Elite: All American - Historical Accuracy Challenge

[Tassadar]

Suddenly, the next DLC in the Elite series appeared with me almost totally overlooking the event while enjoying Gothic 1 Remake. Once I did realize it's coming, the schedule of other activities was already quite packed, so my reporting will probably be less regular this time, but I'm still very interested in this new type of DLC that might be quite fascinating for a historical accuracy challenge run, depending on how it's designed.

Elite - All American

Difficulty - Generalissimus

As per usual these days, with 20% random chance.

Traits - Infantry General, Old Guard, Inefficient Supply

It's not an easy task to figure out what works best for a paratrooper focused DLC. Infantry General feels like a no-brainer, but the rest is a mystery. In the end, I went with Inefficient Supply for the flavor of having limited access to fuel and ammo behind enemy lines, plus Old Guard, as it might be way to easy to accidentally land in a bad place and loose a unit entirely. I did not go deeper into custom options, as the challenge and the uncertainty of how missions are designed seemed to favor a more conservative approach.

Elite - All American - First Blood

Starting Prestige: - 900

Order of Battle:

Infantry

HQ Co / Team Gavin - US Airborne 43
Co A, 505th PIR - US Airborne 43
Co B, 505th PIR - US Airborne 43
Co C, 505th PIR - US Airborne 43
Co G, 505th PIR - US Airborne 43
Co H, 505th PIR - US Airborne 43
Co I, 505th PIR - US Airborne 43
Co I, 504th PIR - US Airborne 43
Co K, 504th PIR - US Airborne 43
Co B, 307th Abn Eng - US Airborne 43

Recon

82nd Abn Recon (Prov) - M3A1 Scout Car
505th PIR HQ Scouts - Willys Jeep
504th PIR HQ Scouts - Willys Jeep

Artillery

Btry A, 456th PFAB - 75mm M1A1
Btry B, 456th PFAB - 75mm M1A1

I keep the initial order of battle as-is. The setup is rather faithful to the events (beyond the recons, but they can represent provisioned vehicles). I should also not have organic transports for artillery, but it would not work with the game mechanics. Extra slots left, all 19 of them, can later be used to represent units that assisted the 82nd in the later phases of the battle and/or provided air cover. Interestingly, this was a rather small scale battle, so my units don't represent full battalions or regiments as they would usually do, but much smaller formations. This might potentially persist over the course of the campaign.

Highlights


One of the Willys Jeep units is taken out on the 1st turn due to lack of fuel and full suppression! Not the use for Old Guard I envisioned, but at least it is a first time I get to benefit from this general trait. Who knows, it might save me more than once.


With a supply hex secured, additional ground support arrives in the form of Company B, 753rd Tank Bn and Company L, 180th Infantry Rgt.


After some further thought, I decide to use up my extra core slots to deploy 64th Fighter Squadron, 57th Fighter Group plus 95th Fighter Squadron, 82nd Fighter Group "Kickapoo" and 522nd Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 27th Fighter-Bomber Group. On the ground, I also add Company A, 80th Airborne Anti-Tank Bn.


That's an interesting use of scripting to represent events. I'd much rather try to ambush the tanks myself, but it works for the narrative, so I won't complain much.


Another triangulation point taken, another tank down!


And one more! This is going smoothly, as defenses of each point are purely token forces. Two paratroopers at a time are able to deal with them easily.


Getting the heroic objective of capturing Niscemi is a totally different story, as Germans don't surrender easily. Fortunately, the enemy seems to be set to not repair any damage, so patience wins this battle.


The customizable heroes are back, so time to set some useful combination.


I go for Rapid Fire 1.5x and Artillery Support, to have a way of giving my paratroopers reliable help when approaching more difficult targets in cases where artillery cannot reach.


Phew! Fortunately the enemy tanks don't risk damage attacking my infantry in close terrain, but as per combat predictions, they could easily wipe them out if they wanted to.


The points in the western part of the map are more isolated, so have to be approached last, especially considering the Tigers roaming around the area. In hindsight, if I knew how the mission plays out, I'd start with the western side and then move east.


In the end it looks like we will have to get close and personal!


That is easier than it seemed at this point. Fortunately my bombers kept harassing the remaining Tigers, making them more vulnerable targets. If all else fails I still have the sheer numbers.

Summary

Final Prestige: 14898 (up 13998)

Overall

First scenario of Elite - All American DLC certainly felt different in many way from missions and campaigns fought so far. It had some interesting script use, but for now I am not yet sold on the concept. It possibly felt too different, or maybe just game mechanics limit what's possible with an airborne campaign? It remains to be seen as I play along. One thing I do appreciate, but at the same time question a bit, is the option to simply ignore the paratrooper flavor and deploy a regular core. It will certainly make missions easier and more accessible, but it makes me wonder if that's the right call. I would prefer a more determined design approach, but then again, it could bottleneck the player to just having one expected solution to a mission puzzle. I need to know more before I make up my mind. So far, I'm at the very least interested in how the concept is taken further.

[armedevil]

82nd Airborne evolved to elite infantry, to be quickly deployed where things were getting really rough, as I understand. So the airborne aspect becomes less over time.

Did you abandon this campaign? Admittedly, it seems a little artificial (especially this first scenario), but still entertaining in its own way.

[Tassadar]

Did you abandon this campaign? Admittedly, it seems a little artificial (especially this first scenario), but still entertaining in its own way.

Not at all, I had a bit of a busy period in life plus... chickenpox.

On my way to resume things, most likely already this weekend.

[armedevil]

@Tassadar Hopefully no complications, it's not so innocuous in adults as in children.

Infantry General gives 10 extra core slots from the start, and it goes up from there. For my run, I relied on the trusted power four, which may be even more powerful in this campaign.

[Tassadar]

Elite - All American - To the Rescue

Hero:


Solid scout hero for 82nd Abn Recon. I could try out some other options, but this usage seemed the most intuitive.

Starting Prestige: - 11900

Order of Battle:

Infantry

1st Bn, 504th PIR - US Airborne 43 - *
2nd Bn, 504th PIR - US Airborne 43 - *
3rd Bn, 504th PIR - US Airborne 43 - **
Co B, 307th Abn Eng - US Airborne 43 - ** - Artillery Support, Famous, Rapid Fire 1.5x
1st Bn, 505th PIR - US Airborne 43 - **
2nd Bn, 505th PIR - US Airborne 43 - *
3rd Bn, 505th PIR - US Airborne 43 - *
142nd Infantry Rgt - OS20 - US Infantry 43 (Studebaker Truck) - **

Tank

753rd Tank Bn - OS13 - M4A1 - * - Steamroller
191st Tank Bn - OS12 - M5A1

Recon

82nd Abn Recon - OS11 - M3A1 Scout Car - * - Resilient
HQ, 504th PIR (Team Tucker) - OS11 - Willys Jeep
HQ, 505th PIR (Team Gavin) - OS11 - Willys Jeep - *

Anti-Tank

80th Abn Anti-Tank Bn - OS11 - 57mm M1 (Studebaker Truck) - *

Artillery

376th Parachute FAB - OS11 - 75mm M1A1 (Studebaker Truck) - *
456th Parachute FAB - OS11 - 75mm M1A1 (Studebaker Truck)

Anti-Aicraft

80th Airborne Anti-Aircraft Bn - OS12 - 40mm M1 Bofors (Studebaker Truck)

Fighter

64th FS, 57th FG - OS12 - P40F - *
95th FS, 82nd FG "Kickapoo" - OS12 - P-38G - *

Tactical Bomber

522nd FBS, 27th FBG - OS13 - A-36 - **

Reserve

1st Bn, 325th Glider Infantry Rgt - US Infantry 43 - *
2nd Bn, 325th Glider Infantry Rgt - US Infantry 43
3rd Bn, 325th Glider Infantry Rgt - US Infantry 43 - *
319th Glider Field Artillery Bn - OS11 - 75mm M1A1 (Studebaker Truck)
320th Glider Field Artillery Bn - OS11 - 75mm M1A1 (Studebaker Truck)

I am limited by what the 82nd used in Sicily, so glider infantry is in reserve for future operations. Tanks and planes represent units that supported infantry in the area, while 80th Airborne Anti-Aircraft Bn should technically have 37mm guns, but these are not in the US roster in the game. Still, I'm overall satisfied with the composition of my army, as it seems closes to the historical data as I can afford.

