Frontlines - Westwall: No Shooting Back

[Tassadar]

Time for the most amiable army imaginable. With Slow Reaction, the American force will be politely waiting for their turn and letting the Germans attack as they please. After all, might as well give the enemy a fighting chance if he is loosing anyway? I never got to try out this negative trait yet, so it is time to test it out.

Difficulty - Generalissimus

Traits - Liberator, Old Guard, Terrain Expert, Slow Reaction

Ideally, Slow Reaction would be slightly addressed by an abundance of good defensive heroes. Not having them reliably since I am staring a new campaign, I would need to rely on other means. Grand encirclements would be effective, but ultimately not that fun, as they would reduce the difficulty a bit too much. Massive overstrength and just overrunning things with best units possible would similarly lessen the challenges. Terrain Expert seems the most fair solution, reducing the damage taken by just a little bit, especially on Generalissimus. I also take Old Guard in case the negative trait makes me loose a unit by accident and Liberator to slightly improve my prestige situation, as I expect increased losses compared to more standard runs.

Frontlines: Westfall - To the Wall

Starting Prestige: 1541

Starting Army Composition:

Infantry

1st Infantry Battalion - Rangers - *
2nd Infantry Battalion - US HW Inf 43 (M3 Halftrack) - *
1st Engineer Combat Battalion - US Engineers 43 (M3 Halftrack) - *

Tank

1st Tank Battalion - M5A1 - * - Cheap Replacements, Leadership, Sixth Sense

Recon

1st Reconnaissance Battalion - M8 Greyhound - OS11 - * - Field Repairs, Low Profile, Tank Killer

Anti-Tank

1st Tank Destroyer Battalion - M10 Wolverine - *

Artillery

1st Field Artillery Battalion - 75 mm HMC M8 - OS11 - *

Highlights


I cannot deploy any new units, but with Custom Army I can at least reinforce existing ones on turns 0.


One way to make sure Slow Reaction does not cause issues on the enemy turn is to destroy the enemy on your own. Things will not always go so easily, but I take what I can get.


Free target practice I guess? Probably won't have the time for this.


Yes, so far things are going well with minimal damage taken and not much in terms of organized German defense.


Reinforcements? How nice, I'll take free units as they are much better then the ones I started with.


Slow Reaction is a flaw that really emphasizes moving in support fire formations. While not always possible, it should be a priority when I can afford it, as taking free hits is a sure way to loose a unit.


Roth seems too well defended for me to attempt an attack, especially due to not having enough artillery. I just make some relatively safe shots for the experience.


Similarly in the south I do not dare to approach Pruem. The hex there is not worth enough prestige to justify it. Even if I managed to take it, it would cost me more than I'd earn.

Summary

Final Prestige: 3183 (up 1642)

Overall

I am taking things slow for now, learning how to play with Slow Reaction. It is a good thing this mission was not too difficult, as it allowed me to try a few ideas out and see which pay off, and which don't work too well. The two last bonus hexes are in theory possible to get if focusing all the attention on them, but it would probably require a really powerful combination of heroes from Killer Team and traits, or at the very least, prior map knowledge. That's fine, since it was meant to be a reconnaissance scenario, so it is actually good there's an objective that's not easily achievable.

[Tassadar]

Frontlines: Westfall - Bitburg

Hero:


Adding this hero to 2nd Infantry Battalion. He is not going to be as good as he normally would given that the trait will not work on defense, but still should reduce damage taken when attacking.

Starting Prestige: 2005

New Units Commissioned:

3rd Infantry Battalion - US Infantry 43 (Dodge WC63)
2nd Engineer Combat Battalion - US Bridge Eng (Studebaker Truck)
2nd Tank Battalion - M4A1 (field mod)
3rd Tank Battalion - M4 Crocodile
4th Tank Battalion - M4A3E2
2nd Tank Destroyer Battalion - M18 Hellcat
2nd Field Artillery Battalion - M7
3rd Field Artillery Battalion - M12 GMC - OS11
1st AAA Auto-Weapons Battalion - OS11 - M15 MGMC

Time to go on a massive shopping spree! I could use extra infantry, especially bridge engineers specifically for this mission. Additional tanks will also be useful including a flamethrower for clearing fortifications and a Sherman Jumbo that can take some hits. Another self propelled AT piece is a must, as well as some extra artillery and AA cover. Two of these units carry over from earlier in the previous mission, which saves me some prestige. I continue to follow the trend of a more collector-focused approach, as it is more fun given the wide roster of American equipment available. Of course given the traits I do not entirely rule out duplicates, but I'll try to avoid them if possible.

Starting Army Composition:

Infantry

1st Infantry Battalion - Rangers - **
2nd Infantry Battalion - US HW Inf 43 (M3 Halftrack) - * - Fist Strike
3rd Infantry Battalion - US Infantry 43 (Dodge WC63)
1st Engineer Combat Battalion - US Engineers 43 (M3 Halftrack) - *
2nd Engineer Combat Battalion - US Bridge Eng (Studebaker Truck)

Tank

1st Tank Battalion - M5A1 - * - Cheap Replacements, Leadership, Sixth Sense
2nd Tank Battalion - M4A1 (field mod) - * - Field Repairs, Low Profile, Tank Killer
3rd Tank Battalion - M4 Crocodile
4th Tank Battalion - M4A3E2

Recon

1st Reconnaissance Battalion - OS11 - OS11 - M8 Greyhound - **

Anti-Tank

1st Tank Destroyer Battalion - M10 Wolverine - *
2nd Tank Destroyer Battalion - M18 Hellcat

Artillery

1st Field Artillery Battalion - OS11 -75 mm HMC M8 - *
2nd Field Artillery Battalion - M7 - *
3rd Field Artillery Battalion - OS11 - M12 GMC

Anti-Aircraft

1st AAA Auto-Weapons Battalion - QS11 - M15 MGMC

Highlights


Ready to advance! Also, trying out some new camo and insignia on the units with special heroes.


Good I brought my engineers! Getting rid of these mines would be a massive pain otherwise.


Moving a small force down south to scout for potential points of interests and to warn against any counterattacks.


Bridge engineers made my life easier and allowed to bypass the tougher German defenses. The map is designed in a way that's just begging for this approach and I have a strong feeling this was intentional.


I need to remember my fighter planes do not shoot back on their own and be cautious when using them. This time they got attacked by a relatively weak enemy, but jet fighters will not be so forgiving.


Two out of three objectives captured. I move slowly and in formation to avoid too many losses.


I also try to encircle the Germans when possible to gain some prestige by capturing. With all the free attacks the enemy is able to do, keeping my prestige situation good is a top priority.


Quite a nasty counterattack from the south! Panthers are really dangerous, as they make short work of my defenseless units. Time to end this mission by capturing the last victory hex and not extending the scenario. Normally I'd take my time to convert prestige into experience, but with Slow Reaction, I much rather preserve my assets, as the ratio of such a trade would not be favorable.

Summary

Final Prestige: 5341 (up 3336)

Overall

Good results overall, but almost every unit in my core took at least some damage. Nobody is safe and the AI will go out its way to aggressively push forward. I guess I need to learn how to abuse this behavior if possible. So far, I learned a few important lessons. Aside form having to be careful about the use of aircraft, it also became quickly obvious that keeping infantry in close terrain is not beneficial aside from a few niche cases. Even tanks can freely attack it, so open terrain where I can use my ground defense instead of close defense is almost always the better choice.

Regarding the mission itself, this was a solid difficulty spike compared to the first scenario, but within reasonable levels. Once again the map is designed in a way that any attempt to capture more ground is strongly discouraged and offers nothing of real value, but still can be attempted by a strong force just for the sake of clearing a self-set goal (especially since while some approaches are clearly encouraged by the designer, the map is large and offers a lot of freedom in decision making). Special heroes given to the player are also powerful, but not game-breaking, at least so far.

[Tassadar]

Frontlines: Westfall - Stolberg Corridor

Hero:


Hero assigned to 3rd Infantry Battalion. River Assault in some rare cases can be useful, but this only applies to very limited circumstances and is map defendant, so we will see how often it will benefit me.

Starting Prestige: 5330

New Units Commissioned:

4th Field Artillery Battalion - 8 Inch M1 (Studebaker Truck)
1st Fighter Squadron - P-47C
1st Reconnaissance Squadron - OS12 - F4
1st Bombardment Squadron - OS11 - A-20G Havoc

Last mission clearly showed the need for more artillery to suppress some of the more dangerous guns and to have some counter battery capabilities. The two fighter units inherited from the previous scenario will surely be worth using as well. I get a recon plane to supplement my air force, as it's a cheap way to get map knowledge.

New Equipment Provided:

1st Fighter Squadron - P-47D25

If my fighters are expected to perform decently, I need to upgrade them to some better variants.

