Kiev 43

[deducter]

As far as I know, it does not matter if the units you move adjacent to an enemy held hex are core or auxiliary, I think the same multiple-front attack bonus applies. Just make sure you use some arty to suppress the unit in the city you are trying to attack. Pionere units are also very good to have because they ignore entrenchment levels. Some people like using the flame-throwing tank for this same reason (although it is super-fragile and a magnet for enemy attacks).

Correct. The exact rule is that for every additional "melee" unit that has not attacked (basically, not artillery, not trucks) you place next to an enemy unit, you gain a mass attack bonus that lowers the initiative of the defending unit by 1. So if you have 2 units next to an enemy unit, the enemy suffers a -1 INI penalty, if you have 3 units the enemy suffers a -2 INI penalty, and so on. This also applies for air combat.

One interesting quirk of this rule is that INI bonus from exp is calculated after the mass attack rule. For instance, a 1-star enemy fighter with base INI = 10 is surrounded by 2 of your fighters. Normally, this fighter would have INI = 11, but since mass attack lower its INI to 9, it can't gain the extra INI from its experience.

[ceandersen]

Yes that was what I wanted to know. If you cannot complete all the spaces for troops you probably will not be able to take secondary cities as you just won't have enough units. What difficulty level are you playing on?

I believe I have put the difficulty level harder. As Field Marshal, since 1939. The other game settings too, choosing Weather, Supply and Fog of War.

[ceandersen]

Correct. The exact rule is that for every additional "melee" unit that has not attacked (basically, not artillery, not trucks) you place next to an enemy unit, you gain a mass attack bonus that lowers the initiative of the defending unit by 1. So if you have 2 units next to an enemy unit, the enemy suffers a -1 INI penalty, if you have 3 units the enemy suffers a -2 INI penalty, and so on. This also applies for air combat.

One interesting quirk of this rule is that INI bonus from exp is calculated after the mass attack rule. For instance, a 1-star enemy fighter with base INI = 10 is surrounded by 2 of your fighters. Normally, this fighter would have INI = 11, but since mass attack lower its INI to 9, it can't gain the extra INI from its experience.

As I understand from what you wrote, this rule only applies to units that have not attacked these round, right?

[deducter]

Correct. The exact rule is that for every additional "melee" unit that has not attacked (basically, not artillery, not trucks) you place next to an enemy unit, you gain a mass attack bonus that lowers the initiative of the defending unit by 1. So if you have 2 units next to an enemy unit, the enemy suffers a -1 INI penalty, if you have 3 units the enemy suffers a -2 INI penalty, and so on. This also applies for air combat.

One interesting quirk of this rule is that INI bonus from exp is calculated after the mass attack rule. For instance, a 1-star enemy fighter with base INI = 10 is surrounded by 2 of your fighters. Normally, this fighter would have INI = 11, but since mass attack lower its INI to 9, it can't gain the extra INI from its experience.

As I understand from what you wrote, this rule only applies to units that have not attacked these round, right?

Correct, to get the mass attack bonus the supporting unit(s) must still be able to attack. You can double check this with Ctrl + click on the target enemy unit to open the combat log predictor before you attack. The mass attack bonus will be shown in the INI section.

[Zhivago]

Yes that was what I wanted to know. If you cannot complete all the spaces for troops you probably will not be able to take secondary cities as you just won't have enough units. What difficulty level are you playing on?

I believe I have put the difficulty level harder. As Field Marshal, since 1939. The other game settings too, choosing Weather, Supply and Fog of War.

You might want to reduce the difficulty level while you learn the mechanics of the game and the strengths and weaknesses of the various unit types. Once you have the hang of it, then notch up the difficulty level.

[ceandersen]

Correct, to get the mass attack bonus the supporting unit(s) must still be able to attack. You can double check this with Ctrl + click on the target enemy unit to open the combat log predictor before you attack. The mass attack bonus will be shown in the INI section.

Gee, I used other units to help surround a city, but often they had attacked ... that is, it was a total waste. Thanks for the tip! From now on I will make it right!

[ceandersen]

You might want to reduce the difficulty level while you learn the mechanics of the game and the strengths and weaknesses of the various unit types. Once you have the hang of it, then notch up the difficulty level.

I play panzer corps as more than a game, I wanted an experience of WWII. I know, I know ... this is just a game, but this first time I'm doing the whole big campaign, I'm not remaking scenarios or turning movements, to get really as difficult as possible. Anyway, I appreciate the tip!

[robman]

Whew! I just finished '43 on FM--what a meatgrinder! Kiev wasn't too bad--as others pointed out above, it's not too hard to get a DV by holding Kiev while wheeling around to the south and over the river, but I was so beat up from Kremenchug that I had to dumb down my units with lots of green reinforcements in the process. This was by far the hardest campaign in the series to date--kudos to the devs!

[soldier]

I hear you. I'm just starting Kiev 43 after a similar beat up at Kremenchug. Got a minor victory first time but with heavy losses. I actually couldn't make good on all of my replacements so i thought I'd try again. Things wen't much better this time so i decided to stick around on the opposite bank and try for the major. Boy i copped a hammering on the last five turns and was in similar shape at the end. Nearly all my aircaft and many tanks and troops were at half strength or worse but i got there.

[ceandersen]

I hear you. I'm just starting Kiev 43 after a similar beat up at Kremenchug. Got a minor victory first time but with heavy losses. I actually couldn't make good on all of my replacements so i thought I'd try again. Things wen't much better this time so i decided to stick around on the opposite bank and try for the major. Boy i copped a hammering on the last five turns and was in similar shape at the end. Nearly all my aircaft and many tanks and troops were at half strength or worse but i got there.