Highlights


With fewer air transports than usual, I need to set up my paratrooper attacks in waves. Ground forces should hold the line against the most intense counterattack, hopefully.


Germans spotted east of Saginara, but it's a good defensive position for my troops.


Tanks are not so scary in this campaign so far, given the terrain that favors close quarters combat.


This Hit and Run fighter was a thorn in my side for several turns. Finally I can take it down!


Looks like I found the hidden Italian equipment depot. Time to take it out.


Most objectives were taken quickly, with only Calabritto defended better by a more sizable force.


I certainly don't mind another infantry hero with customizable traits.


Since I cannot paradrop engineers, these traits are as close I will get to having a unit equally competent at clearing entrenched potions.


A few pieces of German armor left, but for some bizzare reason traveling via mountains in the notes. They offer no resistance and are just experience fodder for my infantry.

Summary

Final Prestige: 20319 (up 8419)

Overall

Back to the campaign after quite a break, fortunately straight into a relatively easy mission. There are some areas on the map with more solid defenses, as per usual mostly around the elite objective, but these are all isolated points of resistance making them vulnerable to coordinated attacks. Things are made easier by the fact that the AI has absolutely no idea how to use tanks and can be baited into leaving them in close terrain, where infantry can decimate even the most dangerous vehicles. Only the enemy air force was slightly annoying, but more so due to the weakness of the planes I have available so far, rather than by any dangerous presence. I was able to end the mission with turns to spare, a great elite hero and tons of experience for most of my units. This should prove invaluable in Normandy, where I suspect the difficulty will increase noticeably.

@Tassadar Hopefully no complications, it's not so innocuous in adults as in children.

Luckily all went fine with no complications, but gaming was the very last thing I was thinking about for whole three weeks, before I got some extra energy finally and could resume functioning at a normal pace. It's indeed no joke as an adult! At least I should hopefully be safe from shingles now with fresh batch of immunity.

[Tassadar]

Elite - All American - Mission Boston

Hero:


I'm up for an experiment and will assign the Overrun hero to an infantry unit. Ideally it should also have extra movement to benefit from the ability, but Ignores Entrenchment from the special hero should also be quite useful as a combination with Overrun.

Starting Prestige: - 17864

Order of Battle:

Infantry

1st Bn, 505th PIR - US Airborne 43 - *** - Famous, Ignores Entrenchment, No Retaliation, Overrun
2nd Bn, 505th PIR - US Airborne 43 - **
3rd Bn, 505th PIR - US Airborne 43 - **
Co B, 307th Abn Eng - US Airborne 43 - ** - Artillery Support, Famous, Rapid Fire 1.5x
1st Bn, 507th PIR - US Airborne 43
2nd Bn, 507th PIR - US Airborne 43
3rd Bn, 507th PIR - US Airborne 43
1st Bn, 508th PIR - US Airborne 43
2nd Bn, 508th PIR - US Airborne 43
3rd Bn, 508th PIR - US Airborne 43
1st Bn, 325th Glider Infantry Rgt - US Infantry 43 - *
2nd Bn, 325th Glider Infantry Rgt - US Infantry 43
3rd Bn, 325th Glider Infantry Rgt - US Infantry 43 - *

Tank

746th Tank Bn - M4A1 - *** - Steamroller
70th Tank Bn - M5A1 - *

Recon

82nd Mech Cavalry Recon Troop - OS11 - M3A1 Scout Car - *** - Resilient
HQ, 505th PIR (Team Gavin) - OS11 - Willys Jeep - ***

Anti-Tank

80th Abn Anti-Tank Bn - OS11 - 57mm M1 (Studebaker Truck) - *

Artillery

376th Parachute FAB - OS11 - 75mm M1A1 (Studebaker Truck) - **
456th Parachute FAB - OS11 - 75mm M1A1 (Studebaker Truck) - **
319th Glider Field Artillery Bn - OS11 - 75mm M1A1 (Studebaker Truck)
320th Glider Field Artillery Bn - OS11 - 75mm M1A1 (Studebaker Truck)

Anti-Aircraft

80th Airborne Anti-Aircraft Bn - OS12 - 40mm M1 Bofors (Studebaker Truck)

Fighter

371st Fighter Group - P47-D - **
367th Fighter Group "Dynamite Gang" - P-38G - **

Reserve

1st Bn, 504th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ***
2nd Bn, 504th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ***
3rd Bn, 504th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ***
142nd Infantry Rgt - OS20 - US Infantry 43 (Studebaker Truck) - ****
HQ, 504th PIR (Team Tucker) - OS11 - Willys Jeep - **
522nd FBS, 27th FBG - A-36 - ***

As per the historical events, I have benched the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment which did not take part in the battle, but instead went with fresh green troops from the 507th and 508th, temporarily assigned for this operation. I also had to rename the tanks and planes to represent the new forces that did not appear in Italy, but did fight in Normandy. Ultimately. this did not change my core composition that much. I am still relying mainly on infantry and lack heavy artillery support.

Highlights


First airfield secured on the western side of the map by 507th PIR. Their goal is then to attack the bridges. Hopefully being green formations will not render the elite objective impossible!


With Montebourg taken, I can deploy some planes and standard ground forces. While limited in numbers, they offer punch my paratroopers lack in the open.


Securing bridges in Valognes is not easy, requiring cooperation from 507th PIR, 508th PIR as well as some armored support and glider infantry assistance. Fortunately, the whole affair can be simplified by encirclement. I can only imagine how efficient this would be with Deadly Grasp!


Three unique heroes in three missions? Now that's quite a generous offer!


Artillery Support seems to be extremely useful in this campaign based on what I observed so far. Frist Strike will also boost both attack power and general survivability. I envision this hero simply assigning additional mortar firepower to his unit.


Several airfields in the southwest are tempting prestige caches, but it try to keep my units relatively close to each other, as the enemy can jump out of the fog of war at any time. If possible, I really should invest in some recon planes!


One of the most famous places in context of allied paratrooper operations is now in my hands. Sainte-Mère-Église church with its paratrooper figure is certainly iconic and a symbol of this whole campaign.

Summary

Final Prestige: 33524 (up 15660)

Overall

Switch from Italy to Normandy went well for my force, but the spike in difficulty when handling the elite objective was noticeable. It might seem like encirclement makes the whole things trivial, but German defenses are not only static potions, but also a mobile relief force, which hits extremely hard. I had to first soften up the tanks and recon vehicles, as well as split the supporting units apart. Failure to do so could lead to an exposed infantry unit getting wiped out, breaking the entire encirclement. As a result, I had a much easier time around Sainte-Mère-Église than around Valognes, despite assigning fewer men to the main goal. That's good, since elite objectives should be just that - tough encounters that force the player to commit and are not doable with only half-measures. What made this one so interesting was that the solution to the problem is obvious, but it all depends on how the plan is executed. It's still possible to fail despite knowing what to do, so I consider it solid design.

