DLC '44 West #02: Cassino

[VPaulus]

Please post here your comments about this scenario.

[Kamerer]

2) Cassino – beta 1

Level: Field Marshal
Prestige: Begin: 2,675. End: 3,450. Net: +725
Result: DV 10/18
Replacement policy/prestige: None used.

Problems:

• None noted.

General impressions/comments:

• Maybe another allied fighter or two?
• Scenario was fun, map looked good.
• Convoy seemed to work well.

[ThvN]

Beta 1

Colonel, Imported Core. Initially got a DV 8/18, replayed to get bonus, this time DV 11/18

Prestige before/after deployment and reinforcement: 5859/4269 (spent mostly on reinforcing fighters)
Prestige on last turn/incl. victory bonus: 5069/6569

I placed all my landmines on the eastern hexes, as advised, and the AI loves those things. They even attack them after they have practically bypassed them, making their initial progress very slow, although I only just managed to hold on to the western part of Cassino initially, so they are not too slow it seems.

I got an incomplete message pop-up during deployment about the trucks, I noticed this when I checked the editor afterwards. It's already explained in the Anzio thread why this happens.

The allied bomber wave on turn 6 was powerful, but had no fighter support. (And they are slighly early, it's not 15 February yet )

On my first playthrough I got a DV on turn 8, but the trucks had not reached the zone yet, so I replayed. I couldn't get the trucks to the zone earlier than turn 10, since they are so slow, but that low speed was only a problem because I had to wait to capture the last victory hex on tun 11, it didn't cause me much problems when I had to get them out of the frontline. But at least I got the reward message and bonus this time (SE Bf109G +hero).

[RobertCL]

DV but won quite soon (normal at Leutnant level you might say).

After this scenario I had to repair my units and I have nearly no prestige left when starting Monte Cassino with Fallschirmjäger units...

Cassino is an excellent scenario but I wonder why Allied bombers are so badly protected, the Mustangs should protect the bombers and only then attack my fighters.

In the North the Allied infantry wasted its time against my mines and when destroyed they should have attacked my tanks entrenched in the city + airport. They were waitying for their own tanks but infantry was stronger to attack me and did not seize the opportunity to capture a VH!
Maybe at Leutnant level AI is "shy" (but in DLCs on the Eastern Front Soviets are doing all they can to surround me and to destroy my units...)

Great idea to save relics and to get a Me 109G in exchange
"In God we trust"

[monkspider]

Cassino
Ending prestige 1300
DV 18/18

Yet another classic scenario. One thing I wanted to comment on right away is that the scenario briefings seem to be improving, as always, I love the historical footnotes. it is satisfying to be able to instantly compare my results to history. Your scenario artistry continues to improve as well. I really loved the different objectives, I love the idea of including little side objectives like the convoy that don't necessarily affect your overall victory conditions.

The convoy idea was quite interesting. It is unique to see the Germans doing "good guy" stuff like trying to preserve historic artificats in a scenario instead of trying to simply wage war. One thing that was problematic was when I put minefields in front of the Abbey, my trucks couldn't move out. I ended up having to disband a couple minefields. I can see how this could trip people up, maybe alter the minefield distribution zones to prevent the player from blocking themselves in?

Overall, the scenario was pretty well tuned. I managed to get the convoy completed on turn 17, and could have achieved a DV on turn 13, but dragged things out to capture a couple non-objective hexes and of course the convoy. The unique SE fighter was very cool, and the hero on it is quite a doozy!

Overall, excellent, top notch scenario.

[zappel]

Beta1 - Colonel-Level - Imported core - DV at turn 9
The minefields were very useful and the advice to deploy them at the eastern hexes is helpfully.
The scenario is maybe a little bit to easy. I would have had more problems if a second bridge engineer would allow the allied units to cross the Rapido river near Cassino. So the units stuck in the river and were easy to destroy.
But I like some easier to solve challenges because some of the scenarios of the previous GC were really hard. Unlike the soviet units the western allied units are much tougher and much more difficult to destroy. Because of there AA-ability my tac-bombers always were damaged at the end of the scenario, so I use them more carefully.

[Kamerer]

I replayed this to see about "reward" - did not get it the first time because of quick completion. This time a DV at 8/18. So presuming a player holds off to move trucks in, he's still not going to get the reward unless they know to wait one extra turn beyond that. I'd suggest upping the movement on the trucks to one unit more (e.g., mv -4 or -3 instead of -5). With the allied infantry already blocking the road, clearing a path and protecting them would not be negated.

[Razz1]

No core
Colonel
start 4209 prestige, after reinforcements 1655
end prestige less than 800
DV

The fort in the top right could be stronger.

It was useless and got knocked out in one hit without giving any damage to the AI.

Try increasing the experience by 25, entrenchment by one and the strength from 5 to 6


Lost allot of core units in this one.

