Slitherine

"Thanks" to a corona I have found the time to start one small project (or an experiment). OOB has great community and moderators who organize tournaments and create all kind of custom stuff. However I found there is a lack of something, especially in AAR section. All AARs are from singleplayer battles and campaigns. You know probably where I am heading...

I was inspired by videos from the Combat Mission series. Lots of these videos are analysing MP battles and they are fun to watch for me always. So I am trying to bring something similar to the OOB community. Getlemen, let me introduce Wargaming Tactical Studies, the video serie which will focus primarly on multiplayer battles and MP AARs. The first MP battle is Erik´s scenario - Tobruk. The scenario has high replayability and I have seen players to struggle playing it.

I will start my AARs with analysis. Let´s make planing and desicion making more systematic. It is all about critical thinking. A reply of a battle will continue after an analysis.

I am aware of my limitations in video editing and in my english. I will try to improve in these fields. All comments are welcome and I hope the video will start a discussion about tactics and innovative ideas. The next parts will come soon.

Enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUAOsxXI3Yw

I really enjoyed that, Lynxcom!
Hope you find a few more coronas to move this along...
BTW, what is the reference for your principles of combat? (e.g., local superiority, tempo, etc)

conboy

conboy wrote: ↑Sun Nov 15, 2020 3:13 pm
BTW, what is the reference for your principles of combat? (e.g., local superiority, tempo, etc)

conboy

Hello conboy,

there are several references - for example "101 Tactics" serie in armchairgeneral.com - http://armchairgeneral.com/tactics-101- ... ffense.htm

or: I believe the basic combat principles are mentioned in all tactical/operational field manuals - for example FM Inf Battalion (pages 45-46): https://www.bits.de/NRANEU/others/amd-u ... 800%29.pdf

If you are interested in combat tactics I can recommend you this video serie: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... ICUzTrTKek

Thought OOB is focused more on operational level of warfare then tactical one, some principles can be applied in both levels of war.


In the next video I will make a short analysis of the terrain and potential courses of action + first turns will be played.

Part 2: https://youtu.be/yeRvFH5Q_PA

The analysis of the terrain, courses of action and the first turns.

Neat!

Part 3: https://youtu.be/gIhSJLqmrNU

Part 4 is ready: https://youtu.be/l7SHgqUsohU

Part 5: https://youtu.be/nDepARHB3gM

It's good to concentrate your forces to gain local superiority... But the point is: how will the Italians react?

I mean, once the "Italian" player has figured out what are your main attack directions, then it will be much easier for him to gather troops at tactical locations, and to plan some surprises or some "nasty" defenses. We'll see how things progress.

ColonelY wrote: ↑Tue Nov 24, 2020 11:43 am It's good to concentrate your forces to gain local superiority... But the point is: how will the Italians react?

I mean, once the "Italian" player has figured out what are your main attack directions, then it will be much easier for him to gather troops at tactical locations, and to plan some surprises or some "nasty" defenses. We'll see how things progress.

Good point, ColonelY. I agree the suprising counterattacks are very dangerous. I believe, an "Italian" player finds out where Allies attack and what are their main directions. It is just question of a time. However, if defender´s units are spread out all over the map, he will have hard time to stop concentrated forces.

If I may reveal the nearest course of the battle a little bit - this is the part when situation becomes "hot" - Part 6: https://youtu.be/698bNjem6fs

Yes, things begin to become already more serious in this desert, if I may say so!

LynxCom wrote: ↑Thu Nov 26, 2020 3:30 pm [...] if defender´s units are spread out all over the map, he will have hard time to stop concentrated forces.

Sure.

But then, is he trying to really stop them or just to simply delay them? So that, perhaps, the remaining Italian forces finish gathering somewhere further away from the actual frontline...

For this to be worth it, he shouldn't lose too many units in the process anyway... Will it be the case or not?

I see a possibility that may be of some use, on the Italian side of this battle, depending on how things go...

Well, we know that the light tankettes can move really fast. If the "Italian" player let your troops advance far away in an overall "column" formation, while keeping aside, out of sight but well-placed, these fast-moving units (able to capture some ground, flags and change hex ownership), then an operation to outsupply some important parts of your armies may be launched...

What about this?
For the "Italian" player, it could be worth a shot, couldn't it?


... but I see already some Italian tankettes engaged in "conventional" combat... losing too many of them will anyway make this option directly vanish...

ColonelY, I understand and agree with you.

Those counterattacks are real threats always. I recommend to check frontline every turn even in a "rear" and non-engagement places. It could help to prevent being caught by a surprise.

In theory if my opponent wants to attack my supply points and cut me off from supplies, I could send some infantry units with ATs "down" via the main road, back to the supplies. Thanks to a main road boost they could get there in time.

Part 7 is ready: https://youtu.be/G6vpGteHMZw

Fighting is intensifying...

A thought about the top northern part and the warships:
The "British" player has made a good move to send some unit there, as this flank move is supported by the warships. But precisely, don't you think that the "Italian" player is waisting some troops there now, sending them in perhaps too little groups (already outnumbered on land, from what we can see, AND under relatively heavy naval fire)?