[Tassadar]

Elite - All American - Unrelinquishing

Hero:


Hero added to HQ, 505th PIR (Team Gavin) for the flavor, but otherwise not that impactful. Prestige is irrelevant in this campaign.

Starting Prestige: 31909

Order of Battle:

Infantry

1st Bn, 505th PIR - US Airborne 43 - **** - Famous, Ignores Entrenchment, No Retaliation, Overrun
2nd Bn, 505th PIR - US Airborne 43 - **** - Artillery Support, Famous, First Strike
3rd Bn, 505th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ****
Co B, 307th Abn Eng - US Airborne 43 - **** - Artillery Support, Famous, Rapid Fire 1.5x
1st Bn, 507th PIR - US Airborne 43 - **
2nd Bn, 507th PIR - US Airborne 43 - **
3rd Bn, 507th PIR - US Airborne 43 - **
1st Bn, 508th PIR - US Airborne 43 - **
2nd Bn, 508th PIR - US Airborne 43 - **
3rd Bn, 508th PIR - US Airborne 43 - **
1st Bn, 325th Glider Infantry Rgt - US Infantry 43 - ***
2nd Bn, 325th Glider Infantry Rgt - US Infantry 43 - **
3rd Bn, 325th Glider Infantry Rgt - US Infantry 43 - ***

Tank

746th Tank Bn - OS11 - M4A1 - *** - Steamroller
70th Tank Bn - M5A1 - *** - Steamroller

Recon

HQ, 505th PIR (Team Gavin) - OS11 - Willys Jeep - ***** - Famous

Anti-Tank

80th Abn Anti-Tank Bn - OS11 - 57mm M1 (Studebaker Truck) - **

Artillery

376th Parachute FAB - OS11 - 75mm M1A1 (Studebaker Truck) - ***
456th Parachute FAB - OS11 - 75mm M1A1 (Studebaker Truck) - ****
319th Glider Field Artillery Bn - OS11 - 75mm M1A1 (Studebaker Truck) - *
320th Glider Field Artillery Bn - OS11 - 75mm M1A1 (Studebaker Truck) - *

Anti-Aircraft

80th Airborne Anti-Aircraft Bn - OS12 - 40mm M1 Bofors (Studebaker Truck) - *

Fighter

371st Fighter Group - P-47D - ***
367th Fighter Group "Dynamite Gang" - P-38G - ****

Tactical Bomber

82nd Abn Div Arty Spotter - OS12 - L-2 Grasshopper

Reserve

1st Bn, 504th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ***
2nd Bn, 504th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ***
3rd Bn, 504th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ***
142nd Infantry Rgt - OS20 - US Infantry 43 (Studebaker Truck) - ****
82nd Mech Cavalry Recon Troop - OS11 - M3A1 Scout Car - **** - Resilient
HQ, 504th PIR (Team Tucker) - OS11 - Willys Jeep - **
522nd FBS, 27th FBG - A-36 - ***

I just swap ground scouts for spotter planes in this mission, otherwise it's the same setup as in the earlier scenario, which is logical since it's a continuation of the same operation.

Highlights


Taking over this airfield has given me a risky idea. If there are so many planes here, maybe the other airfields in the back are undefended? Surely the map designer would not plan to have the player face of against all of these forces?


Success! My hunch was right, and the risky move to try to just shamelessly land on the enemy airfield works!


Same further south where I try the same idea, encouraged by the first success. This should scatter the enemy and force the aircraft to rebase far.


Oh wow, I actually simply take out four planes in one go, as the last airfield is too far for them to rebase. I'm not sure if that's how the mission was meant to be played, but I'll take it!


Infantry with Artillery Support is priceless in the campaign. I would otherwise struggle with vicious enemy attacks.


Pushing down the central road will be a slow process. There 's a massive tank conga line further west, and not all terrain is actually suitable for close combat.


Always satisfying when an ambush happens!


Elite objective secure, now to customize yet another hero.


I won't be too original Artillery Support has proven time and time again it's the best trait for this series, while No Retaliation will make cleaning entrenched positions much safer.

Summary

Final Prestige: 46264 (up 14355)

Overall

This was a puzzle-like scenario, that players will either love or hate, at least assuming that crushing the enemy planes with airdropping directly onto the unguarded airfield hexes is the intended way to play. Other than, it's a fairly straightforward mission, but well tailored towards infantry combat. Bringing vehicles is almost worthless and they are only redeemed by being able to deal with 1-2 strength survivors that escape into the open. It was made easier by the fact that German armor was just all sort of captured, outdated junk, with just a few exceptions. However, probably the biggest saving grace, and what made it much easier than it could have been, was relatively few artillery forces, and none with problematic long range. Wurfrahmen 40 can be annoying and dangerous if units are positioned incorrectly, but at the same time are very squishy. Not much else to say, just a slow, grindy mission with many opportunities to gain experience and tank kills by infantry units.

[Tassadar]

Elite - All American - Grave

Hero:


I added the hero to 746th Tank Bn to help with overruns. Unfortunately tanks are in reserve in the mission, so it's an upgrade for the possible future.

Starting Prestige: - 44553

Order of Battle:

Infantry

1st Bn, 504th PIR - OS17 - US Airborne 43 - *** - Artillery Support, Famous, No Retaliation
2nd Bn, 504th PIR - OS17 - US Airborne 43 - ***
3rd Bn, 504th PIR - OS17 - US Airborne 43 - ***
1st Bn, 505th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ***** - Famous, Ignores Entrenchment, No Retaliation, Overrun, Steamroller
2nd Bn, 505th PIR - US Airborne 43 - **** - Artillery Support, Famous, First Strike
3rd Bn, 505th PIR - US Airborne 43 - *****
307th Abn Eng Bn - US Airborne 43 - **** - Artillery Support, Famous, Rapid Fire 1.5x
1st Bn, 508th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ***
2nd Bn, 508th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ***
3rd Bn, 508th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ***
1st Bn, 325th Glider Infantry Rgt - US Infantry 43 - ***
2nd Bn, 325th Glider Infantry Rgt - US Infantry 43 - ***
3rd Bn, 325th Glider Infantry Rgt - US Infantry 43 - ***

Recon

HQ, 504th PIR (Team Tucker) - OS11 - Willys Jeep - **
HQ, 505th PIR (Team Ekman) - OS11 - Willys Jeep - ***** - Famous
HQ, 508th PIR (Team Lindquist) - OS11 - M3A1 Scout Car - **** - Resilient

Anti-Tank

80th Abn Anti-Tank Bn - OS13 - 57mm M1 (Studebaker Truck) - **

Artillery

376th Parachute FAB - OS11 - 75mm M1A1 (Studebaker Truck) - ***
456th Parachute FAB - OS11 - 75mm M1A1 (Studebaker Truck) - ****
319th Glider Field Artillery Bn - OS11 - 75mm M1A1 (Studebaker Truck) - **
320th Glider Field Artillery Bn - OS11 - 75mm M1A1 (Studebaker Truck) - **

Anti-Aircraft

80th Airborne Anti-Aircraft Bn - OS12 - 40mm M1 Bofors (Studebaker Truck) - **

Fighter

56th Fighter Group "Zemke's Wolfpack" - OS11 - P-47D - ****
474th Fighter Group - OS12 - P-38G - ****
357th Fighter Group "Yoxford Boys" - P-51D
355th Fighter Group - P-51D
366th Fighter Group - P-47D

Reserve

1st Bn, 507th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ***
2nd Bn, 507th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ***
3rd Bn, 507th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ***
142nd Infantry Rgt - OS20 - US Infantry 43 (Studebaker Truck) - ****
746th Tank Bn - M4A1 - **** - Exterminator, Steamroller
70th Tank Bn - M5A1 - *** - Steamroller
522nd FBS, 27th FBG - A-36 - ***
82nd Abn Div Arty Spotter - OS12 - L-2 Grasshopper - **

507th PIR is in reserve now, while 504th PIR joins, strengthened to 17 OS to represent being freshly replenished units. Overall, I have three paratrooper infantry regiments and one glider infantry regiment, some basic supporting artillery, but no tanks. In the actual events ground troops were deployed by the British, but since getting British forces is impossible, I decide to increase the air forces performing the Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) operations. As such, for once I will have a wide array of fighter groups available. I am curious how this decision and force composition will impact the events.