The air force is pretty strong and pretty much wiped out my air force. They are all at 5 or less strength.
The late bomber attack hurt you as they keep bombing your prestige.

[Kamerer]

2) Cassino – beta 2

Level: Rommel, stock core
Prestige: Begin: 50. End: 475. Net: +425
Result: MV 16/16
Replacement policy/prestige: None used.

Core changes:
Disbanded 15cm artillery with 250/1 for pp.
Purchased 2x 21cm field artillery.
Upgraded Stuka to G model
Upgraded SdKfz 7 AA to 12.8 FlaK AA
Upgraded Wespe to Hummel
Upgraded IV/G to H
Awarded SE Panther (that should help a lot!)

Problems:

• • Non-functional save/load game buttons when accessed via “esc” key still present.

General impressions/comments:

• • With stock core and changes, DV not very likely. Probably OK with a strong imported core. Tougher defenses will make a DV challenging.
  • The buffed forces around Castelforte made assaulting that objective prohibitive with my force disposition near the end. I think if I’d had an imported core with my stronger units it would have been OK (especially the artillery component would have made the difference). I had the other objectives.
  • Definitely noticed the weather was worse, limiting tac air.

[monkspider]

Cassino
Beta 2
Marginal Victory
Default core

I didn't really find this scenario to be that easy the first time but this time it is very tough, probably too tough. Getting even a marginal victory proved to be a struggle, and until the last few turns, I thought that a loss was going to be most likely. I think there are probably slightly too many Allied troops on this map. One good thing was that I did at least get the historical artifacts to safety and earned the special fighter.

[zappel]

On my first playthrough I got a DV on turn 8, but the trucks had not reached the zone yet, so I replayed. I couldn't get the trucks to the zone earlier than turn 10, since they are so slow, but that low speed was only a problem because I had to wait to capture the last victory hex on tun 11, it didn't cause me much problems when I had to get them out of the frontline. But at least I got the reward message and bonus this time (SE Bf109G +hero).

Reward? Fighter??? With Hero??????
DAMN!!! Missed it because the trucks reached zone C at the same time I captured the last victory hex. So it is the same old problem, if you capture units in the last turn, you won't get it. Is there any possibility to change this behaviour?

[Kamerer]

Reward? Fighter??? With Hero??????
DAMN!!! Missed it because the trucks reached zone C at the same time I captured the last victory hex. So it is the same old problem, if you capture units in the last turn, you won't get it. Is there any possibility to change this behaviour?

That happened to me the first time, too. In beta 2, some objectives are added so the trucks will get there well before the hexes taken.

But I had the same thing happen in Bayeux, I took a town with two allied tanks as captures, had a turn remaining, but did not get them because I took the last victory hex the same turn. I thought in PC East you would still get the captures in that scenario (turn or more remaining). So there are still some issues like this lurking.

[billmv44]

Beta 2. General level. DV 16/16, both transport units survived the move. Awarded an SE Bf-109g. Ending prestige 2487.

The biggest challenges are the American infantry and the large numbers of allied air power. I slowly re-gained Cassino and was able to move the transports without any air attacks against them. I had to scramble a bit to meet the allied push in the east, but the minefields slowed them down enough for my counter-attack to succeed. A good, interesting scenario. The PzGrenadiere unit is very useful. A good addition to game play.

[zappel]

Beta3 - Colonel-Level - Imported core - DV
The scenario compared with Beta1 became more difficult and that is a good thing. At the first attempt I was able to easily hold Cassino and start a counter attack soon, now I could only keep parts of Cassino and had to keep a few rounds before I could move on to the attack against. The reward I have received since I have evacuated the transporter directly. So it was a lot more fun!

[Kamerer]

2) Cassino – beta 3/rc

Level: Rommel, stock core
Prestige - Begin: 50. End: 375. Net: +325
Result: DV 16/17

Problems:

• • The intermittent save/load game failure is still there. It’s not my hardware or anything – I can play PC in my released versions and never have this problem.

General impressions/comments:

• • Played well. Balanced now so as to make a nice linear defense. It felt now like I think it was intended. Force ratios and time limit feel right.

[ThvN]

beta 3, colonel, imported core. DV 12/17

Difficulty is very nicely balanced, thanks to my Fallschirmjäger and numerous air units I managed to hang on to most of Cassino, otherwise it would probably cost three or four extra turns to take it back. The AI still loves to go after minefields instead of my units, so it took them a few turns to get dangerous. My air units took more damage than during last playthroughs, which is OK, my ground units had it a bit easier this time. I got the trucks out on turn 10, bonus awarded with (now correct) message, no problems.

[Ballacraine]

A small point, but I just noticed the P51B icon shows a full bubble canopy, which IIRC was not present until the P51D model.

Also B17G had a dorsal turret. The model depicted is an earlier variant.

Balla.

[Kamerer]

Good point. B and C models had integrated canopies. But also I think the P51B was well out of common front line use by mid-44, some C models were around, a very few B, but mostly D.