Starting Army Composition:

Infantry

1st Infantry Battalion - Rangers - **
2nd Infantry Battalion - US HW Inf 43 (M3 Halftrack) - ** - Fist Strike
3rd Infantry Battalion - US Infantry 43 (Dodge WC63) - River Assault
1st Engineer Combat Battalion - US Engineers 43 (M3 Halftrack) - **

Tank

1st Tank Battalion - M5A1 - ** - Cheap Replacements, Leadership, Sixth Sense
2nd Tank Battalion - M4A1 (field mod) - ** - Field Repairs, Low Profile, Tank Killer
3rd Tank Battalion - M4 Crocodile - *
4th Tank Battalion - M4A3E2 - *

Recon

1st Reconnaissance Battalion - OS11 - M8 Greyhound - ***

Anti-Tank

1st Tank Destroyer Battalion - M10 Wolverine - *
2nd Tank Destroyer Battalion - M18 Hellcat - *

Artillery

1st Field Artillery Battalion - OS11 - 75 mm HMC M8 - **
2nd Field Artillery Battalion - M7 - *
3rd Field Artillery Battalion - M12 GMC - *
4th Field Artillery Battalion - 8 Inch M1 (Studebaker Truck)

Anti-Aircraft

1st AAA Auto-Weapons Battalion - QS11 - M15 MGMC - *

Tactical Bomber

1st Reconnaissance Squadron - OS12 - F4

Reserve

2nd Engineer Combat Battalion - US Bridge Eng (Studebaker Truck)
1st Fighter Squadron - P-47D25 - * - Fast Rebase, Learns from Mistakes, Lightning Attack
1st Bombardment Squadron - OS11 - A-20G Havoc - *

I put most of my planes in reserve, as the placement of airfields does not seem to be ideal. Bombers and fighters would mostly operate around the edge of their range, which would limit their impact. I'd rather just have more ground troops this time.

Highlights


Can't say no to free units. It's just infantry, which will result in some duplicates in my core force, but also gives me some flexibility regarding army composition depending on requirements. Plus two such units with transports would be worth more than 500 prestige anyway, not even counting the experience they have.


Sherman Jumbo battalion helps defend Roetgen. For now only some infantry tires to sneak up on me, but who knows, more dangerous enemies might appear, so I selected my toughest tank for defense.


Kelmis falls without much effort, opening up the road north and northeast.


North of Raeren some Germans try to make a stand, but are quickly encircled, which helps my prestige situation.


I had a hunch those Sherman Jumbo tanks might be useful! Some light armored vehicles and more infantry try to make their way to Roetgen, but are no match for my tanks.


Area west of Aachen secure. As per orders, I do not approach the city itself, but focus on the secondary objective of clearing the hills south of it.


As the bulk of my army moves east, German resistance become much tougher and losses start to pile up.


Great award for the optional objective. Fast Deployment is great already, but the true treasure for this run is First Aid, as it will greatly help me offset the damage taken due to Slow Reaction trait. I will assign this hero to 1st Engineer Combat Battalion as soon as possible.


Panther tanks go for a free hit on my infantry, but recklessly position themselves in a close combat hex.


Just two more main targets to go, and the German defense is slowly crumbling.


Brand captured, but that heavy gun on the hills further north is a real nuisance!


Walheim falls last, and much easier than other targets, as there are no more enemy reinforcements harassing my army, not counting a few planes buzzing above.

Summary

Final Prestige: 7237 (up 1907)

Overall

Very interesting mission, as the map is large and objectives spread out, requiring some thought as to how to split the forces sent each direction. Even more interestingly, with my trait set I needed to make sure to have AT support in close terrain around the hills as well, where in usual runs most players should be fine with just artillery. The targets can be approached form a few different angles and the other goal of not ever loosing control of two towns further makes things spicy, as some defenses need to be kept there at all times. As with many missions, there is a critical point after which the enemy resistance breaks and things become much easier afterwards, but until that moment the AI puts up a decent fight. One thing to also note is what I mentioned earlier about airfield placement. This, coupled with German fighter cover and multiple AA units, limits the usefulness of planes in breaking resistance. While both in Bulge and Westwall I appreciate the attempt to make things much more focused on ground combat, I hope that one of the future DLC for the allied side will finally allow to unleash a massive air force.

[armedevil]

Always nice to read the AARs of missions you played yourself earlier (otherwise: beware of spoilers...).

Slow Reaction is one of the traits I would never consider, because a good commander would try to plan for all contingencies rather than accept slow response (and corresponding unnecessary casualties) from their troops. But respect for the challenge to make the game harder on Generalissimus. Maybe 10% less core slots would be more pure as a handicap.

[Tassadar]

Frontlines: Westfall - Sittard

Hero:


Finally a good hero that goes well with the run. Field Repairs is always welcome for dealing with chip damage, more so in this situation. Adding the hero to 4th Tank Battalion combined with sturdiness of Sherman Jumbo tanks means that I should hopefully not worry about replacements on that unit.

Starting Prestige: 8475

New Equipment Provided:

1st Bombardment Squadron - B-25H Mitchell

I need slightly better bombers, as the Havoc has poor stats and barley does meaningful damage for this stage of the war. Previous missions convinced me that a good plane to damage tanks and other heavy vehicles could be a good addition to the force.

Starting Army Composition:

Infantry

2nd Infantry Battalion - US HW Inf 43 (M3 Halftrack) - ** - Fist Strike
3rd Infantry Battalion - US Infantry 43 (Dodge WC63) - River Assault
1st Engineer Combat Battalion - US Engineers 43 (M3 Halftrack) - ** - Fast Deployment, Fast Entrenchment, First Aid

Tank

1st Tank Battalion - M5A1 - ** - Cheap Replacements, Leadership, Sixth Sense, Steamroller
2nd Tank Battalion - M4A1 (field mod) - *** - Field Repairs, Low Profile, Steamroller, Tank Killer
3rd Tank Battalion - M4 Crocodile - *
4th Tank Battalion - M4A3E2 - * - Filed Repairs

Recon

1st Reconnaissance Battalion - OS11 - M8 Greyhound - ***

Anti-Tank

1st Tank Destroyer Battalion - M10 Wolverine - *
2nd Tank Destroyer Battalion - M18 Hellcat - *

Artillery

1st Field Artillery Battalion - OS11 - 75 mm HMC M8 - **
2nd Field Artillery Battalion - M7 - **
3rd Field Artillery Battalion - M12 GMC - **
4th Field Artillery Battalion - 8 Inch M1 (Studebaker Truck) - *

Anti-Aircraft

1st AAA Auto-Weapons Battalion - QS11 - M15 MGMC - *

Fighter

1st Fighter Squadron - P-47D25 - * - Fast Rebase, Learns from Mistakes, Lightning Attack

Tactical Bomber

1st Bombardment Squadron - B-25H Mitchell - *
1st Reconnaissance Squadron - OS12 - F4 - **

Reserve

1st Infantry Battalion - Rangers - **
4th Infantry Battalion - US HW Inf 43 (M3 Halftrack) - **
5th Infantry Battalion - US Infantry 43 (Dodge WC63) - **
2nd Engineer Combat Battalion - US Bridge Eng (Studebaker Truck)

Highlights


One group moves east, so far encountering only minimal resistance.


German airfield in sight, capturing it in 5 turns is no real challenge. I have lots of time to spare.


That Panther could have been very dangerous, but fortunately it stumbled into an ambush and was wiped out immediately. Interesting thing by the way that is useful to know - even with Slow Reaction, ambushes still trigger!


Some tough German forces counterattack east of Margraten, but they all fall to the power of good old encirclement tactics. Despite dealing a lot of damage in the process, they ultimately do not have a chance.


While this DLC does not have an overabundance of Vigilant tanks (in fact I don't think I've seen one yet), this is the second Last Stand hero I see. Not nearly as game-changing, but still requires to adapt accordingly, as just surrounding it simply won't work. Lowe Profile and Butcher also seem to be common enemy hero choices in Westwall so far.


With Margraten secured, I now focus on the optional objective and move all my forces north.


Slowly, but surely, my armies meet up just south of Sittard and prepare to besiege the city.


Optional objective secured for a really worthwhile award. A perfect hero choice for 1st Bombardment Squadron, should make my aircraft deal a lot more damage against priority targets while also being a bit safer without escorts.

Summary

Final Prestige: 10505 (up 2030)

Overall

Slightly easier mission that the few recent ones. This is because the map incentivizes to not split forces into more than two groups, which in turn makes them all much more resilient against German counterattacks. The timer is generous, so there's no need to rush after capturing the airfield and that little bit of experience gained so far helps put op a better fight as well. I also got somewhat luckily with a few poor choices the AI made, not of its own fault really, just pure chance, which saved me from some more difficult encounters. Still, I cannot drop my guard at any time given how easy it is to get attacked in positions that on a normal run I'd consider well defended. Recon is also important, allowing me to choose my fights and not stumble into overwhelming forces by accident. Lastly, if things go not as planned, there are always some auxiliary units that can sacrifice themselves for the greater good.

Always nice to read the AARs of missions you played yourself earlier (otherwise: beware of spoilers...).

Slow Reaction is one of the traits I would never consider, because a good commander would try to plan for all contingencies rather than accept slow response (and corresponding unnecessary casualties) from their troops. But respect for the challenge to make the game harder on Generalissimus. Maybe 10% less core slots would be more pure as a handicap.

AARs are always something I'd consider reading only after playing the campaign myself, but I guess most of the forum users happen to finish these campaigns, or at least some scenarios, so it is not as risky (I also try to be clear in the titles which campaign I'm running to avoid surprises). At this point I so got used to adding them here that it would feel very strange to play this game without a report.

