DLC '44 West #14: Eindhoven

[VPaulus]

Please post here your comments about this scenario.

[Kamerer]

14) Eindhoven – beta 1

Level: Field Marshal
Prestige: Begin: 19,700. End: 22,850. Net: +3,150.
Result: Loss (?) at 24/24

Problems:

• • I controlled 10/12 objectives, but still got scored a loss?
  • All hexes of Den Bosch (actually I would rename the town that as it’s the colloquial usage everyone calls uses) not showing controlled, also Cujik (Cuijk), 23,32.
  • Briefing was confusing on one point –“If we were indeed forced to sabotage bridges…”. I took that to mean some bridges would be blown. However, I had lost none in the past scenarios, and encountered none blown in this scenario. So is it dependent upon past scenario outcomes (I doubt the map changes based on that, though?). I ended up using the bridging unit I took (and losing it!), but this baffled me as the map didn't reflect the briefing. Or perhaps it was a hint to take a bridging unit even if you were tempted not to do so?

General impressions/comments:

• • Seemed like a fun, intelligent scenario, but then the endless amounts of armour in Eindhoven made a DV impossible.

I left fairly minimal forces in most of the map to reduce the paras, concentrating against reducing Eindhoven. On a general scale of things, there was WAY more than XXX Corp in the Eindhoven watershed area. The terrain makes that slow going and a DV seemed WAY out of reach with 24 turns. I even lost two units trying to push for it (only two of the campaign).

I will replay it tonight or tomorrow to see if I made some fundamental error and there is a way to get a DV out of it. The briefing suggested a “long, drawn out” campaign, so I went carefully and did not abuse my units. I will re-try taking greater losses and reinforcing them; there's certainly bountiful prestige in this campaign that it's not a problem to do it that way.

[Kamerer]

14) Eindhoven – beta 2

Level: Rommel, stock core
Prestige: Begin: 0. End: 500. Net: +500
Result: DV, 30/30
Core in OK shape at end.

Core changes:

• • Upgraded Nebelwerfer to 30cm.

Problems:

• • None noted.

General impressions/comments:

• • Challenging scenario; by far toughest of the Campaign. While not on the same scale, it is as hard as some of the most challenging PC scenarios, at least with the core I played (and also I made a big deployment mistake – forgetting 2/3rd’s of my SE tanks!)

I fought the whole scenario with only five tanks. Why? I was waiting to deploy my other two 13 strength SE Panthers in vacated deployment hexes in turn 2 (all southern ones were used up). I got engrossed in playing, and then completely forgot about them until the last turn when it was won in a squeaker. What a stupid mistake! Still, I did manage to grind out a DV at the last turn; there were still two allied infantry in Eindhoven proper and others holding the surrounding small towns, etc.

Besides forgetting two SE Panthers (still can’t believe I did that), I was fighting the “stock” core and Rommel all this campaign. So eking out a DV here means it should not be so grueling with an imported core or full prestige. 30 turns is the right amount to give a little cushion. It could be done in 24/25 with a good core and right strategy to start (in beta 1 when I had a better core, I did not push the flank assault from the east into Eindhoven early enough, or strong enough). It is a very good finish to the campaign. While it is tough, I don’t see the need for changes since it can be won on Rommel with the stock core in 30 turns, even forgetting two of your best tanks (I’m an idiot, clearly). When time allows, I’ll fight this again going via St. Lo and Falaise instead (this branch was via southern France) and give this another fight with all units deployed.

Campaign overall impressions:

The ‘44West campaign is nicely drawn and thought-out. I think some people might squeak about D-Day being only one scenario, but it’s not unrealistic. Since these ’44 western battles are the ones a majority of players will be the most intimately familiar with, they will get tougher scrutiny. And I think the game does a great job of meeting those expectations. Kudos. A few details did come to mind while I was playing, that I forgot to mention in the exact scenario thread, or don’t fit in one:

• a) Normandy: Might be interesting to have more water features (swamp, say) behind some of the beaches at Normandy to simulate the flooding the Germans did. Was a critical point of the strategy there. Would make the tactical fight for the beaches more interesting; it’s kind of open, featureless terrain behind the beaches as-is.
  
  b) Re: stock core – I would either give a pp bonus (say, 1,500) to someone playing with that, or give them three additional units beyond the deployed ones – decent value ones like an extra towed 12.8, 21cm artillery, and Do217. Then the player has a little more depth to be competitive or extra pp to disband and spend. The stock core here is very good, but could use just a little oomph, extra few units, or pp to give the player flexibility. Getting to Villers-Bocage with all the air unit slots open, a tough scenario, and no pp to buy extra ground units is disappointing.
  
  c) Equalize SE units for weaker players/stock core. I noticed that if you go into Cassino with five SE units, you get the fighter on top of that, so you have six for the campaign instead of the allotted five. If you go in with four, get the fighter, then you have five and get no more. Thus the fighter is not really a “reward” but just fills an SE slot, albeit with an air unit instead of a ground unit. Perhaps there’s a way to make sure weaker players already have five SE units going into that scenario? Or start the stock core with four SE units instead of three – then they have a better chance of being rewarded like the more experienced players. It seems more fair that way to weaker players or those battling with the stock core.

