[Axis Campaign] The Elite Core (beta 1)

[nikivdd]

France 5/33

[nikivdd]

Scotland 6/33



Libya 7/33



Malta 8/33



El Alamein 9/33



Release date = the day after i posted screenshot scenario 33/33.
Progress development of this campaign = screenshots.

[iceFlame]

Looking good! Especially the Malta campaign... That one is really whetting my appetite to mix it up!

[nikivdd]

Caucasus 10/33





Greece 11/33





Crete 12/33

[Arvidus]

Is the naval landings in Caucasus done with the help of the Romanian Navy?

[nikivdd]

Is the naval landings in Caucasus done with the help of the Romanian Navy?

No, there are three Italian ships.

[Horst]

- Minimal Allied reinforcements added in several scenarios
- No out of bounds AI unit spawn

Does that mean the available AI's Core slots setting is set to 0? I would really appreciate that for the future, because I doubt that someone really likes this wagon fort behavior of the AI with cheap AT and artillery guns around every backwater town. Worst of all, these AI purchases all have the minimum set experience what is later typically 1-3 stars.
If you mean the typical aircraft reinforcement from screen edges by "out of bounds AI unit spawn" behavior, then I don't mind this as much as long as the units won't come from unlogical directions and in unfunny numbers and frequency. Even if a player blocks certain screen edges, the AI can still attack from these unreachable "out of bounds" regions what I've observed.

[nikivdd]

Does that mean the available AI's Core slots setting is set to 0? I would really appreciate that for the future, because I doubt that someone really likes this wagon fort behavior of the AI with cheap AT and artillery guns around every backwater town.
Worst of all, these AI purchases all have the minimum set experience what is later typically 1-3 stars.
If you mean the typical aircraft reinforcement from screen edges by "out of bounds AI unit spawn" behavior, then I don't mind this as much as long as the units won't come from unlogical directions and in unfunny numbers and frequency. Even if a player blocks certain screen edges, the AI can still attack from these unreachable "out of bounds" regions what I've observed.

In most scenarios aux=0, that is where the most "rubbish" comes from.
AI exp gradually rises, but i take into account for ex. when Barbarossa starts, that the Sov units don't start with two star units; it is actually less than one star.
To imitate the original as close as possible, there are no AI attacks from impossible directions or miraculously appear behind the lines. In short, there are no evil triggers. I did add here and there a few AI reinforcement triggers but nothing out of proportion or anything that the player cannot handle. The main purpose of these triggers are to keep the player from being too overconfident and secondly, as the scenarios are being tested on Col difficulty, not to make it too easy.

The next post is feedback from my good friend Wildthing.

[nikivdd]

From Wildthing:

shall i post my marks to the scenarios on slitherine, or are these infromations confidental?

You can post here.

First: A really great new challenage. Money seems to be no problem (if used wisely)
I play on Colonel, Patch 1.2, dice chess (20%), i can not remember, think reform units off (working with savegames)

I play Colonel too, AI=2, combat normal, reform units=on

Believe me, i played Kutno in PG, PGforever and PC-classic mod 1000 times, but now, with patch 1.2, our experiences and the knowing of the importance of this mission, i was very excited.
Kutno: DV in last round for this possiblity. I needed to wait until round 3 to buy the second artillery (10,5). The Captured Artillery came too late, never fired.

Where you can find the capturable artillery, the Polish occupant of that city is very easily pursuaded to leave that hex; the captured artillery can truly make a difference. I didn't buy any new units here.

Warsaw29: DV, some turns to spare. A brilliant composition of aux-Units. Not too less, not too much. If the payer concentrates all air-Power on one quarter of the city after another, nobody will have too much problems.

Artillery support and the right tactics do the trick and nothing too rash. Hope you found the capturable artillery.

Narvik: DV, i took 2 VHs in the very last turn. The far north wwas won, because the idiot AI attacked my weak Infanterie on the airfield and left the VH. If the player do not use ju52 for the airfield, he will get some trouble. I knew, that there can not be an AA, because i had no own aircraft (except the Bf110)and Nico cant be so unfair. )) I had some trouble with the Matilda II (did you placed it in atransport, or did the AI bought it in one lower west VH? I crushed it with artillery and forced to enter the city for my waiting Gebirgsjäger.

There is one Matilda coming ashore near Narvik but it is the mark I version. If you faced a Matilda II, than the AI must have bought it.

Sedan: DV, 2 turns left. I thank god, that i bought a 8,8 (in Narvik) Me109 and Bf110. The alliy-Airpower is unbelievable strong. I recommend an additional aux Me109 for players, who dont have an own fighter. Or a sceond aux-8,8 + second mobile AA. I had to refresh several Tanks and Sturmpanzer. The captured tanks worked well.

Here, the player starts with 4 aux Bf109s and 3 AA units. The AI starts with 6 fighters and has one fighter as time scripted reinforcement; but for the release version i have removed one French fighter.

FRance: I stick in round 7, my right position is in danger, the two Char B1 are really hard (my stukas are weakend and the waether is bad. Again, the french airforce is very present and had to refresh a lot of troops. I am much too slow for a DV, but i hope i can bound all powers to get a MV. The Paras are a nice gift, but i dont know where to use it (Far south? AAs ?, Tanks ? Artillery?)
For France i have to change my strategy i think, but i played it 1000 times too, i got always a possiblity to reach a DV. Something is different now.
Its possible, that i have two ground-units less for a powerfull crush, but i need the Me109 and Bf119 really urgent.

