DLC '45 West #18: Sealion45

[VPaulus]

Please post here your comments about this scenario.

[monkspider]

Looks like we will get to beta-test tomorrow.
The Bulge looks like it will be getting a good representation. And SEA LION 45?!?! This sounds too awesome, i can't wait!

[Kerensky]

People have been asking for the ability to 'win the war' for quite a while with the historical DLC. Figured it was about time we let that happen and the historical Battle of the Bulge at least gives some credibility to its possibility.

[Kamerer]

18) SeaLion45 – beta 1

Level: Rommel, imported corps
Prestige: Begin: 9,525. End: 1,825. Net: -7,700.
Result: DV at 40/40
Replacements: Maximum elite to keep units up.

Core Changes: None

Problems:

• • Victory conditions should say you need to capture all US and English flag hexes. Or say you need to conquer the “United Kingdom” and not just England. I did not know Wales, with US flags and not in England, had to be captured until the last two turns when I did not get a DV for taking all English flags at turn 38. I had some units in Wales and two of those four hexes taken, so I was able to just grab them despite US spam units. But I had not planned that and had not realized it was part of the victory conditions.
  • Which leads to: If I have a sea cordon around the coast, there should be no new units generated in the ports. That was the idea of destroying the reinforcement fleet, right?
  • I lost an aux strategic bomber because of a fuel computation error. It appears that strategic bombers will use a carrier when computing distance to an airfield. But it can’t land and refuel on it. So relying on the fuel warning colors/dots will lead you to lose those aircraft.

General impressions/comments:

• • Since Dunkirk aborted after turn 1, I used a cheat code to force decisive victory and move on to Sea Lion. So I am starting with same corps as Dunkirk.
  • Some additional V weapons at Turn 20 and 30 would be very helpful. Other scenarios were liberal with them, and this briefing said specifically “don’t be shy” about using them, I wasn’t and then was really wishing for some later. Perhaps for landmarks, like taking London/Prime Minister and York? That should about correspond.
  • I felt in this scenario, and one or two earlier, I was short a few tanks to really get the job done. I think the last few scripted scenarios have outgrown the “small” corps concept around which the West campaign started, and now have GCE44 or 45 style materiel mismatches. A pair or three extra, very capable aux tanks in this scenario would be more balanced.
  • Defeating the allied fleet and making a blockade to stop the reinforcements worked OK. None landed, which if I think any did, a DV would not happen most likely.
  • This was a tough, complicated scenario that required pretty careful play on all fronts, air game, naval game, amphibious assault, and resource management. This was tough to get done in 40 turns seeing it for the first time. In the last few turns I had to bloody up units badly to get it done. I’m sure it will be easier next time.
  • Habermann and scout car were still in the corpse from Seelow Heights. I regret to report his death in battle – on the coast near Southampton, out in front screening an artillery battery. In heroic fashion, the only ground unit casualty in the entire battle. Either that, or the old guy did it on purpose to make a bid at immortal fame.
  • This was an excellent scenario!

[ThvN]

Sealion45

Colonel, Imported Core, DV 34/40

Prestige before/after deployment: 18783/12574
Prestige on last turn: 11192

This turned out as a load/save fest, as I didn't want to play this map two times in a row like most of the scenarios. I dumped everything on the coast as quickly as I could, although I could have taken more time in hindsight. I took London on turn 14, the V1's and V2's were an immense help, although a single Churchill loudly protested, nice reference BTW (although he was more of a Royal Navy type). I put on his famous post-Dunkirk 'Never Surrender' speech for some extra immersion .

Anyway, after taking London I stalled because of heavy opposition (where do they keep getting all those experienced units so late in the war? ), and I focused on preventing losses and reinforcing. I could rotate damaged units and reinforce them in the rear, if I could resist temptation to push ahead too fast. I think this tactic helped me a lot in later turns, when I could always plug gaps with some recently reinforced unit.

Some sort of AI trouble I noticed: At the end, off the coastline at Blackpool-Liverpool (21,1)-(21,5) was a row of Allied Sea Transports waiting to disembark (I assume). However, the entire coastline was already occupied by Allied troops that wouldn't move inland to make room. I assume these were the Sea Transports from turn 8, so they could have been sitting there for a long time.


General impressions:

Nicely done map, it's virtually impossible to sneak North along the Western coastline, so no shortcuts. Rivers added a big challenge, and my Bridge Engineer was very handy. I did notice there were no radar stations, strongpoints or forts, I would have expected some to be honest, but maybe they would give the AI too big an advantage? They would make a good target for the V-weapons, though.

