Special Heroes: Hans Rudel

[Dragoon.]

While that may be true, any user not familiar with the inner working of the editor won't automatically know this information. Those other two scenario pop up messages are important and ultra transparent in-game guides, letting the player know that 'something' is happening, and that by using Rudel they are activating triggers that would otherwise be dormant. After all, it takes something like 20 or 30 scenarios from Poznan to Minsk41, that's quite a bit to play through.

It's funny because if it were not for the patch notes I would have completely missed out on Rudel 2. Only after finishing Smolensk '41 and reviewing the battlefield it came to my mind "Should I have not gotten Rudel 2 by now? Strange." For a moment I thought "Oh shoot, maybe he spawned, I missed him and he ran out of fuel and crashed."
But that can not be. I always use next unit hotkey before ending my turn. Only then I came here to the forums, to search for clues why I didn't get him and found this thread. Then I remembered I did not get the Belgrade pop-up either.

I guess my play style is my bane. On one side I always have a rather large core (48+4 in Minsk41), I almost never deploy my entire core. Second I move in large closed ranks, tank/arty formations that require very little scouting ,and what is needed is done by my fighters between enemy waves. Of course it doesn't help either that I finished complete east DLC twice. This is my third run. Up to DLC'42 I actually don't know, I lost track. Maybe 4-5 times? I pretty much remember all enemy positions, no need for scouting anymore until DLC '43 and the West DLC's.
Because you added all these special heroes in patch 1.14 I have choosen to finish the grand campaign a third time (west 2nd time).
For guys like me maybe put a hint in the briefing. "Deploy him now!" Or even better check my reserve core if I have him too. Maybe he got the flu and could not make it in time. Darn!

[KeldorKatarn]

I have to say I'm still pretty confused about how these heros work, especially when and where I have to deploy rudel. Ah well

[ThvN]

I have to say I'm still pretty confused about how these heros work, especially when and where I have to deploy rudel.

A timeline:

GC'39, Poznan, turn 2: A Ju 87 unit is given to you, called 'Reconnaissance Flight'. This is Rudel 1.

GC'40, Eben-Emael, turn 2: If you have Rudel 1 deployed on the map, you will get a message about his career.

GC'41, Belgrade, turn 3: If you have Rudel 1 deployed on the map, you will get a message about his career.

GC'41, Minsk'41, turn 2: If you have Rudel 1 deployed on the map, another Ju 87 will spawn, with Rudel 2.

So to get Rudel 2, you only have to be sure the Rudel 1 unit is deployed in Minsk'41, and survives until turn 2. That's all. You can upgrade the airplane, it doesn't matter if Rudel 1 flies his Stuka or has something else.

[huertgenwald]

Thx !

[KeldorKatarn]

I feel I should say thanks as well since you answered to me directly So thanks for that timeline. I'm already looking forward to my 2nd playthrough with this new hero (even if he was an ass )

[GSlapshot]

The Minsk 41 Rudel is way cool. I am in GC 42/43West and in an Me 110 is awesome. The 1939 Rudel is not worth keeping since most fighters have spotting leaders by 1941.

[krugec]

Budapest 44 3500+ kills, so what's the third medal window for?

[Kirby]

Okay, so how does getting him work? I have to replay '39 Poznan turn 2 until I get the message?

[GSlapshot]

He should appear in turn 2 as a new Ju-87 unit inflight. Check his hero stats and you will see he has a recon bonus but negative attack values. Gain him experience and keep him deployed in 1941 and you will get the second Rudel which has the bonus attack values. He must be deployed in the 1941 scenario to get the 1941 Rudel. You will still have the 1939 Rudel who I usually disband. After 1942, I usually upgrade his plane to an ME-110 since he will also have an Air To Air capability and can later be upgraded into an ME-410 with minimal cost. If you play GC 42-43 West you only get to take eight units and his hero skills make him a valuable asset.

[Kirby]

He should appear in turn 2 as a new Ju-87 unit inflight. Check his hero stats and you will see he has a recon bonus but negative attack values. Gain him experience and keep him deployed in 1941 and you will get the second Rudel which has the bonus attack values. He must be deployed in the 1941 scenario to get the 1941 Rudel. You will still have the 1939 Rudel who I usually disband. After 1942, I usually upgrade his plane to an ME-110 since he will also have an Air To Air capability and can later be upgraded into an ME-410 with minimal cost. If you play GC 42-43 West you only get to take eight units and his hero skills make him a valuable asset.

So basically, if he doesn't fly in on the first mission of the GC39, second turn, I need to restart the campaign until he does?

[GSlapshot]

Kirby;
Pozan: Lieutenant Rudel JU-87 Hero Unit arrives on turn 2 with Att -5 Def -2 Spott +2. You should see the following message A Ju 87 unit is given to you, called 'Reconnaissance Flight'. This is Rudel 1.

GC'40, Eben-Emael, turn 2: If you have Rudel 1 deployed on the map, you will get a message about his career.

GC'41, Belgrade, turn 3: If you have Rudel 1 deployed on the map, you will get a message about his career.