Regarding Slow Reaction, I always try to make my campaigns somewhat unique, be it due to traits, or some self-imposed challenges. Mostly I'd consider longer, linked campaigns more interesting for the latter, since following some restrictive rules beyond what the game has pre-set can be tons of fun. The shorter, unlinked campaigns like this one I mostly treat as testbed for trying out general traits and other features. Slow Reaction so far has been an interesting one, since it completely changes how units need to be used and how the game needs to be played. Standard tactics will simply not work. I'm not yet completely sure about judging the fun factor it brings, but it is certainly challenging and keeps me focused. Certainly it is better than Inept Logistics (the -10% core slots trait), as that one is rather boring in what it does. Fewer core slots certainly have an impact on difficulty, but were not too thought provoking when I tried that out. They just mean fewer units and can be easily compensated by a lucky hero pull. On the other hand, things like Poor Ground Control, Green Army, Inefficient Supply or Slow Reaction require re-learning the game, which is refreshing once in a while (but certainly not something that I'd consider a standard).

[armedevil]

Yes, Slow Reaction requires damage control, Terrain Expert, Artillery/AT support, units with solid defensive values, and lots of repairs. Maybe meticulous planning would have been a good trait here (in fact it is always a good trait to have...). Combine both 1) prompt surrounding/neutralizing/capturing of attacking enemy units and 2) necessary repairs. Liberator and Old Guard seem much less useful.

A bit surprising that ambush still works, a camouflage hero would be useful then.

[Tassadar]

Frontlines: Westfall - Teveren

Hero:


Perfect for the M10 Wolverine unit to guard my forces against increasingly dangerous German tanks. In normal circumstances not that fascinating of a hero, but in this run he's a lot more useful.

Starting Prestige: 11124

New Equipment Provided:

1st Infantry Battalion - Rangers (Dodge WC63) - transport added

Just adding a transport to the rangers, as maps are simply too large to reliably use infantry without trucks.

Starting Army Composition:

Infantry

1st Infantry Battalion - Rangers (Dodge WC63) - **
2nd Infantry Battalion - US HW Inf 43 (M3 Halftrack) - ** - Fist Strike
3rd Infantry Battalion - US Infantry 43 (Dodge WC63) - * - River Assault
1st Engineer Combat Battalion - US Engineers 43 (M3 Halftrack) - ** - Fast Deployment, Fast Entrenchment, First Aid

Tank

1st Tank Battalion - M5A1 - ** - Cheap Replacements, Leadership, Sixth Sense, Steamroller
2nd Tank Battalion - M4A1 (field mod) - *** - Field Repairs, Low Profile, Steamroller, Tank Killer
3rd Tank Battalion - M4 Crocodile - ** - Steamroller
4th Tank Battalion - M4A3E2 - * - Filed Repairs, Steamroller

Recon

1st Reconnaissance Battalion - OS11 - M8 Greyhound - ****

Anti-Tank

1st Tank Destroyer Battalion - M10 Wolverine - ** - Double Support
2nd Tank Destroyer Battalion - M18 Hellcat - *

Artillery

1st Field Artillery Battalion - OS11 - 75 mm HMC M8 - **
2nd Field Artillery Battalion - M7 - **
3rd Field Artillery Battalion - M12 GMC - **
4th Field Artillery Battalion - 8 Inch M1 (Studebaker Truck) - *

Anti-Aircraft

1st AAA Auto-Weapons Battalion - QS11 - M15 MGMC - *

Fighter

1st Fighter Squadron - P-47D25 - ** - Fast Rebase, Learns from Mistakes, Lightning Attack

Tactical Bomber

1st Bombardment Squadron - B-25H Mitchell - * - Evasive, FastLearner, Precision Weapon
1st Reconnaissance Squadron - OS12 - F4 - ***

Reserve

4th Infantry Battalion - US HW Inf 43 (M3 Halftrack) - **
5th Infantry Battalion - US Infantry 43 (Dodge WC63) - **
2nd Engineer Combat Battalion - US Bridge Eng (Studebaker Truck)

Highlights


The recently discovered fact that ambushes still function is something that works in my favor. I do not have means to abuse this, but sometimes I might be able to set up traps for unwary enemy units.


First hidden supply depot found. I do not plan to use equipment stored in these caches, at least not in this run, but I would still like to complete all optional objectives.


Second depot found and it is defended by a surprisingly unexpected enemy. It is a fresh idea to use Goliaths for the AI side. I don't think this was ever attempted before, unless my memory of Allied Corps is fuzzy at this point.


German panzer counterattack in the north...


...and in the south. Luckily both waves are not strong enough to do anything more than stall my advance.


Sometimes I am granted a real freebie. The AI was so desperate to retake this little village that it placed its precious Panther tank in a horrible spot.


Landgraf surrounded and slowly falling, two more main targets left.


Finally, I found the third supply depot! I was quite a bit off the beaten path, but luckily I had my forces moving in that direction anyway.


Kerkrade secure. It was poorly defended and thus all it took to capture it was some artillery and infantry. Armored vehicles did not see much action in the area.


Teveren also captured, but I decide not to advance towards Geilenkirchen. I could probably secure it just fine, but I don't think there would be any award other than prestige. I would likely loose more than I'd gain while attacking this location.

Summary

Final Prestige: 12368 (up 1244)

Overall

First of all, a small note. It has been a week since I reported on the previous mission, Sittard. I expect that updates to this AAR will unfortunately continue to appear at a much slower pace than my previous ones and might even extend into October. It's not the fault of the game itself, there are simply a few things that keep me occupied right now and affect my free time greatly. There might even be a small hiatus sometime in September. Luckily, I don't expect this to me anything more than a temporary inconvenience, but it does feel strange to add posts at this greatly reduced pace.

Back on topic, the scenario was a nice one that continues all the design trends of Westwall so far, which is limited usefulness of aircraft due to their range, enemy forces counterattacking in various areas, and large maps that offer a lot of freedom in decision making. Goliaths appearing were a really unexpected and cool addition. Finally, I am a big fan of the dragon teeth obstacles, as they serve a valuable role in curating the map layout and making the terrain really feel like full off fortified structures. I almost wish this new element could be retroactively incorporated into past scenarios, be it in the core campaign or even Axis Operations, as it can elegantly solve some of the concerns that mines and even 99 strength bunkers couldn't.

I am also getting more and more used to my set o general traits in may ways. Not only do I start to feel naturally what each formation needs to be able to operate independently and safely, but I am also less concerned with incremental losses during the mission. Even taking some heavier damage here and there does not change my net positive prestige situation, so I can afford to take some risks and play more aggressively than I initially thought I'll be allowed to.

Maybe meticulous planning would have been a good trait here (in fact it is always a good trait to have...). Combine both 1) prompt surrounding/neutralizing/capturing of attacking enemy units and 2) necessary repairs. Liberator and Old Guard seem much less useful.

I didn't want to take anything that would make encirclement even better than it already is for me, as I feared it would trivialize the drawback of Slow Reaction. I went for Old Guard just as a precaution (I find it a good placebo for runs where I'm not sure how devastating the results can be for me, even if I ultimately never use the ability), while Liberator just to help in case I struggle for prestige overall. As it turns out so far, both are not really needed and if I were to choose, I'd probably swap them out for AA Veteran or something along these lines, as aircraft seem to have limited use so far.

[Tassadar]

Frontlines: Westfall - Arracourt

Hero:


High roll in the hero lottery. Perfect option for almost any unit, but I decide to strengthen by tactical bombers.

Starting Prestige: 13656

Starting Army Composition:

Infantry

2nd Infantry Battalion - US HW Inf 43 (M3 Halftrack) - *** - Fist Strike
1st Engineer Combat Battalion - US Engineers 43 (M3 Halftrack) - *** - Fast Deployment, Fast Entrenchment, First Aid

Tank

1st Tank Battalion - M5A1 - ** - Cheap Replacements, Leadership, Sixth Sense, Steamroller
2nd Tank Battalion - M4A1 (field mod) - *** - Field Repairs, Low Profile, Steamroller, Tank Killer
4th Tank Battalion - M4A3E2 - * - Filed Repairs, Steamroller

Recon

1st Reconnaissance Battalion - OS11 - M8 Greyhound - ****

Anti-Tank

1st Tank Destroyer Battalion - M10 Wolverine - ** - Double Support
2nd Tank Destroyer Battalion - M18 Hellcat - **

Artillery

2nd Field Artillery Battalion - M7 - ***
3rd Field Artillery Battalion - M12 GMC - *** - Skilled Support
4th Field Artillery Battalion - 8 Inch M1 (Studebaker Truck) - **

Anti-Aircraft

1st AAA Auto-Weapons Battalion - QS11 - M15 MGMC - **

Fighter

1st Fighter Squadron - P-47D25 - ** - Fast Rebase, Learns from Mistakes, Lightning Attack

Tactical Bomber

1st Bombardment Squadron - B-25H Mitchell - ** - Evasive, Fast Learner, Precision Weapon, Rapid Fire 1.5x
1st Reconnaissance Squadron - OS12 - F4 - ***

Reserve

1st Infantry Battalion - Rangers (Dodge WC63) - **
3rd Infantry Battalion - US Infantry 43 (Dodge WC63) - ** - River Assault
4th Infantry Battalion - US HW Inf 43 (M3 Halftrack) - **
5th Infantry Battalion - US Infantry 43 (Dodge WC63) - **
2nd Engineer Combat Battalion - US Bridge Eng (Studebaker Truck)
3rd Tank Battalion - M4 Crocodile - ** - Steamroller
1st Field Artillery Battalion - OS11 - 75 mm HMC M8 - ***

Highlights


1st Bombardment Squadron already makes a major difference thanks to the new hero. Rapid Fire 1.5x should allow me to significantly weaken most dangerous German units before they can do a lot of damage.


Enemy AT vehicles take a free shot at my infantry, but position themselves in a horrible situation by standing in the swamp.


