Bagration / Battle of Berlin Stand Alone Steam Achievements

[RVallant]

Gah... So it seems PZC Gold switched the main game with the Soviet game, resulting in me doing the wrong Bagration scenario. >_> Flipping typical isn't it!?

Disregard this topic, point and laugh, it is fine.

[RVallant]

While this topic is still up, any dev would like to offer their thoughts on the achievements system? What do you take away from the %'s on Steam?

I wonder if the numbers match up. For example, only 12% have completed the GC'39 and only 1% even beat either of the 45 GC scenarios. Even worse, only 0.4% of players have gone through 39-45 in one go. Makes me wonder if the Grand Campaign is that unpopular, or even worth it? I hope in future they don't use these numbers to decide not to do the GC cos it's pretty good.

I tell you what really surprises me though. Only about 3% of the playerbase bothered with multiplayer, so it isn't as popular as the forums maybe lets on. And one thing that kind of doesn't surprise me is only 0.4% bother with playing on a difficulty above normal (colonel), with 0.2% bothering with the final two difficulty levels. Elite group there?

Reason I'm looking at the numbers, is sad old me did Bagration again and it's popped up as one of my rarest achievements on Steam with only 0.3% of players completing it. So I figured I'd have a look at more numbers just for kicks. It's interesting to see, but it's just on Steam. I wonder if the stats are different via Slitherine's platform, or if the numbers are of interest to them?

[goose_2]

I too was surprised at all the low %'s on many of the achievements, at the same time I do not mind being in rare company.
I am at 65 out of 80 achievements so still have a ways to go before I have completion.
By the way Great job completing Bagration on stand alone scenario.
I have yet to do it.

I would love if someone like Braccada posted a how to video for that stand alone scenario and Berlin.

Maybe if we beg him.

[RVallant]

I too was surprised at all the low %'s on many of the achievements, at the same time I do not mind being in rare company.
I am at 65 out of 80 achievements so still have a ways to go before I have completion.
By the way Great job completing Bagration on stand alone scenario.
I have yet to do it.

I would love if someone like Braccada posted a how to video for that stand alone scenario and Berlin.

Maybe if we beg him.

Indeed, maybe we should ask him?

I found Bagration to be easy once you weather the initial storm of tanks. Just pull back in a fighting retreat and hold the South and central river areas. The AI on normal goes a bit wonky and sends everything to the southern objective, so I could bottleneck them and win. I invested in the big AA guns, used them and the two initial fighters to slowly bleed the Russian air force to death. Once they went down I had to save hard to get some TAC bombers, because they were the only thing that were cheap enough to reliably hurt the Russian monster tanks. =/

The Germany scenario, however... I tried it and was comprehensively defeated by the second turn. I think, maybe there's a need to do a complete and quick retreat and to try and find somewhere to defend ready for a late counter-attack, but the Russians just laugh as they deploy their tanks on the river as if to say 'yeah, come at me, you weaklings!' =( I might try again in the week! :O

[goose_2]

Answers in red.

I too was surprised at all the low %'s on many of the achievements, at the same time I do not mind being in rare company.
I am at 65 out of 80 achievements so still have a ways to go before I have completion.
By the way Great job completing Bagration on stand alone scenario.
I have yet to do it.

I would love if someone like Braccada posted a how to video for that stand alone scenario and Berlin.

Maybe if we beg him.

Indeed, maybe we should ask him?
I have asked him, but maybe if enough of us beg him he might consider it a challenge.

I found Bagration to be easy once you weather the initial storm of tanks. Just pull back in a fighting retreat and hold the South and central river areas. The AI on normal goes a bit wonky and sends everything to the southern objective, so I could bottleneck them and win. I invested in the big AA guns, used them and the two initial fighters to slowly bleed the Russian air force to death. Once they went down I had to save hard to get some TAC bombers, because they were the only thing that were cheap enough to reliably hurt the Russian monster tanks. =/

This is great advice and goes counter to how I normally play, but I need to give this a try. Thanks for the advice.