GC'41, Minsk'41, turn 2: If you have Rudel 1 deployed on the map, another Ju 87 will spawn, with Rudel 2.

So to get Rudel 2, you only have to be sure the Rudel 1 unit is deployed in Minsk'41, and survives until turn 2. That's all. You can upgrade the airplane, it doesn't matter if Rudel 1 flies his Stuka or has something else.

[Kirby]

GSlapshot: Yes, but it doesn't arrive on T2 of Poznan. Do I need to have all DLCs for it to work? I have only 39 for now.

[ThvN]

Do I need to have all DLCs for it to work? I have only 39 for now.

It should work, but what version of the game do you have? This feature was introduced with version 1.14, and I just tested it with 1.20, it worked fine, so I'm a bit surprised it doesn't work for you? No mods installed that might influence this?

If you are not sure, check the Poznan map, it was changed slightly as well; Trebnitz (10,17) starts under German control, the city at (12,14) is now a 'Polish Checkpoint'. The Rudel Stuka 'Reconaissance Flight' spawns at (1,10) on turn 2.

[Kirby]

Argh, not the same map. I don't have the german city and polish strongpoint. Must be that the DLC overwrote my patch 1.20 (or better to say, it didn't apply itself to unexisting DLC).

My order of install:
1. Wehrmacht
2. 1.20 patch
3. '39 DLC


I guess I have to reinstall the 1.20 patch. Otherwise, I used the EXE patch and the gamerules.pzdat tricks to make the 1.20 rules work.

EDIT: Yup, reinstalled 1.20. Works fine.

[ThvN]

Thanks for the feedback, glad you got the problem sorted. And yes, it's best to install the patches last, you just discovered why...

[jaggy]

I have to say I'm still pretty confused about how these heros work, especially when and where I have to deploy rudel.

A timeline:

GC'39, Poznan, turn 2: A Ju 87 unit is given to you, called 'Reconnaissance Flight'. This is Rudel 1.

GC'40, Eben-Emael, turn 2: If you have Rudel 1 deployed on the map, you will get a message about his career.

GC'41, Belgrade, turn 3: If you have Rudel 1 deployed on the map, you will get a message about his career.

GC'41, Minsk'41, turn 2: If you have Rudel 1 deployed on the map, another Ju 87 will spawn, with Rudel 2.

So to get Rudel 2, you only have to be sure the Rudel 1 unit is deployed in Minsk'41, and survives until turn 2. That's all. You can upgrade the airplane, it doesn't matter if Rudel 1 flies his Stuka or has something else.

Hi, THvN. I've Rudel 1 from GC '39 but just to clarify, do you need to deploy Rudel 1 on the map in the Eben-Email and Belgrade scenarios in GC '40 and '41 or can you leave in reserve? I ask because I don't want to get to Minsk '41 and find I can't activate Rudel 2 because of some trigger or other. Thanks in advance.

[Horseman]

I have to say I'm still pretty confused about how these heros work, especially when and where I have to deploy rudel.

A timeline:

GC'39, Poznan, turn 2: A Ju 87 unit is given to you, called 'Reconnaissance Flight'. This is Rudel 1.

GC'40, Eben-Emael, turn 2: If you have Rudel 1 deployed on the map, you will get a message about his career.

GC'41, Belgrade, turn 3: If you have Rudel 1 deployed on the map, you will get a message about his career.

GC'41, Minsk'41, turn 2: If you have Rudel 1 deployed on the map, another Ju 87 will spawn, with Rudel 2.

So to get Rudel 2, you only have to be sure the Rudel 1 unit is deployed in Minsk'41, and survives until turn 2. That's all. You can upgrade the airplane, it doesn't matter if Rudel 1 flies his Stuka or has something else.

Hi, THvN. I've Rudel 1 from GC '39 but just to clarify, do you need to deploy Rudel 1 on the map in the Eben-Email and Belgrade scenarios in GC '40 and '41 or can you leave in reserve? I ask because I don't want to get to Minsk '41 and find I can't activate Rudel 2 because of some trigger or other. Thanks in advance.

Hi Jaggy, you can leave him in reserve in Eben-Email and Belgrade, all you lose is the message in those scenarios. Just make sure you deploy him in Minsk'41

[jaggy]

Hi, Horseman, many thanks for the clarification.

[Akopian]

Funny. I almost always use Rudel 1. I like the recon. When Rudel 2 showed up, i just pretended he had passed on his skills to other pilots. After all, shouldn't all these heroes die eventually in the course if the war even if their unit survives? I could not explain that when the same unit had only one strength left a half dozen times, so I just decided that a hero's legend became a part of the culture of the unit rather than him physically surviving the whole war simply because the unit survived.

Real life Rudel was just mighty lucky!

[captainjack]

Recon Rudel's stuka has spotting 1 (plus 2 hero bonus) so if you upgrade him to a 110 he will have 2 spotting plus 2 hero bonus. You also get better air defence as a 110 but your ground attack (at first) drops too low to finish off anything much better protected than trucks on a river. Good luck deciding what matters most.