After a German counterattack, I even intentionally pull back a little, trying to exploit the AI's tendency to leave its vehicles in vulnerable positions.


Mouacourt had almost no defenders. I am not going to complain, every small victory like that is valuable.


Moving further east and so far so good. I try to continue taking advantage of terrain features and keep my forces close to minimize the risk of unexpected encounters.


Very solid hero award but given the nuances of this run First Strike is less powerful than usual. I think a self propelled AT vehicle would still benefit a lot from these traits regardless of some limitations.


Auxillary units take a beating in the northwestern part of the map, but truth be told, that is their role. I am relying on them to encourage the enemy to go out of position and be destroyed by my more experienced forces.


Dangerous situation around Marsal, but as long as I keep my anti-tank support in place, I should be able to repel the advance.


With the help of aircraft, German attack quickly falls apart, as the enemy units split into smaller groups, that I can focus down easier and eliminate one by one.

Summary

Final Prestige: 15565 (up 1909)

Overall

Finally back to the game after a long hiatus and I hope things will remain like this with no further interruptions to the run from unforeseen circumstances. It was good to return to the campaign and to a rather dynamic, unpredictable mission as well. The fact that Germans advance form a few directions at the same time and without prior map knowledge it is not entirely clear where the threat might be biggest, made the first few turns really interesting. I had to make decisions about splitting my forces, moving them to the right locations and scouting ahead to not get tricked as I advance. This made me think I could use a few more recon vehicles, but my core slot situation is still not good enough to warrant weaker support units in favor of more heavy-hitting ones. I just utilize auxiliary forces in the meantime where possible, not worrying about elite replacements for them.

[Tassadar]

Frontlines: Westfall - Aachen

Hero:


Plan is to add this hero to 3rd Tank Battalion, increase strength to 20 and overrun any infantry encountered. Of course, this requires additional core slots as my current needs involve a few other unit types first.

Starting Prestige: 15013

New Units Commissioned:

3rd Tank Destroyer Battalion - M36 Jackson

Because of Slow Reaction I really need those good AT guns, so one more self-propelled vehicle should work wonders.

New Equipment Provided:

1st Field Artillery Battalion - M4A3(105) (field mod)

I also upgrade my artillery for a bit of additional range. 75 mm HMC M8 was nice and cheap, but could not support attacks efferently. The fact this also has a secondary tank mode could come in handy.

Starting Army Composition:

Infantry

1st Infantry Battalion - Rangers (Dodge WC63) - **
2nd Infantry Battalion - US HW Inf 43 (M3 Halftrack) - *** - Fist Strike
3rd Infantry Battalion - US Infantry 43 (Dodge WC63) - ** - River Assault
4th Infantry Battalion - US HW Inf 43 (M3 Halftrack) - **
5th Infantry Battalion - US Infantry 43 (Dodge WC63) - **
1st Engineer Combat Battalion - US Engineers 43 (M3 Halftrack) - *** - Fast Deployment, Fast Entrenchment, First Aid

Tank

1st Tank Battalion - M5A1 - *** - Cheap Replacements, Leadership, Sixth Sense, Steamroller
2nd Tank Battalion - M4A1 (field mod) - **** - Field Repairs, Low Profile, Steamroller, Tank Killer
3rd Tank Battalion - M4 Crocodile - ** - Consolidator, Steamroller
4th Tank Battalion - M4A3E2 - * - Filed Repairs, Steamroller

Recon

1st Reconnaissance Battalion - OS11 - M8 Greyhound - *****

Anti-Tank

1st Tank Destroyer Battalion - M10 Wolverine - ** - Double Support
2nd Tank Destroyer Battalion - M18 Hellcat - **
3rd Tank Destroyer Battalion - M36 Jackson - Field Repairs, First Strike, Survivor

Artillery

1st Field Artillery Battalion - M4A3(105) (field mod) - ***
2nd Field Artillery Battalion - M7 - ***
3rd Field Artillery Battalion - M12 GMC - *** - Skilled Support
4th Field Artillery Battalion - 8 Inch M1 (Studebaker Truck) - **

Anti-Aircraft

1st AAA Auto-Weapons Battalion - QS11 - M15 MGMC - **

Fighter

1st Fighter Squadron - P-47D25 - ** - Fast Rebase, Learns from Mistakes, Lightning Attack

Tactical Bomber

1st Bombardment Squadron - B-25H Mitchell - *** - Evasive, Fast Learner, Precision Weapon, Rapid Fire 1.5x
1st Reconnaissance Squadron - OS12 - F4 - ****

Reserve

2nd Engineer Combat Battalion - US Bridge Eng (Studebaker Truck)

Highlights


The new AT unit gets busy immediately, as a StuG tries to hit my recon cars.


In the south things go as planned. There is some local resistance, but Eilendorf should fall soon, well within the limit set by the special objective.


Some auxiliary infantry holds ground despite German attacks and harassment by a few obsolete bombers.


Finally, some extra prestige and core slots! I immediately make a few purchases involving an additional fighter, recon vehicle, extra MGMC, and a light 75 mm HMC M8 artillery piece.


Some tough opposition appears near Alsdorf, but since the enemy is just a few units, it becomes easy to encircle them and disable before they can do major damage.


Kradschützen unit tries to retake lost ground, but my recon cars and bombers hunt it down.


As my forces converge southeast of Alsdorf, additional enemy counterattacks try to break my formation.


Taking Stolberg took me a while, but I did not want to commit major forces to this objective, so it ended up being a exercise in patience.


Finally it is time for Aachen itself. Isolated from remaining enemy force and defended mostly by infantry and Artillery, it stands no real chance against my troops. I take some losses, but nothing dangerous and I don not plan to use replacement mid-battle here, to try and preserve my prestige, as the gains thanks to the optional objective and some valuable captures look really solid.

Summary

Final Prestige: 22018 (up 7005)

Overall

In theory I should like this mission, as it has everything that worked well in previous, similar scenarios. The map is large and offers a large freedom in approaching the objectives, while the enemy placement helps make things a bit unpredictable. However, this time it just dd not click for me. It might be the sheer size of the map, compared with limited numbers of enemy forces that slightly trivialized the difficulty this time. I also felt that I am pulled towards a few separate goals that don't have much to do with each other and I do not maintain a cohesive front while trying to complete the mission. In my opinion there are two possible factors. One is the map size, it could probably be a bit smaller to have the experience feel more tight and connected. The other is the presence of the single supply hex in Aachen in the middle of the city and how initially the player's forces can be deployed. It would probably work better, if the Aachen had 2-3 supply hexes in the direct outskirts and the player was encouraged to get to them and lay siege since the very beginning. Currently it's just about going in guns blazing as soon as the rest of the map is secure. I could have done it differently, but this one main goal felt like it just had one proper way of completion and any other options, while viable, would be just complicating things for myself.

[Tassadar]

Frontlines: Westfall - North Brabant

Hero:


Wonderful find, immediately added to 2nd Tank Destroyer Battalion. I should now be able to use this AT unit more aggressively.

Starting Prestige: 23183

New Units Commissioned:

2nd Reconnaissance Battalion - M24 Chaffee
5th Field Artillery Battalion - O11 - 75 mm HMC M8
2nd AAA Auto-Weapons Battalion - O11 - M15A1 MGMC
2nd Fighter Squadron - P51D

These are all units technically added in the earlier mission, not brand new ones.

Starting Army Composition:

Infantry

2nd Infantry Battalion - US HW Inf 43 (M3 Halftrack) - *** - Fist Strike
1st Engineer Combat Battalion - US Engineers 43 (M3 Halftrack) - *** - Fast Deployment, Fast Entrenchment, First Aid

Tank

2nd Tank Battalion - M4A1 (field mod) - **** - Field Repairs, Low Profile, Steamroller, Tank Killer
4th Tank Battalion - M4A3E2 - ** - Filed Repairs, Steamroller

Recon

2nd Reconnaissance Battalion - M24 Chaffee - *

Anti-Tank

2nd Tank Destroyer Battalion - M18 Hellcat - ** - No Retaliation
3rd Tank Destroyer Battalion - M36 Jackson - Field Repairs, First Strike, Survivor

Artillery

2nd Field Artillery Battalion - M7 - ****
3rd Field Artillery Battalion - M12 GMC - **** - Skilled Support

Anti-Aircraft

1st AAA Auto-Weapons Battalion - QS11 - M15 MGMC - **
2nd AAA Auto-Weapons Battalion - O11 - M15A1 MGMC

Reserve

1st Infantry Battalion - Rangers (Dodge WC63) - **
3rd Infantry Battalion - US Infantry 43 (Dodge WC63) - ** - River Assault
4th Infantry Battalion - US HW Inf 43 (M3 Halftrack) - **
5th Infantry Battalion - US Infantry 43 (Dodge WC63) - **
2nd Engineer Combat Battalion - US Bridge Eng (Studebaker Truck)
1st Tank Battalion - M5A1 - *** - Cheap Replacements, Leadership, Sixth Sense, Steamroller
3rd Tank Battalion - M4 Crocodile - *** - Consolidator, Steamroller
1st Reconnaissance Battalion - OS11 - M8 Greyhound - *****
1st Tank Destroyer Battalion - M10 Wolverine - ** - Double Support
1st Field Artillery Battalion - M4A3(105) (field mod) - ***
4th Field Artillery Battalion - 8 Inch M1 (Studebaker Truck) - ***
5th Field Artillery Battalion - O11 - 75 mm HMC M8 - *
1st Fighter Squadron - P-47D25 - *** - Fast Rebase, Learns from Mistakes, Lightning Attack
2nd Fighter Squadron - P51D
1st Bombardment Squadron - B-25H Mitchell - **** - Evasive, Fast Learner, Precision Weapon, Rapid Fire 1.5x
1st Reconnaissance Squadron - OS12 - F4 - *****

Highlights


My core force is extremely limited this time, so I try to take just the best, most sturdy units and cheap AA cover.


