The Newbie Campaign! At some point you have to realize that you are not the best armchair general out there!

[Horseman]

A little tip for Norway - if you take the supply hex next to Bergen both the garrison and the fort will be encircled as long as you also block the port.

[AAntares]

Turn 1 (PP 2880)

NW: Horseman was right, no enemy unit to garrison the depot and Bergen is isolated. Too easy...
Anyhow I can deploy one unit here but I want to scout the neighborhood before to commit my troops.



SW: we are too far from the beaches, just moving.

SE: enemy subs spotted, I used my air force to hit the enemy ships. Invanding force closing to the target.
Paratroopers dropped in the hills at NE of Kristiansand, they will try to destroy the AA unit in the airport. The other units ready to strike in the next turn.
Fighters escort the bombers.



Turn 2 (PP 3030)

Enemy Destroyers attacked the escort and not the transport ships, therefore all my units land without losses.
Naval guns in the fortifications are pretty good, not a good day for the Kriegsmarine.

NW: Bergen is taken, now I want to destroy the defenders.



SW: captured Stavanger airport.

SE: Two enemy ships sunked, the old Norwegian biplanes are no match for my Messerschmitt.
Second Paratroopers unit dropped on Fredrikstad, next target enemy fortification at Oslo.



Turn 3 (PP 3330)

NW: Enemy infantry try to retake Bergen, heavy fighting. Art Rgt sent in support.

SW: Holding the position until naval units will support the offensive.

SE: Kristiansand garrison surrender, the island fortification will be ignored.
Paratroopers supported by the last Infantry Rgt in reserve.



Turn 4 (PP 3628)

NW: Destroyers sunk, enemy units out of supply.

SW: Light Cruiser and escorts in naval support.

SE: Larvik will be the next city to fall, enemy fortification almost gone.



Turn 5 (PP 3728)

NW: Cleaning phase.

SW: Stavanger isolated.

SE: Advance in progression.



Turn 6 (PP 3836)

NW: Cleaning phase.

SW: Stavanger and Flekkefjord captured.

SE: Larvik garrison surrender. Finally enemy fighters shotdown and bunker destroyed.



Turn 7 (PP 4182)

NW: Voss captured, two enemy units left.

SW: No more enemy resistance, all units towards Oslo.

SE: Horten in German hands.



Turn 8 (PP 4432)

NW: the last defence

SE: Paratroopers under heavy attack, several losses.
I need the Oslo airport because my Stuka are out of range.



Turn 9 (PP 4632)

NW: another turn before the total destruction.

SE: Paratroopers get lot of attentions, one unit has been detroyed (not enough movement points to escape) and the other one will follow the same fate I guess.



Turn 10 (PP 4782)

Again all enemy units against a single infantry rgt, I lost my first core unit!!! Brave soldier and good IA defence.



Turn 11 (PP 4882)

Another concentrated assault, my losses are increasing.
Rain!



Turn 12 (PP 4982)

Another unit destroyed, heavy infantry fighting all around Oslo, what a game



Turn 13 (PP 5082)

The road is open, next turn Oslo will fall.



Turn 14 (PP 5182)

Two objectives left.



Turn 15 (PP 5282)

Towards the last city.



Turn 16 (PP 5684)

Four enemy units left.



Turn 17 (PP 6034)

Rain again, a little assault.



Turn 18 (PP 6158)

Come on guys!!!!



Turn 19 (PP 6258)

I want to encirle this unit.



Turn 20 (PP 6358)

A Pyrrhic victory in another rainy day! In the second half of the game I made several mistakes that cost me almost the game.
Lesson learned, no more PC2 and AAR in the meantime that I am playing! Or better not for so many hours.
Fun game!

Total 6514.

[SineMora]

A hard-fought victory. That was a veritable bloodbath in the hills north of Oslo. Good luck in France!

[AAntares]

Thanks!
I am downloading the new patch at the moment and this night I should be able to continue the game.

[comradep]

Good job!

Norwegian resistance around Oslo's pretty stiff, the AI can cause some real damage with those mountain troops and its numerous infantry units.

[AAntares]

Scenario 4: Breakthrough at Sedan

Losses replacements: Elite repl. to my infantry units that fought very hard this time.
Total 677 points. I lost three core units at the end of the battle (two Inf and one Pion).

5837 PP left and 35/55 core slots.

Bridging unit returns in action but Gebir. Rgt goes to the Panzer Corps reserve.

Purchase:
1x Grenadier - rebuilt 3rd Inf Rgt (2nd Pz Div)
1x Grenadier - rebuilt 1st Inf Rgt (1st Pz Div)
1x Panzerjäger IB (2nd Pz Div)
1x StuG IIIB (Pz Corps Reserve)

Upgrade:
One Pz Rgt per division to Panzer IIIF
One Pz Rgt per division to Panzer IVD
2nd PzGRgt equipped with HT
4th PzGRgt equipped with HT
1st Art Rgt unit to 15 cm sFH 18

Total: 1200, no core slots left.

