Slitherine

Has anybody beaten this map and taken out the fortress / defenses to get the DV, while taking minor casualties / acceptible losses considering Warsaw is the next map?

I have played this map several times over the last few days (on General) and have come to the conclusion of settling for a marginal victory, as assaulting the fortress / final city with the forces you have available seems like a virtual 'suicide mission' and would leave you with nothing left of your core army to assault Warsaw (considering how tight prestige is in the DLC to re-inforce or buy new units).

I settled for taking 3 of the objectives and holding a line just above the fortress thus preserving my core force, while capping more lightly defended cities for prestige and just taking the marginal victory.

I have DV'd every other map on the 39 DLC prior to Modlin but it just appears the casualties you would take in assaulting the fortress and the lack of prestige given as a reward to replace losses outweigh the need to get the DV on this map.

How's your air force? There is no Polish air force in that scenario, so leave your fighters behind and bring extra level bombers and Stukas.
Also recommend at least 2 pioneer infantry for assaulting the forts.

The scenario is nice. I played it twice.

You need to get around the defense barrier. This is possible on the left side across the river and a swamp that allows you one unit a time getting behind the guns.
And from the right with the objective of taking out the airdefence.
Only leave minimal forces in the middle, e.g. some artillery+2 Infantry, elite infantry or pioneers in the left and tanks+SIGs in the right.
Once you're behind the guns, they can be knocked out, particularly when the air-defence is gone.

Hmmm strange you had trouble, I felt this scenario was actually easier than Piatek or Kampinoska forest. Although I guess it depends a lot on your core.

Basically, you'll need to field a ton of suppression power :
- lots of artillery (at this point in the game, in comparison, I had 2 towed and 2 SP artilleries)
- a couple of pioneers (they ignore entrenchment level when they attack, and have a bonus over forts)
- stukas as ever (I use 3-4 plus one fighter bomber - there is almost no need of fighters on this map, I'd use one with the fighter bomber just in case)
- if you have trouble, as Kerensky said, you could purchase a level bomber or two. They are not necessarily useful everytime in the DLC campaign, but you'll find them very helpful in the Narvik scenario, so you might as well buy them now.

This is what I would deploy, keeping some of my tanks/scouts/fighters at home to make room (I always try to have multiple units in reserve so that I can adapt my core to the scenario played). It is actually one of those scenarios in the DLC where a "vanilla" deployment works better than the more mobile, armor heavy core compositions you'll mostly use in the DLC (especially 41 Russia). Warsaw is sort of like this too.

With that kind of core composition, just take your time. Advance cautiously in front of Modlin while trying to have your forward troops always backed by artillery to weather the opponent's turn, and on the offensive, dive bomb whenever possible, and suppress, suppress, suppress before attacking with pioneers. Don't use too many tanks on this one, but flank with them if feasible.

Use paratroopers to get behind those bunkers. I usually use three lvl13 para units. Just remember escort them with a fighter. Level bombers are good support for paras because of their good fuel amount.

Edit: oops i was in year 41

Good pointers guys.

My core is roughly speaking 1 PZ II tank and 2 of the 38T tanks, 2 stukas and 1 Me109, 1 AT gun x 3 towed artillery, 1 pioneer unit and the rest is pretty much infantry including x 2 of the "special infantry units" given to me for DV'ing the previous 2 maps.

I'm finding that I can rout the map up to the fortress, which I could take for a DV but it would come at a heavy price. I have tried flanking down the right, which works to an extent but the fortress guns outrange my arty and surpress everything before I can get all units into positon for a major attack. The AA also does significant damage to the Stukas before you can knock it out with my tanks etc.

More air is probably needed in my core force for this one as hinted. Trouble is on my way through this campaign I have tried to keep my core units re-inforced with 'veteran replacements' to keep their abilities up, which leaves precious little prestige to buy additional units. Reckon I will ditch the AT unit though, as it is of virtually no use at present.

Anyway I elected to keep my core intact and take the marginal victory. I will try with more air on Modlin during my next play through.

Warsaw (North) next up does look pretty epic though, which gets you to thinking what Stalingrad will be like in 42 DLC...

Generally speaking : don't elite reinforce during scenarios at all. It's ok to elite reinforce during deployment phase (at half price), but only if you have plenty to spare, and only if your core is completely build up (and units upgraded if applicable). You are right, priorize buying units.

Looking at your core :

- you have enough (too much ?) infantry. Diversity is good, each infantry type has a niche - but pioneers are usually your best bet, I'd use 2-3. You can change your SE infantry to Gebirgsjager or Grenadiers, both have their uses. Also when you get to Norway, Fallschirmjager become available : I'd purchase at least one right at this time (it will be very useful for the Norway scenarios, especially Oslo, then for Eben Emael)

- at this point, I won't suggest to buy another tank for Warsaw, but you'll need a bit more armor in France (and much more in Russia !). PZII and 38t are "evolutionary dead end", so as you have managed with 3 this far, wait for Norway (PzIII) and Netherlands (PzIV) to get upgradable units that will last a long time.

- 3 towed artillery is OK, I'd add a Sturmpanzer or 2 whenever possible

- I'd disband the AT gun ... you could buy a Jagdpanzer when it becomes available. The infamous 88 gun (classified in the AA units, but you can switch it to AT) is very useful too, dual use and extremely poweful this early in the war

- Only one fighter is OK for Poland, but you'll suffer later : I'd use at the very least 3 at the start of DLC 40. One additional Stuka or more is never a waste : those things absolutely dominate the time period currently represented in the DLCs. Strat bombers are useful in Narvik, and in general in many scenarios.

That's just my experience though. The beauty of this game is that you can experiment with diverse core forces and have good success

I agree with the others that tactics and core can be improved.
It is essential that you flank the enemy and make ample use of suppression before attacking.

About the core, most of it was already stated by kjeld111:

I think at that time I had 5 infantry, at least 3 of them Pioniere to take cities and destroy fortresses.
I wouldnt want to do Warsaw with less Pioniere. As well as the 88, Pioniere have also considerable bonuses against fortresses.
I think 4 artillery is mandatory for suppression at this point.
Strategic bombers have much less trouble with AAs.

I only got my 3rd tank in Norway (SE unit), previously I made due with the 2 upgraded Pz38(t), and just left the AT in the reserve until the Panzerjäger.

I didnt use veteran replacements at all until Warsaw deployment, which saved lots of prestige and there is enough time afterwards to build up the experience to the 225 ceiling of GC39.

start hammering it with HE 111, before you even get close to it. It will expend ammo on the fort. Once in range keep hammering it with the level bomber and arty, if its out of ammo then send in the Stuka. I find Stukas can take a nasty hit from those things. Try to get as many troop as you can adjacent and start with your pioneers and then hit it with whatever you have, a flak 88 might be nice for this too, but wait till the fort is out of ammo just to be safe.
I normally leave my AT guns behind except for Bzurka river, they can be used to grab vacant cities but otherwise I find them pretty useless.
I have not failed to take the fortress yet, sometimes its just harder than other times.