The Germany scenario, however... I tried it and was comprehensively defeated by the second turn. I think, maybe there's a need to do a complete and quick retreat and to try and find somewhere to defend ready for a late counter-attack, but the Russians just laugh as they deploy their tanks on the river as if to say 'yeah, come at me, you weaklings!' =( I might try again in the week! :O
I look forward to you progress and if changing strategy worked. Thanks for spearheading this.

[Rayrard]

I too was surprised at all the low %'s on many of the achievements, at the same time I do not mind being in rare company.
I am at 65 out of 80 achievements so still have a ways to go before I have completion.
By the way Great job completing Bagration on stand alone scenario.
I have yet to do it.

I would love if someone like Braccada posted a how to video for that stand alone scenario and Berlin.

Maybe if we beg him.

Indeed, maybe we should ask him?

I found Bagration to be easy once you weather the initial storm of tanks. Just pull back in a fighting retreat and hold the South and central river areas. The AI on normal goes a bit wonky and sends everything to the southern objective, so I could bottleneck them and win. I invested in the big AA guns, used them and the two initial fighters to slowly bleed the Russian air force to death. Once they went down I had to save hard to get some TAC bombers, because they were the only thing that were cheap enough to reliably hurt the Russian monster tanks. =/

The Germany scenario, however... I tried it and was comprehensively defeated by the second turn. I think, maybe there's a need to do a complete and quick retreat and to try and find somewhere to defend ready for a late counter-attack, but the Russians just laugh as they deploy their tanks on the river as if to say 'yeah, come at me, you weaklings!' =( I might try again in the week! :O

I did Bagration multiple times and in my last play (on Colonel of course) I wiped out all but one or two Russian units (a weak SU-152 and an infantry).

I never do more than a fighting retreat in the south and hold on the second river for as long as possible until the Russians force a crossing to the north. Then pull back everything to the central forest city and buy a handful of 43 infantry and try and wipe out a few Soviet heavy units in the forests. They will continue to to the SW and NW objectives in droves. The airforce supplied can take the Soviet AF within several turns if you buy a single Fw-190D9 to add to the 109K's and the 110. The only Soviet fighter that can take a 109K is the Yak-3 and Yak-9U but they take heavy losses too and the other Russian fighters are unable to hurt the 109's. Don't bother with any heavy AA except for an 88 or the ATG 88 that is cheap that you can use to block a river crossing.

The key to winning is make a powerful battlegroup with what you have. This means retreating the Panther and the Jadgpanther and anything else you can pull back. Maybe try and kill some of the Soviets with the Pz4's before they die. The other ATG's usually die but I can usually save the JagdpanzerIV in the north. Then you buy 2 Tiger 2's, a Elephant, and any other ATG you can afford after buying those and the Fw-190D9. Then keep the battlegroup on the northern flank of the Russians as they all flock to the southwest and the river. The gap between the rivers in the north is not scouted by the Russians. Retreat the engineer from the northern city if it survives the first turn. Then as you are fighting the Russians in the south, attack the Russian right flank with the battlegroup while keeping a solid front. Do NOT let them pile up on one unit and trap it or that unit will be eroded away by a few strength points and the Su100's and 122's will not be afraid to attack the Tiger2's and Elephant anymore. If you lose a unit you will not be able to replace it. Use regular replacements and go for the IS-2's and heavy ATG's first. Then go for the artillery and focus on wiping out units instead of weakening them. Then when the Russian horde moves west to the center and western objectives, you can easily use units to take the eastern cities and then run back to the river and attack all units that come back to try and get them back. Getting turn prestige and city prestige and surrenders will let you buy recon cars where you can zip around and attack their infantry transports and trucks and take undefended cities. Make the Russians run around to different cities and spread themselves thin. You will be able to pick the smaller Russian groups off and many of the units will be out of or low on ammo. Of course results may vary if you get garbage dice rolls on your early combats!