What do we have here? A lone German recon vehicle tries to sneak past the auxiliary forces. I will not allow that.


There's even an attempt to attack supply stocks with V1 flying bombs. It mostly just has narrative impact and a marginal one on prestige, but is a nice historical touch.


American and Polish forces converge on the first larger group of enemies. Thanks to a numerical advantage, I am able to deal with the the threat easily.


Soon, I can split my forces again and continue the push. Luftwaffe presence is annoying, but not very dangerous.


Further west, smaller towns and villages also get slowly surrounded. There are even fewer enemies here, making the whole operation a breeze.


First of the extra airfields taken by Canadian forces. Bergen is in sight, but as it is a main objective I need to take my time to not end the mission early by chance.


A small German counterattack solves this dilemma for me, as I temporarily need to halt my advance in the area.


As I approach Breda, it turns out to have only a token force as its garrison. This should allow me to focus on other parts of the map instead much quicker than I anticipated.


Bergen encircled, it is just now a formality to capture it at my leisure.


Second main airfield found and captured. At this point I am starting to ignore replacements to save prestige, as I do not expect much more major resistance.


All that is left is to mop up some isolated German infantry and finish the scenario

Summary

Final Prestige: 24879 (up 1696)

Overall

That was a surprisingly easy mission, probably because of the generous time limit and very few actually dangerous German units. Most of the time it was just about dealing with a few lone infantry, artillery, and AT vehicles that did not have enough punch to threaten even the auxiliary forces. Of course given how small the player's core force is in this scenario it was intentional to make it possible to complete with the pre-deployed support. It also is the best of both worlds when it comes to giving the player control of auxiliary forces, but not denying him the ability to contribute with the core in key parts of the battle. I do enjoy an auxiliary force mission every now and then, but I always considered them to be a filler content in campaigns, mostly designed for narrative purposes and prefer to deploy my veterans. North Brabant struck a balance in the approach and it could be a lesson to utilize more commonly in the future. Speaking of lessons, I probably should have deployed a fighter, as the Luftwaffe was constantly draining my prestige and while I still ended up with a gain in the end, it could have been much better had I taken out the jets early and not let them linger for almost the entire mission.

[Tassadar]

Frontlines: Westfall - Peel Marches

Hero:


Adding this hero as per the usual to a recon unit. 1st Reconnaissance Squadron can probably make most use of the ability.

Starting Prestige: 26065

New Units Commissioned:

2nd Bombardment Squadron - B-26F Marauder

Apparently the briefing suggested that more air support will be useful. I agree with this notion and add one more tactical bomber to the mix.

Starting Army Composition:

Infantry

2nd Infantry Battalion - US HW Inf 43 (M3 Halftrack) - **** - Fist Strike
1st Engineer Combat Battalion - US Engineers 43 (M3 Halftrack) - **** - Fast Deployment, Fast Entrenchment, First Aid

Tank

2nd Tank Battalion - M4A1 (field mod) - ***** - Field Repairs, Low Profile, Steamroller, Tank Killer
4th Tank Battalion - M4A3E2 - ** - Filed Repairs, Steamroller

Recon

2nd Reconnaissance Battalion - M24 Chaffee - **

Anti-Tank

1st Tank Destroyer Battalion - M10 Wolverine - ** - Double Support
2nd Tank Destroyer Battalion - M18 Hellcat - ** - No Retaliation
3rd Tank Destroyer Battalion - M36 Jackson - * Field Repairs, First Strike, Survivor

Artillery

1st Field Artillery Battalion - M4A3(105) (field mod) - ***
2nd Field Artillery Battalion - M7 - ****
3rd Field Artillery Battalion - M12 GMC - **** - Skilled Support
5th Field Artillery Battalion - O11 - 75 mm HMC M8 - *

Anti-Aircraft

1st AAA Auto-Weapons Battalion - QS11 - M15 MGMC - ***

Fighter

1st Fighter Squadron - P-47D25 - *** - Fast Rebase, Learns from Mistakes, Lightning Attack
2nd Fighter Squadron - P51D

Tactical Bomber

1st Bombardment Squadron - B-25H Mitchell - **** - Evasive, Fast Learner, Precision Weapon, Rapid Fire 1.5x
2nd Bombardment Squadron - B-26F Marauder

Reserve

1st Infantry Battalion - Rangers (Dodge WC63) - **
3rd Infantry Battalion - US Infantry 43 (Dodge WC63) - ** - River Assault
4th Infantry Battalion - US HW Inf 43 (M3 Halftrack) - **
5th Infantry Battalion - US Infantry 43 (Dodge WC63) - **
2nd Engineer Combat Battalion - US Bridge Eng (Studebaker Truck)
1st Tank Battalion - M5A1 - *** - Cheap Replacements, Leadership, Sixth Sense, Steamroller
3rd Tank Battalion - M4 Crocodile - *** - Consolidator, Steamroller
1st Reconnaissance Battalion - OS11 - M8 Greyhound - *****
4th Field Artillery Battalion - 8 Inch M1 (Studebaker Truck) - ***
2nd AAA Auto-Weapons Battalion - O11 - M15A1 MGMC - *
1st Reconnaissance Squadron - OS12 - F4 - ***** - Sixth Sense

Highlights


I much rather have extra 10 core slots in the scenario and deploy my own forces to gain the extra experience than to have British support that will not carry over to the next scenario.


A successful start to the mission with a German tank getting ambushed on the road.


Wow, that's a really good set of heroes on this infantry unit, I would be happy to have such a set in any of my campaigns.


Enemy recons try to assault Ospel but the Belgian auxiliaries hold it just fine.


Situation near Deurne is more complicated, with heavier units attacking it. Fortunately I can call in air support to assist.


Main battle takes place around the marshes south of Liessel. It is a tough battle initially, but after disabling the Panther tanks, remaining German forces lack the firepower to fight back against my own armor.


A unique hero granted as an award for destroying a high enough number of vehicles. Readiness is sadly useless because of my general traits, but the other two abilities have potential.


Time to move towards Heitark and maybe capture some equipment for the extra prestige in the meantime.


Combat engineers help clear out the fortified town defenses. This might have been mainly a tank battle, but infantry also has a chance to contribute.


With a few more turns left, I decide to cross the river further east and check German defenses in the area.


I ultimately manage to take Helden in the south...


...and Kronenberg in the north, both on the very last turn.

Summary

Final Prestige: 27904 (up 1839)

Overall

That was a serious tank battle in the first few turns with success being dependent on positioning. Enemy attacks were relentlessly targeting my weaker units, so it was not easy to hold the line, but in the end, the challenge was just limited to this initial period. After breaking through the German panzers, the remaining defenders could not do much else than delay my advance. This was the first time in this DLC I felt confident enough to go beyond what the orders initially involved and pushed even further west, curious if capturing supply hexes is worth it. They were marked with positive prestige values, so based on earlier experiences I assumed this is possible and not discouraged by the map creator. It turned out to be true and allowed me to grind a bit of valuable extra prestige.

[Tassadar]

Frontlines: Westfall - Huertgen Forest

Hero:


Added to 4th Infantry Battalion, as my new idea is to try out this hero type on infantry given how freely it can be attacked due to my general traits.

Starting Prestige: 29869

New Units Commissioned:

6th Field Artillery Battalion - Calliope

As my aircraft get benched, I try out this rocket artillery instead. For a very steep price of 6 core slots I get a vehicle with solid defense values and good anti-infantry capabilities. Strange it does not have a secondary tank mode however, it should be an option.

Starting Army Composition:

Infantry

1st Infantry Battalion - Rangers (Dodge WC63) - ** - Avenger, City Fighter, Readiness
2nd Infantry Battalion - US HW Inf 43 (M3 Halftrack) - **** - Fist Strike
3rd Infantry Battalion - US Infantry 43 (Dodge WC63) - ** - River Assault
4th Infantry Battalion - US HW Inf 43 (M3 Halftrack) - ** - Resilient
5th Infantry Battalion - US Infantry 43 (Dodge WC63) - **
1st Engineer Combat Battalion - US Engineers 43 (M3 Halftrack) - **** - Fast Deployment, Fast Entrenchment, First Aid

Tank

1st Tank Battalion - M5A1 - *** - Cheap Replacements, Leadership, Sixth Sense, Steamroller
3rd Tank Battalion - M4 Crocodile - *** - Consolidator, Steamroller
4th Tank Battalion - M4A3E2 - *** - Filed Repairs, Steamroller

Recon

2nd Reconnaissance Battalion - M24 Chaffee - ***

Anti-Tank

1st Tank Destroyer Battalion - M10 Wolverine - ** - Double Support
3rd Tank Destroyer Battalion - M36 Jackson - * Field Repairs, First Strike, Survivor

Artillery

1st Field Artillery Battalion - M4A3(105) (field mod) - **** - Skilled Support, Steamroller
2nd Field Artillery Battalion - M7 - **** - Skilled Support
3rd Field Artillery Battalion - M12 GMC - **** - Skilled Support
4th Field Artillery Battalion - 8 Inch M1 (Studebaker Truck) - ***
5th Field Artillery Battalion - O11 - 75 mm HMC M8 - *
6th Field Artillery Battalion - Calliope

Tactical Bomber

1st Reconnaissance Squadron - OS12 - F4 - ***** - Sixth Sense

Reserve

2nd Engineer Combat Battalion - US Bridge Eng (Studebaker Truck)
2nd Tank Battalion - M4A1 (field mod) - ***** - Field Repairs, Low Profile, Steamroller, Tank Killer
1st Reconnaissance Battalion - OS11 - M8 Greyhound - *****
2nd Tank Destroyer Battalion - M18 Hellcat - *** - No Retaliation, Skilled Support
1st AAA Auto-Weapons Battalion - QS11 - M15 MGMC - ***
2nd AAA Auto-Weapons Battalion - O11 - M15A1 MGMC - *
1st Fighter Squadron - P-47D25 - *** - Fast Rebase, Learns from Mistakes, Lightning Attack
2nd Fighter Squadron - P51D - *
1st Bombardment Squadron - B-25H Mitchell - **** - Evasive, Fast Learner, Precision Weapon, Rapid Fire 1.5x
2nd Bombardment Squadron - B-26F Marauder

Highlights


Only plane I take for the mission is a long range recon. It helps me check what surprises await me in the forest, as information is the most valuable weapon I have.