Highlights


First landing is aimed at cutting off some German tanks found around a forest area. This is a dangerous task, but that is why I have the Old Guard trait. Just in case something goes really badly, but only used once so far.


Grave is captured. Now I just aim to lure the enemy vehicles into the city to fight in close quarters against entrenched infantry.


German tanks take the bait and I am able to deal with them easily. Time to replicate this success in other areas.


Overrun infantry from 1st Bn, 505th PIR does some heavy lifting in the south, where multiple enemy units try to retake captured airfields.


Rocket fighters go down in flames as I take over the only suitable airfield they could use.


First encounters around Groesbeek and the elite objective are not too bad. Hills and forests allow to deal with tanks easily, and the only annoyance is the Survivor trait on many of the enemy units.


Area clear with tanks wrecks piling up quickly and my forces now ready to assist with main objectives.


Yet another custom hero. Fitting, since in a paratrooper focused campaign experimental equipment or prototypes don't really serve a purpose.


With traits like these this unit should be absolutely untouchable on the defense!


Cutting off some of the last enemy defenders. Now I have the numbers advantage, so it's not a difficult task anymore.

Summary

Final Prestige: 62237 (up 17684)

Overall

My choice to go fully historical had some noticeable impact on the difficulty, since dealing with enemy armor required luring the units into close terrain. The whole campaign is designed with this approach in mind, so it isn't a grueling task, but at the same time, I certainly could have benefitted from some heavier anti-tank units, or at the very least tactical bombers to finish off stubborn Panthers or Tigers that refused to get into expected position. As a result, I was on a much tighter schedule than expected, since each target required some initial setup to bait unfavorable positioning. I could not simply aggressively run into enemy forces and count for the best, I had to make them come to me instead. Elite objective was interesting as well, since Survivor on the best German tanks meant that if not immediately finished of, they would just heal and run. Even the best infantry units could not do this battle alone.

On a side note, I noticed this campaign has an increased speed of earning experience, in fact 3 times the usual rate. That's an interesting experiment for a shorter DLC, especially since infantry really has to do the heavy lifting, so it allows it to gain experience much quicker. In most campaigns I would still go with the usual pace, even if they are short ones, but in this specific context it makes a lot of sense.

[Tassadar]

Elite - All American - A Bridge Too Far

Hero:


Time to assign a hero to the 366th Fighter Group, to really focus on that ground sweeping role fighter planes had for the American army.

Starting Prestige: - 61406

Order of Battle:

Infantry

1st Bn, 504th PIR - US Airborne 43 - **** - Artillery Support, Famous, No Retaliation
2nd Bn, 504th PIR - US Airborne 43 - **** - Famous, Rapid Fire 2x, Readiness
3rd Bn, 504th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ****
1st Bn, 505th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ***** - Famous, Ignores Entrenchment, No Retaliation, Overrun, Steamroller
2nd Bn, 505th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ***** - Artillery Support, Famous, First Strike
3rd Bn, 505th PIR - US Airborne 43 - *****
307th Abn Eng Bn - US Airborne 43 - ***** - Artillery Support, Famous, Rapid Fire 1.5x
1st Bn, 508th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ****
2nd Bn, 508th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ***
3rd Bn, 508th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ****
1st Bn, 325th Glider Infantry Rgt - US Infantry 43 - ****
2nd Bn, 325th Glider Infantry Rgt - US Infantry 43 - ****
3rd Bn, 325th Glider Infantry Rgt - US Infantry 43 - ****

Recon

HQ, 504th PIR (Team Tucker) - OS11 - Willys Jeep - *****
HQ, 505th PIR (Team Ekman) - OS11 - Willys Jeep - ***** - Famous
HQ, 508th PIR (Team Lindquist) - OS11 - M3A1 Scout Car - ***** - Resilient

Anti-Tank

80th Abn Anti-Tank Bn - OS13 - 57mm M1 (Studebaker Truck) - ***

Artillery

376th Parachute FAB - OS11 - 75mm M1A1 (Studebaker Truck) - ****
456th Parachute FAB - OS11 - 75mm M1A1 (Studebaker Truck) - ****
319th Glider Field Artillery Bn - OS11 - 75mm M1A1 (Studebaker Truck) - ****
320th Glider Field Artillery Bn - OS11 - 75mm M1A1 (Studebaker Truck) - ***

Anti-Aircraft

80th Airborne Anti-Aircraft Bn - OS12 - 40mm M1 Bofors (Studebaker Truck) - ***

Fighter

56th Fighter Group "Zemke's Wolfpack" - P-47D - ****
474th Fighter Group - OS12 - P-38G - *****
357th Fighter Group "Yoxford Boys" - ** - P-51D
355th Fighter Group - P-51D - *
366th Fighter Group - P-47D - * - Entrenchment Killer 3x

Tactical Bomber

82nd Abn Div Arty Spotter - OS12 - L-2 Grasshopper - ***
386th Bombardment Group "The Crusaders" - B-26F Marauder - ***

Reserve

1st Bn, 507th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ***
2nd Bn, 507th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ***
3rd Bn, 507th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ***
142nd Infantry Rgt - OS20 - US Infantry 43 (Studebaker Truck) - ****
746th Tank Bn - M4A1 - **** - Exterminator, Steamroller
70th Tank Bn - M5A1 - *** - Steamroller

Nothing new needed at this point in time, just an upgrade of the tactical bombers to B-26F Marauders which fit well given their role in the area at the time. The core is mostly established, but the will still be some room for minor adjustments, as details of the 82nd Airborne changed with time and different forces were attached to it or coordinated their action with it.

Highlights


I did not expect German tanks to so eagerly attack out of Nijmegen. This will require some effort on my part. In the open, without any tanks of my own, fighting armored vehicles is always a challenge.


Luckily, I have lots of prestige, so I can use artillery to bait my enemies into places I want them to be. The AI just can't resist a solid hit on towed guns!


In the northeast I reach the river and after disposing of a bothersome Panther unit, I am now ready to make the crossing.


Looks like fighting the enemy is easier than I thought given all the city hexes. Tanks simply don't stand a chance and constantly fail to position themselves safely. With tons of Artillery Support heroes I am also not afraid of German infantry and just waltz in via the main road.


Northwestern airfield secure. I temporarily have a solid base for aircraft operations, but have to run almost immediately, chased by a massive infantry counterattack!


Southern part of the map encircled and secure, that was easier than I thought! Things are much more dire on the other side.


A bit of science fiction in a historical campaign. I think the place of machines like the Do 335 is more in regular DLC, but I've accepted this compromise and it does not bother me as much as it used to.


Build your own hero, next edition! I do not see Artillery Support...


...but Provocator is equally busted for the infantry focused scenarios. Time to set some traps for the Germans!

