Disaster on the demo

[henri51]

Don't try this at home: either I am very unlucky or I forgot to set the game on "easy" when I moved back and forth between the menus.[:(]

Anyway I followed the demo instructions, loaded up my infantry and sent my tanks forward on bound and overwatch. As soon as the rightmost tank cleard the first tree line, it was destroyed by an ATG in the trees on the far right. I continued as instructed anyway, and instructed my halftracks to loop to the right and head for the road. An airplane flew overhead and bombed a clump of trees near the objective, but it was not the one with the ATG.

The commander's halftrack was under fire as soon as it turned toward the objective, and quickly began to back up; but to no avail, as the ATG killed a crewman in the halftrack. I reordered my tanks to continue bounding, but the one on the right was hit twice by the ATG, one shot disabling the gun and another immobilizing it by hitting a track. [:@]

The tank platoon commander reached the road where infantry with an anti-tank rifle was hiding a few meters away. The commander decided that he had had enough and abandoned the tank, so I put the two remaining halftracks out of their misery and abandoned the mission.[8|]

Gonna check my settings next time before I play...[:'(]

Henri

[Richie61]

I did the same thing last night! AI handed me my in less than 5 turns [:D]

It was ugly......but FUN [:'(]

[henri51]

OK, this time I made sure it was on easy. During the very first move, that damm ATG destroyed one tank and immobilized another, and the commander's halftrack! was destroyed [X(]. Am I hexed or something?[:D]

Henri

[Mad Russian]

LOL!! No, it's just the Ost Front. It does this to everybody that gets sent here.

Good Hunting.

MR

[Erik Rutins]

Henri,

Try sending your Panzers a bit more to the right towards the ATGs if they are causing you too much trouble. Don't be discouraged by a few losses though, the tutorial (on Easy) is still possible to win for the Germans even if they lose half their forces.

Regards,

- Erik

[henri51]

LOL.[:D] On the next try, made it to turn 2 before disaster struck. My lead tanks made it to the road, but then two of my tanks were destroyed by the 2 ATGs. I did manage to destroy one of them. My halftracks never got to move, because on each move, the mortar rounds forced the infantry to dismount, and on the second move a mortar round destroyed the commander's halftrack.[:@]

I just wish I could get through the tutorial instructions so I could learn to play this game. Is this a plot to prevent players from learning the game until they buy the full game?[&:]

Maybe I should just go play the Winterstorm tutorial (yes I have that game, but haven't played for years).[:'(] OK Eric I will try sending my tanks to the right.(Mayvbe I should just read the tutorial instead of playing it....LOL)[:D]

Henri

I bet Guderian never had problems like this...[:-][:-]

[Erik Rutins]

Hi Henri,

I think the main problem is that the tutorial was tested by players that were already too experienced (I'm one of the guilty parties). We've included a tweaked version in the full release that does not have the mortars dropping on the Germans on Turn 1, which should help significantly.

Regards,

- Erik

[henri51]

Sgt Steiner gathered his men: "Allright men, four attempts to take this objective have failed with heavy casualties; we have lost seven tanks and two halftracks, not to mention the loss of soldiers. This time we take the objective. We have the advantage of knowing where most of the dangerous enemies are: there are two 45 mm antitank guns on the right flank, that we shall neutralize by smoke until we can get close to the objective. The tanks will advance ahead by bounds and overwatch, and as suggested by Capt. Rutins, we shall angle to the right so that any ATG shots before the smoke kicks in will strike the front armor of our tanks. NOW MOUNT UP!", as he signaled the attack to begin.

Steiner could not see the clumps of trees where the two ATGs were lurking, but he could spot a nice clearing south of the main road where a wide sheaf smoke cover should block the line of sight of the ATGs. He called for artillery smoke on his radio, and waited a bit for the five-tank platoon ahead of him moved to the tree line.The artillery would take a couple of minutes before the smoke came in.

In the commander's tank, Captain Rutins moved forward along with one of the tanks on his right, while the 3 others took up overwatch, which was rather useless at this point, he thought, since the overwatching tanks could not see anything through the trees.

Steiner's infantry immediately came under mortar fire and two of the infantry squads dismounted and took defensive positions near their halftracks. "Damm!, thought Steiner, we need to get this infantry moving". He yelled for the men to get back into the halftracks, but either they did not hear over the explosions or were too pinned down to move, and they stayed where they were.

The two lead tanks drove across the tree line and stopped, the tanks behind began to move forward, and from his open cupola Rutins and the other stationary tank peered into the tree clumps but could see nothing.

Back at the halftracks, Rutins managed to get the infantry back into the halftracks, but a nearby mortar round resulted in the leftmost infantry to once again dismount. Swearing profusely, Steiner yelled "Get back in your stinking halftracks, you socialistic yellow bolshevic cowards!" An infantryman cowering on the ground raised a timid arm and yelled "Heil Hitler!".

"Damm greenhorns, thought Steiner, I have to get going; I can't stay here and play ring-around-the-rosie all day long, those tanks need infantry support." He ordered the halftracks to move towards the right flank as per the plan, leaving one puzzled infantry squad behind lying on the ground.

By now the smoke had begun to fall, and a thick curtain of smoke covered the right flank of the German force. The tanks kept advancing to the road in bound and overwatch movement, but no enemies could be seen. The three halftracks were coming up behind, and the leftmost one spotted an ATR team in a tree clump just behind the leftmost tank. The halftrack opened fire and was soon followed by another halftrack who had spotted another ATR further on the left flank.

Rutins spotted some Russian infantry in a building to the left of the objective flag, and ordered his whole platoon to open fire at the building, using area fire. He kept his eye to the right, where the smoke was dissipating and as soon as he could see the tree clumps where the ATGs were supposed to be, he called in artillery fire on the area.

Back near the road, the closest ATR fired at the nearest halftrack, destroying it and inflicting heavy casualties on the infantry inside. The other halftracks fired at the area with their machineguns, suppressing or killing the ATR team.

The artillery came in as the tanks moved closer to the objective, and it is not clear if it was the artillery or the tanks that did the job, but when the smoke had cleared, the two ATG crews were lying dead next to their guns.

The Germans got a decisive victory, Rutins got a medal and one driver got veteran status. German losses were one halftrack and heavy casualties to one squad. Rutin's tank had a track hit and had been slowed down, but Rutin had not even noticed where the shot came from.

Steiner got out of his halftrack and shook hands with Rutins:"That will show those bolshevic bastards what real Germans are made of", he said, as he wondered what to do about the green infantry squad appearing from the faraway woods on foot. Maybe a penal battalion or a week of peeling potatoes would stiffen their backs, he mused.

Henri

[Erik Rutins]

[:D]

I'm glad it worked, Henri. Thank you for the laugh. [8D]

- Erik

[JMass]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins
I think the main problem is that the tutorial was tested by players that were already too experienced

I remember I won on the first try on Medium, but I was a little lucky because mortars damaged only one SPW and I was able to destroy the ATGs quickly, anyway the key is combined forces, infantry is precious to spot ATRs and ATGs and engage the first along with the SPWs and tanks should fire AP toward ATGs.

[rickier65]

ORIGINAL: henri51

Sgt Steiner gathered his men: "Allright men, four attempts to take this objective have failed with heavy casualties; we have lost seven tanks and two halftracks, not to mention the loss of soldiers. This time we take the objective. We have the advantage of .........Henri

That was great Henri! Thanks for the laugh. Now where were you when we were writing the Tutorial!

Thanks!
Rick

[Commanderski]

Excellent AAR![:)]