Berlin from both ends is easier than Bagration to win. I form two concentrations against the West and retreat the armor into battlegroups. The southern front will be destroyed and you need to concentrate around the JagdTiger in the center and move the Tiger 2 and Panthers to the north and defend on the river. The western Allied attack will fizzle in the north quick and you will have a hard fight in the center but you have a ton of 88 Flak to help defend. I buy a Me-262 and a Fw-190D to help defend and pick off fighters and then go for bombers. If you are lucky the Dornier 335 will survive (the 190F is usually gang-banged on turn 1). The Russians you have to abandon the entire south but the Russians there will head north and you defend west of the mountain range. The Russians will not go through the mountains and you can even take the far eastern city with the mountain infantry. You have to fighter along this river as Russians come from both sides and you might have to put your backs to the American front in the center if all else fails. In the north pull back all troops to a perimeter around Berlin. Use heavy tanks and ATG's to the south and let the Russians pile up on you. Defend the river to the north of Berlin and do not let them cross there and hold the northern objective for very long. Use airforce and AA to clear the Red AF from Berlin's airspace. The Russians cannot counter the Me-262 with anything.

By halfway through the allotted time I wipe the entire Allied army from the field. Again, use prestige sparingly and mostly regular replacements.

[goose_2]

Oh boy this is some great advice and I will have to give this a shot sometime soon.

I will follow this advice as laid outand see where it leads.

I am not sure when as I am about knew deep in 1944 Campaign scenario Babruysk and loving the destruction I am wreaking on the enemy.
King Tigers with my strong anti tank units are still cutting through them like butter. Yay!

[RVallant]

Berlin from both ends is easier than Bagration to win. I form two concentrations against the West and retreat the armor into battlegroups. The southern front will be destroyed and you need to concentrate around the JagdTiger in the center and move the Tiger 2 and Panthers to the north and defend on the river. The western Allied attack will fizzle in the north quick and you will have a hard fight in the center but you have a ton of 88 Flak to help defend. I buy a Me-262 and a Fw-190D to help defend and pick off fighters and then go for bombers. If you are lucky the Dornier 335 will survive (the 190F is usually gang-banged on turn 1). The Russians you have to abandon the entire south but the Russians there will head north and you defend west of the mountain range. The Russians will not go through the mountains and you can even take the far eastern city with the mountain infantry. You have to fighter along this river as Russians come from both sides and you might have to put your backs to the American front in the center if all else fails. In the north pull back all troops to a perimeter around Berlin. Use heavy tanks and ATG's to the south and let the Russians pile up on you. Defend the river to the north of Berlin and do not let them cross there and hold the northern objective for very long. Use airforce and AA to clear the Red AF from Berlin's airspace. The Russians cannot counter the Me-262 with anything.

It is? Haha.

My first attempt and most of the units got ko'd before I could organise anything. I will give it another go, maybe tonight or tomorrow and try and do as you suggested with the retreats.

[Rayrard]

Berlin from both ends is easier than Bagration to win. I form two concentrations against the West and retreat the armor into battlegroups. The southern front will be destroyed and you need to concentrate around the JagdTiger in the center and move the Tiger 2 and Panthers to the north and defend on the river. The western Allied attack will fizzle in the north quick and you will have a hard fight in the center but you have a ton of 88 Flak to help defend. I buy a Me-262 and a Fw-190D to help defend and pick off fighters and then go for bombers. If you are lucky the Dornier 335 will survive (the 190F is usually gang-banged on turn 1). The Russians you have to abandon the entire south but the Russians there will head north and you defend west of the mountain range. The Russians will not go through the mountains and you can even take the far eastern city with the mountain infantry. You have to fighter along this river as Russians come from both sides and you might have to put your backs to the American front in the center if all else fails. In the north pull back all troops to a perimeter around Berlin. Use heavy tanks and ATG's to the south and let the Russians pile up on you. Defend the river to the north of Berlin and do not let them cross there and hold the northern objective for very long. Use airforce and AA to clear the Red AF from Berlin's airspace. The Russians cannot counter the Me-262 with anything.

It is? Haha.

My first attempt and most of the units got ko'd before I could organise anything. I will give it another go, maybe tonight or tomorrow and try and do as you suggested with the retreats.

Yeah it really isn't that bad at all. It is overwhelming at first because you get so much destroyed on the first turn and there are so many airplanes to deal with. Just get the good units out of view of the airplanes and they will waste turns on infantry and garbage units. Once you get all your good units near the 88's which you rail transport to your battlegroups you will easily wipe out the western Allies airforce. The B26's and Sturmoviks are the biggest threats so at least damage them and they will go back to the airfields for resupply and give you time to organize.