Hero, 1st Pz Rgt got him.



Deployment Phase

2nd Pz Div with 3rd PzC support will advance to Bastogne and St. Vith, 1st Pz Div will take Luxembourg and Sedan.

[comradep]

Does that hero allow your unit to ignore enemy ZOCs like in PG2?

[charonjr]

Had this one in my first run, IIRC it makes any unit move like a recon.

[AAntares]

Nope, the unit gains +1 Initiative for each moviment point advantage over the enemy, therefore slower enemy units can be attacked first.

[AAntares]

Turn 1 (PP 4747)

All units advance towards their targets. Luxembourg is taken.



Turn 2 (PP 5007)

Enemy aircrafts show up, few art losses. Battle for the skies started.
Bastogne garrison retreats, very difficult to encircle in the Ardennes terrain therefore I want to push out of my way all obstacles till the Meuse river.



Turn 3 (PP 5167)

Bastogne captured, an enemy unit destroyed. I am doing a slow advance given that is too easy losing SP in the forests, at the moment the tanks are almost useless.
Rebased short range aircraft units.



Turn 4 (PP 5377)

St. Vith captured. Trying to clear my path towards Sedan.



Turn 5 (PP 5537)

Enemy bombers attacked the 1st Pz Division, losses acceptable.
It seems that the road to Meuse is free.



Turn 6 (PP 5647)

Severals French units are waiting me. Enemy fighters should be all shot down.



Turn 7 (PP 5760)

Ready to cross the river in the next turn. Spent 47 PPs in Stuka replacements.



Turn 8 (PP 5870)

2nd Division crosses the river, ready to assault Philippeville.



Turn 9 (PP 5970)

Enemy tanks join the battle, in the North the enemy defence is well organized.
Sedan airport captured. Skies in German control.



Turn 10 (PP 6140)

Philippeville is almost encircled, Sedan too.



Turn 11 (PP 6448)

Lot of armored units, my tanks are under heavy pressure, 2nd Pz Rgt with 80% of losses.
Sedan captured.



Turn 12 (PP 6704)

Philippeville captured, time to destroy the enemy units around Givet.



Turn 13 (PP 6814)

Clean up turn, enemy cavarly surrender.



Turn 14 (PP 7040)

Quiet turn, AA unit destroyed.



Turn 15 (PP 7187)

Cloudy weather. Both Pz Divisions pushing forwards.



Turn 16 (PP 7393)

Hirson encircled.



Turn 17 (PP 7503)

Three enemy units left.



Turn 18 (PP 7663)

The last defence!



Turn 19 (PP 7763)

Victory!



Total score: 8257

Nice tank battles! Not always I was able to put all my units under support and I think another bridging unit was necessary.

[Horseman]

Nice - have been hoping for an update here for a while!

You're starting to accumulate a good number of PPs

[Kerensky]

I should really start to read these, good insights into player thinking and playstyle. Bookmarked for reading.

[SineMora]

Yeah, you face more tanks and aircraft in France. Looks like you got a pretty well-rounded force.

[AAntares]

@Horseman: thanks, lot of time writing an AAR (for me at least) and I am glad to have some readers

@Kerensky: welcome aboard! Even if my English is far to be perfect I hope you enjoy reading it.

@SineMora: can't wait to play the Barbarossa campaign then, plenty of space for manoeuvres and tank battles, I want my Prokhorovka!!


Scenario 5: Channel Coast

Losses replacements: Elite repl. for the tank rgts again.
The Green Army negative trait is a really challenging one, but ARTs and a Strategic air unit only the Pz rgts have a star, all the others are still under 1000 points.
Total 924 points. No core units lost.

7333 PP left and 55/59 core slots.

The bridging unit is still vital therefore will stay with us, 1st StuG Bn is really nice and never got the enemy attentions. Gebir. Rgt stays in the Panzer Corps reserve.

Purchase:
1x SdKfz 232 8Rad - (2nd Pz Div)

Upgrade:
1st AT Bn to Panzerjäger IB

Total: 100, no core slots left.

Hero asssigned to 4th Pz Rgt, the best tankvstank unit at the moment.



Deployment Phase

Interesting map, plenty of space to cover, lot of secondary objectives and there are several rivers where the enemy can put up a good defence.
Unfortunately I cannot place all my units around Hirson but there is a nice way where to push immediately, between Cambrai and Peronne a full division can breakthrough to Arras.

[Horseman]

You keep writing and I'll keep reading!

I've done a few AARs in the past - IIRC it was over 2 months to complete my PC one. It takes some doing and you have to remember to make notes as you go too!

Keep up the good work.

[AAntares]

Turn 1 (PP 7453)

Recon units discover Suoma tanks along the road but have been easily destroyed. Laon captured.