Prestige doesn't seem to be a problem sofar, have you checked if you can buy an auxiliary unit *wink* *wink*? You can deploy the paras anywhere you want...that is the players' prerogative. There are 8 auxiliary planes (a luxury i presume) and an 88. If necessary i might add an additional fighter, but that will depend on what others have to say once they played this scenario. At this moment, i am inclined to leave it as it is.

Don't forget that i have unlocked the SE planes for the entire campaign, so not only for desert scenarios. Thank you for your invaluable report

Time to catch up with "The Walking Dead"

[Horst]

Only Aux=0? The AI will still buy its waggon forts if the number drops below whatever AI core slot setting. The AK addon made nicely use of a Core=1 (together with Aux=0) setting to prevent this behavior.
Anyway, your scripted reinforcements were always the best way to handle this, either for own or enemy's side.

[Wildthing]

Finished France with a MV, but in the end i only had 2 turns less for the ultimate goal. As i saw the final VH low defended, i know where to send the Paras. After all, i have to say that France is a challange, but its possible to get the DV. I will replay with a smart modified strategy next days and i am sure, i will manage it. I need to do, because i want to invade scotland, hahahaha.

Greets, Ramon

the ally wasted his money in narvik for a Matilda II ? LOL, i think an artillery would be a better idea. Now ists too late.

[nikivdd]

Bessarabia 13/33

[Wildthing]

Finished Lybia with a DV in the second try (in first one did not cleared the mines early enough to make an alley for the 8,8 or HW-Inf).
In the second try i drove with all units directly from west and north west to the objectives and made a massaker after the britsh tanks were destroyed. the southern british units faced my strong frontier with PIII and artillery and couldnt help while the Flaks destroyed one Supply Depot and truck after the other.
The Saharian is very usefull!
Nice map, nothing to change. The british airforce is easy to handle, if the player sticks his units togehter and let the flaks rock. A german fighter is essential for air-domination!

Next is Malta: AAAAAArgh!! I need to activate "reform units"
France-replay is under progress, the Paras on their way, time is running short....
Thank you, dear Nico!

[iceFlame]

Next is Malta: AAAAAArgh!! I need to activate "reform units"

Hmmm... Sounds like a tough nut to crack. But I'd be happy to give it a go!

[nikivdd]

Next is Malta: AAAAAArgh!! I need to activate "reform units"

Hmmm... Sounds like a tough nut to crack. But I'd be happy to give it a go!

The only scenario sofar that i lost two core units but on the other hand, to honor the original, it should not be a walkover.

[Wildthing]

After crushing France in time for the assault on Scotland, i will have a look on Malta.
A really chess game is important: if you have not enough fighters to protect your Levelbombers AND transports, try to offer some not so important units for an Allied attack: aux ships (+ core-Infantery and Tanks need experiences much more than artillery or flak in the second line). I will check, if its usefull to place some units in transports, after the air- and naval battle is won. And i will buy 2 extra Levelbombers, wich i will sell after i succeded.

[Cheat! hahahaha]

@Nico: Is there an airfiled missing on the very little island with the coastal battery? I dont know the original map, but your older versions.

Greets, Wild

P.S. France and Scotland are brilliant designed, nothing to change. The only thing i wonder, the swordfishs flew some rounds over the map without amo, until they finaly "found" one of their own airfileds

[Wildthing]

Malta: Stopped in round 12. The Paras were all doomed on the northern island. I made some mistakes and had bad luck in dropping them (2 of four landed on the hex under the Ju52 of the other--> additional round in the air). Unfortunaly the ally has the first turn and shot one of my rare transports down to 4 before i could move any unit. All masterly moving of units was useless, 2 core units never entered the beaches. The missing airfield really hurts (the battery was killed by a para -> the Para-unit is now like Robinson Crusoe: out of game. And the south-east battery on the northern island prohibits to send naval transports as fast as possible.

I have to reorganize my strategic ideas:

I will send an naval group north out of range of the coastal battery and land + the 2 Paras from Sicilly on the northern edge.
Other paras will be dropped on the main-Island to allure troops to leave the beaches.

I will try this on sunday....

[iceFlame]

I have to reorganize my strategic ideas:

I will send an naval group north out of range of the coastal battery and land + the 2 Paras from Sicilly on the northern edge.
Other paras will be dropped on the main-Island to allure troops to leave the beaches.

I will try this on sunday....

Good luck, and let us know how it goes.

[nikivdd]

Kiev 14/33

[Wildthing]

Yes! Malta is done. My strategy to send 4 transport to the northern shores of the norther island, party with the Para-reinforcements from Sicilly worked. All Paras of first wave dropped over the main island to fight the coastal defences and later the batteries and bunker. I only lost one tank (reform untis on!). I bought one additonal Levelbomber, knowing that it can be lost. The aux-Fw190 are very helpfull to fight down the bombers first (in first turns the Paras "escorted" the Fw´s!).

Beware of the british eastern naval battlegroup!
If interested, i uploaded the replay.

Greets,
Wildthing

-29.03.2014--Malta--Turn-17.rar