On the Russian front you have a large group of Panthers, Tigers, the Maus, and ATG's to defend Berlin. If you retreat to a tight perimeter the Russians will not be able to break you unless you allow units to be isolated. If you fight on the starting line south of Berlin, you will have a good part of your tanks cut off from Berlin. Ignore the urge to attack the Russians on the river and just pull it all back. It will take them a few turns to take the river city and consolidate and the Is-2's will be down to 1-2 ammo by the time they make contact again. Make sure you crowd the IS-2's when they are out of ammo and they cannot attack you. The IS-2's and IS-122's WILL attack your Panthers and do damage so don't let 2 of them tag team one Panther or it's dead. The Tigers are more resilient, and the Jagdpanther scares them too. I use the Maus to prevent a crossing east of Berlin and the idiot AI likes to put IS-2's and artillery/ATG armor in the forest hexes. Your paratroopers and grenadiers can wipe out Russians in this terrain and remove the IS-2's from this front early on. They make a strong attack in the north but get the infantry out of the northern river city or else it will be surrendered by rocket artillery and units crossing the river. Put a Panther or ATG in the city backed by the 10.5 artillery and it will be safe from all attacks as the AI artillery doesn't shell tanks. Berlin is never in much danger of falling but the cities south of Berlin are hard to defend given the Russian southern army and the center army will try and cross to the south and link up with the Americans and go after the central objectives. The Americans are usually defeated first. Theey have lots of infantry and ATG's in the south and that Pershing outclasses anything but the Jadgtiger on that front. The M36 is nothing to mess with either but it is pitifully weak versus soft units. I attack the M36's with infantry and towed ATG to drain their ammo. If you can keep the Nebelwerfer alive it will break up all the American infantry assaults.

[RVallant]

I got it. Woop, woop.

I retreated the north-western units to the first town before Hamburg (I think), so 1 tank, 1 inf, 1 arty stayed there and wiped the entire US forces out.

I retreated the remaining tank across the river and south, to line up with the Jagd, and the 88's, rocket arties and I bought some more tanks when I could to defend the chokepoint at the mountain. The bridge unit got upgraded to an HW Team and stayed put, while the Paras survived long enough to do harrassment against any unit moving into the mountains. The US fell upon the heavy tanks, the planes didn't dare come near.

Russian flank was a different story, southern flank was obliterated pretty quickly. First turn wiped most of them out, moved to the first city, recuperated, got wiped fully there. Then they went for the mountain group in the East, so they all got wiped with the exception of the MNT that I moved to safety and eventually flank attacked with late-game.

The mid-group was utterly decimated, the mid-city fell on the first turn, and the Russians skewered through completely cutting off the southern tank forces from Berlin. The result was, a massacre really as the Tiger down there wasn't fast enough to escape. I did rescue the other tanks, sent them to Berlin. The HW team down there evacuated to the southern forest where the US were attacking. He held the line rather admirably, thanks to the AI attacking the 88 sometimes, so switching him with a tank once in a while and he chokepointed it to death.

Berlin was a nightmare, the initial forces along the river overran whatever defences were initially there. And they just would not be pushed back. Around turn 12-15 (?) Berlin got surrounded and wiped out. It changed hands and I had to manage some interesting retreats, as well as my own circling attacks from some of the tanks I manage to pull back across the river in time. Up north, Setten never fell, the tank/inf combo survived the entire game just holding off the relentless waves of attacks. It was only when I finally pulled back the artillery to save prestige that they dislodged my infantry there, and caused a bit of a panic attack.

Fortunately, it appeared I had wiped the majority of their tanks out by that point, and all the big guns were out of ammo and sitting in city tiles (Berlin), so my tanks started doing some damage for once! At that point I did a breakout/counter-attack from behind the river with the Infantry I had rescued and whatever tanks were left. The US were already long gone by then, so I guess I could have pulled them over to help out. But there we are. Took a while to get it but I did it.

[goose_2]

Man I am loving these posts and strategy breakdowns some of the best for these very tough scenarios.

RVallant, might I suggest you change the title of this initial thread to
Bagration / Battle of Berlin Stand Alone Steam Achievements

As this is what it has become.

