DLC '45 West #06: Bastogne Siege

[VPaulus]

Please post here your comments about this scenario.

[billmv44]

General level. Standard core. Starting prestige 3269, ending 962.

This was a very tough scenario. The American armor and engineers concentrated in the woods took a long time to eradicate. That slowed my advance considerably.
I was barely able to move my V weapons in the north to the exit hexes in time. The advance in the south went more smoothly, but as I've said before, the Americans are very hard to kill. I'll be interested in seeing how other players do on this one. The balance may need to be adjusted slightly.

[Kamerer]

7) Bastogne Siege – beta 1

Level: Rommel, imported core
Prestige: Begin: 1,400. End: 2,025. Net: +625
Result: Unclear – earned DV but MV awarded?
Replacements: None

Core changes: None

Problems:

• • Briefing text: “ V Weapon Units…”
  • Delivered 10 V units (~ turn 16), took last victory hexes on turn 18. Victory screen said MV and that V units not positioned. Did not make sense.

General impressions/comments:

• • Tough to get all hexes in time, though not impossible. Even if you bypass and just contain the Americans in center, it still takes a lot of your forces and you have little to reach Noville. I did it, but barely and with greater losses than I could really afford. Noville also was defended more strongly than other victory hexes, so it was tough to get in there at the end.
  • I reloaded game and checked all DV conditions were met, (they were), still got MV 2nd time, too. On starting Bastogne Assault, I had all 10 V units in my corps, though, contrary to what victory screen indicated.

[monkspider]

Bastogne Siege
General Level
Imported Core
Starting prestige 5800
Ending prestige 2100
MV on last turn
Losses: No units outright but very high overall casualties.

This was a very difficult scenario! I was unable to deliver the northern V weapons, after one was destroyed by a tank, I shot the rest of the northern ones but the southern ones were delivered safely. Even a marginal victory on this scenario was exceedingly difficult, as I only took the last two victory hexes on the very last turn. As it is, I think the best strategy would be to send the northern V weapons south to the more safe southern exit zone. Personally, I would add a turn or two to this one, to make the marginal victory conditions more doable, and perhaps tone down the American counterattack in the central woods somewhat.

[ThvN]

Bastogne siege beta1

Colonel, Imported Core, DV 16/18

Prestige before/after deployment: 8841/6615
Prestige on last turn/incl. victory bonus: 7625/10125

Tried two times, first attempt was a struggle and I managed an MV on turn 17, I was too slow to reach the northern V weapon sites. While I first sent the V weapons north and south, on the second attempt I sent all V weapons along the southern route. The southern site is much closer to the starting point and I didn't need to move around the central forest and could make more use of roads (northern route is not only longer but also slower).

This worked much better and I was able to get them all off the map on turn 11. I then raced my forces there north across the empty south-west area towards Noville and took Bourcy, and left a small group to capture Wardin (on turn 14). At Noville I started the siege at turn 13. Meanwhile dealing with the American forces in the forest around (21,13) was tricky and slow but I managed, and by turn 13 I cleared the area and conquered Allerborn on turn 14, note that I had already taken Bourcy (10,9) by this time. The last few turns the weather was favourable, this helped supply and air support, even 15 turns would have been possible but I didn't take any risks.

[zappel]

Beta2 - Colonel level - Imported core - MV (?) at turn 19

A very exciting attack scenario. Those american units in the forrest in the center of the map a really a pest. I spared some turns to clear the forrest and finally the whole map so at the end I seized all objectives and moved all V-weapons to their launching zone. The transport units on the northern route ran out of fuel just close to the launch zone, so I needed all turns to fullfill the orders. However, I received a MV. Why?

Objective

Objective.png (70.75 KiB) Viewed 2532 times

[ThvN]

Zappel, I hope you don't mind, but I loaded your save and maybe I know a solution to your problem that you can test yourselves: you have two minefields in your reserve, which might mess with the DV conditions.

I checked the DV conditions with the editor, and for a DV you apparently need to have exactly 10 Auxiliary units in your reserve, no more, no less. The minefield are also AUX units, so maybe the DV won't trigger because you have more than 10 AUX units in your reserve. You could try reloading an earlier turn and make sure you have exactly 10 AUX units in your reserve at the end. Either try to get rid of the minefields or do not exit all V-weapons off the map? If it works, I guess you've found the cause of your problem. Hope this helps.

[Kamerer]

That is a valuable observation. When I played with my imported corps, first time I got an MV despite "earning" a DV. I had a mine field in the corps I was still retaining from '44 (came in damn handy later at Brussels!).

So since some people will import corps from '44 with aux units in them, this is a fault that needs to be addressed. 10 or MORE aux units, not 10 exactly.

[zappel]

Zappel, I hope you don't mind, but I loaded your save and maybe I know a solution to your problem that you can test yourselves: you have two minefields in your reserve, which might mess with the DV conditions.

I checked the DV conditions with the editor, and for a DV you apparently need to have exactly 10 Auxiliary units in your reserve, no more, no less. The minefield are also AUX units, so maybe the DV won't trigger because you have more than 10 AUX units in your reserve. You could try reloading an earlier turn and make sure you have exactly 10 AUX units in your reserve at the end. Either try to get rid of the minefields or do not exit all V-weapons off the map? If it works, I guess you've found the cause of your problem. Hope this helps.

That's the answer!!!
I loaded the savegame, engaged the minefields, completed the turn and got a DV.
Thanks for your help!!!

So since some people will import corps from '44 with aux units in them, this is a fault that needs to be addressed. 10 or MORE aux units, not 10 exactly.

Yes, I agree!
I should be no non-DV criteria if more than 10 aux units are in core forces.