AO 1943 East
Zaporizhia
Events
As usual, first off we have the Special Heroes and Units granted to players that start from this Campaign: All the usual suspects return, and our final 2 single Trait Heroes Upgrade to 2 Traits.
Diederich Franzen is ready to break enemy defensive lines with a combo of Lightning Attack and Ignores Entrenchment.
Igvar Dugross adds Survivor to his old Double Move Trait. A somewhat odd choice since technically Survivor can be sort of farmed through Awards, but that is risky so having a way to give this Trait to more fragile units could be useful.
On the other hand, that reduction to 30% of our fighting strength they mention in the briefing took a actual in game toll it seems. Our only unique starting units this time are the ever-present Azul Infanterie and a aging Char B1 of all things. No more free Dicker Max or He 111Z it seems.
Fortunately, on turn 4 that changes as we receive a Panther (P) Gift Unit.
The Panther (P) is essentially a faster Tiger (P). Same armor, similar firepower, and an extra point of movement.
Objectives
Defeating the Soviet 1st Wave earns 3 Commendations.
Total: Earned 3/Spent 0
Backhand Blow
Objectives
Destroying the Soviet Armored Corps earns 2 Commendations each.
Total: Earned 7/Spent 0
Cache
13,1 contains 17 SU-57, 22 OT-34, and 29 PT-29
The OT-34 is a pretty much straight upgrade to your Flammpanzer IIs.
The PT-29 is an interesting addition to your forces. It's primary purpose is in it's unique minesweeper utility, something the Germans will never get in a native tank, but unlike the other utility tank you have access to (the SdKfz 251/7 Brucken) the PT-34 actually has some respectable firepower and armor to protect itself with. It's still lacking compared to you best tanks, and with a limitd supply best to keep it off the frontlines regardless.
The SU-57 is in many ways a budget StuG IIIG, with the same firepower but reduced stats pretty much everywhere else except movement, which gets a boost instead. It does only cost 3 Slots to the IIIGs 4 as well.
34,1 contains 21 Spitfire Mk.II, 19 P-40, and 26 P-38E.
The P-40 is very much obsolete at this point in the war.
And while it's range is an interesting perk, the P-38E is closer in strength to you oldest 109s than your G models and 219s. Shame, I always likes the look of the P-38.
Kummersdorf 1943
Events
As usual, Training Scenarios tend to throw a lot of Events at you. First off you can spend 2 Commendations for 18 Me 163Bs.
The Me 163B's is an excellent Fighter both in terms of offense and defense, however it's meager 9 Movement can likely be crippling on the wrong maps, and it's 6 Slot Cost doesn't help. Not to mention it might be competing against a potential other award from this Scenario, which, speaking of...
Next up, We finally get the payoff for that Aerodrome Raid during that ill-fated adventure in Britain. You can trade the Me 262 Token for an Me 262A Gift Unit. And as a bonus, it comes with a new Fighter Hero: Erich Hartmann, with Legendary, Lightning Attack, Reduced Slots, and Precision Weapon, and +4 Initiative. Ignores Fighter Support when attacking escorted bombers, increased Accuracy and Initiative for gaining the upper hand against any aircraft, and a pair of useful logistical skills in Legendary and Reduced Slots? Now that's a payoff!
Or, you know, you can refuse the offer and trash the token if you want to...
Me 262A is the first true jet fighter in the world, and what a beast it is. It outclasses everything else you have, including the new 163Bs (without the movement penalty to boot), with the only real downside being it's Slot Cost of 7, which fortunately is counteracted in part by Hartmann's Reduced Slots.
Next on the Agenda, a visitor from Japan! You can spend 2 Commendations for a Japanese Tank Hero: Rikugun Tai-i Akiyama. This foreign ally turns a Tank's usual weakness into a strength with City Fighter and Vigilant, and also comes with the logistical benefit of Reduced Slots.
Note: Based on the narrative of this event, there is a good chance in the future there will be an event like with Galland in Operation Mercury, where we send Akiyama back home for some unknown for now benefit. No guarantee, but just something I noticed.
Total: Earned 7/Spent 4
Yakovlevo
Objectives
Capturing the Hilltop earns 3 Commendations.
Total: Earned 10/Spent 4
Oboyan
Events
One final resupply of 36 Bf 109Zs for 3 Commendations.
Objectives
Capturing the Airfields earns 4 Commendations.
Total: Earned 14/Spent 7
Prokhorovka
Objectives Capturing all secondary Objectives doesn't give any Commendations, but does set up a flag for something later.