Summary

Final Prestige: 71813 (up 10407)

Overall

The approach towards the city is more tricky than city combat. My paratroopers, vulnerable in the open, are by now simply unstoppable in close quarters. With tons of experience and excellent support heroes it would take a special combination of opposing units to break their push. As a result, I had more trouble with the initial turns and the final mop-up of enemies outside Nijmegen than the in theory more bloody part of the mission. I also could not establish air dominance quickly, since enemy planes had good stats and a remote base operations, limiting the usefulness of my freshly upgraded bombers. The trouble was worth the award, as with Provocator the biggest issue of handling enemy armor is now basically solved. At this point I can only imagine vehicles with Vigilant heroes posing any real danger.

[Tassadar]

Elite - All American - No Matter the Cost

Hero:


A useful hero, but I will not benefit that much from him in a historical run. The issue here is that I'm bound by limitations of what I can deploy per scenario, as well as trying to keep units sizes flavorful, so I will not have enough slots to really utilize a trait like that. Added to 119th Infantry Rgt just in case I am proven wrong.

Starting Prestige: - 69716

Order of Battle:

Infantry

1st Bn, 504th PIR - OS17 - US Airborne 43 - ***** - Artillery Support, Famous, No Retaliation
2nd Bn, 504th PIR - OS17 - US Airborne 43 - **** - Famous, Rapid Fire 2x, Readiness
3rd Bn, 504th PIR - OS17 - US Airborne 43 - **** - Famous, Provocator, Prudent
1st Bn, 505th PIR - OS17 - US Airborne 43 - ***** - Famous, Ignores Entrenchment, No Retaliation, Overrun, Steamroller
2nd Bn, 505th PIR - OS17 - US Airborne 43 - ***** - Artillery Support, Famous, First Strike
3rd Bn, 505th PIR - OS17 - US Airborne 43 - *****
307th Abn Eng Bn - US Airborne 43 - ***** - Artillery Support, Famous, Rapid Fire 1.5x
1st Bn, 508th PIR - OS17 - US Airborne 43 - ****
2nd Bn, 508th PIR - OS17 - US Airborne 43 - ****
3rd Bn, 508th PIR - OS17 - US Airborne 43 - *****
1st Co, 551st PIB - US Airborne 43 - ***
2nd Co, 551st PIB - US Airborne 43 - ***
3rd Co, 551st PIB - US Airborne 43 - ***
1st Bn, 325th Glider Infantry Rgt - US Infantry 43 - ****
2nd Bn, 325th Glider Infantry Rgt - US Infantry 43 - ****
3rd Bn, 325th Glider Infantry Rgt - US Infantry 43 - ****
119th Infantry Rgt - US Infantry 43 (Studebaker Truck) - **** - Consolidator

Tank

740th Tank Battalion, Co A - M4A3(76W) - **** - Exterminator, Steamroller
740th Tank Battalion, Co B - M4A1 - *** - Steamroller

Recon

HQ, 504th PIR (Team Tucker) - OS11 - Willys Jeep - *****
HQ, 505th PIR (Team Ekman) - OS11 - Willys Jeep - ***** - Famous
HQ, 508th PIR (Team Lindquist) - OS11 - M3A1 Scout Car - ***** - Resilient
740th Tank Battalion, Co C - M24 Chaffee

Anti-Tank

80th Abn Anti-Tank Bn - OS11 - 57mm M1 (Studebaker Truck) - ***
703rd Tank Destroyer Battalion - M36 Jackson

Artillery

376th Parachute FAB - OS11 - 75mm M1A1 (Studebaker Truck) - ****
456th Parachute FAB - OS11 - 75mm M1A1 (Studebaker Truck) - *****
319th Glider Field Artillery Bn - OS11 - 75mm M1A1 (Studebaker Truck) - ****
320th Glider Field Artillery Bn - OS11 - 75mm M1A1 (Studebaker Truck) - ****

Anti-Aircraft

80th Airborne Anti-Aircraft Bn - OS12 - 40mm M1 Bofors (Studebaker Truck) - ***

Reserve

56th Fighter Group "Zemke's Wolfpack" - P-47D - *****
474th Fighter Group - P-38G - *****
357th Fighter Group "Yoxford Boys" - P-51D - ***
355th Fighter Group - P-51D - **
366th Fighter Group - P-47D - ** - Entrenchment Killer 3x
82nd Abn Div Arty Spotter - OS12 - L-2 Grasshopper - ****
386th Bombardment Group "The Crusaders" - B-26F Marauder - ****

While doing some adjustments for this mission I noticed an error in my setup. 325th Glider Infantry Rgt should have just two battalions, then three only stating 1945. This kind of slipped my attention, but just proves this is not an easy process to compose a force based on old data. This is a bit late to change things, so I'll just leave it as is.

As for actual modifications, 507th PIR is now gone and reassigned elsewhere, replaced by companies of 551st PIB, which fought here temporarily and got wiped out almost entirely, so it is only a story-level nod. Bigger change is renaming tanks to the 740th Tank Battalion, which improvised some armor to try and face off against the Germans. It's a fascinating story really, including getting some M24 Chaffees from a demonstration unit, as some sources seem to suggest. I also get 703rd Tank Destroyer Battalion to provide some attached hard-hitting AT power. These are likely my very last new purchases, I will probably only get an upgrade here and there in the future.

Highlights


Moving straight into the snowstorm at a snail's pace. Ambushes set up, support fire in position. There's no point rushing blindly into the unknown, especially since with Inefficient Supply, fuels runs out really fast!


325th Glider Infantry Rgt and 551st PIB move thought the forests in the north. I highly doubt the enemy will try to approach from this direction, but I prefer to be on the safe side, and besides, the road is too narrow for all my units to advance directly there.


Retreat? Never!


Cheneux in sight. So far so good, weather is more dangerous than the enemy.


Main objective in sight. Thanks to all the forests in the area, German armor can be dealt with rather easily.


OK, time to end the scenario. Just 3 turns to go and I am in no position to take on these elite forces!

Summary

Final Prestige: 76960 (up 7244)

Overall

Rather uneventful scenario really, since the weather makes things progress really, really slowly. As long as one is careful, the risk of running into a bad situation is minimal. Elite German forces are far to the east and are not too eager to attack at all, limiting the danger to just skirmishes with more regular units. The rest is just the usual - some basic infantry and enemy tanks rushing into forests just to get annihilated.

[Tassadar]

Elite - All American - Payback

Hero:


Another hero useful for a fighter plane unit. Luckily I can deploy aircraft in this mission, so I'll still benefit from him a bit at least.

