Uphill Battle

[Kerensky]

Don't play this difficult mode with arrogant. Blocked prediction numbers hiding inflated enemy stats = uber gg.

(1st Bf 109E) attacks (30th D.520)

Main Stage

Combat range: 0

Attacker's Initiative:
Base Initiative: 5
Friendly units with 'Leadership' trait nearby: +1
Attacker's Effective Initiative: 6

Defender's Initiative:
Base Initiative: 5
Mass Attack: -1
'Uphill Battle' challenge: +5
Defender's Effective Initiative: 9

Initiative Difference: 6 - 9 = -3
Defender shoots first. 60% of damage will be applied before attacker can shoot back.

(1st Bf 109E) strikes:

Base Number of Shots (unsuppressed strength): 6
Effective Number of Shots: 6

Base Accuracy: 50
Bonus from experience: +10
Penalty from enemy unit's experience: -4
Friendly units with 'Aiming Assistance' trait nearby: +10
Proximity to base bonus: +16
Effective Accuracy: 82%

Base Attack rating: 12
Effective Attack: 12

Base Defense rating: 6
'Uphill Battle' challenge: +5
Effective Defense: 11

Deflect/Suppress/Kill chances: 35% / 20% / 45%

Prediction: 2.214000 killed, 0.892644 suppressed

(30th D.520) strikes:

Base Number of Shots (unsuppressed strength): 11
Effective Number of Shots: 11

Base Accuracy: 50
Bonus from difficulty level: +20
Bonus from experience: +10
Penalty from enemy unit's experience: -4
Proximity to base bonus: +12
'Uphill Battle' challenge: +25
Effective Accuracy: 100%

Base Attack rating: 10
'Uphill Battle' challenge: +5
Effective Attack: 15

Base Defense rating: 6
Effective Defense: 6

Deflect/Suppress/Kill chances: 0% / 15% / 85%

Prediction: 9.350000 killed, 0.767835 suppressed

[SineMora]

FWIW I don't think Arrogant is the problem here, as when I tested Uphill Battle the prediction didn't take the increased stats into account -- they aren't even visible outside of the combat log in the first place, so you'll have to keep track of them yourself.

Looking at log it seems you were about 20 turns into a scenario, and those 20+ turn scenarios -- especially those with reinforcement scripts -- are the reason Uphill Battle is a pain

[Kerensky]

As always, there are lots of ways to make the game more challenging for those who seek the challenge. I'm super glad this certainly isn't a default difficulty level. lol

It is amusing to have to give up on bonus objectives even with my outrageous force, in the face of Generalissimus and Uphill Battle and not very many positive traits. In 1940 I only ran Trophies of War for 2 points... and no other positive or negative. Well arrogant in exchange for terrain expert I guess, just to try out one of the new ones.

But man, what a triumph of the system. Even in the face of outrageous difficulty, it's still possible to continue the campaign play experience. It's not what I could call pleasant, but it feels good knowing its up to me if I want to quit or start over, opposed to the game forcing a restart because of 'defeat' resulting in total ejection from the campaign outright.

I daresay that even if the CP system isn't incorporated into non-AO DLC campaigns... this particular system needs a permanent home. A little bit of degrees of victory lifeline, to compensate for hardcore players playing against outrageous difficulty, but also for more average level players, who shouldn't have to min/max on normal difficult just to be able to continue to play the game.

[Tassadar]

Is it even worth to deploy fighters in such conditions? AA guns with AA veteran seem way safer.

[Kerensky]

Well Uphill Battle ramps up. It doesn't start at these stat inflation extremes, and most scenarios you finish quickly you don't really feel it's effects too terribly.

It's these Ebro/Abbeville long battles with enemy reinforcement waves that really hurts, because they play well past turn 20.