USA MidWest, pointers needed

[KeldorKatarn]

Hey guys, in my current youtube let's play I'm running against a wall here. I managed a standard victory on the east coast but in the midwest I'm really losing steam. The losses on the east coast and in Russia have really taken their toll. My Panzers are just not experienced enough to fight it out with the US army. I don't have any overstrength, no Panzer with 2 or more stars. One was destroyed on the east coast so it's green now, reform units only saved the heroes. I only have 2 stukas, also not overstrength. I just don't have the prestige, I couldn't use elite reinforcements at any time during the campaign. Any ideas for a good strategy for this scenario with such a outmatched core? My air force can handle the US Air Force even though it takes some losses, but on the ground, I just can't push past that point where we meet Patton. Those Pershings and TDs are just too much. The auxiliary Maus and one Tiger are able to do some damage and if I supress enough my Panther Gs can do something, but supressing them totally takes forever and if they get the chance to counter attack sometimes Panther Gs get one shoted or at least crippled, and I don't have the prestige to recover from that. Taking out the US army takes too long. I'm able to push past patton but there's still one group of tanks left in the south after that which will counter attack for the final victory hexes and even if I could beat them I'm usually already delayed too much at that point to win. I'm not going for a DV here, I think that's impossible with this core. But right now I can't even get a win, I'm glad if my armored forces don't get wiped out...

Any ideas?

[Razz1]

It's been a long time for me since I played this scenario.

When it comes to this point, you have to lure the AI into a trap and kill them. That's all I can remember. Anti tank with Artillery behind it. Let the AI loose one or two points off an attack, then go in for the kill.

You still have the problem with time.

[BiteNibbleChomp]

I played the mainstream campaign last month, and found that the US can be a real drain for prestige.

What I did:
- 15k pp at the start of East Coast (played on Lieutenant)
- Upgraded most tanks to Panther or Tiger II (only one Maus)
- All Bombers were Ar234 or "Arados" as I like to call them
- All Fighters except for 1 are Me262. That one was a Go229 "Flying Wing" which I later found out was really weak for what it was worth.

In Mid West, you face a LOT of tanks, especially those rotten M26 things (those can make cream out of a PzIV or III).
- Lots of 8.8 PaK 43/41 (about 5), w/ trucks. Don't let them use their trucks anywhere in the actual battle.
- 7ish Tiger IIs
- 3-4 Panther G
- 6 Me262s
- 5 Arados.
- 1 Maus.

The best way to deal with any M26s you encounter is a gang-up using 2-3 TigerIIs and/or Mauses.
Any other tanks you find (possibly M4s etc.) will be beat to pulp by a shot from a 8.8 Pak or a Panther. A Maus can blow them in one shot.

Spend your prestige on the equipment over the experience, as a 5-Star PzIVJ isn't as good as a green Tiger II.

Once you are through that, you will get the West Coast one. Send the Gustav towards San Francisco and Los Angeles - somewhere around there is a REALLY TOUGH infantry called "US Secret Service" which needs the power of the Gustav to shell it for 6 turns to die. And it blows any tanks it sees. Arados can help there as well.

- BNC

[KeldorKatarn]

I can't really afford any "dream team" core on Rommel here. I'm stuck with what I got.

[BiteNibbleChomp]

Easy enough (well, not for me),

If you are limited with prestige, change Arados for Ju87s, 262s for Me109Ks. Most tanks would be PzIVs, but make an effort to have 1 Maus and 1 Jagdtiger. Have a lot of artillery and you should do fine. 88 PaKs are great replacements for large numbers of Panters and Koenigstigers.

- BNC

[KeldorKatarn]

I don't even have any Arados or King Tigers

[BiteNibbleChomp]

I'm reffering to what I posted earlier (don't use Arados, use Stukas etc.)

- BNC

[KeldorKatarn]

Well I opted for 2 Pak 8,8s, one Jagdpanther, a Tiger II... we'll see. less panzers, more firepower. We'll see how it goes. The scenario itself isn't that problematic at all, it's just taking care of those enemy tanks very quickly without being trashed. My Panther Gs have no chance against them. The can take out a few of them but take such heavy damage that they can be wiped out by what comes afterwards since there's so goddamn many of them.

[shawkhan]

Well, if worst comes to worst, you can always use the prestige cheat to give you enough resources to properly deploy adequate forces. Otherwise, I fear you will have to re-play some of the earlier campaign battles in order to conserve prestige on the second play-through. Hopefully you saved the deployment turns for them.

[BiteNibbleChomp]

Well I opted for 2 Pak 8,8s, one Jagdpanther, a Tiger II... we'll see. less panzers, more firepower. We'll see how it goes. The scenario itself isn't that problematic at all, it's just taking care of those enemy tanks very quickly without being trashed. My Panther Gs have no chance against them. The can take out a few of them but take such heavy damage that they can be wiped out by what comes afterwards since there's so goddamn many of them.

Here's where stukas/arados are handy - I had 7 Arados, but on Rommel 5 Stukas may be more realistic. Both units will make meat pulp out of a Sherman, and will do decent damage to a M26.

BNC

[KeldorKatarn]

I have 2 stukas

[BiteNibbleChomp]

I recommend 7, and 6 fighters. This is probably the best time to use them - the next scenario is a lot harder to use them effectively in - all of your enemies are well entrenched.

- BNC