Turn 2 (PP 7623)

Enemy FB shot down, another one damaged by 1st Pz Div. AA. Cambrai encircled.
French infantry destroyed.



Turn 3 (PP 7743)

BEF has launched a counterattack, there are four armored enemy units around Arras now. We enlarge the encirclement area.
1st Pz. Division is marching on Noyon.



Turn 4 (PP 8028)

Great tank battles, 2nd AT Bn with 50% of losses but the enemy attack has been stopped.
There is another armored force near Noyon, I recalled my avangarde to avoid concentrated attack.



Turn 5 (PP 8054)

Enemy bombers attack 1st Pz Div. ART, spent 144 points to replace losses. French fighters shot down.
St. Quentin and Cambrai captured.
2nd Pz Div. under heavy attack, 3rd Pz Rgt with 50% of losses.



Turn 6 (PP 8274)

British fighters attack my unit, this time even the air battles will be interesting. Other bombers spotted.
Arras encircled with all the BEF armored units inside. Soissons captured.



Turn 7 (PP 8341)

Oh well...there are four enemy air units and my fighters are in bad shape. Looks an interesting air warfare!
Spent 175 points in replacements, my fear are the enemy bombers.
In the South the advance is less difficult.



Turn 8 (PP 8672)

Arras falls to German soldiers. One Bomber eliminated.



Turn 9 (PP 8724)

Spent 68 points on replacements. Doullens encircled.



Turn 10 (PP 9010)

Spent 136 points on replacements. Another Bomber eliminated.
Peronne and Doullens captured. I guess my main concern now are the enemy aircrafts, they are increasing my armor losses in a steady way.



Turn 11 (PP 9023)

Spent 107 points on replacements and a misclick (tanks attacked an infantry unit in close terrain), oh well we can see this as enemy counter intelligence action



Turn 12 (PP 9345)

Abbeville captured and Amiens encircled.
Rebased my fighters.



Turn 13 (PP 9667)

Amiens captured and Clermont under attack, trying to capture the last two enemy airfields.



Turn 14 (PP 9887)

Trying to hide my units in very bad shape. Marching towards Calais and Boulogne.



Turn 15 (PP 10076)

FB shot down, one air enemy unit left!



Turn 16 (PP 10196)

The final assault!



Turn 17 (PP 10466)

The last airfield has been taken, what a battle!



Turn 18 (PP 10466)

Ready for surrender in the next turn.



Turn 19 (PP 10995)

Victory!



Really enjoyed the air battles! Lot of points spent on replacements to keep my armored units alive. Fun scenario.

[SineMora]

Good use of encirclements. The AI tends to be aggressive with its airforce and as tactical bombers hurt it can sometimes be a good idea to use fighters defensively, positioning them to cover vulnerable units (they benefit from being able to target the CD of bombers when they support, so they do more damage).

[eddieballgame]

Enjoying this AAR, well written & informative.

[AAntares]

@SineMora: thanks for the advice. I have been able to ambush a bomber unit only once, then the AI avoided my fighters (correctly) and targeted armoured units without escort (Art, Tank, Recce, even AA).

@Eddieballgame Thank you and welcome!

Scenario 6: Paris

Losses replacements: a little of RPG here, my fighters made a great job, Elite repl. for them, the third on the 1st Pz Rgt.
Total 1113 points, a costly battle, indeed! No core units lost.

9882 PP left and 59/64 core slots.

No change respect the previous battle. I have 5 captured equipments to choose from but I want to stick on German stuff (even if the Somua are very tempting )

Purchase:
1x 3.7 cm FlaK 37 - (2nd Pz Div)
1x Pioniere - rebuilt 1st Pion Bn (1st Pz Div)

Upgrade:
None

Total: 635, no core slots left.

Why am I buying this units instead another fighter or 88 unit?
Again for a sort of historical approach, now I have both division full staff!

Hero, a very nice one! Asssigned to 2nd Pz Rgt, Matilda and Somua are strong opponents.



Deployment Phase

Another very interesting map, there are 29 objectives (primary and secondary) for 20 turns but the main ones are rather close.
It seems we have a concentrated enemy force around Rouen and I will strike this target first with the 1st Panzer Division supported by Pz Corps units (StuG and Bridging), 2nd Panzer Division will take Paris.

[Horseman]

I like the way you have built historical cores - very nice!
I rarely used captures equipment in PC1 even in the Grand campaign.

I haven't used any in PC2 as of yet (I'm at Sevastapol now) The heavy British and French tanks are tempting but they're just too slow for my tastes. I like my Panzers being able to race ahead/sweep around exposed flanks and complete endorsements!

T34's and KV1's are even more tempting. So much better than the Panzer 3s and 4s I have but so much more expensive in core slots, I have at least this time chosen to stick with what I have!