Most Realistic Exp. Mod Battlefield Europe v2.0 (replay)

[PeteMitchell]

So what's your plan now going forward?

[faos333]

Turn 67 situation reports west Europe is under heavy air attacks

bev2-turn-67-west.JPG (210.42 KiB) Viewed 1026 times

[faos333]

Turn 67 situation reports: Allied bombers over Germany, Atlantic U-Boats perishing

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[faos333]

Turn 68 situation reports Caucasus Baku occupied, possible attack further south

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[faos333]

Turn 68 situation reports DAK Middle East

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[faos333]

Turn 68 situation reports North Italy defensive positions

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[faos333]

Turn 68 situation reports West Europe preparing air defense Flak Fortresses

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[faos333]

Turn 68 situation reports Finns forward elements

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[faos333]

So what's your plan now going forward?

That is the question, I paused to share my current thinking of moving forward, I might need to rethink my strategy for a while, based on your comments.

* The way I feel right now is that in the east we will prevail winning the last objective Arkhangelsk, a long ride, we need more units but it seems doable.
* Middle East going forward for prestige reasons. I even considering to take back El Alghelia... even Tripoli.. in N. Afrika, our recon suggests light defense, do not know if there is any trigger, for a renewed allied attack from the west. I have to take McGuba advise for that
* North Italy defend where I stand and if fail to fall back on the right
* West this is the PROBLEM, not sure about it
- Should we try to defend in Rhine? if we make it till November then the air force threat disappears due to weather.
- Should we try to defend around Paris?
- Should we defend Normandy?

Overall what is the goal map to pursue?
Right now it feels more like between a defeat or a marginal win. I mean if we manage to hold in Germany I assume will win in the East.

Of course I have never thought till now, about Market Garden, south France landings, V1 etc .........

PS
How I can purchase mine field units, still wondering
Victory objectives raided by level bombers, means dropping a bomb that hits the ground?

[McGuba]

* West this is the PROBLEM, not sure about it

Probably everyone will suggest you something else because there are indeed several options. So just do what you feel is best and try to follow you instinct. Personally I would suggest to create as many defensive lines as you can and do not focus only on the Rhine. If the Allies can break through that river the war is most likely lost so it is basically all or nothing. If you have several defense lines in France and the Low Countries then you can trade land for time and you may have a good chance to make it to turn 99. On the other hand, if you do not have enough units it may be better to have just one strong defense line than several weak ones. But a deep defense also allows you to make good use of the rocket weapons. These can only be launched if they are close enough to England. You cannot launch them from behind the Rhine. They need to hit London to give 100 prestige each and if I remember well the V1 has a range of 9 hexes and the V2 13, or something like that. All in all about 15 V rockets can appear. And it is not so easy, first they need to be moved within range to launch position by train or towing, then they may need refueling before launch, and in the mean time the Allies may try to prevent their launch by moving air units above them. As in reality when they tried to bomb them while still on the ground.

if we make it till November then the air force threat disappears due to weather.

Note that turn 99 is in July 1945. You need to hold out a bit longer than the historical end of WW2 in Europe. And the last spring won't be nice.

[McGuba]

How I can purchase mine field units, still wondering

You should have minefield and strongpoint construction units in the AA class. These are trucks which can be switched to a minefield or a strongpoint wherever they are.

Victory objectives raided by level bombers, means dropping a bomb that hits the ground?

They do not need to actually drop a bomb. If they end the Axis turn above the city hex it is considered a successful bombing.

But I think then they lose 1 ammo, same as with u-boats on the convoy routes. Not sure if it is already like that in v2.0 or only in the next version though. They may also gain some experience for a successful bombing raid.

[PeteMitchell]

Regarding options...

Well, I guess you need to hold the US troops somewhere between Normandy/Rhone River and the Rhine as well as around Vienna and in the south around Munich by turn 99... because otherwise it's a loss... anything else is optional IMHO

Delaying is easier than holding or defeating... that's what the Germans did latest since Kursk 43, maybe even since Stalingrad end of 42...

Be aware of some partisans in the east as well...

[Uhu]

You need some (3-5) strat bomber and 1-2 tac. bomber to take Archangelsk. It is useful for that to take the airfield at Vologda. But maybe the airfield SE of Novgorod is also enough for refuelling.
Also do not forget to make a defense line at El-Alamein.

