RC3 1939 Manstein Mode

Kerensky · Post by **Kerensky** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 7:50 am

Manstein means all enemy units have base strength +5. So in Poland, all enemy units are 15 strength. When (if) you get to USA, Patton will be 19 strength.

No cheats, no reloading.
So far so good, last turn major victory in Poland. I won't have screenshots every time, but every now and then I'll post a casualty list.

Kerensky · Post by **Kerensky** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 8:10 am

I can't decide which is more insulting, the terrible 2 ammo schnellboots (There's a reason they have 10 ammo on Hunters in the Atlantic) or the new Oscarsborg fort shelling transports with it's 14 naval attack.

Norway is going to hurt...

AgentX · Post by **AgentX** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 8:27 am

How do you activate Manstein mode? I started a '39 campaign in RC3 and didn't see the option. Is this a cheat code activated mode or something special you whipped up for yourself?

lordzimoa · Post by **lordzimoa** » Sat Jun 25, 2011 8:49 am

If you complete your game winning on Field Marshal level, it opens 3 bonus difficulty levels. Mannstein, Guderian and Rommel... it is a hidden bonus.

Kerensky · Post by **Kerensky** » Sun Jun 26, 2011 4:08 am

Experience rates seem to be seriously reduced (I only have 5 One Star units, 3 of which are artillery pieces), so I played Norway very cautiously to minimize losses. Only managed a marginal victory.

Kerensky · Post by **Kerensky** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 5:21 am

It took a couple of tries, bypassing lots of Allied units (There is a 14 strength Hurricane and French Tactical bomber still alive in addition to the forces you see pictured), and casualties are mounting, but a decisive victory on Low Countries is achievable!

Kerensky · Post by **Kerensky** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 6:20 am

Even France, which is quite easy compared to all other scenarios up to this point, required bypassing of a few Allied units. Fortunately this was the first scenario where zero Core units were lost, and I finally have a healthy amount of prestige for some actual elite replacements now.

Sea Lion with 15 strength British ships is going to.... Suck.

Kerensky · Post by **Kerensky** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 11:10 am

Sea Lion is... ugh.
Only possible with abundant paratroopers, massive prestige dumping, and gratuitous saving and loading.
But none of those are control shift alt cheats, so yay decisive victory.

Kerensky · Post by **Kerensky** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 10:16 pm

Lost my pictures, but I have been playing.

Zero cheats, but a LOT of save/load exploiting.

Minor victory barbarossa (soviet airforce is too large to ignore and prevents use of transports until its cleared)
Major victory kiev (no problem on this one)
Minor victory Moscow 41 (Impossible to cross the distance required in the time allotted, especially with constant mud.)
Major Victory Stalingrad (Paratroopers are a must, and make this one quite easy)
Major Victory Kursk (This was easier than I suspected it was going to be, but mostly because I bypassed gigantic formations of enemy units)
Major Victory Moscow 43. (The turn count is the same, the space required to cross is less, and the weather is better. This was a cake walk compared to Moscow 41)

Here's the causality list up to this point, and now it's off to America!

Razz1 · Post by **Razz1** » Sat Jul 02, 2011 12:47 am

Only one problem Exploiting by save and reload.

Kerensky · Post by **Kerensky** » Sat Jul 02, 2011 1:29 am

True, but to ensure the campaign moves in the direction I need it to for testing purposes, it has to be used.
Perhaps in the future when time is not a factor, replaying the scenario without saving/loading is an option.

New USA East coast is a nightmare and a massive prestige sink. All three infantry, one tank, one wurfrahmen, and at least one anti-tank were all veteran units, in addition to many new purchases which got plastered (notice the jump in casualties in the recon and anti tank field). I managed a turn 18 of 18 victory though, and the campaign moves forward!

Kerensky · Post by **Kerensky** » Sat Jul 02, 2011 9:00 am

A bloody end in the USA.
I did run into some serious prestige shortages, but that's mainly because the scenarios haven't been updated for RC3 prices, but that has since been fixed.

Casualties after Midwest:

And West Coast.