mattman2000
07-15-2003, 11:58 AM
Just had to say thank you to whoever designed this scenario for the Boots and Tracks team.
First, the setting is great. Walloon volunteers (lead by an ambitious Fascist politician) are trapped inside the Korson Pocket -- trying to delay the Russians so thousands of Germans can assemble for their attempted breakout. The Walloons are exhausted, popping pills to stay awake (they count as weakened) and understrength, but they're largely veterans. The designer even included the historic personalities as command elements, and I made a point to keep them busy.
The map looks great. Rain and mud limits mobility. Fog simulating the dust raised by a monstrous Soviet arty barrage has cut visibility to about 200m. Half the town's in flames or been reduced to rubble. There's no whirling tank clashes here. You position your guys as you think best, reinforce weak points in your line and hope it turns out OK.
I don't want to include spoilers, I'll just mention the following:
This was one of the few times I've seen the AI come close to coordinating its infantry and armor. In the first few Turns I saw Russian infantry elements scurrying between pieces of cover, approaching my grenadiers. Once firefights began to break out, the T-34s came out of seemingly nowhere and started providing direct fire support for grunts. My first line of infantry, along with Stug and Panzer IVs, held off the attack initially, but where overcome by sheer numbers as the Reds kept coming (some foxholes where just surrounded by wiped out squads). By the time the Guards Cavalry hit my second line, the field was choked with eliminated infantry men (friend and foe).
You become attached to certain units during a scenario -- I had three. A Stug that was "shocked" and lost a crewmember to a 76mm AP shell, panicked and ran from a wave of T-34s, then recovered and killed five Russian tanks before being knocked out of action. A historic Battalion Command element that started the map overseeing a Pak, assaulted and killed a T-34 with a panzerfaust once that gun was KO'd, and then stormed and slaughtered a Russian pioneer squad hiding in a building. It then went on to rally a platoon and push the Reds from a VL on my right flank. Finally, a tank hunter team that managed to kill two T-34s by sneaking through the rubble.
By the time it was over I managed to pull out a Victory, and saw that I had inflicted 367 casualties (along with 16 T-34s) in return for losing 118 men, three AFVs and a Pak. I'm not someone who can constantly brag he trounces the AI, so I felt pretty good about myself. And I know I'll be playing this one again.
Well done smile.gif
First, the setting is great. Walloon volunteers (lead by an ambitious Fascist politician) are trapped inside the Korson Pocket -- trying to delay the Russians so thousands of Germans can assemble for their attempted breakout. The Walloons are exhausted, popping pills to stay awake (they count as weakened) and understrength, but they're largely veterans. The designer even included the historic personalities as command elements, and I made a point to keep them busy.
The map looks great. Rain and mud limits mobility. Fog simulating the dust raised by a monstrous Soviet arty barrage has cut visibility to about 200m. Half the town's in flames or been reduced to rubble. There's no whirling tank clashes here. You position your guys as you think best, reinforce weak points in your line and hope it turns out OK.
I don't want to include spoilers, I'll just mention the following:
This was one of the few times I've seen the AI come close to coordinating its infantry and armor. In the first few Turns I saw Russian infantry elements scurrying between pieces of cover, approaching my grenadiers. Once firefights began to break out, the T-34s came out of seemingly nowhere and started providing direct fire support for grunts. My first line of infantry, along with Stug and Panzer IVs, held off the attack initially, but where overcome by sheer numbers as the Reds kept coming (some foxholes where just surrounded by wiped out squads). By the time the Guards Cavalry hit my second line, the field was choked with eliminated infantry men (friend and foe).
You become attached to certain units during a scenario -- I had three. A Stug that was "shocked" and lost a crewmember to a 76mm AP shell, panicked and ran from a wave of T-34s, then recovered and killed five Russian tanks before being knocked out of action. A historic Battalion Command element that started the map overseeing a Pak, assaulted and killed a T-34 with a panzerfaust once that gun was KO'd, and then stormed and slaughtered a Russian pioneer squad hiding in a building. It then went on to rally a platoon and push the Reds from a VL on my right flank. Finally, a tank hunter team that managed to kill two T-34s by sneaking through the rubble.
By the time it was over I managed to pull out a Victory, and saw that I had inflicted 367 casualties (along with 16 T-34s) in return for losing 118 men, three AFVs and a Pak. I'm not someone who can constantly brag he trounces the AI, so I felt pretty good about myself. And I know I'll be playing this one again.
Well done smile.gif