending on how much time I would have had to refit 31 units after the first scenario. I haven't looked to see if You're carrying over any of his forces into the second scenario.

The Soviets weren't using illumination rounds. Maybe they don't have them. Maybe they didn't know where to shoot. Do his forces have any sort of RADAR? I feel like I am painting the map with it.

It took forever to figure out how to do the setup. I've never had to think much about it before. I figured it was OK since he didn't have anyone on the map. So I just ran turn one over and over for a ridiculous amount of time. This game needs some MP's to direct traffic.

[Tazak]

Thanks, I'll ponder over what changes I need to make

[WABAC]

Here's the final situation. If I had been smarter I would have had a company of tanks and the Spartan MCT's on the ridge SW of Badoeckenstedt from the get go. Or the Spartans could have gone on the ridges to the NE. I also could have put D 3/RTR in a more advantageous position.



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Operation Vodoo Vibe v2 setup 260130_1623 @ 06_pct__1623_hrs @ 100_pc_2300_hrs.gif (2.5 MiB) Viewed 177 times

[Tazak]

Interesting, I had a defence centred on Holle running west long the river north of the blown bridges, and along the NE wood ridge east of the A39 which allows covering of the northern gap, would a VP near Neetingen have encouraged you take a similar position

could you post a screenshot of your Ops Tab/MIssion Capable Subunits - section C for both scenarios, interested to see what fallen/destroyed per unit are like

[WABAC]

Interesting, I had a defence centred on Holle running west long the river north of the blown bridges, and along the NE wood ridge east of the A39 which allows covering of the northern gap, would a VP near Neetingen have encouraged you take a similar position

could you post a screenshot of your Ops Tab/MIssion Capable Subunits - section C for both scenarios, interested to see what fallen/destroyed per unit are like

I'll get to the screen shots tomorrow, or soon.

The VP near Neetingen would not have changed my calculus. A VP at Holle might be more concerning. It might at least prevent players from stationing a tank company in the woods to the NE along the river. On the other hand, it might ensure the destruction of the center column.

Here was my thinking:

I was concerned not to give away points with the destruction of engineers, bridging units, and what not. So I felt the need to get those troops to someplace safe. In the event the East Germans tried to break through their trap to the west, which would have caused problem in my rear area. But securing that space was a priority.

The enemy has divided his forces in front of me and is channeling all of them through natural choke points in the dark where I have the advantage. I found that hard to resist. Why face him when his forces are consolidated? Sure, there would be lots of targets, but I was concerned about managing reloading times and him getting three RAG's firing on me in a corner, rather than one or two firing on me where I still had elbow room.

I gambled I could inflict enough casualties on him, while preserving enough of my force to achieve a contested result no matter which markers he made it too. If I was a better player I think I I could have achieved a marginal win, at least.

[Tazak]

Cool, while i try to take the player through a story with the scenarios, there will be players who find different and unexpected ways to play the scenario but as long as you had fun that's the key thing

Yes keeping those engineering assets safe is going to be vital, scenario 4 will be around forcing a crossing over a river in the face of opposition which while I will add some additional engineering assets in the scenario the core force wont see any direct replacements in the campaign

I think I'll keep this in mind when I look at creating BP3

I do find that creating scenarios where players can achieve at least a marginal sometimes tactical and infrequently decisive victories tend to lend themselves to players trying different tactics, likewise I try to avoid stomping on the player although I hear humility is a great teacher

[WABAC]

And here are the details you were looking for.

[Tazak]

thanks, the chieftains are pretty resilient

[WABAC]

Yes they are.

OTOH, UK infantry feels less resilient than it did in previous versions of the game.

I also notice that your artillery batteries are eight guns altogether rather than split in half as in many stock scenarios.

[Tazak]

Yes they are.

OTOH, UK infantry feels less resilient than it did in previous versions of the game.

can you give me a example, I've only replaced the pistols with a couple of LAWs so they should be more if anything but happy to examine things

The arty (and mortars) I consolidated into single 'counters', party to the try and keep the counter number down, and party as 4 barrels of 105mm dont really do a lot per volley whereas 6-8 barrels have a greater impact