Operation Roland
Events
If you have saved the 6th Army in Stalingrad, they show up as Auxiliaries to assist you this Scenario.
Objectives Once again capturing all secondary Objectives doesn't give any Commendations and instead is set up for after this Scenario.
Cache
8,21 grants 19 KV-85 and 24 SU-152
The KV-85 offers a potential sidegrade at best to the Tiger I, wich as you arguably strongest tank is not a bad at all.
Su-152 is a nifty addition, at first glance a StuG IIIG with slightly less armor, the addition of an artillery mode gives this Tank Destroyer a bit of extra utility.
9,34 grants 34 Ilyushin Il-4 and Yermolayev Yer-2
The Yermolayev Yer-2, unlike so many other captured Soviet aircraft from 1942, is actually quite decent compared to your own Strategic Bombers available.
Total: Earned 14/Spent 7
Note: You know those flags I mentioned being triggered by the Bonus Objectives in Prokhorovka and Operation Roland? Those are what trigger the option to go down the alternate history route. To do so, you have to trigger 2 of 3 Flags, the ones in Prokhorovka and Operation Roland are 2, and the third is having the SMG Infantry token from the end of 1942. and 2 of these 3 objectives will unlock the ahistorical route, and as far as I know completeing all 3 doesn't do anything special.
Do to the nature of this route split, for once I will actually separate the Campaign paths into 2 sections.
Start of Historical Route
Orel
Events
3 Commendations for a new Infantry Hero: Josef Allerberger. Allerberger has Famous, Low Profile, Initiative +1, and Speed +2. Survivability and mobility are both useful for Infantry units.
Objectives
Eliminating the Partisans and Vanguards earns 2 Commendations each.
Total: Earned 18/Spent 10
Panther Line
Events
With the Italian surrender comes opportunity in the form of an offer to spend 6 Commendations for 51 L6/40Lf, 65 M15/42, 82 AB43, 45 Autocannone 90/53, and 37 20/70 Quadropolo.
The M15/42 is closest in comparison to the aging Panzer IIIJ/1s, although it's 3 Close Defense can give it some niche application when compared to other 4 Slot tanks.
While the AB43 is weaker than your 233 and 234/1 8Rads, it does only cost 2 Slots which can be useful.
Autocannone 90/53 is the most interesting of the new additions, being in many ways a budget Nashorn/Elefant like how the SU-57 was with the StuG IIIG.
Total: Earned 18/Spent 16
Taman Peninsula
Objectives
Escorting the Romanians out earns 4 Commendations.
Total: Earned 22/Spent 16
Kremenchug
Events
By completing the Bonus Objective and having 5 Commendations to spend, you can spend those 5 Commendations for 21 Jagdpanther Prototypes.
The Jagdpanther trades a small amount of armor for 2 points of movement compared to the Elefant, an easy trade in my opinion.
Objectives
Controlling the Bridgeheads earns 1 Commendation and enables this Scenarios Commendation Event.
Total: Earned 23/ Spent 21
Start of Alt-History Route
Stalino
Events
As with the historical path, you can spend 3 Commendations for Josef Allerburger.
Objectives
Destroying the Command Tanks earns 4 Commendations.
Total: Earned 18/Spent 10
Rostov 1943
Events
As with Allerburger, another similar Event occurs regarding the Italians, although the numbers are a bit different: 6 Commendations for 41 L6/40Lf, 35 M15/42, 29 P26/40, 52 AB43, 35 Autocannone 90/53, and 27 20/70 Quadropolo.
The P26/40 trades lower firepower for higher defense compared to the Panzer IVG, which can be a decent teadeoff if you didn't have IVHs available.
Cache
23,21 contains 19 KV-85 and 27 IS-1.
The IS-1 has the highest Defense of any tank you have available normally and if it wasn't for the reduced Movement I'd almost consider it superior to the Tiger.
Total: Earned 18/Spent 16
Elista
Objectives
Capturing all secondary objective earns 4 Commendations.
Cache
47,3 contains a cache of 32 B-25B Mitchell and 27 B-17F.
The B-25B Mitchell is generally outclassed by the Me 410A.
The B-17F trades damage for range and defense compared to your own strategic bombers.
Total: Earned 22/Spent 16
Astrakhan
Events
Another familiar event, unlocked by completing the Bonus Objective and having 5 Commendations to spend, you can spend those 5 Commendations for 29 Jagdpanther Prototypes.
Objectives
Controlling the Volga earns 1 Commendation and enables this Scenarios Commendation Event.
Total: Earned 23/ Spent 21
