Stuck in Afrika Korps and Wehrmacht Campaigns

[BiteNibbleChomp]

,

I was playing the Afrika Corps campaign a few weeks ago and finished the "2nd Offensive" Scenario (1942). When I got to the Gazala one, I found I had only about 4 core units left for that scenario, and not much money. Does anyone have any good ideas for the 2nd Offensive, because everytime I do it, I lose my army.

Also, I find that it takes a very long time for me to beat Barbarossa (Wehr. Campaign), but I want to get the Rush to Moscow Scenario. How does everyone do it in 14 turns?!

- BiteNibbleChomp

(I play on Lieutenant level with patch 1.20 - if this helps)

[fliegenderstaub]

Only four core units left and low on prestige? Sounds like you better restart the campaign.

If you don't mind some reading, there are quite a few threads in this forum, where people share their tips and tricks.

For example:

viewtopic.php?f=121&t=29134

viewtopic.php?f=121&t=26367

There is much more. Just try the search function.

Normally there is always a solution for any scenario (mostyl more than one). But - first of all - you have to build up your core carefully.

Another advice is to watch deducters videos on youtube. Although he is playing his own mod the videos will give you a very good insight in how to play the game.

Have fun and lots of luck!

[Anfield]

Learning to manage your prestige is one key part of the game that if not done well leaves you in big trouble. If you give elite replacements everytime during a battle you will run out of prestige real fast. You will need to see the trade off of how much your experience of your troops drop to prestige spent getting them replacements. When you hover your mouse pointer over the bottons it tells your prestige spent for replacement and what effect it has on their experience. I always go green replacements so long as it doesnt drop the exp if the unit by more than 75 points.

As for your Army, if you care to post a list of it, sure youll get some feedback on its pros and cons.

[AlienInTheNavy]

If you are havng trouble on that level, you betta restart. The key to success is managing your prestige. If you have 0 prestige and you lose a heaping of units, WHAT WOULD YOU DO? While we are chatting, can you tell me how to beat
Gustav Line and that Persian level. Stay Awesome!

Sincerely,
Justus Ivo Wegner

[BiteNibbleChomp]

My core force at the start of 2nd Offensive was something like this:

1 x Wehr Infantry
1 x Gebirgsjager
1 x Pionere
4 x Italian Infantry
3 x Panzer III J
1 x Panzer IV F
1 x SdKfz 232 Recon
2 x Bf109 F

+ 3 Empty Slots
2300 Prestige (0/turn )

Hopefully this will be helpful

- BiteNibbleChomp

[BiteNibbleChomp]

Also, I can't really help you on Persia or Gustav Line:
I have only managed to do well enough in Afrika Korps for Dash to the Wire and then get stuffed on the next one, and I played the Grand Campaign (39-43E) before the Wehr. Campaign, so I am only as far as Rush to Moscow.

If you are playing Gustav Line, you probably would want to restart unless you started the "1943 Western Front" Campaign.
(Generally the path would be like this.

Barbarossa --- (Kiev)? --- Moscow (Rush/ 41) --- Sea Lion 42 or Stalingrad --- Italy (Loss in SL42, Des. Victory in Stalingrad without SL40 DV) --- Loss -> Gustav.

So you may want to load an old save of Sea Lion 42 if you have that one, or Italy even. MAKE SURE TO GET A DV OR MV IN ITALY (Gustav is best left avoided).

If you don't have any saves, don't worry too much about the scenario otherwise, It will always lead to Overlord, even if you lose .

- BiteNibbleChomp

[Victor_K]

Well BNC, I am sure you will get some very good advice on your composition of your core. I myself have lots of artillery. Usually 1 arty for every 2 inf and 1 arty for every 2 tanks. Find this rough rule of thumb helps my units survive attacks from the AI.

Look up the links in "fliegenderstaub " s post. They will help a lot.

If you have time watch a few of deducters videos on youtube. Well worth the time.

Good luck.

[AlienInTheNavy]

Ok then Mr. Bitey, I could maybe help you with 2nd Italian Offensive if you have the time. I know sometimes Panzer Corps is but if you conquer enough, YOU DOMINATE THE WHOLE GAME!

