Overlord Scenario Help!
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KenPortner
- Senior Corporal - Ju 87G
- Posts: 81
- Joined: Sat Mar 28, 2009 9:09 pm
Overlord Scenario Help!
I'm playing bog standard PC. 1943 campaign after two decisive victories in Russia takes you to Overlord. I can't figure out how it's remotely possible to win a decisive victory. Advice please? Thanks.
Re: Overlord Scenario Help!
You build three or four mobile combined arms units. Leave a few units static in Paris to defend it. The mobile units spend the first few turns advancing towards defensible positions around the objectives the allies will be driving towards.
Leave your air at home, perhaps a few open slots to deploy some later once AA and time has weakened the fighters. You can grind them down and then take the offensive the last 1/3 the game and get a DV. It's the most intricate tactical scenario of Vanilla PC, save for maybe Sealion. But it is do-able.
Leave your air at home, perhaps a few open slots to deploy some later once AA and time has weakened the fighters. You can grind them down and then take the offensive the last 1/3 the game and get a DV. It's the most intricate tactical scenario of Vanilla PC, save for maybe Sealion. But it is do-able.
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captainjack
- Brigadier-General - 15 cm Nblwf 41
- Posts: 1912
- Joined: Thu Sep 13, 2012 7:42 am
Re: Overlord Scenario Help!
The first few times I played this scenario I got soundly thrashed by overwhelming air power and naval bombardment. Eventually I started reading the briefing a bit more carefully and usually get a DV.
For me, the key is to advance very slowly so that you keep away from the worst of the naval bombardments until you are ready to attack. Include mobile AA with your ground troops (an 88 with or 128 AA gun with +1 move may be just about mobile enough). The AA probably won't stop allied air attacks, but as long as it weakens the allied planes this is a start. Next turn attack the planes with your AA, and try to finish off weakened units. The usual guidance on mass attacks to reduce initiative (and using any heroes wisely) is sensible. Be prepared to hol dyour air force back if you don't like the odds.Ensure your planes are close to air bases so that the allies have to come to you - some will head off to refuel, and some to repair, so you can concentrate your AA fire and your surviving fighters to gradually pick them off. Gradually you will start getting the allied planes to a manageable number or even get complete supremacy if you have a bit of luck and some cunning tactics.
After a while you will notice fewer allied aircraft around and they'll be 10 strength rather than 13 or more. Defensive AA fire will start to weaken them enough for you to shoot them down next turn, but it can also allow you to pull back your air force to rebuild if you get caught. You can then start moving your ground forces about a bit more freely.
Three other tips - keep an eye on the upper right hand side of the map - a couple of reasonably tough faster units can be useful. Recon units (all those spotting heroes start to be useful now) can help you position your forces a bit more wisely - I've lost a 14 strength Tiger 2 to a bocage ambush and teh follow up attack. Meanwhile, pull back any surviving auxiliary troops you can rescue (check if you have trains available to make a fast retreat). A few extra units can be handy for blocking a path through bocage terrain or for holding cities or for imposing a mass attack initiative penalty on your opponent.
Keep your eye on terrain - there's some very good articles on how to do this - some go way over my head but even a basic understanding helps. If attacking, se lots of artillery suppression and keep your tanks out of the bocage, at least in early stages. With artillery backup you may well be left alone even in close terrain. Work methodically forwards - there's a lot of turns so you can afford to be patient.
Finally while the naval forces are a pain you don't have to sink them to win, and once you start eliminating ground troops they won't know where you are. I can confirm that a Ju188 with 2 +3 attack heroes can mince up most ships very quickly (and just about any other unit you care to attack) but even then you need to hold it back until you're very confident that allied air power is significantly degraded and keep a fighter or two escorting it. GOod luck next time round!
For me, the key is to advance very slowly so that you keep away from the worst of the naval bombardments until you are ready to attack. Include mobile AA with your ground troops (an 88 with or 128 AA gun with +1 move may be just about mobile enough). The AA probably won't stop allied air attacks, but as long as it weakens the allied planes this is a start. Next turn attack the planes with your AA, and try to finish off weakened units. The usual guidance on mass attacks to reduce initiative (and using any heroes wisely) is sensible. Be prepared to hol dyour air force back if you don't like the odds.Ensure your planes are close to air bases so that the allies have to come to you - some will head off to refuel, and some to repair, so you can concentrate your AA fire and your surviving fighters to gradually pick them off. Gradually you will start getting the allied planes to a manageable number or even get complete supremacy if you have a bit of luck and some cunning tactics.
After a while you will notice fewer allied aircraft around and they'll be 10 strength rather than 13 or more. Defensive AA fire will start to weaken them enough for you to shoot them down next turn, but it can also allow you to pull back your air force to rebuild if you get caught. You can then start moving your ground forces about a bit more freely.
Three other tips - keep an eye on the upper right hand side of the map - a couple of reasonably tough faster units can be useful. Recon units (all those spotting heroes start to be useful now) can help you position your forces a bit more wisely - I've lost a 14 strength Tiger 2 to a bocage ambush and teh follow up attack. Meanwhile, pull back any surviving auxiliary troops you can rescue (check if you have trains available to make a fast retreat). A few extra units can be handy for blocking a path through bocage terrain or for holding cities or for imposing a mass attack initiative penalty on your opponent.
Keep your eye on terrain - there's some very good articles on how to do this - some go way over my head but even a basic understanding helps. If attacking, se lots of artillery suppression and keep your tanks out of the bocage, at least in early stages. With artillery backup you may well be left alone even in close terrain. Work methodically forwards - there's a lot of turns so you can afford to be patient.
Finally while the naval forces are a pain you don't have to sink them to win, and once you start eliminating ground troops they won't know where you are. I can confirm that a Ju188 with 2 +3 attack heroes can mince up most ships very quickly (and just about any other unit you care to attack) but even then you need to hold it back until you're very confident that allied air power is significantly degraded and keep a fighter or two escorting it. GOod luck next time round!