[Uhu]

I would suggest, that you do not bring your forces from Baku south. Use the in Normandy instead. Instead of making flak forts, transport many of them to the Normandy-Paris region. While allied airforce is brutal, if you defend your units with AA, you can lower that effect seriously. Try not to destroy them, but weaken them: strat bombers to 6-7, tac bombers even lower, fighters to 8-9. The enemy cannot repair so much damaged aircraft at once (not enough airfields) so they count as not usable with such values. Also bring several arty and rec units: you can capture and eliminate many Allied units by encricling them at the beaches after artillery bombardment and after the event you van withdraw your recon unitsd from the danger-hexes to not loose 3 strenght.
The remainig AA's should be collected in the Bremen-Wilhelmshafen-Hamburg triangle. Most of the bombers will come first from there. While try to avoid major city bombardment do not get bogged down in that theme: it is more important to defend the land and if you captured the CCCP and finally get some oil money, you will have some prestige back. If you can hold the Paris line, you will have the chance to launch the V1's from the region after bad weather (the Allied aircrafts will be nout above them) and they bring 100 prestige pro strike.

[faos333]

* West this is the PROBLEM, not sure about it

Probably everyone will suggest you something else because there are indeed several options. So just do what you feel is best and try to follow you instinct. Personally I would suggest to create as many defensive lines as you can and do not focus only on the Rhine. If the Allies can break through that river the war is most likely lost so it is basically all or nothing. If you have several defense lines in France and the Low Countries then you can trade land for time and you may have a good chance to make it to turn 99. On the other hand, if you do not have enough units it may be better to have just one strong defense line than several weak ones. But a deep defense also allows you to make good use of the rocket weapons. These can only be launched if they are close enough to England. You cannot launch them from behind the Rhine. They need to hit London to give 100 prestige each and if I remember well the V1 has a range of 9 hexes and the V2 13, or something like that. All in all about 15 V rockets can appear. And it is not so easy, first they need to be moved within range to launch position by train or towing, then they may need refueling before launch, and in the mean time the Allies may try to prevent their launch by moving air units above them. As in reality when they tried to bomb them while still on the ground.

if we make it till November then the air force threat disappears due to weather.

Note that turn 99 is in July 1945. You need to hold out a bit longer than the historical end of WW2 in Europe. And the last spring won't be nice.

Well thanks for your input, I need to think...
Question in case I can not launch the rockets V1 vs England, can I use them tactically against tanks, artillery enemy units in France? That would be helpful also.

[faos333]

How I can purchase mine field units, still wondering

You should have minefield and strongpoint construction units in the AA class. These are trucks which can be switched to a minefield or a strongpoint wherever they are.

Victory objectives raided by level bombers, means dropping a bomb that hits the ground?

They do not need to actually drop a bomb. If they end the Axis turn above the city hex it is considered a successful bombing.

But I think then they lose 1 ammo, same as with u-boats on the convoy routes. Not sure if it is already like that in v2.0 or only in the next version though. They may also gain some experience for a successful bombing raid.

thank you I found them

[faos333]

Regarding options...

Well, I guess you need to hold the US troops somewhere between Normandy/Rhone River and the Rhine as well as around Vienna and in the south around Munich by turn 99... because otherwise it's a loss... anything else is optional IMHO

Delaying is easier than holding or defeating... that's what the Germans did latest since Kursk 43, maybe even since Stalingrad end of 42...

Be aware of some partisans in the east as well...

I need to study more the map then, as for delaying, well that is different from how I play usually need to prepare some tricks

[faos333]

You need some (3-5) strat bomber and 1-2 tac. bomber to take Archangelsk. It is useful for that to take the airfield at Vologda. But maybe the airfield SE of Novgorod is also enough for refuelling.
Also do not forget to make a defense line at El-Alamein.

Vologda then! is an objective to attack.
El-Alamein is there another attack coming from west afrika? When is that?

[McGuba]

Question in case I can not launch the rockets V1 vs England, can I use them tactically against tanks, artillery enemy units in France? That would be helpful also.

Yes, but they are much less useful against enemy ground units than in the vanilla game. In reality they were happy to hit a big city with them, but even then many missed.

[faos333]

I would suggest, that you do not bring your forces from Baku south. Use the in Normandy instead. Instead of making flak forts, transport many of them to the Normandy-Paris region. While allied airforce is brutal, if you defend your units with AA, you can lower that effect seriously. Try not to destroy them, but weaken them: strat bombers to 6-7, tac bombers even lower, fighters to 8-9. The enemy cannot repair so much damaged aircraft at once (not enough airfields) so they count as not usable with such values. Also bring several arty and rec units: you can capture and eliminate many Allied units by encricling them at the beaches after artillery bombardment and after the event you van withdraw your recon unitsd from the danger-hexes to not loose 3 strenght.
The remainig AA's should be collected in the Bremen-Wilhelmshafen-Hamburg triangle. Most of the bombers will come first from there. While try to avoid major city bombardment do not get bogged down in that theme: it is more important to defend the land and if you captured the CCCP and finally get some oil money, you will have some prestige back. If you can hold the Paris line, you will have the chance to launch the V1's from the region after bad weather (the Allied aircrafts will be nout above them) and they bring 100 prestige pro strike.

Good ideas on how to defend vs such huge air force I will put on action shortly