Sincerely,
Justus Ivo Wegner

[danhanegan]

I have to agree with Victor K, you need some artillery. Artillery reduces your losses considerably by suppressing enemy units with an attack they can't reply to. I rarely attack an enemy unit without prep fire from artillery or aircraft to soften it up. For range, I like the Italian 149mm towed guns, they have the same stats as German 15cm except higher rate of fire. I also like to get a couple of assault guns, at Gazala Line these would be StuG IIIB. Don't confuse assault guns with tank destroyers. The assault guns drive into an open terrain hex adjacent to an entrenched enemy unit and bombard it with their range 1 artillery attack. They have a high enough ground defense they will be nearly invulnerable to counterattack from infantry, and even artillery and antitank guns are unlikely to do them great harm. Once in place, the assault gun does double duty by exerting a zone of control so you can bring up infantry and towed guns in trucks/halftracks behind it without the enemy units being able to attack them. You can do much the same thing with tanks, of course, but tanks suck at attacking entrenched defenders in close terrain; the assault guns get to shoot them without range 0 defenders being able to counterattack. Save your tanks for attacking enemies in open terrain like they are designed for. It can also be helpful to have some tac bombers: stukas or Bf 110s. These serve much the same purpose as artillery, softening up a target before a ground unit assaults it. The air units are not generally as effective as the better artillery and tend to be more expensive; however, they are much easier to get to the target and wind up spending more turns actually shooting something. Bf 110s can help you shoot down enemy aircraft, then switch to ground targets when the enemy air force is routed. The primary target of your tac air is enemy artillery. You want to kill artillery before you attack adjacent ground units so they don't get protected by artillery defensive fire.

Also, you mentioned having 4 Italian infantry. Talk about crap units, yuck. You really want higher end infantry, in Afrika Korps you are usually best served by German pioneers and grenadiers. You do get 1 Italian Bergliasi at the beginning of the AK campaign, I tend to hang on to that, for flavor if nothing else, but the crap italian line infantry gets disbanded ASAP to free up core slots.

[BiteNibbleChomp]

I have decided that I will purchase some more Artillery and Disband the Italian Infantry (2 or 3 at least) in exchange for 1 more artillery, a Pioniere (to clear mines in Gazala) and a Ju87.

Updated Core Force:

1 x Wehr Infantry
1 x Gebirgsjager
2 x Pionere
3 x Panzer III J
1 x Panzer IV F
1 x SdKfz 232 Recon
1 x Sturmpanzer I Artillery
1 x Nebelwerfer 15cm '41 Model
1 x 15cm Basic Artillery
1 x 17cm Basic Artillery
2 x Bf109 F
1 x Ju87 R

Is this force likely to beat the scenario to at least a marginal Victory?

Also, Last time I played it (May?), The Brits crammed a tonne of units in a fierce battle near Benghazi ( Objective after turn 9?). I was wondering if it is really worth keeping (and presumably losing) a large number of troops near there, or how many units (and what types) should be used to defend these attacks to protect Agedabia (objective, tile (9,26)) and El Agheila, while using the rest of the army to surge on Msus, Derna and Gazala (city). Doing this would only result in a Marginal though, and so is there any way to halt the Brit advance and squash them, taking Benghazi? - To earn a decisive Victory.

On a side note, in Grand Campaign '43 East, I have been spending about 10,000 prestige per scenario (I know that makes you go WHAT!!! - I started with 110,000 after an incredibly successful GC42) and I was wondering if that strategy with artillery and engineers would work, changing Sturmpanzers and 17cms for Hummels and Pz 3's and 4's for Panthers and Tigers, causing me to lose far less on replacements and new units. I'm up to "Prokhorovka" if that is any help

- BiteNibbleChomp

[Tarrak]

Your core force looks to me like a good combination but it seems to be pretty small.

I am a bit concerned about a total lack of SE units in your core. They got the huge advantage to not count against the deployment limit so having f.e. 3 SE units allows you to deploy 3 more units in a scenario which is a big advantage.

Have a look at this thread. There is a lot of useful information for the same situation you are in now. I hope this helps.