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Hi everyone,

I've been playing the Shifting Sands scenario Hit Hard Hit Fast for a few months now. I've enjoyed working out the capabilities of the various aircraft, in particular their ranges, and using this to plan the strikes. But I still can't hit the required score to pass the mission.

So far I have aimed for a broadly consistent time on target for each airfield, with strikes taking place simultaneously. This tends to catch the Egyptians off guard, especially after shooting down the aircraft with the Generals in it, but generally leads to a score of around 1000. I've deliberately plotted routes in and out of target to avoid the AAA, which seems to be the main threat to the low flying aircraft.

I've found one lf the main issues I have is aircraft doing their run in on target but not releasing their bombs or rockets. I've tried one aircraft per flight, off axis attack and have the WRA set to one aircraft per target. But still I get aircraft not releasing their bombs. Can anyone provide any tips on what I'm doing wrong and how to get my aircraft to drop their payload?

I think I have the right approach but the number of aircraft that don't release seems to limit my score.

Months playing a scenario, the you are an expert

These threads are related with the scenario in question.


https://forums.matrixgames.com/viewtopi ... 0#p4198040

https://forums.matrixgames.com/viewtopi ... 6#p4626386

https://forums.matrixgames.com/viewtopi ... 1#p4446621

https://forums.matrixgames.com/viewtopi ... 5#p4196975

It has felt like months
But enjoyable all around.

Thank you for the links. Will check them out.

Ah cool. One weapon per target has worked. Thank you

ckolonko wrote: Thu Jul 09, 2026 9:53 am Ah cool. One weapon per target has worked. Thank you

TitaniumTrout's thread?


And how many points did you get with the change?

That's the one.

Haven't counted but my initial playthrough showed that the aircraft were hitting more of the assigned targets.

3000 points look like too many.

I just get 500

In case you are stuck, the campaign file is editable with a text editor like notepad. Cheating, yes, but better than frustration.



I also do not understand why the Israeli SAMs are located in the East, and not defending vs the pursuing Egyptian ACs.

And it is the same destroying a Tupolev bomber than a MiG.

Yeah, it is really high. You need to do two sets of strikes, which kind of defeats the strike hard, strike fast ethos of the mission. Otherwise you don't have quite enough aircraft to hit every parked aircraft.

May have to do that.

Yeah, I don't get that either. I thought of trying to lead any enemy aircraft that take off into the SAMs but they are quite far away.

And same with the scoring for different aircraft. It would be useful if the locations of aircraft on the airfields was provided from startup too.

I haven't played this one for a while, but it is one of my favorite scenarios. IIRC I have never gotten more than 500 points. Very challenging scenario and a good one to learn how to manage multiple strikes. Time to revisit and play it with the latest build.

Thanks.
Although I haven't managed to pass the mission, I'm replaying it to see if I can just about get there with all raids automated. Someone on Reddit recommended treating CMANO as a sandbox, where you can test different approaches. I'm very much enjoying learning about the aircraft capabilities and using the ATO to plot routes.

WRA and flight size still isn't quite clicking but still useful experience.

Just managed to get a score of 1200 after my first set of raids.

There is a very interesting 2 parts video on Focus Operation, though not many details on the operation itself.

The first is about the setting. The second is about the operation, including the attack on Syria, Jordan and Iraq (that is not represented in the scenario), and the consequences.

Coming from Al Jazeera is surprisingly neutral or even pro Israel. Well perhaps the end it is not


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7A0KGOEcTV0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gU1F1gdcJD4


There is also an Air Campaign book published by Osprey. Can be previewed in Google books.

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Si ... QBAJ?hl=en





I wonder if the astonishing results the Israeli side managed to get in the war, can be accomplished in the scenario, anyone?

This is really useful! Thank you.

Yes, I was wondering myself if the original results could be replicated.

Regarding Israel SAM units, it is not only that they should be protecting the air bases.

Many of them and radars are located in the West Bank, that is impossible the day 5.

That territory was conquered in the days of war, but the first day was Jordan territory.






Eboreg got more than 3000 points.


https://rumble.com/vw1bjx-command-shift ... c_v1_ucp_v

Nikel wrote: Fri Jul 10, 2026 7:52 pm
There is also an Air Campaign book published by Osprey. Can be previewed in Google books.

I wonder if the astonishing results the Israeli side managed to get in the war, can be accomplished in the scenario, anyone?

I have that book. It does have some good information for the Israeli strike package, timing and the targeted airfields. It doesn't necessarily translate to the CMO scenario, but still good information that can help with a players planning. Consider it helpful intel

One of the things the Israeli's did was crater the runways which, IIRC isn't really what leads to victory in the scenario.

Mark352 wrote: Sat Jul 11, 2026 2:14 pm
I have that book. It does have some good information for the Israeli strike package, timing and the targeted airfields. It doesn't necessarily translate to the CMO scenario, but still good information that can help with a players planning. Consider it helpful intel

One of the things the Israeli's did was crater the runways which, IIRC isn't really what leads to victory in the scenario.

This operation needs a revisited scenario, any volunteer among the scenario designers

Just want to check, I'm creating flights for each strike. But looking at the aircraft I have, many have a relatively short range, which appears as a 'strike radius' warning when I plan flight.

This leaves me with very few aircraft that can hit the long distance targets, like Cairo West and Luxor.

Watching the Eboreg playthrough, he seems to have Mirage's that can hit out to Luxor. I seem to be able to hit the nearest airfields en masse with Magisters but also have Mirages with 500kg bombs which can only strike as far as these closer airfields. I suspect I just haven't looked at aircraft capabilities properly, but the ranges have stood out.

3 Vautours, 2 with guns and the other making photo reconnaissance, performed the attack on Luxor AB and destroying several ACs among them Tu-16 bombers.

The attack can be done in the scenario. But those results with 2 strafing ACs, is impossible.


Another very interesting video. The attack on Luxor is not included in it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB8aLlVz_8k

Thanks Nikel. That's not too far off what I have assigned to attack Luxor.

Thanks again for the info. Very much appreciated.

ckolonko wrote: Sun Jul 12, 2026 12:23 pm Watching the Eboreg playthrough, he seems to have Mirage's that can hit out to Luxor. I seem to be able to hit the nearest airfields en masse with Magisters but also have Mirages with 500kg bombs which can only strike as far as these closer airfields. I suspect I just haven't looked at aircraft capabilities properly, but the ranges have stood out.

Great, that's my life made considerably more difficult. Let's hope I can recover my stolen hardware soon.

Very odd. I just got 20 points for attacking a 47mm Quad and 57mm S60. I have my aircraft set to not engage opportunity targets, but one of them did.