[ThvN]

Eindhoven branch - beta2

The new turn limit is much better, I actually managed a DV on turn 30 where I didn't nearly lost everything, even while playing alt_a (no Arnhem bridge). But this was with a good core with lots of good fighters and anti-air, because those Allied air waves are brutal. Although being attacked by strategic bombers and waves of tanks for 30 turns is an interesting experience, esp. when your bridge engineer, to help you retreat north across the Waal, is delayed. Maybe an aux bridge engineer to aid the player would be a nice touch, perhaps as a reward when the player manages to secure Oosterbeek or Groesbeek. although I managed with my single specimen, and another one is easily bought.

My heavy air power was also beneficial when trying the other variants, because with the other bridges gone it's basically a three-front war. And Nijmegen is much more difficult to secure, so I didn't seriously try for a DV that time. Thankfully it is still possible to cross the Waal without a bridge engineer, although when the Allies manage to get there this feature doesn't seem so nice anymore . But still, I feel MV's are still very doable because you don't have to hold on to terrain south of the Waal if I'm correct.

On the regular Eindhoven scenario, a less specialized core may achieve a DV as well but it will be a Pyrrhic victory I guess. For me it required that I was able to destroy any allied air wave within two turns to keep the damage low, and loads of mobile artillery. Allied infantry is very powerful and dangerous around the swamps. I crossed into the Eindhoven region simultaneously in four places, which helped alot. If the allies had brought some mobile AA units along it could have been quite expensive and more difficult for me, so there's a hint in case people complain it's too easy.

[zappel]

Beta2 - ThVN posted a flag problem before for Arnhem and Nijmegen (and maybe other scenarios) .
In Eindhoven also flags are shown as axis controlled in main map and allied controlled in mini map. If I "capture" those german flag I receive prestige and the surrounding hexes are visible the following turns.

Flags

flag.png (218 KiB) Viewed 2765 times

Not marked but also wrong flag for s'-Hertogenbosch (3, 32; 4, 34 and 5,32).

[zappel]

Beta2 - Colonel-Level - Imported core - DV
What a nice idea to start with a small pane and make it greater each scenario from Arnhem to Eindhoven. Managed to capture Osterbeek, Driel, etc. three times (and had victorybanner for each capture). It was easy to capture the first winning hexes only Eindhoven was a challenge: there was a nest of allied tanks and it took six turns to smah them all. I like this series Arnhem - Nijmegen - Eindhoven!

[RobertCL]

Beta 3 - Leutnant level - Marginal Victory

Excellent scenario!
I was unable to attack the last VH in the south of the map since the nr of German core units seems rather limited and I kept many units in the north by fear of counterattacks.
Maybe the AI is too shy in the northern part of the map.

Nr of British armoured units in the southern part is quite impressive.

I also like the new e-file even if one AD unit has still no icon.

[monkspider]

Eindhoven
General Level
Defualt Core
Marginal Victory 30/30
Ending prestige 1600
No losses

This was an epic and extremely challenging scenario. It was awesome how your defense (or not) of the bridges affects your performance in this one. I managed to slowly fight my way through, though the closer I got to Eindhoven, the stiffer the resistance became. I managed to capture one of the Eindhoven victory hexes and get within striking distance of the last one, but ultimately was not quite able to finish it. Zappel has already pointed out the bug I noticed with some of the city hexes. This was a long and highly satisfying scenario that will go down in the echelons of the all-time classics.

[Kamerer]

14) Eindhoven – beta 3/rc

Level: Rommel, stock core
Prestige: Begin: 50. End: 1875. Net: +1,825
Result: DV, 25/30
Core in OK shape at end.

Problems:

• • None noted.

General impressions/comments:

• • This time I deployed all my tanks and it was much smoother! Nice strong fight to finish the game.

Choosing Market garden as the stop point and making a multi-scenario out of it gave a really nice feel to the finish of this DLC.