Starting Prestige: - 76261

Order of Battle:

Infantry

1st Bn, 504th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ***** - Artillery Support, Famous, No Retaliation
2nd Bn, 504th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ***** - Famous, Rapid Fire 2x, Readiness
3rd Bn, 504th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ***** - Famous, Provocator, Prudent
1st Bn, 505th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ***** - Famous, Ignores Entrenchment, No Retaliation, Overrun, Steamroller
2nd Bn, 505th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ***** - Artillery Support, Famous, First Strike
3rd Bn, 505th PIR - US Airborne 43 - *****
307th Abn Eng Bn - US Airborne 43 - ***** - Artillery Support, Famous, Rapid Fire 1.5x
1st Bn, 508th PIR - US Airborne 43 - *****
2nd Bn, 508th PIR - US Airborne 43 - *****
3rd Bn, 508th PIR - US Airborne 43 - *****
1st Bn, 325th Glider Infantry Rgt - US Infantry 43 - ****
2nd Bn, 325th Glider Infantry Rgt - US Infantry 43 - ****
3rd Bn, 325th Glider Infantry Rgt - US Infantry 43 - ****
119th Infantry Rgt - OS17 - US Infantry 43 (Studebaker Truck) - **** - Consolidator

Tank

740th Tank Battalion, Co A - M4A3(76W) - **** - Exterminator, Steamroller

Recon

HQ, 504th PIR (Team Tucker) - OS11 - Willys Jeep - *****
HQ, 505th PIR (Team Ekman) - OS11 - Willys Jeep - ***** - Famous
HQ, 508th PIR (Team Lindquist) - OS11 - M3A1 Scout Car - ***** - Resilient
740th Tank Battalion, Co C - M24 Chaffee - ***

Anti-Tank

80th Abn Anti-Tank Bn - OS11 - 57mm M1 (Studebaker Truck) - ***
703rd Tank Destroyer Battalion - M36 Jackson - *

Artillery

376th Parachute FAB - OS11 - 75mm M1A1 (Studebaker Truck) - ****
456th Parachute FAB - OS11 - 75mm M1A1 (Studebaker Truck) - *****
319th Glider Field Artillery Bn - OS11 - 75mm M1A1 (Studebaker Truck) - ****
320th Glider Field Artillery Bn - OS11 - 75mm M1A1 (Studebaker Truck) - ****

Anti-Aircraft

80th Airborne Anti-Aircraft Bn - OS12 - 40mm M1 Bofors (Studebaker Truck) - ***

Fighter

56th Fighter Group "Zemke's Wolfpack" - P-47D - *****
357th Fighter Group "Yoxford Boys" - P-51D - ***
355th Fighter Group - P-51D - ** - Entrenchment Killer 3x
366th Fighter Group - P-47D - ** - Entrenchment Killer 3x

Tactical Bomber

82nd Abn Div Arty Spotter - OS12 - L-2 Grasshopper - ****

Reserve

1st Bn, 517th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ***
2nd Bn, 517th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ***
3rd Bn, 517th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ***
740th Tank Battalion, Co B - M4A1 - *** - Steamroller
474th Fighter Group - P-38G - *****
386th Bombardment Group "The Crusaders" - B-26F Marauder - ****

Historically destroyed 551st PIB gets replaced by 517th PIR, but that's still higher organization level reserve forces, so relevant only for flavor purposes. No real change to the rest of my core, aside from maybe the 474th Fighter Group and 386th Bombardment Group stuck in reserve, as both P-38's and BF-26's at this point were not often used for direct battle support, instead performing either long range missions, or attacks on vital strategic targets.

Highlights


Ready to move south and strike at the enemy! I keep my armored units close together, as their low numbers mean they will be more effective as a concentrated force rather than spread out all over the battlefield.


Let the joy of using Provocator ambushes begin! In the last mission the AI was quite passive and reluctant to fall into such traps, but not so anymore.


Forward airfield secure, giving me a solid base of air operations for the rest of the scenario.


The penalty for being a fictional tank unit is clear - falling trap to Provocator hero abuse!


62nd Volksgrenadiers weren't that tough, but the 9th SS Panzer Division is a more difficult enemy. As usual in the campaign it's all about luring the tanks to come to me, not facing them head on.

Summary

Final Prestige: 85691 (up 9430)

Overall

I rather enjoyed this mission, as it summed up the ideas behind the campaign well. Utilize the terrain, approach targets carefully, be mindful of enemy air force and deprive it of forward bases. With most of my units having a lot of experience it also feels like the power is real and earned. The special heroes are extremely impactful, but still fine within the confines of a infantry based force. I am sure this would play way differently, and I dare say quite plainly, if I insisted on having a regular army with more standard combined arms composition.

[armedevil]

Within the concept of approaching historical limitations, could there be another way to play this DLC?

What I took from it, is the power of infantry in close terrain. 15-strength units that have access to (mostly zero) close defense, with terrain entrenchment+initiative cap and quick buildup of experience are almost untouchable in close terrain. If there is enough of close terrain (no large patches of open terrain) they reduce armor to powerless bystanders.

The most straightforward way to handle big armor is to sabotage their ability to fight. That is, cut supply until one unit with a modicum of hard attack (such as the wonderful AT/Artillery M3 75 GMC) can take out the out-of supply armor (suppressed or out of ammo) without risk. The M3 75 GMC, in its Artillery role, also supports your infantry against other infantry, suppressing them.

Your approach (inducing errors, either by luring armor into close terrain or by using Provocator) depends a lot on the weak AI, which, seems to me, is less historical. With that said, the supply mechanism in PC2 is probably too powerful, especially with deadly grasp. But still.

[Tassadar]

Elite - All American - Round Up

Hero:


Really good hero I can assign to 703rd Tank Destroyer Battalion and still benefit from the ability at this stage of the game.

Starting Prestige: - 82816

Order of Battle:

Infantry

1st Bn, 504th PIR - OS17 - US Airborne 43 (Studebaker Truck) - ***** - Artillery Support, Famous, No Retaliation
2nd Bn, 504th PIR - OS17 - US Airborne 43 (Studebaker Truck) - ***** - Famous, Rapid Fire 2x, Readiness
3rd Bn, 504th PIR - OS17 - US Airborne 43 (Studebaker Truck) - ***** - Famous, Provocator, Prudent
1st Bn, 505th PIR - OS17 - US Airborne 43 (Studebaker Truck) - ***** - Famous, Ignores Entrenchment, No Retaliation, Overrun, Steamroller
2nd Bn, 505th PIR - OS17 - US Airborne 43 (Studebaker Truck) - ***** - Artillery Support, Famous, First Strike
3rd Bn, 505th PIR - OS17 - US Airborne 43 (Studebaker Truck) - *****
307th Abn Eng Bn - US Engineers 43 (Studebaker Truck) - ***** - Artillery Support, Famous, Rapid Fire 1.5x
1st Bn, 325th Glider Infantry Rgt - OS17 - US Infantry 43 (Studebaker Truck) - *****
2nd Bn, 325th Glider Infantry Rgt - OS17 - US Infantry 43 (Studebaker Truck) - *****
3rd Bn, 325th Glider Infantry Rgt - OS17 - US Infantry 43 (Studebaker Truck) - *****

Tank

740th Tank Battalion, Co A - M4A3E2(76W) - ***** - Exterminator, Steamroller
740th Tank Battalion, Co B - M4A3E2 - *** - Steamroller

Recon

HQ, 504th PIR (Team Tucker) - OS11 - Willys Jeep - *****
HQ, 505th PIR (Team Ekman) - OS11 - Willys Jeep - ***** - Famous
82nd Airborne Division, Rec Platoon - OS11 - M3A1 Scout Car - ***** - Resilient
740th Tank Battalion, Co C - M24 Chaffee - *****

Anti-Tank

325th GIR, Anti-Tank Co - OS13 - 57mm M1 (Studebaker Truck) - ****
703rd Tank Destroyer Battalion - M36 Jackson - ** - Hit and Run

Artillery

376th Parachute FAB - 105mm M2A1 (Studebaker Truck) - *****
456th Parachute FAB - 105mm M2A1 (Studebaker Truck) - *****
319th Glider Field Artillery Bn - 105mm M2A1 (Studebaker Truck) - ****
320th Glider Field Artillery Bn - 105mm M2A1 (Studebaker Truck) - *****

Anti-Aircraft

80th Airborne Anti-Aircraft Bn - OS13 - M16 MGMC - ****

Fighter

56th Fighter Group "Zemke's Wolfpack" - P-47D - *****
357th Fighter Group "Yoxford Boys" - P-51D - ***
355th Fighter Group - P-51D - *** - Entrenchment Killer 3x
366th Fighter Group - P-47D - *** - Entrenchment Killer 3x

Tactical Bomber

82nd Abn Div Arty Spotter - OS12 - L-2 Grasshopper - *****

Reserve

1st Bn, 508th PIR - US Airborne 43 - *****
2nd Bn, 508th PIR - US Airborne 43 - *****
3rd Bn, 508th PIR - US Airborne 43 - *****
1st Bn, 517th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ***
2nd Bn, 517th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ***
3rd Bn, 517th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ***
119th Infantry Rgt - US Infantry 43 (Studebaker Truck) - ***** - Consolidator
474th Fighter Group - P-38G - *****
386th Bombardment Group "The Crusaders" - B-26F Marauder - ****

A lot of changes for the final mission. 82nd Airborne was no longer dropping from the skies at this time. Instead they were motorized, formally integrated an official mechanized Reconnaissance Platoon, and division's artillery was entirely upgraded to standard 105mm M2A1. This changes the way my units will get used, operating more like a regular infantry division. Only other changes are tanks upgrades to the 740th Tank Battalion.