Love it...keep these reports coming.

I hope to try this before Christmas, or at least some big weekend.

[Rayrard]

Good job with Berlin, but can you get a victory if Berlin falls? Or did you eventually clear the map?

The key to holding Berlin is to succesfully retreat the tanks south of Berlin and back them with the artillery in Berlin. And get the big artillery/ATG combos to change to artillery mode and run out of ammo. The cluster of cities south of Berlin on the river are the key because they can outflank you if they get across the river and you don't have enough prestige to hold them everywhere.

[RVallant]

Man I am loving these posts and strategy breakdowns some of the best for these very tough scenarios.

RVallant, might I suggest you change the title of this initial thread to
Bagration / Battle of Berlin Stand Alone Steam Achievements

As this is what it has become.

Love it...keep these reports coming.

I hope to try this before Christmas, or at least some big weekend.

Done.

Good job with Berlin, but can you get a victory if Berlin falls? Or did you eventually clear the map?

The key to holding Berlin is to succesfully retreat the tanks south of Berlin and back them with the artillery in Berlin. And get the big artillery/ATG combos to change to artillery mode and run out of ammo. The cluster of cities south of Berlin on the river are the key because they can outflank you if they get across the river and you don't have enough prestige to hold them everywhere.

Yeah, the south tanks were cut off immediately, I had a pretty bad first turn where the middle city just got overrun.

And yeah, you get the victory even if Berlin falls apparently, so long as you take it back, at least the scenario didn't instant-end when I lost Berlin for one or two turns, so I'm just assuming that.

[Rayrard]

Now you just have to beat Advance to the Elbe as the Germans

[goose_2]

Now that would be a killer Steam Achievement

[RVallant]

Just got the Greatest British Honour achievement.

That's a rare one as well, 3.2% attaining it.

I'm now at Berlin West in my Allied Corps play through. One or two more wins and I should gain the British Victory Achievement (1.0%). I'll probably take a break before trying to get the American version (also 1%) as the later scenarios were quite sapping. D-Day and Cobra were ridiculous. Market Garden on the other hand was easy, I feel Cobra and MG's difficulty needed to be switched around. But there we are.

Oh and not that it matters much, but I'm on 56/80 achievements, so 70%. I won't be getting the online ones I guess, nor the Afrika Corps ones. But I think I got my money's worth, having just gone past the 500 hour mark now... Crazy.

[RVallant]

Just got the Greatest British Honour achievement.

That's a rare one as well, 3.2% attaining it.

I'm now at Berlin West in my Allied Corps play through. One or two more wins and I should gain the British Victory Achievement (1.0%). I'll probably take a break before trying to get the American version (also 1%) as the later scenarios were quite sapping. D-Day and Cobra were ridiculous. Market Garden on the other hand was easy, I feel Cobra and MG's difficulty needed to be switched around. But there we are.

Oh and not that it matters much, but I'm on 56/80 achievements, so 70%. I won't be getting the online ones I guess, nor the Afrika Corps ones. But I think I got my money's worth, having just gone past the 500 hour mark now... Crazy.

Hrm... So it appears the British Victory achievement is bugged? I didn't get it.

[goose_2]

I have 65 out of 80, and this thread is making me want to knock more out, but it will have to wait as I am deep in the 44 campaign and am waiting with baited breath the postings for the Multiplayer Tournament.

I achieved the Greatest American Honor when I beta tested the American DLC's.

I am still waiting for the greatest German Honor as I am at over 3000 kills for my Uber Rudel and I still have not received the ultimate Honor.

I am so excited I am about ready to burst.

[Rayrard]

Got my 5 star recon car for 64/80... ended 43 East with 50K+ prestige on the easy settings to make up for the Guderian/Manstein/Rommel earlier campaigns. My Flak guns are halfway to 5 star as I enter 44 East.

They need steam achievements for all the stand-alone scenarios, or at least the difficult ones or the difficult side.

I hope I saved my Advance to the Elbe victory somewhere as the Germans as I may not even do that again if the achievement comes up.

[RVallant]

Something for them to think about in the future, if there is ever a future release or sequel?