The scout plane also discovers some armored vehicles in the open. They should not be able to surprise me now.


I send only a small group of units in the north, as there are no major objectives there and I am not sure how viable an encirclement would be from that direction.


My tanks try to attack from the south utilizing open terrain. The German attempt a small encirclement, but do not have the numbers for anything threatening.


Main attack goes directly east though the forest. With ample artillery support, I am able to take out defending infantry one by one, despite the theoretical disadvantages of a frontal assault.


Another hero with Resilient, this time pre-determined. Along with the other traits he should be a perfect fit for an infantry unit.


Huertgen captured, all that is left is to mop up the remaining German infantry and bunkers scattered around the forest.


Area around Schmidt will be slightly more difficult to crack, but my support is incoming from the north.


Some limited German counterattacks try to spoil the day, but are swiftly dealt with.


With Schmidt surrounded, taking the last main objective is just a matter of time.


I leave some units further north in case of more surprises, but do not plan to attack the far east supply hexes...


...since a quick scouting trip reveals they are well defended. I lack both the time and heavy firepower, it is simply not worth the time and trouble.

Summary

Final Prestige: 30998 (up 1129)

Overall

Finally a mission in which my infantry had a chance to shine. I like assignments in forest or mountains in this game, as they usually require a very different approach, they is often uniquely specific to the terrain features in different parts of the map. I never felt one such mission was similar to another. Huertgen Forest is its unique challenge, while other scenarios like Warndt Forest from AO 1939 or Operation Bellerophon in AO 1946 have their own memorable elements. There is plenty to choose from and compared to more standard battles it also checks the player's ability to adapt to different battle requirements. I'll remember this one probably by the fact how it limited the use of aircraft, forcing different solution to dealing with defenses, not having the ability to just target from above such key elements like artillery.

[Tassadar]

Frontlines: Westfall - Metz

Hero:


Adding a hero to 4th Infantry Battalion. Given that my units can be attacked freely, this ability is a little more useful than usual and can prevent some accidental losses.

Starting Prestige: 33420

Starting Army Composition:

Infantry

1st Infantry Battalion - Rangers (Dodge WC63) - *** - Avenger, City Fighter, Readiness
2nd Infantry Battalion - US HW Inf 43 (M3 Halftrack) - **** - Fist Strike, Survivor
3rd Infantry Battalion - US Infantry 43 (Dodge WC63) - *** - River Assault
4th Infantry Battalion - US HW Inf 43 (M3 Halftrack) - ** - No Surrender, Resilient
5th Infantry Battalion - US Infantry 43 (Dodge WC63) - ** - Resilient, River Assault, Vigilant
1st Engineer Combat Battalion - US Engineers 43 (M3 Halftrack) - **** - Fast Deployment, Fast Entrenchment, First Aid
2nd Engineer Combat Battalion - US Bridge Eng (Studebaker Truck)

Tank

1st Tank Battalion - M5A1 - *** - Cheap Replacements, Leadership, Sixth Sense, Steamroller
2nd Tank Battalion - M4A1 (field mod) - ***** - Field Repairs, Low Profile, Steamroller, Tank Killer
3rd Tank Battalion - M4 Crocodile - OS13 - *** - Consolidator, Steamroller
4th Tank Battalion - M4A3E2 - *** - Filed Repairs, Steamroller

Recon

1st Reconnaissance Battalion - OS11 - M8 Greyhound - *****
2nd Reconnaissance Battalion - M24 Chaffee - ****

Anti-Tank

1st Tank Destroyer Battalion - M10 Wolverine - *** - Double Support, Skilled Support
2nd Tank Destroyer Battalion - M18 Hellcat - *** - No Retaliation, Skilled Support
3rd Tank Destroyer Battalion - M36 Jackson - ** - Field Repairs, First Strike, Survivor

Artillery

1st Field Artillery Battalion - M4A3(105) (field mod) - **** - Skilled Support, Steamroller
2nd Field Artillery Battalion - M7 - ***** - Skilled Support
3rd Field Artillery Battalion - 155mm M12 GMC - ***** - Skilled Support
4th Field Artillery Battalion - 8 Inch M1 (Studebaker Truck) - ***
5th Field Artillery Battalion - O11 - 75 mm HMC M8 - *
6th Field Artillery Battalion - Calliope - *

Anti-Aircraft

1st AAA Auto-Weapons Battalion - QS11 - M15 MGMC - ***
2nd AAA Auto-Weapons Battalion - O11 - M15A1 MGMC - *

Fighter

1st Fighter Squadron - P-47D25 - *** - Fast Rebase, Learns from Mistakes, Lightning Attack
2nd Fighter Squadron - P51D - *

Tactical Bomber

1st Bombardment Squadron - B-25H Mitchell - **** - Evasive, Fast Learner, Precision Weapon, Rapid Fire 1.5x
2nd Bombardment Squadron - B-26F Marauder
1st Reconnaissance Squadron - OS12 - F4 - ***** - Sixth Sense

Highlights


It should probably be worded differently, as these are core slots on top of the usual number provided earlier bonus objectives were met, not 10 more slots cumulative each mission. At least that's how I understand it.


One group is prepared to take Thionville. In theory it should have an easier job as jut just needs to take that target and then move south to assist.


Other units need to sweep east to ultimately attack Metz from behind, just like the briefing suggested.


Bridge engineers prove useful here, as they allow me to cleanly bypass a section of German defenses.


I don't have much faith in the AI's frontal assault at the fortifications...


My own forces do a much better job at this moving east and taking out the strongpoints along the way.


Taking Thionville wasn't particularly difficult once I was able to attack it from both sides of the river.


Some cool scripting showcased in this mission! I guess things like this were happening even since the base game, but are still underused by designers.


As I move some of my units south to assist the attack on Metz, some German armored cars try to retake lost ground. Unacceptable!


So far so good, enemy counterattacks are manageable. Limited number of armored vehicles in open terrain can be easily isolated and destroyed.


Before I move to capture Metz, time to fully secure the eastern side of the map to not upset Patton and friends.


Now it is time for Metz itself. At this point the defenses are limited to a few infantry and artillery units. Nothing a coordinated combined arms push can't deal with.


An AA vehicle comes out of the fog of war and retakes an airfield I left without any defense as it was not longer in use. Fortunately, that is not a real threat, but I deal with this unexpected occurrence anyway.

Summary

Final Prestige: 38262 (up 4842)

Overall

Mission went faster and swifter than I initially imagined, probably because this particular scenario is designed to be done in a very specific way and guides the player towards that approach. As long as the default route is followed, it remains relatively simple. After a lot of earlier encounters when one could arguably even have too much freedom, having to follow a specific path to victory wasn't as restrictive as it may sound. I just wonder if a powerful enough force could simply try to smash the fortifications in the west reliably. The specific goal to capture eastern objectives first in a set number of turns is clearly designed to counter such ideas and guide the player back to the intended solution. It's effective and much more elegant then setting up arbitrary barriers on the map. After all, disobeying orders from superiors is not looked upon favorably in the army, even if it produces success.

[Tassadar]

Frontlines: Westfall - To the Roer

Hero:


Hero for 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion. M24 Chaffee is a tank after all, time for it to have all the relevant traits!

Starting Prestige: 40731

New Equipment Provided:

2nd Bombardment Squadron - A-26 Invader

Small upgrade to one of my bomber squadrons, possibly one of the very last equipment changes in this campaign.