Highlights


Still infantry heavy, but fully motorized, 82nd Airborne is ready for action!


Hit and Run on 703rd Tank Destroyer Battalion is almost immediately proving really powerful against Panther tanks.


Let's take a moment to appreciate the map designer using the camouflage with partial primer showing on enemy vehicles, highlighting the rushed state of German production, trying to send anything to the front as soon as possible and deprived of even most basic resources.


Wow, I need to help the British forces, as they are getting into trouble by choosing horrible positioning.


Now this is just pure fantasy land! I could deal with the Do 335 and the Panzer VII Löwe, but this is silly in a historical setting.


Some of the week enemy units on the other side of the Elbe river are trapped in a basic encirclement. Since most of them are only 3 strength, they get fully suppressed in two turns and become useless.


Ludwigslust is defended by some tough opposition, but nothing I cannot handle at this stage. Just one last push and the town is mine.

Summary

Final Prestige: 81332 (down 1484)

Overall

Solid end scenario for this campaign with interesting map design, which in my opinion is getting better and better with each DLC. I can see how maps evolved since the base game ones and it's almost universally for the better. They became more intentional within the confines of being accurate at the same time. They also award thinking about unit placement in advance, noticing opportunities for using the terrain to the player's advantage. The cooperation with allied AI forces is clucky as always, but at lest not critical for success. The scenario could do without fantasy on paper only design jet planes, but it's a nitpick and I'll let it slide. Also, for the first time I'm down on prestige, mostly since I did not care at this point about overly efficient gameplay and took some more risk and damage than usual.

One final advice for everyone on this map - absolutely give your infantry trucks! The map is huge, and it would be impossible to complete otherwise!

Elite - All American - Summary

Starting Prestige: - 900
Final Prestige: - 81332 (up 80432)

Survivors:

Infantry

1st Bn, 504th PIR - OS17 - US Airborne 43 (Studebaker Truck) - ***** - Artillery Support, Famous, No Retaliation
2nd Bn, 504th PIR - OS17 - US Airborne 43 (Studebaker Truck) - ***** - Famous, Rapid Fire 2x, Readiness
3rd Bn, 504th PIR - OS17 - US Airborne 43 (Studebaker Truck) - ***** - Famous, Provocator, Prudent
1st Bn, 505th PIR - OS17 - US Airborne 43 (Studebaker Truck) - ***** - Famous, Ignores Entrenchment, No Retaliation, Overrun, Steamroller
2nd Bn, 505th PIR - OS17 - US Airborne 43 (Studebaker Truck) - ***** - Artillery Support, Famous, First Strike
3rd Bn, 505th PIR - OS17 - US Airborne 43 (Studebaker Truck) - *****
307th Abn Eng Bn - US Engineers 43 (Studebaker Truck) - ***** - Artillery Support, Famous, Rapid Fire 1.5x
1st Bn, 508th PIR - US Airborne 43 - *****
2nd Bn, 508th PIR - US Airborne 43 - *****
3rd Bn, 508th PIR - US Airborne 43 - *****
1st Bn, 517th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ***
2nd Bn, 517th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ***
3rd Bn, 517th PIR - US Airborne 43 - ***
1st Bn, 325th Glider Infantry Rgt - OS17 - US Infantry 43 (Studebaker Truck) - *****
2nd Bn, 325th Glider Infantry Rgt - OS17 - US Infantry 43 (Studebaker Truck) - *****
3rd Bn, 325th Glider Infantry Rgt - OS17 - US Infantry 43 (Studebaker Truck) - *****
119th Infantry Rgt - US Infantry 43 (Studebaker Truck) - ***** - Consolidator

Tank

740th Tank Battalion, Co A - M4A3E2(76W) - ***** - Exterminator, Steamroller
740th Tank Battalion, Co B - M4A3E2 - **** - Steamroller

Recon

HQ, 504th PIR (Team Tucker) - OS11 - Willys Jeep - *****
HQ, 505th PIR (Team Ekman) - OS11 - Willys Jeep - ***** - Famous
82nd Airbone Division, Rec Platoon - OS11 - M3A1 Scout Car - ***** - Resilient
740th Tank Battalion, Co C - M24 Chaffee - *****

Anti-Tank

325th GIR, Anti-Tank Co - OS13 - 57mm M1 (Studebaker Truck) - ****
703rd Tank Destroyer Battalion - M36 Jackson - **** - Hit and Run

Artillery

376th Parachute FAB - 105mm M2A1 (Studebaker Truck) - *****
456th Parachute FAB - 105mm M2A1 (Studebaker Truck) - *****
319th Glider Field Artillery Bn - 105mm M2A1 (Studebaker Truck) - *****
320th Glider Field Artillery Bn - 105mm M2A1 (Studebaker Truck) - *****

Anti-Aircraft

80th Airborne Anti-Aircraft Bn - OS13 - M16 MGMC - ****

Fighter

56th Fighter Group "Zemke's Wolfpack" - P-47D - *****
357th Fighter Group "Yoxford Boys" - P-51D - **** - Survivor
355th Fighter Group - P-51D - **** - Entrenchment Killer 3x
366th Fighter Group - P-47D - *** - Entrenchment Killer 3x
474th Fighter Group - P-38G - *****

Tactical Bomber

82nd Abn Div Arty Spotter - OS12 - L-2 Grasshopper - ***** - Survivor
386th Bombardment Group "The Crusaders" - B-26F Marauder - ****

Thoughts

A fine change of design, this campaign proved to be a interesting experiment in what could be achieved, but is slightly limited by the current mechanics, such as not having some better ways to represent actual airborne units equipment and structure, being forced to rely on terrain to deal with armor (unless the player is willing to deploy more regular units), or not utilizing some mechanics at all. For some time I was under the impression that gliders are simply not added, but actually the Waco CG-4 is in the units file. It should have been utilized, or at least the player should have been given the opportunity to use it. What it does show, is potential for Panzer Corps 3, or in fact even for another paratrooper DLC in Panzer Corps 2 as long as such addon would expand on the options given to the player. Overall, a fun distraction while we await more standard content.

Within the concept of approaching historical limitations, could there be another way to play this DLC?

What I took from it, is the power of infantry in close terrain. 15-strength units that have access to (mostly zero) close defense, with terrain entrenchment+initiative cap and quick buildup of experience are almost untouchable in close terrain. If there is enough of close terrain (no large patches of open terrain) they reduce armor to powerless bystanders.