Nice "Italian" move with the tanks towards the end of this video.

On overall, I have to say that I'm a little worried for the "Italian" side, as we see their infantry is pushing forward, making some progress, beating some of your Australian infantry units (mainly in the West and center, I mean)... BUT, doing so let them massively outnumbered for your next turn AND will prevent these Italian infantry units to regain their organization and to entrench themselves to gain some defensive bonus. If the Italians have reinforcements on their way, I think they should try to concentrate a little more their strenghts before striking (another reason not pushing too soon).

Some of these Italian arty units, being able to move AND shoot on the same turn may be very useful or very annoying (depending on which side we consider ( )).

ColonelY wrote: ↑Sun Nov 29, 2020 8:36 am Fighting is intensifying...

A thought about the top northern part and the warships:
The "British" player has made a good move to send some unit there, as this flank move is supported by the warships.

Yes, his maneuver seemed a little bit risky to me but my "british" ally played really good. It´s a pity I did not remember his nickname (It was our first game together).

ColonelY wrote: ↑Sun Nov 29, 2020 8:36 am But precisely, don't you think that the "Italian" player is waisting some troops there now, sending them in perhaps too little groups (already outnumbered on land, from what we can see, AND under relatively heavy naval fire)?

ColonelY wrote: ↑Sun Nov 29, 2020 8:49 am On overall, I have to say that I'm a little worried for the "Italian" side, as we see their infantry is pushing forward, making some progress, beating some of your Australian infantry units (mainly in the West and center, I mean)... BUT, doing so let them massively outnumbered for your next turn AND will prevent these Italian infantry units to regain their organization and to entrench themselves to gain some defensive bonus. If the Italians have reinforcements on their way, I think they should try to concentrate a little more their strenghts before striking (another reason not pushing too soon).

Exactly, I can´t agree more.

Part 8: https://youtu.be/1YT7xLv3yCY

Turns 18 - 20

Part 9: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XN7SiEc ... e=youtu.be

Hi LynxCom.
Thans for the posts/videos. I do no play MP and therefore it was an interesting watch, although I have to admit to skip many parts and turn the audio off. Sorry, but I just can't stand people talking in the background. Nothing personal.
Maybe it was dicussed in the video, but I couldn't find it in this thread; so my question is, what kind of scen is this? Two humans against AI or a third human? And who is playing the Italians?

ColonelY wrote: ↑Thu Nov 26, 2020 10:15 pm Well, we know that the light tankettes can move really fast. If the "Italian" player let your troops advance far away in an overall "column" formation, while keeping aside, out of sight but well-placed, these fast-moving units (able to capture some ground, flags and change hex ownership), then an operation to outsupply some important parts of your armies may be launched...

Hehe. And there I was thinking the same thing. Either the tankettes or some motorized infantry concealed in some forest hex. That would work with the AI, but humans are not so easily gullible, usually. They would notice the frontline changes and disband some units or whatnot to secure the supply.

GabeKnight wrote: ↑Fri Dec 04, 2020 12:57 pm Hi LynxCom.
Thans for the posts/videos. I do no play MP and therefore it was an interesting watch, although I have to admit to skip many parts and turn the audio off. Sorry, but I just can't stand people talking in the background. Nothing personal.
Maybe it was dicussed in the video, but I couldn't find it in this thread; so my question is, what kind of scen is this? Two humans against AI or a third human? And who is playing the Italians?

Hello Gabe,

no problem, thanks for your feedback. This one is a long battle. After this I am going to make after action reports from some East Front Tournament matches (15 turns). Plus one MP match (15 turns) that did not developed the way I desired... but it was didactic.

To answer your question - There´s no AI in Tobruk scenario. It is two human players vs one human player. Our opponent´s nickname is "Vonking". He is a cool guy and plays MP regularly.

Thanks for the answer. Well, I know OoB and its mechanics quite in-and-out, I guess, so for me it's more interesting to watch how others handle the game and to see differences between SP and MP matches.

The guy playing the Italians reminds me of my own playstyle a bit. I'm also really bad at defending and tend to attack too much and move my units too much. Similar to the AI with high aggression settings...

Same as you I don't like "clearing" mines with infantry and wait for the engineers, but sometimes it's wiser to sacrifice some repair-costs with infantry to open a corridor and go after "high value" targets. One of my top rules is to destroy or cripple enemy arty FIRST. Like first and only until they're gone...

And I did not catch the order of the players (factions) in the video, but it seemed to me that you should have left some openings for the British to attack and not always end your turn next to the enemy.

Looking forward to see how this plays out...

ColonelY wrote: ↑Sun Nov 29, 2020 8:49 am Some of these Italian arty units, being able to move AND shoot on the same turn may be very useful or very annoying (depending on which side we consider ( )).

Couldn't agree more. I've also changed some of the other's factions light arty types to move-and-shoot (in my mod) and they've become really useful with small, independent battle groups.