Pondering the placement of colleagues who gave tips here I am doing a new game that is like going to good work. I started with the bare minimum of troops to hold Kiev (6 pcs heavy tiger, elephant and panther + 4 other lighter armored units). All other unidaes went south and are getting down fast! Looks like it's gonna be good!

[ceandersen]

Whew! I just finished '43 on FM--what a meatgrinder! Kiev wasn't too bad--as others pointed out above, it's not too hard to get a DV by holding Kiev while wheeling around to the south and over the river, but I was so beat up from Kremenchug that I had to dumb down my units with lots of green reinforcements in the process. This was by far the hardest campaign in the series to date--kudos to the devs!

I can not find Kremenchug on the map, where it is? It's a city of east bank of the Dnieper, right?

[ceandersen]

I don't know how the computer's prestige is calculated, but it seemed to me that the more towns I was able to capture in the last half of the game, the less potent the weaponry the AI was able to spawn. By the end of my game (FM difficulty level) the AI was down to spawning recon vehicles.

Furthermore, another reason that it is not a bad idea to go on the offensive if possible is that the AI was spawning IS-1's in the closest cities to the fighting. Taking those cities, or at least keeping a German unit in an adjacent hex, helped keep the re-spawning further away from my troops giving me some breathing room.

Right now I'm on turn 16. All cities below of Zhuravka, doing a front line with Boryspil, further west are with my flag. Kiev is also well defended, without major problems. But not yet conquered Shevchenkove, and there is a fever of IS-1 and other heavy weapons. I can kill 2 or 3 of them per turn. But he repom 3 or even 4. I do not know what else to do! For all the city goals are already captured, but other than that they said this debate, the game continues and I see no replacement with recon units, only heavyweight. Is there another strategic city should I take to undermine the forces Bolsheviks?

[robman]

I can not find Kremenchug on the map, where it is? It's a city of east bank of the Dnieper, right?

(1) Kremenchug is the titular city in the scenario just prior to Kiev '43. I don't think it's on the Kiev '43 map.

(2) If you are playing with the 1.10 update, you will encounter place name problems when playing pre-AK campaigns. There is a very simple fix: open the scenario in the editor, save it (without doing anything else), and exit. You can do this mid-scenario even.

(3) Kiev '43 runs to the end of the last turn even if you are in possession of all of the victory hexes. If you have them all, just hang in there until the end.

[ceandersen]

(1) Kremenchug is the titular city in the scenario just prior to Kiev '43. I don't think it's on the Kiev '43 map.

(2) If you are playing with the 1.10 update, you will encounter place name problems when playing pre-AK campaigns. There is a very simple fix: open the scenario in the editor, save it (without doing anything else), and exit. You can do this mid-scenario even.

(3) Kiev '43 runs to the end of the last turn even if you are in possession of all of the victory hexes. If you have them all, just hang in there until the end.

1) I'm talking about the last campaign map 43, ok?
2) What is a 'pre-AK campaigns'? Sorry but I'm new here and also do not know all abbreviations.
3) I also think it should be so, but a fellow forum said the scenario ended in round 20, it reached all the goals (or at least that's what I understood).

[robman]

(1) I do not think Kremenchug is in the last map. It is the name of the scenario right before Kiev.

(2) AK = Afrika Korps. It is the first campaign that was developed using the Panzer Corps 1.10 engine. The 1.10 engine was also released separately as an update. If you installed the update or Afrika Korps, then you will encounter the "name change" problem. It is easily fixed by the user, on a scenario-by-scenario basis, as described above. It will be permanently fixed in the next update.

(3) Kiev does indeed end with Turn 20, no matter what. It will not end earlier if you capture all of the victory hexes earlier.

(4) You can reduce the effect of AI spamming by taking, or parking a unit next to, nearby Soviet town hexes. You do not really have to hold them after taking them, especially late in a scenario. This will force the AI to generate units at hexes further away from your units, thereby delaying the arrival of new heavy tanks to the front.

[ceandersen]

(1) I do not think Kremenchug is in the last map. It is the name of the scenario right before Kiev.

(2) AK = Afrika Korps. It is the first campaign that was developed using the Panzer Corps 1.10 engine. The 1.10 engine was also released separately as an update. If you installed the update or Afrika Korps, then you will encounter the "name change" problem. It is easily fixed by the user, on a scenario-by-scenario basis, as described above. It will be permanently fixed in the next update.

(3) Kiev does indeed end with Turn 20, no matter what. It will not end earlier if you capture all of the victory hexes earlier.

(4) You can reduce the effect of AI spamming by taking, or parking a unit next to, nearby Soviet town hexes. You do not really have to hold them after taking them, especially late in a scenario. This will force the AI to generate units at hexes further away from your units, thereby delaying the arrival of new heavy tanks to the front.

1) Oh sure, now found! thanks for the tip.
2) Ok, I get it;
3) But my Kiev'43 has 22 turns! Does it have something wrong in my Panzer Corps?
4) You mean, enter the cities easier and then retreat to protect the main objectives?

[robman]

(3) The number "20" was just stuck in my head for some reason. It must be 22. Anyhow, the clock runs to the end of the last possible turn, no matter what.

(4) Yes, exactly. Even if the AI retakes the city, it cannot immediately start generating units there. Recon units are especially useful for this purpose, because many towns that may later become spamming centers are initially undefended.

[ceandersen]

(3) Okay, okay, it was as I thought, but as you and another comrade had spoken in 20 thought it could be something wrong in my program.
(4) then I'll try this tactic. I'm going up, all possible cities around the lives of low cost and then retreat to the cities vital! Thanks for the tip and wish me good luck!