Matrix Games Forums

Hi all,

I begin a campaign with the Brits, early 42, it is Desert or Jungle theatre.

I was afraid of the Japanese and the Jungle, so I have fight 4 battles so far, all in desert: 1 Marginal victory, 3 draws.

Not very impressive...

Against the Germans, my Crusaders, Matildas and Valentines II hardly managed to do anything to the AI's PanzerIIIm or h (I shoot some 'j here and there, luckily enough).

Against the Italians, its AV are never a problem, but it has so many Brixia (? I am not sure I spelt it right - the small mortars on wheels on the picture) that my infantry is suffering heavy losses. They are so small only my infantry generally spot them, which means approaching them at close range under their bombardments...

I begin my 5th battle against Japan, with half my units really (I never managed to get enough points to repair all my units). Its tanks are not a problem, but I dread the moment its infantry will come in CC (I am in a "Defense" scenario).

Are the Brits just difficult, or am I doing anything horribly wrong ?

Do you have to be clever in a campaign and accept major defeats withdrawing all your units from the maps just to get enough points without casualty for being able to repair before the next battle you want to win ?

Cat

Brits are difficult, esp vs any army with tanks. Use your tanks as you would playing Russians: Bring lots and get them in close.
Also get some 40mm and 3.4in AA for AT use.

The answer to Bixia squads is easy: counter battery

Thanks Katana, a few "months" to wait and I will get 6pd canons, then I would be able to shoot some Germans...

Glad to hear the Brits are difficult and I am not that crap :rolleyes:

Cat

Katana's right, against an armored, mobile enemy, the UK has a real problem. BUT, put them up against almost any army who still uses the infantry first doctrine, and the British footsoldier is a serious force to contend with.

IMHO, their lack of mobility (infantry and armor) was their major setback in a newly developing type of battlefield. (rapid armor movement with infantry support)

Deny your opponent the long-range shots and close to hand-to-hand as quickly as possible. Use your big, nasty artillery to slow and re-route the enemy. Also remember that British doctrine concerning armored vehicles had them supporting the infantry, not the other way around.

Fighting with the Brits is definitely a challenge (but still not as bad as the Italians as they're modelled in the game)

Some tip, the 25pound artys is a great early war AT gun.

And if there are no tanks around then just use it as arty, good multi purpose UK weapon.

2lb AT gun they are cheap and hard to stop, and thy will fit into that jeep with the 3 MG that the Brits have, you got to get the Germans to show you the sides of there tanks, show them the front end of you Matildas and get them to shot at them. Then flank them.

The Japaneese are a different matter, anything with a flamethrower. If you come up against a cave just smoke the front of it and go around it( when possible ofcourse )

The Japs will mass as well, use that against them, heard them together and Flame them

My Two Cents

Hurray ! 2 decisive victories in a row, defending, the last one against the Germans !

Hopefully there are sandstorms... I love them, visibility reduce to 11, that helps a lot.

I am still far away of being able to repair all my units after a battle (I get only 420 points after a battle, and I need something like 600pts, just for the Crusader II - they have a tendency to blow up during tank fights :rolleyes: ), but I have access to slightly better equipment now:

- 6pdr AT gun (2pdr is definitely not enough to dig hole in German panzers).
- MK1 Grant (at least a tank with both AP and HE - Though I discover my Crusader I CS howitzer, now thay are veterans, could indeed dig holes in PanzerIIIj )

and soon Churchill I and Crusader III !

Wonder, wonder, what will the Germans have access too ***sigh***...

Thanks all for your tips...

Cat

What campaign are you doing, and how many points? Im still doing my Utah to Rhine, im on a mission where ive been teamed up with british tanks and infantry.... oh and tornados *G*

>Firefly VC; "Small tank, medium tank, Halftrack, Small tank... Ahh... big tank! What do we do? What do we doooo?!?"

>FO Bren; "Hmm...." *gets on the radio* "Id like one Tornado to go please, 0.2? That'll have to do i s'pose"

>Firefly VC; "Well?, what the hell are we supposed to....." *loud bang* "nevermind.... carry on"

I am doing a standard WWII campaign (the one you choose which front you want to fight after each battle - Africa or Asia).

I begin.. at the beginning of the war, so basically 41, I am now in June 42...

Desert, desert, desert, desert, jungle, desert, so far

I have fought the Italians, Germans and Japanese...

I am only making decisive victories in "defending" battles...


Cat

Hmm, ill have to try and buy a big 5k army... s'pose i gotta start somewhere.

In my campaign ive had 2 Marginal Victories, 4 Decicive and the rest were Draws. Ive ended battles where ive got 2 or 3 times as many points but its still been a draw.

Anyway, ive gotta start that mission again because it crashed back to windows *mutters* ill proberbly do the same as before then try and lure those flamepanzers and sturmtigers out so i can pop em with my Jacksons and HVSS's.

P.S Hmm, were they Tornados or Typoons.... i cant remember

I started a new WW II campaign playing as the Germans in May 1940. I would have started earlier, but I specifically wanted a Pioneer Company (Engineers) and they aren't avbailable until 1940. I set the purchase points to max and built a 200 unit Core. Total cost was about 6830 points. After the first fight, against the Belgians, I had a Marginal Victory and 1025 points to upgrade and improve the unit -- which I did.

I'm not sure how the awards are given at the end of the fight, but it seems that the more the enemy has in points and the higher the victory, the more you get. (I have a smaller unit I experiment such things with, but I haven't quite got the details worked out yet.)

One thing to watch is that you aren't consistantly losing more unit points than you can replace. If you are, your core is losing ground against the enemy and you will never reach the end of the war.

As you improve and your unit gains experience you will notice that winning gets easier. (Frankly, if I'm getting DVs all the time, I think it's too easy.) I increase the enemy max points to what ever my current total is (Core plus all the points awarded at each battle's end: Current Max 9200). Then there is the difficulty switch on the support unit buying screen and the Enemy unit capabilities in the preferences.

Having a big core gives me the chance to test a variety of tactics in the same battle. I noticed the board is consistantly larger if I have 10,000 + points as the max, and I like big maps. On one side I can test my theory on Armor leading, while my infantry can do a slow stroll to take a different area. At the same time -- on a bigger map -- I can do a foward rush to measure the effect of a Haltrack assault with armor support.

The Campaign, while I want to win, is basically training for going against human players.

It was getting easyer for me, my tank crews all had about 20+ kills... then i ran into a real shitpile of a mission and all but 2 sherman tank crews were killed. The other two i lost over time, ive got crappy crews now with like 5 kills or something.

When i had Hellcats at the beggining they were notching 20-30 kills, lost them both now, wish i had Jacksons back then, they would proberbly still be alive.

My Jumbo proved itself again though, taking around 6+ hits from tigers amd Jagdpanzers and just shaking them off till i moved my Jacksons and HVSS's into place. Gotta love that 112 front armor.

Anyone got any tips on how to pick good Overwatch posisions BTW? I seem to just find good one per chance, one enemy AT gun took out 4 tanks before i could get my Jumbo to step on it. ...and thats after id been dropping 155 and 105 arty on it