Starting Army Composition:

Infantry

2nd Infantry Battalion - US HW Inf 43 (M3 Halftrack) - **** - Fist Strike, Survivor
4th Infantry Battalion - US HW Inf 43 (M3 Halftrack) - ** - No Surrender, Resilient
1st Engineer Combat Battalion - US Engineers 43 (M3 Halftrack) - ***** - Fast Deployment, Fast Entrenchment, First Aid

Tank

1st Tank Battalion - M5A1 - *** - Cheap Replacements, Leadership, Sixth Sense, Steamroller
2nd Tank Battalion - M4A1 (field mod) - ***** - Field Repairs, Low Profile, Steamroller, Tank Killer
3rd Tank Battalion - M4 Crocodile - OS13 - *** - Consolidator, Steamroller
4th Tank Battalion - M4A3E2 - *** - Filed Repairs, Steamroller

Recon

1st Reconnaissance Battalion - OS11 - M8 Greyhound - *****
2nd Reconnaissance Battalion - M24 Chaffee - ***** - Overrun

Anti-Tank

1st Tank Destroyer Battalion - M10 Wolverine - *** - Double Support, Skilled Support
2nd Tank Destroyer Battalion - M18 Hellcat - *** - No Retaliation, Skilled Support
3rd Tank Destroyer Battalion - M36 Jackson - ** - Field Repairs, First Strike, Survivor

Artillery

1st Field Artillery Battalion - M4A3(105) (field mod) - **** - Skilled Support, Steamroller
2nd Field Artillery Battalion - M7 - ***** - Skilled Support
3rd Field Artillery Battalion - 155mm M12 GMC - ***** - Expert Support
4th Field Artillery Battalion - 8 Inch M1 (Studebaker Truck) - ****
6th Field Artillery Battalion - Calliope - **

Anti-Aircraft

1st AAA Auto-Weapons Battalion - QS11 - M15 MGMC - ***
2nd AAA Auto-Weapons Battalion - O11 - M15A1 MGMC - *

Fighter

1st Fighter Squadron - P-47D25 - *** - Fast Rebase, Learns from Mistakes, Lightning Attack
2nd Fighter Squadron - P51D - *

Tactical Bomber

1st Bombardment Squadron - B-25H Mitchell - **** - Evasive, Fast Learner, Precision Weapon, Rapid Fire 1.5x
2nd Bombardment Squadron - A-26 Invader - *
1st Reconnaissance Squadron - OS12 - F4 - ***** - Sixth Sense

Reserve:

1st Infantry Battalion - Rangers (Dodge WC63) - *** - Avenger, City Fighter, Readiness
3rd Infantry Battalion - US Infantry 43 (Dodge WC63) - *** - River Assault
5th Infantry Battalion - US Infantry 43 (Dodge WC63) - ** - Resilient, River Assault, Vigilant
2nd Engineer Combat Battalion - US Bridge Eng (Studebaker Truck) - *
5th Field Artillery Battalion - O11 - 75 mm HMC M8 - **

Highlights


Some assistance for the British forces. Ironically, I somehow totally missed the fact I will have control over these units and assumed they would be managed by the AI.


Main forces were situated further east, separated into two groups capable of operating independently if required.


Putting some overstrength on my flame tanks paid off, but I was short on the optimal values. They still need recon assistance to clear targets in the open.


Airfield secure! I was honestly expecting a tougher resistance, but I don't complain and take what opportunity I get.


Finally a real challenge! That Tiger 2 tank unit seems really scary, as there is nothing I have that deals more than 1 - 2 points of damage without severe retaliation taken.


At least I can take Aldenhoven easily and secure that portion of them map not encountering equally dangerous foes!


Time to clear the area around Geilenkirchen and have the British assist with the main objectives.


Regular Tigers are not as bad as their older cousins, that's for sure.


Big bad tank gets some extra help from his colleagues. This is going to take a while.


British forces with American support attack Brachelen from the west. This does not seem like a very difficult nut to crack.


The rest of my army finally moves towards Linnich. After dealing with the German tanks, once again the rest of the fight only requires some patience.

Summary

Final Prestige: 38350 (down 2381)

Overall

After ending the mission, I discovered that my prestige went down by quite a bit. I've given it some thought and determined it was mostly due to using elite replacements on the British forces to keep them relevant. I basically never use elite replacement on auxiliary troops, but here the mission specified keeping at least some of them alive, so I figured I had enough prestige to spare for such a luxury. Other than this unique situation, the scenario played out in a rather standard way. Dealing with enemy tanks and artillery opened up the map for my units and allowed to conquer all the objectives at my leisure, not having to worry about the time. Static defenses are rarely a real obstacle and this has been proven in this DLC time and time again. Only Metz so far really gave off the impression that the Siegfried Line was intimidating, the rest hinted at it being a stopgap measure. The truth is probably somewhere in between both points of view.

[Tassadar]

Frontlines: Westfall - To the Saar

Hero:


Extra power of 1st Engineer Combat Battalion should allow to clear those well defended Siegfried Line hexes as they become more common.

Starting Prestige: 41241

Starting Army Composition:

Infantry

1st Infantry Battalion - Rangers (Dodge WC63) - *** - Avenger, City Fighter, Readiness
2nd Infantry Battalion - US HW Inf 43 (M3 Halftrack) - **** - Fist Strike, Survivor
3rd Infantry Battalion - US Infantry 43 (Dodge WC63) - *** - River Assault
4th Infantry Battalion - US HW Inf 43 (M3 Halftrack) - *** - No Surrender, Resilient
5th Infantry Battalion - US Infantry 43 (Dodge WC63) - ** - Resilient, River Assault, Vigilant
1st Engineer Combat Battalion - US Engineers 43 (M3 Halftrack) - ***** - Fast Deployment, Fast Entrenchment, First Aid, Flag Killer
2nd Engineer Combat Battalion - US Bridge Eng (Studebaker Truck) - *

Tank

1st Tank Battalion - M5A1 - **** - Cheap Replacements, Leadership, Sixth Sense, Steamroller
2nd Tank Battalion - M4A1 (field mod) - ***** - Field Repairs, Low Profile, Steamroller, Tank Killer
3rd Tank Battalion - M4 Crocodile - OS16 - **** - Consolidator, Steamroller
4th Tank Battalion - M4A3E2 - *** - Filed Repairs, Steamroller

Recon

1st Reconnaissance Battalion - OS11 - M8 Greyhound - *****
2nd Reconnaissance Battalion - M24 Chaffee - ***** - Overrun, Steamroller

Anti-Tank

1st Tank Destroyer Battalion - M10 Wolverine - *** - Double Support, Skilled Support
2nd Tank Destroyer Battalion - M18 Hellcat - *** - No Retaliation, Skilled Support
3rd Tank Destroyer Battalion - M36 Jackson - ** - Field Repairs, First Strike, Survivor

Artillery

1st Field Artillery Battalion - M4A3(105) (field mod) - ***** - Skilled Support, Steamroller
2nd Field Artillery Battalion - M7 - ***** - Skilled Support
3rd Field Artillery Battalion - 155mm M12 GMC - ***** - Expert Support
4th Field Artillery Battalion - 8 Inch M1 (Studebaker Truck) - **** - Skilled Support
5th Field Artillery Battalion - O11 - 75 mm HMC M8 - **
6th Field Artillery Battalion - Calliope - ***

Anti-Aircraft

1st AAA Auto-Weapons Battalion - QS11 - M15 MGMC - ***
2nd AAA Auto-Weapons Battalion - O11 - M15A1 MGMC - *

Fighter

1st Fighter Squadron - P-47D25 - *** - Fast Rebase, Learns from Mistakes, Lightning Attack
2nd Fighter Squadron - P51D - *

Tactical Bomber

1st Bombardment Squadron - B-25H Mitchell - ***** - Evasive, Fast Learner, Precision Weapon, Rapid Fire 1.5x
2nd Bombardment Squadron - A-26 Invader - *
1st Reconnaissance Squadron - OS12 - F4 - ***** - Sixth Sense

Highlights


In the south, one team has the goal of capturing Dieuze and just moving east in a relatively straight line.


Main force will be operating in the north, as the map seems to suggest stronger resistance in that area.


One final force will push through the middle and this way be able to assist any of the previous teams depending on the need.


At 16 strength my flame tanks finally do the one-shot city clear I hoped they will be able to achieve, but still require recon support for that.


Air support is invaluable in helping clear the way. The limiting factor is that German fighters can be a threat, so I cannot simply send my planes everywhere.


Southern group shifts direction northeast to avoid dense forests and multiple rivers. Still has to cross some woodlands first, but should be in the open later.


Even without traits to support it, encirclement remains my main weapon against better enemy vehicles. Only those with the Last Stand hero can be a pain to deal with and I've already seen a few in this DLC.


Slow Reaction does strange things to the AI. It sometimes goes for very poor attacks, even into support fire, just to deal a single point of damage.


Hills north of Puttelange have some nasty artillery that was shelling my tanks for longer than I would be comfortable with.


Sarreguamines falls, as the enemy defenses once again in the final stages of a mission become isolated and vulnerable to a concentrated assault.


Just a few remote bonus objectives left that I plan to deal with as well.


With the last objective cleared, it is now time for the final scenario. I think my core force is ready for anything, but I stand to be corrected.

Summary

Final Prestige: 46379 (up 5138)

Overall

Not a difficult assignment this time, but still a fun one to play out, since the map is large and not forcing the player to take any specific approach. This was a running theme of this DLC, aside from a few exceptions, but this mission was probably most freeform of them all, with many deployment zones allowing for a customs start and a long journey to cover allowing to move units around depending on the enemies encountered along the way. Since I did not feel like I was racing against time, this not only allowed to think decision through, but also left a comfortable margin for error. There wasn't really a point at which I felt I was in trouble and when things got more difficult I just called in reinforcements from another section of the map. Overall, it was a well designed experience showing thought that went into all aspects of the scenario.

[Tassadar]

Frontlines: Westfall - Saarlouis

Hero:


Each run seems to have its commonly assigned hero, this time Resilient fits the role. Added to 3rd Infantry Battalion, since it proved a useful ability to have on infantry.

