Big Red One Campaign

[LastM]

Started this campaign. Things go well at first, as I capture a couple of key points and set up a defensive counter. But as Soviet reinforcements arrive my forces are rapidly overrun. For the most part, the NATO reinforcements of Cobra choppers are taken out by missiles so they are ineffective and only add to my loss %.
Anyone having success here and how?

[Tcao]

Suffered a tactical defeat.

I think the best strategy is to avoid spread out your force to occupy the VP, instead concentrate your force on one wing and setup a kill zone.

[WABAC]

Set the Cobras to standoff 5 hexes. I did not have problems with his ADA at that distance.

Set the Cav to refuse fire, standoff 1 hex, and hide them out of his path until full dark when he can't see you. Then bring them out to shoot up what the helos and M110 haven't wrecked. Try to keep them 2 hexes away. With any luck you'll disable 70% or more of his forces for a contested battle.

Better to preserve your force for the next scenario than go for the VP's.

BTW, once the helos have shot up a unit they tend to muddle about. That makes them an easier target for the artillery.

[CheerfullyInsane]

Don't try to hold the VP locations. This goes for every scenario as the defender.
A VP location that you already hold has no value as a defensive point.
But it does mean the enemy HAS to take that point. With me so far?

So if you know the enemy has to go into that hex, why place troops there?
It's like trying to stop a bus by standing in front of it.
And with only nine squadrons of scouts, you need to concentrate. One or two squadrons might kill a few tanks, but it won't be enough to stop an outright assault. Instead, concentrate on the like directions of enemy advance.

So there are three major axis of advance available for the WP player (or AI).
A) A direct shot down the highway, B) a thrust from the east through the towns, C) and an end-run coming in from the north.
A is by far the fastest for the WP, and thus most likely. B is possible, but it'll require the WP to clear the town before going any further. C is unlikely since it means a trip around grandmas house, but it can't be discounted entirely.

So what I did was place two squadrons in the town keeping an eye on the eastern route, a single platoon watching the northern end-run, just in case. And everything else sets up a kill-zone on all that lovely open ground around the highway.
Once the Cobras arrived, I used them as a fire-brigade against any WP units that got a little too close.

End result? Tactical win, with something like 10% losses.
Sure, I lost most of the VP locations, but my force is back to 98% for the next scenario.
Ground is something you fight on, not something you fight for.

[LastM]

Thanks for the replies and excellent advice.

[HeinzHonokaPepperoni]

I won it handily, surprising even myself, and it was the cobras that won it for me.

Use the recon helicopters to bait the manpads at long range and don't go too far north-east. Concentrate your attack helicopters into the same enemy spearhead for maximum effect. Shell anything that can shoot at aerial targets.
I also suggest smoking the enemy tanks to deny them a field of fire onto your bradleys. Counterfire should be easy since your IFVs got thermal sights.

[Stimpak]

Don't try to hold the VP locations. This goes for every scenario as the defender.
A VP location that you already hold has no value as a defensive point.
But it does mean the enemy HAS to take that point. With me so far?

So if you know the enemy has to go into that hex, why place troops there?
It's like trying to stop a bus by standing in front of it.
And with only nine squadrons of scouts, you need to concentrate. One or two squadrons might kill a few tanks, but it won't be enough to stop an outright assault. Instead, concentrate on the like directions of enemy advance.

So there are three major axis of advance available for the WP player (or AI).
A) A direct shot down the highway, B) a thrust from the east through the towns, C) and an end-run coming in from the north.
A is by far the fastest for the WP, and thus most likely. B is possible, but it'll require the WP to clear the town before going any further. C is unlikely since it means a trip around grandmas house, but it can't be discounted entirely.

So what I did was place two squadrons in the town keeping an eye on the eastern route, a single platoon watching the northern end-run, just in case. And everything else sets up a kill-zone on all that lovely open ground around the highway.
Once the Cobras arrived, I used them as a fire-brigade against any WP units that got a little too close.

End result? Tactical win, with something like 10% losses.
Sure, I lost most of the VP locations, but my force is back to 98% for the next scenario.
Ground is something you fight on, not something you fight for.

Great writeup, and exactly what I had in mind.
A future version of this scenario will correct the ORBAT of the American force from 9 sections of Bradleys to 6 sections plus two platoons of Abrams, which should make things a bit easier. Other substantial changes will come in that update.

[CheerfullyInsane]

And since a picture is worth the proverbial 1,000 words, here's my initial set-up.