I could not stop the first Sea Transport wave (turn 8 ), but I had all my naval surface forces in a clump sailing around the Southwest corner when the second (?) Sea transport wave came in on turn 16, followed by a big Allied bomber wave on turn 20 that damaged a lot of my ships, but their job was done by that time, so that was no big problem. That second Sea transport wave is massive, maybe have some of it arrive one or two turns later?

Defeating the Allied fighter escorts was expensive, they took care of my auxiliary airplanes, and took a big bite out of my fighters, I came very close to losing an Me262. The late-war combat between veteran/overstrenght units is very 'edgy', and almost bipolar in results sometimes. If the second Allied wave had made it ashore it would have been very ugly.

Some core losses could not be prevented: A Tiger, a Panther, two Grenadiers (one was by stupidity, I had assumed the Fortifications on the map were close terrain...), and an artillery piece. A Gotha and a strategic bomber got killed late in the game when some miraculous British airwave-out-of-nowhere suddenly appeared, and the earlier airwaves could be troublesome as well, so even my two AAA units got into the action. Next time I wouldn't take my Ta 152H's along, but upgrade everything to Me262 I guess. But I am a sucker for a little 'historical accuracy', so some units were not upgraded to top tier equipment.

Speaking of equipment, when I lost my artillery piece, I scanned my reserves and had a suitable ridiculous idea: deploy my never-used K5 railway gun. I sailed it along the coast and waited until Lyme Regis (22,24) was secure, and this improvisation turned out surprisingly well, thanks to the British railroad network. I could also transport a couple of slow units North along the same rail route, after they were done in the Southwest. So thanks for laying the tracks to victory!

[Kamerer]

Sea Lion, Beta 2

Field Marshal, game/stock corps
DV, 41/40 (loss at 40, did not have Bangor, the NW Wales hex)
Begin: 7,450 End: 4,400 (disbanded a V1 in middle for added prestige, so used an additional 3,500.)

• Thanks for clarifying victory conditions; I might have just been being too literal, but it is indeed more obvious now.

• The ground game was smoother this time, but the air game was tougher with the weaker stock corps. Very tough air scenario with stock corps. On the other hand, the stock corps and full prestige let me develop many more quality armour pieces than my imported corps I used in Beta 1 (that corps come all the way from ’39 on Rommel setting, so while deep in experience and heroes, it was a bit leaner in equipment).

• Moving the US reinforcement fleet back greatly simplified the naval and air game. Or at least it seems it was moved? You can make a tighter, larger cordon. Also, the air wave does not coincide as closely now, and thus you don’t have your fragile bombers and fighters in their path anymore. I consistently lost valuable aircraft before. I only saw one “wave” at around turn 16, before I encountered only one wave and it was around 8.

• The initial UK air defenses were really tough – mainly the very overstrength Meteors. I lost a max-strength Me262 to them (12, as high as I could get it during the campaign).

• I figured out I could get double use out of the carrier in one turn – have one aircraft on deck, parked there from the prior turn. Have another a/c already within the carrier’s movement radius. First, reinforce/supply the on-deck aircraft, then move the carrier under the 2nd aircraft, repeat. Don’t know if this is “kosher” but it works that way. In Malta, the carrier was never really necessary so I had not experimented with it much.

• The carrier still interferes with bomber fuel calculation and I lost the He177 because of that – very frustrating.

• This is still awfully tight, even having seen it before (this is with the stock corps, though). But in honesty I mismanaged a few ground game elements and could have been done in 40 or fewer. I did not take any ground losses until the final few turns (just one Maus) pushing into Liverpool. I needed to push just a little harder a turn or two earlier in the close terrain east of Liverpool. I played the game in one sitting and lost focus the last 10 turns or more – it’s along game!

• With the stock corps, the fighters are really overmatched with the allied ones. I saw the P51H was one ini lower, though. I think the P47N was reduced more, too. But playing with much weaker aircraft it didn’t make a difference against the Mustangs, though the later Jugs were no serious threat.

• I had five extra V weapons, I disbanded one for prestige around turn 30, but used the other four. I still could have used a few later in the game.

[billmv44]

Beta 2. General level. Standard core.

A long tough slog throughout the entire battle. Fierce resistance everywhere. The Meteors slaughtered my inexperienced 262s. I lost all of the extra fighters I bought for this scenario (repeatedly). I was able to gain air supremacy, but it was very close. I needed to restrengthen my fighters frequently. That cost a lot of prestige that could have been used to better purposes. The ground combat was tough, but manageable. My 3 Maus units were able to smash the most powerful allied armor. The rest was simply a matter of artillery prep and then ground assault with infantry. I used my V-weapons to take out troublesome allied artillery and AAA units.

I read the briefing wrong and didn't grab all of the flag hexes by turn 40. I could have, I had units sitting around doing nothing that could have taken them.

Seeing all those interesting allied units is making me want "Allied Corps" soon!