Starting Prestige: 49212

Starting Army Composition:

Infantry

1st Infantry Battalion - Rangers (Dodge WC63) - *** - Avenger, City Fighter, Readiness
2nd Infantry Battalion - US HW Inf 43 (M3 Halftrack) - **** - Fist Strike, Survivor
3rd Infantry Battalion - US Infantry 43 (Dodge WC63) - *** - Resilient, River Assault
4th Infantry Battalion - US HW Inf 43 (M3 Halftrack) - *** - No Surrender, Resilient
5th Infantry Battalion - US Infantry 43 (Dodge WC63) - ** - Resilient, River Assault, Vigilant
1st Engineer Combat Battalion - US Engineers 43 (M3 Halftrack) - ***** - Fast Deployment, Fast Entrenchment, First Aid, Flag Killer
2nd Engineer Combat Battalion - US Bridge Eng (Studebaker Truck) - *

Tank

1st Tank Battalion - M5A1 - **** - Cheap Replacements, Leadership, Sixth Sense, Steamroller
2nd Tank Battalion - M4A1 (field mod) - ***** - Field Repairs, Low Profile, Steamroller, Tank Killer
3rd Tank Battalion - M4 Crocodile - OS16 - **** - Consolidator, Steamroller
4th Tank Battalion - M4A3E2 - *** - Filed Repairs, Steamroller

Recon

1st Reconnaissance Battalion - OS11 - M8 Greyhound - *****
2nd Reconnaissance Battalion - M24 Chaffee - ***** - Overrun, Steamroller

Anti-Tank

1st Tank Destroyer Battalion - M10 Wolverine - *** - Double Support, Skilled Support
2nd Tank Destroyer Battalion - M18 Hellcat - *** - No Retaliation, Skilled Support
3rd Tank Destroyer Battalion - M36 Jackson - ** - Field Repairs, First Strike, Survivor

Artillery

1st Field Artillery Battalion - M4A3(105) (field mod) - ***** - Skilled Support, Steamroller
2nd Field Artillery Battalion - M7 - ***** - Skilled Support
3rd Field Artillery Battalion - 155mm M12 GMC - ***** - Expert Support
4th Field Artillery Battalion - 8 Inch M1 (Studebaker Truck) - **** - Skilled Support
5th Field Artillery Battalion - O11 - 75 mm HMC M8 - **
6th Field Artillery Battalion - Calliope - ***

Anti-Aircraft

1st AAA Auto-Weapons Battalion - QS11 - M15 MGMC - ***
2nd AAA Auto-Weapons Battalion - O11 - M15A1 MGMC - *

Fighter

1st Fighter Squadron - P-47D25 - *** - Fast Rebase, Learns from Mistakes, Lightning Attack
2nd Fighter Squadron - P51D - *

Tactical Bomber

1st Bombardment Squadron - B-25H Mitchell - ***** - Evasive, Fast Learner, Precision Weapon, Rapid Fire 1.5x
2nd Bombardment Squadron - A-26 Invader - *
1st Reconnaissance Squadron - OS12 - F4 - ***** - Sixth Sense
2nd Reconnaissance Squadron - Grashopper - **

Highlights


It would be a shame to pass up on such an offer in the very last mission. Time to deploy jet fighters.


The P-59B Aircomet is really something else compared to usual planes! Comes is a slightly weaker unit with just 5 power, but Rapid Fire 2x hero compensates this.


Flame tank with its escorts moving down south. Not much to be said, the remaining units are there just as support, as the M4 Crocodile takes all the glory.


Bit of a stalemate in the central part of the map with intense air combat above.


Solid German counterattack to deal with, but nothing my forces cannot handle at this point. Veterans fight well even against the most dangerous foes.


Three ammo on the M4 Crocodile equals three artillery pieces down in one turn.


Another counterattack up north, but at this point I have air dominance and can deal with undefended ground targets easily...


...as long as it does not rain. The weather regularly affects my air force and makes things more tricky.


Merzig will be the first town to fall. It is well defended, but artillery does the job.


Beckingen is next on the list as I move from north to south. Ironically, I skipped a whole southern section of the map with no objective markers. Probably did the mission the other way around then optimally intended.


Saarlouis is easy to capture with my flame tanks doing the job.


Now just two locations left with only a symbolic defense.

Summary

Final Prestige: 47654 (down 1558)

Overall

Suitably interesting confrontation for the last mission of the campaign, with enough fortifications to feel the DLC namesake. At this point a experience core force customized to a specific playstyle was able to deal with basically any threat, but still the things did not feel like a cakewalk. I especially liked the scripted addition of German jet fighters as a response to me going for the P-59B Aircomet in the beginning, as it means the choice was not as obvious as it might have seemed at first and not choosing this advanced fighter might have had its own merits. The map was large, long and suitably diverse to not feel stale despite having to cover a lot of ground and capture multiple objectives. It might not have the epic scale of some other DLC, but honest all the time playing Westwall, I felt the slightly underpowered scope of encounters was more realistic and it is a trend I see many Panzer Corps addons form different authors embrace recently with a lot of success.

Frontlines: Westwall - Summary

Final Army Composition:

Infantry

1st Infantry Battalion - Rangers (Dodge WC63) - *** - Avenger, City Fighter, Readiness
2nd Infantry Battalion - US HW Inf 43 (M3 Halftrack) - ***** - Fist Strike, Survivor
3rd Infantry Battalion - US Infantry 43 (Dodge WC63) - *** - Resilient, River Assault
4th Infantry Battalion - US HW Inf 43 (M3 Halftrack) - *** - No Surrender, Resilient
5th Infantry Battalion - US Infantry 43 (Dodge WC63) - *** - Resilient, River Assault, Vigilant
1st Engineer Combat Battalion - US Engineers 43 (M3 Halftrack) - ***** - Fast Deployment, Fast Entrenchment, First Aid, Flag Killer
2nd Engineer Combat Battalion - US Bridge Eng (Studebaker Truck) - *

Tank

1st Tank Battalion - M5A1 - **** - Cheap Replacements, Leadership, Sixth Sense, Steamroller
2nd Tank Battalion - M4A1 (field mod) - ***** - Field Repairs, Low Profile, Steamroller, Tank Killer
3rd Tank Battalion - M4 Crocodile - OS16 - **** - Consolidator, Steamroller
4th Tank Battalion - M4A3E2 - **** - Filed Repairs, Steamroller

Recon

1st Reconnaissance Battalion - OS11 - M8 Greyhound - *****
2nd Reconnaissance Battalion - M24 Chaffee - ***** - Overrun, Steamroller

Anti-Tank

1st Tank Destroyer Battalion - M10 Wolverine - *** - Double Support, Skilled Support
2nd Tank Destroyer Battalion - M18 Hellcat - **** - No Retaliation, Skilled Support
3rd Tank Destroyer Battalion - M36 Jackson - *** - Field Repairs, First Strike, Skilled Support, Survivor

Artillery

1st Field Artillery Battalion - M4A3(105) (field mod) - ***** - Skilled Support, Steamroller
2nd Field Artillery Battalion - M7 - ***** - Skilled Support
3rd Field Artillery Battalion - 155mm M12 GMC - ***** - Expert Support
4th Field Artillery Battalion - 8 Inch M1 (Studebaker Truck) - **** - Skilled Support
5th Field Artillery Battalion - O11 - 75 mm HMC M8 - **
6th Field Artillery Battalion - Calliope - ****

Anti-Aircraft

1st AAA Auto-Weapons Battalion - QS11 - M15 MGMC - ****
2nd AAA Auto-Weapons Battalion - O11 - M15A1 MGMC - **

Fighter

1st Fighter Squadron - P-47D25 - **** - Fast Rebase, Learns from Mistakes, Lightning Attack
2nd Fighter Squadron - P51D - **
3rd Fighter Squadron - P-59B Aircomet - ** - Hit and Run, Rapid Fire 2x, Reduced Slots

Tactical Bomber

1st Bombardment Squadron - B-25H Mitchell - ***** - Evasive, Fast Learner, Precision Weapon, Rapid Fire 1.5x
2nd Bombardment Squadron - A-26 Invader - **
1st Reconnaissance Squadron - OS12 - F4 - ***** - Sixth Sense
2nd Reconnaissance Squadron - Grashopper - **

Final Prestige: 49212 (up 47671)

Final Thoughts

Frontlines: Westwall is so far the best DLC in the Frontlines series. I can observe with satisfaction that it improves on basically every element of the Bulge DLC that was raised as critical player feedback in that addon. Coming from the same author it is great to see this got taken into consideration and addressed in Westwall. There are fewer repeated hero types, although "Last Stand" type effects seem to be prevalent. Furthermore, there are more scenarios and those that involve other allied forces also allow to deploy a small American core. Overall there is also stronger identity and a cohesive feel with mission objectives more varied as well. This is the direction that I feel is good for the series, especially since difficulty was just right, with all goals achievable within a regular army set-up, heroes given never feeling overpowered, and unique awards kept lore friendly.

Regarding my first experience playing with Slow Reaction, I felt it was not as crippling as it seemed initially. With proper support fire, learning not to put infantry in close terrain if possible and some other preventive measures, it is a perfectly manageable disadvantage. A lot would depend on the specific nature of the campaign it is applied to, since in more endgame conditions (thinking mostly of final Axis Operations) it would surely have a larger impact, but in most cases it works just fine. The biggest effect it has is on aircraft, so I would probably consider combining it with a Denied Air Force run, since fighters really have a bad day with this trait and relying on AA cover with AA Veteran instead seems a lot more reliable.