The most straightforward way to handle big armor is to sabotage their ability to fight. That is, cut supply until one unit with a modicum of hard attack (such as the wonderful AT/Artillery M3 75 GMC) can take out the out-of supply armor (suppressed or out of ammo) without risk. The M3 75 GMC, in its Artillery role, also supports your infantry against other infantry, suppressing them.

Your approach (inducing errors, either by luring armor into close terrain or by using Provocator) depends a lot on the weak AI, which, seems to me, is less historical. With that said, the supply mechanism in PC2 is probably too powerful, especially with deadly grasp. But still.

It's a question I've been certainly asking myself when playing. In Ghost Division and 1st Guards, my infantry relied on having it's light AT, artillery and sometimes AA, represented as separate units. 82nd Airborne for the longest time, really only had some AT batteries in 80th Airborne Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion and a handful of 37mm M3's in its Parachute Field Artillery Battalions (and these would struggle to deal any damage against Panthers and Tigers as well). As a result, I have limited choice of tactics when deploying a historical composition, and ultimately, I can only try to use a historical unit set up, but if I tried historic battle tactics int he game as well, I'd get stomped - they don't translate well directly.

After some thought, I think the issue boils down to these aspects:

1. Any AT/AA/Artillery is deployed as separate units, which slightly limits the options to represent some unit structures. I keep mention how Total Tank Generals, another game in the general gerne, did this despite ultimately failing to live up to expectations. It allowed to have up to 3 units on a single hex and you can combine all sort of options like that. This approach has potential, as it could allow for more combined arms approaches. Imagine a infantry unit with attached AT now suddenly having better hard attack or some other bonuses. Or maybe you could still have 1 unit per hex, but each would have options, for some extra prestige, to add such support equipment, the same way transports get added. That's some real potential for Panzer Corps 3 if the devs ever choose to explore how to deepen unit customization.
2. Late game tanks in the open are impervious to infantry fire. For al long as infantry is unable to do at least 1 damage, it's impossible to deal with them unless close terrain is utilized, or some AT firepower brought in. However, since the AI is not capable of correctly dealing wit encirclement, there's no way this mechanic can be powered up without breaking the game. So the damage rules themselves limit the options. So the irony is that even if I suppress a Panther 100%, I cannot penetrate the armor in the open without the required attach value, but this cannot be circumvented since as you observed, encirclement is already OP as-is.
3. Even if you use extra light towed AT units, they move one hex at a time. You can just drop them on empty airfields, but they can't keep pace with infantry. Once again they would need to be somehow attached to that infantry unit to resolve this bug.
4. Missions need to be kept open ended. The player has to have some freedom on how to deal with objectives, else it becomes a puzzle with one possible solution. I actually appreciate the fact this DCL is doable with basically infantry only (even if requiring some mechanical compromise), but the player can filed a perfectly normal army as well. Most mission can be done with just a few paras to capture the first supply hex and then have the heaviest, most nasty American armor and artillery deployed for some direct confrontation against the Germans. Only strategic bombers are really not too useful due to severe lack of non-dirt airfields, baring a few rare cases.

All in all, it was a fun challenge again with setting up the core according to historical records and even if I had to cheese the AI sometimes, it's unavoidable with such restrictions. Still nothing beats the Born in Flames scenario from 1st Guards DLC, where due to historical set up I could not operate any fighter aircraft, did not have AA Veteran and gat to repel the Luftwaffe with tickling bombers using heavy AA for at most 1 damage.

[armedevil]

I agree. For PC3, making core units more unique by improving their capabilities (soft/hard/air/close/city attack/defense, speed, spotting, paradrop, unique heroes etc etc) offers a very good way to create a game that is more compelling. The main concept of PG is the steady evolution of your core-units into a more powerful, capable, formidable army.

This is always a threat to game balance, as all-powerful direct-kill units may feel good for a little while, but take away the challenge. Combined arms warfare in PG/PC1/PC2 is distributed over separate units, but other 'Panzer'-like games already combine capabilities in one unit. Advantage is that the foundation, combined arms, can stay the same, units can be a bit more powerful without becoming 'doomstacks' and there is more scope for different tactics.

Do away with zero/reduced-slot heroes and other 'magic' superpowers that dumb the game down. Make prestige a limiting factor again. Let heroes (and/or units) slowly gain capabilities as experience grows. Maybe do away with the automatic 10% extra efficiency per star and replace it with more varied gains.

And, of course, build the base game anew from scratch so that it is capable of improvement (squash bugs) and extension and so that system demands are modest (as there is no reason for turn-based games to be so demanding on the hardware). Speaking for myself, 3D only makes the game worse, apart from it being used to solve one game-mechanic problem (attacking air units). Real commanders don't use 3D-graphics.

[armedevil]

As for the supply mechanism, the first turn might drop the suppression, efficiency and initiative penalties.
Also, supply only via minor river or swamp hexes etc should be worth less than via road or open terrain.

Using numbers with fractions for everything would enable more natural strength, supply, unit capabilities and combat rules. Players wishing to know the exact calculations can have them, no problem.

[Tassadar]

This is always a threat to game balance, as all-powerful direct-kill units may feel good for a little while, but take away the challenge. Combined arms warfare in PG/PC1/PC2 is distributed over separate units, but other 'Panzer'-like games already combine capabilities in one unit. Advantage is that the foundation, combined arms, can stay the same, units can be a bit more powerful without becoming 'doomstacks' and there is more scope for different tactics.

This can have some interesting applications for support fire for example - want the unit to have AT support? It has to have the AT element attached, not placed behind it. Want to rid the enemy infantry of AT support? Have the attack focus on it, but incur some penalty to accuracy. That's of course a drastic redesign, might be a bit too drastic to the Panzer General formula, but let's face it, the game can evolve, we don't need pure reskins of the same title.

Do away with zero/reduced-slot heroes and other 'magic' superpowers that dumb the game down. Make prestige a limiting factor again. Let heroes (and/or units) slowly gain capabilities as experience grows. Maybe do away with the automatic 10% extra efficiency per star and replace it with more varied gains.

Growing capabilities with experience carries a risk - if it also involves a set bonuses tree path, then some choices will be always better than others. I'd leave the heroes, they are fun to play with and combine in different ways, but make it so that a unit needs 1 star of experience to have a hero assigned, 3 stars for two heroes and 5 for three. It would naturally limit the power of individual units to only grow with time. Also, be really, really careful about abilities. PzC 2 proven what's arguably too powerful and what's is fine, so I'm sure a hero viability review would be required. Or just make the AI not fall for obvious exploits.

Speaking for myself, 3D only makes the game worse, apart from it being used to solve one game-mechanic problem (attacking air units). Real commanders don't use 3D-graphics.

I have to shamefully admit I would no longer be able to return to just pure 2D graphics with the same enthusiasm. The current game is just too pretty and the customization with all the camouflage and insignia is all my roleplaying tank nerd heart ever wanted. Still, I think the 2D view should be developed in parallel. Not just token strategic view like it is currently, but proper 2D full mode, playable to the same extent as 3D.

As for the supply mechanism, the first turn might drop the suppression, efficiency and initiative penalties.
Also, supply only via minor river or swamp hexes etc should be worth less than via road or open terrain.

Using numbers with fractions for everything would enable more natural strength, supply, unit capabilities and combat rules. Players wishing to know the exact calculations can have them, no problem.

That's an interesting idea - don't suppress the enemy fully, but let's say apply a flat 2 point suppression to strength. Then, on subsequent turns apply some other penalties, as you suggest to initiative, attack, defense etc., but always just a partial drop, let's say 1/3rd. It would still make the mechanic powerful and you would still block ammo and fuel resupply, but not make the units defenseless, until they indeed run their supplies dry.